Todays Beginning

Psalm 120:1 (NLT) says, "I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer." Monday... So where do we turn when in trouble? It seems that trouble is all around us, isn't it? So it is a good thing to know where to turn. Psalm 119:2-3 says, "Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk in his paths." And there are so many benefits when we do this. Such as what Psalm 120:1 says, "I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried to him, and he answered my prayer." And that is a definite benefit. Then back to Psalm 119:49-50 and it says, "Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles." The Amplified Bible says in verse 50, "This is my comfort in my affliction, that your word has revived me and given me life." Romans 10:4 says, "For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to H...

Psalm 117:2 (NLT) says, "For his unfailing love is powerful; the Lord's faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord."  Friday... Over and over they writ e. I have read the Psalms for nearly 50 years and these two descriptions are written about our Lord, our God over and over. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Psalms and even in the whole Bible and these two descriptions are highlighted here in this chapter. It must mean that God wants us to be reinforced in these two characteristics, these descriptions, these facts about him. And we are to praise the Lord. They are so important. They are unfailing love and faithfulness. Now they really do go together, unfailing love and faithfulness go together. If I really love my spouse then I will be faithful. God has shown us by living out those facts. Now the description is that unfailing love is powerful. Everything that happens to those who follow him must go through that unfailing love and it is so powerful that no matter...

Psalm 116:1 (AMP), "I love the Lord, because He hears [and continues to hear] my voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs)." Thursday... Being listened to elevates our worth.  It really does, doesn't it? So do you avail yourself of this fact and also live it out to others? Both my wife, Margaret and I have some problems with our hearing. That seems to go along with getting older but being older is not a problem with God. Now because of our love for each other we strive to speak a little louder but using that as an excuse is not a good reason for not listening. Love means we try harder to hear and to be heard. Love does that.  Now ignoring someone and not hearing what they are saying because you don't think they are important enough for you to make the effort to hear what they are saying is not the way it is with God. He doesn't say that he's not going to listen because he is tired of listening to all our problems because we are so need...

2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NIV), "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance." Tuesday... May it be so! This matter of perseverance is so important and Christ is a tremendous example, isn't he? Let me ask you, how do you handle it when you fall?  Proverbs 24:16 (NIV) says, "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumbles when calamity strikes." Now perfectionism and perseverance don't go together. A perfectionist falls or makes a mistake or his plans don't go the way he wanted and it throws them completely off track. I can't fall, what is wrong with me? I am a failure. But a person with perseverance gets up, learns from the fall and heads out to face another day. Now here is another picture of a perfectionist. Verses 17-18 says, "Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away ...

Proverbs 23:18-19 (AMP), "Surely there is a future [and a reward], and your hope and expectation will not be cut off. Listen my son (daughter) and be wise, and direct your heart in the [way of the Lord]." Monday... Surely there is, surely? As we head out to a new day, a new week we sometime wonder? But again, "Surely there is a future [and a reward]." Surely, yes, surely. We need that sometime reinforced, don't we? May that is what so many of of us need today. Too many time we wake up and compare ourselves to other people. Verses 17-18 in the Message says, "Don't for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the "Fear-of-God - That's where your future lies, then you won't be left with an armload of nothing." As the last part of verse 17 in the Amplified Bible says, "But [continue to] live in the [reverent, wonderful] fear of the Lord day by day." Psalm 113:4 (MSG) says, "God is higher than anything and anyone, ou...

2 Thessalonians 1:11b (NLT) says, "May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do." Friday... May we accomplish what we are prompted to do. There is so much that God has created us to do. No matter our age. Proverbs 20:29 (MSG) says, "Youth may be admired for vigor, but gray hair gives prestige to old age." Again, "May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do." Verse 11 in 2 Thessalonians in the Message says, "We pray for you all the time - pray that God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." The Amplified Bible says it this way, "We constantly pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of your calling [to faith] and with [His] power fulfill every desire for goodness, and complete [your] every work of faith." Back to...

Psalm 109:27 (NLT), "Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, Lord." Thursday... Yes, this could be one of those times. King David tells it like it is and he sees situations like a man after God's own heart. We see life and its negative situations as annoyances instead of opportunities. David in verses 24-25 says, "My knees are weak from fasting and I am skin and bones. I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn." Could that also be you in what you are going through? You feel like your life is a joke. Well, I'm sure that you are not alone. People can be so mean. Verse 25 in the Amplified Bible says, "I have also become a reproach and an object of taunting to others; When they see me, they shake their heads [in derision]."  Over in the New Testament book of Matthew, God's Son, Jesus was going through and about to go through even a more difficult time. Matthew in 26:39 (NLT) wr...

Psalm 108:12-13 (MSG), "Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition for good." Wednesday... Give me help for this hard task! Yes, we need help, real help. Not just any help. There are some situations in our lives that we need help from someone who is greater than the situation. There are some really hard tasks that we face and we want to run from them but we can't. Maybe you are facing one today and you need help, real help. Now verse 1 in the New Living Translation says, "My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises." We may not be confident in ourselves and even other people but we can be confident in God. Verse 4 says, "For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches the clouds." There are just some things that can only be done with someone who is greater than the hard task. Verse 5 says, "Be exalted, O God, a...

  Psalm 107:30 (NLT), "What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor." Tuesday... That stillness is such a blessing. There sure are a lot of storms going on around us and some stillness would be such a blessing. We were living on Long Island in New York and our son, Brett and his family were living in Colorado and we in New York were having a hurricane. We lived fairly close to the Ocean and we didn't really know what was happening but Brett was watching the weather on tv and he called us in the middle of the night and said maybe you need to go to the basement it looks like a tornado is headed your way. So that is what we did. It was so great to have someone watching out for us. Well the Psalmist in Psalm 107 was talking about being on a ship and a storm came up and it was tossing them all around. Now I've never been in a storm while on a ship. But verse 27 said, "They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits' end....

Proverbs 16:1 (NLT), "We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer." Monday... Yes, we have so much ability. As we start another week some may need their confidence reinforced but we also must be careful. Confidence is a great tool in our making plans but so is trust. Of course it depends on our focus of trust.  Yes, we as God's creation have so many abilities but seeing into our future is not one of them. Yes, we can make plans but are they the right ones? Verses 2-3 says, "People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." Psalm 106:7-8 says, "Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord's miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. Even so, he saved them - to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power." Yes, there are many even so's ...

Psalm 113:1-2 (MSG), "Hallelujah!, You who serve God, praise God! Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing - now and tomorrow and always." Friday... Yes, it really is. It really does! There is so much in people's lives that can bring them down. So much. But starting your day speaking God's name in praise can really help to start the day right. Yes, there is power in praise! Yes, there is always power from God but there is also power from praise. "Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing." Look at this, no matter what you are facing, verse 4 (NLT) says. "For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens."  Our praise changes our focus. The Apostle Paul had started a church in Thessalonica and it had become a thriving church but Paul after he had planted the church was chased out of town. But here is how he started his first letter to them. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1 he wr...

Proverbs 12:1 (NLT), "To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction." Thursday... Two words that are not normally used today. If we would have called someone stupid we would probably be corrected. We would be in trouble if we called someone stupid, wouldn't we? But four of the translations that I have read today use the word stupid so I am sure it is what the writer of this Psalm meant.  And the other word is correction. We seem to be in a time in our culture that we don't think correction is the way to go but Biblically it is. Now the Amplified Bible says, "Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge." Just because we are not in school doesn't mean we need to quit learning. We still need a hunger for it especially the knowledge that God gives.  And then the writer says, "But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid." We are never too old to be stupid and for some the older we get the stupider we get.  No...

  Proverbs 11:2 (NIV), "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Wednesday... There is for sure a more productive road. Yes there is disgrace but the road of pride seems to be a road that for many leads to success but does it really? In the matter of relationships it is a real problem but for too many, being humble seems to be weak. But is it? The Amplified Bible goes into more detail. It says it this way, "When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then comes dishonor and shame,  but with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind."  The Apostle Paul while in prison writes in Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT), "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone wh...

Proverbs 10:24 (NLT), "The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted." Tuesday... Which do we want? Life is filled with choices. Tonight here in the US we will be watching two Presidential candidates debating each other. And on election day in November they will be a very important choice for us to make.  So many people have awakened this morning with the choice of fear or hope. And this verse in Proverbs tells the outcome of those choices. The Amplified says verse 24 this way, "What the wicked fear will come upon him, but the desire righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted." That is a choice. And there are so many other choices we will face today Now over in Colossians 2:8 (NLT), Paul the writer of this letter says, "Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ." Verses 9-10, ...

Proverbs 9:6 "Leave your simple ways behind and begin to live; learn to use good judgement." Monday... How to learn to use good judgement. One of the ways to learn how to use good judgement is to use bad judgement and see the consequences. It is so easy for us to depend upon ourselves and our desires and then see where that takes us. But spending time in God's Word, like in Proverbs and starting our day in conversing with God really makes sense, it really is using good judgement. We are in the midst of moving. It's here in Vegas but to another community. We see it as a wise thing to do, with our future in mind. It is amazing what happens when you leave you simple ways behind and really begin to live and to learn to use good judgement. That's what age does for you.   The Amplified Bible says, "Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, and walk in the way of insight and understanding." Who you hang out with is one of the first places to s...

Friday... Now you can wait until it is responsive or exit. Now that is what my computer said as I was trying to get connected to where I write my blog. So what do I do? Well, I waited and here we are. You see I needed this page in order to write this blog. At least I wanted it. I feel I needed it to happen the way it also has but I am seeing that I will be changing and it really will be for the better. You see, we think we need things to happen the way we need but maybe our needs are really wants. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19 (NLT), "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." That is such a wonderful thought, isn't it? And we use it in our going to God over and over, don't we?  And he does say in verse 6, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." That is another verse t...

Thursday... They do come, they really do.  I am having some problems with posting this blog and there needs to be some changes so I am searching. So how should we focus? Of course finding solutions is one but there still is another very important one to do, a very important place to start. Psalm 95:6-7 (NLT) says, "Come, let us worship the Lord our maker, for he is God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today." Oh we do listen to the voice of despair. That is a place we sometimes go, isn't it? We also go to others asking them for advice and that is a good place to go. But stopping and whorshing our maker, our God, the one who watches over us is without a doubt the first place to go.  It is so easy for us during times of difficulties to hang our head down in discouragement. That is where we naturally go. Yes, the Psalmist says for us to hang our heads but do it in worship to God not in deep flows of negative ...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.  It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...

Tuesday... But let's just remember this. The writer of Psalm 93 reminds us of a couple of important things. And we need to remember the reality of these two facts. Verse 3 (NLT) says, "The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves." Now I have lived close to both Oceans and I have seen some tremendous waves. I've even been through some floods. Now we are not in one right now but I do remember. But our family is going through some very difficult situations. And maybe that is true of you. Have you been through some floods? Maybe you are going through some mighty stuff that is greater than you can handle right now. The Psalms over and over bring up situations that are greater than we are. But it doesn't stop there. But they also remind us of another fact.  Yes, what we may be going through is mighty but verse 4 starts with "but". I love that. Yes life is rough, yes "the floods have li...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call  out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...