Friday... "But then" can make such a difference.

Psalm 77:11 (NLT), "But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago."

Friday... "But then" can make such a difference.

So how is your friday going? Did you wake up in a mess and it just doesn't seem to be getting better?

For those living in LA this is one of those times. I have lived there two different times and I have gone through some fires but nothing like what is happening right now. We turned the TV on last night and saw a house burning in Studio City just off of Coldwater Canyon. We live closed to where that fire was burning. Now when I lived there there were many fires "but then" they alway finally stopped.

Now the words, "but then" are such a tremendous set of words. There are some people who never get to the "but thens" of life. They live in the deep troubles and that is where this Psalmist starts in Psalm 77:1-3 (NLT) by saying, "I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I am in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help." And that is where so many people live and will live the rest of their lives.

But I want you to know that "but then" can make such a difference when we quit living in the "when I was in deep trouble."

I love the Psalms they start with the "when I was in deep trouble" but they don't stop there. You just need to keep reading.

Verse 11 says, "But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago."

Verses 10-12 says, "And I said, 'This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.' But then I recall all you have done, O Lord. I remember your deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts, I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works." We just need to keep reading and remembering and recalling.

It is a very good practice to start our day not with requesting but with thanking. It make such a difference recalling the good things of yesterday that God did for you and thanking him as you start your day. That helps so much in your having hope in the deep troubles you are facing. Now it may be difficult to find the good but it is there. And then thinking about what God is like and praising him gives you confidence and faith as you then give him your requests. That goes a long way in breaking the living in the despairs of our lives. Life is tough.

The Psalmist goes on in verses 13-15. He says, "O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph."

I am almost at the end in Genesis of the story of Jacob and Joseph. Today I read in Genesis 48:21, "Then Jacob said to Joseph, 'Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.'" It is such an amazing story. Verses 14-15 of Psalm 77 in The Message says, "You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do - You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph."

Now this is a great way to start your day by thanking God, by praising him for who he is, recalling what he has done by reading the Bible and then asking him with faith and confidence. Yes, "But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago." Yes, "But then" can make such a difference. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Monday... He did it by Himself

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Todays Beginning

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