Friday... Oh the goodness of God.

Psalm 63:4-5 (NLT), "I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy."

Friday, "Oh the goodness of God.

David writes in Psalm 63:4-5 (NLT), "I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy."

Yes, it is very important for us to stop and lift up our hands to God in prayer as we face 2025. It is an unknown and we definitely need to be connected to God in prayer. That is such a privilege and opportunity, isn't it? And if we stop and look back on 2024 then we can see the answers to our prayers and we can praise him. It is amazing what has happened in our life this past year. It really is.

As I was coming down the hill to my coffee shop to write and looking out at the sunrise I got emotional. In no way did I realize what this year would bring because of my relationship with God. It has been difficult but amazing, so amazing. Yes, lifting my hands in prayer to God has brought amazing results in 2024.

Now, many look back and take all the credit for what has happened but even if you don't have a relationship with God you still need to praise him for his goodness in your life. Without him you would not even have had the opportunity to live. And all the good that happened through you came from God. Even if you don't believe in him he still works but if you have a relationship with him it is unbelievable how he works.

Verse 3 says, "Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you." He loves us even if we don't love him. And there is so much more if we love him. There really is.

So many are searching for love and don't realize that it is all around them because God is all around them. Now there are consequences when we don't love him back. Because I love him then he will be faithful to me and because he loves you then he will strive to draw you to him so he can really show you his love..

Let's say, you have parents who really love you and they want to show that love in so many ways to you but you have rejected them, you have turned your back on them, you have rebelled against them, then you will not receive the benefit of their love because of your rejection. Now if I love them and give my love to them then I receive so much more from them than you do. Yes they gave life to you even if you don't appreciate it. You wouldn't even be alive without them but there can be so much more if you love them back. And that is the way it is with God. He wants so much to give his unfailing love to you and there are so many benefits for us through that love.

Now David says in verses 6-8 (NIRV), "As I lie awake on my bed I remember you. I think all night long. Because you have helped me, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I hold to you tightly. Your powerful right hand takes good care of me." And that is the truth. It really has been true in Margaret and my life this past year. It has really been unbelievable how he has worked in our lives. And I praise him.

But then he goes on. Verses 9-10 (NLT) says, "But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals." Yes, there are consequences if we reject his love.

And then verse 11, "But the king will rejoice in God." Yes, Margaret and I will rejoice in God and his goodness and his answering our prayers and his unfailing love. We will praise him.

Yes, there are unbelievable benefits in having a loving relationship with God. Yes, "I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy." And so can you. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

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...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

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...

Todays Beginning

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