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

Thursday... Maybe we need this word today.

Psalm 57:1b (NIRV), "There I will stay until the danger is gone." Thursday... Maybe we need this word today. There are words in life that give us confidence no matter what we are facing. Now we have to believe them in order for them to have an impact. David wrote Psalm 57 while he was in a cave hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him and he says in the last part of verse 1, "There I will stay." It was a safe place and Saul didn't know that he was there. But he doesn't stop there. With confidence he said, "There I will stay until." And until is definitely a word of faith and confidence. "There I will stay until the danger is gone." Do we need that today? Let me give you the whole verse. In verse 1 David says, "Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me." And that is a great place to start in times of trouble. Maybe that is what we need to pray today, "Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me." It is so great to have someone...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Friday... It is so exciting but wait a minute.

Proverbs 19:2 (NLT), "Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes." Friday... It is so exciting but wait a minute. This time of the year is so exciting. We get our paycheck from work and then we head to the store or Amazon and buy and buy and buy all those presents and then our check is gone Proverbs 19:2 (NLT) says, "Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes." But buying gifts can be so much fun and seeing how happy they are when opening those presents makes us feel so good. But then verse 3 says, "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then they are angry at the Lord." Now for some that is their life. They get money and they spend it on their wants with no thought of what needs to be paid. An important lesson that we have learned is just because you have money in the bank doesn't mean you must spend it. But our enthusiasm takes over. But the problem is when it is gone and there is no money to pay th...

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