Monday... So, what is going to happen today?

Psalm 73:24 (NLT), "You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny."

Monday... So, what is going to happen today?

I was listening yesterday morning to a pastor that I had when we lived in California. It was his sermon that he gave the first Sunday after New Years. Earlier this week I also was listening to him tell of how they were doing all they could to get as much as they could out of their building because they were afraid of a fire destroying their church.

I heard this week that a church where my father was an assistant pastor when I was very young, this week burned down.

Earlier in this Psalm the writer honestly says in verses 2-3, "But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don't have troubles like other people; they're not plagued with problems like everyone else."

But what a difference a week can make.

Now my heart goes out to all of those people no matter who they are who have lost their homes in the fires this past week in Los Angeles. We as humans do not know what is going to happen, do we? But there is someone who does.

Psalm 73:24 (NLT) says, "You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny."

Again the Psalmist in their honesty says in verses 13-14, "Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain."

And that is the way that so many live, even Christians.

But the Psalmist doesn't stop there. In his honesty before God in verses 21-22 he writes, "Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was foolish and ignorant - I must seem like a senseless animal to you."

So what is going to happen today and how am I going to handle it?

The Psalmist goes on. Verses 23-24 says, "Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny."

He continues. Verse 25 says, "Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth." Now we need to realize that this is earth. This is not heaven. In the Lord's Prayer we are told to pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We must realize that God's will is not always done here on earth. God's perfect will is done in heaven. And this is not heaven. We must not blame God for the fires in LA. But he can use them.

Verse 26 continues, "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."

And verse 28 is so good. It says, "But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter; and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do." Even in the midst of the fires.

Yes, there were churches that burned down and good, good people lost their homes. Yes, "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." And "But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter; and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."

So, what is going to happen today? That is a very good question. 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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