Thursday... So how do we handle the unknown?

Psalm 62:8 (AMP), "Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us."

Thursday... So how do we handle the unknown?

So here it is a new year. We never have faced 2025 before. And looking at individuals, even Christ followers, each ones handles the unknown differently.

Now over in Genesis 32-33 we find a story about two brothers, Jacob and Esau. It seems that 20 years before, Jacob the younger brother had stolen the older brother Esau's birthright and Esau said he was going to kill him so Jacob ran but God seemed to tell him that it was time to come home and meet up with his brother. And in Genesis 33:1 (NLT) it says, "Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with 400 men."

Now each one of us are unique individuals and we each one face difficult situations differently. Even Christ followers face what is ahead differently. One will face it positively, thinking that this new year is going to be great and others have a negative and as some say a realistic view of what is ahead. And it is so easy to point our fingers at each other and condemn how they handle what is ahead.

Even the words faith and trust must go through different, unique personalities. And sin clouds the picture but being saved of our sins will go also through our unique personalities.

Now Jacob faces this situation with some anxiety. He wasn't sure how the meeting was going to go and especially when he heard that his brother was bringing 400 men with him. So how are you facing the unknown of a new year? But the key is, he did face it and he didn't run away from what he believed God wanted him to do. And that is so important. We must be obedient to God.

With who he was, Jacob came up with a bunch of plans. And he also had a wrestling match with God.

Psalm 62:8 (AMP) says, "Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." And that is such an important verse for us as we face this new year.

Yes, we can trust God but we also because we are a unique human will handle it differently. Now the time Jacob had wrestling with God and the changes even with God changing his name changed the way he would handled this situation.

Verse 3 says, "Then Jacob crossed over [the stream] ahead of them and bowed himself to the ground seven times [bowing and moving forward each time], until he approached his brother." He humbled himself. His I am a winner personality didn't get in the way this time. He came as a humble man. And look what happened. I don't think that Jacob expected this but God did.

Verse 4 says, "But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and hugged his neck and kissed him and they wept [for joy]." Genesis 32:5 (NLT) says that Jacob was "hoping that you would be friendly to me." And what happened was way above his expectation, what he was hoping for.

Again we each one will face this new year as unique individuals but God is the same God. So "Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us."

David also writes in Psalm 62:1-2, "I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken." And verses 11-12, "God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours, Surely you repay all people according to what they have done."

Yes, we are unique but we each one need to humble ourselves before God because victory comes from him. Yes, "Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." And that is true for each one of us no matter how unique we are. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

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...

Todays Beginning

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