Todays Beginning

Proverbs 30:5 (AMP), "Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver]; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him." Friday... So, do we have it all together? That is a good, good question. The writer of Proverbs 30 answers it this way in verses 1b-3a (NLT), "I am weary, O God. I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. I have not mastered human wisdom." Maybe we don't have it all together. Getting up each morning facing the day feeling like this really can make us weary, can't it? Well verse 3b may give us a clue as to why we feel this way. It says, "nor do I know the Holy One." The Amplified Bible say, "Nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One [who is the source of wisdom.]" And that is the key to having it all together. Verse 5 says, "Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver]; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him." Look at what verse 4 (NLT) says, "Who but God ...

  Psalm 59:17 (AMP), "To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises; For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness." Thursday... We are not perfect but... Yes, I am not perfect but God "shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness." Yes he shows love and kindness. Psalm 59:17 (AMP) says, "To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises; For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness." I really enjoy reading the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament. I am reading right now in John and this morning I found this encouraging situation in John 14:8 (NLT), "Philip said, 'Lord show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Now if we were just newbies to following Jesus that might be understandable but Philip was one of his 12 disciples who had been following and listening and living with Jesus. And that was a du...

Proverbs 28:25-26 (AMP), "An arrogant and greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be blessed and prosper. He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool, but he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued." Wednesday... This is so important to know and have. You will find this word two times in Proverbs 28:25-26 (AMP). It says, "An arrogant and greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be blessed and prosper. He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool, but he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued." The word is trust. Now our trusting in the Lord is so important but totally trusting in our own heart can have problems. Yes, trust is so important to know and have but in the right who makes all the difference. I just read in John 13 of a very special time that Jesus had with his 12 disciples. It was in this time that he revealed that one o...

  Psalm 57:2 (AMP), "I will cry to God Most High, who accomplishes all things on my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan]." Tuesday... So here is where our worth comes from. King David was sitting in a cave after running from King Saul who was wanting to kill him but David wrote while in that cave Psalm 57:2 (AMP) which says, "I will cry to God Most High, who accomplishes  all things  on my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan]." Now that is where our worth comes from. We as an individual are a part of God's plan and He will accomplish all things on our behalf.  So if you do not have a relationship with God then it is all on you. So many get their worth and their plans from themself. So I wonder how that is going for them? Yes at the time that David was in that cave it looked like Saul had the upper hand but it wasn't over yet.  The New Living Translation says, "I cry out to God most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me...

John 11:4 (AMP), "When Jesus heard this, He said, 'This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Monday... May this be the best thing. We so many times get confused at what we are to pray. Let's say we are praying for a job and we ask God to give us the best job for us, one that fits us, one that meets all our needs but it hit me that that is the wrong prayer to pray. Yes, we want to pray, :"May this be the best job for me" when in reality we are to pray, "May this be the best job for you, God" Now there is this story in John 11 about the death of Jesus' friend which shows how we can be confused in our prayers. Jesus got the message that Lazarus was sick and his sister asked him to come as soon as he could. Verse 4 (AMP) says, "When Jesus heard this, He said, 'This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory ...

John 10:10 (NLT), "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." Friday... Yes, we still can believe. Sometimes our life gets all messed up. Our platform at church has been a mess. It needed to be torn down and rebuilt so for a few Sunday our Worship Team and Pastors used the space out in front of the platform. The mess didn't stop our worship and feeding on God's Word. Now that wasn't a thief who came in and stole our platform but that is an example of what the evil one does sometimes in our life if we don't keep in focus. Yes, God's purpose is different and we need in those times to be reminded of his purpose. And that was what Jesus was doing here in John 10:10 (NLT). He was reminding us. Here is what Jesus says, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." Yes, our life can seem to be in a mess. God will al...

John 9:25 (NLT), "'I don't know whether he was a sinner,' the man replied. 'But I know this: I was blind and now I see!" Thursday... Our beliefs control us. It doesn't matter if they are true or not, our beliefs control us. John 9 starts in verse 1 (NLT) by saying, "As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth." Verses 6-7 says, "Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. He told him, 'Go wash yourself in the Pool of Siloam' (Siloam means 'sent'). So the man went and washed and came back seeing." There must have been something about all that happened for the blind man to do what the man he didn't know told him to do. He showed his belief by doing what he told him to do. And he was rewarded for his belief. Now the blind man was taken to the Pharisees who were the religious leaders of the day. They had a belief that controlled them. ...

Psalm 51:12 (NLT), "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." Wednesday... This is so good! There are so many prayers that we pray. So many of them are about trouble that we are in and those are very productive prayers. God does want us to reach out to him when we are in trouble and he will rescue us. But David had a prayer that he prayed here in Psalm 51 that we all it seems need to pray in the day in which we are now living. He prayed in Psalm 51:12 (NLT), "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." Yes we have one of those moments of joy around Christmas but the rest of the time we are discouraged and out doing our own thing which can rob us of joy. Now joy does come from God. He is the supplier of joy for he gives us salvation from all the sins that have crept into our world, into our lives.  And that was true of David. He says in verse 7, "Purify me from my sins, and make me clean; wash me, a...

Psalm 50:15 (NLT), "Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory." Tuesday... It is so easy to take so much for granted. There is so much in our life that we expect and take for granted. Psalm 50:15 (NLT) says, "Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory." Yes, we have been given this thought over and over especially in the Psalms. We get in trouble so then we call on God and he will rescue us. And he does and we head on our living with expectations in our relationship with God. In trouble, call on him. Again, in trouble call on him. Yes that is what he says to do but there is more to it. Verse 14 says, "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High." There is more for us to do than just have the privilege of calling on him when we are in trouble and expecting him to rescue us. We do that in our relationships not only with Go...

John 6:6:(NLT), "He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do." Monday... But we really want to have the answer. We may be in a situation and a problem comes up and someone asks what we should do and we so much want to have the answer. There is such exhilaration in having the answer. And we so many times are so quick to have an answer. Now Jesus and his disciples were in a very difficult situation. John 6:5 says, "Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, 'Where can we buy bread to feed these people?'" And that was a very realistic problem and question. Now of course many of us would have an answer. I would probably have a list of answers but that wasn't Jesus purpose in asking the question but we want so much to have the right answer. Could some of us be in a situation right now where we so much want to have the right answer? It would make us feel so good but the right answer just do...

Psalm 46:1 (AMP), "God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very present and well-proven help in trouble." Friday... Have you found Him to be a well-proved help in trouble? I have many times. The writer of Psalms 46 in verse 1 (AMP) says, ""God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very present and well-proved help in trouble." Now maybe you haven't remembered that He is. Maybe you were in some trouble and something happened and it was taken care of and you were relieved. Maybe you were driving and someone was driving out of control but you made it through. Yes, God is a well-proved help in trouble even when we don't realize it. Being thankful in those moments is so important because it means you realize that you were not alone. I like how the Amplified Bible puts it, "a well-proved help in trouble." He is always there ready to help. Yes, God is mighty and impenetrable. He has been there over and over. He i...

Proverbs 15:2 (NLT), "The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness." Thursday... So, what is appealing to us? There is so much foolishness being shared around us and it is so easy for us to kept listening. It is can be appealing to us.  Now Proverbs 15:2 (NLT) says, "The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness." And this is so important for us to see. What is it that gets our attention? There is so much out there that is really foolishness but we keep listening when we should be quick to change the channel. What is it that gets our attention? Now the Apostle John starts chapter 4 this way. Verses 1-3 says, "Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn't baptize them - his disciple did). So he left Judea and returned to Galilee."  Now this caught my attention because so many...

Psalm 44:3 (NLT), "They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave then victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and your blinding face that helped them for you loved them." Wednesday... Love can be so powerful. There is so much love going around. I love coffee but the lid of my coffee cup was not on on tight and I just got it all over me. But there is a love that makes all the difference in our lives. I hope you have experienced this love. Well the writer of Psalm 44:3 (NLT) says this, "They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them." Love can be so powerful. Now God had promised this land for them. They were slaves in Egypt and because of his love he wanted more for them so he took them through so much to get to this land. And he did it because he ...

John 2:5 (NIRV), "His mother said to the servants, 'Do what he tells you.'" Tuesday...  But it didn't seem to stop his mother. Now in the first chapter of John he writes of Jesus beginning his ministry. He first was baptized and then John writes that he started looking for and then calling certain people to follow him, to become his disciples. It seemed that he had a plan.  He had been growing up in the family of Joseph and Mary and now it was time for him to do what he had been sent by God to do.  Now John chapter 2 starts out by saying, "On the third day there was a wedding. It took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus mother was there." And in verse 2 it says, "Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding." So on his third day he went with his disciples to a wedding. I wonder if they were friends that he had grown up with and he wanted to be a part of a very important time in their life so he went there with his mother. And then s...

Psalm 42:6 (NLT), "Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you - even from distant Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar." Monday... So where is the source? The writer of this Psalm must have been going through a difficult time in his life and he was discouraged. And this is a Monday morning and maybe you too have awakened saying the same thing. So where is the source of this discouragement? Now in Psalm 42:6 the word source caught my attention. It says, "even from distant Hermon, the source of the Jordan." The writer of this Psalm must have been near Mount Hermon, which was the source of the Jordan River. Now I have just in the past few weeks read of the Children of Israel crossing the River Jordan on dry ground. I just read today of Jesus being baptized in that same river. Psalm 42:6 (NLT) says, "Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you - even from distant Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount ...

Psalm 39:2 (NLT), "But as I stood there in silence - not even speaking of good things - the turmoil grew worse." Friday... It makes such a difference if we remember the good news. Remembering the good stuff in our lives will have such an impact in our lives.  David says in Psalm 39:2-3 (NLT), "But as I stood there in silence - not even speaking of good things - the turmoil grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words." Yes, spending time remembering something bad that has happened and is happening in our lives can ignite a fire of words. And that is what the evil one wants us to do. He wants us to get hotter in our emotions and then we blow up. But what if David would have remembered and spoken of the good things in his life.  I also read in Luke 24 of the women going to the tomb the Sunday morning after Jesus death. They were taking spices that they had prepared for his dead body. They saw him crucified on the cross and then t...

Luke 23:26a (NLT), "As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside." Thursday... Things happen and we are never the same. We look at happenings in our life and they can be so annoying. But they also can change, really change our life.  An annoyance may be happening to change our life. There was this guy in the book of Luke in the New Testament of the Bible who just happened to be coming in from the countryside and his life was changed forever. Now I'm sure it was a major annoyance but it changed his life forever.  Yes, God uses annoyance and they can change our life. Here's the story. Jesus was carrying a cross on which he was going to be nailed to and killed. Now, this cross was very heavy and Jesus had been through so much already. He had been arrested, ridiculed, false charges had been brought against him, he had also been beaten and now he was headed with a heavy cross on his back to be crucified, kill...

Psalm 37:3 (NLT), "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper." Wednesday... It is so easy to let others response control our response. We so many times let others control our reactions, don't we? I woke up this morning having a conversation in my mind with someone and then I started in my time in God's word and realized that I was letting someone else take control of my response instead of God. That is one of the main reasons why it is important spend time each morning in God's word. He keeps us on track. Now David in Psalm 37 in verse 1 (AMP) starts this Psalm this way. He says, "Do not worry because of evil doers, nor be envious toward wrong doers." Satan wants to take control of our mind and our reactions and many times he uses other people and their responses and reactions. But David says in verse 2, "For they will wither quickly like grass, and fade like the green herb." He then says what we are to do...

Psalm 36:10 (NLT), "Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts." Tuesday... It can sometimes be so hard to see but it is there. Here is what David writes in Psalm 36:10 (NLT), "Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts." Now, let's say that God does that but do we see it? For so many the answer is no. Yes, it may be hard to see but I want you to know and see that it is there. It really is. Now the Devil and his crowd want us to not see it. But he is the greatest lier of all time. I mean, he believes that he is greater than God. But he isn't. I am looking out at beautiful trees. There are so many different greens. Just saying they are green doesn't really describe it. That is God's love. The rain we had the last couple of days, cleaned our air. That is God's love. The sun that shines and the moon that comes out at night is God's love.  Verses 5...

Psalm 35:9-10 (NLT), "Then I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be glad because he rescues me. With every bone in my body I will praise him: 'Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong. Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?" Monday... There is power in praise. Have you ever stopped and thought about how much power there is in praise? Oh, we probably remember the power of put downs especially in Junior High School. Those were difficult days for most of us and we have tried to forget them.  But a complement went a long way back them and it still does today. I remember what one of my teachers said to me. He praised me and it has stayed with me. There is power in praise. Over in Joshua 5:1 there is a verse that says, "When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cros...

Psalm 32:10 (NLT), "Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust in God." Friday... But are there two Gods? Some would question if there are two Gods, the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New. Now David who really knew God says in Psalms 32:10 (NLT), "Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord." Now David here is talking about the God of the Old Testament.  Now some want to do away with the God of the Old Testament but he is the same God in both. The Old Testament is a step by step background story of God's preparation for Jesus, his Son and his coming to earth. It also is a story of God's unfailing love toward the those who trust in him and also of his reaction to the wicked, those who turn their backs to him. Look at what David writes in verses 8 & 9, "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathways for your life. I will advise you and watch ove...

Luke 18:42a (NLT), "And Jesus said, 'All right." Thursday... All right, ok, let's do it! Have you ever faced a difficult situation and you go to someone close to you and you ask them to do something specific and the relief you feel when they say, "All right, ok, let's do it"?  Now most of the time we don't ask. We don't even give them a chance to answer. We don't want to be disappointed like we have been so many other times. But the key is, you ask. Over in Luke 18 we find Jesus approaching the town of Jericho and there was a blind man sitting there by the side of the road. Now when this blind man heard the noise he asked someone what was going on and they told him that Jesus was going by. Verse 38 (NLT) says, "So he began shouting, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'" And then verse 39 says, "'Be quiet!' the people in the front yelled at him." It is so important for us to humble ourselves and ask. I a...