Todays Beginning

Psalm 119:65-66 (NLT), "You have done many good things for me Lord, just as you promised. I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge." Thursday... There are some simple asks that can be so effective. Now prayer is such an effective time for each of us and Psalm 119:65 gives an important way to start our prayer. It says, "You have done many good things for me Lord, just as you promised." Remembering and thanking give us confidence. And that is so true. Think back just this week and remember the good things that God has done for us. There are basics, food, water, breath but then there are individual things that he has promised to each of us and has done. Now from that you can say what verse 66a says, "I believe in your commands." Believing in what God says and what he expects is very important also. He does but we also must do. "I believe in your commands." And then the asks and verse 66b is a very simple but important ask...

Psalm 119:29-30 (NLT), "Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations." Wednesday... This is such a practical and important thought. I have read the Psalms for many years. I started when I was going though a time when I wanted to live from a positive standpoint and the Psalms has a way of showing how to change ones perspectives. One of the dangers in coming always from a positive perspective is lying to one's self. There are some negatives in the world and in the Bible that we need to follow. The Ten Commandments have some nots in them and we really need to follow those and so many other regulations. Now in my reading the Psalms, I had never seen this thought and it jumped out at me this morning. I start my morning read praying that God would open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, my heart to comply, my mind to comprehend and my hands to communicate. I feel that ...

Romans 8:1 (NLT), "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Tuesday... What a difference he can make. Back in Isaiah 59:1-2 (NLT) Isaiah writes, "Listen! The Lord's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It's your sin that has cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen." Yes, there is a problem. It is sin. Look at this. Romans 8:5-8 says, "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your minds leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. ...

Psalm 118:23-24 (NLT), "This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Monday... We take so much responsibility on ourselves and others. Do you realize that God has made today, he has made this Monday? We look at situations and blame ourselves for what has happened. But "This is the Lord's doing." Now the response to it is our doing. So how do we start this day that the Lord has made? Verse 1 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." But it is so easy to play the blame game. This day is my fault, this day is their fault. And yes, how we view it has a lot to do with our response to this day. Again, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." And "This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see." and "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in...

Isaiah 55:8 (NLT), "'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Friday.... They are far beyond what we can imagine. We as an extended family are Disney people. My dad and mom took my sister, Connie and me to Disneyland the year it was opened. My wife, Margaret and I have had annual passes at both Disneyland and Disney World and so have our kids. The company of Disney has these creative engineers who come up with all the ideas for what to build. They are called Imagineers, I love the creative name. For a time one of our granddaughters thought about becoming an Imagineer but she is now off to other tremendous opportunities that God has imagined for her. Now I found a verse over in Isaiah about the greatest Imagineer of all time. Isaiah 55:8 (NLT) says "'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Yes...

Psalm 114:3a (NLT), "The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away." Thursday... Nature is not the beginning! es, it is so beautiful, yes it is majestic but it is not the beginning. God is the creator of it all and he is the beginning. I love how the writer of Psalm 114 pictures some of the obstacles that the Children of Israel faced as they were coming out of Egypt to go and possess the land that God had prepared for these slaves. Verses 3-4 NLT) says, "The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs!" Yes, they had these obstacles that were in their way just like we have obstacles that are greater than we are. What are you facing today? Look at this. Verse 3 says, "What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way? What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away? Why mountains, did you...

Isaiah 53:9 (NLT), "He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave." Wednesday... We judge by what we see. That is so true in much of our life. What we see must be the truth but is it? Romans 4:18 says, "Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping - believing that he would be the father of many nations. For God had said to him, 'That's how many descendants you will have!'" Ok God said it but as we follow Abraham there is a problem. Verse 19, "And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though his body was as good as dead - and so was Sarah's womb." No way was this going to happen because they had no children and they were old." And we would have been wrong if we judged by what we saw. Verse 20, "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God." He didn't ...

Psalm 112:7 (AMP), "He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the Lord." Tuesday... Now this can be us too! We love compliments, don't we? Now the writer of Psalm 112:7 gives a very good compliment. He writes, "He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the Lord" I feel it is my task, my tremendous opportunity each new day to find a word of encouragement instead of bad news for each of us as we wake up and start a new day. That is why this is called New Beginnings. I wake up, get ready and then take my water and some coffee and head out to the back patio with my dog, Turner at my side to a couch that looks out on some rocky hills and I take my Bible and start reading, start searching for an encouraging word. Now this is the verse that I found today. "He will not fear bad news." So many wake up with bad news and they start their day afr...

Psalm 111:2 (NLT), How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them." Monday... Do we really know and understand him? The him is God. Now through out the Bible God says that he is our father. Of course how we respond to that description is dependent upon our earthly father. I am an earthly father. I have two children who are now adults, Brett and Stefanie. My father had three children, me, my sister, Connie and my brother, Larry. My father was my hero. He of course was not perfect but he loved me and was a great example of a good father and I have striven to be a father like my father just as we need to strive to be like our heavenly father. Psalm 111:2 (NLT) says, "How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them." Ponder is a very good word. The Amplified Bible says, "Studied by all those who delight in him." The Message, "A lifetime study - endless enjoyment." Yes, pondering what a goo...

Psalm 108:1a (MSG), "I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe." Friday... This is the way to start. It really is! The Psalmist writes Psalm 108:1a (MSG) this way. They say, "I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe." I've never been one to be in many races but I know there is a way to start. Ready, set, go and that seems to be a great way to start a day no matter what we are facing. Now verses 1-2 says in The Message, "I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe. Ready to sing, ready to raise a God-song: 'Wake, soul! Wake, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun.'" Now for some personalities that may be a little too much. The Amplified Bible says verse 1 this way, "O God, my heart is steadfast [with confident faith]; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul." Now praising God is a great way to start our day. It is all in our focus and when we have focused on what God is like then we can face the d...

Psalm 107:43 (AMP), "Who is wise? Let him observe and heed these things; And thoughtfully consider the lovingkindness of the Lord."  Thursday... We must thoughtfully consider. I am reading each morning a chapter from the Psalms, a chapter from Isaiah and a chapter from Acts of the Apostles. Now Isaiah is looking at the children of Israel and their captivity. That was not a very good time. And then the last few chapters of Acts are about Paul and his trip to Rome and his shipwrecks. And then today I came across in Psalms 107 this verse. Verse 43 (AMP) says, "Who is wise" Let him observe and heed these things; And thoughtfully consider the lovingkindness of the Lord." And these things are things that we too need to look at and consider. Looking at verses 39- 42 (NLT) they say, "When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, the Lord pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands....

Psalm 106:3 (NLT), "There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right." Wednesday... There is joy, if we would only! Psalm 106:3 (NLT) says, "There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right." And this thought comes out, oh, if we would only. Now verses 1-2 says, "Praise the Lord! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough." But we are not God. Have you noticed that we in ourselves want grace for our actions but justice from others in what they do to us? But here the Psalmist writes, "There is joy for those who deal justly with others" and that is also true for us. Now later in this Psalm, verses 21-23a says, "They forgot God, their savior, who had done such wonderful things in the land of Ham, such awesome deeds at the Red Sea. So he declared he would destroy them." And God had every right to do it. I mean h...

Psalm 105:4 (MSG), "Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence." Tuesday... Be alert, yes, be alert! There is so much out there in our lives that clamor for attention. So much noise. But we need to be alert for what is really important. Now the Psalmist in 105:4 (MSG) says, "Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence." Yes, "Be alert for signs of his presence." There is so much out there in our lives that is competition for God's presence. So much noise that pulls us away from God's still small voice and it seems there is no time for us to get into God's Word, but we need to keep our eyes open for God, watching for his works and being alert for signs of his presence. Verse 5 in the New Living Translation says, "Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given." Now we can't remember if we don't read and meditate...

Isaiah 44:24b (AMP), "I am the Lord, Maker of all things. Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself." Monday... He did it by Himself. Many have a tendency to think very highly of themselves and what they can do. Oh we do have great ability but we are not the source. Yes it is important to have self-confidence but we are limited. The prophet Isaiah in 44:9-10 (NLT) says, "How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don't know this, so they are all put to shame. Who but a fool would make his own god - an idol that cannot help him one bit?" Now later in verse 24 (AMP) he writes, "For the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb says, 'I am the Lord, Maker of all things, Who alone stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself.'" I love that. "By Myself." Now we do need confidence but we are foolish to ma...

Isaiah 41:10b (AMP), "I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation]." Friday... And that is such a great right hand! There is so much of God that we need but for sure we need His hand. Now His hand is not just any hand. First it is a righteous hand. It will do no wrong. We can be afraid of hands in this world in which we live but not a righteous one. His hands do what is right. And then it is a hand of justice. A hand of justice can be trusted. We need justice, don't we? Now justice means fairness - treating people equitably, giving them what they are due, and ensuring that right is upheld and wrong is addressed. Yes, He is a God of justice and His hand is always at work. And then His hand is powerful. There is nothing that we are facing that God can't handle. His hand is a source of protection, blessing and guidance. And then it is a hand of vic...

Isaiah 40:31a (AMP), "But those who wait on the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain strength and renew their power." Thursday... If we wait, we can gain. It is very difficult for me to wait and that is why I usually get to wherever I am going, early. I know that is frustrating for my family. But I would rather wait than to have someone wait on me. And there are so many rewards in waiting. There really are. Isaiah 40:31 has been such an important verse in my life. It says that the key is the one you are waiting for. But first, Isaiah 40:30 (AMP) says, "Even youth grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly." It is hard at 78 to remember that fact but Isaiah said it so it is true. Yes, we can get so impatient even when we are young and our impatience can cause us trouble. We prepare for the wrong occupation, or marry the wrong person. But Isaiah doesn't stop there. Verse 31 says, "But those who wait on the Lord [who expect, ...

Isaiah 38:8b (NLT), "For the king was thinking, 'At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime'" Wednesday... We can see only from our perspective. What we see, what we focus on can make such a difference in our lives, in our family, in those around us and King Hekiziah is such an example of this. We want to take credit. Look at what I have done. But when in trouble, we go to God but still take credit. Back in chapter 36, King Hezekiah of Judah had a problem. The King of Assyria was out to destroy Judah and it looked like it was going to happen so King Hezekiah prayed and God saved Judah and he also gave the King, 15 more years of life. So many times in our successes we take them all personal and for granite. We take on ourselves a feeling that we can do no wrong. Look what I did. We want to look good. But that can be a trap. Now in chapter 39, King Hezekiah got all messed up. Another King sent an envoy to see him. Verse 2 says, "Hezekiah was delig...

Acts 21:40b (NLT), "Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic." Tuesday... We need to know their language. We may know the truth but if we don't know their language we can't communicate with them. We each one have different languages that we speak. The Apostle Paul was in Jerusalem. but in a very difficult situation. The crowd didn't want to listen to what he was saying and they wanted him gone. They were also beating him and they wanted him arrested so they turned to a Roman Commander and he didn't seem to understand. Now when the commander started talking to Paul he was surprised that Paul knew his language. He thought he was an Egyptian. And as he was taking Paul away, Paul said he wanted to speak to them so verse 40 (NLT) says, "The commandeer agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed then in their own languag...

Acts 20:2a (MSG), "Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope." Monday... But it is so easy to do the opposite. Over in Acts of the Apostles in chapter 20:2a (MSG), Luke the writer of this book says, "Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope." That is such a great verse. I love how The Message puts it, "He gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope." Luke was talking about the Apostle Paul. Luke was one of several men who traveled with him on his missionary journeys. He saw first hand what was happening. Now verse 3b (NLT) says, "He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life." Over and over this happened. At the end of chapter 1...

Psalm 94:19 (AMP), "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights me." Friday... He knows, he really does. There is a time when I am going through some anxious thoughts that I am awakened. I am a morning person. I get up early by my alarm at the same time every day. But I sometimes wake up earlier than I want because I am troubled about something. Do you have those times? The writer of Psalm 94:19 (AMP) says, "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights me." And in verse 13 he writes, "That you may grant him [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity." When I am awakened I start praying and remembering scripture. The Evil One wants to keep us in turmoil so my thought is that if I pray then it will get him off my back and let me get back to sleep. I strive to remember and pray. That's not what he wants. Verses 12-14 says, "Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You disci...

Isaiah 33:2 (AMP), "O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited [expectantly] for You. Be the arm of Your servants every morning [that is, their strength and their defense], our salvation also in the time of trouble." Thursday... Looking back can help our expectancy. Now of course, it really helps to have a relationship with God. He is the source. In my drive this morning to Aspire, the coffeeshop where I have done much of my writing, I was remembering our year starting July 1st of last year.  No way did we know what was going to happen. It has been an unbelievably difficult and also an exciting year in the life of our family. Yes, it is amazing how God has taken care of us. This year has proven that having a relationship with God and waiting on him with expectancy makes all the difference in times of trouble. Look at this verse. Isaiah 33:2 (AMP) says, "O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited [expectantly] for You. Be the arm of Your servants every morning [that is, the...

Isaiah 32:19-20a (NLT), "Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people."  Wednesday... Even if, the Lord will! Life does have a lot of potential bad even if's but how we face them and who we face them with makes such a difference. The potential even ifs don't need to hold us back. The prophet Isaiah wrote this. In 32:19-20a he writes, "Even if the forrest should be destroyed and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people." And Isaiah was going through one of those tough even if times but he reinforced the fact that the Lord will bless his people no matter what was happening. And that is what we need to believe. Now one of the problems is we look at the even if as a fact and are always in turmoil. We seem to live looking at the bad that could happen and be deeply distressed because such and such might happen. But being held back with the even if view of what might happen is taken care of ...

Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT), "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I will trust him." Tuesday... He is our source. We place so much trust on ourself and other human beings. Yes, God works through us and our abilities but he is the source, the starting point. The writer of Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT) says, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I will trust him." Now God uses others but he is the source. Over in the New Testament of the Bible in Acts 16 there were two men, Paul and Silas who were headed out to a certain place to share the message of Christ but verse 6b says, "the Holy Spirit prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at the time." So they headed nor...