Today's Beginning

Psalm 116:12 (AMP), "What will I give to the Lord [in return] for all his benefits toward me? [How can I repay Him for His precious blessings?] Friday... So what do we do now? So many times after the opening of our presents there is a let down. I'm at my favorite coffee shop, Aspire, and they are taking down the Christmas' decorations. Christmas is over but is it really? Yes, the celebration may be over but the reality of what it is all about is just starting. When we sit around the Christmas Tree and watch people unwrap their present we also see the anxiousness to get to the next one. It is very real. We don't really stop and realize the time, the effort and the sacrifice of those who gave us those gifts. For some there is real sacrifice but it is a sacrifice of love. So what do we do now? And that is true of the one who gave us the ultimate gift. We need to stop and think of God as a father who loves his Son but who also loves us to the point that God sent his Son to...

1 John 2:2 (NIRV), "He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only payed for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world." Tuesday... They didn't really realize what they were celebrating! And we may not either. Babies are very special. We see them but we do not realize their potential. They are babies. And I believe that was true of everyone who was celebrating this birth that we are also celebrating. This was a baby. When my son and then my daughter were born, I had no way of knowing what they were going to become as they grew up. They were babies who were totally dependant on mom and dad. And we now also have four granddaughters that have their lives ahead of them. And God has placed within them great potential just as he has all babies who are born. Now I think all of those at that stable had some idea that this birth that we are celebrating today was someone with great potential. I mean there were all these angels and then there was this star and th...

Psalm 113:6 (NLT), "He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth." Tuesday... He can and he does! There are many out there who look down on people around them because they believe they are better than everyone else. They live, it seems with their nose up in the air. But not God. Now God is better than everyone else and he does look down on us but for a different reason. Yes, Psalm 113:6 says, "He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth." But he stoops to look down because he cares about what is happening in our lives, and he is looking to take care of our needs. The whole fact that he sent his son to earth not as a prince which he was but as a baby says so much about him, it tells so much about God. Now the Psalmist goes on. In verses 6-8 he says, "He stoops to look down on heaven and earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!" Yes, there is so much that Go...

Psalm 112:4 (MSG), "Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people - God's grace and mercy and justice!" Monday... There is so much, so much to celebrate! I found this verse this morning in my reading that is such an encouragement even when there seems to be darkness all around and I read it before the sun had come up. Psalm 112:4 (MSG) says, "Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people - God's grace and mercy and justice!" Yes, I know that many facing this week need to be encouraged. This time can be very difficult. There is definitely darkness for some but I love how the Psalmist says this word of encouragement. He writes, "Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people." The NLT says, "Light shines in the darkness for the godly." The AMP says, "Light arises in the darkness for the upright." And the NIRV says, "Even in darkness light shines on honest people." It continues, "It shines on those w...

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...

  2 Peter 1:3a (NLT), "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life."  Thursday... This is truly an excellent gift! Christmas is such a special time. Yes there are a lot of gifts going around. Now we do celebrate God giving his son but his giving doesn't just happen during this month. 2 Peter 1:3a (NLT) says, "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." Now that is something to celebrate, isn't it? Yes, he gives it but we need to accept it and unwrap it. The rest of verse 3 says, "We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence." Now my wife and I can go out and buy Christmas gifts for our family and wrap them all up and put them under the tree. But they are of no use if our family doesn't come and accept and unwrap them. It doesn't matter all the time and money we have put into getti...

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV), "Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you." Wednesday... We live through moments when we really need to know this is true. Yes, we do. There was a time when I was in college when it seemed my whole world was falling apart and I found 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) and I said it over and over and over when the anxiety hit me. Here is what it says to do, "Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you." Now I didn't say it out loud but I said it over and over and it made such a difference. Yes, I found that it was true. Now the Amplified Bible gives more details. Starting in verse 6 it says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride] so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in [His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, once and for all] on Him, for he cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very car...

1 Peter 4:8 (MSG), "Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything." Tuesday... Yes, it makes such a difference. Peter the writer of this letter wrote it to Christ-followers who were being persecuted because they followed Christ. It was not a popular thing to do. He starts this chapter 4 off by saying in verse 1 (MSG), "Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like him." Yes, we too need to learn to think like him. Verse 2 says, "Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way." Now that gets to the point. If we keep reading, down in verse 8 Peter gets practical and personal. He says, "Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically everything." Remember, "learn to think like him." Now the New International Reader's Version says verse 8 t...

Psalm 105:5 (NLT), "Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given." Monday... Remembering can have such an impact on our life. One of the great benefits of doing what I do five days a week is that I can always look back and remember. I have written three different blogs over 25 years so I can always go back and read what I had learned from reading the Bible and also one of them was thoughts from books that I was reading. One was Bill's Front Porch, another was Just Continue That Thought and then this one, Todays Beginning. I also have notebooks where I have put each chapter of the book of the Bible that I had read on that particular day. Today it says, Psalm 105, Proverbs 15 and 1 Peter 3. Yes, remembering can have such an impact on our life. I have found it to be true. Now Psalm 105:5 (NLT), says something that is so very important. It says, "Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given." ...

Psalm 102:27 (NLT), "But you are always the same; you will live forever." Friday... But it so old. Some would ask "Why do you read such an old book?" For someone who wants to keep up with all the new stuff, that would be a good question. But the writer of Psalm 102:27 in the Bible (NLT) says, "But you are always the same; you will live forever." So who is the Psalmist writing about? There was a time when some of the great thinkers thought that the world was flat. but then they realized that it is round. They say, this is it, no this is it. Yes, we do need to keep up with what is being taught today and the changes that are happening in our thinking. But I also like to learn about the one who has always been the same who will live forever. There is real confidence and security in that. Verses 23-27 says, "He broke my strength in midlife, cutting short my days. But I cried to him, 'O my God, who lives forever, don't take my life while I am young!...

1 Peter 1:14b (NLT), "You didn't know any better then." Thursday... There is so much for us if we do what we know. That is one of the main reasons why I spend time in the Bible. Even at my age there is still much to learn and to do. My wife and I are going through a new stage in our life that we haven't lived before. I know, I know, all of life is that way. I have just read the first chapter in Peter's first letter he wrote and there is so much here to see. In the latter part of verse 14 he writes, "You didn't know any better then." Even at 78 that is so true. We've never been through what we are now going to go through but God has. Now Peter says in verse 13a, "So prepare your minds for action and exercise self control." Just because I am 78 doesn't mean that there still isn't some action for me to do and I need to prepare for it. That is why we need access to God no matter our age. That is what a relationship with Him is all a...

James 5:16b, (AMP), "The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God - it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]." Wednesday... Yes, it is dynamic and has tremendous power. The letter of James in 5:13a (NLT) asks an important question. He asks, "Are any of you suffering hardships?" So let me ask you, are you? Maybe not but maybe you know someone who is suffering hardship. It is a very important question but it has a very life changing answer. It says, "You should pray." Now verse 16b (ASP) is also important to understand. It says, "The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God - it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]." In the NLT it says, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." If you look y...

Proverbs 9:6 (Amp), "Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, and walk in the way of insight and understanding." Tuesday... So let's leave it behind and live. Solomon writes in Proverbs 9:6 (Amp), "Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, and walk in the way of insight and understanding." Now we need confidence but where does it come from, what is our source? James says in his letter in the NT in 4:6 (NLT), he quotes Proverbs 3:34 in the Greek version, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Yes confidence from the wrong source can be a problem. "Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live." Yes, we need confidence but our confidence comes from God's insight and understanding. Verse 7 says, "So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee." In verse 14 (NLT) James asks, "How do you know what your life will be ...

James 3:2 (NLT), "Indeed, we all make mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way." Monday... Yes, some want perfection. Being a perfectionist is a difficult life to live and to live with. It seems that we are always making mistakes.   James in his letter in the New Testament of the Bible gives some good advice.  In 3:2 (NLT) he writes, "Indeed, we all make mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way." Now it is important for us realize it is almost impossible to not make mistakes and for sure we need to accept that those around us will make mistakes and how we handle them doing that is so very important. So many are so hard to live with because they demand perfection from others and from themselves.  Now perfectionists are into controlling those around them and controlling themselves. And that is no fun. My dad had so...

Psalm 5:3 (NCV), "LORD, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I tell you what I need and wait for your answer."  Friday... There are routines that make such a difference. Psalm 5:3 (NCV) says, "LORD, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I tell you what I need and wait for your answer." Spending personal time with God each morning can make such a difference in our day. And it doesn't need to be long. Over in Psalm 95:1-3, the Psalmist writes, "Come, let's sing for joy to the Lord. Let's shout praises to the Rock who saves us. Let's come to him with thanksgiving. Let's sing songs to him, because the Lord is the great God, the great King over all gods." Now maybe we need to not sing loud and even not out loud because there may be others still asleep. But that is a great way to start our day. Back to Psalm 5. Verse 11 (NIRV) says, "But let all those who go to you for safety be glad. Let them always sing for joy. Sp...

Psalm 94:18-19 (AMP), "If I say, 'My foot has slipped,' Your compassion and lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. When anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights me." Thursday... Yes, it is true, He really does. There are good things about being old and experienced. Psalm 94:18-19 (AMP) says, "If I say, 'My foot has slipped,' Your compassion and lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. When anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights me." I am old and I have found this to be true, over and over. Yes, it is true, He really does. When my foot has slipped, God's compassion and lovingkindness, has held me up. When my anxious thoughts wake me up in the middle of the night He really does comfort me. I've had one of those nights this week and it is true, He really did comfort me. It is so amazing how God works things out and He uses those times in us. Look at these verses, 12-13 says, "Blessed [with wisdom and ...

Proverbs 3:3 (NLT), "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart." Wednesday... It just jumped out at me. We really do need to spend time in God's Word. It can definitely make a difference in our days. I left my phone back at home and I had to go back and get it so I got out a little later. I usually sit at a certain table at my coffee shop but just as I was walking in someone sat at it. Now I have been at this coffee shop 783 times and I have sat at that table a big portion of those times but not today. So how will that affect me? Well, I got my coffee and sat down at another table and started reading in Proverbs 3 and right before one of my favorite verses in the Bible I read verse 3 and here is what it says, "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart." Yes loyalty is an important word. As I said I have come to Asp...

Proverbs 2:4 (NLT), "Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasure." Tuesday...  There is so much hidden treasure God wants to give. I live in the state of Nevada and it is called the Silver State. In the 1800's large silver deposits were discovered, especially the Comstock Lode, which played a major role in Nevada's early growth and economy. People came from all over to search for silver and hopefully grow rich. Now Solomon, the wisest man and also one of the richest men who ever lived, wrote a big portion of the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament of the Bible. And in Proverbs 2:4 (NLT) he writes, "Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasure." Now he is not talking about silver but about the desire that those who searched for it had and we need to realize there is so much hidden treasure God wants to give to us. So what is Solomon talking about? In verses 1-4 he says, "My child, listen to what I...

Psalm 91:2-3 (MSG), "Say this, 'God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!" That's right  - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards." Monday... It can be better.  It really can! When we are going through difficulties, through pain, we don't usually see that it can be for our good, there is something better ahead. We can only see what is happening right now.  But we need to believe and do this. Psalm 91 (MSG), "Say this, 'God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!' That's right  - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards." I had a friend sit down ths morning at my table at my coffee shop and tell me that she found out that her boy friend cheated on her and that it really hurt. She thought he might be the one. Yes, there can be hidden traps in our life. It could be that person who seems like the right one. Or that house you really want or that job that you...