Today's Beginning

Psalm 61:1-2 (NLT), "O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer. From the ends of the earth I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed." Tuesday... That is a very good idea, but! Yes, David knew what to do when he was overwhelmed. He writes in Psalm 61:1-2 (NLT), "O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer. From the ends of the earth I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed." Now Jesus also had something to say about this. Over in Mark 11 it says that the day after what we call Palm Sunday, Jesus and his disciples were headed back into Jerusalem and it says in 12b, "Jesus was hungry," and he saw a fig tree out ahead but there were only leaves on it and no figs so he said, "May no one eat your fruit again!" Now the next morning as they passed the fig tree, they noticed that it had withered from the roots up and that brought up a conversation and in verse 24 Jesus says, "I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe tha...

Psalm 60:4 (NKJV)), "You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth." Monday... So, how has the day started? Yes, how has it started? Now David started Psalm 60:1 (NLT) by saying, "You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor." Ok, there may be some truth there. We may have gotten off track. In verse 3 (NKJV) he writes, "You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion." For many of us that can be so true, we have been shown hard times and drunk the wine of confusion but it can show us something. Verse 4 says, "You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth." Yes, we can be confused, we have drunk the wine of confusion but we need to keep searching. Again, verse 4 says, "You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because...

Psalm 57:7 (NLT), "My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises." Friday... Confidence is so important. When we have it. There was this father who had a son who was possessed by an evil spirit and he came to Jesus in Mark 9 to heal him but Jesus wasn't there so he asked the disciples and it says in verse 18c, "they couldn't do it." Now when Jesus came back in verse 19, "Jesus said to them, 'You faithless people! How long must I be with you? Bring the boy to me." Yes, confidence is so important. Now David writes in Psalm 57:7 (NLT), "My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises." Yes these disciples had Jesus with them and they saw so much happening through him but they were not confident but David was. Yes, they were confident that Jesus could do it but not through them. Now after Jesus had taken care of the situation and healed the boy,...

Mark 8:21 (NLT), "'Don't you understand yet?' he asked them." Thursday... Remembering is so important! My dad said a lot of different thoughts that have stayed with me, that I have remembered and striven to live by. One of them was, "Too high expectations brings about frustration." Well, Jesus said something to his disciples that seems like he was frustrated with them and I'm sure he could say it about us. Yes, He has grace but also expectations. Mark 8:21 (NLT) says, "'Don't you understand yet?' he asked them." Now I'm sure it was a way to motivate them but there may have been some frustration in there. Now Jesus in just a few weeks had done some tremendous miracles. Two of them were feeding over 9,000 people from nothing and then having twelve leftover baskets at one and seven at the other. Well they were out in a boat and the guys were arguing with each other as verse 16 says, "because they hadn't brought any bre...

Psalm 55:22 (NIRV), "Turn your worries over to the LORD. He will keep you going. He will never let godly people be shaken." Wednesday... What do you do with them? What worry did you wake up this morning with? What was it? What about yesterday? Was it the same worry? So what do you do with it? Psalm 55:22 (NIRV) says, "Turn your worries over to the LORD. He will keep you going. He will never let godly people be shaken." The Amplified Bible says , "Cast your burdens on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never let the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail)." We don't use the word, cares much but we do, worries. We live with them, day after day after day. Now in the New Testament, Peter writes in his first letter in 5:7 (NIV), "Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you." Pick one. What speaks to you this morning? Is it worries, burdens, anxieties? I guess it really doesn't matter but is there so...

Psalm 54:7 (NLT), "For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies." Tuesday... There really is a difference! There really is. King David the writer of many of the 150 Psalms knew this to be true and I have been reading them daily for over 40 years. He wrote this Psalm, Psalm 54 while he was hiding from King Saul who wanted to kill him. He had been in trouble it seemed all of his life and he finishes this Psalm in verse 7 by saying, "For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies." So many can't say that. They face their troubles alone. David starts this Psalm by saying in verses 1-2, "Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea." I have prayed that prayer in my life so many times and it has really made such a difference. Now the verse that caught my attention this morning was in Proverbs 24. A big portio...

Proverbs 23:26 (NLT), "O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes delight in following my ways." Monday... So what do we see? Proverbs 23:26 (NLT) gives some great advice. It says, "O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes delight in following my ways." It seems that our heart has a great deal to do with what we see. I read this morning over in Mark 5:10-17 of a time when Jesus took 2,000 demons out of a guy and put them in a herd of pigs and they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. The sheepherders ran and told the people in the town what had happened and they came running. Verses 16-17 (MSG) says, "Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe - and then they were upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back." They demanded that the one who had done the miracle needed to leave. They saw the dead pigs and not the madman and Jesus ...

Proverbs 20:12 (AMP), "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the [omnipotent] LORD has made them both" Friday... Let's go to One who knows. Proverbs 20:12 (AMP) says, "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the [omnipotent] LORD has made them both." The all-knowing LORD knows what He is doing. He really does. Verse 13 says, "Do not love [excessive sleep, or you will become poor; open your eyes [so that you can do work] and you will be satisfied with bread." Yes, our all-knowing God knows what he is doing. Our body which he has created does need sleep but at some point we need to open our eyes even in retirement. I open my eyes at 5:50 am each morning and here I am writing today's blog. Now the hearing ear, over in Mark 4:23, "Jesus says, 'If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear and heed my words.'" That is great advice. Jesus goes on. Verse 24 says, "Then He said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear. By your own standard ...

Proverbs 19:8 (NLT), "To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper." Thursday... There is so much more. There really is. Even at 78 there is so much more for me. Proverbs 19:8 (NLT) says, "To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper." The Amplified Bible says, "He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper," Now this doesn't just happen. Verse 27 (NLT) says, "If you stop listening to instructions, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge." Psalm 49:1-3 says, "Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! High and low, rich and poor - listen! For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight." Over in Mark 3:7a it says, "Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him." They came from all over. Vers...

Proverbs 18:13 (NLT), "Sprouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish." Wednesday... It can be so easy to react before we think. I just read Proverbs 18 and there is so much here that deals with this. Verse 13 (NLT) says "Sprouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish." It really is. We come into a situation and someone says something and we lay into them without thinking. There is so much of that in this day in which we live. Verse 13 in The Amplified Bible says, "He who answers before he hears [the facts] - it is folly and shame to him." It really is. Verse 15 says, "The mind of the prudent [always] acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise [always] seeks knowledge." Always, always. Back to verse 2, "A [close-minded] fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity]." It is amazing how ...

Mark 1:8 (AMP), "As for me, I baptized you [who came to me] with water [only]; but he will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit." Tuesday... It is so important for us to know who we are. It really is. I've just finished the Gospel of Matthew and started the Gospel of Mark this morning. Now in the first chapter we are introduced to John the Baptist and he had a specific task to do. And it was a very important task. Now Isaiah who was a prophet in the Old Testament had prophesied that God would be sending a messenger who would prepare the way for Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Here in Mark 1:4 (NLT) it says, "This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven." In verse 5a it says, "All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John." He was definitely a success. And succes...

Proverbs 16:20-21 (NLT), "Those who listen will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful. The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." Monday... How we say it has an impact. Yes, how we say the truth has such an impact. So many seem to want to be in control of every situation. Yes, there are times when we need to be forceful, we need to be in control. I mean, when we see our kid crossing a road and a car is coming then we need to do whatever we can to get their attention and for them to stop or get out of the way. There are times when we need to be imfactic but not all of the time. Now Proverbs 16:20-21 (NLT) says, "Those who listen will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful. The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." And all of that is so true but how we say it can make such a difference on whether someone listens. Yes, "pleasant words are persuasive." The truth doe...

Psalm 43:5 (NLT), "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God." The whys of our world can control us? The writer of Psalm 43 in verse 2 starts out with the right focus, "You are my God, my place of safety" but from that the writer goes into asking why. He says, "Why have you turned your back on me? Why must I go around in sorrow." Now, over in Matthew 26:36-46, it seems that the humanness of Jesus had some whys about what was going to happen to him but he went to the right source, he went to his Father with deep emotion. I love the honesty of the Bible. Yes, we may have some whys in our life. Psalm 43:5 says, "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart sad?" Now we so many times asks the same whys, don't we? Well, if we would go to Matthew 27 we can see that Jesus got his answer and he handled the most difficult day that anyone has ever gone through and he was handled it ...

Proverbs 12:16 (NIRV), "Foolish people are easily upset. But wise people pay no attention to hurtful words." Thursday... But it is so easy to do. Look at this, Proverbs 12:16 (NIRV) says, "Foolish people are easily upset. But wise people pay no attention to hurtful words." The New International Version says, "Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult." And even at 78 when I should be wise I can get upset. This verse hit me right between my eyes. The Amplified Bible says, "The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense], but a prudent man ignores an insult." I also read in Matthew 26 how Jesus handled a very difficult situation. Now in this chapter Jesus was in an olive grove called Gethsemane and he was praying. He knew what was about to happen. He knew that he was about to be arrested and then crucified and he was asking his Father if their was another way to handle w...

Matthew 25:15 (NIV), "To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on a journey." Wednesday... We each have been given an ability. Somehow we need to realize that God have given each one of us at least one ability. Yes, he has created us with a purpose. Matthew 25:15 (NIV) says, "To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on a journey." But we step into life and look around and say, "But I don't have what he has" and that is so true but we each one do have something. The problem is we let fear or possibly laziness, and maybe excuses keep us from our potential. But the reward is worth the effort. Jesus tells the story of this guy who goes on a long trip and he puts his three servants in charge of all he owned and he knew what each servant could do, he knew their potential. And God is the same with ...

Psalm 40:6b (NLT), "Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand." Tuesday... I finally understand. We go through situations in our life. We believe that God is a part of our life but it is so easy for us to step back and say that we don't understand why we are going through what we are going through. Why isn't the LORD taking care of us? Maybe you are going through one of those times in your life right now. King David in Psalm 40:6b (NLT) says, "Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand." And that is why some situations happen in our lives. God wants us to finally listen and understand. Verse 1 (AMP) says, "I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD; And he inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay." And during those times we wonder why we got stuck in the mud, this clay. "I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD." And we...

Proverbs 9:8 (AMP), "Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you; Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you." Monday... We want to make a difference in everyone. But... Now I know Jesus wanted to make a difference in everyone but each one of us has a choice. Over in Matthew 23:37 (NIV) Jesus says, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." And Jesus did not give up. Solomon writes in Proverbs 9:8 (AMP), "Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you; Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you." Yes, that is the wise thing to do but what if the scoffer is someone we love. We want to make a difference in everyo...

Matthew 22:29 (NLT), "Jesus replied, 'Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.'" Friday... There is power in knowing! Even up to the end of Jesus' life he was having trouble with the religious leaders. They were always trying to trick Jesus. But they couldn't trap him. In this particular situation in Matthew 22 in verse 29 (NLT) it says, "Jesus replied, 'Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.'" Now these religious leaders should have known. They had access to all the Scriptures at that time but they were coming from a wrong perspective. They were using it to lift themselves up and put others down. They used the Scripture for control. But Jesus knew all the Scriptures. It was all preparing for his coming to earth. As someone said, the Old Testament was His story. Yes Jesus got them. And after another time of trying to trick Jesus v...

Psalm 35:1 (NLT), "O LORD, oppose those who oppose me, fight those who fight against me." Thursday... Each day is different. Yesterday was a beautiful day. It really was but today the wind is blowing and the clouds are hiding our mountains. Yes, we can praise God on the beautiful days but we also need him when the wind is blowing and we can pray, "O LORD, oppose those who oppose me, fight those who fight against me." (Psalm 35:1 NLT). Now we can expect each day to be beautiful but the wind does blow in our lives. David's prayer continues in verse 2, "Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid." And maybe that is the prayer we need to pray today. I love verse 3. It says, "Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, 'I will give you victory!'" There may be a battle in there but know this, listen to God when he says, "I will give you victory." The NIVR...

Psalm 34:1 (NLT), "I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises." Wednesday... Let's keep at it. Well, it's a new day. We have never lived this day. Now how we face it at the beginning of our day goes a long way in how we will handle it. David said in Psalm 34:1 (NLT), "I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises." There are four words that will make a difference in this day. The first three are, "at all times" and then "constantly." And that last one hit me this morning. It was definitely a word of encouragement. Of course at all times and constantly are saying the same thing. They are reinforcing each other. So how do we normally wake up most of the time? Rick Warren said that we wake up each morning with "Good Lord it's morning" or "Good Morning Lord." We do have choices in how we start each day. Yes, we have no choice in what we will face but we do have a...

Psalm 33:18 (AMP), "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspiring reverence and obedience], on those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness." Tuesday... We can hope with confidence. Now hope is more than wishing. Wishing says, "That would be nice." Hope says, "I believe this can happen." I can say, "I hope the Dodgers win their 3rd World Series Championship in a row." If you don't know, the Dodgers are a Major League baseball team out of Los Angeles, California. I have been a Dodger's fan for almost 70 years. Now my hope is more on the wishing side, "That would be nice.". So I do wish, I do want. In my reading today I came across Psalm 33:18 (AMP) which says, "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspiring reverence and obedience], on those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness." Hope and ...

Matthew 18:21-22 (AMP), "Then Peter came to Him and asked, 'Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered him, 'I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.'" Monday... It is so important to Him. Now I'm not sure if we realize how important forgiveness is to God. Well Matthew 18:21 (AMP) says, "Then Peter came to Him and asked, 'Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him." It's a number's thing and Peter is our hero. He asked for a number. He asks, "Up to seven times?" And that really seems reasonable, doesn't it? I mean, seven times is a lot of forgiveness. But not to Jesus. Verse 22 says, "Jesus answered him, 'I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven." But that is way too much. That is unreasonable because of what they did to me. Now I left a phrase out at the end of ve...