Today's Beginning

Psalm 102:2b (NLT), "And answer me quickly when I call to you." Tuesday... It really does get in the way. I arrived at my coffee shop, Aspire, a little earlier today. I got my normal table but I had to wait in line to get my coffee and I'll be honest, I can have a problem at waiting. When I finally got my coffee and sat down I started thinking about my response inside that I had to wait and it came to me how much pride I have and of how it gets in the way. Yes, pride gets in the way of our enjoying life. I got my coffee and then started reading Psalm 102:1-2. Here is what it says, "LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea!" Notice that both sentences end with exclamation marks. Verse 2 goes on, "Don't turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you." Notice in these 2 verses there are 3 my's, two me's and one I. I was thinking back to yesterday morning. Down at the corner before my coff...

Psalm 101:2b (Msg), "I'm doing the best I can, and I'm doing it at home, where it counts." Monday... He gets to the point. David knows what is best. In Psalm 101:2b (Msg) he says, "I'm doing the best I can, and I'm doing it at home, where it counts." Now in the first part of the verse he says, "I'm finding my way down the road of right living, but how long before you show up." Yes, we really do need God's help especially at home. Someone has said that the weakest link in our Christian life is at home. And in reality, it is the most important. Now David starts in verse 1 by saying, "My theme song is God's love and justice, and I'm singing it right to you, God." And David knows that we need to sing and live that song especially at home. Yes that needs to be our prayer to live and sing that song. Verses 1-2 in the Amplified Bible says, "I will sing of [steadfast] lovingkindness and justice; to You, O LORD, I will...

Isaiah 8:11a (NLT), "The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else." Friday... It depends on our focus. There is so much in the Bible for our daily walk and attitude and we need to spend time of focus and obeying it. Isaiah, one of the major prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible writes in 8:11a (NLT), "The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else." Isaiah was in a very difficult time and we are too. There was and is so much to cause us to think like everyone else. Now Isaiah said in verse 12, "Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them." Verse 13 (AMP), "It is the LORD of hosts whom you are to regard as holy and awesome. He shall be your [source of] fear, He shall be your [source of] dread [not man]." And if we do that, verse 14 says, "Then He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred, indestructible shelter for those who fear and trust...

Luke 24:6 (NLT), "He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee" Tuesday... There is so much frustration. And so many times that is so true of us. The last chapter of Luke starts on Sunday morning with some women coming to the tomb where they thought Jesus was buried after his crucifixion on Friday. Saturday was the Sabbath and because of their Jewish belief they couldn't come but here on Sunday they came with spices they had prepared. In other words they came to show how much they loved Jesus but they found the tomb empty and they were so frustrated and discouraged and terrified. And so many times in our life we have deep emotions because life isn't going the way we planned. It is so easy for us to have problems with God because of our life not turning out the way we thought it should. Many times we too are frustrated, discouraged and even terrified. We wonder why God isn't taking care of us the way we think he should. He...

Luke 23:49 (NLT), "But Jesus friends, including the woman who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching." Wednesday... Have you ever felt this way? You feel like your world is falling apart. So what did you do? Luke 23:49 (NLT) says, "But Jesus friends, including the woman who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching." Now verse 47, right before this verse says, "And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow." They were there to see if this man, Jesus was who he said he was and it seemed that they hadn't really put their lives, their trust in this man so they went home with disappointment. But the ones in verse 48 were different. They believed with all their heart that Jesus was the one and the fact that he died shook them but they didn't run. Their world it seemed died and they didn't really understand what was happening but they still held on a...

Psalm 95:7b (MSG), "Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks." Tuesday... Let's do it. There is so much that goes through our mind and it isn't all for our good. Now God's voice is not always the loudest. So what do we do to hear him because what he says is so. so important? Psalm 95:7b (MSG) says, "Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks." Yes, the drop everything is so important. There is so much that goes through our mind and as I said, it isn't all for our good. So this is a great piece of advice. "Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks." Now this statement is at the end of two important verses. Verses 6 -7b in the New Living Translation says, "Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only we would listen to his voice today." Yes, there are so many voices striving to get our attention and...

Psalm 94:13a (AMP), "That You may grant him [power to calm himself and find peace in the days of adversity." Monday... So where do we turn in times of adversity? Where do we get our power to handle it? It is so easy for us to believe that we have what it takes in times of trouble. Some think it is us. They think they can handle whatever comes their way. Well the writer of Psalm 94 says in verse 8 (NLT), "Think again, you fools! When will we finally catch on?" He gets right to the point. He goes on in verses 9-10, "Is he deaf - the one who made your ears? Is he blind - the one who formed your eyes? He punished the nations - won't he punish you? He knows everything - doesn't he know what you are doing?  And then verse 11 (AMP), "The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are mere breath (vain, empty, futile)." Yes, the Psalmist gets right to the point.  Then verses 12-13a says, "Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You di...

Psalm 91:9-10  (NLT), "If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home." Friday... If we do then He will do. There is an if attached to so many of our potentials. The if is so important. A shelter Psalm 91:9-10 (NLT) says, "If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home." There is a silent then in there. Yes, if, then "no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home." Verses 14-16, "The LORD says, 'I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward then with a long life and give them my salvation." If we do it is amazing what God then will do. But the if is in there. There is a part for us to do. There is. This Psalm star...

Psalm 90:14 (NIRV), "Satisfy us with your faithful love every morning. Then we can sing for joy and be glad all our days." Thursday... Maybe we need to pray this, today. And when we realize it to be true and answered, it will make such a difference. Yes it will! Moses writes in Psalm 90:14 (NIRV), "Satisfy us with your faithful love every morning. Then we can sing for joy and be glad all our days." Yes, yes! I'm not sure when he wrote this Psalm but think of all his days in the wilderness with all those people who were suppose to be headed to the Promised Land from Egypt but who kept getting off track. Those were very tough days even for this leader. So where are you? What kind of world are you waking up to? Verses 13-16 says, "LORD, please stop punishing us! How long will you keep it up? Be kind to us. Satisfy us with your faithful love every morning. Then we can sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have made us suffe...

Luke 18:1 (AMP), "Now Jesus was telling his disciples a parable to make a point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart." Wednesday... There is real power in annoyances. I call sickness annoyances. They come into my life to get my attention, to get me to do something. Now many would call them troubles. To me they are annoyances. I go to see one doctor on a regular basis. I go because I have a problem in one area of my body. As a kid I had problems with sunburns and now I have problems with skin cancer and I found out this week that I need to have a small part of my face that needs to be taken off because it is cancerous. And this is not my first so I call it an annoyance but it does keep me going and seeing a skin doctor. Without these annoyances I probably wouldn't see a doctor. Luke 18:1 (AMP) says, "Now Jesus was telling his disciples a parable to make a point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart." Th...

Luke 17:10 (MSG), "When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'" Tuesday... Yes, we have done what was expected, so... In this day in which we live we want to be rewarded for what we have done. In fact we expect it. Jesus in Luke 17 tells a story about this servant. Verses 7-9 (MSG) says, "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending their sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat?' Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee, then go to the kitchen and have your supper'? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him?." In the day in which we live we would say, "Yes we do." We need to be appreciated for what we do. We need praise. But here is what Jesus said in verse 10,...

Luke 16:10a (NLT), "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones."  Monday... Being faithful has its reward. Luke 16:10a (NLT) says, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones." This is Jesus talking and He knows what he is saying. Verse 11 says, "And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" Now Solomon over in his book of Proverbs also knows what he is saying. In Proverbs 27:23 he says, "Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don't last forever, and the crown might not pass to the next generation." In other words, be faithful in the tasks, the opportunities, the resources that God has provided us. Verses 25-27 says, "After the hay is harvested and the new crops appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, your sheep will provided wool for clothing, and your goats will...

Psalm 84:12 (AMP), "O LORD of hosts, how blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectations]." Friday... Maybe you need this today. I strive through God's Spirit prodding me to share from God's Word a positive, encouraging thought for someone who needs it each day. Yes God's starts with what I need and then I share it with you. Look at Psalm 84:12. Do you need this today? God says through the Psalmist, "O LORD of hosts, how blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectations]." Now another way to say man is human. That covers us all, doesn't it? But he narrows it some when he writes, "how blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectations." Yes, that defines who is bless...

Luke 14:11 (AMP), "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled [before others], and he who habitually humbles himself (keeps a realistic self-view) will be exalted." Thursday: This is such a good habit. Over in Proverbs 23 it tells of habits that have some problems with them. Verses 20-23 (AMP) says, "Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eater of meat. For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags." There are habits in there that do not turn out for our best. They are not good habits. But in Luke 14:11 Jesus tells of a good habit. He says, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled [before others], and he who habitually humbles himself (keeps a realistic self-view) will be exalted." Again, "he who habitually humbles himself (keeps a realistic self-view) will be exalted." I'm sorry the habits of drinking and eating the wrong thi...

Proverbs 22:4 (AMP), "The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one's importance] and the [reverent, wonderful] fear of the Lord is riches, honor, and life." Wednesday... They are so needed! It is so important for us to have a realistic view of our importance and then we will be reward. Proverbs 22:4 (AMP) says, "The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one's importance] and the [reverent, wonderful] fear of the Lord is riches, honor, and life." Did you realize there is a reward for being humble and for fear? Now we do really think there is a reward for pride, for having an high opinion of yourself, that is how you get to the top but Solomon the wisest and one of the richest men who ever lived said that having a realist view of one's importance and having a reverent, wonderful fear of the Lord is where the reward of riches, honor, and life comes from. I still get in trouble when I think that what I think is so importa...

Luke 12:25-26 (NLT), "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?" Tuesday... We need to do each day what will make a positive difference. I strive to bring each day a positive thought of encouragement from God's Word. Now some negative verses do have a positive thought behind them. Like Luke 12:25-26 (NLT) which asks, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?" Verse 21 says, "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." And from there verses 22-23 says, "Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, 'That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and you...

Luke 11:10 (AMP), "For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds, and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened." Monday... So just keep at it! The disciples here in Luke 11 came to Jesus while he was in a certain place praying and it says in verse 1 (NLT), "As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, 'LORD teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.'" Now the disciples saw that Jesus found praying to be very important. Yes he spent time on a regular basis praying to his Father. Right up to the night before Jesus was put on a cross we find him praying. So, if it was important to him then it must be important for us. In this matter of trusting in God there also must be a time of connecting with God through prayer. Jesus says in verses 2-4, "This is how you should pray: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us ea...

Psalm 77:11-12 (MSG), "Once again, I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts." Friday... So let's face today with focus. There are at some times in our life so many things that keep us awake and we may go to our friends for help. And the Proverbs says there is help in many counselors but sometimes it just makes us more confused. Now the Psalmist in 77:11-12 (MSG) gives such good advice. He says "Once again, I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts." It really could be a focus thing. The Egypt Red Sea He starts this Psalm by saying in verse 1 (NLT), "I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh that God would listen to me! When I am in deep trouble I searched for the Lord." Now each time it seems is...

Psalm 76:4 (NLT), "You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains."  Thursday... They are glorious and majestic and it seems everlasting. We live in a town where the buildings are unbelievable but every once in a while they want them torn down so they explosed them. It is quite a sight. But I live right across the freeway from a very beautiful hill that has been there for a long, long time. Now the city of Las Vegas is surrounded by hills and mountains that are unbelievable but in no way do they compare to God. The writer of Psalm 76:4 (NLT) says, "You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains." Now the You is God who created those glorious, majestic and everlasting mountains. And man has no chance in building anything that compares to them. I love sitting out on our back patio and looking at the hill across the freeway especially when the sun is shining on it. It is breathtaking. Now it isn't the largest but each one behin...

Psalm 75:1 (NLT), "We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds." Wednesday... Yes, yes, this is so, so important to know. When I was young we as a family lived in a small travel trailer. My father was a traveling evangelist so we all lived in a one bedroom trailer. We also lived in the car. We would be in a church holding services where my dad preached for 10 days and my sister and I would sing with our dad who also played the piano. And after the second Sunday night service, dad would hook the car up to the trailer and we would head out to the next church where we did it all again starting Wednesday through two Sundays. We as a family were always together. Our mom was also our teacher. We were together all of the time. One time my mom was sick and in the hospital and my sister and I were staying with our uncle and aunt and I had trouble at night with mom and dad not close and my aunt came in and helped to comfort m...