Today's Beginning

Thursday... So what do we really need? That is a good and important question. Do we usually worry about our needs or our wants?  Now Jesus said in 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." If we would take time and make a list of our wants and needs we probably would see that our wants are where our worrying comes in. Now what do we need? We need a place to live. We need utilities paid. We need food and we need transportation. Now we also need a relationship with God who will help take care of these needs.  Now verses 25-28 (MSG) says, "Has anyone by fussing ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance - but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and w...

Wednesday... Do we need to pray this today? Over in Luke 11 (NLT), Jesus was praying in a certain place and after he had finished one of his disciple said (v.1b), "Lord, teach us to pray." And then Jesus shared with them what we call The Lord's Prayer. Now each line in this prayer has deep meaning and the last line in verse 4b says, "And don't let us yield to temptation." In this world in which we live we really do need to pray this everyday, don't we? "And don't let us yield to temptation." Now over in Proverbs 28:14 (AMP) it says, "Blessed and favored by God is the man who fears [sin and its consequences] at all times. but he who hardens his heart [and is determined to sin] will fall into disaster." The NLT says, "Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble."  This is such an evil world that we live in, isn't it? There is so much out there to tempt us which will lead us t...

Tuesday... He was in a cave. David the writer of this Psalm was in a cave hiding from King Saul who was wanting to kill him. Now I'm not sure that is what you are going through but you too during your problem could pray this. Verse 1 (NLT) says, "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by." So no matter what is happening to you just pray this prayer to God. I love the honesty of the Psalms. They give us what we need to say no matter what we are going through. David goes on. Verses 2 & 3 say, "I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me." And then he stops for a moment. He then says, "My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness." That fact reinforces his faith that God is listening and is going to do something because of his unfailing love ...

Monday... He knows what we can do. Have you ever thought that God knows what we can do because he's given us power but he knows that we don't really believe what we can do so he gives us some difficult even impossible situations to let us see the possibilities we can do but with him? Now Luke 9 in verses 1-2 (NLT) says, "One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick." And then verse 10a says, "When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done." And I sure they were really excited. And he could have stopped there but he didn't. He knew he had given them power to do more. Jesus tried to get away by himself but a large crowd found him and verse 12 says, "Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, 'Send the crowd away to the nearby village...

Saturday... We are so smart, aren't we? Well, we think we are and we are in so many different ways. But the truth is our pride gets in the way so much. I know it does, me. Over in Luke 8 in the NT of the Bible in verse 53 (NIV) it says, "They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead." Here is the story. In verse 41 it says, "Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve was dying." Here was a very smart man who had a problem that his smarts couldn't handle so he came to Jesus and that definitely was smart. What problem are you facing today and your smarts really are having a problem handle it? This man did the right and the really smart thing and came to Jesus. So they, Jesus and Jairus set out to his house to take care of the problem.  Now along the way some of his friends came and told him that his daughter had died and that he didn't n...

Friday... I keep coming back to these two verses. I don't know how many verses I read in a month but there are some that always grab my attention each time I read them. I read Proverbs 23 on the 23rd day of each month so I read verses 17 & 18 each month and they are a great reminder to me each time I read them. Here is what they say in the Amplified Bible and notice that verse 17 starts with a "do not", "Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation], but [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord day by day." Ok that is verse 17. It starts with "Do not" and has a "continue to" in the middle.  Now verse 18 starts with the word "Surely, Surely". The NLT says, "You will be." The Message says, "Then", Again the Amplified says, "Surely". I love that word, "Surely" I can count on this being the truth. If I "do not" ...

Thursday... We have so much trouble with the do nots and the must dos. We really do. We do to the point that we say that we do not want to be told that we can't do stuff or told that we must do stuff so we just aren't going to really look at them and see the benefits of the do nots and the must dos. We say, I don't want to be told what I can't do and must do. I want to be free to do what I want to do. I know best for me. Look at these verses in Luke 6:37-38 (NLT). Here is what they say, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." Now here is the problem. People quit listening after the first part. Don't tell me what to do. I have th...