Are You Getting Enough Water?

Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14 AMP

It's Texas. It's hot. I'm thirsty. I immediately thought of these two verses. 

In the last week, it doesn't seem to matter how much water I've sucked in; I'm still thirsty. And I am the one who always asks others, "How much water are you drinking? Is it enough?" I convinced myself I was drinking an ample amount. Turns out, I was not. 

It got me to thinking... 

How many times do we hit that same place in our Christian walk? We think we've drawn enough to carry us through, only to find ourselves parched. We may even be "pouring out" for the Lord in ministry to others, but forgetting to drink daily from Jesus, the Living Water. We become dry, weak, and begin to burn out, then wonder why.

Isaiah 58:11 New Life Version reads, The Lord will always lead you. He will meet the needs of your soul in the dry times and give strength to your body. You will be like a garden that has enough water, like a well of water that never dries up.  We must replenish and there's only One way to do that - Jesus. Are you getting enough Water?

Prayer:

Father,
          We need more of You. Open our eyes to heed the signs of spiritual dehydration in our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Even When

The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
Deuteronomy 30:6 NIV

All I can do this day is praise God and thank Him for all He has done for me and mine - over and over and continuously - His hand of protection and provision. He is a great and merciful God and I want to serve Him. And I want my children and grandchildren and all the generations to serve Him.

God has ALWAYS been faithful even when we haven't.
God has ALWAYS loved us, even when we were unlovable and didn't love back.
His Word and His promises have ALWAYS been true, even when our lives - by our own choices - have been a lie.

In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God promises, And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Thank You, Father.

Prayer:

Father,
            Hasten to perform Your Word, O God, for You know much better than I that the time is short. I sense the urgency. Create in us a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within us, please. Clean hands and a pure heart, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

The Cutting Edge

As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”

The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
2nd Kings 6:5-7 NIV

So, the guy was doing work for the Lord. They were trying to build a bigger meeting place. Without the axe, what would he do? What could he do? What if he had gotten bogged down with the facts of the situation? Iron ax head. It's going down and it's not coming up. He's losing out twice because he can't finish the work he was doing for God and now, he's out whatever it would cost to pay back the lost ax head. 

Does your life ever feel like that? I know mine has. Doing what you know to do for the Lord and stuff happens. Then not only are you stifled from doing the work you believe you were called to do, but maybe there's a price tag for something that didn't go quite how you planned. What are you going to do? Get bogged down with the facts of the situation? The servant made the right choice. 

Will we do the same when we lose our cutting edge? Will we lose our passion for Christ because we're bogged down in the miry circumstances? 

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for writing it down and making it available to us. Thank You for the Light on our path, guiding our footsteps. Thank You that it is You who works in us both to will and to do in order to fulfill Your good purpose in our lives. Help us to trust You in it. Restore our cutting edge. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In Charge of the Change (by request)

Then the word of the LORD came to him, [Elijah] saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
1st Kings 17:2-7 NKJV

If you walk with the Lord, you know that God has changed your path. First and foremost, He changed the direction of where you are heading for eternity. That's a biggie... and have you noticed, He didn't stop there?  He's either changed your employment or super-charged your passion in life - probably both - and that usually brings a change of scenery. I'll bet you've moved a time or two. Yes?

Has He ever taken you someplace - so totally NOT in your plans or scheme of life - and made provision beyond what you expected? And when you get there, you wind up so completely amazed at His working in your life and the blessings that overtake you! You just KNOW the only way you're going to leave that place is if you die or Jesus comes back... but then the brook dries up (see the last sentence of our text.) And there you have a choice. What do you do?

I'd like to share an excerpt from a book titled Lead Vertically, written by Craig Johnson. The message of it is profound. The following excerpt is titled, "Who is in Charge of Your Change?"

Change can mask itself to look like a problem, when in reality it is the answer in disguise. We can't always see that the thing that might be holding us back is the very thing we have been holding on to the tightest. Change will force you to step onto the playing field when you have been comfortable in the stands. You always have a choice: you either run from change or you respond to it. You can either be afraid or affirming; passive or powerful. It all depends on whether you are handling the change or God is handling the change. Have you ever experienced more change than you could bear? It's overwhelming...but it's not over!

I encourage you to allow God to be in charge of your change. The change will do you good.

Prayer:

Father,
          Give us the courage to step out as Elijah did and do what You tell us to do, say what You tell us to say, and go where You direct our path. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
 

Keep On

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 NKJV

There are fewer things in life more hurtful than to know you are someplace where you are not wanted. Don't leave - we're not staying here with that thought... No pun intended. 😊 It's just one more reason it is so great to follow the Lord! He ALWAYS wants us! No matter where He is and no matter where we are!

From Genesis to Revelation, God has invited us to come close, to be in conversation with Him, to reason together, to follow in His footsteps, to love each other. Jesus has gone above and beyond by inviting us to ask for anything according to His will, promising that God will give it to us.

Oh, I can hear you... you've been praying a long time and as far as you can tell, nothing has happened. In fact, it seems to have gotten worse... However, in our Promise for Today, Jesus cheers us on in our pursuit of the good things of God. In The New Living Translation, it reads, Keep on asking... Keep on seeking... Keep on knocking...

Keep on! Verse 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Jesus never put a timeline on it, He just said to keep on.

Prayer:

Father,
            We know that following You is a walk of faith. Help us to see with eyes of faith and know that You will be found faithful to us. You are trustworthy, a Rewarder of those who diligently seek You. Give us Your strength, Father, so that we don't grow weary in well-doing because we KNOW we will reap a due harvest, if we faint not. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Devoted to Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2 NKJV

An Excerpt from a teaching by John Piper.

Your version might say, “constant in prayer” or “faithful in prayer.” Those all get at aspects of the word. “Devoted” is a good translation. The word is used in Mark 3:9 where it says, “[Jesus] told his disciples to have a boat ready (proskartere) for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him.” A boat was to set apart — devoted — for the purpose of taking Jesus away in case the crowd became threatening. “Devoted” — dedicated for a task, appointed for it. 

Now, boats just sit there. But people are not dedicated that way. When the word is applied to a person it means devoted or dedicated in the sense not only of designation and appointment but of action in the appointed task, and pressing on in it. So for example in Romans 13:6 Paul talks about the role of government like this: “You also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.” That is, they are not only designated by God for a task, but are giving themselves to it. 

What’s remarkable about this word is that five of the ten New Testament uses apply to prayer. Listen, besides Romans 12:12 there are:

Acts 1:14 (after the ascension of Jesus while the disciples were waiting in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Spirit): “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
Acts 2:42 (Of the early converts in Jerusalem): “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Acts 6:4 (The apostles say): “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Colossians 4:2 (Paul says to all of us): “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

So we may say from the New Testament Scriptures that the normal Christian life is a life devoted to prayer. And so you should ask... “Am I devoted to prayer?” 

It does not mean that prayer is all you do — any more than being devoted to a wife means all the husband does is hang out with his wife. But his devotion to her affects everything in his life and causes him to give himself to her in many different ways. So being devoted to prayer doesn’t mean that all you do is pray (though Paul does say in another place, “pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17). 

It means that there will be a pattern of praying that looks like devotion to prayer. It won’t be the same for everyone. But it will be something significant. Being devoted to prayer looks different from not being devoted to prayer. And God knows the difference. He will call us to account: have we been devoted to prayer? Is there a pattern of praying in your life that can fairly be called “being devoted to prayer”? 

I think most of us would agree on some kinds of praying that would not be called “being devoted to prayer.” Praying only as crises enter your life would not be a pattern of devotion to prayer. Praying only at meal times is a pattern, but does it correspond to Paul exhorting the church to “be devoted to prayer”? A short “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer at the end of the day is probably not “being devoted to prayer.” Hit and miss “Help me, Lord” in the car as you need a parking place is not “being devoted to prayer.” All those are good. But I think we would agree that Paul expects something more and different from followers of Christ when he says, “Be devoted to prayer.”

Prayer:

Father,

          Change our hearts and our mindsets, give us wisdom with regard to prayer. By Your Grace and Strength, help us to walk in the fruit of self-discipline. Open our eyes to see those around us who need us to pray devotedly for them. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Becoming a Weapons' Expert

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 NIV

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV

Everyone faces battles of some kind at one point or another. Some battles seem to wage on forever and we can become seriously discouraged- especially when nothing changes. We're doing everything we know to do, but nothing's happening that we can tell. So, we may have to ask ourselves a few questions.

1. Is this our battle? Seriously. Is it ours or did we pick up someone else's offense?

2. Are we using physical measures to fight a spiritual battle?

3. Did you bring the proverbial knife to a gunfight? In other words, do you have the proper weapons for the warfare that you find yourself in?


In order to fight and win against the strategies of the devil, we must become a weapons expert. We must know what weapons are at our disposal, and know how to use them, honing and refining our skills with them. We must know our Source of strength and wisdom. And we must always fly the right banner. God's banner over us is love, according to His Word.

Prayer:

Father,
          Lead and guide us into all Truth. May we always be at Your service and fight according to Your standards. Help us to become experts in wielding our God-given weapons. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Write It Down

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
Romans 15:4 NLT

I have to write it down or I will pay the price of whatever comes with forgetting. I have had people say that if it was important enough, I would remember. That's not true for me. I don't know why some thoughts stick and some don't, and so I try to write it down. However, here lately chances are I won't remember where I wrote it down... until it's too late. Can anyone relate to that?

My latest episode of Forgot takes the cake... literally. At work, one of the guys came to my office and queried, "No cake?" It caught me totally off-guard. Normally I bake cakes or breakfast casseroles for birthdays in the office and I had no recollection of one in our office for the week.

"Did I forget someone's birthday?!?"

"Uh, mine."

"I'm so sorry!! How did I not know that?"

He looked at me rather incredulously and then laughed and said, "I have no idea how you didn't know it. You emailed ME on Monday and asked if I wanted a cake or breakfast..." At least now I know why the alarm went off on my reminder calendar, but obviously, I'd forgotten to write in what the reminder was for. Am I the only one that does this?

I'm SO glad God had everything written down! Psalm 102:18 tells us, This will be written for the generations to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. How many times have you read what's been written in His Word then thanked and praised Him that it was there? For me, too many times to count! How thoughtful! How kind! How absolutely loving!

We can do the same for those who come after us - or as a reminder for our own selves. It is good to go back and read what you have written to the Lord or about the Lord, or about how He got you through what you thought might destroy you. One day at a time. One entry at a time. The history of what God has done. His story in us. Write it down.

Prayer:

Father,
           Your Word tells us in John 20:30-31 that Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in the Bible; but those that are written are so we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, Your Son, and that believing we may have life. Thank You, Father! Help us to be as thoughtful, kind and absolutely loving to write down so that others may believe and have life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Yes, It IS Personal!

The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
John 10:10 The Living Bible

We purchase self-help books because we want to be better. We somehow believe that if we just do it better, bigger, brighter, that we can be successful. Have you ever chosen a book to read based on whatever help or advice it might provide in a certain area of your life, only to discover the author is so readably entertaining that you find yourself devouring the pages, but not really savoring the content? Hmmm, readably... I'm sure that's not a real word, but you know what I mean, yes? You may know there are Truths contained within the covers of the book, but you probably missed them in the marathon motoring to the last page.  It's a fact that there are some great self-help books out there, but if we don't take the time to make it applicable on a personal level, nothing's going to change. 

It's the same in our walk with Christ only with much greater consequences at stake. We can breeze through the Bible, checking the box of doing our Christian duty, but if we don't take the time to make it applicable on a personal level, nothing's going to change. And trust me when I say to you, it's all VERY personal. 

When Jesus said, The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy - It wasn't a blanket statement to be brushed over lightly. It was - and is - a personal warning. Steal. Kill. Destroy. These are NOT innocuous actions. The enemy of your soul has a plan to steal, kill and destroy you. he knows you well. How else do you think the circumstances that adversely affect you are so tailor-made for your life? It's his mission to destroy you personally. Don't you believe anyone who tells you it's nothing personal. Oh, yes! It IS!

So, let's not forget the second part of that Scripture - Jesus's promise, My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. Christ's whole life on earth was personal. He came with one purpose in mind, to save you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Christ's crucifixion on the Cross at Calvary was most personal!! Read and study the Word! Everything in it is personal to God... 

Prayer:

Father, 
          We want to become fervently relentless in our pursuit of You. By Your Grace, we want the learned Truths of Your Word to be processed thoroughly in our lives so that they become powerfully productive and personal! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

NOT Fighting a Losing Battle

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

How's your faith? Do you believe God will do what He says or are you one who believes He'll do for someone else, but not for you? The Truth is, if we don't have faith, we probably don't pray every day. Why? Because we either believe God can't answer prayer or won't answer our prayer. So why bother?

Sometimes we pray and before the 'amen' is done resonating, we're thinking of all the reasons why the prayer won't be answered. That's fighting a losing battle!

What we absolutely MUST realize is that God is the Source of our faith - Romans 12:3 says He's given us a measure of faith. And without utilizing the faith He has given us, it's IMPOSSIBLE to please Him!

satan doesn't have to mortally wound us to defeat us; he only has to get us to believe we're defeated. If we believe there's no way to win; if we believe there's no hope, we've already lost.

However, IF WE BELIEVE that we have already won - through Christ our Lord - and what He did for us on the Cross, then we are NOT fighting a losing battle! We are fighting for our lives and the lives of our children and families and friends! Never give up! Read the Word (the Sword) and know how to use it! Put your armor on (Ephesians 6!). Be dressed for the battle. Remember, just because you lay down your weapon doesn't mean the enemy will stop fighting. Fight back! We are not here to lose!

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see the deception of the devil. Let us see with our spiritual eyes the Truth of Your Word. Teach us to worship like they did in 2nd Chronicles so that we can witness the destruction of the enemy's plot and plans by Your mighty hand. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Shame Off You

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1st John 1:9 NKJV

The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We know that to be so true. Those of us who love the Lord feel guilt and remorse over those sins. And satan knows that, too, so he keeps reminding us. "Shame on you - you call yourself a Christian." Next thing you know, not only do we still feel guilty, there's shame piled all over on top of that guilt, right? We start to feel like failures when it comes to being a Christian...

Okay, the Director yells, "Cut!" Stop the action right there! It's like a bad scene out of an even worse movie...

We can all quote vs 23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God but that's only part of the sentence. It's not the whole sentence. Immediately following verse 23 the Word continues, and ALL are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus [emphasis mine]. Which all? The same ALL that had fallen short are now justified freely by His grace!! Do you know what that means? Shame OFF you!!

So, who are you going to believe? The lies from the enemy of your soul or the One who died to SAVE your soul? Shame on or shame off?

Prayer:

Father,
            The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in You for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of You, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Forgive us for believing anything that would dare to exalt itself above our Christ and His redemptive work in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Family Heritage

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3 NLT

They tried for several years and couldn't conceive. Finally, they went to the doctor. The doctor's report was devastating. We stood as a family, praying at the altar. My daughter-in-love in tears, unable to speak, like Hannah in 1st Samuel. As we prayed, I felt compelled to ask my son, "What do you say? I know what the doctor said, but what do YOU say?" He replied with conviction, "I've seen our child. I know God is going to give us one." And that day, standing at the altar in the front of the church, we came into agreement with the Father and the Spirit of Truth. 

It was several more years and two job relocations later, when they finally conceived. So there she was in a brand new town. No connections. And she was actually refused by two doctors because she was considered too high-risk. However, as it turned out, the location they were in had a doctor that specialized in my daughter-in-love's condition. God's hand of provision and protection... literally.  On the first sonogram, I could see the outline of an adult hand on the baby. I knew it was God's hand. 

Today, we celebrated her 5th birthday. She is truly a gift and a great reward.

Prayer:

Father,
          It is good to remember the landmarks of our lives and the blessings of provision and protection You have given us. Thank You so much for everything! Please continue to keep Your hand upon this precious child. Teach us, Father, so that we are able to teach and prepare her for all You have planned for her life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

By Request - What'd You Call Me

 Bless the LORD, O my soul;

         And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And forget not all His benefits:
 Who forgives all your iniquities,
         Who heals all your diseases,
 Who redeems your life from destruction,
         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Psalm 103:1-4 NKJV

Do your close friends and family use nicknames or 'pet' names for you or for each other? Nicknames or shortened versions of your given name are usually born of familiarity and/or affection and represent a special bond or relationship, more than just an acquaintance. Have you ever had someone you didn't know very well call you by your nickname because they'd heard someone else do it? It just doesn't feel right - a line crossed, a defense line breached...definitely awkward. You almost want to be ugly and say, What'd you call me?!? You don't know me well enough to call me by that name...  They haven't earned the right to use that familiarity. There is not the required level of trust to feel free enough to respond to them using the name.

How familiar are we with God and His only Son? Do we know Him well enough to be able to just whisper His Name and feel His presence? Do we know Him as the Great I Am, as Father, Abba? Healer, Deliverer, Redeemer? We can list lots of names for Jesus, but do we know Him in those capacities? Have we earned the right to use the familiar Master, Savior, Lover of my soul? Do we trust Him so we may respond to Him when He calls us?

The Good News is we can use family names with God and His Son. Nobody knows us better than He does. He wants us to know Him better. In truth, He's gone farther than anyone else in order to get closer to us so that we are familiar with Him, His Word and His Names. 

So what do you call Him?

Prayer:

Father,

          We want to know You more. Reveal Yourself to us. Give us clean hands and a pure heart. In Jesus' Name we pray.

Mourning the Loss

...mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15b NIV

Another horrific killing spree at a high school. This time, only a half-hour away from where we live. Unbelievable. Shock. Grief. I don't believe I know any of the souls who died, but it feels like they were my neighbors. And according to Christ, they are. Luke 10 explains that anyone in need is our neighbor.

So what do we do? I don't know yet what their physical needs are, but spiritually, we're looking for answers, too. The reality is secondary trauma often occurs in these kinds of tragedies. It is important to find ways to deal with our own grief as well as pray for the families that have been directly affected.

I went to Billy Graham's website, because I know they have a Rapid Response Team ministry. According to that site, there are 5 ways in which we can respond: Click here for the article of helps. BillyGraham.org

When we can't do practical application of hands-on assistance, perhaps we might consider a donation to a ministry that we know has integrity and a good reputation for assisting in times of crises.

Above all - Scripture instructs us Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23. 

Don't neglect your relationship with God. Remember that it is the ABSENCE of God that allows one to take another's life.

Prayer:

Father,
            We pray for the Santa Fe community today and in the days to come. We pray for ALL the families, too. We pray for Your promised peace that passes all understanding for all those struggling with these horrible acts of violence. Thank You for moving on JJ's heart to financially support the victim's families. We ask that You continue to bless him, Father. Your Word in Galatians 5:6b NLT tells us, What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Help us to express it fully. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In His Presence

Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:18b-20 NIV

It's been said that he who sings, prays twice. There are those who might disagree, but all I know is the Word says, Come before His presence with singing (Psalm 100:2 NKJV), and when I praise Him in song - singing and making music from my heart to the Lord - I get there. And when I do, my focus is totally on Him and as the old song says, ♪♫ "and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace"♪♫

You might be like me; sometimes my praise pump needs a little priming. You can't just listen your way into His presence. You have to be an active participant. So, I go to YouTube and pick a song I like and sing along. Old songs. New songs. Harmony. Unison. It's all there and God loves all of it. And it just takes off from there. 

All the cares and stresses of the day and of life lose their grip on my soul. Pain is eclipsed by the warmth of God's love. I am rejuvenated because in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), and His Word reaffirms that the joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

What do you need? Whatever it is, you will find it in His presence. Get there! Go now. What are you waiting for? He will meet you there. He's waiting for you.

Prayer:

Father,
            We will enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise; we will give thanks to You and praise Your Name. For You, Lord, are good and Your love endures forever; Your faithfulness continues through all generations. Father, show us the path of life. We want to be at Your right hand forevermore. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalm 86 Abundant in Mercy

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Psalm 86:5 NKJV

Psalm 86 CEB
A prayer of David.

Lord, listen closely to me and answer me, because I am poor and in need.
Guard my life because I am faithful.
Save Your servant who trusts in You—You! My God!
Have mercy on me, Lord, because I cry out to You all day long.
Make Your servant’s life happy again because, my Lord, I offer my life to You,
because, my Lord, You are good and forgiving,
full of faithful love for all those who cry out to You.

Listen closely to my prayer, Lord;
pay close attention to the sound of my requests for mercy.
Whenever I am in trouble, I cry out to You, because You will answer me.

My Lord! There is no one like You among the gods!
There is nothing that can compare to Your works!
All the nations that You’ve made will come and bow down before You, Lord;
they will glorify Your Name, because You are awesome and a wonder-worker.
You are God. Just You.

Teach me Your way, Lord, so that I can walk in Your truth.
Make my heart focused only on honoring Your name.
I give thanks to You, my Lord, my God, with all my heart,
and I will glorify Your name forever,
because Your faithful love toward me is awesome
and because You’ve rescued my life from the lowest part of hell.

The arrogant rise up against me, God.
A gang of violent people want me dead.
They don’t give a thought for You.
But You, my Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy;
You are very patient and full of faithful love.
Come back to me! Have mercy on me!

Give Your servant Your strength; save this child of Your servant!
Show me a sign of Your goodness so that those who hate me will see it and be put to shame— show a sign that You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
***********************
In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Doing the Two-Step

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. 

Proverbs 28:13 NLT

In Texas, you grow up doing the Texas Two-Step. It loosely resembles a Foxtrot, but folks on both sides of that coin might want to argue about the similarity. Sometimes there's a little side-step thrown in for good measure, depending on what part of Texas you're from. The point is, it's a two-step. It's not the real thing without both steps. You're probably wondering what any of this has to do with our Promise for Today...

Most of us are familiar with 1st John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We may not be as familiar with Proverbs 28:13. When I read this Scripture, I was struck by the process to receive mercy. It says we must confess our sins AND turn from them. It's a two-step. There's no side-stepping it - no matter where you're from. We don't receive mercy without doing two steps - confess and turn.

Prayer:

Father,

           Help us to recognize and walk in each and every step You have laid before us. We don't want to do any side-stepping. We want only to follow in Your footsteps. Guide us, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

             

Making Him Known

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
Acts 17:22-23 NLT

The men of Athens - known for their intellect, known to be very religious, with temples and shrines to every god, wanted to make sure they were covered (so to speak), so they even had an altar 'To an Unknown God'.

Paul was deeply troubled by all the idols in Athens (vs 16). The Greek word for troubled is 'paroxysm' - meaning sudden, violent emotion. That is intense!

Paul went to the synagogue. He spoke in the public square. And then he went to Mars Hill to deliver the Good News. He took his cue from what they had, the altar to an unknown god, and made it about the only God they needed to know.

Paul's desire to see the lost brought into the Kingdom of his Christ overrode every other thing in his life. He reasoned, they ridiculed, he continued to those who would hear. I encourage you to read again the Book of Acts...

Oh, that we would dare to stand and make an Unknown God known to a lost and dying world!

Prayer:

Father,
           Make us bold! Blow on the embers of our hearts and cause us to burn with holy fire and anointing to make You known to whoever will listen! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Believe It or Not

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:15-17 NLT

I am appalled at those who believe they can pick and choose which Scriptures they believe are true. The Bible is not a collection of suggestions when it comes to governing our lives. It's not a list of multiple choices and we get to pick A, C & E, but not follow B & D. Where does anyone get the idea that because a proverb isn't semantically a promise that it's any less true when found in the Word of God?

Just because someone doesn't believe Scripture doesn't make it any less true - no matter where they stand - pew or pulpit. Romans 3:3-5 KJV reads, For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;

The Bible is written for saints AND sinners. It rightly divides truth. It convicts us of our sin and wrong-doing and shines the light of truth on our lives so we know which way to go to please the Father. His Word was written for OUR good because He loves us. Who will believe it?

...God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. Believe it or not... it doesn't change the Truth of God's Word.

Prayer:

Father,
          Open their eyes to see Your Truths. Help us not to argue semantics, but rather to choose to build up and edify Your people. Sanctify and cleanse us so that we might be presented to You as a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that we should be holy and without blemish. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Making It Happen

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
1st Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT

Have you ever struggled with trying to live a holy life? Sometimes, I feel as though I could be the poster child for Romans 7:18-19, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

However, our Promise for Today is a great comfort to me because in and of myself, I had no idea how I would ever fulfill 1st Peter 1:16, to Be holy as I am holy. But thank God, we don't have to do anything in and of ourselves (not that we could)! In His great love, God has made provision for everything He requires of us, including holy.

Be encouraged!! God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

Prayer:

Father,
             You are an amazing God! We will shout for joy to You, O LORD. We will worship You with gladness; and come before You with joyful songs. It is You who made us, and we are Yours; we are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture. We will enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise; we will give thanks to You and praise Your name. For You are good and Your love endures forever; Your faithfulness continues through all generations. Make us holy in every way. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Wait

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven,whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
1st Thessalonians 1:9b-10 NIV

Generally, you won't find me in a line for a restaurant that's going to be more than a 15-minute wait. A pet peeve for me is waiting over an hour in a doctor's office when there was no emergency; just bad scheduling. The same doctor's office that will cancel your appointment for the day if you're ten minutes late because there was a major traffic accident on the highway. No, I really don't like to wait. Not at all.

However, I find that it depends on what I'm waiting for. There are different kinds of waiting; some can be good! For instance, waiting for a baby to be born. Waiting for a plane to arrive that's bringing someone you love. Waiting for the cookies to finish baking. 😄 Waiting for Jesus to come again.

Although it can seem interminably long, remember that Peter tells us, A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent (2nd Peter 3:9).

And we are not to wait as though we are long-suffering for His return. Anamenein is the Greek word for wait in 1st Thessalonians. It refers to expectant waiting; sustained, patient, trusting. That's how we are to wait for the Lord... Expectant. Patient. Trusting.

No matter what we're waiting for now - whether it's healing or test results or His second coming - we can trust God in it.

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for opening Your Word to our understanding. Thank You for helping us to adjust our perspective to Yours. It's a much better view of life. Continue to shine the light of Your Truth on our pathway. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What's On Your Mind

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 NLT

Every day, we interact with people who are not happy - a coworker, a cashier, a custodian. They're upset with the job, the family, the car, whatever. It all amounts to stinking thinking and they come around to share it with us. If we are not diligent, we can get that same mindset.

The question then is how important is it to stay focused on what is true, and honorable, and right and pure, etc? Well, according to Scripture, it's the difference between life and death. Read Romans 8:5-6, 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 mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

So... what's on YOUR mind? Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

Go ahead - Fix them...

Prayer: 

Father,
          We look to Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, to complete the work in us. Give us the courage and strength to fix our thoughts. Holy Spirit, please come and rule in our hearts and minds and keep us from stinking thinking. In Jesus' Name we pray.
Amen.

Why? Because...

You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
James 4:2 NLT

The Truth behind most fights and arguments is that someone is not getting what s/he wants or his/her own way. Why? Because they're living by the way of the world - the idea of doing whatever it takes to get what they want, no matter who gets run over in the process... as long as it's not them.

God's way is so different. It's all about putting someone else's needs before our own. Serving others while waiting on God. Preferring one another in love (Romans 12:10). Why? Because Christ set that example for us. He WANTED to bypass the Cross if there was any way to do that and still accomplish what our Father wanted (Luke 22:42). But there wasn't, so did He call the 10,000 angels to rescue Him? No. Why? Because everything Jesus did was about following the Father's perfect will.

Are we seeking the Father's will or still making our own plans and praying to ask God to approve them? If God says, "No", do we choose to accept His answer as perfect or choose the phone-a-friend option? If God is silent, do we wait for Him or forge ahead in our own strength, with our own plans to make something happen?  Psalm 27:14 NKJV reads, Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage. Why? Because when we do, it goes on to say, He shall strengthen your heart...

Prayer:

Father, 

           You are the cause of all things good and perfect. We want to know and follow Your perfect will. Give us the courage and strength of heart to be able to wait on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Repost by Request -

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:19-20 NLT

I cannot always wrap my mind around the depth of God’s love for mankind or the lengths to which He goes to prove His unconditional love for the vilest of mankind, but I believe with every fiber of my being that God is everything Scripture proclaims Him to be. I thought I might need to preface today’s promise with that declaration of faith because I may throw something out here that maybe you’ve never thought about. On the other hand, maybe I’m the last to realize it. I finally realized today that God understands - on a very personal level - the stress in life when dealing with people...

In today’s society, there’s much to be said about stress. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Frederick Saunders, author and poet, provided this famous quote ~ Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a good idea.

American theologian, Danzae Pace, said this about stress - Stress is the trash of modern life - we all generate it but if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.

I agree with both of those, but the quote that actually comes closer to my personal definition of it is this - Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire to choke the living daylights out of whoever is not following one’s preferred plan…

God knows what it feels like to be angry. He knows first-hand the frustration and stress caused by people not following the preferred plan. It started in the Garden of Eden, remember? And how about those Israelites in the wilderness? And then in the Promised Land? And then...?

I don’t know about you, but when I get stressed in or about a situation and it becomes prolonged, I want to rid myself of it. Cut it off, kill it – whatever it takes to be gone. I want to be done with it. If I get to that place and I can see no change in sight or no hope of change, then I find myself at a crossroad – an intersection where I can choose what suits my flesh (which is to cut and run) or I can choose to follow God. If I choose to follow God’s example, I have to properly weigh all the components to determine the best outcome of love in action for all involved. First and foremost, I must recognize and understand what hangs in the balance.

That's what God did. He weighed it all - all the sin and evil and wickedness of all mankind for all time - and chose His love over killing all of us and wiping out the human race.

When we hit that intersection, we must recognize and understand what hung in the balance. It was His Son.

In the book And the Angels Were Silent, Max Lucado defines it best - 

Calvary is a hybrid of God’s lofty status and His deep devotion. The thunderclap which echoed when God’s sovereignty collided with His love. The marriage of heaven’s kingship and heaven’s compassion. The very instrument of the cross is symbolic, the vertical beam of holiness intersecting the horizontal bar of love.

For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s Blood on the Cross.

The Cross. The intersection of holiness and love - the perfect drop-off location for our load of stress.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank You for creating the ultimate intersection and loving us in spite of our selfishness. Set us free from our own road hazards. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Come, Let Us Sing

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psalm 95:1-3 KJV

I was in Miss Richardson's seventh grade music theory/sight reading class at Sydney Lanier Junior High in Houston, Texas - longer ago than any of us wants to remember. She taught the beauty of blended voices; two-, three-, four-, and even five-part harmony! It was there in that college-sized classroom that I first imagined what Heaven's choir might sound like as the acapella voices choreographed in perfect harmony rang out in strains of the Navy Hymn, ♪♫ Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm doth bind the restless wave...♪♫

For years, I was adamant about perfection of the parts. Always striving for perfection. Then one day, I was prompted to read this Scripture passage again, so I did. Again. So I did. Again! What was I missing? 

Our Promise for Today reads make a joyful noise. It doesn't say one thing about perfection. It says absolutely nothing about perfect harmony or carrying the melody line. 

So, even if you can't carry a tune in a bucket with handles and help - Come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord our God - for He is a great God! And worthy to be praised!

Prayer:

Father,
            We come, singing unto You. We will make a joyful noise to You - the rock of our salvation. We come before Your presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto You with words of praise. For You are a great God, and a great King above all gods. We want to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

If We Believe

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:26 KJ21

Do you ever wonder why you do some of the things you do - the ones you wish you didn't do? Are you willing to seek and find the answer, the root of why?

The Truth is - What we believe determines our actions. I'm not talking about mental assent; agreeing with the possibility or likelihood of something. I'm talking about truly believing. For instance, how about God?

Mental assent agrees there is a God or likely a 'higher power', but it really doesn't change the way the he/she conducts business or treats others. Mental assent assumes he/she is basically a good person and that all 'good' people go to heaven. 

Truly believing that God is who He says He is will change your life. It will change the way you do business, the way you treat all others (not just those you know.) It will change your priorities and your activities in life. It will change how and where you spend your hard-earned money. Yes, your money...

True faith in God and His Word will cause us to do good works. If we believe.

Prayer:

Father,
          We want our faith to be alive and growing in You. Open Your Word to us in new ways. Reveal Yourself to us so that we may be more and more like You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Treasure Hunting

This is what I have asked of God for you: that you will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love, and that you will have the rich experience of knowing Christ with real certainty and clear understanding. For God’s secret plan, now at last made known, is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the mighty, untapped treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:2-3 The Living Bible

Did you ever hunt treasure when you were a child? What a great adventure! Quartz that sparkled like diamonds; iron pyrite that you just knew was real gold. And the wealth of it was going to solve all your problems. How sad you might have been to discover that while pretty to look at and sparkly to behold, your young dreams were dashed by the reality of imitation minerals and stones.

What treasures do you seek now? Things that sparkle and shine? Where are you digging for the buried treasure? Is your map reliable?

If we will seek the treasures that are eternal, we have the perfect map - Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Verse 3 of our text for today tells it perfectly, For God’s secret plan, now at last made known, is Christ himself. In Him lie hidden all the mighty, untapped treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Let's not settle for shiny imitations. Let us seek our True Treasure - the One whose light will always shine true for us.

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for providing everything we need for the grandest adventure of all. Help us to walk firmly in the paths You have laid out for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

*The S Word

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. 

Romans 12:1-2a NLT

The S word... Sacrifice.

When I think of sacrifice, I think of death. Something has to be killed to be considered a sacrifice - whether it was a bull in biblical times or the desires today that we choose to lay down (kill) within ourselves. Our Promise for Today is about giving our bodies to God as a LIVING and holy sacrifice - so basically to lay ourselves on His altar...

And to stop crawling off the altar to get away from the fire of His holiness.

Just something to think about.

Prayer:

Father,

          Please continue to draw us closer so that the dross and impurities in our lives are burned away in the fire of Your holy presence. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

WWW

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

How often do we utilize the world-wide web (www) to find answers to our questions? I am amazed (and often dismayed) at what can be found by typing a few words into a favorite search engine. Although, I once tore down a washing machine, fixed it and put it back together based on what I'd found on the WWW.

However, often times, a minute piece of information may be omitted, be incorrect or not verified (such as in Wikipedia), but perhaps we don't find out until it's already too late. Or we take everything at face value because it's written in black and white. That can make for some troubling times.

There is only one truly trustworthy source of information. I use it as my personal search engine. It's the WWW that never leaves me dismayed. It doesn't leave anything out of the equation, so I can always get the information - ALL the information - that I need. You know I'm talking about the Bible. It's God's Words, Way and Will for our lives. WWW. Go ahead. Search for anything. It has all the answers.

Prayer:

Father,
          Give us wisdom in how to better search out Your Holy Scriptures for the answers we need to live our lives for You. Continue to provide Your strength so that we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen