How Much for Your Thoughts?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Psalm 139:23 NLT

Have you ever been fooled by someone who put their best face forward? I know I have. You find out after the fact that they were going through the most awful time and were too embarrassed or were afraid of being judged. People you're willing to help if only you knew, if only they would let you in. 

The thing to remember for ALL of us is this. We are ALL in a battle of some kind. satan wants nothing more than to kill, steal and destroy us - no holds barred - but Christ came so that we might have abundant lives! This is why it is SO important to know God's Word. The answers to EVERYTHING are in there.

satan's ploy often starts as a thought - about you or about someone else or something else - but God's Word in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV instructs us... the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

I'm sure you've heard or may have even said, "A penny for your thoughts", but your thoughts are worth SO much more, for what people think will determine how they choose to live or die. Don't let the enemy of your soul determine how you will think. James 5:16 NLT reads, Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

Prayer:

Father,

          Help us to walk in Your love with one another and in unity of Spirit. Help us to fulfill the law of Christ, bearing one another's burdens according to Galatians 6:2. Give us Your eyes to see those who need encouragement or a helping hand and the grace to help them through. Help us to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  Please forgive us and interrupt us when we allow ourselves to get distracted or too busy to see. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Making Room

You used to do them when your life was still part of this world; but now is the time to cast off and throw away all these rotten garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty language.

Colossians 3:7-8 The Living Bible

Most women (and some men) have three sizes of clothes in their closets - what they wear now, what they used to wear, and what they hope to wear someday. If you approach that logically, it means that two-thirds of the closet is taken up by things you'll never wear. (Just a helpful household hint for those who think they don't have enough closet space.)

What does that have to do with our promise for today? Well, often I hear folks say, "I just want more of God in my life." That is great and it sounds good, but if we are completely honest with ourselves, what are we willing to give up in order to make room for more of God in our lives? 

Why not start with today's word - throw away all these rotten garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty language? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Help us to clearly see and remove those things in our hearts and lives that are not pleasing to You so that there will be room for more of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Seventh Thing

There are six things the Lord hates - no, seven things he detests:

haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

Proverbs 6:16-19 NLT

What sin do all these things have in common? Pride in one form or another. The very thing that got Lucifer kicked out of Heaven. God hates all these things, but often we overlook the person who sows discord in a family. We may tend to think that's just the way they are - not happy unless they're stirring up something - but God says He hates it!!  

Sowing discord is saying and doing things that cause distrust in families, and usually results in arguments, fights, and alienation. Sadly, the ‘sower’ often acts as if he/she is not at fault or even trying to cause arguments. However hurtful it may be, rather than react in the flesh or fight back, we need to fight this with prayer. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

There are far-reaching consequences to discord and unforgiveness. Mark 11:25-26 NKJV reads, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Christ was crucified so that we could be forgiven and walk in forgiveness. Rather than allow someone else's actions to drag us into discord and unforgiveness, let's humble ourselves to God and each other and walk in His love.

Prayer:

Father,

           We're not making light of or dismissing the first six things, but this seventh thing stands out tonight. We all know folks who have sown discord in their families. We pray for peace, for divine wisdom. We pray for hearts willing to walk in forgiveness, willing to love over the multitude of sins. We ask that You come with Your peace that surpasses our understanding. You are our Redeemer. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Do Tell

Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.
Psalm 22:30-31 NLT

I like to use the Daily Audio Bible by Brian Hardin to go through the Bible. I find the book of Genesis to be enthralling even though I've read it before. I find it fascinating to think about the ones who kept the history so that nothing was lost and it could be handed down from generation to generation. To know the covenants with God, the blessings that were bestowed, the incredible way that God used harsh adversity to bless His people (Joseph and his brothers)...

What has God done for you? How much of it have you told your children, your grandchildren? Do they know from where God has brought you? Do they know how God has provided for them, healed them, watched over them and you? 

Time after time, God's redemption and deliverance are chronicled in His Word. It truly is amazing. I know we've talked about it before - about writing it down so the generations after us will know everything God has done for us...for them. It is no less amazing what God has done in our lifetime. Do tell.

Prayer:

Father,

          Give us divine appointments to make Your ways known to our children and our children's children and to all the generations. We praise You and thank You for Your continuous faithfulness toward us. Thank You for Your great love and mercy. We cannot do this life without You. Thank You for Your presence, for watching over us, for fresh anointing. Draw us closer to You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Redirect Our Focus

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.
John 1:16 NLT

We all get so busy that we forget things. Some things we need to forget, but I don't want to forget the good things - the blessings of life. I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in life and unconsciously forget about giving thanks for not only the so-called extraordinary things God has done for me but for the DAILY benefits He provides. The enemy of our soul works overtime to distract us, to take our eyes off the goodness of God. We don't ever want to take Him for granted.

Today, my daughter and I had a deliberate conversation about the blessings of God in just the last year and ten months. After a couple minutes, it just flowed into a natural praise gathering and the more we acknowledged God's blessings, the even more we remembered and reminded each other of them and gave thanks. We were mutually encouraged and came away with a God perspective rather than a navel-gazing view of life. That is always a good thing!

When you are distracted by the stresses of life - such as chronic pain, grief, a broken heart, a wayward loved one - it is easy to lose focus on our Saviour and ALL He has done, is doing, and will do for us. Let's consciously redirect our focus on Him with very grateful hearts.

Prayer:

Father, 
           The words in Psalm 103 say it so well. Let all that I am praise You Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise Your holy name. Let all that I am praise You Lord; may I never forget the good things You do for me. You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases. You redeem me from death and crown me with love and tender mercies. You fill my life with good things. Help us to never forget. Give us clean hands and a pure and grateful heart. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Admirably Purposeful

You know the times in which we are living. It’s time for you to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers.

Romans 13:11 God's Word Translation

How many times have you said, "One of these days, I'm going to..." Did you?

Did you make any New Year resolutions? One of the definitions for "resolute" is to be "admirably purposeful." I love that phrase. Does it describe the intent behind your resolution?

Nothing will ever just happen "one of these days" - and nothing will ever just change "one of these days" unless we are admirably purposeful toward making it happen.

There are 2 times that it scares me most to hear "one of these days." One is when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the person's response is "One of these days, I'll do that, but before then, I need to..." or "I want to..." The other is when we get a nudge in our heart to share the Gospel or reach out to someone and we ignore it thinking that we will do it one of these days and it turns out that the person didn't have many more days...

We know the times in which we are living. It’s time for us to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers.

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to walk out Your Word in 1st Corinthians 15:58 - to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing that our labor is not in vain. Help us to live our lives admirably purposeful all of our days. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Broken Hearts and How to Heal

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Psalm 147:3 NLT

In this world, Jesus said we shall have trials and tribulations. 

Life experiences that break our hearts. Sometimes, we feel like we can't recover from our brokenheartedness. It feels like it is one too many times; that we won't recover. 

I'm here to say to you, if that's you, you're believing a lie! It may feel true, but it's not the Truth. The Truth is our promise for today - It is written, Psalm 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. 

I have had my heart shattered more times than I care to remember, and sometimes, it feels as though I can't get over it. A few times have taken me years. Sometimes, healing from serious wounds takes a long time. There's therapy to endure, a battle to be won, but we are embraced by the Great Physician who came to heal our broken hearts and to bind up our wounds. 

The Passion Translation reads, He heals the wounds of every shattered heart. 

So let it be written, so let it be done.

Prayer:

Father,
          We pray Your Word from Psalm 30 - O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. We will sing to You, and praise Your Holy Name. Your anger lasts only a moment, but Your favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. And we are so grateful, Father! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Chew and Spew

Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.

Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.
Matthew 15:10b-11, 17-20a ESV [emphasis mine]

Luke 6:45 ESV tells us, The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:34 ESV You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

In the eternal weight of things, it's not so much what we chew as it is what we spew... Check your heart.

Prayer:

Father,

           Renew in us a right spirit. Give us clean hands and pure hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where and When

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:29 NLT

My oldest brother died less than a year ago. His wife died this week. Her service is on Monday in North Texas, and I can't go because I have had covid for 27 days. I believe I am definitely on the upswing and took my last dose of medicine today, but it's too soon to take a chance of taking it to the rest of my family. Love is hard...

I don't understand why, and I don't understand the timing of it all, both my niece and nephew and my grandniece and grandnephew to lose Ron and Mary within a year of each other, and I can't be there. And as the remaining siblings and our children gather, I won't be there. But way more than me, they need my Savior to be there and He will be. I praise God that He has comforted me with the Truth that He is Immanuel, God with us. He doesn't put restrictions on when He's with us or where He's with us, but simply that He's with us always.

And as I expressed earlier this week, Psalm 139 gives me great comfort in knowing that all the days of my life were planned before I ever drew a breath, and He's promised to be with me. It doesn't get any better than that! So, whatever my family needs on Monday, I am sure beyond the shadow of a doubt that they will have because He IS Immanuel, God with us.

Prayer:

Father,

           We pray Your Word in Psalm 145, I will exalt You, my God and King, and praise Your Name forever and ever. I will praise You every day; yes, I will praise You forever. Great is the Lord! You are most worthy of praise! No one can measure Your greatness. Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power. I will meditate on Your majestic, glorious splendor and Your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness. Everyone will share the story of Your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about Your righteousness. Thank You, Father, we look to You by Hope in Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2b NKJV

When I have only the desire to be an encouragement, but no words, I turn to the only One whose words never fail. Whose words are always Truth, no matter the circumstances, and I thank Him for them.

Psalm 3:3-5 NKJV 
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

Psalm 86:11-13 NLT
Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.
With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for having it written down for our reference. Thank You that it is everlasting Truth - alive and active in us to make us into who You would have us to be and able to accomplish all that You have planned for our lives. We pray as St. Francis of Assisi prayed "Lord, make us instruments of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy." Let it be so, Father, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where was God?

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NLT

We've talked before about what is our standard for life. What is the standard by which we measure what we believe? Do the circumstances of life dictate what we believe? Is it our most wretched or most glorious of life experiences? Do you have an absolute standard that doesn't change no matter what comes? I believe we must have an absolute or we will be tossed about by every wind and doctrine (see Ephesians 4:13-15). 

The good news is that one is available, but only One - the Holy Word of God - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His Truth prevails over every fact of life. It is written in His Word in Matthew 1:23, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”

God with us. So important for us to know that every time we call His Name we are proclaiming the Truth that God is with us. Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9 that We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. 

And in verses 16-18, That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Where was God? Where is God?!?  Right where He's always been - where He promised to always be - WITH US. He will get us through. It will be made right in the end. If it's not right, it's not the end... yet.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Truths. Thank You for giving us the proper measuring stick for life. Thank You that You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Open our hearts and minds to fully understand Immanuel, God with us. That You will truly never leave us nor forsake us. That we are carved into the palm of Your hand and cannot be plucked out! We pray as the boy's father prayed in Mark 9:24, We believe, Father, help our unbelief! We choose to trust You. We choose to believe Your Word over what we see or hear! Give us wisdom and Your strength, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In Position

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Proverbs 22:6 NLT

My son and daughter-in-love are raising their daughter in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Her faith is also amazing. This past weekend they attended a conference at their home church that was all about refreshing. Getting in the right posture before God to align with His will (videos can be found at https://www.laportefirst.org/watch-online). All of them came out of the conference super pumped and truly refreshed!

My daughter-in-love shared this powerful testimony 2 days ago. 

"We have to be in position to encounter and receive from God. When the enemy comes at us, we must be in position for God to fight that battle and speak to us. God reminded me this morning that when I see what the enemy has thrown at us, I need to make sure my focus is in position too. When I see the enemy’s fiery arrows, I need to stop to see God’s shield and covering... The enemy threw the facts of circumstances at my logical mind. As I listened to Abby pray, I prayed God would shift my focus into position to see what He sees not what doctors say. He tuned my ear to a little girl as she prayed, “and God, if You choose to take them home, I will still praise You. I will still worship You.” Wrecked. Completely wrecked. But there, right there, was God’s rescue. There was His whisper that no matter what this earth holds, He is still God. He is still on the throne. He is still the One I will praise and trust and worship. I will remain positioned to encounter Him. Even when I see the arrows coming, I will remain positioned to see His hand covering us and moving for His glory. May we each be positioned to encounter Him and receive all we need from Him."

Psalm 78:4b showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

Amen and amen. 

Prayer:

Father,
          I pray the Word from Psalm 71:18 KJV, Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. And praised You with all of them. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Security

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. 

Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. 

They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. 

You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. 

You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. 

He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

Proverbs 3:21-26 NLT

We are comforted knowing that according to Your Word in Psalm 139:16, You saw us before we were born. Every day of our life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. There is great security knowing it is all part of Your plan.

Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for the comfort and calm assurance of Your Word that does not return empty, but accomplishes what You send it to do. You send Your Word to heal. You are our Jehovah Rapha. You are our God Almighty, the Most High, Lord, Master, Jehovah, our Righteousness, the Everlasting God, our Provider, the All-Sufficient One, our source of Peace, our Father, our Shepherd, our Salvation, our Security. We choose to trust You in all things. We love You and worship You, in Jesus' Name. Amen

A Matter of Life and Death

Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart.

Job 22:21-22 NKJV

Although what Eliphaz said was absolute Truth regarding repentance, he missed the mark in how it applied to Job. I'm relatively certain he was passionate and persuasive, however, his assessment of Job and the situation was decidedly limited.  We've all had friends who meant well and yet misspoke.

Oftentimes, we, being human, only know or are known in part. Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians 2:11, No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. Two verses later, Paul writes, When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. And therein lies the crux of the matter - human wisdom. Isn't that an oxymoron? 

The Word tells us that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth. Do we want all Truth or just what sounds good? Are we listening to the Holy Spirit?

In Proverbs, we learn that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Given these truths, whether we are the speaker or the recipient, we must be sure to follow the Lord's leading. It IS a matter of life and death.

Prayer:

Father,
           Give us Your wisdom. Guide us into all Truth. And let us be like Jesus and only impart to others what we hear You say. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Our Anthem

In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and complete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding [with practical insight]

Ephesians 1:7-8 AMP

Colossians 3:1-4 NLT tells us, Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Praise God! We are redeemed! 

Have you given much thought about what it means to be redeemed? About Christ as our Redeemer? About from what we have been redeemed?  Let's look at the definition. 

Redeem: to free from captivity by payment of ransom; to release from blame or debt: clear; to free from the consequences of sin. 

That makes me wanna shout - Hallelujah!! Our messed-up, sin-stained lives have been cleared from the consequences of our sin! We have been released from all blame and the debts of our wrongdoing! 

This is a song that the angels cannot sing - for if we have accepted Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, this is our anthem! Sing it loud and proud!

Prayer:

Father,

          How can we ever thank You enough for giving us a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to You, our God? Many will see what You have done and we pray they will put their trust in You, Lord, according to Your Word and our redemption song! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Pure Promises

The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.

Psalm 12:6-8 NLT

Several truths pierced my heart while reading this psalm. The first is that no matter the lies and deception going on in the world around us, the Lord's promises are pure. They have always been and will always be. God's Word will surround us and protect us and lead us in the way we should go. Psalm 119:105 assures us His Word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path even in this dark world with its seemingly overwhelming obstacles.

The second revelation was how this particular psalm (written sometime around 3,000 years ago) could just as easily have been written about the world's situation today. Lying neighbors, how fast the godly are disappearing, people say or post whatever lies they want to with no repercussions, the wicked strut about like they've earned the right, and evil is praised throughout the land... And yet, in the middle of it all, we are reminded that the Lord's promises are pure. The evil of mankind does not and cannot defile His promises.

Peter reminds us in 1st Peter 1:24-25 of the truth in Isaiah 40:8,  As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. Pure...

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You that Your Word is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Give us a fresh anointing to embrace Your Word, to keep our thoughts and intents pure before You, and to shine Your Light until You return to take us Home with You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Come Unto Me, I Will Give You Rest

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 NLT

 The explanation from the Lucado Encouraging Word Bible:

When we try to carry our burdens alone, we crumble. Only when we give our troubles to God can we truly rest and enjoy all that comes with God’s grace.

We find it easier to trust the miracle of resurrection than the miracle of grace. We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection, lest heaven be even more disappointed in us than we are. The result? The weariest people on earth.

Attempts at self-salvation guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments. Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders.

Stop it! Once and for all, enough of this frenzy. “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules” (Heb 13:9 NCV). Jesus does not say, “Come to me, all you who are perfect and sinless.” Just the opposite. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

There is no fine print. A second shoe is not going to drop. God’s promise has no hidden language. Let grace happen, for heaven’s sake. No more performing for God, no more clamoring after God. Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.

You can rest now. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for Your promise of rest. Thank You for Your Grace which seems to escape our ability to fully comprehend. Help us to understand and to learn how to rest in Your rhythms of Grace. Unearned. Without performing. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Stick with It

But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

Luke 8:15 The Message

In the parable of the sower, the seed is sown everywhere. Everyone has the opportunity to reap a harvest from the seed given to them. In The Message Bible, Luke 8:11-14, Jesus explains, The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved. The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone. And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.

And then today's text, But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

Okay, let's think about one more thing. Our lives without Christ. Most of us were one hard, dry life - and useless - until the Living Water (Jesus) was added to it. Then slowly, but surely, we began to grow. He plants us where He wants us, where we're gonna get the most growth, the right temperature, the right light, the best environment. Sometimes, there's cultivating, pruning, and fertilizer - none of which is fun, but all are necessary for growth. If we seize the Word and hold on - No Matter What - and stick with it, there will be a harvest.

Let's stick with it.

Prayer:

Father,
             We don't always understand the process of growing, but we know that You are in control. You are the Creator of life and the Author and Finisher of our faith. You are the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and the End. Your Word assures us that You've got it covered and we choose to trust You. Help us to stick with it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What We Know

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1a  NLT

Our fears come in waves - mostly of the unknown, if you think about it. What you don't know, can and often does hurt us because we give in to the fear of not knowing. We don't know if we'll get sick and die. We don't know if we'll lose our jobs. We don't know if someone will hurt our children. We don't know...

Let's focus on what we do know. The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? If He is our light, there is nothing hiding in the shadows. If He is our salvation, then we are saved from whatever would try to keep us from His way. 

The whole chapter is rich with the assurance of rescue from whatever the world throws at us. There is no need to fear, no reason to doubt. This is what we DO know - I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Prayer:

Father,

           Help us to hold Your Truths next to our hearts.  Let us be quick to grasp Your Truths and overcome the fears of the world. Thank You for Your Word, rich in Truth and salvation and light. Help us to share and shine Your light of truth and salvation to a lost and fearful world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Going My Way

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

We get a little bit of wisdom and think we know where we're going and how we should get there. 

The catch is to NOT lean on our own understanding of it. Proverbs 14 tells us there is a way that seems right, but the end leads to death. Whatever understanding of life we grasp, we must keep it connected to God. We must acknowledge Him in every step we take, every plan we make, so that we stay on His chosen path for our lives. 

Going my way is only the right way when we keep our way aligned with Him. 

Prayer:

Father,

          We choose to trust You, Lord, with our whole heart, undivided, not distracted or pulled aside by the ways of the world. Keep our hearts and minds focused only on Your way, so that we arrive safely to our eternal destination with You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Making Do

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV

I have often been forced to make do with whatever's on hand to complete a project and by the Grace of God, have succeeded. However, it is MUCH easier if I have the tools required or best suited for the job. There's much less stress in getting the job done in a safe and timely manner when you are properly equipped.

It's like living your Christian walk. You can guess at some things or try to rely solely on your ability to self-help or second-guess and thus be able to get by, but that is NOT God's plan. Nowhere in the Word does it say that Jesus came to give us just enough life to get by or to make do with less than His abundance. In John 10:10, He states that He came to give us life abundantly. MORE than enough. How will we know that unless we know His Word? How will we be thoroughly equipped for every good work, unless we meditate in His Word and find the answers that we need? 

Read it again. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Prayer:

Father, 

           Thank You for Your Word that we are made complete in You, completely equipped for every good work that You have planned for us to do. Help us to continue to grow in wisdom and to remain teachable - that according to Your promises in Proverbs 9:9, we will become ever wiser and learn even more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

His Glory

Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such wonderful things.
Praise his glorious name forever!
Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
(This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)

Psalm 72:18-20 NLT

No matter what goes on before. No matter what goes on afterward. No matter what trial or temptation you are in the middle of at the time of this writing - Praise his glorious name forever!

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!

Jesus Said Share

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

Has mankind always lived as separatists? Taking exception to one thing or the other in order to walk their own way, do their own thing? Yes, we have. We take our differences and make them into separate denominations - sometimes over the silliest of things - such as whether or not Adam had a belly button.

It's not the way God intended. When He said, "Come out from among them" it wasn't to be separated from our brethren. It was to be separated from the sin of the world. From before the foundation of the world, God's plan was to restore all of us to Himself through Christ our Lord. He said, go and make disciples of all the nations... ALL the nations. He didn't say all but the Muslim world. All but the Orthodoxy. All but the (fill in the blank). 

Revelation 22:17 reads,  The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. God's plan has always been for disciples to obey and share His Word. He never said, "keep it to yourself". It's always been about "whosoever will".  Jesus said share...  Are we?

Prayer:

Father,

           Break our stubborn hearts for one another. Let us put on Christ in Your fullness that we are not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Help us to lay down the pride and stubbornness of ourselves so that all this world can see in us is Christ and Him crucified.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

For Contemplation

Psalm 111, NLT

Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.

2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.

3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.

4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

5 He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant.

6 He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations.

7 All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.

8 They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

9 He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for the Psalms to teach us how to praise You! We praise You in Your sanctuary: praise You in the firmament of Your power. We praise You for Your mighty acts: and praise You according to Your excellent greatness. For You are so great and so worthy of all praise! Keep us ever mindful of Your greatness as we bow in honor of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Change

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Psalm 28:7 NKJV

When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, many times the end results are directly affected by our perspective. How we view God in those circumstances can be the difference between life and not life...

Do we go to God with "Why me?" "Why is this happening?" "Where are You in all this?"

Do the circumstances change who God is? Do they change His authority? Do they change one iota of His character? No, they do not! He is always trustworthy. He is always faithful! He is always ALL God. 

Therefore, He is always worthy to be praised. In all things. Through all things. The change needs to be in us.

Prayer:

Father,

          Change our hearts, O God! Let our vision align with Your Word. Increase our faith to believe the Truth of You above our circumstances. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Solomon Says

These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, Israel’s king -
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn— Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God...
Proverbs 1:1-7a The Message

When we endeavor to learn, don't we want to learn from the best? According to 2nd Chronicles 9:22, NKJV, King Solomon surpassed ALL the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. That would make his writings the best, wouldn't it? Read it again, slowly... line upon line... 

Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, 

to understand what life means and where it’s going; 

A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair;

To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.

There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn

— Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God...

The answers to every question we have are found in God's Word. If you're looking for a place to start, humble yourself to God, seek Him first, and read a chapter of Proverbs every day. I don't think it's coincidental that there are 31 chapters.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Your answers to our many questions. Birth in us a new desire to learn, to glean wisdom from Your Word. Open Your Word wide to our understanding, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Season After Tis the Season

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT

It's back to work and back to school and back to the season after the holidays. What does that look like? We extended extra grace during Christmas, tried to be nicer, took time to try to make allowances for people's stresses in life. But we're back in the scuttle of life without the holiday. Now what?

News flash - we're supposed to be that way in our daily living. Verse 2 in The Passion Translation reads, With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience. And there's no mention of only during the Holiday Season... Selah

Prayer:

Father,

          Your mercies toward us are new every morning and we are so grateful! Your grace is sufficient for all we need to be able to demonstrate gentleness and GENEROUS love toward one another, especially those who may try our patience. Our victories are won not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit according to Your Word. Be our Strength and Guide, Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Prepared

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
1st Peter 1:13 NLT

Did God save us on a whim? No, He definitely did not. Ephesians 1:4a TLB tells us, Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us... God had the plan and He prepared our way of salvation before we were created. A little further down in 
Ephesians 2:10 NLT, we read, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. The NIV reads, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

All along, He had prepared the way and prepared us for it. So how do we think we can do life without preparation, just going along with the flow? Do not be deceived. We can NOT. We must prepare our hearts and minds to be ever aware of God's presence and His plan.

God HAS prepared good things in advance for us, but the question is are we prepared to receive them?

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for living our lives on the path of least resistance thinking we are living in peace. Awaken our hearts and minds to the battle that is set before us to live preparing to be able to do all You have prepared in advance for us to do. We want to live our lives purposefully before You, Father. Help us, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What Will You Do in 2022?

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message

My slogan for this New Year is "What will I do in 2022?" My only resolution is to make the choices that reflect God's way for every day. What will occupy my time - Facebook or His Book? What will I do? If I want different, I must choose to be different.

I want my life to reflect my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In order to do that, I must make the choice to humble myself before God, to let go of my will and embrace His. Trials will come - as I write, my family is battling CoVID - but my God is Jehovah Raphe, our Healer. By God's grace and with His direction, our lives will be changed according to the choices we make in obedience to Christ. 

Back in 1996, the Promise for Today started with a reference from one of Max Lucado's books, When God Whispers Your Name. It’s all about the choices we make on a daily basis. We are starting a new year - 365 brand new days - and we're doing them one day at a time. How about a Bible-reading plan (www.biblegateway.com has several)? 

What will you do in 2022?

Prayer:

Father,
           We choose You. Thank You for the power of Your Word to change our lives and to change our choices for how we live the life You have given us. Give us the courage to walk in the conviction of Your Word. Father, we ask that You guide us in EACH step of life. I pray Your provision and protection over those You have allowed me to touch with Your Word. Let us be ever mindful of You, Lord, the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen