Category: Lamentations

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Second Chances

Have you ever had one for those days when you feel like you said the wrong thing or didn’t do what’s right? You know those days when you’re just down on yourself for whatever reason – maybe it was a major screw up – we’ve all been there.

“This is how we know we are Christians. It will give our heart comfort for sure when we stand before Him. 20 Our heart may say that we have done wrong. But remember, God is greater than our heart. He knows everything.” I John 3:19-20 NLV

God isn’t condemning us, He loves us and is cheering us on in this journey. After all, He sent His Son to die for us, proving His great love!

I worked with a woman once who made a big mistake and our boss ridiculed her in my presence. He was merciless; she was embarassed and filled with shame. He left for lunch and my heart told me I needed to say something to her, something that would help bring a solution.

She had been out of the room, crying, and when she returned I asked her a question. “What is the name on your birth certificate?” Odd question right? It took her off guard and she answered with her name. To which I replied “Thank goodness. For a minute there I was thinking that it must have read “G-o-d” because Dr. ______ was acting like that’s who you were and should never have made a mistake”. She smiled and we began to work on a solution.

The first step was talking to our employer. I confronted him and told him he was wrong and if he wanted to fire me for speaking up he could but that he shouldn’t be treating people that way. I didn’t get fired, he apologized, things worked out and he and I became good friends.

That was a situation where her heart was condemning her but it was also a opportunity for God’s love to bring peace.

We all need second chances and God is the master of the second chance.

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT

The Lord corrects when we are wrong. He doesn’t allow us to continually sin and not be corrected but His correction is wrapped in love and tied with mercy and grace.

“As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?” Hebrews 12:7-9 NLV

Since none of us are perfect there is a time that we all need correction. The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s word is profitable for our correction, reproof and instruction in right living. One thing I am certain of – God, the Father, is not an abusive parent. Everything He does in our lives is based on His love.

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” Romans 8:31-32 NLT

If God is for us, who can be against us? Yes, God is the master of the second chance.

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Where Did the Moon Go?

When I was a kid I used to wonder where the moon went when it was gone.

Did you notice there really wasn’t a moon last night? You probably didn’t think about it at all. Happens all the time doesn’t it? Yet, we know that when the moon turns to that tiny little sliver very shortly there will be a full moon to take it’s place.

Each new day reminds me that the Lord is into new beginnings. The sun is always rising and setting – the tide always brings the waves in and out – our God always was, is and always will be. He promises that each morning He will have new ways to show us His love and His mercy.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal!” Lamentations 3:22-23 ERV

Everything on earth has a beginning and an end. There is only One who is eternal. He has no beginning and no end and He is ever present – always there, when we call upon Him and when we ignore Him, He is present. The Bible starts with “In the beginning GOD” and it ends the same way.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13 ERV

Those of us who believe in Christ as Savior have eternal life. There is so much more to our lives than this physical existence; it is our life in Christ. It is an abundant life where we draw from God’s love, mercy, grace and goodness each and every day.

“for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

A new day is beginning, one the giver of life, abundant life, eternal life, has designed for us.

Enjoy this day, it’s a new beginning!

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An Empty Page

Each morning I sit with my laptop and before me on the screen is an empty page. My heart’s prayer is “Lord let me fill it with Your words. I want to make an impact for you”.

This morning was different, I sat here for the longest time wondering what to write or if I should write at all. Then I realized that ‘s exactly what the Lord wants us to do – He wants us to sit each day with an empty page and ask Him to fill it.

People constantly sought Jesus out. Most of them were wanting some kind of a miracle; healing, deliverance from demonic oppression, or help with an impossible life situation but others were wanting to criticize and entrap Him. He needed to know what the Father wanted Him to do each day so He would rise early and spend time in prayer.

“The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray.” Mark 1:35 ERV

He offered the Father the blank page of His day and asked Him to fill it. There were times when Jesus’ disciples would say we should go here or there and Jesus would respond with a no or not yet. It’s important that we know which way the Father wants us to go.

“If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, “You should go this way. Here is the right way.” Isaiah 30:21 ERV

A blank page can be intimidating or it can be exhilarating. If we feel that we need to fill the page on our own, without help or direction, we might become timid or immobile. But when we know that we can trust God to give us insight and instruction it brings a new excitement to what otherwise could be ordinary.

“Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful,  we would have been destroyed. 23 The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. 24 Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24 CEV

When we start our day by bringing the Lord our empty page to fill we are in for an exciting and glorious day!

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A Good Day

Has anyone told you today “I love you”? It’s a good day to experience and to share some love. I am blessed because every morning when Dave gets up the first thing he does is give me a kiss and tell me “I love you”.

I have to wonder – how many people go through an entire day and never hear those words? Young, old; married, single; rich, poor; college grad or drop out; CEO or janitor; employed or homeless; we all need to know we are loved.

I think that many go through life never knowing they are loved. If only we were better at sharing our love with them, then they could see, through us, the love that the Father has for them. His love is unconditional; He loves us on our best days and on our worst.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-25 ERV

The Lord’s faithful love NEVER ends.

Let that sink in – His love never ends. Each day He has new ways of showing us His love. It doesn’t falter because we do. He loves even the most despicable of people; God so loved the world – that’s everyone.

In November, I took time to write down one or two things each day that I was grateful for. In December, I was writing down things that I felt were gifts from God. During January, I’ve been recording things that happened each day to give me encouragement. And now as February approaches I will be listing the things I experience (large and small) each day that the Father uses to express His love.

Please join me in making a love list. I’m going to spend the next couple of weeks going through God’s word and delivering to you each day a Valentine from the Father.

If no one has ever told you that you are loved let me be the first. Your heavenly Father loves you beyond measure and I do too.

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Loyal & Faithful

Recently I saw a post by a woman who talked about the faithfulness and loyalty of her canine friend. Those of us who have dogs know the wonderful love, devotion, companionship and concern that we receive from them. The saying goes “dog is man’s best friend”.

I don’t know that I would take it quite that far but I do know that my Glory is such an amazing example of faithfulness and love. When I see how she is always there, wanting to be close, concerned when I am away and constantly by my side when she knows I am upset or unwell, I have a small glimpse into the faithfulness of God.

People let us down. But we will never experience that from the Lord.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal (faithful)! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

Every morning He is always here! Even when we are unfaithful to Him, he remains faithful. Before we put our feet on the floor He is waiting to spend time with us. Before we have our first cup of coffee the Lord is here waiting to start our day with us. He is faithful!

“Lord, your word continues forever in heaven. 90 You are loyal (faithful) forever and ever. You made the earth, and it still stands.” Psalm 119:89-90 ERV

The word faithful or faithfulness is translated in these verses as loyal. But it’s more than that. A dog can be loyal but when God is faithful it means He is “faith – filled”. He is faithful to all generations.

His faithfulness is who He is and what He does. He created the earth and said light be. Today, He is still faith-filled and so the light continues to shine. God, the Father, IS love and as such He says He endures all things and thinks the best of us at all times. He is faith-filled and His love never fails.

“Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” I Corinthians 13:5-7 ERV

He is faithful to forgive, which means He chooses to forget our sins and our failures. He only sees the best in us!

Let’s live like the Father, be a “faith filled” person. Look at others through eyes of faith and see them the way the Father sees them with their sins covered by the blood of Jesus.

He is faithful!

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Three Dog Morning

For the last several days we have been at our daughter’s, dog sitting. They went to Japan to visit our grandson and his wife. What a wonderful opportunity for them and we were glad to help.

When I got up this morning, I started the coffee and you guessed it, I let the dogs out. The past few mornings the dogs have come in and scattered to their various places. Not today! If I were to take a picture, you would find me in the large chair with one pup laying across my legs while the other two are sleeping on the floor on either side of my chair.

It’s a three dog morning. The pups are content to be close – no fear, just gentle sleep. This was the object lesson before me while I was reading my Bible.

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;  therefore, I will hope in him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.” Lamentations 3:22-25 NLT

The Lord is good. The Lord is faithful. The Lord’s love never ends. The Lord’s mercies are fresh every morning.

Those are verses of comfort and peace. God’s word is soothing and it makes my heart rest just like these pups that surround me. This morning is free from anxiousness or fear. There is rest and peace in the air.

My prayers turned to those who woke this morning in turmoil and anxiety. I prayed that they would know rest and safety. Remember a week or so back when I wrote about the kindness of God? Since then I have been very mindful of finding the words kind, kindness and safety in my daily Bible reading. It’s there on almost every page!

One of my favorite Scriptures, a must read at least 4 or 5 times a month, is Psalm 91. When I was learning to trust, really trust, the Lord I read it daily. On difficult days I would read it several times throughout the day. Here are just a few verses from that chapter.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection…7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you…9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home…14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91 NLT

A place of rest – a place of safety; staying close to the Father brings me to that place!

As the pups sleep on, my heart is quiet and I am content knowing that my Father watches over me and gives me new mercy for the day ahead.

It’s a three dog morning!

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Going Once, Going Twice, Sold

Dave and I are off on a fun adventure today. Going to do something we both really enjoy. We’re going to an auction! I can tell you we are both excited. We haven’t been to an auction since we moved back to Arizona. We used to go to farm, ranch and estate auctions frequently. Sometimes we go a couple times a month.

What’s so great about an auction? Finding a treasure!

And when we go it’s generally a full day’s event. We stay to the very end; some folks only come for one or two items and others just grow weary from standing there all day but we’ve found, that by staying until the end, we can always find one or two more treasures at a really great price.

Yesterday we went for the preview. We had an opportunity to look things over; pick them up and look for flaws. We tested electrical items and look closely at glassware for chips, nicks and utensil scratches.

Do you realize that we too have been to an auction? Each of us has been on the auction block and we were sold to the highest bidder. The bidders came and evaluated our worth, and they paid the price. Some of the bidders who registered for bidding rights were wealth, fame, success, family, education, career and Jesus. They all looked us over and waited to put in a bid, hoping they would be the high bidder.

When the auctioneer had us lift our hands to show that we were the next one up for bid, they watched with anticipation. Each one increasing the bid a bit more, each one hoping to hear “final warning, last bid, sold”. But only one could walk away with the prize, only one had unlimited resources, only one was willing to pay all to take us home.

That one…Jesus!

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19-21 NLT

“Lord, you have come to my defense;  you have redeemed my life.” Lamentations 3:58 NLT

There is a term in the auction world, “buy order”. It means no matter the cost, win the bid. That’s what Jesus did with us; He issued a buy order. The price of our purchase was great; it cost Him his life.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” Romans 5:6-10 NLT

Today we will go to the auction and come home with a few treasures. We will be purchasing inanimate objects that can be picked up and carried home. They have no choice in the process.

What Jesus did in purchasing us is beyond compare. He gave His life for all. He is not willing that anyone would be left out. But we have a free will; we choose if we will accept His offer.

“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:10-14 NLT

Many years ago I chose to give Him my life. Each day I choose to live for the One who purchased my freedom. I hope you have done or will do the same!

Going once, going twice, sold to the Man who hung on the cross!

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Lions and Bears – Oh My!

We just got home from another camping trip to the mountains. This was our second trip this summer – the White Mountains of Arizona are beautiful and so relaxing.

However, they are also the natural habitat for many different kinds of wildlife. This trip we saw elk, deer, turkeys, the ever-present chipmunks and squirrels and a couple of skunks (but I’ll tell you about them a bit later).

For several days before we left I was reading systematically through Psalms and Proverbs. I was really impressed with the verses in those two books that promised safety and protection to “those who serve the Lord”. Now, I’m been walking with the Lord long enough to know that when there’s a reoccurring theme to my reading God is trying to tell me something.

“I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 CEV

“You, Lord God, are my protector. Rescue me and keep me safe from all who chase me.” Psalm 7:1 CEV

“But if you listen to me, you will be safe and secure without fear of disaster.” Proverbs 1:33 CEV

“They will help you to live  a long and beautiful life. 23 You will walk safely and never stumble; 24 you will rest without a worry and sleep soundly.” Proverbs 3:22-24 CEV

“Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those who truly love you and let them rejoice.” Psalm 5:11 CEV

“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. 2 Then you will say to the Lord, “You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.” Psalm 91:1-2 CEV

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

These verses were planted in my heart before we left for camping and through my daily reading I was reminded of the Father’s faithfulness and protection. I knew the Lord was preparing me for a situation that might cause me to fear or to feel unsafe and so I began praying protection over Dave and I and our camping trip. I also prayed over our oldest daughter, Kim, her husband, Austin and our youngest grandson, Sam, who would be joining us on the weekend.

When we arrived at the campground on Tuesday afternoon we were excited to get camp set and begin enjoying our time in the mountains. The camp host gave us the customary reminder that there are bears in the woods although none had been spotted for quite some time. But then she said something I had not expected…3 male mountains lions had been spotted close to the campground the day before. We needed to be alert when out walking, especially if we had small children or small dogs. We should also keep all our food locked away in our vehicle during the night.

At that instruction I felt fear begin to grip my thoughts. We were in a tent – this was not good news. Now I knew what the Lord had been preparing me for – I needed to trust Him to be my safety.

The first night I slept very little. Most of the night I was quoting the Scriptures above and reminding myself that the Lord was my safety and protection. I heard every sound and my body was on alert. During the day there was no worry or fear – none. The second night I was able to sleep better and found a greater sense of peace and rest.

On Thursday it was even better. Friday I was able to get a text out to a friend and asked her to pray with me over the situation. I know her to be a prayer warrior and knew she would join me. It was that day that the Lord gave me these verses:

“You let us rule everything  your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power— 7  the sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal, 8  the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all ocean creatures. 9 Our Lord and Ruler,  your name is wonderful everywhere on earth!” Psalm 8:6-9 CEV

The Bible isn’t just words on a page to me. The verses above, and all the verses from cover to cover, as God’s promises to me that He is my protection, my safety, my salvation, my healing, my joy, my peace, my wisdom and my strength. Regardless of the circumstances my strength comes from trusting Him and knowing that He will never lie to me – if the Father promises to be my protection then that’s exactly what He will do!

Kim, Austin and Sam arrived on Friday morning. It was Sam’s first camping trip and we had a wonderful time. Nature walks, discovering old dead trees, seeing wild turkeys, fishing, making s’mores and so many other things. We took over 300 pictures in two days to document all the fun.

Friday night I went to bed confident in God’s protection. Sam wanted to sleep in the RV that night so we read stories, had prayer time and everyone was ready for bed. Now, to the skunks. I had forgotten to put Glory’s dog food up and at 10pm Dave and I both heard a noise in the camp. We looked out with our flashlights but couldn’t see anything. Dave softly yelled and whatever it was ran off. Then about 2am we heard something else – this time we were able to see that it was a couple of skunks. They were not going to be run off and we weren’t going to disturb them. It was only when we got up in the morning that we discovered they had found the container of dog food, gotten the lid off and eaten to their hearts contentment.

We knew they would be back on Saturday night for a second helping so Sam slept in the RV again instead of the tent. It was an interesting end to our camping. We also learned that the lions had been chased out of the area – hunting season started and they, the lions, weren’t staying around with all the hunters and their dogs who were arriving.

Fear is real! The purpose of fear is to break our confidence in God’s word. I’ve heard it said that fear is a fact that we have to deal with but that God’s word is truth and truth is greater than facts – truth changes facts. Facts must submit and conform to truth.

Jesus told the disciples who were on a ship about to sink to “fear not”. The truth was Jesus had said that the boat would go to the other side of the lake. Fear saw the waves and felt the wind, the facts, but God’s word, the truth, calmed the waves!

I would love to say that I live “fear free” but I have to deal with it as much as anyone. However, I have learned that God’s word makes me an overcomer in fearful situations when I let the peace of God rule my heart.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

I’m not sure what “lion” is bringing fear into your life – it may be a health issue, finances, relationships, your job, physical danger or some world crisis – but I do know that our command from the Lord is to “fear not” so commit the situation to Him and His peace will guard your heart.

One final word on our camping trip – we were not foolish in our actions; we were alert to our surroundings, we didn’t allow Sam or Glory to run off unattended, we had bear spray and we also had other forms of protection and we covered every circumstance with prayer.

God is ALWAYS faithful and He can ALWAYS be trusted!

“We are still alive because  the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

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Always Faithful

I don’t consider myself old however, I am more aged than some. I would rather say that I have experienced life, it’s joys and it’s sorrows. The thing I appreciate most about where I am on the numeric scale of years is my memory; the ability to recall situations, circumstances and events.

My earliest recollections are from a house we lived in on Avenue C in Yuma. It had a large date palm tree in the front yard. We had a small seven inch TV with foil on the rabbit ears to improve the reception. I remember the house always being filled with friends. Somewhere in there I became aware of nuclear threat. Must have been something on the news that invaded the conversation of the adults.

Anyway, I remember going outside and looking up at the sky and saying something like this “Dear Jesus, if the bomb comes I will come to heaven with you. Ok?”

I had such a sense of peace and security because I knew God was big enough to take care of things. All the Bible stories I had heard in Sunday School taught me that God loved me and He would take care of me. I know I didn’t understand the magnitude of God’s faithfulness but it was real to me all the same.

I don’t know why that memory came back to me this morning. I was thinking about God’s faithfulness; remembering times when He provided and protected in the past. I was praying for friends and family who need to see that God is faithfully involved in working out their tough situations.

I was also reading in Exodus where the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and they cried out to God for deliverance. And then the words of the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, began to flood my heart and my mind.

“When your people worshiped, you know I told them, “Our Lord always helps!” 10 When all your people met, I did not keep silent. I said, “Our Lord is kind. He is faithful and caring, and he saves us.” 11 You, Lord, never fail to have pity on me; your love and faithfulness always keep me secure.” Psalm 40:9-11 CEV

Your love and faithfulness always keep me secure!

I have no idea what you or I will face today but I do know that God’s faithfulness will keep us secure!

“It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends. 23 It is new every morning. He is so very faithful. 24 “The Lord is my share.” says my soul, “so I have hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 NLV

New every morning – we can’t exhaust the faithfulness of God. His loving-kindness never ends. He is always faithful.

“I will sing forever about the Lord’s love.  I will sing about his faithfulness forever and ever! 2 I will say, “Your faithful love will last forever. Your loyalty is like the sky—there is no end to it!” Psalm 89:1-2 ERV

So, join with me in singing this morning; on your way to the breakfast table, in the shower, on your way to work. Let’s sing because our God is always faithful!

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Thank you Father for your faithfulness!

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Celebrate Good Times – Come On

Today is a day of celebration!! No, it’s not my birthday but thanks for asking. The reason I feel like having a party is because today is January 15, 2019 – and it’s a perfectly good day to celebrate.

“The Lord made this happen, and we think it is wonderful! 24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy today! 25 The people say, “Praise the Lord! The Lord saved us!” Psalm 118:23-25 ERV

From the beginning of time, God has planned and ordained this day. His plans are good, very good. I don’t know what He has designed for me today but I do know if I start out praising Him for His mighty works my day will fill with joy and I will see God’s goodness spreading out before me.

When I went to Biblegateway.com this morning and did a search on the word rejoice it brought up 240 references for that one word in the King James version of the Bible. This did not include the words praise or joy. That’s a whole lot of good times! Everything that God does is good; one of His attributes is goodness. God doesn’t do evil; it’s not in His nature.

“Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:4-7 CEV

Do you see that? That one word – ALWAYS! It’s an absolute. It doesn’t mean sometimes, possibly, the majority of the time, on days that begin with S or T; it’s not conditional.

ALWAYS!

We don’t rejoice because of our circumstances. There is one reason that we can ALWAYS be glad or joyful. That reason is God’s unconditional love! Each year, each day, each hour and minute Jesus walks with us and showers us with love.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

Rejoice – be glad! God has made this day just for us.

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