Category: Lamentations

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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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Rich in Mercy

I am grateful for God’s mercy. The Bible tells us that we are given new mercy every morning.

“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

Have you ever felt like people judged you wrongly? They misunderstood or misconstrued a situtation or an action and immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. You were branded, judged and even convicted.

Have you ever done that to someone? That’s the harder question to answer honestly. I have and it’s something I am ashamed to admit. When we judge and assess a situation our reasons are so self-righteous. We have so many excuses for our actions and why others are wrong.

” But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.)” Ephesians 2:4-5 ERV

If anyone has a right to judge it’s God. He is perfect in everyway and so His judgements are pure but He chooses to show mercy. Another term for mercy is “loving-kindness”. The Bible tells us that His loving-kindness, His mercy, goes on forever.

“Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever.” Psalm 106:1 NLV

Thank you Lord for always showing mercy. Since God is both just and merciful it’s necessary to see how both work in harmony. God cannot let His mercy override His justice. We have all sinned and sin needs to be judged. That’s where Jesus steps in.

“God has shown His love to us by sending His only Son into the world. God did this so we might have life through Christ. 10 This is love! It is not that we loved God but that He loved us. For God sent His Son to pay for our sins with His own blood. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us that much, then we should love each other. ” I John 4:9-11 NLV

Since God lavished His love on us we are expected to act accordingly and show love to others. There should be no place in our lives for condemning attitudes.

“Treat others just as you want to be treated. 32 If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them. 33 If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners are kind to people who are kind to them. 34 If you lend money only to someone you think will pay you back, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners lend to sinners because they think they will get it all back.

35 But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel. 36 Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you.” Luke 6:31-36 CEV

These are the words of Jesus. There are no exceptions like it’s ok to judge people who cut you off in traffic, are rude to you in the grocery store, don’t share your same political view, or who are antagonistic. NO EXCEPTIONS!

I’m working on making this my daily goal in the upcoming year. If I say I want to be more like the Father then I need to be less judgmental. There’s no room in His life for it and so there should be none in mine!

Here’s to a Happy & Mercy-Rich 2019!

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Wonderful Works of God

Yesterday after telling you about our travels and the roads we take I began to reflect on the beautiful scenery we have seen over the years.

There is a single verse in the Psalm 40 that I want us to look at this morning.

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered.” Psalm 40:5 NKJV

Look at this phrase “many are the wonderful works which You have done”. Think about that for a moment – what WONDERFUL works do you see that He has done? Was it last night’s sunset or this morning’s sunrise? Was it the love and compassion you felt for a stranger who was in need? Or was it the unpretentious love and acceptance of a child? What did you experience just yesterday that you could see was a wonderful work of God in your life?

As I said, I spent time reflecting on the beauty we see on each of our travels, some of the sun rises and mountain ranges are breath taking. To me, they are an example of God’s greatness.

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:8 NJKV

“He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.” Psalm 111:4 NJKV

“O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1 NKJV

God is always reaching out to show off for us. He has given us the beauty of creation to display His power and also given us the miracles of life to reveal His character.

I like the verses above because they move our focus from God’s creation to His character. God says His counsellors are faithfulness and truth. The things that are “wonder-full” are the things that have the character of God woven through them; faithfulness, truth, love, forgiveness, peace, gentleness, patience, joy.

As surely as the sun shines each day and the tides roll in at their appointed times God’s love reaches out to us. Each day the faithfulness of God can be seen in the way a hawk soars above and the fish thrive in the waters beneath. The course of nature allows them to break the hold of gravity and the fish to extract oxygen from the water in ways we can’t. It’s been happening that way since the beginning of creation. That’s faithfulness!

“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

The daily miracles we experience are constant reminders that He is there and He loves us.  As we grow confident in the love that God has for us we begin to reflect His character in the same way that the moon reflects the light of the sun. The moon has no light of its own but it does shine brightly in the night.

As we reflect the Father’s love and His wonderful works, we will begin to shine brightly and bring the joy to others.

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A Blank Page

Each morning is a blank page and our words and actions are the ink.

How will we fill it?

We have become so accustomed to the advancements of the computer than some have forgotten what it was like before we had a delete button. If we made a mistake with our writing our only choices were to cross out the mistake or get a clean sheet and start over.

I remember how long it took me to write my term paper when I was a Senior in High School. Painstakingly working on the final paper, making sure every word was spelled correctly and the punctuation was right. It had to be perfect…

I am so thankful that the Lord makes allowances for our mistakes. In fact, with each sunrise He gives us new mercy for the day.

“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

Since the Lord is faithful to us, we should extend the same mercy to those around us. We are not only filling our own page but we will be writing on the page of others.

” Intelligent people choose their words carefully. Those who know what they are doing remain calm. 28 Silent fools seem wise. They say nothing and appear to be smart.” Proverbs 17:27-28 ERV

Today we have the opportunity to add value to our life and those around us.

“Saying the right thing at the right time is like a golden apple in a silver setting. 12 Wise advice to a listening ear is like gold earrings or fine jewelry.” Proverbs 25:11-12

We have probably all seen images of redacted government reports,  the ones where the pages are filled with blacked out information and comments. We don’t want our life’s pages looking like that. Instead we fill our pages with kindness.

“Share with God’s people who need help. Look for people who need help and welcome them into your homes.

14 Wish only good for those who treat you badly. Ask God to bless them, not curse them. 15 When others are happy, you should be happy with them. And when others are sad, you should be sad too. 16 Live together in peace with each other. Don’t be proud, but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don’t think of yourself as smarter than everyone else.

17 If someone does you wrong, don’t try to pay them back by hurting them. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. 18 Do the best you can to live in peace with everyone.” Romans 12:13-118 CEV

Let’s choose our words wisely today and if we aren’t sure what to say, say nothing at all.

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Every Day Is Valentine’s Day

Do you remember when we were kids and we took a shoe box, covered it with construction paper and then cut out hearts and glued them to the box? I know it was a long time ago. I’m not even sure the kids today still do this but it was exciting. Getting ready for the Valentine exchange at school almost left you breathless.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had that childlike expectation each day now that we are adults? Looking forward to each day, waiting to see who is going to give us a Valentine, a special expression of love.

Perhaps you remember getting that box of 36 Valentines, searching through to find the one that you wanted to give to that special someone in your class. Now don’t be coy – you know there was always one special person and one special Valentine that you were anxious to give. There was also that hope of receiving a special card in your box.

Each morning I take time to tell the Lord how much I love Him! I start the day by saying, “I love you Father, I love you Jesus, I love you Holy Spirit.” I want those to be the first words out of my mouth. It sets my day! And then as I sit quietly I can hear “I love you too.” Sometimes I read it on the pages of my Bible and sometimes it’s that still small voice that I hear but all the same it’s God saying he loves me.

“I remember well all my troubles, and I am very sad. 21 But then I think about this, and I have hope: 22 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.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him. He is good to those who look for him.” Lamentations 3:20-25 ERV

Getting up each day expecting to experience God’s love gives life purpose and hope. We are to look for the ways that He shows His love. It can be a call from a friend; perhaps it’s a child giving us a hug or a kind word from a stranger. It could be an unexpected gift arrives in the mail or maybe it’s a beautiful sunrise or less traffic on the roads for the morning commute. All of these are little ways that God shows His love for us.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

The Lord loves to give gifts to His kids. He is the ultimate giver!

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Look around you – what good do you see? There’s food in the refrigerator, a roof over your head, electricity in your home, clothes in your closet, there are people who love you, a computer or smart phone on your lap or in your hand. So many things, good things, that God has blessed you with and best gift of all, Jesus!

Before I close this morning I want to give you a Valentine from the Father, this whole devotional thought is a Valentine from Him, but this one in particular.

“Love does not give up. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not put itself up as being important. Love has no pride. 5 Love does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone. 6 Love is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth. 7 Love takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things. 8 Love never comes to an end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 NLV

So there you have it – your Valentine card. You can substitute the name God/Jesus for the word love and it will be just as true. God is love and this is how He loves us.

His love never comes to an end, it’s new every morning!

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Start Fresh Each Morning

As promised we are going to continue to talk about God’s love for us!

Some people have an idea that God is a lot like the wizard in the Wizard of Oz, hidden away behind a curtain, pulling strings, blowing smoke and in general, making everyone’s life miserable.

Nothing could be farther from the truth! But until we see God as our loving heavenly Father who is encouraging us to come to him in every situation we will run from Him in an effort to hide our weakness and failures.

God knows we are going to fail and that why He encourages us to come to him and find help.

“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!” 25 The Lord is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him. 26 It is good to wait patiently for the Lord to save us.” Lamentations 3:22-26 CEV

Each morning the Lord is here to show us mercy. Let me explain mercy again. Do you remember the phrase from the old television shows that said “I throw myself on the mercy of the court”?

The person standing before the judge was guilty. They had committed a crime and were about to be sentenced. In asking the judge for mercy they were hoping that they would be acquitted at best or that punishment would be lessen.

Here we find that God’s mercy is new every morning. We don’t exhaust it, it’s new. God is the judge and he sees us through the filter of mercy. He sees us through the eyes of love and forgiveness. He is just so the penalty for sin had to be paid; it couldn’t go unpunished or He would be a corrupt judge. That is why Jesus came to die, he came to pay our penalty for sin.

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God. 2 He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2 NLV

If we are standing in the court room and God is the judge, we are the accused and Jesus is our defense attorney. When we throw ourselves on the mercy of the court Jesus steps up to the judge’s bench and says “Sir, my client is guilty and they deserve punishment but I have paid the price for their crime. Give them mercy and let them go. It is finished, I paid it all. Father, forgive them!”

Powerful! This love that God has for us is beyond comprehension; it’s a  love so deep that  the Son would willingly die to pay the price for our sins. And yes, this applies to you because as the verse states, He died for the sins of the world, the whole world, and so that includes each of us.

Since God’s mercy is new every day look at what He tells us to do when we feel weak.

“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 ERV

Do you feel weak or in need of help this morning? Run to the throne of God, you will find it there!

I know recently these morning devotionals have been shorter than normal but I want you to take the time to let them really sink in. Embrace them, meditate on God’s goodness. It’s life changing!

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