Category: Psalms

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No Matter Where

I love how you can see God’s work all around – each day there are new reminders of His amazing love. The songs of the birds at the ocean are different from the ones in the desert but they are sweet just the same.

The sound of the waves coming to the shore is as exciting as the sight of the sunrise or sunset that captivate me each day at home.

The earth is truly filled with the glory of God!

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. 2 Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. 3 They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. 4 Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. 5 It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. 6 It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. 8 The Lord’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light. 9 Worshiping the Lord is sacred; he will always be worshiped. All of his decisions are correct and fair.

10 They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey from a honeycomb. 11 By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. 12 None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sinwithout knowing it.

13 Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault.” 14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 27 CEV

May your day be filled with seeing the Lord’s majesty and filling your heart with wonder, No matter where you are!

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Who Do You Trust?

This morning finds me sitting on the harbor enjoying the cool morning air. We will be on vacation for another week and are spending time resting and relaxing on our son’s boat. So, for the next days’ my blog may be inconsistent, but you are always in my morning prayers.

“Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray over my many friends on facebook. Some are experiencing great pain and sorrow in their lives, others are facing some of the greatest financial challenges ever, still others are seeing those they love hurt and realtionships destroyed. There are those who need to make right decisions, decisions of life and death, and those who need physical protection from very real enemies. Yes, Father and there are those who have waited years to see answers to prayer who are growing weary – it is for all of these that I am praying this morning.

Let your peace rule in their lives; let them know your presence, protection and provision. Let them see that you are here and have promised to never leave them or forsake them; let them rest and trust in you.

Thank you for your answers; your word; your great love and thank you that it’s not you who has created these problems but that you are the problem solver. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer, in Jesus name.”

This prayer for you was prompted from my reading from Psalms this morning. It’s amazing how something written thousands of years ago can be so contemporary.

“ Hallelujah!
    O my soul, praise God!
All my life long I’ll praise God,
    singing songs to my God as long as I live.

3-9 Don’t put your life in the hands of experts
    who know nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don’t have what it takes;
    when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob,
    put your hope in God and know real blessing!
God made sky and soil,
    sea and all the fish in it.
He always does what he says—
    he defends the wronged,
    he feeds the hungry.
God frees prisoners—
    he gives sight to the blind,
    he lifts up the fallen.
God loves good people, protects strangers,
    takes the side of orphans and widows,
    but makes short work of the wicked.

10 God’s in charge—always.
    Zion’s God is God for good!
    Hallelujah!” Psalm 146 MSG

In God we trust – He is always in charge!!

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Don’t Rush – Rest!

How often have we all driven down the highway and seen those signs, “Rest Stop Ahead”? Most of us just keep driving. But it’s important to rest!

So many things vie for our attention. Demands come from career, from family, from current events and also from our own desires. Things happen so quickly it seems and we are caught up in another crisis and if not a crisis, just caught up in life. When life gets hectic like this, we react to circumstances instead of planning a course of action.

There’s no peace in that!

And if there’s no peace then we also know that we haven’t given the Lord permission to direct our steps. We need to be led by His Spirit so that we make wise and deliberate decisions; decisions that bring peace and joy.

I encourage you to stay focused today. Focused on God’s word and His promises.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV

The Apostle Paul was giving final instruction to the christians in Rome and this was his instruction.

“I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” Romans 15:13 ERV

Check your heart in every situation. Are you at peace or is there turmoil? If there’s peace, then proceed and trust the Lord’s leading. If not, then wait – pray and don’t be in rush!

“You, Lord, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe. 6 You make my life pleasant, and my future is bright. 7 I praise you, Lord, for being my guide. Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind. 8 I will always look to you, as you stand beside me and protect me from fear. 9 With all my heart, I will celebrate, and I can safely rest.” Psalm 16:5-9 CEV

“Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.” Psalm 27:14 ERV

Enjoy your day and let the peace of God which bypasses our understanding guard your heart!

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Need Help?

Yesterday I wrote on en-couragement meaning to instill courage or put courage in.

I remember on of my lowest moments in life. It was several weeks after my first miscarriage. I went out one night, sat on the kids swings, looked up to heaven and cried at the top of my lungs “I don’t understand, I hurt, I can’t go on”.

But God…met me there and filled me with peace. The pain and the grieving were still there but now that were wrapped in God’s peace, peace that told me I wasn’t alone and I would get through this.

Have you been there? Maybe, I’m describing what you are going through now. In our self-sufficient, self-reliant world it’s considered a sign of weakness and even failure to cry out for help. We can’t admit that we aren’t able to “handle it”, whatever it is.

“ ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33:3 NLV

“The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.” Psalm 34:18 CEV

“I look to the hills! Where will I find help? 2 It will come from the LORD, who created the heavens and the earth. 3 The LORD is your protector, and he won’t go to sleep or let you stumble.” Psalm 121 CEV

“Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” Psalm 124:8 KJV

While doing a search on the word help, I found that it is listed 166 times in the King James version of the Bible. It’s something God is committed too.

It’s easy to get caught up in relying on our intellect, money, position, our government and even our family to be our basis for support and help. However, it’s important that we realize where our help truly comes from.

“ … God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” 6 So we can feel sure and say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. People can do nothing to me.’” Hebrews 13:5-6 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 grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Whenever – come bravely – we’ll find the help we need!

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Put Courage In

En-courage.

Encouragement…we all need it from time to time. Maybe you know someone who has been going through a really tough time or maybe you see a stranger and sense that they just need a smile or a kind word. It might be your child or spouse, it could be a waitress or checker at the grocery store.

Keep your eyes open and your heart ready – ask the Lord to use you to bring hope, strength and joy to someone today.

But maybe you’re thinking, I wish someone would do that for me today. I need to be encouragement – I need a kind word! Take heart. I have good news for you!

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” I Samuel 30:6 KJV

David’s wife and children had been stolen along with the wives and children of his men. His men were so distraught they were considering killing David because they felt it was “all his fault”. David needed someone to encourage him but there was no one so he encouraged himself…one version says he strengthened himself.

“All the men in the army were sad and angry because their sons and daughters were taken as prisoners. The men were talking about killing David with stones. This upset David very much, but he found strength in the Lord his God.” ERV

Maybe that’s how you feel today. If you need to encourage yourself today start with this verse. Look in the mirror and read it to yourself.

“You formed the way I think and feel. You put me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way. I know how amazing that was! 15 You could see my bones grow as my body took shape, hidden in my mother’s womb. 16 You could see my body grow each passing day. You listed all my parts, and not one of them was missing.” Psalm 139:13-16 ERV

If no one else is there to offer words of encouragement this should put a smile on your face and hope in your heart! God formed you and He saw to it that nothing was missing in your development. He is still with you promising to never leave you or abandon you! You’re not alone!

Now take what the Lord has done for you and give hope to others. It’s wonderful to know that you can be used even in your toughest moments!

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Memory Loss

Last night Dave and I slept on our living room floor not because we didn’t remember where the bedroom was but because our mattress has lost its memory.

You see, we have a memory foam mattress but it isn’t as effective as it once was so we purchased a new one. However, the new mattress needs 48 hours to come to its full efficiency. So, we put the old mattress on the living room floor and slept there for the night.

It seems the Lord uses all my little daily nuances as teaching tools and this mattress was no different.

How many times do we let our memory of God’s goodness, His love and provision slip?

“ Do not act like the sinful people of the world. Let God change your life. First of all, let Him give you a new mind. Then you will know what God wants you to do. And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLV

“Let your minds and hearts be made new. 24 You must become a new person and be God-like. Then you will be made right with God and have a true holy life.” Ephesians 4:23-24 NLV

Our instruction is to have our minds, our memory, conformed to God’s goodness.

“ I have looked for You with all my heart. Do not let me turn from Your Law. 11 Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:10-11 NLV

The Lord told Joshua: “ Only be strong and have much strength of heart. Be careful to obey all the Law which My servant Moses told you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left. Then all will go well with you everywhere you go. 8 This book of the Law must not leave your mouth. Think about it day and night, so you may be careful to do all that is written in it. Then all will go well with you. You will receive many good things. 9 Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 NLV

Joshua’s memory, his heart, was to be set on all that God had promised then he would be strong, courageous and successful.

In one of Jesus’ last acts on earth, He celebrated Passover with His disciples and said this to them: “Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to the apostles and said, “This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.” 20 In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This wine represents the new agreement from God to his people. It will begin when my blood is poured out for you.” Luke 22:19-20 ERV

This old mattress is leaning up against a counter right in front of me. Its memory no longer conforms to us. I pray that my memory of God’s promises remains strong, conforming me to the image of Christ.

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God’s Love Never Fails

If you read yesterday’s blog you will understand my opening comments.

I got up this morning, made another pot of coffee, filling it to the 11-cup mark and I will do that again tomorrow. I enjoy the coffee each morning, I don’t get tired of making it and I am even willing to share it with others.

That’s how I feel about sharing God’s word with each of you, every morning. It was so good to read Psalm 136 this morning. There are thirty verses and thirty times one phrase is repeated, “God’s love never fails”! In another version it says “God’s love endures forever”.

Forever is a long time.

“Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails. 2 Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails. 3 Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails. 4 Only God works great miracles. God’s love never fails.
5 With wisdom he made the sky. God’s love never fails. 6 The Lord stretched the earth
over the ocean. God’s love never fails.7 He made the bright lights in the sky. God’s love never fails. 8 He lets the sun rule each day. God’s love never fails. 9 He lets the moon and the stars rule each night. God’s love never fails.” Psalm 136:1-8 CEV

Before the earth existed, God’s love was there. Before the sky or the oceans, God’s love never failed. Before the sun, moon and stars God’s love always was!

Before you failed to acknowledge His presence, God’s love never failed. Before great accolades and fame, God’s love was there. When we were prodigal and when off to our own devices and ignored His love, God’s love never failed.

I may need to be filled daily with joy, peace, hope, faith but God’s love never fails and He is always there sharing it with me. Reminding me that:

“ God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. 9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger.” Romans 5:6-9 CEV

Dave just refilled my coffee cup and that brought one more thought to mind about the love of God.

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:5-6 NLT

God’s goodness and unfailing love pursues me all the days of my life. My cup is running over with His love. His love never fails!

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Start Out Right

I normally wake up pleasant. Greeting the day with a smile, a prayer and a cup of coffee. But last night was one of the worst night’s of “unrest” that I’ve had in years. Up and down all night – confusing dreams – leg cramps – too hot – too cold.

Oh my. I hope I didn’t keep Dave awake.

But here’s the bright side. I can decide and have already decided that I’m not giving my day over to Grumpy. I’ve made an attitude adjustment! I’m not selling out my entire day.

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” I Peter 5:7 AMP

I’ve given the Lord my bad attitude and begun to give praise. Praise for having a bed with a roof over my head, praise that I got 2 good hours of sleep instead of none, gratitude for the cup of coffee that helps me greet each morning.

Praise God that I don’t have to go through the day the way I started out!

“ Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— 3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!” Psalm 103:1-5 AMPC

Praising the Father for a day of victory instead of a day of defeat is the best way to start out right!

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:1-3 AMPC

Join me!

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Who Do You Say I Am?

Today I’m going to offer you a physical challenge. It will take you outside your comfort zone, I’m certain. I want you to find someone that you know is a Christian and I want you to ask them to tell you about their Jesus. Don’t interrupt or interject – just listen. Look at their eyes, hear the love in their voice – become enveloped in their story.

Jesus asked this of his disciples: “Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He said to his followers, “Who do people say I am?”

14 They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 Then Jesus said to his followers, “And who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:13-15 CEV

Who do you say that I am?

If that were the subject of your High School English class essay, how many words, how many pages would it take to answer the question? Sitting here this morning my heart runs to so many places; each time reminding me of God’s love and faithfulness revealed through Jesus.

Peter’s answer to Jesus was this: “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 ERV

Peter’s answer was God given. These men who had lived with Jesus day in and day out had experienced life, God directed life, up close and personal. And yet earlier in this chapter they were caught once again thinking in mere human terms and not in God’s terms. Their spiritual walk was inconsistent but they did move forward seeking to know more.

Jesus reminded them that they should be founded on the rock – in Matthew we have the story of the man who built his house on a rock and when the storms of life came, he was not shaken; when we know that our foundation is Christ, the storms of life won’t shake us.

Recently, I have had several friends all share their love for the Lord with me. Going through struggling times, those things that are beyond our control, can cause us to stagger and even fall. But answering the question, “Who is Jesus to me? Who do I say that He is? – undergirds us with strength and gives us peace.

“Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting].” Psalm 131:2 AMPC

Lean into Jesus. Rest and trust in Him.

So let me ask you again – Who do you say that I am? Ask the question today and get to know Jesus through the eyes of a friend.

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Bright Hope

Every night the stars and the moon come out and every morning the sun comes up. To some that may seem like a monotonious repetition but to me that’s hope!

Hope that God is faithful to bring the end to one day and to bring new life to start the next. Without God’s presence we can be without direction and purpose or worse yet we try to become our own god and that means that we are responsible for making everything happen, making everything work out right and it’s simply not in our power to do so.

The sunrise and the sunset are God’s examples of His 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! 24 I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

When we give up living for ourselves and find our life in Christ we can have rest from this vicious cycle of dependence on self. In Christ, we are promised a new and abundant life; life filled with joy, peace, love, forgiveness and grace.

“But we know that no one is made right with God by following the law. It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, because we wanted to be made right with God. And we are right with him because we trusted in Christ—not because we followed the law. I can say this because no one can be made right with God by following the law…I died to the law so that I could live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. 20 So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me.” Galatians 2:16-20 ERV

Each day is a new opportunity to receive God’s mercy and strength, to be wrapped in His love. Each evening we are given an invitation to rest securely.

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

Great is the faithfulness of God; He is faithful to a thousand generations.

“Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast 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 and ten thousand beside.”

In Christ we have new life and in Him we have the power to live a life of purpose and a bright hope for tomorrow.

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