Category: Psalms

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It’s All I Need

I have such a love for the word of God but it wasn’t always that way. When I was young, going to Sunday School, I was taught the Bible stories – the stories of David, Daniel, Peter, Paul and Silas, Zacchaeus. That’s all they were, stories to keep a child entertained, stories to tell us how God had been but there was no correlation to my daily life.

I learned to love Jesus from a very young age. I realized He died for my sins and that He was no longer dead, but he rose from the grave and went back to heaven. Someday He would return to earth and take those who love Him to heaven. This was exciting to know that someday Jesus would come back for me but what about today.

The answer I heard most often was “pray about it but we just never know what God’s going to do”. I knew the church’s list of rules, the do’s and don’ts. But what about my instruction for everyday life. I floundered.

I remember specifically when I embraced God’s word as the truth and guide for my life. It was like a light went on. I was in a chapel service at college and the chapel speaker made a comment similar to this. “If all you have in this life is a secure knowledge of God’s love for you and the promises of His word, you have everything you need”. Those words, that concept, changed my life. Like I said, I had Jesus as my Savior but I didn’t know that His word had been written for me. All of the promises were mine.

“ I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your feet go out from under you. He Who watches over you will not sleep. 4 Listen, He Who watches over Israel will not close his eyes or sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your safe cover at your right hand. 6 The sun will not hurt you during the day and the moon will not hurt you during the night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all that is sinful. He will watch over your soul. 8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going, now and forever.” Psalm 121 NLV

These are the words I read this morning. My eyes began to tear up and my heart filled with joy. Jesus said that heaven and earth will deteriorate and be demolished but God’s word will stand forever. He will watch over my comings and my goings, now and forever more.

Reading God’s word should be a joy, not a drudgery. You don’t need to read chapters at a time. When you come to a verse that strikes a chord in your heart, stop and read it again. Make it your theme for the day. It’s better to read two or three verses that impact your heart than reading chapters and not having it impact you at all.

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16 NLT

It’s all you’ll ever need!

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Draw Me Close

Did you know that a mother hen has a built-in protective instinct when she feels her chicks are in danger? It’s quite interesting to watch. She clucks and fluffs her feathers as she calls her young ones to her side, then she spreads her wings over them and settles down, blocking them from harm with her body.

This morning I came across Jesus’ comments over Jerusalem. He used this analogy. For three years He had been preaching and teaching all throughout Judah. He had done miracles, loved the outcasts and done all that the Father had sent him to do. Now it was time for his final visit to Jerusalem. He knew this time He would encounter the wrath of the religious hierarchy – He knew His death was imminent.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.” Matthew 23:37-38 NLT

Facing His impending death, His heart was for those who had not yet believed that He was the Son of God. He wanted to protect them, provide for them and be their path to reconciliation with the Father but His words are clear, “you wouldn’t let me”.

In Psalm 91, we have the same example of the Father’s love and protection for us.

“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.” Psalm 91:2-4 NLT

God never intended for us to face danger without His protection. He is here to shelter us; His promises are our armor and our protection.

There’s a chorus we used to sing years ago – it reminds me of these verses. “Draw Me Close to You” by Michael W. Smith.

“Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I’m your friend

You are my desire
And no one else will do
‘Cause nothing else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace

Help me find a way
Bring me back to you

You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know you are near”

I think one of the biggest lies that the enemy tells is “You are on your own. You have no one to trust. It’s all up to you – sink or swim. God doesn’t want to be bothered with you”.

There is nothing further from the truth!

Our Father is here, drawing us close, scooting us under His wings. He is our safety and our protection.

Thank you, Father, for drawing me close to you!

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Oh What A Beautiful Morning

Do you dread early morning? I’ve had a good laugh many times with friends who have told me “I only thought 4 o’clock came once a day, I didn’t know it came in the morning too”.

Of course, they were kidding but I do understand that many people are not early risers. Dave and I always have been, it’s only now that we are enjoying sleeping a little later – by that I mean sleeping until 4:30 or 5.

There’s just something about the morning – the day is fresh and the first glow of dawn hitting the fields and the mountains is amazing. The musical Oklahoma has a song “O What A Beautiful Morning”. That’s the way I feel about the start of each day.

“There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow
There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow
The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye
And it looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky
Oh, what a beautiful mornin’
Oh, what a beautiful day
I’ve got a beautiful feeling
Everything’s going my way”

To me, morning is the best time of day. It’s quiet and in that quiet I find peace in the Father’s presence. It’s time to hear from the heart of God and also a time to tell Him of my concerns and then thank Him for handling everything that concerns me.

Then I can go out into my day worry free with a heart filled with thanksgiving.

“It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, Lord Most High! 2 It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are. 3 I enjoy praising your name to the music of harps, 4 because everything you do makes me happy,  and I sing joyful songs.” Psalm 92:1-4 CEV

There are no harps playing in my living room but there is the song of the birds outside the window and most mornings there is a praise song or two running through my mind. God, our Father, is good and loving. There’s no place I would rather be than in His presence.

“Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. 8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:7-8 NLT

I hope you have enough time this morning to spend time in the Father’s presence. It truly is the best way to start the day…oh, what a beautiful morning!

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Every Morning

The picture folders on my computer are filled with images of beautiful sunrises and sunsets. There’s just something about the handiwork of the Lord that puts me in awe!

In my almost seventy years of life there has never been a morning that the sun hasn’t risen or an evening when it hasn’t set. “Of course, it does”, you say. I think that all too often we take the routine for granted or ignore it completely.

This morning I was making my day’s list and I wrote call and postpone the appointment. That’s when my thoughts turned to the Father’s mercy and peace. He has never once postponed or canceled His daily goodness.

“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. 26 It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save them.” Lamentations 3:22-26 ERV

We should be looking for signs of God’s love every morning. He has something new to show us.

In just the same way that we search out the Lord’s loving kindness we should be canceling tomorrow’s worries.

“ Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.” Matthew 6:31-34 ERV

Did you go to bed worrying last night?

We have instruction from Jesus not to focus in on the problems of tomorrow. He reminds us here that the Father knows everything we need, everything that concerns us. He has provided for all that would be worrisome. We are to let those worries go.

As surely as the sun set last night and will rise again this morning, we have the Father’s promise of faithfulness.

“Let the name of the Lord be praised now and forever. 3 From dawn until sunset the name of the Lord deserves to be praised. 4 The Lord is far above all of the nations; he is more glorious than the heavens.” Psalm 113:2-4 CEV

Embrace the sunrise and welcome a new day of God’s faithfulness. Celebrate the setting of the sun by praising Him for handling tomorrow’s problems.

Never postpone an opportunity to praise the Lord for His goodness!

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When We Stumble

Recently our oldest daughter and son-in-law climbed Picacho Peak. It’s not an easy climb. It’s rocky and steep and there are areas where cables are necessary to aide you across the mountainside.

She told me at times her ankles and legs felt like jelly. She stumbled, she had scrapes and bruises and a gash in her shin but they made the climb. They reached the top!

There are times when we all stumble, it’s not a condition reserved only for those who climb. It’s easy to become discouraged and want to quit, our emotional legs get weary and shaky. We push forward, sometimes in weakness and pain.

“ There is One Who can keep you from falling and can bring you before Himself free from all sin. He can give you great joy as you stand before Him in His shining-greatness. 25 He is the only God. He is the One Who saves from the punishment of sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. May He have shining-greatness and honor and power and the right to do all things. He had this before the world began, He has it now, and He will have this forever. Let it be so.” Jude 24,25 NLV

Christ is the one who promises to be our strength and our support. He is “an ever-present help in time of trouble”.

Christians fail. We get weary, angry, depressed but by His strength we go on.

“The steps of a good man are led by the Lord. And He is happy in his way. 24 When he falls, he will not be thrown down, because the Lord holds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the man who is right with God left alone, or his children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:23-25 NLV

King David had many victories in his life but he also had failures, times of stumbling. The Apostle Paul was known for his persecution and imprisonment of Christians, he stumbled and then the Lord used him to write over half of the New Testament.

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:22-24 NLT

Maybe you feel like you failed, you’ve stumbled and fallen, you have bruises and scrapes. It’s hard to get up.

“And he became their Savior. 9 In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.” Isaiah 63:8-10 NLT

When we stumble let the Lord rescue us, lift us up and carry us forward!

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Living on Purpose

Did you wake up this morning and establish a purpose for your day or will you just “wing it”? Taking each day and giving it purpose is a rewarding way to live, even on those days when you seem to have no agenda at all.

This morning I would like to give you a few verses that came to mind as I was praying and hope that one of two of them will strike a chord with you. God’s word has a way of bringing direction even to the most common of days.

“This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. ” John 15:12 ERV

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

“It is good for people to be kind and generous and to be fair in business.” Psalm 112:5 ERV

“ I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4:19 CEV

“Obeying your instructions brings as much happiness as being rich.” Psalm 119:14 CEV

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.” James 1:5 CEV

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 CEV

Now, I ask you to please take the time to read those verses over again. Let one or two stick with you throughout the day.

I hope you find yourself drawing from God’s word today – I promise, it will give your day purpose!

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Locked Out?

Each morning when I open my laptop this phrase appears on the screen, “Have you forgotten your password?”.

No.

I sign in and have access to all my information, unless like the other morning there has been a system update and some of my information has been relocated. But I digress. I’m sure many of you are like me and have written your passwords in a book and placed them in a secure place, just in case I do forget one of them. Better yet are the “secure” password vaults that remember them for you and at prompting populate the correct password for that sign-in.

I can remember a time when there were no passwords required. In fact, there were no computers. That seems like a very long time ago. But why all this talk about passwords this morning?

Well, in my prayer time I was thanking the Father that I can come into His presence freely – no password, no engraved invitation or secret access code.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100:4-5 NLT

It’s as simple as that – we enter His presence with thanksgiving! The love of God continues forever and He is faithful to each and every generation.

Sometimes we might feel unworthy and needy but He says come in, we have access!

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

There have been times when I felt I was far from the Lord and was struggling to find my way. His instruction filled my heart.

“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

There is never a time when the Father is too busy or unavailable to us. The Apostle Paul gave us this instruction.

“Never stop praying.” I Thessalonians 5:17 NLV

In Jesus’ final hours before He was tried, convicted and crucified He went to the garden to pray. He asked Peter and the others to join Him in prayer. He knew he was facing the most horrendous event of His life, so He prayed.

“Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, ‘Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.’” Matthew 26:40-41 ERV

Ready access – open communication. The Father knows we are weak, in need of His help that’s why He tells us to come. His plan for us is good and He will not abandon or desert us.

“Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 ERV

When we have an open heart seeking the Father we will never be locked out of His presence!

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Unending Love

Whether we’re married or single, a couple or alone, this Valentine comes to all of us from the Father above!

We can never truly love or be loved until we experience His marvelous, wonderful, unconditional, life-giving love!

The love we have, give and experience on our own is only a shadowed comparison of the love that He offers us through Christ.

“How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! 12 How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance
from east to west!” Psalm 103:11-12 CEV

We’ll never experience a greater love than that of our heavenly Father.

“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 5:8-9 CEV

God the Father proved His great love for us when we were the most unlovely. His love knows no depth, no boundaries.

“Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. 13 The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. 14 And you are my friends…” John 15:12-14 CEV

Jesus demonstrated His love for us when He willingly chose to die to save us! His love for us brought Him to death and our love for Him brings us to life.

“I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans 8:38-39 CEV

We are loved deeply, unconditionally, sincerely and eternally. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Loving the Quiet

A cool morning, a warm cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate), a cozy blanket and quiet! Truly an enjoyable way to start the day.

Alone with just the thoughts of my heart and there is peace!

Sad to say, I didn’t always enjoy being alone with just my thoughts. My heart would become anxious; I would want to turn on the tv or the radio – anything to block out the silence, anything not to focus on the unrest or even the distress that I felt churning in my spirit.

Maybe you’re like that. Not wanting to get up and be alone with yourself and with the Father. Wanting to get up and get going right away to keep yourself from pausing in the quiet of the morning.

King David wrote in the Psalms to “be still and KNOW that I AM God”. Know means to be intimately acquainted with, a deep personal knowledge or understanding.

“God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. 2 So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, 3 and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its action.

4 There is a river whose waters make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives. 5 God is in the center of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when the morning comes. 6 The people made noise. The nations fell. He raised His voice and the earth melted. 7 The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.

8 Come and see the works of the Lord. He has destroyed parts of the earth. 9 He stops wars to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the war-wagons with fire. 10 Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth. 11 The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.” Psalm 46 NLV

My mind told me I was unworthy; I was alone, I wouldn’t amount to anything. It pointed out all my failures and my shortcomings. I never measured up so why did I want a quiet time to reflect on all that was wrong with me?

God’s Word told me something different, “God is my safe place and my strength”. Reading and applying God’s word brought me peace.

“With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

When I come to His throne, in the quiet of the morning, I find grace, mercy, kindness and help. I find Jesus!

Learn to love the quiet of being in the Father’s presence!

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Not A Fan of Change?

This morning I’m fighting frustration.

I don’t like it when things change with my computer. You get one of those messages “Update and Restart”. I did and left the computer sitting on my tabletop and went about the rest of my day. This morning when I opened it up, things were gone!

I refuse to let it spoil my day but I know eventually I will have to search for the missing information or try to recreate it and that is never a welcomed task.

But this I do know, God never changes! Thank you Father.

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 CEV

Every people throughout the Bible faced hardship and frustration. They faced physical enemies and divisive thoughts that warred against their faith and trust in God. But there has never been a time that Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has left us on our own.

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 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 4:15-16 CEV

And although Jesus never had to deal with computer issues, He dealt with reprogramming the thoughts of the human heart on a daily basis.

“But Jesus told them: You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.” Luke 16:15 CEV

Jesus longed to see people become less self-sufficient and more God-dependent. More of Him and less of me.

“I love you, Lord God, and you make me strong. 2 You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter…Your way is perfect, Lord, and your word is correct. You are a shield for those who run to you for help. 31 You alone are God!  Only you are a mighty rock. 32 You give me strength and guide me right. 33 You make my feet run as fast as those of a deer, and you help me stand on the mountains.” Psalm 18:1,2, 30-33 CEV

God has made Himself unchangeable. He is forgiving before we ask to be forgiven, He is patient when we choose our own way and not His. He is always loving.

“Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change.” Malachi 3:6 CEV

Now back to the small matter of my computer, I refuse to let those changes disrupt my peace and spoil my day. Eventually, I will get back what I can’t access at the moment.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

Major circumstances or small frustrations, I will trust my God who never changes to keep me in His perfect peace!

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