Category: Psalms

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Thankful for God’s Love

Happy Thanksgiving!

I pray that each of you find much to be thankful for today. One of my favorite Psalms is entitled “Praise for God’s Love”. That’s what today is all about – praising God for His love, protection and sustaining power.

I hope you will read it all the way through and open your heart, as King David did, to praise God for His amazing love.

“Praise the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, praise His holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul. And forget none of His acts of kindness. 3 He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. 4 He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity. 5 He fills my years with good things and I am made young again like the eagle.

6 The Lord does what is right and fair for all who suffer under a bad power. 7 He made His ways known to Moses and His acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is full of loving-pity and kindness. He is slow to anger and has much loving-kindness. 9 He will not always keep after us. And He will not keep His anger back forever. 10 He has not punished us enough for all our sins. He has not paid us back for all our wrong-doings. 11 For His loving-kindness for those who fear Him is as great as the heavens are high above the earth. 12 He has taken our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord has loving-pity on those who fear Him, as a father has loving-pity on his children. 14 For He knows what we are made of. He remembers that we are dust.

15 The days of man are like grass. He grows like a flower of the field. 16 When the wind blows over it, it is gone. Its place will remember it no more. 17 But the loving-kindness of the Lord is forever and forever on those who fear Him. And what is right with God is given forever to their children’s children, 18 to those who keep His agreement and remember to obey His Law.

19 The Lord has set up His throne in the heavens. And His holy nation rules over all. 20 Praise the Lord, you powerful angels of His who do what He says, obeying His voice as He speaks! 21 Praise the Lord, all you armies of His who work for Him and do what pleases Him. 22 Praise the Lord, all His works in all places under His rule. Praise the Lord, O my soul!” Psalm 103 NLV

God loves each one of us with an everlasting love! Happy Thanksgiving.

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Let the Son Shine

I love waking up to pray. This morning I learned of a young woman named Suzy who is going to have part of her thyroid removed and a biopsy done, it appears to be cancer. Her father posted a request for prayer. I count it a blessing and a privilege to pray for this lady and her family, whom I have never met.

Shortly after that I learned of a fire that destroyed everything a dear friend’s nephew had. Again – more prayers.

The Lord doesn’t prompt me to pray for every story or situation I learn of but when He does I want to be faithful.

“…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 NLT

I believe that verse with all my heart and so I pray.

Finally, I read one more story this morning that another friend had posted. It’s about the town of Barrow, Alaska. On November 18, the sun set and won’t be seen again until January 23, that’s 65 days with no sun.

No sun, but how many days do some people experience with no SON?

That’s why I pray. I want those who are hurting, in need or in a dark place to experience the Son shine.

“We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.” II Peter 2:18-19 NLT

The Apostle Peter had a life transforming experience when he was with Jesus on a mountain top and heard God, the Father, speak from heaven. He’s saying here that because of that experience he has great confidence in God’s word. However, he is also saying that we, who haven’t heard an audible voice, can also have confidence in the Word of God. The Word is like a shining light for our path and Christ is like the light that shines in the morning, the sun, and He shines in our hearts.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

About a week ago, I met a man while having dinner with friends. After talking with him for a while he said something no one has ever said to me before. He said, “You have a light in you. It shines through your eyes and your smile.” Thank you, Lord, for shining in me.

Some people we meet are like those folks in Barrows, they’re living without “Son shine”. It’s up to us to let the Son shine through our actions and our prayers.

I’m so grateful for the light of God’s love!

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Hold Fast

It’s been blowing, hard, for the last few hours. In fact, a couple of times I have gotten up to look out the window and make sure the patio furniture is still there. Yep, that hard.

I’m using my awake time productively – I’ve prayed, played a few hands of solitaire, but haven’t been able to sleep. Not yet, so, it’s time to write what the Lord has put on my heart.

Growing up in a traditional church, complete with pews, organ, choir and hymns books, we did a lot of singing. I am amazed how often the lyrics of those old songs come to mind. Tonight, I found myself singing…(On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand)

“On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.”

I’m very thankful for the anchor that God gives my life. When the wind blows hard and tries to topple my dreams, my anchor holds.

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us.” Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT

Hope is our anchor. Not hope in ourselves, but hope in God. Our dreams and ambitions, our goals and our plans, are prompted by God. He has designed us to succeed.

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see…6  And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:1,6 NLt

The Father wants us to put our hope in Him, that’s why He gave us all of the instruction that we have in His word.

Sometimes storms blow through our lives, just like the wind that’s howling outside my window, but when we have our hope anchored in God and His word, we will be held secure.

“Whoever hears these words of Mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house did not fall because it was built on rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 NLV

It may seem like your life is being hit by gale force winds or that you’re about to be deluged by a hurricane but hold on, hold on to your hope, hold on to the anchor of your soul!

I feel it’s necessary to give you two more verses before I close. Two more cords to bind you securely to your anchor, your hope.

“Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise Him again for His help of being near me.” Psalm 42:5 NLV

“Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLV

Thank God for filling us with hope when the winds of life blow through!

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The Right Call

The last couple of weeks I have spent quite a bit of time on the phone making appointments. When we’re in the mountains all summer, time and distance prevent us from standard visits, i.e., dental appointments, physicals, eye exams, banking appointments, etc.

First, it’s the scheduling and then it’s the actual appointment – all of it takes time. Now with Thanksgiving coming up and then the activities in December before Christmas I’m beginning to feel a little rushed.

That’s why I enjoy my mornings. They are quiet, unhurried, and they set the tone for my day.

No appointment necessary! No busy signal or voice mail, no press 1, enter your account number, and hold. That’s how God the Father designed it.

“Call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you don’t know.” Jeremiah 33:3 Kristi’s version

I have this picture as my screen saver. It’s one of our granddaughter’s with her play phone. She was calling her Besta. It reminds me to be present when the kids call. To listen to their conversations, to slow down and be attentive just like the heavenly Father is with me.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 ERV

“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

“I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer.” Psalm 18:6 CEV

I love my mornings. The Lord and I can have uninterrupted conversations. I love this time and I have felt for many years that I NEED to start my day in the Father’s presence so that I get His guidance for what’s ahead.

Maybe you’re a night owl and you have more “quiet” then or maybe you’re a parent who has quiet after the kids are gone to school. You might find quiet time when you run or workout. You might find it at the clothes line or the ironing board. Is it possible to find quiet when you mow the lawn or are out on a ride?

Whenever it is, where ever it is, it’s the right time to call. You have a standing appointment, you move to the head of the line. The Father is there waiting for your call.

I’m thankful for open communication with my heavenly Father. It’s always the right time for Him.

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The Price is Paid

On a number of occasions, I have told you that the best way to read/study the Bible isn’t by reading many chapters or for multiple hours but it’s to read for application. If we read only a couple of verses and they speak to our heart and we think on them throughout the whole day, it’s better than marking chapters off a list and having the words make no impact.

Yesterday I was taken back as I read one verse, one obscure verse in Psalms.

“Remember the people you bought so long ago. You saved us, and we belong to you.” Psalm 74:2 CEV

It was this one verse that reminded me of my Father’s love. Remember You, heavenly Father, bought us – saved us and we belong to You!

The word bought is translated in other places as the word “redeemed”.

“You know that in the past the way you were living was useless. It was a way of life you learned from those who lived before you. But you were saved from that way of living. You were bought, but not with things that ruin like gold or silver. 19 You were bought with the precious blood of Christ’s death. He was a pure and perfect sacrificial Lamb.” I Peter 1:18-19 ERV

Years ago, our favorite pastime was attending farm and ranch auctions. We were addicted to finding treasures that others overlooked. We went so often that we became friends with some of the different auctioneers and from time to time they would ask us to help out. Dave would spot bids in the crowd and I would clerk.

We were working at one auction where someone had consigned some artwork. I was busy recording the bids so, I hadn’t really looked up to see what the pictures looked like until there was a lull in the bidding. It was then I saw this angelic face.

I was captured by the innocence I saw in his eyes, the chubby cheeks and the cherub like smile. I knew I needed to buy it and give it a place of honor in our home.

When I read that verse yesterday morning – You bought us, You saved us, You made us your own”. I remember that day at the auction – I bought, saved and made my own that sweet little angel.

How much greater, how much deeper is the Father’s love for us? We have been redeemed, we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus and by that blood our debt has been marked “Paid in Full”.

This painting, which now hangs in our daughter’s home, has been a daily reminder for me. Just seeing it stirs my heart, it’s such a sweet face that needed rescuing but more than that it reminds me that I was in need of rescuing and Christ stepped up and paid the price.

“ 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 2:2 NLV

I will be grateful for all eternity that God bought me, saved me and made me His own. I’ve been redeemed, you have too. The price for our salvation has been marked “Paid in Full”.

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Make Yourself Comfortable

Some of you may not realize that I enjoy dissecting words. I’m not really a “word smith” but quite often I see a written word and its meaning deepens as I examine it.

Take the word courage. The definition means strength or bravery; when the prefix “dis” is added to the word the impact and meaning are greatly changed. The same holds true with the word ease. Add the same prefix to it, dis-, and it doesn’t just mean nervous or anxious but it also means sick or weakened – dis ease.

This is a bit of a tangent, but I wanted you to see where my mind was taking me this morning as I grabbed my cozy blanket, my cup of coffee, my laptop and took my place in front of the fireplace.

I thought “Thank you Lord for my comfortable home. I am grateful.”

Comfortable: Enabled by comfort. adjective. in a condition of comfort; having comforts; not suffering or anxious; hence, contented; cheerful; as, to lead a comfortable life. affording or imparting comfort or consolation; able to comfort; cheering; as, a comfortable hope.

Comfort – abled. The act of being comforted.

And there you have it – Jesus said that the heavenly Father sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. His purpose is to bring us “comfort”, to impart comfort, cheering us up, making us comfort- able.

“ And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.” John 14:16 Amp

All of this is ours through the Holy Spirit. The Father knew we would need assistance in our life here on earth. As a loving Father, He made sure we had the “Helper” we need to live as His examples.

Providing comfort – comforting – making us comfort abled has always been a part of His plan.

“When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady. 19 And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.” Psalm 94:18-19 CEV

“When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise that leads to life. 51 Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law. 52 I find true comfort, Lord, because your laws have stood the test of time.” Psalm 119:50-52 CEV

Our true comfort doesn’t come from the external things in our lives but from the eternal – from God’s Word and His love.

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 CEV

I am grateful that we have been made comfort-abled and can now share this same comfort with others. Let’s make ourselves comfort abled to the world around us.

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Little Foxes

This morning I am reminded of the little things that try to steal our joy and gratitude. You see, night before last I made spaghetti for dinner. I was sampling the sauce, straight from the pot, and I blistered the roof of my mouth. Ouch!

Then yesterday morning, I wasn’t able to enjoy my coffee because my mouth was still tender and very sensitive to the heat. Same thing this morning, but not as severe. This made me realize how many times “little foxes” spoil our productivity and our praise. I was complaining instead of praising.

“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!” Song of Solomon 2:15 NLT

What a strange little verse.

It was written by King Solomon to his lover. How many times do we let the “little things” in life ruin a loving relationship? Ruin a loving attitude?

Little frustrations – getting stuck in traffic, an overdue bill, being on hold and then getting someone on the line you can’t understand. A stubbed toe, lost keys, a mess in the kitchen or burning the roof of your mouth.

We seem to recognize the bigger issues more quickly and bring them to the Lord in prayer. We know He is always there to help in our time of need. But…the little issues, those little foxes can ruin our life’s vineyard of love, our heart’s gratitude, almost before we recognize it.

“ 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

Help when we need it most! Help when the traffic is at a standstill, help when the milk gets spilled on the kitchen table, help when the fuel tank is on E and we’re late for a meeting. Help!

“But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.” Psalm 18:6 NLT

Knowing that the Lord hears our cry and answers our pleas is so encouraging. I often hear people, who really claim no relationship with the Lord, utter “Thank God” when a situation changes for the better.

Yes, thank God!

He is our strength, our deliverer, our “little fox” eradicator!

“We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:20-21 NLT

Don’t let the little foxes spoil the love that is growing in your garden. Chase them away with an attitude of praise!

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Great Is Our God!

This morning starts with a warm cup of coffee and heart filled with praise.

Last night we sat outside for quite a while thanking God for the events of the past few days. Today, we will spend some time with our daughters, sons-in-law and three of the grandkids. We are blessed to live close and have these opportunities. Blessed indeed.

Life is pretty close to perfect today. However, not every day has been filled with the joy I feel in my heart this morning. There have been days of struggles, days of tears. Whatever the day presents you with I want you to understand this one thing, our heavenly Father is faithful.

He is faithful when we are struggling (emotionally, physically, financially or spiritually). When we are in a good place, the Father is faithful!

His love endures forever and it’s unconditional. He never changes. He’s always the same. He’s not bothered by circumstances – He is God! He is praiseworthy and trustworthy!

I know, if we seek Him, we will find Him to be faithful.

“You rule forever, Lord, and you are on your throne, ready for judgment. 8 You judge the world fairly and treat all nations with justice. 9 The poor can run to you because you are a fortress in times of trouble. 10 Everyone who honors your name can trust you, because you are faithful to all who depend on you.” Psalm 9:7-10 CEV

We can trust Him with everything, the large and the small. I see it like this. Since we are His children, He desires to be involved in every area of our lives. Remember being little and having a splinter in your finger or a scraped knee? It was so special to have it kissed and made better. That’s what a loving parent does. The injury may have been trivial, but the love was great.

Our Father is faithful to all who depend on Him. He doesn’t leave us to flounder on our own. He can be depended upon always – in the needs and our greatest challenges.

“I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before. 3 When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage…I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. 8 You, Lord, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don’t give up on us now!” Psalm 138:2-3, 7-8 CEV

Our Father is faithful, His love never fails! Our God is great!

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In Everything Give Thanks

“ Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

Be thankful in all circumstances.

Our circumstances don’t have to be perfect for us to have an attitude of thankfulness. As Christians we aren’t promised a problem free life, but we are given the promises that make us victorious in every situation. That is what we are to be thankful for.

“A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” Acts 16:22-26 NLT

There was no apparent reason for Paul and Silas to be singing and praising God at midnight but sing they did.

“They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.” Acts 16:31-34 NLT

Some days it’s easy to sing because all seems right with the world, but other days come with unexpected distractions and joy-robbing obstacles. That’s where singing comes in – singing lifts the heart, it can make the heart skip and brings a lightness to our step.

Paul and Silas had been beaten and were chained in the prison but at midnight they chose to sing. I don’t believe they were singing the blues either, “nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen”…No, I’m sure it was something like “I’ll fly away, o glory, I’ll fly away. When I die hallelujah by and by, I’ll fly away.”

“In” the worst of circumstances we can praise God “for” His faithfulness. Praise Him that He is a loving Father, and He has promised to never abandon us. Praise Him “for” being our source of strength, peace and joy.

Praise brings our focus to who God is and what His word says. Paul and Silas were focused on Jesus their Savior, and it led to the salvation of their jailer and his family.

“Come to worship him with thankful hearts and songs of praise. 3 The Lord is the greatest God, king over all other gods.” Psalm 95:2-3 CEV

Sing songs of praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Savior of your soul!

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The Day Is New

Did any of you get up in the middle of the night to see the eclipse? Me neither but in my life I have seen some pretty spectacular sunrises. The camera never does them justice but the one this morning comes from our time in Montana.

How many thousands of sunrises has God painted across the sky? Each one is an expression of His faithfulness. He one is a reminder that we are not going to face the day alone.

My reason for being thankful today is GOD! His great love and compassion amaze me each morning and I just want to give Him thanks.

“I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
    I will sing your praises before the gods.
2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
    I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
    by all the honor of your name.
3 As soon as I pray, you answer me;
    you encourage me by giving me strength.

4 Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,
    for all of them will hear your words.
5 Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
    for the glory of the Lord is very great.
6 Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
    but he keeps his distance from the proud.

7 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 NLT

I give thanks to the Father for who He is and all that He has done. I thank Him for another day filled with his faithfulness.

God is Good!

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