Category: Psalms

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The Best Things Are Meant to Last

We had friends who lived in Europe for a while and one evening they were showing us pictures of places they had been. In casual conversation they told us that the roof on this one home was called a 400 year roof. Yes, a 400 year roof. Any of you who are homeowners know that the roofs we put on here generally need replacing every 20 years or so. What a novel idea to have a roof that will last that long!

We marvel at things that last a long time; we preserve them for future generations…the pyramids, Stonehenge, Tower of Pisa, Great Wall of China, the Sphinx, the Grand Canyon. The Bible.

Sometimes I wonder what triggered some of the things that were written in the Bible. Of course, I know that the Holy Spirit inspired the men who wrote it but what prompted the thoughts that led up to the writing. I’m not comparing myself with them but when I sit here each morning I pray that the Lord guides the words I write so that they, the words not me, will be an inspiration or encouragement to someone each day. This morning as I was praying the words of Psalm 136 came to my heart and I wondered, “who is this for Lord?”

Is someone going to have a particularly trying day and they need to know that your love endures forever? Is there someone asking, “After all I’ve done, Lord do you still love me?” Or maybe someone of us will be asked to love someone particularly un-lovable today and God wants to remind us in a gentle way that He has loved us always and He wants us to love this person like that.

Was David writing this for His own encouragement or for someone he was close too? Maybe, just maybe, God knew what you had been through lately or what you have coming your way and He just wants you to know that His love endures forever! He does things like that you know – He wants to be personally involved in each of our lives and He does little things like this to show us.

I won’t include the entire psalm here but I will encourage you to read it for yourself. His love endures FOREVER! Psalm 136

“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….

23 God saw the trouble we were in. God’s love never fails.
24 He rescued us from our enemies. God’s love never fails.
25 He gives food to all who live. God’s love never fails.

26 Praise God in heaven! God’s love never fails.”

God’s love never fails – it will last forever!

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Ctrl-Alt-Delete

Several years ago I was preparing for a message on the love of God. Cowboy Church was just a couple of weeks before Valentine’s and it only seemed appropriate to make “God’s Love” my center focus. If you have been reading my morning devotional thoughts for any length of time, you know that Colossians is one of my favorite books and Colossians 2 is my favorite chapter. It’s here that the Apostle Paul writes about what Jesus did on the cross for us and how his death set us free from our sin and make us acceptable to God. I focused in on one phrase that has always had particular meaning to me.

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:14

You have to dig through the Old King James English but “Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances against us” drew my attention. Writing a document in Jesus day required extreme patience. No erasers or delete buttons – every word had to be carefully written because if there was a mistake, the document had to be wadded up and thrown away. Some corrections would be acceptable but the paper would have to be so saturated with ink that the word or the mistake was completely blotted out so that it was no longer visible.

That is the picture that Paul is painting for us here. There was a document with a long list of sins we have committed, God’s laws we have broken and Jesus “Blotted” out the list and then He took and nailed it to His cross. His blood, His shed blood was more than enough to cancel out the evidence of our sin. Amen!!

I have to tell you the first thing that I thought of was those little writing tablets we had as kids, where you would write on the slate and then lift the vinyl and the words would disappear. In fact, I made some for that Cowboy Church and gave them to all who came in.

And it didn’t stop there, then Jesus completely defeated His enemy and ours, and led him away captive and powerless for all the spiritual world to see! We are free to live for Christ, through God’s amazing love.

“You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14 Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:13-15 ERV

And then God promises that He will not remember our sins and the wrong that we have done. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10: 16-17

How can He do that? Simple – God the Father chose to hit the delete button; hard drive crash; He blots them out. Why? Because He is our LOVING heavenly father.

“His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.”

Psalm 103:11-13

What is it that has been holding you back from God’s love? Bring it to Him today and you will see that He has blotted it out, wiped it away and He has a clean, fresh slate waiting for you!

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Just Can’t Say Too Much

Have you ever been around someone who can only talk about one thing? Perhaps it’s their latest vacation or their talented child, maybe it’s their favorite sports team or restaurant. Could be it’s their favorite hiking trail or musician. You would hope that would spend most of their time talking about the love of their life…

Me, I spend a large portion of my time talking about the special solitude I find each morning in prayer and God’s word. Guilty!

But do you blame me? If every day you were invited to spend as much time as you want with the most influential person in the world and you could discuss anything you wanted for as long as you wanted, wouldn’t you be talking about it non stop? And if that person told me that I could bring as many friends as I wanted to those meetings, would you want to come? He has and that’s why I spend so much time telling you about it and inviting you to enjoy the same experience.

My day’s purpose is to sit with coffee in hand, dog at my feet, computer on my lap and my heart focused on what the Father is saying to me. Join me

I wonder what the morning routine was for Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jesus, Peter and Paul.

This is written about Abraham:…
“And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.” Genesis 19:15 KJV

And King David gives us insight to his mornings:
“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.” Psalm 5:3

“But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.” Psalm 59:16

“I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.” Psalm 119:47

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.” Psalm 143:8

Jesus gave us this example:
” Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35 KJV

“Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.” John 8:2 KJV

Yes, our mornings should count! They should set the tone and purpose of our day. There is a song that is running through my heart today. It was written by either Jeremy Camp or Fernando Ortega, Give Me Jesus.

“In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus…”

Greet the morning with song for the good things the Lord has done!

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Quiet Moments with a Friend

Do you have a friend or family member that you would just like to sit with for a while and have uninterrupted conversation? You’ve been there I’m sure – talking to them on the phone or visiting with them in your living room or on the patio only to have someone interrupt the conversation, take the attention away from the what the two of you were saying and highjack the moment.

I hate when that happens because it’s a rare occasion that I can enjoy true one on one conversation with those I love.

Some people tell me that they just can’t imagine getting up as early as I do each morning and ask “how do you do it”. I don’t really “do it” anymore. It has become habit and it happens whether I think about it or not. I used to rise early to get out in the fields and bail hay or to have quiet before the kids got up but now I really can’t imagine starting my day any other way. Enjoying the morning sunrise with the Lord is the best!

This morning I was praying and told the Lord how glad I was that we have this time uninterrupted. How special it is to know that when I get up to meet Him, he’s already here. Yes, I know He never leaves me and is with me 24/7 but just sitting and talking about things early in the morning is the best.

And then it happened…

The interruption! What at 4:30am I had an interruption and it was of my own making. As I was telling the Lord how great it is to have time with Him my mind began to wander and I found myself composing my morning devotional on how great morning quiet time is! Really!! I wasn’t enjoying the moment we had to share but instead was planning for something completely different.

Oh Lord forgive me for being rushed and inattentive.

“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
I will tell about the wonderful things you have done.
2 You make me happy, so I will rejoice in you.
God Most High, I praise your name.” Psalm 9:1-2 ERV

You know as well as that you can’t have a true friendship if only one person does all the talking. That isn’t conversation – that’s a monologue! I don’t want my time with the Lord to be one where I tell him all my joys, my disappointments, my needs and desires and then say “Amen” and walk away. No, I have to listen to what He tells me more that I expect to listen to what I say. That’s true relationship – learning about your friend by listening!

The sweetest moments of the day are those went I know that God is there and has given me an invitation to come and spend time with Him.

“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

Yes, today I am thankful for the quiet moments – the moments of one on one with my God who loves me!

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The Best Part of Waking Up

Now if the advertising community has done its job you know how to finish the words of this morning’s title. But this morning I sit here with an empty cup! Shocking, I know but true all the same. Yesterday morning when I got up and started the coffee brewing I heard the GFI break kick off. So I reset the breaker and it popped again. Then I moved the coffee maker to another plug with the same result. Finally on the move to the third outlet it stayed on and I had coffee. But I also knew I had a problem.

No, not my addiction to the black full bodied substance that fills my cup but instead my problem was with the electronic device that produces the savory brew!

Yes, my faithful appliance had made its last pot of coffee. I didn’t run out right away and buy a new pot. I had to take some time to research them and made the determination that when we go to town today we will find the right pot. Then I went on about my day unaffected by the loss of this well used appliance. However, as I started getting ready for bed last night I realized that part of my routine was interrupted. I didn’t have a coffee pot to “get ready for morning”. I didn’t even have my old camp pot handy so I could just boil me a cup.

Are you beginning to understand that coffee is a big part of my morning? I thought you would. So I am sitting here staring at an empty cup while the water heats on the stove with a packet of grounds steeping and hoping that when the process is complete it will be something worth drinking.

Is my morning ruined – never! My morning of quiet, reading the Bible and talking to the Lord is sweet. Coffee or no coffee my day is set by spending time with the Lord. I can praise Him for so many things in my life – His unconditional love, my husband, children and grandchildren. My freedom to share these thoughts each morning. Dear family and friends. Health and peaceful surroundings. Protection and safety. Praying for those who have needs of healing, relationships that need binding, financial stresses and strength.

Yes, thankful for all these things this morning. Thankful that my God isn’t made of stone but is a living God who hears my prayers, answers from His word and then speaks to my heart each and every day.

“Show me your faithful love this morning.
I trust in you.
Show me what I should do.
I put my life in your hands!
9 Lord, I come to you for protection.
Save me from my enemies.
10 Show me what you want me to do.
You are my God.
Let your good Spirit lead me over level ground.
11 Lord, let me live
so that people will praise your name.
Show me how good you are
and save me from my trouble.
12 Show me your love
and defeat my enemies.
Destroy those who are trying to kill me
because I am your servant.” Psalm 143:8-12 ERV

…and one final thing. Thankful for a new coffeemaker.

Blessings to you all today!

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Thankful for Shepherds

I don’t know how many cowboy movies I have viewed in my lifetime but there have been many, some of them I have watched over and over. And in nearly every one, if they refer to a Bible verse they generally use Psalm 23, the Lord is my Shepherd. Time and again the Scripture refers to the Lord as our Shepherd. Jesus even gave example that he was the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.

This morning’s verse on giving thanks refers to that relationship as well.

“Then we, your people, will always thank you.
We are like sheep with you as our shepherd,
and all generations will hear us praise you..” Psalm 79:13 CEV

A good shepherd provides food, rest, protection. He is constantly with his sheep and protects them from intruders and cares for them if they do get hurt. Our shepherd does the same – His death provides for our salvation or as one Bible translation calls it – soundness.

Those of you reading this that have a horse background know better than others what it means to be sound. That’s what Jesus has done for us – He has made us sound, whole, strong.

So do what this verse says – show your praise to all generations. Talk of the Lord’s goodness to those of your own generation and to those older and younger. Our younger generations need to know the reality of God’s goodness.

Sing it loud and long today. Let the children know the goodness of the Shepherd.

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Grateful for Age

This week I have had the opportunity to be with one of the youngest members of our family, Sam, and the oldest, my mother. What a joy to spend time with them both. Sam was depend upon us for most everything he needed; meals, help getting dressed, supervising his activities, bath time, bed time – you get the picture.

Mom, too, is at a point in her life where she is more dependent. She doesn’t drive anymore and she walks slower and needs help getting around but her mind is still sharp and her memories bring her great joy.

I had fun telling Sam stories about Jesus, singing little choruses and praying with him. Praying for him to grow into a man that loves the Lord, honors his parents and impacts his world. And then I also had the opportunity to listen as Mom told me of her love for the Lord, her prayers for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her desire is to live her days as an example of God’s love and goodness. She said she can’t be burdened down with worry but instead has to trust the Lord to reach her family with His love so that each one is with her one day in heaven.

Both the youngest and the oldest have a quiet trust in the Lord, for that I am truly grateful!

“Praise him, young men and women, old people and children.
13 Praise the Lord’s name! Honor his name forever!
His name is greater than any other.
He is more glorious than heaven and earth.” Psalm 148:12-13 ERV

All through the Bible we find the older teaching the younger. There is a constant instruction to remind the younger ones of the milestones in life. Moses taught the people that they should be talking of the things of the Lord when they came in and when they went out; when they got up in the morning and when they went to bed at night.

“Always remember these commands that I give you today. 7 Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember my teachings.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ERV

I’m thankful that my parents and grandparents taught me to love the Lord and I’m grateful for the opportunity and the responsibility to teach my children and grandchildren of God’s goodness!

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Comfort in Troubling Times

Do you ever have thoughts come to you out of the clear blue? You know, you’re thinking about one thing and then something else just invades you thinking process. That’s the way it was for me this morning.

I wasn’t even really awake when a song I had heard on the radio on Sunday arrived in my heart and head bringing me to a place of conscious thought. Here are just a few of the lyrics that were written by Hillsong.

“What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus”

And as I kept repeating that refrain my mind went to what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18:9

“The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety—”

And then I began to pray for those who lost loved ones yesterday in Las Vegas and those who were injured and those who were called to care for the injured and the dying. How do we cope with such senseless acts of violence and destruction?

I run to the Lord and find comfort in His loving arms.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 I trust God, so I am not afraid of what people can do to me!
I praise God for his promise to me.” Psalm 56:3-4 ERV

God wants to use us to bring comfort and consolation to those around us. It’s important that we aren’t overwhelmed but that we stay anchored in His love.

“Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” Romans 12:21 CEV

So even as I am writing this the chorus above keeps going through my mind. What a wonderful name it is, The name of Jesus! I will continue to trust in Him, to lean on Him for strength and will praise Him because He is greater than all my fears.

“Stand and shout praises to your Lord, the eternal God!
Praise his wonderful name, though he is greater than words can express.” Nehemiah 9:5 CEV

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Taste and See – It’s Good!

Yesterday we celebrated our grandson’s 2nd birthday. He had been running around playing with his friends but when his Mom said it’s time for cake, he was eager to climb up in his booster seat and buckle in.

It didn’t matter that his friends were still playing or that there was a lot of other activity going on, he just wanted the cake.

It was a funfetti white cake with black sky frosting sprinkled with silver stars. It was his and he loved it!

As I watched him experience such complete joy, oblivious to all that was around him, I thought of what King David wrote in the Psalms.

“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear (reverence) Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him” Psalm 34:6-8

We can experience God’s love with the same abandon as Sam eating his cake. Its a kind of up-to-your-elbows, smeared-on-your-face kind of joy that you get when you realize that the Father loves you unconditionally, dirty face and all!

Start the day knowing that you are blessed and you have angels around you to protect and help you today.

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Sit – Stay

When Kaci was small we had a wonderful Australian Shepherd named Bear. He had been badly abused when we adopted him and made him a member of our family. He had trust issues to say the least. We were given the name of a good trainer and once a week I took him to class. It didn’t take long for him and I to learn to work together. The commands of sit and stay were some of the first we worked on. He needed to know that when I gave those commands he could TRUST that I wasn’t going to leave him or beat him into obedience.

Presently I am in a sit still stage of my life. I’m not doing it very well. I have things to do, places to go, people to meet and minister too and God is saying “Sit Still”. I have learned in the past and am learning again that it’s just as important to be obedient to that command as it is to “love thy neighbor” or “pray without ceasing”.

If you know me at all you know I always have a list – things need to be done! I don’t do SIT – STAY very well. Years ago I read a book by Tim Hansel, “When I Relax I Feel Guilty”, that describes me to a tea. Retirement isn’t easy for a “list person”. I had a very dear friend tell me that it’s just as important to wait as it is to march forward. Both have their place but we have to be obedient to what God is saying and when He’s saying it.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Psalm 46:10-11

The children of Israel had a tangible, visible sign that they followed. The Lord placed a cloud over the Tabernacle and when it moved the moved; and when it stayed they stayed.

“Sometimes the cloud was over the Holy Tent for only a few days. So the people obeyed the LORD’s command—they followed the cloud when it moved. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only during the night—the next morning the cloud moved. So the people gathered their things and followed it. If the cloud moved, during the day or during the night, they followed it. 22 If the cloud stayed over the Holy Tent for two days, a month, or a year, the people stayed at that place. They did not leave until the cloud moved. When the cloud rose from its place and moved, they also moved. 23 So the people obeyed the LORD’s commands. They camped when the LORD told them to, and they moved when he told them to. They watched carefully and obeyed the LORD’s commands to Moses” Number 9:21-23 ERV

Obedience! That’s the key. We say “Lord, speak to me and I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.” And then He speaks something so simple as to stay – rest and we sit for 15 minutes and then want to get up and get back to our normal routine. It’s hard to rest!

Once again it’s the Holy Spirit teaching obedience and most of the time obedience involves crucifying the flesh. God’s way of doing things is generally contrary to the natural way. He told Joshua to march around a city and they would capture it – Jesus told us to achieve greatness we must strive to be a servant. Paul said when I am weak then am I strong. See – these things seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but that’s God’s way.

I’m learning and I imagine I will be learning this lesson again. I hope what I am being taught will encourage you when it comes your turn to “rest”.

“The LORD is good and merciful;
our God is so kind.
6 The LORD takes care of helpless people.
I was without help, and he saved me.
7 My soul, relax!
The LORD is caring for you.” Psalm 116:5-7 ERV

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