Psalm 8: 1 and 9
O Lord our Lord, Your majestic Name fills the Earth!
His Name is His authority as Creator, Maker, Designer, Provider, Ruler, Judge, and King. The Moon and Stars are the work of His fingers (v. 3). He has made Mankind a little lower than Elohim (gods or angels), and crowned us with glory and honor (v. 5) with authority over all the creatures on land and sea (vs. 6-8).
And it took the strength of His arm to save us! (Psalm 77:15). He has saved us from our sins, and saved us from ourselves. He has saved us for His own possession; for His purposes and His plans for us are for our good, to give us a future and a hope. This brings Glory to Him, our Owner.
He has granted us Mercy, in putting all His wrath that is due us on His Son; and He has granted us Grace, in giving us all the Goodness that we don't deserve and can never earn.
We are His Trophies of Grace--only in His power can we do or accomplish anything.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Monday, September 11, 2017
So Few Days
Psalm 90: 12
Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.
We have so little time here on this Earth to accomplish what we will. I dare say that half or more of my time here has already passed.
So few days left, O Lord; please teach me how to make the most of every day, each day left that is allotted to me, every moment You give me to seek Your Face, and grow in Your wisdom.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.
We have so little time here on this Earth to accomplish what we will. I dare say that half or more of my time here has already passed.
So few days left, O Lord; please teach me how to make the most of every day, each day left that is allotted to me, every moment You give me to seek Your Face, and grow in Your wisdom.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Our Home
Psalm 90: 1
Lord, through all the generations You have been our home.
Not Heaven, not Paradise, not any place, but a Person. My Lord God is my home. The longing of my heart is a Person, not place or a thing, or a culture or a society. A Personality, with honorable character and righteousness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Lord, through all the generations You have been our home.
Not Heaven, not Paradise, not any place, but a Person. My Lord God is my home. The longing of my heart is a Person, not place or a thing, or a culture or a society. A Personality, with honorable character and righteousness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Celebrate!
Exodus 34: 23-24
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.
These three times are for the three feasts that were to be celebrated in Jerusalem for a week each. So God invited them to His party three times a year.
Our God is a party God. He gave us a seven-day week so that we would take a day off each week and not wear ourselves out. And He had His people observe six specific "feasts" to lay out His program for us all, and half of these had all the people come to God's house for His week-long party.
When Jesus walked this Earth, He showed us what God is like; and He liked to go to parties. And some of His parables used parties as an example of God's ways.
We take vacations, which are like a week-long party to get away from the daily grind. God had His people take three vacations a year, coming to Jerusalem to celebrate with food and joyfulness.
God loves us so much, He doesn't want us to wear ourselves out with the hard labor of providing sustenance for our families. Even during planting and during harvest, the busiest times of the agrarian year, they were to take that day off each week to honor God and get the rest they needed to tackle their work again the next week. And they were also to let the land rest every seven years, so it would continue to produce the abundance of crops and not be depleted.
If only we would listen to God and take Him seriously and practically in our daily lives, things would go so much better for us in this World; we would have everything we need, and we would get along with one another so much better; because that's how He designed it all to work.
But we listen instead to our enemy who wants to destroy us, who tells us we're smart, we know better and can make our own decisions, we don't want anyone to tell us what to do. And our pride swells up in our hearts, and we make our own decisions, not considering the long-range consequences. Then we wonder why we just can't seem to get a break.
So turn around, humble yourself before your Creator, listen to what He says to you, even if it doesn't seem to make "sense." Do what He has told you to do, His way, in His time, and you will see the goodness of the Lord for you. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are so far above our thoughts! He wants only the best for us, and even sacrificed His most Precious for us.
Life is not a party. So let's find reasons to celebrate. Let's discover joy in the every day. Let's make time to get together and enjoy one another. It won't plan itself, we must intentionally look for ways to get together for at least a meal from time to time. Pay attention to what's going on, and focus on what's good and positive instead of criticizing what's not. Let's find time to have a party, and invite God into our celebrations, to rejoice in Him together.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.
These three times are for the three feasts that were to be celebrated in Jerusalem for a week each. So God invited them to His party three times a year.
Our God is a party God. He gave us a seven-day week so that we would take a day off each week and not wear ourselves out. And He had His people observe six specific "feasts" to lay out His program for us all, and half of these had all the people come to God's house for His week-long party.
When Jesus walked this Earth, He showed us what God is like; and He liked to go to parties. And some of His parables used parties as an example of God's ways.
We take vacations, which are like a week-long party to get away from the daily grind. God had His people take three vacations a year, coming to Jerusalem to celebrate with food and joyfulness.
God loves us so much, He doesn't want us to wear ourselves out with the hard labor of providing sustenance for our families. Even during planting and during harvest, the busiest times of the agrarian year, they were to take that day off each week to honor God and get the rest they needed to tackle their work again the next week. And they were also to let the land rest every seven years, so it would continue to produce the abundance of crops and not be depleted.
If only we would listen to God and take Him seriously and practically in our daily lives, things would go so much better for us in this World; we would have everything we need, and we would get along with one another so much better; because that's how He designed it all to work.
But we listen instead to our enemy who wants to destroy us, who tells us we're smart, we know better and can make our own decisions, we don't want anyone to tell us what to do. And our pride swells up in our hearts, and we make our own decisions, not considering the long-range consequences. Then we wonder why we just can't seem to get a break.
So turn around, humble yourself before your Creator, listen to what He says to you, even if it doesn't seem to make "sense." Do what He has told you to do, His way, in His time, and you will see the goodness of the Lord for you. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are so far above our thoughts! He wants only the best for us, and even sacrificed His most Precious for us.
Life is not a party. So let's find reasons to celebrate. Let's discover joy in the every day. Let's make time to get together and enjoy one another. It won't plan itself, we must intentionally look for ways to get together for at least a meal from time to time. Pay attention to what's going on, and focus on what's good and positive instead of criticizing what's not. Let's find time to have a party, and invite God into our celebrations, to rejoice in Him together.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 8, 2017
Our Words
Psalm 39: 1
I said, I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle.
Proverbs 13: 3
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life.
I have been learning how to put that muzzle on my mouth as a guard, to keep me from speaking before I have considered what my words will do--to harm or build up.
God's Word made the world; and He has given us words that have great power, also. We can, by our words, tear down much good and destroy others; and our words can build up and encourage others, and accomplish God's purposes.
O my Father, continue to teach me to think before I open my mouth to speak; that I may use the power You place in my words only to encourage, to teach Your Truth, and to build up others, drawing them to You.
Give me opportunities to share Your joy with others, the wonderful salvation You offer to all. Find Your lost sheep and bring them in that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I said, I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle.
Proverbs 13: 3
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life.
I have been learning how to put that muzzle on my mouth as a guard, to keep me from speaking before I have considered what my words will do--to harm or build up.
God's Word made the world; and He has given us words that have great power, also. We can, by our words, tear down much good and destroy others; and our words can build up and encourage others, and accomplish God's purposes.
O my Father, continue to teach me to think before I open my mouth to speak; that I may use the power You place in my words only to encourage, to teach Your Truth, and to build up others, drawing them to You.
Give me opportunities to share Your joy with others, the wonderful salvation You offer to all. Find Your lost sheep and bring them in that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 7, 2017
God Will Dwell Among Us
Exodus 29: 45-46
And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God Who brought them out from the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
God's Plan was always to dwell among His people, and be the Lord their God to them. He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve until they sinned. He traveled with Israel through the Desert for the 40 years they wandered, then brought them into their Land. He had Solomon build Him a magnificent Temple, acknowledging that no Earthly structure would be able to contain Him.
Now God dwells in us, His church, by His Holy Spirit, in each of our spirits one-by-one, hidden away from the World. And He will eventually live forever among His people in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth in the New Heaven (Universe).
O my Father, all the years of past history are but a blink of an eye compared to the forever You have planned and are preparing us for.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God Who brought them out from the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.
God's Plan was always to dwell among His people, and be the Lord their God to them. He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve until they sinned. He traveled with Israel through the Desert for the 40 years they wandered, then brought them into their Land. He had Solomon build Him a magnificent Temple, acknowledging that no Earthly structure would be able to contain Him.
Now God dwells in us, His church, by His Holy Spirit, in each of our spirits one-by-one, hidden away from the World. And He will eventually live forever among His people in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth in the New Heaven (Universe).
O my Father, all the years of past history are but a blink of an eye compared to the forever You have planned and are preparing us for.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Thanksgiving And Praise
Psalm 100: 4-5
Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
The Book of Psalms is God's song-book, and it shows us His heart. These verses remind us to always have an attitude of thankfulness.
Whatever we focus on is what grows large in our vision, and the rest fades into the background. When we focus on all the good God does in our lives every day, instead of looking at the flaws and criticisms, then His blessings loom large and all the negative stuff just fades away. Then we gain a positive attitude that brightens up our days and encourages others in our world.
When we cultivate and deliberately practice looking at all the good we can find every day, and every time something negative crosses our mind we can purposefully replace that thought with something that is lovely or gracious or praiseworthy. We need to practice diligently to form a new good habit. And it takes longer than to pick up a bad habit. Sometimes a long time. But if we're faithful to continue to be aware of what we're doing in our thought life, we will reap wonderful and tremendous results. It's always worth it.
Our thoughts inform our choices, our choices determine our decisions, which become our actions, that fill our days, and become our life. So pay attention to how you think and what you think about.
Always remember how good our God is every day, and that His very Nature is Love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His Name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
The Book of Psalms is God's song-book, and it shows us His heart. These verses remind us to always have an attitude of thankfulness.
Whatever we focus on is what grows large in our vision, and the rest fades into the background. When we focus on all the good God does in our lives every day, instead of looking at the flaws and criticisms, then His blessings loom large and all the negative stuff just fades away. Then we gain a positive attitude that brightens up our days and encourages others in our world.
When we cultivate and deliberately practice looking at all the good we can find every day, and every time something negative crosses our mind we can purposefully replace that thought with something that is lovely or gracious or praiseworthy. We need to practice diligently to form a new good habit. And it takes longer than to pick up a bad habit. Sometimes a long time. But if we're faithful to continue to be aware of what we're doing in our thought life, we will reap wonderful and tremendous results. It's always worth it.
Our thoughts inform our choices, our choices determine our decisions, which become our actions, that fill our days, and become our life. So pay attention to how you think and what you think about.
Always remember how good our God is every day, and that His very Nature is Love.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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