Tell it like it is

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”  Psalms 9:1.

Verse chosen from today’s Bible reading; 1 Samuel 17, Psalm 9, and Matthew 2.

If we’re willing to tell, He will give us plenty to tell about!  We need to see what we’re missing.

How closely do we look (and admire) what He has given us?  In the space where you are sitting, do you see all the things He has given you?  On my desk, I have (among other things); a light, a Bible, a camera, my wallet, my car keys, a cell phone, a savings account book, and Tim Keller’s “God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life.”  Every one of those items has the ingredients of a God’s blessing story.

He has been good to us.  Is everything as good as we might like it to be?  The issue there is that we foolishly try to decide what “good” is for us.  We do not know what’s best.

We are so conscious of what we don’t have, that we don’t have time to generate excitement about what we do have.  And that’s wrong!

My time on earth is short.  Do I have the next minute?  I do not know.  Therefore, as the song goes, “His praise must ever be on my lips.”

“Lord, You have blessed me mightily.  None of it has been deserved.  I am a sinner, yet Your Love has overwhelmed treating me justly.  I cling to You and thank You for saving me from the consequences of my sinfulness. What a Savior!”

Are His praises ever on your lips?

 

Messed-up prayer

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my prayer.”  Psalm 66:18-19.

Verses chosen from today’s Bible reading; 1 Samuel 1-2, Psalm 66, and 2 Corinthians 7.

Hard for me to resist these two verses annually.

My relationship to God is important for many reasons.  I must not let interferences with that relationship gain any foothold in my life.

It is crucial that I have a talking relationship with God.  I want to converse with Him anytime and anywhere.

Today’s verse gets into a potential hindrance to prayer: active sin going on in my life.  I say “active” because it is sin that I know is sin.  Sin that I can do something about……..but haven’t.

I have had occasions in which I start praying and something has come to mind that needs to be dealt with.  There is Scripture in Corinthians in which people are told to leave the celebration of communion if there is some sin that needs to be taken care of.  Regular prayer erects this hurdle for the true believer: You must deal with this active sin in your life or your prayer life will be hindered.

In 1 Peter, husbands are informed that if they are not treating their wives in a Godly way that their prayers will be hindered.

“Lord, open me to see what I need to deal with.  Things that clog my relationship to You.  I want those obstacles removed so that You and I are as close as possible.  I want to walk and talk easily with You.  Reveal to me instantly any fits of godlessness, so that I can repent, correct, and be restored to You.  I love You, Lord.”

We cannot impair our connection to our spiritual support system.

How long will I live?

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.  Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.” Psalm 39:5.

Verse chosen from today’s Bible reading; Judges 4-5, Psalm 39,41, and 1 Corinthians 13.

We’re not going to be here long!

After death is eternity. We cannot describe how long that is because “forever” is something we can’t estimate.

When I wrap my brain around the fact that my time on earth is short, I begin to plan accordingly.  When I think I’ll be here for a while, I also plan accordingly.

If I were to check the news I would quickly realize that I don’t number my days.  People die young and often suddenly.  We are all terminal.

Because God loved me so much He sent Jesus to take the consequences of my sins (and your’s) on Himself.  I will stand completely in the clear on Judgment Day as a result.  My task on earth, in the days I have left, is to rightly represent Him in everything I do.  Today could be my last day to tell my wife I love her.

“Lord, You number my days.  Help me to use my time wisely.  Fill me with Your Words and Thoughts.  Prick my conscience when I mess up so that I can repent and move on.  I love You, Father.”

Live in the present for Him.

They’ll get theirs’

“The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” Psalm 37:12-13.

Verses chosen from today’s Bible reading; Joshua 1-2, Psalm 37, and 1 Corinthians 3.

I watched a little TV last night and I can tell you, as if you didn’t already know, there is a lot of evil in the world.

The enormous evils that appear to happen with such regularity give cause to ask: “Who is in charge?”

God is in charge, yet sin is rampant in the world.  When Adam sinned, he infected the rest of us.  There will be decay, there will be wrong things being done.

Yet evil will not win in the end.  God has promised that to those who believe in Him, and what He did, will have an after-life eternity with Him.

We live among those who hate God, underestimate God, or are amused by the thought of God.  They resist Him.  They ignore Him.  They blaspheme against Him.  And they will regret this on Judgment Day.

In their midst are plenty of evidences of God.  The experience of their lives informs them that none of life’s pleasures has permanency.  Everything is terminal except God.  He will be forever and ever.

If I grasp the severity of what separation from God will mean ultimately, I will strongly desire that those in my midst will not continue to be separated from Him.  I will fear for them.  I will intercede for their lives.  I will be willing to speak to them of their impending danger.

The wicked will indeed get theirs’ but I must do my part to lower the number of those facing an eternity in Hell.

“Lord, You are in charge.  I need You running every part of my life.  I want the sludge out.  I want the excuses removed.  I want to be filled with You.  I want an overflow that is You.  I want those in my midst to know You by my lifestyle and my words.  Prick my conscience when I am in error.  I want to get Your Way right.  Guide me, O thou great Jehovah.”

Any in your family likely to be eternally separated from God?  Pray for God’s intervention in their lives.

Who am I and Who is He?

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2.

Verses chosen from today’s Bible reading; Leviticus 23-24, Psalm 24, and Acts 21.

I kind of lose my importance when I take today’s verse to heart!

I read these verses and can’t help quote another Psalm, “Who am I that thou art mindful of me?”

God is not my equal.  We don’t chum around together.  He is God and I am His creation.

I frequently reference God’s question to Job after Job insisted on needing to question Him: “Where were You went I created the earth?”

I am His creation.  I must enjoy His many blessings.  I must also understand that I won’t always understand what happens.  God’s Way of doing things does not need my approval.  It needs my willingness to trust that He will get things right.

“Lord, have Your Way with me.  You know best.  Forgive me for ever doubting You.  Guide me, today, where You want me to be.  Flood me with Your Words so that my words will rightly represent You this day.  Your blessing to me are innumerous.  Thank You, Father.  I love You, Lord.”

I do not have the capacity to understand God.  Therefore, I must stay in perpetual awe of Him.

Am I wicked?

“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”  Psalm 10:4.

Verse chosen from today’s Bible reading; Genesis 47-48, Psalm 10, and Luke 19.

It is easy to look at this verse and think of other folks.  But what about me?

When I lose track of God, I am that “wicked” man.

If God is not being thought about, who is?  There is plenty of Scripture suggesting that Satan moves into unoccupied spots.  If I am godless than I am probably Satan filled.

And that cannot be.  I do not want Satan loose in any part of my life.

How then should I live?  I must get it into my head that God is my companion.  He is wherever I’m at.

How often I forget His whereabouts!  He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me.  And He doesn’t.  How dreadful that I often ignore His nearness and give Satan room to function in my life.

A reason I lose track of God is that I take to running my own life.  When things are smooth, I begin to assume that I am doing a pretty good job of running my life.  Foolish thinking!

When things are tough, I sometimes minimize Him by deciding that He need not be bothered with my troubles.  I’ll find an alternative to take care of things.  Foolish thinking!

“Lord, forgive me for losing track of You.  You are not only near me, but You also care about what I’m doing. I love You for that!  Take me over now.  I surrender to You.  You are my God.”

If I leave God out of my life’s equation I am opening the door to Satan.

Wake-up call

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”  Psalm 5:3.

Verse chosen from today’s Bible reading; Genesis 42-43, Psalm 5, and Luke 17.

Sound advice.

Get each day off to a Godly start.

The first thing each morning, I begin interacting with my Divine Companion.  I don’t ignore Him.  He’s in the bedroom with me!

Note that I am speaking.  I am putting words together that convey my connection to Him.

I will be telling Him things that He already knows, but I do it anyway.  Why?  It is for my benefit.  It gets me aligned with Him.  It recognizes my dependence on Him.

And note at the end that I must wait.  I have shared with Him things, and realigned myself to Him.  Now it’s His turn.

I do not know what will happen, but I know that He is in charge.  That gives me comfort and confidence.

I will spend the day watching to see what He will do.   If I am to be in difficult situations I will see what comes to me through Him.

Remember that this is all generated by a Godly morning start.  Too often we seek God during the day because we have ignored Him earlier.

“Lord, this day is Yours from the get-go.  I trust You to direct my way this day.  Show me what I should do and not do.  Make it clear to me.  Guide me, O thou great Jehovah.”

Were you aware of God when you woke up this morning?