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Thank You

Today is a busy day. Tomorrow we will be attending or hosting a Thanksgiving meal. We either have to prepare a dish (maybe all the dishes) or run by the store to purchase something to contribute to the meal. I have found myself feeling anxious about numerous things for tomorrow…will I forget a needed ingredient? will the food turn out ok? will everyone feel welcome and at home? will my house be clean enough? will my kids truly enjoy being home? The list could go on and on. But, once again, God’s Word rings true and I am brought back to what truly brings me peace.

Today we read Psalms 146.
David gives us 13 reasons to trust in God.

1-He is our help
2-He made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them
3-He remains faithful forever
4-He executes justice for the oppressed
5-He gives food to the hungry
6-He sets the prisoners free
7-He opens the eyes of the blind
8-He lifts up those who are bowed down
9-He loves the righteous
10- He watches over the sojourners
11-He upholds the widow and the fatherless
12-He brings the wicked to ruin
13-He will reign forever

We are not to rely on our human abilities, but we have a God who truly cares for us and loves us more than we can ever imagine. When something goes wrong tomorrow, and it probably will, turn to God. God is our help. God is our hope. God is our provider. He is the only one that can provide peace in a time of need.

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
Psalms 146:3-5

When we face a struggle or are stressed it is easy to turn to someone else to complain or ask for help. But, if we reach out to God first, He will bring us true peace and answers faster than any human can.

Thanksgiving is a perfect day to remember all the reasons  to thank God. Thank You God that we can come to You first. No problem we face is too small or too big for You. Thank You that in this 146th Psalm You have listed so many ways we have to be thankful. We praise You for the gift that we have in You.

We Thank You!

 

Salvation

I was thinking about my faith today and I narrowed it down to two things.

    1. Living on earth: The world we live in is incomprehensible. The sin, hate, sadness, and the many things we cannot understand force me to search for meaning.  I realize that I won’t understand why things on earth happen the way they do. I have come to trust and believe that God has a plan and no matter how awful or incomprehensible the circumstances, God is at work.  I believe that we can find “rest” and peace in God’s promise, to look over us, guide us, and lead us.
    2. The afterlife: What happens to my soul after my death is important to me. I do not believe that this world is the end my soul.  I believe that I am going to a better place after I die.  I also believe that I will see the many friends and family that have passed before me, again, if they too believed that Jesus died on the cross to forgive their sins. The hurt and pain of their deaths are temporary, as we will spend eternity together in Heaven.

The title of Psalm 115 is “The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God.”  We can be enamored with success, achievement, and ultimately material things that we believe will make us feel fulfilled.  Time and time again, we see examples of a lack of satisfaction and fulfillment with life on earth.  No matter how much money or stuff a person has, they typically feel like they are missing something.

This brings my focus back to what’s important.  The size of your house or the amount in your bank account does not matter at the end of our lives.  What matters is our faith in Jesus Christ and knowing that we are saved and fulfilled. Fulfillment comes from a life following Jesus and confidence in knowing that we are destined for a better afterlife, after this life.  How depressing to think that this life is as good as it gets!

The Bible tells us that we will rest in Paradise (Heaven) with our savior after we die.  As for me, I will follow Jesus and enjoy the rest in this life that comes from His peace and run for salvation after my life on earth.

Praise God for our salvation!

The joy that surrounds us!

Have you ever become so focused on problems that you fail to experience the joy surrounding you? There is a problem that I’ve been chasing and I’m working very hard to fix it. While it is suitable for me to use my gifts and talents to solve problems, it is wrong to let the issue consume me.

While reading today’s scripture (Psalm 106), the following verses were convicting in that my heart has been more “me” (and my problems) focused rather than outward, focusing on others and gratitude for what God has done and continues to do in my life.

7 Our ancestors in Egypt
    were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.
They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.
    Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.

13 But they soon forgot his works;
    they did not wait for his counsel.

21 They forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt, (Psalm 106:7, 13, 21)

To make matters worse, upon forgetting God’s goodness, whatever we put before him becomes an idol. That’s what we see of the Israelites in verses 19-20. They made an idol and worshipped it.

It seems my problems and all sorts of other things have become idols. This focus left me feeling down and losing sleep. Yesterday I said to someone “I don’t really like myself right now”.

Fortunately, if we listen to the Holy Spirit and honestly confess our sins we are forgiven, redeemed, and set free. With a renewed commitment to be more grateful and to put God in his rightful place, I can say the joy has returned.

In addition to gratitude, what brings greater joy is serving others as we were not made to fulfill our own desires; we were made to give our lives away, with the ultimate example being Jesus. Today I read two questions Benjamin Franklin asked himself each day:

  1. What good shall I do this day?
  2. What good have I done today?

The answer to these two daily questions can be a good measure of whether we are living for ourselves and our idols, or a greater purpose, in line with our creator. Question two might also help us sleep a bit better. Today, how will you choose?

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

Today’s reading:  Psalm 105

Are you familiar with the claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) framework?  It usually begins to show up in middle school when students learn how to make a hypothesis and support their conclusions with data.  The model goes like this:

Claim – Make a one-sentence statement that answers the question at hand.

Evidence – Provide quantitative and/or qualitative evidence to support the claim.

Reasoning – Explain how/why the evidence supports the claim

As I studied our text for today, Psalm 105, I kept coming back to the CER framework.  The entire chapter follows this model.

Claim (verses 1-2) – The Lord is worthy of our praise.

Evidence (verses 5-41) –

    • God made a covenant with Abraham to make him a great nation.
    • God made an oath with Isaac (Abraham’s son) to be with him and bless him.
    • God promised Jacob (Isaac’s son) he would protect him wherever he went.
      • He allowed no one to oppress Jacob’s family as they wandered from nation to nation.
      • He called down a famine on the land, but sent Joseph (Jacob’s son) to protect them.
    • God made his people fruitful, too numerous for their foes.
    • God sent Moses as a servant, along with Aaron, to lead his people.
    • God performed miracles among the Egyptians to get them to release his people.
      • Covered the earth in darkness.
      • Turned the water to blood.
      • Infested the land with frogs, flies, and gnats.
      • Destroyed the land with hail.
      • Infested the land with locusts.
      • Killed the firstborn of every Egyptian family.
    • God’s people safely escaped Egypt.
    • God guided and cared for his people as they wandered in the wilderness with a cloud by day, fire by night, quail and manna to eat, water to drink.

Reasoning (verses 42-45) – God saved the Israelites so they would follow his ways.  Because God was faithful to deliver on his promises throughout history, he was worthy to be praised.

God was faithful then and is faithful now.  He kept his promises then and keeps his promises now.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom (Psalm 145:3).

 

Good Morning!

How do you start your day?  Clicking through emails and scrolling headlines brings on the pressures of life.  What a mess! How will you respond, what will you do?   As I sit in self-pity, anger, and anxiety, I hear the voice of God.  “Hey, remember me?”  He asks.  I do.  In those moments, I remember that God is our helper.  He is in control of all situations.  In fact, I can use him. Surely, he will provide me with the strategies that I need to navigate this day.  So, that’s my prayer and off I go.
Why do I do this?  I tell myself it is responsible.  I should be informed.  It also seems strategic.  When I know what I am in for, I can plan better.  I can shape my activities to create the best possible outcome.
If you sense that something is wrong with this method, you are right.  In fact, our lives will be entirely different if our days start like David’s in Psalm 104.   Rather than finding ways to use God in his life, he determines who God is.  For example, when was the last time you thought about God as creator?
God is not just the creator.  He is also the orchestrator.  He brings all of creation together, in harmony, so that it acts in concert.  Each piece works together, for Him.  For His purposes and for His glory.
How about provider?  God provides for us in the way that we most commonly think – he gives us food and shelter, but there is more.  He gives us places to sing.  Just as he does for the bird with the branches of the trees (v12).
 Because of who He is, I will sing,  I will praise my God with every breath. I will think of Him and His ways.  I will please Him only.  I rejoice in Him.
Let’s go start the day.

sons of the Most High

We all have a story, and doesn’t it make a difference when we know them? How quick sometimes, I can read into a situation or a person and think I have it figured out.  I judge a problem not knowing all the details.   Today’s reading of Psalm 82 is a plea for justice.  How quickly we want justice to be served when it deals with others, but when it deals with us…not so much.

As I read through today’s verses, I came to the following verse that caused me to pause and dig deeper. The Hebrew word translated as “gods” in Psalm 82:6 is Elohim. The Hebrew word Elohim is translated as “judges.” 

“I said, ‘You are “gods”;
    you are all sons of the Most High”

These words are another heart check I can reflect on daily.  The word “gods” refers to the judges of the earth.  The fleshly impulse to judge a situation that includes others can present itself daily.

Do I model grace in a situation like the Lord has given me? 

Is my conversation or thoughts representing the fruits of the Spirit? 

Our spiritual growth is being tested and sliding or growing each day.  Judging others is not what we should do.   Christians are also called to speak the truth in love and respect.  Do I say of His truth or pass judgment?  Am I there yet? Not always.

The truth is that we are all sons and daughters of the Most High.  I will one day face Him, and He will have all those of the flesh sins of judgment.  My prayer is for an increase in obedience and submission to His ways.

Matthew 7:1-5

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Luke 6:37

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

We are not God. God is God, and we who know Christ are His children.

Father, help us be mindful that judging others is not our place. We are no better than they are, and you will bring down and lift up as you see fit. Help us trust your almighty plan and the power of your love to capture hearts and transform people. Thank you for capturing our hearts.

Let’s Celebrate

 

Today’s Reading: Psalm 81

Psalm 81: 1-3;6-7

Sing aloud to God our strength…..  

Shout for joy to the God of Jacob!……

Raise a song…. sound the tambourine……

 the sweet lyre with the harp……

Blow the trumpet at the new moon……

at the full moon…. on our feast day……

I relieved your shoulder of the burden

your hands were freed from the basket…

In distress you called, and I delivered you;

 

Too often we do not take the time to celebrate and have JOY in our lives. So often, throughout the days, weeks, months, and years we experience so many trials and tribulations that we forget to celebrate our release and liberation from these obstacles.  We forget to acknowledge the harshness and strife that we have come through. We tend to go from one situation to the next and not allow ourselves to breathe and to celebrate the joy that we have.

How many times have we taken an exam, and as soon as the test is over we are preparing for the next event? How many times have we made it through a long journey, and then we are going to the next event or task without reflecting on the trip? How many times in the past week have we made it to our destination without injury, malice, or harm and not celebrated the journey?

Let’s take this time to celebrate. Let’s take this time to reflect on the goodness of God. Let’s take this time to reflect over all of the things and the hardship that we have come through this week, this month, this year. We are rejoicing because God has given us peace, refreshment, and renewed our life.  Have an amazing week.

Be blessed

 

His Name is Near

About a month ago I was listening to a podcast. Right in the middle of the conversation I heard the voice of the podcaster change, I could hear fear and worry. He hesitated and finally was able to communicate that he was experiencing an earthquake (he was located in San Fransisco). He did not shut down the podcast but waited to see the magnitude of it. Thankfully, it was not a severe quake, he said things around him rattled a bit, but nothing that was substantial. The fear in his voice is what struck me, because he had no idea what was going to happen.

This experience of listening to the podcaster while he was experiencing an earthquake came to mind as I was reading the verses for today in Psalms 75. Two verses in particular stood out to me.

“When I choose a time, I will judge fairly. When the earth and all its inhabitants shake, I am the one who steadies it pillars.
Psalms 75:2-3

These verses reveal that God is in absolute control over the world. If God chose, that earthquake could have been worse and I cannot imagine what I might have heard on that podcast. The two verses above make it clear that God will judge the world and every person in it. But, we can take heart because, God is near.

We give thanks to you, God, we give thanks to you, for your name is near. People tell about your wondrous works.
Psalms 75:1

Why give thanks to God when all the world is shaking and feels out of control? Because, His name is near. He is not far off, even when it feels as though He is. He promised that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

The problem is that we are often the ones who are distant from Him. It can happen so easily. We can be distant because of sin or when we become distracted by things of this world. We lose our focus on God and put it all on ourselves and what we are facing. Thankfully we have a promise in the New Testament,

Come near to God and He will come near to you.
James 4:8

Even when the world is in shatters around us. The Lord confirms that He is in control and that He is near. We have to reach out and acknowledge Him. We do that through talking to Him. His name is Near.

 

Staying Aware

Do you ever find yourself zoning out while driving? Not being distracted by devices or music or anything, just reflexively cruising down the road on a drive you’ve made countless times, almost on autopilot, as your mind wanders. Suddenly, you snap back to awareness & realize you’ve gone 20 miles without truly paying attention to the road – if you’re lucky. This mind-wandering behind the wheel is a somewhat common phenomenon, especially in occupations working long hours centered around transit, but as all distracted driving, can easily become deadly in the wrong situation. 

The writer of Psalm 50 describes how God is the judge of righteousness, and how the wicked will be accordingly dealt with – but also, warns readers to consider the reason for sacrifice. In verses 12-13, the obvious is stated about God: “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” In the days of animal sacrifice, it wasn’t the food & sustenance God needed – the whole world and everything within is His already. It is the giving of thanks symbolized that pleases God; the trust that in giving what you have, God will provide what you need. The glorification and gratitude of the giving to God is what pleases Him, not the things you give that come from Him in the first place. 

Does a sacrificial life ever become something you zone out on? Do you ever find yourself giving your time and donating what you have to help others simply because it’s just a thing you do, rather than because your heart seeks to glorify & thank God for providing & giving you the opportunity to share what you have? It can be easy to fall into a routine and grow used to making a weekly donation or volunteering every so often just to make ourselves feel good or simply out of habit – such is the pride of human nature. But this scripture warns us that it’s not the sacrifice God intends for us – it’s the complete, fully intentional, joyful heart that does so that He wants from us. As verse 22 exclaims, “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Hebrews 13:15 reminds us “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.” Psalm 50 reminds us our true sacrifice is the praise and thankfulness we demonstrate to God in our acknowledgement of His good, rather than a simple act which can be done by just anyone. Yes, the giving itself is good and pleasing and necessary, but it is in the joyous hearts and lips that praise Him that please Him. I pray for self-awareness and strength of mind today, that His goodness and righteousness would always be on my heart and aware in my mind – not to simply coast on habit of giving, but to actively seek & thank Him for what gifts I have to give. I pray this joy would be what motivates me to give joyfully what I have for Him, and to praise His name at all times on the forefront of my mind & in my life.