The High Praises

 

As we praise the Lord, we exalt Him and bless His name each moment of our day, for as long as we live and then on into eternity. He is great and so worthy of all of our adoration. His greatness is incomprehensible to our finite mind (Psalm 145:1-3). His name will endure for eternity and every generation will know Him as Lord (Psalm 135:13).

Everyone that has breath praises Him in worship, in nature, with musical instruments and with dancing (Psalm 150:1-6). Each generation will communicate His works to the next, and they will declare His mighty acts to each individual, as well as to the nations, which He blesses (Psalm 145:4-6, 21).

Therefore, we should sing praises to the Lord our God, while we live (Psalm 146:1-2). The Lord longs to be gracious to His people. He makes every effort to show compassion to us. He is the God of justice and mercy, and we are blessed if we wait for His timing in everything we say and do (Isaiah 30:18). Singing His praises is good and beautiful.

God is the stability of all times, and we can trust in Him. He is a wealth of wisdom, provision and deliverance to those who put all of their faith in Him. Honoring the Lord is the key to receiving this treasure (Isaiah 33:6). We praise Him for His great mercy, which He gave us through His new birth; and for His living hope, which He provided through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (Psalm 147:1).

Prayer:

Father God, we bless You, because You hear our prayers. You are our strength and protection. Our soul trusts in You, because You are always ready to help us. Our heart exceedingly rejoices in the beauty of Your holiness and we give thanks to You in continual praises (Psalm 28:6-7). You are enthroned between the angels and You alone are the God over every kingdom and nation of this earth, which You created (Isaiah 37:16).

Thought for the Day:

The high praises of God are in our mouth, and His Holy Word is in our hands, as we hide it within our heart. - Psalm 119:11, 149:6; Hebrews 4:12

Fellowship with Our Father

 

 

We have nothing that God needs, but everything that He wants. He desires fellowship with us as His Saints (1 John 1:3). We often forfeit this privilege because our thoughts and behavior grieve God’s Spirit and block our communication with Him. Under the guise of grace, we wallow in our sins. However, true repentance cries out to God for forgiveness and restores our relationship with Him once again (1 John 3:9).

 

If we live in association with darkness and sin, we cannot have fellowship with the Father of light (1 John 1:6-7; James 1:17). The more we associate with our Father, the better we get to know Him and to walk in His light, as children of the Light (1 Thessalonians 5:5). In God, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). From our fellowship with our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding joy flows into us (1 John 1:3).

 

God’s light reveals our areas of weakness and presents them to us in a whole different light (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer see sin as acceptable, but as abhorrent and disgusting. We confess our sins, and He is faithful and merciful enough to forgive us of those sins (1 John 1:9). He gives us His limitless power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ, regardless of our human limitations (2 Corinthians 4:7; 12:9).

 

Another benefit or our relationship with God is our fellowship with His Body (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are here to bless and care for one another (Philippians 2:4; Romans 12:10). We cry and rejoice with each other, pray for and with one another, and exhort, admonish and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We have purpose and guidance in this life.

 

Prayer:
Father God, even in the darkest night of any trial You are in the midst of it with us, loving us from the inside out, giving us wisdom and making everything work our for our good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11). Remind us to encourage one another and to pray for each other as Your Body. Show us the seeds of Your miracle in the midst of every tribulation.

 

Thought for the Day:

What mankind calls liberty and grace, God’s holiness calls rebellion and iniquity. Sin breaks our fellowship with our Father.

Father God Knows Best

 

If we refuse to heed the Spirit’s prompting in our life, we destroy our self from the inside out. We surrender to our flesh and Satan’s purposes, and we allow them to take up God’s place in our soul. If we choose to focus on sin in the TV shows, movies, or music we partake of, we invite Satan to also use our body, as well as our soul (Deuteronomy 11:16). God lives within us. Do you really want to drag Him through the mire with you?

However, if we seek God with our whole heart (Deuteronomy 6:5), He will give us glimpses of His glory during our life here on earth. As we dedicate our thoughts, words and actions to Him, we desire less and less of the world. Sin starts to grieve us as much as it grieves God. Satan is no longer able to pull us away from our focus fixed on God (Deuteronomy 11:17-20). We read His Word, as our daily bread, and our spirit grows stronger each day.

If we heed the Spirit’s prompting, we realize that our humanity is dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). We realize that our humanity is actually crucified with Christ, and the life we now live is only by the faith of the son of God, who loves us and laid down His life to save us (Galatians 2:20). We change our focus from our self, and we begin to live in the will of God (Hebrews 10:7). We set our mind to accomplish the works, which God created for us to accomplish before we were even born (Ephesians 2:8-10).

We walk in the Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. Our life is a praise to Him who rides upon the clouds (Psalm 68:4). We live a holy life by faith in His faithfulness. This holiness is the result of our love relationship with Christ in us. We follow His example and walk in His light, because He is our light (1 John 1:5-7). The bi-product of this relationship is a life that prays, reads God’s Word, worships with other Believers, evangelizes and gives tithes and offerings.

Self-denial is not a life of sadness and struggle; it is freedom to enjoy the blessings of God instead of the fruit of the flesh. Our spirit is grieved when we sin, and the Spirit of God within us is fighting for our life. In difficulties, we surrender that trial or circumstance to God; and we walk in His Spirit, reaping the fruit of our labors. We can rejoice in the Lord regardless of our circumstances, because every trial is an adventure when God is in control. We live in the joy of the Lord (John 15:11).

Prayer:

Father God, You live the Christian life through every Believer. Show us the areas of our life that we give Satan a foothold into our soul. Thank You for Your spiritual wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). Living in your presence we experience fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). We give you the praise of our lips and the dedication of our heart as we serve You with our life.

Thought for the Day:

God saves all those who endure to the end. – Matthew 24:13

Full of God's Glory

 

Our thirst for God is only quenched by the water of life flowing from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1). He rids our life of pride and arrogance, when we realize that Christ is our whole life. Our humanity is dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3-4). We are a friend of God and co-heirs with Christ (John 15:14-15; Romans 8:17). We are secure in His love and He enjoys spending time with us. Our spirit is His dwelling place (John 14:23). Our obedience, worship and fellowship with Him are at the heart of our intimate union with Christ in us (John 14:15).

Fully abiding in Christ produces a life of peace and joy that grows beyond any explanation and is complete in the glory of God within us (1 Peter 1:7-9). We flourish on the Vine of Christ and bear fruit for His Kingdom (John 15:1-8; Galatians 5:22-23). His fruit satisfies our soul and we value His presence in our life above all else. His joy sees us through every trial and His peace through every heart break (James 1:2-12). With His strength as our joy, our workload is easier, our trouble is lighter and our heart sings with gladness (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 100:2).

We focus on the cross, seek and witness to the lost, and abide in Christ as His Spirit leads us through each moment of our day. Our food is to do the will of our Father, and our joy is full when a sinner is saved (John 4:5; Luke 15:7-11). The apostle Paul put it all into perspective. He lived as an example of a Believer. He showed endurance in troubles, hardships, distresses, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights and hunger. All the while he also exhibited purity, understanding, patience, kindness and sincere love in the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s speech was truthful and in the power of God, and his only weapon was righteousness. He exhibited a steadfast testimony through glory and dishonor, bad report and good, and genuine faith when regarded as an impostor. People pretended they did not know him. They beat him, yet did not kill him. Although he was close to death, he went on living. Even in times of sorrow, he rejoiced. When poor, he considered himself rich; although he had nothing, he possessed everything of real value through Christ (2 Corinthians 6:4-10).

Prayer:

Father God, when we weep for the souls of our lost friends, relatives, associates and neighbors, we do so with faith in Your faithfulness to bring these loved ones to Yourself and to fill them with Your love and the fruit of Your Spirit (John 15:11; 16:24). We experience the assurance of Your salvation and Your provision for our every need, every doubt is put to flight and our faith is filled with Your joy. We want this same life for all those we know. Let Your joy be full through the praise of our lips and by our obedience to fulfill the works You created us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
 

Thought for the Day:

When we see the Lord, our heart will rejoice and no one will ever destroy our joy. – John 16:22

Sacrificial Love

In following Jesus’ example and direction, we live with sacrificial love for everyone around us. We put the needs of others ahead of our own needs. We give our resources, time, energy, empathy and compassion. However, this lifestyle will deplete our emotional energy, if we live it in the flesh. Codependent people are servants at heart, and they give so much to so many so often, that they burn out. God tells us to love others as we love our self. We need to take time to meet our needs too, and to allow others to meet our needs.

The only way we can truly love others sacrificially is through obedience to the Spirit of God. We grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ because His Spirit transforms us into His likeness (Ephesians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18). God’s love within us allows us to forgive the slights, abuses and violations perpetrated against us. He also enables us to cry with those who suffer; and rejoice, without jealousy or bitterness, with those who are celebrating (Romans 12:15).

The world, the flesh and the devil do not want us to love unconditionally. They want us to fling accusations concerning our trials into the face of God (Matthew 16:23). They want us to react in hate, to wallow in bitterness and to unleash all of our negative emotions on the one who hurt us. However, Jesus says to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). It is hard to do that when our normal response is to fight back. With each temptation to disobey the Lord, we struggle to lay down our life, and instead, to take up His life within us.

We face a struggle between our fleshly nature and God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:1, 25). We want to do what is right, but we often fail in times of crisis (Matthew 6:22-23, 16:13-16). Finding Christian friends who are experiencing a similar life crisis soothes our soul and gives us prayer partners. God proves His love and kindness to us as He guards, fortifies and leads us through these troubled waters. In the end, God’s faithful Saints will receive commendation, prominence and even more authority, once the Lord returns for us (1 Peter 1:7).

Our sacrifice of love is an expression of our love for and gratitude toward God. The world recognizes us as Believers, because of the depth of our love for one another and for the world around us (John 13:34-35). There are so many hurting people in the world who need the love of God; and we are just the ones to show them that we love them, because He first loved us. We have the only true, eternal hope, which is available to offer to our hurting family, friends, associates, neighbors and even people we have only just met (Romans 5:5).

Prayer:

Father God, many of life’s storms come to prove that our faith in Your faithfulness is valid, and worth more to us than any earthly riches. You often allow tribulation in our life to prove to us that You love us, or to redirect our course of action and to center us in Your will for our life. We can patiently wait and watch for Your divine intervention on our behalf (Exodus 14:13). Help us to share Your sacrificial love only with those You want us to reach out to.

Thought for the Day:

God so loved the whole world that He sacrificially gave His only begotten Son to save us from a life of sin.

My Soul's Portion

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never end; they are fresh every morning. His faithfulness is great and never ending. My soul received the Lord as my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him. The Lord provides every good and perfect gift for those who wait on Him, to the soul that seeks Him. Salvation is not something we must grasp at or steal away. It is a free gift that comes to those who patiently wait on the Lord (Lamentations 3:22-26).

My soul waits for the Lord more eagerly than a night watchman waits for the morning light to dawn (Psalm 130:6). I plant my hope in His Word, because He is my help and my shield (Psalm 28:7). He brings joy to my soul because He showers me with His unfailing love. Both riches and honor come from Him, and in His hand is all the power and might we need to live fulfilling and spiritually vibrant lives (2 Chronicles 20:6).

The Lord longs to be gracious and rises to show compassion on the whole earth. I will never finish singing His praises. I will never stop testifying to anyone who will listen about what He does for me, and what He longs to do for them. I will always give thanks to the Lord, and never fail to call upon His name in any time of distress. I will constantly sing praises to Him, and tell of all His wonderful acts (1 Chronicles 16:8-9).

He does not treat us as our sins warrant, nor does He repay us according to the punishment our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). He restrains His anger over our sin, time and time again. He is so merciful, because He repeatedly forgives our sins (Psalm 78:38). He who promises salvation to us is faithful; therefore we can cling to our hope in Him (Hebrews 10:23). His eyes are always on those who honor and respect Him, and who hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 33:18).

Even the heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they are a testimony to His goodness, and night after night they prove His existence (Psalm 19:1-2; Romans 1:20). I trust in God’s loyal love. My heart rejoices in His salvation. He blesses me bountifully, which makes my soul break forth into singing and rejoicing (Psalm 13:5-6).

During times of deprivation and abandonment, we can cling to the fact that God has big plans for His children. He brings us prosperous blessings and protects us even in times of trouble and trial. He is our future and our hope (Jeremiah 29:11). We can take courage from Him and from His Word. We have no need to be afraid, no matter what life throws at us. The Lord Jesus is with us - no matter who we are, where we live or what we do for a living on this earth.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, let Your unfailing love rain down upon us, even as we put our hope in You. Bring us to a place of surrendering everything to You, so that we may live according to Your will. You have only our best at heart; so help us to trust in Your mercy and grace forevermore. We praise You for Your great love and compassion, which never fail us.

Thought for the Day:

God is love; and His love demands justice for the wages of our sins. Yet, in His love, He gave His only Son to die to pay for us the penalty of our sin.

Higher Purpose

Paul and Barnabas embarked on an extensive journey and planted churches all along the way. The fledgling Believers they left behind suffered for their faith in Jesus. So, the apostles made a return visit on their way home to encourage the Christians in all the churches they started. They strengthened these fledgling Saints and encouraged them to persevere through tribulation, because their ultimate destination was the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:21-22). Paul also reminded them that we are never alone in our persecution. We have one another, as well as our Savior that lives within us (Galatians 2:20).

We often reap tribulation from some ill-conceived scheme of our own, or from a decision or action perpetrated by some self-centered person in our life. At other times, we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we fall victim to some evil deed. However, God uses every tribulation to build up our faith and to allow the fruit of His Holy Spirit to replace the carnality in our life (Galatians 5:22-23). We learn to rejoice in suffering and to persevere through it (Romans 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). It is miraculous what praising will accomplish in us and for us.

Paul also went on a second missionary journey, this time with Silas to assist him. In one town, they were accused of causing riots and sentenced to time in jail (Acts 16:20). Knowing the secret of the power of praise, the men prayed and sang hymns even while they were chained behind bars (Acts 16:25). God blessed their faith and miraculously delivered them from their bondage. This phenomenon caused their guard and his household to accept the saving knowledge of Christ into their lives (Acts 16:30-38).

When we view our tribulation with the eyes of the Holy Spirit, we learn the secret of contentment regardless of where we are, what we have or what is happening to us (Philippians 4:12). There is always something to thank God for. We may have received a faux fur coat rather than a genuine mink; however, we are still warm. We may have a small income rather than great wealth, but we still have everything we really need. We may have physical ailments, but we are still alive. There is always something for which we can praise the Lord. Adversity and advantage are actually two sides of the same coin (James 1:2-8).

When we allow our self to focus on what we do not have, or on our problems and negative circumstances, we lose faith. We doubt God’s love for us, and His power to provide. Our greatest gift in life, as well as in death, is eternal life. No one can kill a Christian. They can only change our address! Paul reminds us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). The Lord rejoices in the death of His Saints, because we are no longer separated from Him by time and space, and we will live in His presence for eternity (Psalm 115:16).

The purpose of tribulation is to conform us to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29). A secondary purpose is that we are forced to totally trust in God for deliverance, when we encounter trouble that we cannot navigate on our own. As we see God’s mighty hand move in our behalf during these times of trial, our faith grows and we learn wisdom and patience (James 1:4-8). Eventually, we learn to be joyful at all times, even in tribulation. This is because of the Godly character built into our life, as well as because of the hand of God that is always strong in our behalf (James 1:2-4).

Prayer:

Lord God, we find total peace and joy only when we give thanks to You in all of our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Our fulfillment depends more on our relationship with You than it does on our state of affairs. We may not have what we want; but if we did not have what we need, then You would certainly provide it (Philippians 4:18-20). Remind us to wait on You and to be of good courage, knowing full well that You will strengthen our heart and supply our needs in Your perfect timing and way (Psalm 27:14).

Thought for the Day:

No one who places their hope in the Lord will ever be put to shame. - Psalm 25:3

True Friendship

As King-elect of Israel, David served King Saul by playing his harp and singing in order to calm Saul’s troubled soul. Saul relied on David, but was also jealous of God’s anointing on the young man’s life. He had a need for David, but also a hatred that burned so deeply that he often tried to take David’s life (1 Samuel 20:1-17).

One day, Saul’s son Jonathan looked at David and realized that in him he had a brother for life. They were soulmates, so they made a covenant between them. Jonathan gave David all that he possessed and did whatever David needed in order to protect his beloved friend from his father’s cruelty, even to the point of giving up his own life (1 Samuel 18:1-4).

There are few people in the world today with that type of commitment and love for one another (Psalms 41:9). Jesus Christ made just such a vow to every human being ever born. He gave His own life as a ransom to pay the sin debt that we owe. He died in our place, so that we would never have to taste death. Our last breath on this earth leads to our very next breath in Heaven, and we owe it all to Jesus Christ. Jesus is a friend that sticks closer to us than a brother (John 15:13-15). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

At times people find it almost impossible to bond with other human beings. They are so shy or have such limited people skills that they make others uncomfortable around them. Angry people make poor friends and the Bible encourages us to stay away from them (Proverbs 22:24). Jeremiah warns us against hanging out with a brother or neighbor who is a deceiver or slanderer (Jeremiah 9:4).

Paul tells us to stay away from people who love their self, pleasure and money. He warns us against making friends with the proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and heartless, unappeasable, brutal, treacherous, reckless and conceited. He is especially uncomplimentary toward people who act religiously, but who reject the power that could make them godly. He also singles out idlers, gossips and busybodies as poor potential friends (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 Timothy 5:13-14).

The secret to having friends is to be friendly (Proverbs 18:24). We learn how to be a good friend from the wisdom of God’s Word. We love one another at all times and stand with each other through trials and tribulation (Proverbs 17:17; Proverbs 27:6,10). We have concern for one another, we avoid arguing and division, and we share in one another’s pain as well as rejoicing when someone is honored (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).
 
Sometimes a friend speaks the truth to us in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25). This often hurts our feelings and makes us angry. Sparks may fly between us like iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). However, true Christians will always submit to one another and settle our differences with grace and humility (1 Peter 5:5).
 
The fact is that two people facing life together is better than one, because they reap a double reward for their labor. If one falls, the other is there to lift him/her up. We provide warmth for one another in both body and soul. A three-fold cord is not quickly broken; and when Christ is in the center of a friendship, no one will be able to stand against us (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, at times, our friends are too busy or burdened by cares in their own life to help us out. However, You are a friend that sticks closer than a brother (John 15:13-15). You told us that if we ask, You will answer; if we seek, You will show us the way; if we knock You will open the door to us (Luke 11:5-10). Teach us to be this type of friend to one another, and to lift one another up; so that those in the world will see our love for one another and be drawn to our fellowship with You (John 13:35).

Thought for the Day:

True friendship revives the life within our soul.

 

 

The Blessings of Forgiveness

Read: Deuteronomy 32:35-36

“Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
- Psalm 86:4-5

Forgiveness is a very challenging discipline to learn. It is extremely difficult for human beings to let go of the anger, bitterness and the desire for revenge, which we harbor against those who hurt us. In actuality, we dream up all sorts of calamities, which we hope our oppressors will fall into, as we grin with delight. Somehow, withholding forgiveness makes our woundedness easier to handle.

We falsely believe that if we refuse to forgive, we are actually hurting our offender. In reality, that person probably has no idea we are unhappy with them; or if they do, they probably do not care. Forgiveness does not mean that we absolve the person of their faults or condone their actions or words against us. Forgiveness does not let them off the hook. It simply takes them off our hook and places them firmly on God’s. God knows exactly how to hand out vengeance to our tormentors (Deuteronomy 32:35-36).

The bitterness that grows out of unforgiveness is a poisonous root that blossoms into a great many other issues (Hebrews 12:15). If we choose to entertain resentment instead of forgiving our offender, bitterness will corrupt our whole life. We also realize that God cannot forgive us if we do not first forgive others (Mark 11:26). If we do not ask forgiveness from those whom we offend or wound, this is equally as serious (Matthew 5:24). However, when we understand eternity, the concerns of this life lose their intensity and value. This concept makes it easier to forgive.

The Apostle Paul is a great example to us of what a forgiving person acts like when persecuted. He was arrested multiple times, five different times the Jewish leaders gave him thirty-nine lashes, three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned and left for dead, three times he was shipwrecked, once he spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. He was constantly on the move to preach the gospel and to escape persecution. He was in danger from rivers, from bandits, from his own countrymen and from many Gentiles. He was in danger in the city, in the country, at sea and in danger from false brothers.

Paul worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. He was hungry and thirsty and often went without any food at all. He shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep him warm. Then, besides all of this, he had the daily burden of his concern for all of the churches he planted (2 Corinthians 11: 24-28). Yet in spite of these horrendous issues, he forgave his persecutors and he trusted God to give him everything he really needed.

In fact, Paul was in Rome awaiting trial, under house arrest and chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote the words, "Rejoice in the Lord always - and again I say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). He exhorted us from his deprivation to rejoice always. Regardless of our circumstances, if we live in America, we have more than enough motivation in our life to rejoice. Ultimately, Paul viewed life from God’s eternal perspective, which shed a whole new light on his situation.

Paul explains to us how to have a fulfilled life in Christ. "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:5-7).

The reason we find it hard to rejoice in our circumstances like Paul did is that we do not have the eternal perspective of life, which he maintained. We keep our focus on the earthly, carnal, material aspects of our life rather than on the spiritual, eternal ones. We do not have to wait until heaven to enjoy an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. We can make the choice right now to fully surrender our will to His, and to live with a completely spiritual commitment, focus and lifestyle.

As we rejoice always, focus on the eternal and trust in our Savior who lives within us, our fears fade and we look at our affliction like Paul did, as “light and momentary" (2 Corinthians 4:17). There is no longer any need to harbor unforgiveness toward anyone. We can live with the blessings of forgiveness instead. As we focus on eternal matters, we rejoice without ceasing because of God’s salvation and multitude of blessings in our life. We exchange our plan for our life with God’s plan. This change in our mindset provides us with fulfillment, which we would never experience without complete surrender to His will.

Take an honest look at your life. Are you a Christian in your outward behavior only, or within as well? Is your walk full of head knowledge about God, or do you have a true heartfelt relationship with the Savior of your soul? Do you think like a follower of Christ in Biblical terms or are you caught up in anxiety over the circumstances of your life? Do you live like a follower of the true Lord Jesus Christ in all your words and actions, or are you worshipping an idol of your own making?

Is Jesus the Lord of your life, or are you sitting on His throne? Are you controlled and guided by the Spirit of God or by your own cravings, ambitions and desires? If you see any faults in yourself while answering any of these questions, repent right now and forgive your self. God is waiting to bless you with the fruit of His forgiveness.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help us to forgive those toward whom we harbor animosity. Give us the courage to ask others to forgive us for anything we did to wound them. Then, give us the humility to ask Father God to forgive us for all of our sins, to redeem our soul, to give us an eternal perspective about life and to draw us ever closer to His heart. We count our self blessed. We are so happy to get a fresh start. Our slate of sin is wiped clean because of Your sacrifice on the cross. You hold nothing against us, and we are holding nothing back from You (Psalm 32:1-2).

Thought for the Day:
Forgiveness is the oil that heals our damaged soul. – Psalm 147:3

Journey to Joy

Read: Isaiah 25:7-8

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5

I am on a journey to joy. It is a journey for me, because on some days my melancholy personality wars against the joy of the Spirit within me. So much in life is so disheartening and grievous. I feel such profound sorrow deep within my soul when I see all the suffering on our planet. I also lament over sin and the harmful effects it has on the innocent and on the people that I love. Most of all, I mourn for those who refuse to believe in Jesus as their Savior, because as a result they condemn themselves for eternity (John 3:18).

Mourning is the soil in which true joy and comfort blossoms. The person who experiences sorrow is the best possible person to console others (Psalm 126:5). God promised to comfort those who mourn (Isaiah 57:18). Therefore, there is no reason that the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my spirit cannot override this natural penchant in my personality toward melancholia. The joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and it flows out of my spirit, infiltrates my soul and shines out through my countenance, as I put my hope in God and praise Him as my Savior and my Lord (Psalm 43:5). 

A lack of joy in the life of the Christian may also be the result of unconfessed sin. David prayed, during a time of walking away from the Lord, that God would restore to him the joy of his salvation (Psalm 51:12). His unconfessed sin dimmed his joy in God’s saving work. Yet, when He confessed his sin and repented, his joy returned. Repentance does our heart good as well. It frees us of the guilt, which accompanies sin, and it restores fellowship for us with our Father.

Having a carnal, worldly focus and priorities can also rob us of joy. Whether or not we possess earthly riches, our joy is still full because of who God is in our life. I love the sentiment in Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” Regardless of what we have or experience in life, joy comes when we focus on God alone.

Joy follows gratitude in our hearts. As we are thankful, then we can also feel intense joy. As we praise our Father, then His joy flows through us without boundaries erected by negativity and pessimism. Joy comes when we grow to love God more than anything the world has to offer. Joy rises as I sense God's love and favor. My soul is glad in the Lord (Psalm 35:9). His comforts delight my soul (Psalm 94:19).

Even in times of sorrow we can always rejoice (2 Corinthians 6:10), because God works everything out for our good (Romans 8:28). As we keep our focus on Him rather than on the circumstances around us, God keeps us in His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). In His presence we find abundant joy. With His blessings our pleasures are eternal (Psalm 16:11). He strengthens us in spirit and body by strengthening our soul (Psalm 138:3). He also sends our friends with a timely word to cheer our hearts (Proverbs 15:23) when we need it the most.

As we give God the sacrifice of praise, He exalts us above our enemies such as negative personality traits, even when they threaten to overpower us, (Psalm 116:17). He sheds His light and joy on us, and we rejoice in Him (Psalm 97:11-12). This leads to genuine praise and we actually shout for joy and make music to the Lord (Psalm 27:6). Our happy heart makes our face shine and heartache no longer crushes our spirit (Proverbs 15:13).

A cheerful heart is good medicine and it keeps depression from crushing our spirit (Proverbs 17:22). We are glad and rejoice at the thought that we will one day return to that heavenly city, where God will crown our heads with everlasting joy (Isaiah 35:10). We will go out with joy and He will lead us in peace. Even the mountains, the hills and the trees will burst forth in praise right along with us (Isaiah 55:12). He fills us with the joy of His presence and the promise of eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:11). On this earth, we have times of grief, but when we see Him face to face, we will rejoice and no one will ever take that away from us (John 16:22).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, when we look to other people, even family and close friends, to fill our soul with joy, we get disappointed time and again. However, when we look to You alone, You fill our hearts with Your love, joy and peace. Then, after we learn to turn to You as the source of all good things, You bring people into our lives that bless us as well.

Thought for the Day:

"Enter into the joy of your Lord!" - Matthew 25:21




Thank you, Mary Baker, for the use of your photo.

Waiting on God

I love the way the Holy Spirit warns us of mishaps before they happen. He leads us to places, which we never dreamed we would go. He also brings people into our lives that enrich and nourish us. Paul had such experiences all during his life. In one instance, the Holy Spirit even warned him that he would visit Rome (Acts 19:21) and that prison and hardships awaited him there (Acts 20:23).

However, this journey to Rome took almost three years. Along the way, Paul met many people and he shared with them the gospel of Christ. He even met a governor (Acts 24:25), whom he almost persuaded to trust in Jesus! Paul also lived his testimony before shipmates, natives who observed his snakebite and even to those who threatened his life.

Sometimes, God requires us to wait on His timing for His promises to come to pass. He seldom tells us the reason things happen as they do. He just asks us to trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). Often we wonder how the various circumstances in our lives will ever come together in a meaningful way. God promises that all things, even the negative things, will turn out for our good (Romans 8:28).

One thing modern human beings have in common is that we hate to wait! If we would only look beyond the events in our life to the face of our Savior, He would take the anxiety right out of the waiting process. We would also stop groaning about the things in our past. If we live in the present moment, God will meet us right where we are. As we wait upon the Lord, He will renew our strength. We will rise up on wings like the eagles and soar high into the spiritual realm of life (Isaiah 40:31).

God has a purpose for everything that occurs in our life, even if we never realize what it is until we make it to heaven. The Psalmist exhorts us to wait on the Lord and to be courageous, because as we do, God shall strengthen our heart (Psalm 27:14). Our soul waits for the Lord as we put our hope in His Word (Psalm 103:5).

In times of waiting, we can pause in God’s presence to be refreshed, linger in our memories of His goodness, remain faithful to His calling on our life and prepare our hearts for His next set of instructions. All the while, we can rejoice with gladness in our heart and learn to lean on Him all the more during the barren times or the heated trials of our life.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I do not have patience when it comes to waiting. I want to arrive right on time and not a minute too soon. I want to put my dinner in the oven and have it come out on time. I want to make an appointment and have people show up on time. But, life does not always happen on my time schedule. Teach me, Lord, to wait on You and to be content in whatever circumstances You bring to pass in my life.

Thought for the Day:

Surrender your soul to the blessings of each day as God provides it.

Why Did You Die?

Psalm 139: 1, 14, 16
Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Losing a loved one is the most debilitating and devastating experience anyone can ever go through. This grief extends beyond words and engulfs us body, soul and spirit. Often we find no solace in our grief. No word of comfort, no gesture of concern and no card or flower can lighten our burden of anguish. When viewed as loss, there is no solace in death. When viewed as our Homecoming, however, we find comfort and even some joy. When we take our last breath of this earthly air, we take our next breath in the celestial atmosphere of heaven. Death is actually the ultimate healing.


We all have a boundary around our lives. On this day, we will pass through the veil of death into the presence of God. These verses tell us how God views death from His side of the grave:

Ps 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. NKJV

Ps 48:14

For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death. NKJV

Prov 14:32

Even in death the righteous have a refuge. NIV

Ecclesiastes 7:1

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. TLB

Ps 16:9-11

Heart, body, and soul are filled with joy. For you will not leave me among the dead; you will not allow your beloved one to rot in the grave. You will let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of your own eternal presence. TLB

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. KJV

Luke 20:36

And they never die again; in these respects they are like angels, and are sons of God, for they are raised up in new life from the dead. TLB

Luke 16:22
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.

Grief is a natural process, which has no exact time frame and is experienced in unique ways by different individuals. Feeling the pain of grieving is difficult, but it's an important step toward healing. This task can be especially hard for a grieving person because it can feel at first that you're being disloyal when you start to think about enjoying a life that doesn't include your loved one. This is far from true. Your loved one would want you to live a full and happy life even though they cannot be here to share it. They are in the joyful presence of God and dwelling now in eternity, you are the one still here on earth.

For many people, the hardest part of losing a loved one and grieving that loss is to figure out what to do with all the love you feel for them. Remind yourself that you don't have to stop loving someone just because he or she is no longer with you. When a memory pops up, send a loving thought to that person. Thank the Lord for the time you shared with your loved one.

The loss of a child is one of the deepest pains a parent experiences, regardless of a child's age. The pain of how life could have been with that special child is often the most difficult to embrace and work through. A good way to honor the life of a miscarried baby is to make or buy something in memory of the baby to keep your loved one close to your heart.

Make a special safe place in your heart for your deceased loved one, and allow yourself to cherish those memories for the rest of your life. They will enhance your future relationships because of the love you shared. You can also make a keepsake box full of treasured photos or mementos of your relationship with your deceased loved one. Perhaps you'd like to visit a special place you both enjoyed and allow the joy of your good memories there wash over you. Allow yourself to cry, because tears wash away the grief. It's important to realize that you can cherish a memory without getting trapped there.

It is likely that some of the memories may cause a stab of emotional pain now and then, when you think about your loved one. That is normal. They were very important to you then and they still are now. When this happens, it's important to remind yourself that these fleeting moments are a normal part of the grieving and healing process. They can happen on and off for years and they may never go away. It is important to allow yourself to have these feelings. Do not deny it, cover it up, ignore it or run away from it. Feel the sadness fully and when you are done, then let it go. Be aware that grief has physical reactions as well as emotional reactions on the body. Physical reactions include: poor appetite, disturbed sleep patterns, restlessness, low energy, and other pains. Emotional reactions may include: panic, persistent fears, nervousness and nightmares. 

You can write your loved one a letter, or visit their grave and tell them how you feel. You can celebrate their birthday by doing something special. You can have a party and invite their friends and leave a place for them at the table. You can journal your feelings because keeping them inside is not healthy.

Learning to cherish the memories without allowing your loss to control you is a very important step toward healing and wholeness. You are allowed to find joy in your new experiences, and you can take comfort in the knowledge that you keep your cherished memories of your loved one with you, wherever you go and whatever you do and whomever you do them with.

Some people are angry with God when their loved one dies. Allow yourself to feel that anger. You may feel like God took your loved one away from you before it was time. God knows the meaning of grief. He had to watch His only begotten Son die for the sins of mankind. Psalms is full of King David's grief over different aspects of loss in his life. You can read the Psalms, and as you relate to them allow yourself to feel the feelings completely.

Rather than focusing on your loss, focus on the time you had together and the person their love helped you to become. Know that you are loved in return and always will be. You can find comfort in God's love and in His strength to continue on in your journey. He has a special plan for your life that does not include your loved one. He will reveal it to you one step at a time. He will nurture your heart and your soul as you look to Him one moment at a time. 

God bless you today and always.