Miracle of Life

God is omnipresent, and his presence in our lives begins long before we are aware. Today I am in awe of the miracle of life and God as its creator and sustainer.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

—Psalm 139:13-16

Fresh Mercy

I hope you are not dreading the day/week ahead, but if you are, then perhaps these words will encourage you. They were written in the context of terrible suffering. For those following Jesus, they are as relevant as the day they were written hundreds of years ago.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;

therefore, I will hope in him!”

—Lamentations 3:22-14

Worship the Lord

Lord God and merciful Father,
you stand by your people on whom you have bestowed the gift of faith.
Grant them your sure presence in this world, and their eternal heritage in the world to come. 
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. 
Amen.

–Paraclete Psalter

Today is the Lord’s Day, and he is worthy of worship.

Keep on Loving

When he was asked, “what’s it all about,” Jesus said there are essentially two things:

1. Love God with all you have, are, and will be.
2. Love your neighbor (all humans) as you love yourself.

Right relationships with humans–even the most difficult ones–come from a right relationship with God. He loves us unconditionally, which is how we are to love one another.

We never master this, but we can grow in his love one relationship at a time. Living and loving is a fascinating journey full of challenges and rewards. Don’t give up. Keep on loving!

Hard Stuff

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

–Romans 12:14-16

I can’t do any of this if I am self-centered, which is always a temptation. As I follow Jesus–who is an embodiment of selfless, other-directed love–I can find the power to do these things. I will fail often but can keep learning. It’s a journey. Lord, help me.

Do Good

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.—Romans 12:21

You and I will have choices all day long. We can do bad things. We can do nothing. We can do good things. Our attitude, our words, and our actions are the means of living out our choices.

Be intentionally good and do good today. It really can make a difference.t

Sorrow to Joy

He poured out his heart of comfort to his concerned followers. He told them (us) lots of things. He promised his presence and that sorrow can be turned to joy. He promised guidance and help through difficult times. Then he said this:

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

—Jesus (John 16:33)

I believe it!

Why Worry?

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”

Why worry?

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6,7

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

—Jesus (Matthew 6:34)

Smoke

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He cried out to God to save him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help and saw nothing. He got depressed and tried to suppress his anger at God.

He eventually was able to build a small hut. It provided shelter and a place for a few things he managed to save. One day, after hunting for food, he came back to find his hut engulfed in flames. The smoke rolled into the clear sky.

He was devastated. His anger was no longer suppressed but expressed with shouts and tears. Early the next day a ship drew near the island and rescued him.

When he came on board he asked the crew, “How did you know I was here?”

“We saw your smoke signal.”

Change the World

I will have plenty of opportunities to live out this prayer today, and so will you. Who says we can’t make a difference in this world? By God’s grace and with his power, we can and will.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

—Francis of Assisi 

Promises for Troublesome Times

“Often the brightest rainbow follows the darkest storm.”

—Unknown

I hope your Tuesday is not troublesome, but if it is, then remember some words of promise for those following the Lord.

O Lord, I have come to you for protection;

don’t let me be disgraced.

Save me, for you do what is right.

Turn your ear to listen to me;

rescue me quickly.

Be my rock of protection,

a fortress where I will be safe.

You are my rock and my fortress.

For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.

Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,

for I find protection in you alone.

I entrust my spirit into your hand.

Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

—Psalm 31:1-5

Hello Monday!

Hello, Monday! We are blessed with another day and a start to new opportunities.

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and 
the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

—2 Thessalonians 3:5

The full understanding and expression of love come as we study the life of Jesus, AND he also provides the strength to live it out with patience and perseverance.  Lord, help me to keep moving and in the right direction.

Worship

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.

—Hebrews 12:28,29

Rest

The weekend is looming, and perhaps rest is coming. True rest is found in Jesus. Hear his invitation:

 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

—Mark 6:31

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

—Matthew 11:28

Don’t forget to the worship with others on Sunday–the Lord’s Day. It is a key part of finding rest for your soul.

Honest Walk

Here’s an honest expression of how most of us feel at some point or another.  His faith, in the end, sustains him. It’s about trust when you can’t see with your eyes how/where the journey ends. By faith you trust it will end well because God is good. This allows you to sing in the uncertainty.

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?

How long will you look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,

with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

I will sing to the Lord

because he is good to me.

—Psalm 13

Citizens of Heaven

It’s election day here in Indiana. It’s a good day for me to remember my citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20) and my priority is God’s Kingdom. I also love this country and want to be a good citizen. I found this prayer helpful for today:

Lord, whether limited to issues in a small town or of national concern, the votes cast today. . .will make a difference for the future.
Please bestow your peace upon all who will be voting today. Let your Spirit  imbue these men and women with wisdom in doing what is right.
Please bring patience and strength to all who will be working long hours at the polling places, and let them only be greeted by kindness and calm.
And let your love be upon this country that you have so abundantly blessed, that we may use the bounty you have given for doing good in all things.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

— beliefnet.com

Satisfaction

Life is a journey, and the wise pay attention and figure out things as they go. One of the things to figure out is you will never figure it all out. It’s humbling but also liberating. It puts you in a position to trust God and find peace and joy.

Lord, my heart is not proud;

my eyes are not haughty.

I don’t concern myself with matters too great

or too awesome for me to grasp.

Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,

like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.

Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—

now and always.

—Psalm 131