Sunday 9/1 ~ My constant companion

The scripture for today, September 1 (9/1), is Psalm 9:1 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.”

I knew a lady many years ago who talked to God all day as though he was sitting or standing beside her, whether she was cleaning floors, washing dishes, going shopping, or had just received a telephone call. She talked to God about everything she was doing. God was her constant companion.

Your throne, oh God, rises above and far beyond everything I know or can comprehend.  Glory greater than the brightest star radiates from you.  The dome of the universe is your mantel of holiness. Rays more dazzling than the sun shoot out, penetrating the darkness surrounding my soul and bringing me into everlasting day. A path of mercy you make for me lighted up with love. I tread that path day by day knowing it leads to you. With all my filthiness, you allow me near. How I worship you.

Thank you, God, for a good summer. We had somewhat of a drought, but my plants were strong and most survived. How I love walking through my garden and pulling up a radish to nibble on, a strawberry to devour, a handful of peas to feast on. I did nothing to make them grow except keep the weeds away. You are the one who took my tiny seeds and turned them into delicious food for my table. That’s when I feel a little like a creator with you. Thank you, my Lord, for all this.

 

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail365 SILVER-WINGED PRAYERS: YOUR SPIRIT TO GOD’S is one of the TOUCHING GOD trilogy.  The other two are daily scripture thoughts and daily wisdom. Part of today’s thoughts is taken from September 1 of this prayers book.   Perfect for CHURCH LIBRARIES, WEDDINGS, SHOWERS, BIRTHDAYS, CHRISTMAS.  To buy now, click a good cover or past this:  https://amzn.to/30ZfQiV

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Tuesday 8/27 ~ And watch them become awed

The scripture for today, August 27 (8/27), is Mark 8:27 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

09-Jonah-KindleThumbnail“Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ “

Do you ask your family, our neighbors, your friends how they feel about God? Who do they say God is? You don’t know unless you ask. A lot of people are just waiting for someone to ask. Otherwise, they don’t know how or when to bring it up.

Whenever I meet someone who has gone through a tragedy, I ask them “How’s your faith?”. Now this person may not have darkened the door of a church building for 20 years, but s/he always knows what I mean. Since I am sympathizing with them at the time, they are always honest and reply, “Not very good,” usually meaning their faith is nearly gone if not all the way gone.

Then I tell them, “You know, Satan causes bad to happen to people, not God.” They always stare at me a moment and then breathe a sigh of relief. They hadn’t wanted to blame God for their tragedy, but they had a need to blame someone. They’d forgotten Satan exists and were grateful they could now put the blame where it belonged.

There are many other people today who believe in a “Higher Power” but have no idea who that “Higher Power” is.  Many, even in America today, have never read the Bible but are curious about it.  Ask people you know, “Who is the High Power?”, and listen to them. Then offer to show them how the Bible is divided up and how to read it (especially Genesis, then the New Testament).

You must continually be on the watch for people who need help in understanding their relationship with God. Be brave. Go ahead and ask. You’ll be surprised at how many WANT to talk about it. Then be delighted as you open up a whole new world to them and watch them become awed.

 

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Tuesday 8/13 ~ He loves me still

The scripture for today, August 13 (8/13), is Isaiah 8:13f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary.”

Righteous God in heaven, so far and yet so near. You made the rules so I wouldn’t hurt myself. No matter how hard I wanted you to change them, you refused to change. You are forever the same. My rock. My foundation, My wall of salvation. My sword of truth. My rainbow of love.  You have clothed me with your perfection because I can never attain it. You have clothed me with your purity because this I can never accomplish either. You have clothed me with your majesty to rule with you somewhere in your realm someday because I could never have the wisdom or patience you do.  You have given the earth to me and all that is in it to rule with you. You have granted me a canopy of stars over my head and a rainbow of delight to encircle my heart. I love you, my God.

From the night, you call forth light.  From the soil you call forth a flower. My tears you turn into diamonds. My laughter you turn into mountains of love. My weariness you make be sweet peaceful rest before the dawn. My soul rises to meet yours, my heart flies to touch yours, my mind, my understanding soars to try to understand you. You are so great and I am so small.  Yet you love me so. I do not deserve it, for I am sinful. You love me still. I worship you.

 

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail365 SILVER-WINGED PRAYERS: YOUR SPIRIT TO GOD’S is one of the TOUCHING GOD trilogies.  The other two are 365 Golden Bible Thoughts: God’s Heart to Yours, and 365 Pearls of Wisdom: God’s Soul to Yours.  Beautiful collector gift set for yourself or your friends.  To BUY NOW,  click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2yUvPSD

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Wednesday 8/7 ~ The Boomerang Effect

The scripture for today, August 7 (8/7), is Hosea 8:7 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.”

This is the boomerang effect. You throw a boomerang into the air and no matter how we throw it, it always comes back to us. Just like a boomerang, God treats you the same way you treat him.

If you draw near to God, God draws near to you (James 4:8). If you don’t have time for God, God doesn’t have time for you. If you don’t want to do what he says, God doesn’t want to do what you say. If you reject God, God rejects you.  Here are some verses about the boomerang effect:

Psalm 9:15-16; Psalm 10:2; Psalm 37:14-15; Psalm 140:9; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 6:27; Proverbs 26:27; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 59:18; Ezekiel 7:8; Obadiah 1:15.

The same is true with how people treat each other. If someone mistreats you, someday their mistreatment will boomerang right onto themselves.

On the other hand, if you treat others well, often it is a wakeup call to them. Huh?  S/he smiled at me? Hmmm.  I think I’ll try that.  Boomerang!

 

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Saturday 8/3 ~ Utter Amazement

The scripture for today, August 3 (8/3), is 1st Corinthians 8:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail“But the man who loves God is known by God.”

How can God know us all individually? Just how does God do it? There are multiplied millions of us. All praying with our own set of problems, usually thousands of us at once. All singing our various hymns. All trying to do right in the name of God.

  • Where can I go from your Spirit?
  • Where can I flee from your presence?
  • If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
  • if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
  • If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
  • if I settle on the far side of the sea…
  • Psalm 139:7-9

This Creator of the entire universe, the Maker of stars and sunflowers and little puppies and unfathomable oceans, knows each person who loves him. Not “knows about”, but KNOWS!

With all that is going on in the world, yea even in the universe, he still knows which ones of us love him, and he takes the time to fix things in our lives, hold our hands, bless us with just what we need.  All tens of thousands of us at once. How does he do that?

How large he is. How small we are.

          Utter amazement!

                    And so we worship him.

 

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Sunday 7/28 ~ The lover of my soul

The scripture for today, July 28 (7/28), is 2nd Samuel 7:28 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.”

What a beautiful praise. Praising God is different from thanking him. It is acknowledging him for His traits ~ not for what He does, but what He is.

Sometimes in life, you come to a point when there is no one to trust about a certain thing. What a lonely feeling.  But you have a God who hears all our prayers at once and takes each one seriously.

How can he do that? God is the Creator. That makes him larger than what he created.  Consider the fact that scientists now estimate there are over a trillion galaxies out there ~ not stars but galaxies of stars.  He is also in everything. That means he is in the smallest atom.

No wonder you cannot see him. He is impossible to see with the human eye. But you can see him with the eyes of your heart, your spirit, your soul.

Ah, yes, Lord God. You promised me everything I need. What a wondrous gift. I will spend my life praising you for what and who you are ~ the lover of my soul.

 

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Saturday 7/27 ~ The Encourager

The scripture for today, July 27 (7/27), is Luke 7:27 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “

Jesus had a difficult task ahead of him.  He had to prove to the world who he was while not scaring them to death with lightning strikes out of the sky or being a giant, or striking unbelievers dead.  So John the Baptizer announced his coming ahead of time, smoothing out the crooked roads in the hearts of people.

Do you know a dreamer who is struggling to accomplish something very important to them? Have they been trying to overcome all the obstacles for weeks or months or years?  Do you know anyone who is an obstacle for them? Can you say something to that obstacle in order to help smooth the way for the dreamer? Does this dreamer need something in their climb that you can provide for them? How about encouragement? 

On the other hand, do you sometimes slump into times of discouragement or depression? You can prepare “the way” for yourself.  We all have our ups and downs. You know yourself better than anyone. You know best what you need to hear when you are down in order to lift you back up.  Write yourself a letter. Tell yourself what you need to hear. Then put your letter away in preparation for one of your downtimes.

Life is hard. It is full of both promise and discouragement.  Today, sit down and write yourself that letter.  Then contact someone else for whom you can begin to prepare “the way”.

 

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Saturday 7/1 ~ Without the tantrum

The scripture for today, June 1 (6/1) , is Psalm 6:1 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Applied Christianity“O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.”

This is not only a good request to God, but it is a good request to each other ~ family and friends alike. When you disagree with someone, do you “back it up” with loud yelling or throwing or hitting things? Do you believe that your point cannot be understood and will not be accepted without a “tantrum”?

This scripture indicates that it is indeed possible to rebuke someone without the tantrum. In fact, it is more effective. When you calmly tell someone you disagree with them, it does not raise their blood pressure and put them on the defensive. With tantrums, they may react like you want on the outside, but you drive them farther from you on the inside.

Calm rebuke does not mean you don’t mean it; it means you are convinced enough, your point of view does not need reinforcement. In that case, the other person is likely to be convinced too.

Today, practice saying calmly what you normally back up with a tantrum. Practice in front of the mirror.  Practice when driving. Practice when cooking or mowing the lawn or combing your hair.  Then, next time you disagree with someone close to you, you will ready. Ready to not rebuke in your anger.

 

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Thursday 5/23 ~ Go ahead. Be angry at God.

The scripture for today, May 23 (5/23), is Exodus 5:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAIL“Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your [God’s] name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

This is Moses talking to God, and Moses is very angry. Is it a good idea to be mad at God? Deuteronomy 34:10 says there was never a prophet like Moses “whom the Lord knew face to face.”

Getting angry [not violent, that’s different] sometimes is part of a healthy relationship, as long as we (1) stick to the facts and not get into a blame game and (2) are willing to stay around long enough to understand the other person’s point of view. Moses did not call God bad names nor did he desert God. He spoke his mind, then waited to see how God would reply.

It wasn’t that God didn’t want to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. God was not quite through putting Pharaoh in his place. And he probably did not rescue his people in the manner Moses had in mind. But eventually ~ after a little patience on Moses’ part ~ it happened: God rescued his people.

Are you angry at God over something? Tell him so. Then stick around and wait for him to express his point of view. It will happen someday. Maybe it won’t be your point of view. Probably it will be better.

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Monday 5/20 ~ Who needs you?

The Scripture for today, May 20 (5/20), is 2nd Corinthians 5:20a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Applied Christianity“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

We all have a special longing. When we are in pain and long for reassurances that God is with us, one of the things we often want is to see God, feel God’s touch, look into God’s eyes. This is where Christians come in. God says to Christians, “Go to those in pain. Let them see you, feel your touch, look into your eyes.”

Someone in your life needs you right now because they need God.  They don’t know how to reach out to God, but you do. They don’t know how to understand God, but you do. Stop whatever you have planned for today that is kind of important. Replace it with the very important. Go see someone or call them or Skype them. 

Are you or are you not God’s ambassador? Is God doing anything through you? Yesterday? Today? Tomorrow?

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