Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
7 “To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write:
The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens ⌞a door⌟ that no one can shut, and who shuts ⌞a door⌟ that no one can open, says: 8 I know what you have done. See, I have opened a door in front of you that no one can shut. You only have a little strength, but you have paid attention to my word and have not denied my name.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In the book of Revelation, the key is a symbol of Christ’s authority and the door is a symbol of an opportunity.
So as John the Revelator writes to the Philadelphian church, Jesus is declaring Himself to be the holder of the only key that opens the door in to salvation and opens the door out to service in the Kingdom of God.
In other words, once we have walked through the narrow gate that leads to life, we discover that life to be a life of open heart to heart and hand to hand service.
The Philadelphians had entered the door into Christ’s salvation but now were being confronted by very lethal opposition and the threat of future tribulation.
So far, they had “not denied [Christ’s] name”—they had not shrunk from declaring the truth about their Lord and Savior in the city He had set them in.
Yet, recognizing that the storm clouds were now gathering, they may have been tempted to fall back, regroup, simply circle the wagons, sound the retreat, and decide that it was not a good time nor a safe or a healthy time for evangelism.
Considering all that confronted them, they easily could have concluded that such a life of service would need to wait for a bit more opportune moment.
Christ, however, urged them not to slow down or turn back from their calling.
The door was open; Christ had done it, died for it now they had to go through it!
While they would not be spared from suffering, He promised to uphold them when they faced it.
He told these hard-pressed believers that if they would boldly march through the door and be aggressively, assertively faithful to their calling, they would see converts, bear fruit, from among those who had opposed them (Revelation 3:9).
What about us?
This Thanksgiving, are we .01% prepared to give thanks to God and with open hearts and open hands both aggressively, assertively, walk through the door of kingdom opportunity, knowing that our Savior and King Jesus calls all people to saving faith through the words of those (You/Me) who refuse to deny His name?
Are we willing to say, “Lord Jesus Christ, I feel I have little strength, but just call upon my name, my hands, anywhere, anytime, anyone, I am so ready to speak”?
Pray that when hear the summons, see the opportunity for service, you meet the moment of opportunity, you will say and do something and serve someone.
Pray that you would be imaginative and creative, with one foot in the Bible and the other foot in the culture, so that you reveal the open door to salvation, speak the utter truth about Jesus in a way that connects with those who are listening.
If you do not shrink back but rather continue sharing the gospel imaginatively, humbly, sensitively, creatively, and above all – TRUTHFULLY then by the power of His Spirit and the might of His word, those who today see you as a #1 enemy may one day welcome the truth of the Gospel, become your brothers and sisters.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a] for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The biblical concept of being poor in spirit is foundational to every aspect of the Christian life.
Foundational to salvation is a heart-level acknowledgment of our need for a Savior.
Foundational to experiencing God’s love is acknowledging our great need of love.
Foundational to heavenly peace and joy is an acknowledgment that this world truly offers us neither.
If we authentically want all that God in his grace offers, we must actively and sincerely pursue a lifestyle of being poor in spirit.
This Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I fervently pray that we may honestly explore, to intentionally discover, with the end result we experience more of the depth of God’s love this season as we discover more the fullness of God’s heart, to more faithfully minister to those among us “poor in spirit, desperate for him.
Matthew 5:3 Amplified Bible
3 “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
Who is this God that He would bless those who are spiritually impoverished with the greatest gift of all: the kingdom of heaven?
Our God demonstrated his wealth of grace, help, and love to all who were in need through the words and actions of Jesus.
Jesus, who came to reveal the heart of the Father, was undoubtedly drawn to the homeless, the disabled, those untouchables = > weak, desperate, and estranged.
And in comparison to his radical affection for the impoverished, he was likewise incredibly critical against all those enveloped with mankind’s chief sin: pride.
Jesus’ ministry made clear what thousands of years of religion, sin, the rule of the law obscured: the necessity of someone, in fact many someone’s, being poor in spirit to have and to hold and to share that true relationship with God.
You see, even today we are not immune from buying into a false doctrine that says in no uncertain terms the sum of our works somehow justify us to God.
Even today we preach, believe that we must clean ourselves up, do better, work harder, hate less or love more to have a relationship with our heavenly Father.
Jesus came to us to obliterate works-based relationship and to reveal God’s heart of unconditional, grace-filled, unchanging, and system-shattering love.
Jesus powerfully illustrates this truth in Luke 18:9-14.
May His words, not mine, shed .01% more light on any part of our hearts that still believe we must do something to deserve the affections of a loving Father:
Luke 18:9-14 English Standard Version
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Your Father loves you because He is God, God is Love and God so loves you.
He longs to exalt you.
He longs to bless you.
He longs with everything He is to pour out the full extent of his loving-kindness over every single possible area of your life.
But for Him to reward us for a works-based mentality is to reinforce behavior that serves only self, will only serve to harm us because God despises the proud.
It’s only in acknowledging our total and utter dependency on God that we will be able to receive the depth of his love.
It’s only in serving Him because we are loved, rather than to be loved, that our works will yield heavenly fruit.
It’s only in our allowing ourselves to be “searched by God” becoming humbled, becoming poor in spirit that we will discover ourselves being already perfectly and completely loved, liked, and enjoyed – we will then experience the freedom and joy that comes from an uninhibited relationship with God’s limitless love.
This Thanksgiving and Christmas season, deliberately, intentionally take time in guided prayer to search out, discover the true condition of your inner heart.
Ask God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to search out, to illuminate any part of your life that is works-based rather than grace-based.
For once, be brutal against yourself, be honest with yourself and with God that the fullness of your need would be fully met with the fullness of his love for you.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the importance of being poor in spirit. Allow Scripture to ignite in you a pursuit of consistently acknowledging your need.
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Isaiah 57:15
“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
2. Ask God the Holy Spirit to help you think of any ways in which you are living a works-based life instead of a grace-based life. Where are you doing life in your own strength? Where are you working for the affection of God and others? Where are you striving for that richness which is already yours in Jesus Christ?
3. Take time to acknowledge your need before God. Be hardcore honest with the condition of your heart, honest with your sin, brokenness. Receive the love of God who gives it freely, not because you deserve it, but because he is good.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of greatest value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.Matthew 13:45-46English Standard Version
“To be human is to be poor” (Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel).
All of us are broken.
All of us are in need.
The greatest symptom of our brokenness is not acknowledging it.
It’s only in our rarely checked pride that our need goes unmet.
It’s only in pride that our brokenness is without healing.
We serve a good, loving Father who has always loved us.
I have discovered in the time leading up to my heart surgery, where I could not move very far in or outside by hospital room because it was simply too tiring and too risky, looking at the clock ticking away the seconds to my surgery, and now in my efforts to recover from my open heart surgery, from my triple bypass on July 17, 2023, where my heart was literally stopped for eighty minutes, that my life has become even more precious, to be more treasured than ever before.
God has placed me in a spot in my life where I have to be still, and be patient to wait upon Him and Him alone – in the meantime – allow myself to be searched.
It is not like I can “charge headlong” into life right now even if I should want to.
Psalm 139:23-24 English Standard Version
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts![a] 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting![b]
When we finally arrive at the time to agree to stop trying to prove to ourselves, God, and others that we have our lives together, we actually begin to truly live.
Thanks be to God that there is overwhelming freedom, joy, and love in living with the ultimate reality that we are wholly accepted and loved just as we are.
May we finally discover the abundant life available to us as we live poor in spirit.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
7-9 Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs: “Be good to me! Answer me!” When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!” Don’t hide from me now!
9-10 You’ve always been right there for me; don’t turn your back on me now. Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me; you’ve always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
What Is Loneliness?
Patterns look good when quilted into a blanket or when decorating a plaid shirt.
We even enjoy the patterns of routine, bumping into the same faces on our way to work or sitting down yet again to enjoy our favorite meal.
However, seldom do we enjoy patterns that are undesired and challenging, those that leave us feeling crummy, discouraged or totally defeated inside.
Such is the case with loneliness, a feeling we each experience as children and one experience that inevitably, like time, follows us into adulthood forever.
Loneliness set in when our mother first dropped us off at daycare, and walked away without us then again when our spouse headed far out of town for work.
Our reasons for being lonely vary, but we all know very well, the feeling of it.
And we should all know that loneliness is a pattern, one we will experience time and time again – maybe not in the next hour or in the next day, but eventually.
What is loneliness?
Loneliness describes that disconnect we all experience when the reality of our relationships does not match, does not meet our standard of our expectations.
In other words, we want something we do not have.
We experience this when sitting by ourselves at home on the couch with a box of pizza or when hanging out with a group of people at a crowded restaurant.
The situations vary, but the experience is the same.
We want something we do not have.
Loneliness carries with it a familiar anguish, a longing that goes unquenched.
Sometimes, the sensation lasts so long we doubt whether we’ll ever see change.
But loneliness is a pattern, and every pattern has to end before starting again.
Thus, no matter how much we lament loneliness, much like any other form of suffering, God can and God will surely use all our pain for good (Romans 8:28).
We just have to seek Him with the knowledge that He always wants to be found.
We just have to let God do what God always does best – Share His Compassion.
The next time you and I are at the crossroads of loneliness, consider these five things we can do to extend our hand to God, to make the most of the experience.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Connect with God
When you’re feeling lonely, remember you always have God.
In fact, we would do well to remember God is always with us, in the presence of crowded markets, driving to work on highways and in the privacy of our homes.
Too often, when loneliness creeps in, our doubts about God build.
We wonder where He has gone, why He has left us in the first place.
But the Biblical Reality is this – He hasn’t left us, nor has He forsaken us, nor has He turned His back to us – because He has to remain true to His promises.
Instead, the lonely feeling is an indicator that there is some distance between us, distance we ourselves have created by our own pride in our own humanity.
Fill the void by seeking Him earnestly and openly – tell Him how you feel, why, and ask for a change – or even better, to use loneliness to renew, to develop you.
Connect with Others
Loneliness can also prove to be empowering, inspirational and motivational for “kicking yourself in your pants seat” and going out and connecting with people.
Whether you are looking a “change of scenery”, to date or make new friends, or just have a good conversation, sometimes you just have to go out and search for what you the company you want instead of just waiting for company to come.
There’s no doubt that God answers our prayers, but we too are instructed to add action – fellowship – to our prayers – maybe then we’ll see the results we want.
Reassess Ourselves
Loneliness may feel unfair, unjust, and cumbersome, and all of those things may be true, but sometimes we find ourselves in lonely seasons because of decisions that we ourselves have made and we cannot forgive ourselves for.
Single parents who might have taken the time and worked things out now feel emptiness after perhaps prematurely walking away and ending their marriages.
The friend feels the sting of loneliness after experiencing yet another betrayal.
Parents raising their children, working those extra hours for those few extra dollars for those much needed extra basic necessities, leaving children behind.
Caregivers who subtly or suddenly realize they have basic needs, have their own healthcare needs which need to be cared for but feel guilty taking time to do so.
The solution then is acknowledge what is going on, pick up a Bible, give thanks to God, to confess your sins, repent, and, where possible, pursue reconciliation, pursue the renewal and refreshment of your worldly vs. heavenly perspective.
Plan for the Future
One way to look at the lonely season is a time of preparation for what is to come.
You don’t have what you want right now, but one day, by God’s grace you could.
If that miracle happens, reveals itself in a God timely way, how can you better express thankfulness to God, to serve God during the time that you have today?
Does the Lord want you to grow in any particular way? If so, embracing how He wants to grow you today will only make you better for what happens tomorrow.
Change your Perspective
Loneliness does not feel great, but loneliness will only fester, will feel worse without our intentionally seeking God, His Wisdom and His right perspective.
We don’t have to enjoy what we’re going through to make the most of the experience.
Most of us don’t and wont enjoy breakups, but most will attest to growing from the experience.
Struggles have the potential to make us stronger (James 1) and even to break us.
James 1:2-18 GOD’S WORD Translation
When You Are Tested, Turn to God
2 My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. 3 You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything.
5 If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. 6 When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. 7 A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything.
9 Humble believers should be proud because being humble makes them important. 10 Rich believers should be proud because being rich should make them humble. Rich people will wither like flowers. 11 The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up plants. The flowers drop off, and the beauty is gone. The same thing will happen to rich people. While they are busy, they will die.
12 Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. 15 Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.
16 My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled. 17 Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.
18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.
The deciding factor is our faulty worldly perspective going long unchallenged.
The deciding factor is never challenging God, make His Perspective Our Own!
One way to ensure you have the right perspective is to remember you may be lonely in your mindset, but you are not alone – You can never ever be alone.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 139:1-18 Revised Standard Version
The Inescapable God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me! 2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar. 3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee.
13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.[a] Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; 15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. 16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.[b]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.[a]
27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your Spirit,[b] they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. 35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Reflect: When life feels chaotic and messy, it can be wonderfully therapeutic to look at creation and see how marvelously diverse and joyful God made it to be.
There is order, purpose everywhere in God’s good design.
The more we intentionally learn about the earth and its creatures, the more we can thank God and celebrate with Him exactly how completely amazing it is.
Reflect today, If feeling out of sorts or discouraged, try watching a nature documentary about flamingos or weaver birds, cockatoos or hummingbirds.
When you do, consider that Christ was there in the beginning, overseeing everything and taking great delight in the creation of this magnificent planet (Colossians 1:15-20 English Standard Version).
The Preeminence of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Spending time in wonder and awe as we consider God’s extraordinary, well-ordered creation can help us appreciate our place in the order of things too.
This can also lead us to reflect upon our places, feeling grounded and secure rather than tossed about by the sometimes merciless systems created by man.
Reflecting, pondering the marvelous works of God—the mountains; the water cycle; the birds, animals, insects, and sea creatures; and all of the forests and plants they depend upon—all ordered by our God – can also lead us to worship.
Recognizing all of this splendor with gratitude, thanks be to God, can deepen our connections both to God and to his world, filling us with the desire to be the better stewards God calls us to be and lift up our hearts in praise and adoration.
Going Back to the Beginning of All Days – Creation
Do you ever pause and think back to life “back in the day?” No internet, texting, FaceTime, data, or GPS. Funny thing is that those times weren’t too long ago…
We are in such a ridiculously obsessive fast-paced “right now” culture, society.
Going from here to there to all of a sudden thinking where has the day gone?
If you are anything like me, the fast-paced life, while thrilling and exciting, gets the adrenaline and blood pumping, feels exhilarating and exhausting too.
After even a short 45 minute session of intense Cardiac Rehabilitation, my body will literally want to shut down, SO telling me “STOP! it’s time to SLOW DOWN!”
Something that I have come to realize recovering from my Open Heart Triple Bypass Surgery, is how often I am so quick to pass by something, or someone.
Too busy to really slow down, sit, watch, pay attention, because my priority is the destination, recovery from heart surgery, and not the journey to get there.
Let me repeat that again in case you need it, I find that I am more worried about the destination – that feeling of being strong and human – than the journey.
How many of you reading this right now are right there with me?
Too worried about what’s ahead you’re not willing to “stop, smell the roses?”
As I read and reflect upon today’s passage I could not help but read through the entirety of Psalm 104 (which I encourage you to do), it’s’ riddled with the way that ABBA Father God created the Earth and how He takes care of His creation.
In verse 27 it says, “These all look to You, to give them their food in due season.”
I reflected and I was convicted when I read this, convicted: how often do I look to Him to provide, looking, trusting, that He will provide it in the right season?
Can I be honest with you?
The reason that I don’t is because I believe that the Lord doesn’t take notice.
But really, it’s the other way around; I’m too busy reflecting on my healthy self right now to “go forth” take notice of what the Lord has provided, IS providing!
As I continue reading and reflecting on the living Word of God in verse 34 it says, “May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the LORD.”
Yet, because I’m so busy in my days, am I taking time to meditate on Him?
His Creation, His goodness? His provision? His creation that is all around me?
Willing my body back to a semblance of health and happiness, something I want to challenge us all in is to take time to really be with the Lord, to take advantage of where He has placed us and the opportunities that we have to rejoice in Him!
Exactly right now, wherever you are existing, whether in a cubicle, at the beach, traveling on the highways, by-ways and subways, or just about to rush out the door – getting to any airport, take some time to pause – and yes you have time.
In the pause, open your eyes, look around you, for all of creation (every tree, flower, person, car, and building), opening your ears to the sounds, is waiting eagerly for God to reveal His children (Romans 8:19), which is you and me.
Reflect today, what would it look like for us then to go against the busyness?
Reflect today, to actually put away the phones? Pull out the old map in the car and simply drive to some far off point on a compass and get lost in creation?
To explore a new part of the city, walk the trails hike that mountain you have been saying you would for the past year, paddle a canoe down a lazy river or to maybe spend some of God’s time to invest in your neighbor for the evening?
Today, this hour, this week, month, and year, let’s live a little differently; more thankfully, to truly be satisfied with the good thingsthat the Lord has given us!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 84 The Message
84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! I’ve always longed to live in a place like this, Always dreamed of a room in your house, where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house, sparrows and swallows make nests there. They lay their eggs and raise their young, singing their songs in the place where we worship. God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God! How blessed they are to live and sing there!
5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen: O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying! Look at our shields, glistening in the sun, our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions. It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
God of all wonders, draw our attention to your glorious works so that we might know you better, inviting all peoples to give thanks, praise and honor you. In Jesus, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
91 One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” 3 For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper And from the deadly plague. 4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and wall.
5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; 6 Of the plague that [a]stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that devastates at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. 8 You will only look on with your eyes And see the retaliation against the wicked. 9 [b]For you have made the Lord, my refuge, The Most High, your dwelling place. 10 No evil will happen to you, Nor will any plague come near your [c]tent.
11 For He will give His angels orders concerning you, To protect you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will lift you up, So that you do not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will walk upon the lion and cobra, You will trample the young lion and the [d]serpent.
14 “Because he has loved Me, I will save him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. 15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in [e]trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 I will satisfy him with [f]a long life, And [g]show him My salvation.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Psalm 91 shows that God, “the Almighty,” is not intimidating or frightening.
Instead, God is so gentle and concerned for everyone that they can find refuge in him like hatchlings under the care of a hen.
As God’s people, we can trust the Lord fully because he will surround us, guard us against dangerous threats, and deliver us.
Resting in the shadow of God’s protective wings means that we don’t need to be afraid of chaotic things happening around us.
There is a time for us to walk courageously into situations with God’s help, and there is a time to retreat and be still in his caring presence.
If you ever have the privilege of watching chicks take cover under a hen’s wings, you’ll see that they stay very still and quiet, completely out of view of danger, while the hen is alert, watchful, will do whatever she can to protect her young.
Jesus uses similar imagery when he expresses his deepest desire to gather up the people of Jerusalem and protect them (Luke 13:34).
He is gentle and makes space for His Children near to his Father’s heart.
The Ultimate Father-Son Relationship
John 5:19-23 English Standard Version
The Authority of the Son
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father [a] does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
God is called by a variety of names throughout the pages of the Bible, each one sheds light on an aspect of His nature – Jesus’ favorite title for Him was Father.
Surprisingly, this name for God is used only 15 times in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, it’s recorded a stunning 245 times!
Many of God’s names speak of His majestic and lofty attributes that separate Him from mankind, but Father conveys a special measure, degree of intimacy.
Jesus used this name not only because He was God’s Son, but also to help people realize that Jehovah is not some unapproachable Deity gazing down upon them from a distance we cannot even begin to fathom or ever hope to give measure.
Rather, He is their right by their side, their sure covering and loving heavenly Father, who cares about them and wants to be involved in their everyday lives.
Throughout His time of ministry and mission among His Children on earth, God in Christ revealed by example what this kind of love relationship was like.
As our Gospel narrative reveals, He depended completely on His Father for daily direction and power, and provision and obediently carried out every instruction.
Throughout the Gospel narratives reveals, He often left the high demands of ministry and mission just to find a secluded place to be alone with Jehovah.
We know Jesus successfully conveyed the utterly unfathomable riches of this relationship to His disciples, because in John 14:8, Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father”—he desperately wanted to know Him just the way Christ did.
In this season of Thanksgiving – do we long for that kind of intimacy with God?
He wants to relate to you as a Father to His child, and He’s given us the privilege of drawing near to Him – question is – how badly do we want to draw near Father?
In fact, He chose us to draw near to us before the foundation of the world, waits with open arms for us to enter His loving embrace to settle under the pinions of His Wings.
He Will Cover You with His Feathers
The imagery that David uses in this passage gives us believers a great sense of security and hope.
God covering us with his feathers is just like a hen that covers her chicks under her wings to protect them from harm, from the elements, and from predators.
We can nestle in close to him for comfort and safety – God shields us from the threats we face and even the emotional turmoil events of our lives can cause.
The vision of our being Sheltered beneath Christ’s wings serves both for healing and for hiding, for curing and securing us; the devil and his instruments would soon pounce, devour the servants of God, if God did not set His invincible guard about them, cover them with, and beneath the golden feathers of his protection.
Rather than our flying around aimlessly, running around, grounded, wondering how we are going to make it when we face hurt, harm, or are in need of healing, we can instead run straight under the protective cover of God’s glorious wings!
God’s guarding feathers can keep us from walking into situations that would tempt us to stray from what is good in the eyes of God.
It could be blinding us from a potentially toxic relationship.
Sometimes it’s as simple as being a young person that is never invited to the wrong kind of party with their peers, saying grace at the Thanksgiving meal.
It could be much needed infusion, a sense of God-inspired thankfulness, helps us stay positive when the temptation to complain, gossip, or lose hope arises.
God’s Spirit subtly nudges us and sometimes may even alert us in our hearts when we start wandering away from God’s wisdom and towards the pull of sin.
In this season of giving thanks to God, take comfort under the wings of God.
He is there to protect us, shield us, and nurture us with His warm embrace.
When we face sadness, temptation, loss, or any other trial we are not alone.
God, everlasting to everlasting, is there covering us with his powerful feathers.
As much as we will, wont acknowledge, God is our safe place in a very unsafe world.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 121 The Message
121 1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you— Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.
Lord, help us constantly to stay close to you so that when danger threatens, we will be safe in your care. Gather us in and hold us close. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
3 I thank my God for all the memories I have of you. 4 Every time I pray for all of you, I do it with joy. 5 I can do this because of the partnership we’ve had with you in the Good News from the first day ⌞you believed⌟ until now. 6 I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The poet John Donne wrote,
“No man is an island, entire of itself.”(John Donne, Meditation XVII).
What that expresses poetically is what we feel intuitively: we are not as good alone as we are with one another.
There is a very sound reason that the most dreaded punishment in a prison is placement into solitary confinement: no one wants to be alone all the time.
Community is important to us.
We want a place where we belong.
We all want a group that we can call our own.
We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
We want to know that there are people who care for us.
We want to know that there are people who we can care for, too.
That was part of the genius of the early church: they came together, gathered and bonded together into a community.
Many of these early Christians were slaves.
Many of them had no community to belong to at all—not even a family to call their own – they had no one to love them -they had no one to care about them.
And along came the Apostle Paul and other early missionaries preaching the good news that God loves them, and that someone named Jesus died to save them, and they can be born again and they can believe, can join God’s family!
Such a radically different message, And they grabbed hold of that message with fervor, because they finally saw God’s family as something worth belonging to.
It gave their meaningless lives purpose – it gave their hopeless existence hope.
And it works the same way today – or at least it can work the same way today.
You’ve heard me say this before:
“The Church of Christ, when it is functioning properly, is the hope of the world.”
It is in the church that darkness gives way to the light, the lost have the gospel preached to them, that sinners are saved, and that mercy, forgiveness is found.
It is in the community of the church that we all discover God’s plan for our lives.
It is in the community of the church we find our lives’ true purpose, meaning.
And it is in the church that we experience a family to belong to—a community that is bigger than we are, that we can be supported and loved and encouraged and inspired by, and that we can truly support and love and empower as well.
Even with the impossible to describe problems and the imperfections that we humans bring into it, the Church of Christ remains the one hope of the world.
It was to such a church that the Apostle Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians, and spoke fervently of all the joy that was theirs because they belonged to Jesus.
Thanks Be To God, Our Creator For All Of The People
Philippians 1:3-6 New Living Translation
Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Thanksgiving season is once again here and among us and now, across our country, and indeed, across the globe, laity and pastors will preach sermons, teaching and pointing out the need for Christ-followers to be thankful people.
As both a husband, a brother, step father, grandfather, laity, a blogger and a pastor, I have made impassioned pleas for Christ-followers to rise above the ingratitude of our culture… to resist the temptation for the holiday season to become simply another opportunity for us to be self-focused, self-indulgent.
Thanksgiving isn’t just about eating to the brink of explosion; shopping to the brink of bankruptcy; the internet, watching television to the brink of insanity.
I have always tried to make the point that Thanksgiving for a person who loves God, then loves their neighbor, can be so much more before their love of self.
Even so, I have discovered in my own life that despite what I’ve preached, I have so often carelessly missed that one crucial element in the process of my being a thankful follower of my Savior Jesus in my own life – being grateful for people.
I found that over the years I have been mostly thankful for the THINGSin my life; for food, finances, the house I have lived in, clothes I have worn, and so on.
While there’s nothing wrong with being thankful to God for these things, I have that I have too often missed owning that one boat on giving my thanks unto my God, who is my Creator for the biggest blessings of my God in my life… PEOPLE.
Consider how empty, purposeless, and meaningless our lives would be without relationships -relationships have shaped who we are and who we are becoming.
Without exception, everyone I know has in one way shape and form, at some point in their life, they have all been positively influenced by other people.
While it is easy to thank God for the THINGSin our lives, we should remember to be equally thankful for the host of PEOPLE God has placed in our lives as well!
Let me give you just one example.
I am thankful for my childhood friend Chuck.
When I was a child, we would do all the things with me my father could not do and worked with me for countless hours teaching me how to use tools, operate light like chainsaws then learning to cut down trees and sledge hammers, wood splitters and heavy equipment such as tractors and brush hogs for mowing the tall and heavy grass of my fathers 40 acres of country place, and how to fish, how to just get started early in the day, be grateful for the day and get to work.
He was the only one in my young life who had befriended me unconditionally.
We would sit in the woods for hours -it was his love for the independence of country life that infected my soul for the rest of my life. I thank God for her!
How about you?
Who do you thank God for?
Today, take a few moments and thank God for the relationships in your life.
Truthfully, it can radicalize and revolutionize your life. Happy Thanksgiving!
GIVE ALL THANKS TO GOD AND INTENTIONALLYGO DEEPER WITH GOD:
1. This thanksgiving and Christmas season, make a list of the people who have shaped your life. Share the list with your community of friends and of family.
2. Explore and discover how easy is it to just thank God for things in your life!
3. Discover how you too can live a lifestyle of thankfulness more consistently?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 100 New Living Translation
Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his.[a] We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a maskil by David.
55 Open your ears to my prayer, O God. Do not hide from my plea for mercy. 2 Pay attention to me, and answer me. My thoughts are restless, and I am confused 3 because my enemy shouts at me and a wicked person persecutes me. They bring misery crashing down on me, and they attack me out of anger. 4 My heart is in turmoil. The terrors of death have seized me. 5 Fear and trembling have overcome me. Horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, “If only I had wings like a dove— I would fly away and find rest. 7 Indeed, I would run far away. I would stay in the desert. Selah 8 I would hurry to find shelter from the raging wind and storm.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Have you ever had the desire to just look up into the air and fly like a bird?
Do you ever wish you could just leap up and fly away for some peace and quiet?
Sometimes in life, the troubles we face can cause deep inner turmoil.
We may struggle with our physical or mental health, a physical disability or an acute, chronic disease, a relationship that feels stuck, a difficult career, a deep disappointment or loss of self or purpose, a cycle of poverty, or something else.
Take your pick — there are too many different things can make us feel trapped.
When David wrote this psalm, he was feeling disillusioned and stuck.
He was distraught by the situation he was in, and he felt betrayed by a friend.
He desperately wanted any way out and he prayed to God that dreamed of being like a dove so he could forget everything, just fly far away from all his troubles.
But as he wrestled with his discouragement, as he waited for God to answer his prayer, he grew to understand that although he did not have wings to fly away, nor would he be given them anytime soon, he did have a voice to call upon God.
Just a minimal desire to get away from all the, what seem like the relentless challenges, or wearying days where things just do not get around to changing.
I frequently think about all that’s gone on in the world over the last year, and the mounting cumulative effect of just so many different pressures, so many different tensions – Just want to shout to God;
“Don’t we, can’t we have one day or several days or a lifetime where we just want to put all those pressures, all those tensions deep into the sea of forgetfulness, “to fly away, high into the air, away from mankind’s nonsense like a dove,” to be gone?
That’s what the Psalms is saying here in Psalm 55:4–8,“I wish I had the wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest. I just want rest from it all. Yes, I would wander far away. And I would lodge in the wilderness. I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest. I just want rest and relief.”
We often find ourselves in this situation in this world. And I think most of us, especially over the last year in this world, this well describes where we’re at.
That’s why I wanted to read verses 4-8, and then jump down to verse 22.
There’s so much in this Psalm, but now verse 22 says,
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Can I just read and pray that one more time over you the reader, and pray you too shout your prayers to God, to just hear this precious living Word of God ?
I mean, it’s the pressures and tensions, and challenges, and weightiness and weariness that you may be feeling that will take its toll upon your body, soul!
And then Just to hear this word straight from God, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
The solution to being released from life’s burdens isn’t to escape but to give them up to the Lord: “Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you.”
Echoing the assurance of this psalm, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. . . . Learn from me . . . and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).
So, Almighty, Compassionate and Merciful God, I just have to pray these verses over every single person listening right now who is weary, who is heavy of heart with sorrows, with challenges, and just lacking strength or lacking wisdom, or in some cases, some days feel like there’s a complete lack of hope for a change.
Psalm 55:4–8 Describes This Unbearable Burden, and Psalm 55:22 Teaches That We Can Cast Them to God, He Can Sustain Us
So God, we pray Psalm 55:22 right now. We cast our burdens upon you. God, I pray that you would give grace to every single person listening right now.
Just to cast all of these burdens on you, to know. We praise you, God, that we don’t have to carry these burdens alone. That we can cast them upon you, we can cast in a first Peter five way, all of our anxieties upon you, all of our worries, all of our burdens, all the things that weigh down our hearts and our lives. We cast them on you and to stay grounded in God and we trust that you will sustain.
Based on Psalm 55, verse 22, I trust oh God, that as we cast our burdens upon you, you will sustain and we praise you for this. We praise you that you will not permit those who trust in you to be moved. May it be so, we pray according to your word in Psalm 55, verse 22. In Jesus’ our Shepherds name we pray. Amen.
Lord and God, thank you that even when we are surrounded by troubles that we would rather escape, you give us the wings of prayer and you promise to sustain us. Help us to release our doubts, to cast our burdens on you. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! 23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In the classic autobiography, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of her sufferings at the hands of the Nazis during the evil reign of Adolph Hitler.
Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were among the thousands incarcerated at the Nazi concentration camp, Ravensbruck, experienced terrible atrocities there.
On one occasion, they were forced to disrobe before the German soldiers.
In that awful, humiliating moment, an amazing discovery came to Corrie’s mind: “They took Jesus’ clothes too. He hung naked for me.”
When she relayed that wondrous thought to her sister Betsie, she gasped and said, “Oh, Corrie, and I never thanked Him for it.”
For me especially, one of the things that made Corrie and Betsie such dynamic Christians was the truth that they both chose to see life from God’s perspective.
In those worst of situations, they found new insights to praise and thank God.
And for me, I cannot imagine those “the worst of the worst possible situations.”
The collection of those Psalmists in Bible tells us that we are to give thanks in everything, the good things AND the bad things AND the very worst of things.
In Psalm 50:23, God says, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”
Our choice of faith, our choices to live, to move, then to act, in that faith in God pleases Him while our thanksgiving glorifies Him, and the one that glorifies the Father is the true worshipper who chooses to worship Him in spirit and truth.
Genuine thanksgiving to the Lord is a freewill offering, a sacrifice of praise, a coming to God in our nakedness as His Son did at Calvary, a living sacrifice, a gift of un-yielding love which is a sweet-smelling savor to the Lord our God.
Such a sweet smelling offering is not meant to merely be an external display of reverent homage or a gesture of pious religiosity, but an inner spirit of genuine deeply rooted gratefulness, a heart overflowing with maximum adoration that springs from the man or woman or child that is so deeply in love with the Lord.
Indeed, no act of thanksgiving nor any form of worship that does not spring forth from the inner being that utterly loves the Lord is acceptable to Him.
The whole of Psalm 50 is a song that shows forth the greatness of God, His never-ending righteousness, and His long-suffering grace, but it is also one that is a severe rebuke to His people, Israel, for their disinterested complacency and hypocritical attitude into which their external acts of sacrifices had fallen.
Humanity may look on the externals, but God looks on the internal heart, and He knows all of the inner thoughts and the hidden attitudes of the mind, which can so often mask hidden insincerity in the worship of a double-minded man.
God, Who judges the hearts of all, is not to be mocked and warns all that are so inclined to cleanse their hearts, alter their ways, and dress themselves in the robe of Christ’s righteousness in sincerity and truth – in one word – to Repent!
Psalm 50:22-23 New Living Translation
22Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. 23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
And so we read: “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright, I shall show the salvation of God.”
It is never too late for any believer who has adopted a form of complacency or has put on a necklace of hypocrisy to change his ways, for God is gracious and long-suffering, He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy and forgiveness.
But He also is quite stern with His Children as He warns us to recognize all the errors of our ungrateful attitudes, and to change our ways, and return to Him.
Our faith in God pleases Him, while our genuine thanksgiving glorifies Him.
Let us be those that seek the renewal of our minds, glorify the Father through a bare naked sacrifice of praise as, day by day, we worship Him in spirit, in truth.
Remember in the hard times, thanksgiving is difficult.
In those impossible to imagine – very worst of times – is so nearly impossible.
It was definitely a “bare naked” sacrifice to thank God in a Nazi concentration camp, but it is so very necessary – In the very best of times and down to the very worst of times possible – Thanksgiving honors God, and when you and I strip off our garments of our forgetfulness, ingratitude, to honor God, He honors us.
(1 Samuel 2:27-30 The Message).
27-30 A holy man came to Eli and said: “This is God’s message: I revealed myself openly to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests: to preside at the Altar, to burn incense, to wear the priestly robes in my presence. I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings of Israel. So why do you now treat as mere loot these very sacrificial offerings that I commanded for my worship? Why do you treat your sons better than me, turning them loose to get fat on these offerings, and ignoring me? Therefore—this is God’s word, the God of Israel speaking—I once said that you and your ancestral family would be my priests indefinitely, but now—God’s word, remember!—there is no way this can continue.
I honor those who honor me; those who scorn me I demean.
How is your thanksgiving factor?
Are you living is the very best of times, facing the very toughest of all times?
Have you been griping, grumbling and complaining about the things in your life that are hard, harder and hardest, hardcore lonely and impossibly frustrating?
Why not try praising and thanking God for your difficulty.
He knows about it, He is all over it, stripped, He died naked, to care for you.
Without room for any questions, He has a purpose in every trial and tribulation.
The Lord IS 100% Your Shepherd – You have All You Will Ever Need in This Life!
Start today off with the Lord of Hosts – and LIVE into HIS life of thanksgiving.
If you will do it, I promise you on the living authority of the Word of God, your world will be stripped bare of that which distracts you away from God and your mind will be renewed, your attitude will change, the people around you will be blessed, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be max glorified and honored.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Let us Pray,
My Heavenly Father, I confess that I have not always had the right attitude of true thanksgiving toward You. I pray that from now on, my life would be a living sacrifice that is pleasing to You and glorifies Your name. Help me to identify and correct any wrong attitudes within my heart, and begin anew to worship You in spirit and truth. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men[a] of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”
4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered[b] the builders.
6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
We Saw State of the Wall. So, Ergo, We Rebuilt the Wall
Are there piles of rubble and brokenness around you somewhere in your life?
You look around at the condition of things on your streets, your neighborhoods and see what Nehemiah saw all those thousands of years ago – wreckage, ruin?
The Walls of the City of Jerusalem were that vision of wreckage and ruination.
Nehemiah, the Kings Cup bearer, was told of this vast wreckage and ruination.
He cried for days on end.
He prayed for days on end.
He was touched by the Spirit of God to go and back home to rebuild and restore.
He went to the king, the king sent him, he walked away from everything he had.
The king gave him everything Nehemiah ever needed to finish that sacred task.
Nehemiah trusted God to to the same – Give Nehemiah all he needed to succeed.
Nehemiah went home with a plan – and with the discouraged people now ready to give all themselves to their restorative work – the wall is fixed in record time.
Much to the discouragement of their enemies – there was complete restoration.
The book of Nehemiah reminds us that the Lord creates, redeems and rebuilds.
The Lord is fully and completely aware of what needs to be redeemed, restored.
We see the news, we read the newspapers, we have the internet, social media.
We see the wreckage and ruination in every which direction the compass points.
We can often see destruction and discouragement in these moments; however, in God, we can always have that hope that He can work things out for His glory.
In response to the opposition of what they were going to be doing for the name and sake of God and out of recommitting their labors and their lives to Him, the Israelites faced a lot of mocking and threats of death and of hatred from others.
Suddenly we read in verse 6 of Nehemiah 4 the word ‘so’.
In other words, in response to these threats and persecution, the people of God threw off the threats, were inspired to work harder and harder, rebuilt the wall.
Touched by the Spirit of God, the spirit of freedom which came with that sacred touch, they did not allow the chastisement from their enemy to hold them back from fulfilling the will of the Lord, the summons of God, to restore the broken.
In this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, in what area(s) of your life do you feel the Lord is summoning you into doing a new work of restoration but the enemy is interposing himself, mocking you and trying to get you down?
The truth is that no matter what the time of year, we have to take action with the help of the Holy Spirit to ignore the words of the opposer and to take steps of faith with Christ to accomplish rebuilding and restoration for His name.
Till All of it Reached Half Its Height
Half its height indicates that during this verse, the wall was not completed.
Maybe you are in a season where you feel that God is not done with you or your loved ones or your personal ministry, your church’s ministry, mission project.
What I love is that even without our awareness, God is always in the process.
He is always working and providing meaningful lessons within the journey.
Even though we might feel that we are at “half height” right now, we can know with 100% confidence our Lord is the God who brings everything to completion.
Though I stumble or walk or sprint deep into the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
God WILL preserve my life from the anger of my enemies!
God Will extend His hand down to me and God WILL save me!
The Lord WILL fulfill His Purpose for Us!
Because His faithful love endures forever!
God WILL NOT abandon nor forsake the Works of His Hands!
Psalm 138 Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 138
A Thankful Heart
Of David.
1 I will give you thanks with all my heart; I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.[a] 2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else.[b] 3 On the day I called, you answered me; you increased strength within me.[c]
4 All the kings on earth will give you thanks, Lord, when they hear what you have promised.[d] 5 They will sing of the Lord’s ways, for the Lord’s glory is great. 6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the humble; but he knows the haughty from a distance.
7 If I walk into the thick of danger, you will preserve my life from the anger of my enemies. You will extend your hand; your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, your faithful love endures forever; do not abandon the work of your hands.
Paul in Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
By our heartfelt confession of faith (Romans 10:9-13) Jesus gives us eternal salvation, then refines, molds us more into His image through the Holy Spirit.
We are all on spiritual journeys.
We all have our own personal stories of wreckage and ruination to bring to God.
We all know we need to “wave our white flags of surrender,” know that we will not be completed on this side of heaven, but one day, only by the grace and the will of God, we will be made fully whole with God our Creator, Father, forever.
And that work is already happening now as we gather together, to celebrate His forever presence with all who believe.
For the People Worked with All their Heart
I heard recently that obedience never leads to love, but love leads to obedience.
When we encounter the love of Christ, it changes us.
Our hearts become His, and we belong to Him forever.
There is confidence and joy in being children of God.
The ancient Israelites knew how far they had fallen and how often they and to what lengths their ancestors had rejected the Lord and ran into idol worship.
Because of His great redemptive love, and the awareness of brokenness God gave to His people they were motivated to work with all their hearts for Him.
We, too, can be made aware of our brokenness, have this kind of motivation.
It is Christ who came to us – not for condemnation – but for our restoration.
Jesus Christ cares so much for us, and with literally everything He is, He gives all the empowerment, inspiration, strength to accomplish His kingdom work.
From our places of rebuilding and restoration, what are we working towards?
Remember that the Lord needs us to be an active part of your service to Him.
Anything we do in our own efforts is in vain.
We are to be resting in Him and delighting in Him to know His ways.
As individuals, as families, and as communities, as the Body of Christ, as God’s churches, we are both covenanted, invited to work for God with all of our heart.
This removes the duty mindset and welcomes us to join in the work that Christ is already doing.
It takes away our sense of pride or arrogance and humbles us that the Lord would include us in His plan.
Jesus renews lives, changes our hearts, and out of the work of the Holy Spirit, we can have the abundance of His clarity of direction as He calls us to rebuild.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
What or Who is God rebuilding in your life or those around you right now?
How has the all-tempting voice of the enemy tried to get you down lately?
How can you find joy and purpose in the process in the midst of the work?
In what ways can you find delight in Jesus to work from a place of His love?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Wesley Covenant Prayer – Traditional
“I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”
Psalm 23 King James Version
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
2 1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.
What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth.
I Never Said No to Myself
4-8 Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed gardens and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and—most exquisite of all pleasures— voluptuous maidens for my bed.
9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I had wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, and I held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Well, truth be told, I am writing this the bulk of this devotional the night prior to my actually posting it because tomorrow morning very early, the wife has a vender affair at a distant Methodist Church – about 45 minutes from our home.
My wife makes jewelry of all kinds and literally spends hours on end in her craft room, sitting at her table putting together beads of all shapes, sizes and colors.
For us, it is that time of the year when the wife gets extraordinarily busy doing craft shows at churches, wherever it is she can get a couple of tables to set up.
For the last several years now, fall is the season where she typically gets busy with her planning, what beads she will buy, what people might be interested in.
All different kinds of themes come out of her spirit and my wife is in her own element – making colorful gifts for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.
Me, my time is usually spent doing nothing like that – I am not the crafty one, I am not the one who can sit for hours on end finding fulfillment from such stuff.
I really have no hobbies at all and generally spend my time enjoying her brag about her efforts which she’ll frequently brings out to me in my living room.
Of, course, right now, I am rehabilitating from my Triple Bypass Open Heart Surgery this past July 17, so my time is spent walking and being in rest mode.
She has all the fun with her crafting because that is where God has gifted her.
Me, my time is spent doing no hobbies in particular except the Word of God in prayer and discernment in thinking, reading, studying writing this daily blog.
How in this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas my wife’s interests in her crafting and vender affairs becomes her ministry and mission to her church.
My ministry and mission to the church is my (as much as possible) daily blog which is literally read all over the globe – (Matthew 28:16-20, and Acts 1:8) as the Reverend has John Wesley famously said “that the whole world is my Parish.”
On my mind tonight are those pursuits of pleasure-my wife’s love of crafts, my single minded pursuit-my getting the Word of God out to the ends ofthe globe.
My apologies for a longer than usual blog entry – God’s Word will do that to me!
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 The Message
2 1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.
What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth.
Ecclesiastes is an ancient book, its way with words are compellingly relevant.
Although it was written around 3,000 years ago, you might think that the author had all ten of his ancient fingers on the pulse of our contemporary life.
And indeed, as you read it through, you will find yourself being walked down a number of dead-end streets representing the common paths we often tread in our single minded search for all the roads that only lead to our own satisfaction.
One route through which we try to find personal meaning in life is education.
Experts constantly assert the problems of substance abuse, sexual abuse and misconduct, other societal ills can be solved if only people are better educated.
Yet experience shows us that mere information cannot in and of itself satisfy the needs of the heart, nor is it capable of taming the unruliness of the soul.
Judged by many yardsticks, Western nations are the best-educated in human history, but somehow they do not appear to be the happiest, and they may well be those that most thirst for traveling all roads leading to instant gratification.
So if education doesn’t satisfy us, we might turn down the pathway of pleasure.
We decide, like Solomon, to let only the good times roll.
At first, in our zeal for all things fun, we might find something resembling happiness—but we eventually discover the pleasure it brings is only fleeting.
It turns out to be a cyclical form of escapism, luring us into a make-believe, rose-colored, self-focused life that sounds great but is like a circle – empty.
Much of the world that encircles our livelihoods, surrounds us with pleasures is no different than a fowlers snare, set up to call, walk us, down dead-end streets.
Now, it would be a dreadful misunderstanding for any baptized Christian to think, believe, all of our Christianity is disinterested in education and pleasure.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
Yet the author of Ecclesiastes shows us that none of these pursuits will in and of themselves make any minimal sense of our lives, answer our deepest longings.
This is generally the sum total Christian life well lived for 300 days in the year.
Then we encounter the last sixty days, seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, when God seems to hit a reset switch within us, only when we come to know the true and living God does the enjoyment of life’s blessings feed into lasting joy.
These dead-end streets do contain some hope, however—for Christ can break through, save us, drawing us onto the narrow path that leads to the good life. (Matthew 7:13-14 The Message).
Being and Doing
13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.
Maybe that’s exactly what needs to happen for us – God to hit our reset switch.
Or perhaps we’re tempted to resist the warning of Ecclesiastes and go down one of these “all or nothing all about me self gratification pleasure paths” instead of the road of selfless faithful obedience solely unto the Lord—or we are tempted to implicitly or explicitly encourage our loved ones to join us and go down them.
If the temptation to see education or enjoyment as the one thing you must have calls your name, remember this: one day you, I will stand before the throne of God, and you, I, will have to give an account – Which path will WE walk along?
Trusting In God through Every Fresh Start and Restart
Isaiah 43:16-21 The Message
16-21 This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sunbaked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.
Sifting through my wife’s beads, realizing that each had a special meaning with special prayers attached, the string she personally made for me I hung around the rear view mirror of my car touches my heart every time I see it, causes me to remember the other, freely swinging, joyfully, happily, from around her neck.
From a wife’s heart faithfully filled with all the good intentions I have come to know, love about her, came these special gifts to bless hearts all over the place.
God reminds us to have faith like a child securely grasping her mustard seeds .
There is something innocent and pure, yet true, captivating and convicting, about the way the faith of a child, of a whole fistful of mustard seeds, moves.
Inspired by the symbolism each of God’s carefully crafted creatures exudes, I randomly researched mustard seeds and researched the robin feeding on them.
Sitting on a lower branch of one of my trees last spring sat a pair of Robins.
Not just one day, but day after day.
I would try to quietly walk up beside their branch, new leaves growing wildly.
If she was not there already, or if my movements did not scare her, the robins would soon land faithfully on the branch, chirping with delight as if to greet me as an old friend.
The arrival of the robin traditionally symbolizes hope, renewal and rebirth.
It can also represent selflessness for a higher truth (or love), and some legend I read about suggests the robin received its flame red belly from a fire in which it was trying to protect Jesus. Even more, the spring arrival of the robin exudes new beginnings, life, is looked upon by many as a sign of fortune and good luck.
All this speculation aside, the Spirit moves in my heart whenever that robin tweets and walks along and among the branches of its young’s future home.
Of course, God can use the walk of a tiny robin along fresh spring branches to reassure us new hope, but the supernatural reassurance isn’t the robin’s doing.
It’s the solely the Lord, Jesus, promising never to leave us alone.
It’s God our Creator, it’s God our Father, making good on His promise that when we see His presence in Creation, we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him – He will make Himself known in the most precious of ways.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
God promised the Israelites He would lead them out of the wilderness, but it would be in a way very much different from the roadways and pathways they were familiar with, or knew to look for. “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way” (Isaiah 35:8).
The highway, the NIV Study Bible explains, is
“a road built up to make travel easier,” the Way of Holiness, “The way less travelled, set apart for those who are holy; only the redeemed could use it.”
This Old Testament reference to a road God’s people would have actually traveled to the temple reminds me of the way Jesus Christ has paved for us.
There is the choice of our walking the High Road.
There is the choice of our walking the Low Road.
There is the Level Road between the High Road and the Low Road.
Then there is the destination we all somehow arrive at hopefully the same time.
We have the choice to try Interchangeably walking on all three to get there first, at all costs, whatever means, ahead of everyone else – to get the winner’s prize
Crisscrossing one path to get to the other – then back and forth, up and down.
We inevitably lose ground, we have to laterally change directions, stay on track.
Lateral change requires us to reset our bearings, restart- restarting is hard.
Fresh starts do not always feel like a crisp fall day or an early spring rain that makes the beauty of flowers bloom and things come alive again – but it does.
John 14:1-7 The Message
The Road
14 1-4 “Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”
5 Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”
6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”
Christ made the ONLY way where there was no way.
Where there is no way.
In our wilderness moments, and seasons “This new thing effectively reverses the exodus.
Whereas the winds of God caused the sea to turn to dry land to save His people from the Egyptians, now He will make paths and streams in the desert to deliver His people,” to show His Children the Only eternal pathway to God the Father.
In these seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, God will hit our reset button.
Re-starting can be a fresh start, but sometimes starting over isn’t the path we choose for ourselves.
There are times in life when God redirects our attention in a direction we did not plan to, and might not want to, obediently go – in those moments, it’s important to get quiet with the Lord, and ask Him to confirm His calling.
Hands joined together, my wife and I bowed our heads in the home we loved and gave it to the Lord all over again. “If it’s Your will …if You want us to go, God …we will go if You are in it …help us to know we are supposed to go.”
God is faithful to answer our questions, even our complaints, about the direction He is leading us to go.
When we excessively ask Him, “Are you sure?”
His response is not condemning, but convictive encouragement.
He will surely make clear the direction we are supposed to go.
But if we are too scared to take the next steps, He does not discount us.
His purpose for us does not fade. Whatever God’s will is …will be for us both.
Re-start can also be a fresh start.
Even if the catapult of change catches us off guard, often times we can look back after we’ve taken faithful steps of obedience to see His hand relieving us from a burden we were not meant to bear, or could not see coming.
Looking back over a life lived within the love of Christ Jesus will surely produce a trail of His faithfulness.
Discernment is defined as an acuteness of judgement and understanding.
“I am your servant,” King David wrote, “give me discernment that I may understand your statutes” (Psalm 119:125).
David was searching and seeking God to act wisely.
God called David a man after His own heart. David’s heart was consumed by His relationship with the Lord. The Voice paraphrase of Psalm 119:125 reads:
“I am Your servant; impart to me understanding so that I may fully grasp the depths of Your statutes.”
This verse is part of a Prayer for Vindication.
David was praying for God to come to his defense, and we know God was faithful to defend David many times throughout his life.
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law,” David prayed(Psalm 119:18).
The root of the Hebrew word for discernment or understanding means to “understand, be able, deal wisely, consider, pay attention to, regard, notice, discern, perceive, or inquire.”
David prayed for the ability to perceive God’s direction for his life.
When we pray for the will and favor of God in our lives, He is faithful to deliver.
Our Father in heaven wants us to succeed.
He sent His Son to save us in the greatest act of love of all time (John 3:16).
His heart breaks with us when we are broken.
God is with us, has made a way for us, and has plans for us that are more than we can ask for or imagine.
“We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us;” John wrote.
John also “but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood” (1 John 4:6).
Some people today think the path, road, of “faith” or “belief” is out of date.
But all of us have to deeply believe in something or we will fall for everything.
All of us have to place our feet upon a pathway, trust in someone or something.
How about you?
How about me?
Where does your ultimate pathway, our ultimate allegiance lie?
Allegiance strictly to self?
Allegiance strictly to God, the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit?
John reminds us that the content of faith is as important as the act of believing.
He calls us to “test the spirits” to determine whether our beliefs really come from God and are directed toward God.
John realizes that all who “believe in themselves” or put their confidence in human social and political power will inevitably, absolutely, be disappointed.
The content of our faith does not come from within ourselves or even from the latest ideas or movements around us.
The content of our faith comes from God, and God alone who has reached into a fallen world, walked Calvary’s path, speaks with a voice of love and authority.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 