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."
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the [a]cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
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.
“Where are you?”
God asks Adam as he quietly strolls through the garden as if he is automatically expecting to encounter the eagerness of Adam, the sight of Adam seeing Him.
But, something is off, the automatic encounter does not seem to be automatic.
What are we to make of this happenstance, the absence of this automatic sight?
The absence of this “naturally” automatic encounter between man and God?
Perhaps these questions are not much about where Adam and Eve are hiding?
Perhaps something significantly bigger than that is happening here?
Please consider …
Genesis 1 and 2 give the glorious account of our creative God busy creating everything—including us human beings.
Then Genesis 3 tells of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, their fall into sin, which now infects all of us.
The fruit looked delicious and desirable, but all it revealed was that they were naked. They tried to hide from God in their shame, making simple garments of fig leaves. Where were they? To answer God’s question, they were both lost and they did not even have the awareness to know it and less awareness to act on it.
God’s footsteps echoed in the garden, and his voice boomed, “Where are you?” God knew, they did not know it – God knew they needed to know they were lost.
God began to quietly enlighten them …
“Who told you that you were naked?”
God asked.
Not roared lest the undefinable power of his anger rips them limb from limb. (Psalm 29:1-9)
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name; Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The Lord is over [d]many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful, The voice of the Lord is majestic. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord hews out [e]flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord [f]shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
Like naïve naughty children, they automatically tried to use the blame game.
“The woman you put here gave me the fruit,” whimpered Adam.
“The serpent (you made) fooled me,” Eve whined.
Today in such moments and our circumstances God still asks, “Where are you?”
Today, in such moments and our circumstances, God is yet looking and he is always in our immediate neighborhood, always very close by, still strolling.
I heard it when I was in my hospital room, looking at the digital clock on the wall counting down the seconds and the minutes until my open heart surgery.
My heart was in desperate need of the kind of repair only my surgeons could give me, there was no place to hide, any running could give me a heart attack.
I was out of options, had no control over my life, lost, vulnerable, and scared.
I picked up my phone and went to my bible app and started at the beginning.
God strolled into my garden where my very life hung in the balance, where as I was reading Genesis 3 that one haunting question suddenly turned comforting.
He was not out to get me into chastising me but to remind me the promise that he’d provided a Savior, his Son. “Stay where you are. I’ve sent my Son for you!”
In that life or death moment, in the indescribable magnitude of my uncertainty, God strolled in unannounced through His Holy Scriptures and God assured me.
Psalm 29:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
10 The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes, the Lord sits as King forever. 11 [a]The Lord will give strength to His people; [b]The Lord will bless His people with peace.
Do you know this God, do we know this timeless and immutable truth from the Word of God, spoken from the mouth of God, who always desires to be with us?
Psalm 29:1-2 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name; Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.
Do we ever so “naturally” automatically turn to the Word of God to hear Him speak to us, to so automatically glorify his immediate proximity to our lives?
Blessedly Assured, Reassured, Standing in Plain Sight on the Promises of God?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 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.
11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.
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 today’s societies very few people have an undivided heart.
They seek many different things all at the same time.
Often they are loyal to something for a moment, then a few days later they drop that loyalty and begin to be loyal to something else.
Pick up any magazine at the drug store, notice the incredible diversity of their titles and their incredible efforts at maximizing their front cover graphics to draw your attention only to them – fads come and go constantly with change.
These can be found in the multiple things people do, play with, listen to, or use.
What is popular today, soon becomes old tomorrow because of divided hearts.
People will genuinely struggle with what they really want to aim for.
They want a little bit of everything and often end up with a whole lot of nothing, because they are uncertain of their priorities, badly divided in their loyalties.
Psalm 86:11 David prayed to God, David wanted God to teach him His way, so that he would be able to know and rely solely upon God’s great faithfulness.
Considering all of the intrigue which surrounded his day to day life, He wanted to have a undivided heart that would be fully dedicated to God and God alone.
While the world struggles with divided hearts, many believers also struggle.
They struggle with whether or not to fight for things to provide for themselves and have their kind of fun, or to follow, trust in God alone for what they need.
The sinful nature inevitably rises up inside of many, causing them to become impatient with themselves and God and so want to go back to old sinful ways.
They become divided in their hearts, seeking to find success, or pleasure in sinful ways, rather than seeking purpose and life in God and His ways alone.
Going back and forth like this, causes a divided heart.
Directional Faith
James 1:5-8 New International Version
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
God has a way of changing us deeply through various crisis points in our lives.
But what happens when God strings together a long series of crisis points?
Eventually the trail of change-points will lead somewhere, like stepping-stones crossing a river.
As we realize this, our collection of snapshot crises starts to become a movie with a story line.
But how does one tell where the story is supposed to be going?
That’s not easy.
God assures us that he has plans for our lives, but it can be hard to tell where those plans might lead.
Sometimes it would be nice to have a burning-bush episode like Moses had—something concrete we could see through the fog of life’s busyness (Exodus 3).
Why is it so difficult to determine God’s direction for our lives?
Sometimes it’s simply because we forget to ask.
It’s surprisingly easy to charge into the events of a day without bothering to ask God what he wants from us that day.
Sometimes that can prompt God to allow a minor crisis to pop up as a wake-up call to pull our attention back to him.
When was the last time you asked God to show you his plans for your day?
How about asking him right now?
Why?
Because …
A divided heart make a person lukewarm, whom God will in the end reject.
The believer needs to be sold out to God alone, focused on serving Him alone.
Jesus said there cannot be two masters, but only one–God.
Examine your life and see where your loyalty lies.
What is it that you are focused on, you are aiming towards?
Seek to know God and His way for your life.
Trust in His faithfulness alone.
As you find satisfaction in serving God, you will be able to live for God alone.
In living for God alone, you will no longer have a divided heart that goes back to the old sinful ways.
Temptation to live in sin will lose its grip upon you when you are sold-out to God alone.
Ask God to reveal His faithfulness to you and to give you an undivided heart that will be loyal to Him.
I pray today that you the reader will know the faithfulness of God; that God will reveal His path for your life; that you the reader will trust in God alone; that you will have a heart sold out to God; and that God will give you an undivided heart.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Works and the Word of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be [e]blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
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.
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. 29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will [b]mount up with[c]wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
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.
A Holy Ignorance?
The people are lamenting, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God.”
Even when life appears cheerful, there is this undercurrent of sadness among the people.
It’s life in exile.
The people feel abandoned by God.
But Isaiah wants the people to reconsider what they already know, to hear what they’ve heard before.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.”
No one can even minimally fathom the mind and thoughts and the ways of God.
As a teaspoon cannot hope to take the measure of the oceans, so the ever so finite human mind of mankind cannot begin to fathom the mind of God.
There’s a vast gap between the Creator and the creation.
Life itself is full of mystery–a newborn baby, love, gravity.
Who can fully explain these things?
According to A Short History of Nearly Everything, “There are perhaps 140 billion galaxies in the still unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than three billion times.”
Over the centuries, Christians have spoken of a “holy ignorance,” an ignorance that is deeply humbling.
It revels in the knowledge the unfathomable Lord has everything, including you and me, in his hands.
We need not fathom God’s ways in order to trust him.
It’s enough to know his heart.
But, Even In Our Ignorance We Will Still Have to Wait
A good friend often shares this reminder:
God is never late, and rarely early; He is an on-time God.
These are encouraging words for all of God’s people who believe in prayer and worship a sovereign God.
God doesn’t work on our timetable, but accomplishes all that He wills according to His own schedule.
No one likes waiting.
We live in an age of microwave meals, instant access to information, and next-day and even same day shipping.
The idea behind all our modern-day conveniences is that they will “save” time for us, but the reality is, we are far busier than our ancestors ever were.
We strive to accomplish more and more, to pack as much as we possibly can into the twenty-four hours allotted to each day.
And if by chance we must wait longer than we feel we should, we will grow ever more impatient, rude, and discontent.
I don’t believe this is the way God intended us to live.
Life in the Garden of Eden was simple, as Adam and Eve enjoyed the beautiful world the Father had created for them.
As each day ended, they had time to enjoy what surely was a spectacular sunset and looked forward each evening to walking with God in the cool of the day and enjoying His presence (Genesis 3:8).
Now, we’ll squeeze as much as we can out of every minute of everyday and drop exhausted into our beds, only to do it all over again the next day.
No wonder we find it difficult to wait on God.
How do you respond when God fails to answer your prayers, or your questions, or change your circumstances in what you feel is a “timely” manner?
Does it grow your faith, or challenge what you believe about Him?
Here are six things we need to consider as we wait on God.
1. Trust God Has a Path for You, Will Keep You on It
Psalm 25:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.
A Psalm of David.
25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; [a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.
Proverbs 16:1-3 English Standard Version
16 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.[a] 3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:9 English Standard Version
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
It can be frustrating when we make plans that don’t work out.
We can’t see into the future; we can only make decisions based on what we know, what we’ve experienced, the good counsel, wisdom we find in and throughout God’s Word.
As we wait, we must trust that God’s Spirit will speak to us, directing our steps, and that He is able to orchestrate events so that things work out exactly as He alone desires and has planned for us.
Have you ever found yourself in a traffic jam, frustrated and anxious that you are going to be late, only to find out later that the delay was a blessing in disguise, perhaps keeping you from a greater tragedy?
Instead of seeing a perpetual array of roadblocks and delays as frustrations or failures, trust that God is working behind the scenes for the perfect outcome, according to His plans for you.
2. Remember God Is Good, and Desires Good for You
Psalm 27:13-14 New American Standard Bible 1995
13 [a]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
We all would prefer to avoid any kind of suffering or trials.
Perhaps you’ve planned a long-awaited trip, bought the tickets, and packed your bags, only to get sick, or have something come up that demands your attention and cancels your plans.
Without a steadfast solid belief in God’s character, His divine interruptions can derail us spiritually.
Waiting on God for healing or for any change to better and easier circumstances requires us to remember He is essentially good in His nature, that His goodness is eternal and infinite.
Romans 8:28 New American Standard Bible 1995
28 And we know that [a]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
All His actions toward us are good and designed to accomplish good in our lives.
3. Know That God Is Aware of Your Heart’s Desires
Psalm 37:3-9 New American Standard Bible 1995
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
7 [b]Rest in the Lord and wait [c]patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. 9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
These scriptures remind us that God is not “playing” with our feelings when He causes us to wait.
He knows us intimately and designed us personally.
As our Creator, He knows what satisfies our hearts, meet our deepest needs.
Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or something more tangible and physical, trust that what God provides for you will be worth the wait.
Ultimately, He meets the desires of our heart with Himself as we deepen our relationship with Him.
4. Be Assured God Sees You, Is Thinking about You
Psalm 40:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
God Sustains His Servant.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.
When God isn’t answering our prayers as quickly as we’d like, it can seem like He doesn’t hear us.
We may feel forgotten, as if He doesn’t care.
According to His Word, this is never true.
God’s thoughts toward us are too numerous to count.
Speaking of His beloved city, Jerusalem, and His people, the children of Israel, God says,
“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).
All who have put their faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, are His beloved children.
God inscribed us on the palm of His hands with the scars from the nails that held Jesus to the cross on our behalf.
Never doubt that God sees you while you are waiting on Him to act.
5. Trust That God Is Present with You
Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995
God the Refuge of His People.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our refuge and strength, [b]A very present help in [c]trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her [f]when morning dawns. 6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, [i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Waiting is hard at any time, but never harder than when we feel we are waiting alone.
God said it was not good for man to be alone; that’s why He created Eve, so that Adam would have a companion (Genesis 2:18).
Our brothers and sisters in Christ, our family, and our friends can make our burdens lighter as we wait, but the ultimate Helper we need is God Himself.
We must believe He is present, and that He is with us in our waiting.
Knowing and believing that God is present with us gives us hope and courage while we wait for Him to act.
Speaking to His disciples in anticipation of His return to heaven, Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).
He was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would be sent by the Father to indwell His followers. God is always present with us; He is in us, and He waits with us.
6. Ponder and Meditate on God’s Word, Which Will Sustain You
Psalm 119:9-16 New American Standard Bible 1995
Beth.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. 10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, [a]As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts And [b]regard Your ways. 16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Waiting patiently for the Lord to act requires occupying our minds and hearts with something greater.
Our focus must not be only on what we need God to do for us, but on who He is and what He has already done.
Waiting will not seem like waiting if we sustain our souls with the abundant spiritual nourishment we find in His Word.
Instead, we will find that the waiting becomes a place of joy and peace, trusting that our Father is perpetually working, and he will answer at just the right time.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible 1995
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the [a]defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I [b]shall be confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the [c]beauty of the Lord And to [d]meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [e]tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices [f]with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 [g]For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of [h]my foes. 12 Do not deliver me over to the [i]desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 [j]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
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.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
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.
Creation itself testifies about its Creator.
King David said in the Psalms, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
It is impossible to live on this planet of ours without recognizing God, as nature is proof to His existence.
This Psalm goes on to say,
“Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3).
Creation’s voice goes out and translates into every known and spoken language.
What it is revealing is the glory and majesty of God.
By observing how specific and exact the inter-workings of creation are, one can only come to the conclusion that there is a God.
This is by design.
God’s glory is displayed by the things around us.
His invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature are shown to us in how we are made, the world in which we live, and the universe surrounding us.
Because God has made himself clearly known through the creation of our universe, humankind is without an excuse before Him.
Instead of looking to human wisdom to make sense of life whether through books, knowledge, or the pursuit of understanding.
Today, it is my prayer that we will take a moment to observe how unique and beautiful the fingerprint of God is in our lives and the world in which we live.
I pray this leads us to praising Him for how wonderful He has made everything for us for revealing himself to us by creation.
God Speaks through His Creation
Nature has an ability to bring me peace in a way nothing else does.
Sure I get annoyed by bugs or tired from hiking.
But seeing the beauty, creativity, and complexity of what God has made has had a profound effect on my spiritual life.
Have you ever just spent some time in God’s creation?
Maybe it was hiking, lying on the beach, swimming in an ocean or a lake, fishing, gazing over the grand canyon, driving through the mountains, watching a raging thunder and lightning storm or just playing in the rain.
Take a minute to reflect on that time and what you felt.
Looking back, do you think you might have felt God’s presence?
Did the awe and wonder of nature’s splendor bring you peace, or even lead you to thoughts about God?
The more I’ve come to know God the more there has grown in me an adoration and appreciation for his creation.
Romans 1:20 states that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”
Nature is meant to declare to us the “invisible attributes” of God.
And Scripture is clear that God is at work in his creation—maintaining and facilitating all that happens in the world.
Psalm 147:8-9, 15-18 tells us,
He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry… He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
When you see animals eating, you are witnessing God’s provision in the earth and can, as a result, know that he will provide for you.
When you see snow fall, ice form, and springtime come to melt away the cold you can know that God is at work around you and in your life.
To miss out on all creation speaks to us is to miss an important part of God’s voice.
You see, while God does an incredible job taking care of a world wrought with the effects of sin, he promises to take care of you even more.
Jesus commands us in Matthew 6:26-30,
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Jesus teaches us to look upon creation and listen as it declares to us the nature of God.
In fact, he commands us to do so.
You can look at the grass of the fields and the meadows and know of God’s unwavering faithfulness for you.
You can look at the birds and never wonder if you will get your next meal.
Nature declares to us that God has and will provide for us all of our days.
Nature tells us not to worry because God is both powerful and near.
Nature tells us that God is creative, practical, brilliant, loving, and full of mystery and wonder.
Nature tells us that God speaks.
God created the cosmos so that you might have another mysterious yet clear way of hearing his voice.
Whether you live in the city or country, look long and hard upon God’s creation and just stand still, cease striving against the world quietly listen for his voice.
Ask him what he wants you to know as you see all the wonders of his hands.
Let the beauty and mystery of all of God’s creation fill you with a deeper longing to know your heavenly Father.
Listen to God today and allow your heart and your soul to become stirred as you discover his undeniable unwavering desire to speak to you through his creation.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Take some time to go out in God’s creation.
2. Now ask God what he wants to tell you through his creation.
Let him speak in whatever way he desires.
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Romans 1:20
3. Meditate on the truth he reveals to your heart and take some time to rest in his presence.
As beloved children of an infinite, paradoxical God we must learn to embrace and value mystery.
The Psalmist reveals to us all that God longs to speak through his creation.
He longs to satisfy your longing for fascination as you ponder the mystery and beauty of that which we will never fully understand. May you hear the loving voice of the Father today as you allow the Creator to speak through his creation.
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Works and the Word of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be [e]blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
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.
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the [a]path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by [b]streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its [c]leaf does not wither; And [d]in whatever he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord [e]knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.
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 book of Psalms opens with a wonderful truth – that the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Godly living which results in blessings from above, contentment within, and hope for the future, stands in stark contrast to the practice of ungodliness and compromise – which produces the fruit of sorrow and destruction and ends in a man’s ruin and death.
The first verse of this opening Psalm gives a precise statement between the two choices every man is given in life.
He can choose God’s way and take the path of righteousness and peace-with-God, OR he can follow the downward road of the wicked, the sinners, the scoffers, and those that rebel against the Lord – he can choose life or death:
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”
The man who is identified here is someone who is living in the world but is not enticed by the things of the world.
Such a man is not influenced by the mindset of worldly men who live in defiant rebellion against God and hold His anointed Son in contempt.
The man in this opening verse of the Psalms is a godly man – a redeemed man who walks in spirit and in truth and he does not habitually wander into those unwholesome places or involve himself in the worldly exploits of evildoers.
Such a man first seeks His counsel from the Lord, reads, studies, pays attention to the messages of God’s written Word, keeps his eyes firmly fixed on JESUS.
Such a person is wise in his routines and circumspect in his conversation.
Such a one walks in the light of God’s truth, prioritizes, hearkens to the godly counsel of the indwelling Holy Spirit, removes himself from those places of ill repute, submits to the voice of his Lord, and sits at the feet of Jesus, day by day.
Such a man turns his back to the world and its dark and darkened message, delights in the law of the Lord, he takes the time to study the Word of truth.
His only true delight is in the law of the Lord, he goes to his quiet places, he meditates on the things of God day and night, and rejoices in God his Savior.
Such a person holds lightly the things of this worldly system and dies to his fleshly desires while trusting in the living Word of the Father of all mercies.
Psalm 1 New King James Version
BOOK ONE
Psalms 1–41
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he [b]meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the [c]rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
In one short Psalm, we see how rapidly a godly man or woman can slide into ungodly ways.
Instead of continuing to walk in spirit and truth, they begin to follow the advice of the evil men and slowly become ensnared in the world, the flesh, the devil.
Once a believer takes their eyes off Jesus and allows their ears to be tickled by human wisdom, their spiritual fervor is dampened and they are tempted to loiter in the way of the ungodly until they are willing to stand firm in the company of evil men instead of standing firm on the truth of God’s Word.
The longer a believer remains in the company of ungodly men and women, the more rapidly his conscience begins to be seared, the attitude of scoffing sinners taints the real truths of the gospel until the Holy Spirit is quenched and grieved.
Tilling the Soil of the Heart: Through the Scriptures
2 Timothy 3:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995
12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is [a]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [b]training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
One of the most powerful tools in tilling the soil of our hearts is Scripture.
Each time you open the Bible, you’re looking at a miracle.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
When you’re reading the Bible, you’re reading the very word of God, breathed out by him and powerful in its ability to reveal both the character of God and your identity.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
When you renew your mind through Scripture, you allow the Bible to transform your heart into fertile soil that bears everlasting fruit.
So let’s look today at a few ways we can use Scripture to renew our minds and allow it to mold and shape us into disciples who are in tune with and receptive to the love and leading of God.
There is a wealth of power and wisdom within God’s word as it reveals his love and faithfulness to his people.
Stories of God’s deliverance and provision to an ungrateful people demonstrate not only God’s faithfulness then, but also the greatest lengths he will go to for those ransomed into his family now by the blood of Christ.
The story of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins is both heart-wrenching and life-giving -that he would willingly endure one of the most heinous, tortuous methods ever created assures us of the love God has for us.
That he would experience separation from his heavenly Father for the sin of the entire world points to the depth of his love for us.
Reading stories like these and meditating on their meaning and application will make us receptive to the presence and will of God.
They can empower us to live in grateful obedience to his plans and purposes.
As Paul wrote in Second Timothy, the Bible is also a useful tool for life-giving correction.
Correction from God is an important and wonderful part of being his son or daughter.
His correction resembles a skilled gardener pulling the weeds out of soil, making room for seeds he has planted to receive nourishment and thereby flourish into fruit.
You see, God doesn’t correct out of anger or frustration, but rather out of his rich love, patience, and desire for us to walk in the abundant life he’s prepared for us.
Proverbs 3:12 states, “The Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”
So, opening our hearts to Scripture like Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear,”is 100% incredibly powerful.
Pulling out the weeds and the tares of corrupting or negative talk will create space in the soil of our hearts for the nourishment of God’s Spirit, yielding the fruit of speech that does indeed “give grace.”
John 14:22-27 New American Standard Bible 1995
22 Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
By the admonition of the Word of the Lord revealed in John 14:23 – Open your whole heart today to the power of God’s Word in tilling the soil of your heart.
By the promise of God revealed through John 14:25-26, Allow the Holy Spirit to come, teach you by speaking directly into your life using the words of Scripture.
By the power of the Holy Spirit of God, may your time in guided prayer be marked by the inner voice of the Spirit and the transformation of the heart.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Ask the Spirit to reveal an area in which you need correction.
Think about something in your life that is hurting your ability to develop good soil and, thereby, good fruit.
Where are you not experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give you?
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
2. Now search for Scripture to use for meditation on the subject.
If you feel that negative speech is hindering you, a verse like Ephesians 4:29 that we read earlier is a great start. If you feel like lust or another sin is hindering you, search for Scriptures addressing the sin you struggle with.
3. Meditate on the Scripture that you’ve found.
Hebrews 4:12 New American Standard Bible 1995
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Allow God to apply Scripture directly to your life.
When we align ourselves with God’s word, we lose the burden of living life apart from the anointing and filling of his Spirit.
Giving up things like negative speech, lust, greed, and other sins creates space for that which brings life and abundance.
Today, give over anything you feel is crowding your spiritual life, and allow God to fill you with the grace to live according to his word.
His word is the perfect guide through every situation, useful for any occasion.
Allow the Spirit to speak to you both through the Bible and directly. Till the soils of your heart to be receptive to all that God would do in and through you today.
Loving Father, it is my desire that I too walk in Your ways and keep from foolish compromise with the world system. By the truths revealed through Holy Scriptures keep my heart set on the Lord Jesus so that my thoughts are not influenced by the mindset of this current age. May I be like the man planted by Your many rivers of grace and love, joy and peace. May Your mercy and compassion flow through me to those around me, in the place where you have planted me. In Jesus’ name, 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.
29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name; Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.
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.
One of the most powerful ways to till the soil of the heart is through worship.
Authentic worship is a powerful exchange of God pouring his love out on us and us giving him our hearts in return.
In worshiping through music, our hearts naturally become soft and receptive to God’s presence and love as we encounter his goodness and engage in a reverent adoration of the only One who is completely, utterly, worthy of our affections.
God created music with an innate ability to affect us at our core.
Psalms, Music, have the power to fill us with peace, joy, and anger; it can cause tears to well up in our eyes and even make the most mundane events beautiful.
Martin Luther said, “Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”
By consistently engaging in worship through beautiful music, we each provide a framework for the Holy Spirit both to till the soil of our hearts and to fill us with the seeds of God’s presence and perfect character.
The Bible is brimming with admonishment to worship through song.
Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”
Scripture is so clear about the importance of worship because God longs for us to be a people marked by consistent reminders of his unconditional love.
He longs for us to live in response to his presence and his greater plans, rather than mightily struggling through life by placing our trust in the world over him.
God longs to reveal his heart to you in worship.
He longs to show up, meet us in our rooms, our prayer closets, cars, workplace, in the outdoors as we walk and bike and hike in creation, and houses of worship.
We were created to encounter all the fullness of God and engage in the cyclical act of giving and receiving love throughout our days.
When we worship here on earth, we posture our whole heart towards eternity.
Making the willful choice listen for the voice of God, to give your affections to the One you will spend eternity with, you also discover your purpose for which you were made: to live in unhindered communion with your heavenly Father.
If you feel like the soil of your heart is more rock hard than tillable, your life isn’t marked by the fruit of the Spirit or you can’t escape from a temptation—simply take some time and pick up the Word of God, encounter God in worship.
God’s presence is wholly available to you today.
His love and grace are steadfast towards you.
May your time in guided prayer be marked by the awareness of, nearness of, and power of the Holy Spirit as you encounter the unconditional love of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on what Scripture says about worship through music and reflect on how beautiful music moves your heart.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5
“And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.”1 Samuel 16:23
2.Engage in worship in whatever way moves your heart.
Receive the presence and love of your heavenly Father and give him your heart in response. Remember the importance of giving and receiving love in worship.
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” Psalm 57:7
“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:6
3. Journal about the effects worship has on your heart.
Reflecting on and writing down the things God is doing in our lives helps us to actualize that which is often left internal and forgotten.
Psalm 104:33 says, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.”
Until your life is devoted to worshipping God, you will never find total rest.
When we give ourselves to the things of this world it repays us with stress, burden, and cares rather than unconditional love.
It’s only in devoting yourself to God alone that you will find satisfaction and reciprocation for your love.
Live today in full devotion to God.
Do everything as an act of worship.
And find that God repays your adoration ten fold by pouring out his wealth of affection over you.
May today be filled with the presence, power of God as you give, receive, love.
Psalm 29 The Message
29 1-2 Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!” In awe before the glory, in awe before God’s visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him!
3 God thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness— God, across the flood waters.
107 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary 3 And gathered from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the [a]south.
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.
Beauty Lost and Restored
One way for us to understand the beauty that God created is to understand its opposite: the ugliness, sorrow which comes from being separated from God.
Because of our sin, this world is not the way it ought to be.
Sin has brought hardship and ugliness into our lives and into this world, though God designed it all to be beautiful.
We know that God has restoration in mind because we don’t feel “at home” in a world broken because of sin.
We are homesick for a world of peace and beauty.
We are homesick to be with God.
When we’re stuck in brokenness and facing the ugliness of this world of sin, we feel homesick for God’s world of goodness and beauty.
Psalm 107 points out the sorrow and longing of this homesickness.
The world can feel like a wasteland, providing no place where people can rest, no place where they can settle and be at peace.
But the Lord, whose “love endures forever,” (verse 1) offers redemption.
The Lord hears his people cry out in their trouble caused by sin, and he delivers them from distress.
God brings them to a place where they can settle and live in peace.
“He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things.”
Psalm 107:7-9 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 He led them also by a [a]straight way, To go to [b]an inhabited city. 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His [c]wonders to the sons of men! 9 For He has satisfied the [d]thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.
From throughout the Psalms, ultimately we know that all of life’s goodness and beauty will be restored when Jesus comes again, and, all of our thanks be unto God, the new life he provides us even now gives us hope for eternity with God.
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Tilling the Soils of Our Hearts: Thankfulness
Thankfulness is one of the most powerful tools in making our hearts both soft to the seed of God’s word and filled with abundant joy.
Thanksgiving aligns our thoughts and emotions with the reality of God’s goodness in a world wrought with lies about the character of God.
It breeds joy and trust rather than entitlement and negativity.
With each declaration of thankfulness you dig a shovel into the hard, rocky soil of your heart and churn it over until it becomes receptive to the fullness of God and filled with the fruit of the Spirit.
The Bible is laden with commands to be thankful.
Ephesians 5:20 tells us to be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
But my favorite command on thankfulness is Psalm 107:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
You see, it’s important to understand that the Bible doesn’t suggest that we give thanks, but rather commands us to always be thankful.
And in God’s command he reveals his heart.
We learn in Psalm 107 that our thankfulness is meant to be a response to the steadfast love of our heavenly Father.
Thankfulness is meant to be the overflow of remembering, encountering and mulling over how our God is abundantly faithful and filled with unconditional love for us.
I used to read Scripture commanding me to be thankful and think,
“Sorry God, I know I need to be more thankful. I know I’m so provided for and loved. I’m sorry for not thanking you more.”
But after meditating on Psalm 107:1, I realized that my lack of thankfulness is a symptom of not spending enough time encountering God’s wonderful character rather than a core issue in and of itself.
Tilling the soil of my heart through thankfulness requires that I set aside time to simply experience God’s goodness and love. Because everything he does is by grace, my natural response to his character will always be one of thanksgiving.
Take time today to reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father. Allow his goodness to cause great thankfulness to well up within you.
May your time in guided prayer be filled with truly transformational encounters with God, may they cultivate good soil that bears the fruit of an abundant life.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Guided Prayer:
1. Reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28
“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5
2. Now respond to God’s character with thankfulness.
Take Scripture and thank God for who he is.
Look at your life and thank God for any good gifts he’s given you. Allow his goodness to stir up thankfulness within you.
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1
3. What changed in your heart as you engaged in thanksgiving?
Journal about the power of thankfulness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see how God is at work in your life today and offer thanksgiving in response.
If you start to feel your heart begin to harden because of something that happens today, simply reflect on the goodness of God and give thanks.
Negativity and sin have an incredibly harmful effect on our hearts.
Decide to put away any form of slander, impurity and anything negative at all, and instead focus on the goodness of what God is doing.
Choose to love today and align your thoughts and emotions with faith and trust in who God is.
To walk in relationship with God is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times.
If you get off track for a bit, simply ask the Spirit to lead you back to the perspective and posture of heart he desires for you!
God’s grace is abounding and powerful.
He longs to walk in relationship with you all day today.
May your day be filled with peace, joy and a passionate pursuit of bringing his kingdom to earth all around you.
Lord, we feel alone and homesick for you and for your peace when we struggle with the hurt and brokenness of this world. Pray! Bring us all near to you, we pray. 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.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [a]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [b]offered in faith will [c]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [d]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [e]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
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.
Life is filled with highs and lows.
Navigating the terrains of our ups and downs of life can be a OMG challenge.
Thankfully the Bible gives us some insight on how to approach our hardships and our joy.
God doesn’t leave us on our own in either season -in our lives, there is no struggle that He is not present for or celebration He doesn’t know about.
What does God say about the hard times?
The enemy of our souls continuously wants to speak the lie of aloneness in our ears when things start to feel and act like so much more than we can handle.
We become paralyzed in the belief that no one is there to support us, thoughts of guilt or shame may stop us from being open about our struggles, and the idea that no one can understand what we are going through can keep us stuck alone.
Without the availability and resources and support of others or a strong grasp on God’s love for you in those hard moments, hopelessness can begin to set in like an ugly fast spreading disease, like plaque building in your hearts arteries.
The Bible tells us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).
This is precisely why the Bible instructs us to turn to God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in prayer when things fall apart and we suffer.
Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Considerand answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
When we begin to connect with God through prayer and study of his Word, hope can return to our hearts!
We are reminded that we are loved and never alone.
God gives us the strength we need to share our stories with others that can support us, further breaking the chains of aloneness and hopelessness.
When you are in a season of suffering, bring it all to Jesus… bring all of the frustration, desperation, loneliness, or anger and lay them at the feet of Jesus.
Luke 18:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
Parables on Prayer
18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will [b] give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c]wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [e]faith on the earth?”
God is not repelled by honesty.
He already knows the state of our lives and hearts.
You will not offend God with your sin or doubt.
He pleads with us saying please come to me first.
He loves you so much that He died to take away your sin and pain.
In seasons of joy, sing praises to your God!
We can get so caught up in our own pleasures that we take the good for granted and only turn to God in hardship.
God invites us back to be in his presence in both our seasons of joy and seasons of suffering.
When prayers are answered, when a milestone is achieved, or when the sunset takes your breath away, or your kids knock it out of the park, when your spouse does something special like says “I Love You!” take a moment, give God all glory.
It is Overcoming! It’s our ability to see God in the joy-filled seasons that helps prepare us for the times and seasons of suffering and despondency.
If we don’t have the ability to notice God’s grace, provision, and kindness when it is directly in our faces, how will we recognize God at work when life is heavy?
We need that ledger available in our minds of all the ways God has already come through for us to lean on when doubt, worry, or when suffering enters our lives.
Acts 17:24-28 New American Standard Bible 1995
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and [a]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
What season are you in now?
Are you barely keeping it together or are you loving every minute of life?
Either way, God is there, and He wants you to look to Him in each and every season of life brings your way.
Acts 17:28 says it like this “For in him we live and move and exist.As some of our own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.”
He is our source of life, but even more than that, God wants to do life with you.
Remember to faithfully offer prayer and praise in both your joy and suffering.
Romans 12:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.
Joyful hope and patience in affliction go against the grain of our own natures.
Despair and self-pity come much more easily.
In times like that, it’s important to turn to God in prayer.
We pray for many reasons: to thank God for blessings, to praise God, to confess sins, to seek God’s guidance.
In addition, we pray to ask God for help.
Asking God for help may be the most natural prayer of all.
Sometimes God answers our requests for help exactly as we ask, sometimes not.
Either way, the Bible calls us to be faithful in prayer.
Prayer—thanking, praising, confessing, asking for help—connects us with God.
Prayer builds relationship.
Prayer strengthens the bond between God and us.
When you have a good connection, a good friendship, good relationship with someone, hopefulness and patience become a bit easier, especially when that invaluable connection someone, is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks, So my soul [c]pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and [d]appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him For the [j]help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The [p]help of my countenance and my 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.
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
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.
Jesus’ reply to the rich man here is full of surprises.
First, in response to being called “Good teacher,” Jesus says, “only God is good.”
Was Jesus saying that he is not God?
No, Jesus answered this way because the rich man saw him as just a man—a good man, but still just a man.
As the rich man stood before Jesus, he was also confronted with the fact that he himself was just a man and not as good as he had thought.
Ultimately, only God is good. (And, of course, Jesus himself is good because he too is God, but he is not drawing attention to himself here.)
In our everyday lives, we use the word good to describe all kinds of things.
We say, “Good morning.” We appreciated a good breakfast. Seeing that the weather is good, we go out to work or to play or meet with our good friends.
The Bible, however, mainly uses the word good to refer to what is pure and holy.
The point Jesus is making is that only the perfect and holy God is truly good.
And yet, as we each find forgiveness through Jesus and we are restored to a right relationship with God, we gain the ability to do good and to be good.
All who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and act for his glory will one day hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (see Matthew 25:21, 23).
Question for Today: How We Know That God Is Good?
Mark 10:17-18 Amplified Bible
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As He was leaving on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher [You who are essentially good and morally perfect], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?” 18 Jesus said to him, “[a]Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.” Mark 10:18
God is good in so many ways–the way He provides for us, He guides us, and He watches over us–but it goes even deeper than that.
God’s goodness is who he is, and we are created in his image, so, therefore, we share his goodness.
God’s goodness shows up in our lives every single day.
Although we often think of His goodness when something big happens, His goodness abounds all the time–in every hour, minute, and second of the day, in the smallest of things around us – but how do we recognize this goodness?
Here are five examples of God’s goodness in our everyday lives.
1. Waking Us Up
Psalm 5:1-3 New King James Version
A Prayer for Guidance
To the Chief Musician. With [a]flutes. A Psalm of David.
5 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my [b]meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.
Every day that God wakes us up is an example of his goodness.
This means we are still working towards the purpose and gifts He has given us.
It shows us that He isn’t finished with us yet and that we still have a mission to fulfill.
We shall not grumble and complain about getting out of bed and going to work.
We should be happy that we are still breathing and living for him.
Many are worse off than us who need to see our light shining in the world every day.
2. Pouring His Favor on Us
Psalm 5:11-12 New King James Version
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You [a]defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
On the days when we are surrounded by the smallest and most significant of blessings, we know that God is pouring his favor on us.
This can be anything from your coworker bringing you your favorite coffee to your boss calling you in their office to discuss a project or raise or promotion.
We need to pay attention to all the little things in our day, both big and small, that are a blessing to us. A lot of times, it’s the little things that mean so much.
3. Protecting Us
Psalm 121 English Standard Version
My Help Comes from the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Every continent on earth has mountains.
Some are cold, rugged, and difficult to climb. Others are favorite vacation spots.
Still others are sources of water, timber, and other natural resources.
Those who live within view of a mountain range are reminded daily of God’s greatness and our smallness.
Psalm 121 asks us to consider that same contrast.
Setting out for their trip to Jerusalem for a festival, pilgrims often sang this song to remind each other of the dangers of the journey ahead and of the assurances of God’s protection.
God is greater than any so-called god of the hills or mountains—the Lord God is earth’s Creator.
God is more powerful than any force of the sun or moon—the Lord created them too.
The false gods of other nations might have had to take vacations, but not the Lord God Almighty, who never slumbers or sleeps.
When we set off on a journey—whether it is a trip of hundreds of miles or only a few steps—we can remind ourselves, as those pilgrims did, we travel with God.
We need not fear the dangers of the road or threats from others; every step of our way is seen by God, who watches over us.
Our God, the Creator of earth’s highest mountains and deepest valleys—and everything in between—is also the protector of our small lives.
4. Speaking to Us through Prayer
Psalm 66:16-20 English Standard Version
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b] 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Prayer is our most powerful connection to God.
It is how we express our thanks and gratitude, make our petitions known, and intercede for others.
Sometimes we get an answer of “yes,” sometimes, “no” and sometimes, “wait.”
Sometimes, He gives us specific instructions and, sometimes, He is silent.
Other times, He speaks to us and provides us with an answer in the most surprising of ways.
No matter what, He always answers, and we need to look for those answers every day.
In issues big and small, He will often nudge our hearts and draw our attention in the right direction.
5. Guiding Us
Psalm 31:1-4 English Standard Version
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! 2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
We make a thousand little decisions a day, everything from deciding whether we will do our tasks well or whether or not to take on a ministry or a mission.
Sometimes, in our decision making we have to slow down, determine whether an opportunity is right or wrong for us and if we should follow a particular path.
In these moments, God is guiding us.
We need to stop, take a breath and pay attention.
How do we feel in our hearts?
How do we feel in our gut?
We need to be still and listen to that small voice we know so well.
Listen to him whispering to our hearts about what choices are right for us.
Pay attention to the signs He sends us.
This is his way of guiding us and nudging us to our best selves, so that we may live in the gifts and graces we have been given and the purpose He has for us.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.[a] 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[b] for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord forever.[g]
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.
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
62 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my [a]defense; I shall not be greatly moved.[b]
3 How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my [c]expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be [d]moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Surely men of low degree are[e]a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. 10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. 12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You [f]render to each one according to his 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.
Matthew 11:28 New King James Version
28 Come to Me, allyou who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Whenever you receive invitations, you probably find yourself asking the same sorts of questions: Who is it from? Who is it for? Why does it matter?
This verse presents one of the loveliest invitations in the whole of the New Testament—but to understand it best, we must ask those same questions.
First, this is a personal invitation.
It is not an invitation to a program, nor is it an invitation to a religion or to a philosophy to be included alongside Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, New Age-ism, humanism, or any other “ism” found among today’s worldviews.
It is an invitation from Jesus Himself – He is bidding each of us, “Come to me.”
The significance of the invitation lies in who is issuing it.
In the Gospels, Jesus declares who He is: the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Son of God (see John 4:25-26; 1 John 4:14).
By virtue of this identity, Jesus should anticipate, should expect, even could command an instant response—but instead, here – He extends an invitation.
And who does He invite to come? “All who labor and are heavy laden.”
This invitation is all-inclusive.
It doesn’t single out a certain group among a larger group based on arbitrary standards invented by academia and culture, but it describes all of humanity.
Each of us absolutely need to hear these words over again, because there’s not one person who isn’t figuratively pushing around a wheelbarrow filled with all the cares, responsibilities, fears, and failures that surely make up his or her life.
Why does all this matter? Jesus invites us to find “rest for your souls.”
He’s speaking in eternal terms of a rest that never fails.
He’s beckoning us towards a banquet, He doesn’t even ask us to provide clothes.
We show up for the banquet just the way we are.
God takes all our “Here are my fears, doubts” and “Here are my good deeds” clothes so many of us like to dress up in, calls them rags, and tosses them aside.
He takes all the self deprecating self debasing “I’m so bad and messed up that there’s no hope” clothes and unceremoniously tosses all of them aside too.
In their place, He covers us over with “the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10), which is provided by Jesus Christ Himself.
When we find our doubts weighing us down like a millstone, we can rest from our striving to make something of ourselves or to earn heaven for ourselves when we come to Jesus, receive all we need, all we could ever need, from Him.
This is the invitation of all invitations that our doubts do not want any part of.
O’ Come On, My Soul, Let’s Listen, Let’s Rest In God!
62 I must calm down and turn to God; only he can rescue me. 2 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.
3 How long will you people attack me? Do you all want to kill me? I am like a leaning wall, like a fence ready to fall. 4 You want only to destroy me, to bring me down from my important position. It makes you happy to tell lies about me. In public, you say nice things, but in private, you curse me. Selah
5 I must calm down and turn to God; he is my only hope. 6 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me. 7 My victory and honor come from God. He is the mighty Rock, where I am safe. 8 People, always put your trust in God! Tell him all your problems. God is our place of safety. Selah
9 People cannot really help. You cannot depend on them. Compared to God, they are nothing— no more than a gentle puff of air! 10 Don’t trust in your power to take things by force. Don’t think you will gain anything by stealing. And if you become wealthy, don’t put your trust in riches. 11 God says there is one thing you can really depend on, and I believe it: “Strength comes from God!”
12 My Lord, your love is real. You reward all people for what they do.
Psalm 62 is a window into David’s heart and reminds us to trust in God alone.
Like many of the psalms he wrote, David starts with praise and God’s Truth before he navigates into his struggles and emotions.
Even in 2024, it is an intelligent strategy that is abundantly helpful to all of us.
Spending time daily in God’s Word helps us view life through His perspective.
The psalmist states that because God is his rock, salvation, and stronghold, he won’t be shaken (verses 1-2).
As the Psalmist reflects further upon trouble, his doubts and the enemy, David prays, counsels his own heart to entrust all fear and frustration into God’s care.
As if to go heart to heart with his innermost self to plead, “O’ Come on, my soul, let’s listen to what God says about this,” he remembers what he has learned:
Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. Selah Psalm 62:5-8
The Psalms remind us that God created us with feelings and emotions that help us respond to life’s experiences.
They are beautiful because God created them.
Doubts cause us to question who, what and why standing in front of us.
Sadness helps us respond to grief.
Fear helps us flee danger.
Anger helps us respond to injustice.
Best of all, love leads us to express care and affection.
However, the fall of man has tainted emotions like these with sin, and we often automatically default to our human nature, which can absolutely keep us from experiencing the purity and peace we can have in our Lord and Savior Christ.
Here, we get stuck in feelings like fearfulness, hopelessness, and unforgiveness instead of freedom.
Feelings can begin to define, box us in rather than help us process and emote.
Yet, praise the Lord because of the finished work of Jesus at Calvary; we can live free rather than stuck or enslaved to sin. (John 19:28-30)
As we read throughout the Psalms, over a lifetime David learned God’s Truth.
Amid the struggle, he listens to God’s Truth.
Beautifully, he then leads others to rely on God’s Truth.
As it says in Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. Selah”
Learn!
Listen!
Invite!
Lead others!
By the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the beautiful pattern of writing God’s Word on our hearts, weaving His wisdom into our souls, so that we have it to anchor and encourage ourselves and can then share the good news with others.
Life absolutely, abundantly challenges us for the rest of our days here on earth.
It’s okay to feel, but by the transformative power of the Word of God, but as a child of God, we don’t have to live stuck in a downward spiral or a stagnant pit.
Whether we have a friend nearby to sit with us as we process our emotions or whether you sit alone today, cling to what God says about your circumstances.
Think about the words you might tell a friend going through the same thing.
We are too hard on ourselves, and perhaps today, you need to give yourself the grace and pep talk anchored in God’s Truth that you would give a friend today.
“O’ Come on, my soul, let’s listen to God! O’ Come, Let Us Rest in God Alone!”
Just as I am, without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me And that Thou bidst me come to Thee— O Lamb of God, I come, I come.[1]
1 Charlotte Elliot, “Just As I Am, Without One Plea” (1835).
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 100 Easy-to-Read Version
A song of thanks.
100 Earth, sing to the Lord! 2 Be happy as you serve the Lord! Come before him with happy songs! 3 Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep he takes care of. 4 Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him. Enter his courtyards with songs of praise. Honor him and bless his name. 5 The Lord is good! There is no end to his faithful love. We can trust him forever and ever!
Father God, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, who counsels me and ministers to my heart and my soul daily. Friends are a gift and a blessing, but none can fill the perfect friendship of Your Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ. Help my soul to always listen to your Truth. Settle my soul, Help me speak kind words and thoughts to myself that are gentle, encouraging—just as I would walk with, talk to, a friend in need today.
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). 