Malachi 3:6 - God does not change

“For I am the Lord. I do not change.”

Malachi 3:6

Have you ever heard someone say “I will never change.” They live a lifestyle of sin, but they are determined that they are not going to change for anyone. They like living as they do (even though they are miserable). Some people change as they grow older, but they change for the worse. They slide more and more into sin. And, still others change for the good as God is doing a work in their heart and life making them more and more like Christ with each passing day. God get’s the glory, praise and honor when this happens. Our heavenly Father does not change though. He is the Lord. And He is and has always been perfect. Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Genesis 21:33 says that God is the “Everlasting God.” Habakkuk 3:6 says that God’s “ways are everlasting.” Malachi 3:6 says “I do not change.” Jesus and His Word will always be the same. They will also live forever. May they live forever in our hearts, perfecting us and making us more and more like Christ. Philippians 1:6 says “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God is faithful. He will finish what He started in our hearts and lives if we don’t resist Him or His Holy Spirit and allow Him to do a work in us. Constantly changing for the better can and will make us happy. We can rejoice.

Father, this world never stays the same. It seems to slip more and more into darkness. This makes us sad. Thank God we have You and Your Word to run to. You and Your Word never change.  We can always count on them both. Thank You for the good work that You have begun in us. Complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. We want to become more and more like You in each and every way. Help us to not resist the Holy Spirit. Help us to obey You and allow You to do the work You want to do in our hearts and lives. You are the potter. We are the clay. Make and mold us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Genesis 2:7 - Dust

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Genesis 2:7

My mother-in-law, whom I love dearly, once said that when she gets to heaven she is going to ask God where dust comes from and why we have it. She finds it hard to believe that she can dust her house one day and then the next day she can find dust on her furniture once again. If you are a lady, you can relate. It can be frustrating. God has a purpose for the dust that is in our world. From the very beginning there was dust. The first man, Adam, was even created from it. We could even go one step further and say that dust is a blessing from God. We wouldn’t be here without it. Dust is good. Did you know that without dust there would be no rain? Every drop of rain is gathered around dust. When the air is too clean, rain has a hard time forming. Dust is needed. If God hadn’t created dust, there would be no rain. If there was no rain, there would be no vegetation for the grass, plants and trees to get nourishment and grow. There would be no water to drink. You may have never thought of that. Dust also contributes to the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets that we see. Without dust, the beauty we see at both the beginning and ending of each day would be withheld from us. After learning how dust is important, be encouraged not to get frustrated with it the next time you see it on your furniture. Give thanks for it instead. You may have always thought it was insignificant (I did), but it is not. It is very significant to God and for life.

Father, You have a plan and a purpose for everything You created. We may know always know what Your plan or purpose is, but we can trust You and Your wisdom. Today we may have learned about the importance of dust, maybe someday we may find out the importance of flies, flees, ticks and mosquitoes. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

John 14:6 - The truth

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

John 14:6

America is trying to take the existence of God and the “truth” that is written in His Word out of our society. The society at large seems determined to destroy every last remnant of the peoples belief in what is actually the real, living truth. It is sad, but some Christians are even being besieged by the deception that is in the world. The world and it’s belief system is infiltrating their minds, hearts and lives. They are twisting what God says in His Word to be wrong and evil, and making it seem right and acceptable. Instead of the “absolute whole truth” that we can learn about in His Word, there seems to be “partial” truth, “half” truth, “debatable” truth, “near” truth, “a little white lie” truth, and now there is even “what you believe to be true is true” truth. People can form, make, and believe their own way and that can be their “truth.” This can guide them in their lives. Those in the world do not want the “truth” to exist. In John 18:37 Jesus said that He Himself came to this earth “to testify to the truth.” He testified in His life, and testifies now, to the truth, the way, and the life. We can’t take the “truth” out of our society. To do this will totally ruin and destroy our land. We need the “truth” to understand everything. It helps us to know and understand the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It helps us in our relationship with them. It teaches us how we can obtain our salvation and live with Him both now and forever. It helps us to understand the Bible, what is written in it, what is right and what is wrong. It helps to form our conscience, making us sensitive to Him, His Word and His Spirit. It helps us to know what is good for us and what isn’t. It helps us to walk in the light and to be able to see things as He see’s them so that we aren’t deceived by Satan, as well as others. It also helps us to live our life in the Spirit as there is always a spiritual battle going on inside of us (between the flesh and the spirit). It also helps us with the spiritual battle that we are engaged in by living in this world. God is truth! He is the way! He is the life! We can only get to Him and heaven through Jesus Christ His Son. He created everything. He created us all. And the truth is that there can only be one absolute truth. And this one absolute truth can only be found in His Word. Let’s pray for America. We need both God and His Word in our society!

Father, You are the way, the truth, and the life. We were founded as a Christian nation. Our belief system was in line with the Word of God. Right was right and wrong was wrong. Honesty and integrity was important for all. Now our American society is trying to accept wrong as right. They are trying to take You and the Word of God out of everything. They want a separation between the church and the state. Sin is increasing rapidly. Sometimes it even infiltrates the church. Lord, this makes us sad. Our spirits are grieved. It hurts and pains us to see our nation change.  You blessed America. We were a “city on a hill.” It is getting darker and darker all the time. Please have mercy on us. Many in our nation love, worship, and live for You. Please war in the heavenlies on Your children’s behalf’s. Don’t let those under the influence of the evil one be able to decide what is best for our land. Raise up a standard. May they choose to honor You and Your Word. May people begin to pick up and read the Word of God that they have in their homes. May they align their belief system with the “truth” that is written in it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

1 Thessalonians 1:10 - God delivers us from the wrath of to come

“wait for His son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

1 Thessalonians 1:10

The wrath of God is coming. As Christians we know this. We should anticipate the Lord’s return, and live productive lives. God is all powerful. He was able to raise Jesus from the dead. Jesus conquered death and the grave. Our mighty king Jesus delivers His beloved from the wrath to come. We have so much to be grateful and thankful for. God is trying to establish our hearts blameless in holiness before He comes again. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 says “so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” God doesn’t want us to be ignorant. He doesn’t want us to be sorrowful. He wants us to anticipate His return and have hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” The day of the Lord is talked about in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. It says “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” Earlier in 1 Thessalonians it says that “we shall always be with the Lord.” Later on in 1 Thessalonians it says that “we should live together with Him.” Praise God for this! Another thing that is mentioned twice in 1 Thessalonians is that we should “comfort one another.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 goes a step further by adding afterwards that we should also “edify one another, just as you also are doing.” Be encouraged today. Jesus is coming again. Thank God that His Word says that we get to escape the wrath of God that is to come upon this world. Wait for Him expectantly. Look forward to living with Him forever and ever. As you wait for His return, comfort your brothers and sisters. And, last, but not least, “edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

Father, help us to be sober as we watch and wait for Your return. May we put on the breastplate of faith and love, wearing it always. May we also put on the helmet of salvation. Thank You for delivering us from the wrath to come. And thank you that we get to live together with You forever. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Luke 12:34 - Spend time with God

“Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.”

Luke 12:34

What do you spend most of your free time doing? If we looked at all the minutes of our day, we would see where our heart truly lies. Is it in making more money and getting ahead? Is it in spending a lot of time cleaning your house and making it presentable? Is it in family time, activities and responsibilities? Is it in making time to be with friends? Is it in watching television? Is it in being on the phone or internet? Is it in exercising? Is it in your favorite hobbies? These things are all things that we can do, they are not wrong in and of themselves, but we have to make sure that our heart’s focus doesn’t shift from God and focus solely on them. He still deserves our time. He still deserves to be worshipped. Where a man’s treasure is, there his heart will be also. God should be our treasure. Our relationship with Him should be our number one joy in each and every day. Everything else that we do should stem from our relationship and time with Him. As we schedule things on our calendar, let’s be sure to make and take time to fellowship with the Lord. Just take the time to be with Him. Not for a handout or for what He can give us, but for a special time of being alone with Him. One thing is for certain, one never regrets the time they spend with the Lord. It is always worth it, beneficial. Let’s be sure to keep God as our heart’s treasure.

Father, each day is a gift from You. Please help us to take the time to fellowship with You each and every day. There are many things that need done, but may we always make and take time to be with You. You should be the #1 joy in our lives. Everything else should stem from that. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   

1 Corinthians 6:19 - Our bodies and spirit

“your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own.”

1 Corinthians 6:19

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us. We should keep our body holy. We should take care of it. Some people think that they can do with their bodies whatever they please as it is their body. This is not true. God has given us our bodies. We are not our own. We should be good stewards with what He has given us. 1 Corinthians 6:20 even tells us that we were bought “at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” How have you been taking care of your temple? Are you eating healthy foods? Are you eating unhealthy foods at a bare minimal? 1 Corinthians 6:12 says “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Are you getting some exercise? Are you fleeing sexual immorality and keeping your body pure? How about your spirit? Are you taking care of your spirit? Are you praying? Are you reading His Word? Are you fellowshipping with Him? Are you praising and worshipping Him in song? Are you keeping your eyes on pure things? Are you listening to wholesome language, music, and things? Are your hands being used for good? Are your words bringing life to others, or are they evil? Do your feet go to the places that He is leading you to go to? Are you staying away from what He wants you to stay away from? These are some good questions that can show us if we are taking care of our bodies as well as our spirits. 1 Corinthians 6:13-15 says “the body is … for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 6:17 says “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” We have reason today to give Him praise. Let’s thank Him for joining us to Himself. Let’s thank Him for making us one in spirit with Him. And let’s take care of our bodies and spirits, bringing glory to His name.

Father, We know that our bodies are not our own. We thank You that the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us. May we take care of our bodies and our spirits. We want to be good stewards with what You have given us. Thank You for joining us to Yourself. Thank You for making us one in spirit with You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Proverbs 18:20 - What does your stomach crave?

“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled.”

Proverbs 18:20

The fruit of our mouth is the evidence of what is inside of our hearts. What we talk about reveals to ourselves (and others) our true hearts condition. God’s Word tells us that “a tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35). Our lives can be filled with good. We can be satisfied, but only if the words coming out of our mouth are good. Our speech returns to us. We need to guard the words coming out of our mouth. We need to keep our hearts pure. And we need to listen to what we are saying. What we say will reveal to us what is inside of our heart. If we realize that our hearts are evil, we should confess this to the Lord. He is faithful and just and will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we confess our sin to Him. God wants us to be satisfied. He wants us to be filled. Let’s make sure that we are satisfied and filled in Him. And let’s not forget that we will give account for our words before Him. Matthew 12:36-37 says “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Father, when we think of giving an account for our words in the day of judgment, we feel guilt and shame for we know that we have said things at various times that we shouldn’t have. Forgive us Lord for the many things we have said that showed us (and others) a sinful heart’s condition and did not bring glory to You. Father, help us to be good men and women. And out of the good treasure of our hearts may we bring forth good things. May we not be evil and bring forth evil things. We want to be satisfied from the fruit of our mouths. From the produce of our lips we want to be filled. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Proverbs 1:10 - Do not consent with those who want you to sin

“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.”

Proverbs 1:10

If the enemy uses someone to entice you to sin … “do not consent.” Be strong in the Lord. Be willing say “no” to sin and “yes” to Christ. Turn your back on those that are enticing you and go the other way. Do not cave in and do what you know you shouldn’t do. Do not join in with them no matter how much you like or love them. Don’t be fooled. Sin is deadly. Those who sin will pay and have to suffer the consequences of their sin. As Christians, we can’t be friendly with sin and expect our lives to be unaffected by it. The truth is that if you choose to go along with sin over God, His will for your life, and His ways it will not only affect your life, it will also affect the lives of those around you as well. Sin never just affects one person. Proverbs 1:15-16 continues to give us more instructions about not consenting with those that are enticing us to sin by telling us “My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil.” Don’t go along with them. Stay far away from their paths. Don’t worry about hurting their feelings. Be concerned with pleasing the Lord and keeping your heart right with Him.

Father, please be with us. Help us to stay true to You in all that we say and all that we do. May we be strong in the Lord. Help us to say “no” to sin and “yes” to Christ with each and every choice we have to make. And, Lord, may we be more concerned with offending You and hurting Your feelings than with those that we know and love that are enticing us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be a solider of Christ

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

We Christians must keep alert. We should keep our eyes open for spiritual danger. The world and its ways are all around us. We should not let the world’s views get inside of us, or become the view that we hold. We need to believe God’s Word and submit to His authority and His ways. We are to stand fast in our faith, being true to our Lord. We are to stand true to what we believe. We are to be brave, strong, and courageous. There is an opposing view out there. This opposing view is gaining momentum. Some people, even of the faith, have exchanged the truth and believed the lie. These lies are infiltrating church’s. May we be encouraged in this day and hour. May we “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, [and] be strong.” May we realize as we do these things that love is still to be the motivation factor of our heart. We cannot let our love wax cold. We are even instructed to let all that we do “be done with love.”

Father, help us to stand up for Jesus. We are soldiers of the cross. It feels so now, more than ever. Help us to keep alert. May we keep our eyes open for spiritual danger. May we not let the world’s views get inside of us, or become the view that we hold. May Your Word and Your Word alone be the view that we hold. Help us to stand fast in our faith, being true to You. Help us to be brave, strong, and courageous in the midst of our downhill spiraling society. And, Lord, we ask that our love remain abundant. May we love You above all, and may everything we are and all that we do “be done with love.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

John 14:27 - God has given us His peace

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

As we await the Supreme Courts decision we need to remain in an attitude of prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. We need to try our best to let not our “heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God has given us His peace. The world and its ways may sadden and grieve us, but thank God … for He has given us Himself, His Word and His peace, a peace that passes all understanding. I must admit that my heart was troubled this morning. I was even afraid. Today’s verse spoke to me personally. For it instructed me to “Let not” my “heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God showed me in His Word that the ball is in my court. “Let not … neither let it ….” It’s up to me to combat my troubled feelings over the potential outcome of this verdict and the fear of seeing our society spiral downward some more. He also reminded me that I need to have faith when I pray, and not fear. His Spirit needs to be leading and guiding me as I pray. My prayer for you … and me … today … is that we have His peace. Remember His Words “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Father, we come to You and we thank You for this day. May Your kingdom come, Your will be done on this earth today as You will in heaven. Give our Supreme Court justices wisdom, wisdom that comes from above, wisdom that is not from this world. Help them to side with You and Your Word on this decision. Help them to truly do what is best for our nation. Help us to continue to be in an attitude of prayer until the Supreme Court make their decision. May our hearts not be troubled, may they not be afraid. Help us to have faith in You. Help us to put our hope and trust in You as well. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Matthew 6:24 - Love God, not money

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money].”

Matthew 6:24

God wants us to love and serve Him. He wants all of our hearts to belong to Him, not just a little, or a part. He also wants us to be joyful givers. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” If you give, you will be given back … both in this life and the next. Luke 6:38 says “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” The Word of God even says that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive. Acts 20:35 says “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Many of the people in our land today serve money, despising God, His Word, and His righteous ways. They love and serve themselves. As followers of Christ, this is not how we should be. I once heard a quote from Charles H. Spurgeon that can really bless our hearts and keep us on track. The quote says: “Earn all you can, save all you can, and then give all you can. Never try to save out of God’s cause; such money will canker the rest. Giving to God is no loss; it is putting your substance into the best bank.”

Father, may we earn all the money that we can. May we save all the money that we can. And then, Lord, may we give all the money that we can … to You and Your causes. Keep our hearts right. May we not have the love of money. May we love and serve You and be good stewards of what you bless us with. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 God is the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

We should love blessing the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It should bring us joy. He is not only Jesus’ God and Father, He is also ours. God is a Father of mercy and He is a God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our tribulation. When trials, troubles, sufferings, difficulties and tribulations come God is right there with us and He comforts us. We can know without a shadow of a doubt that He will come to our aid and help us in every way that we need. Why? The verses we looked at today give us two reasons for this. One of them is that He is the “Father of mercies.” The second one is because He is the “God of all comfort.” He cares about our hearts, what we are going through, and how we feel. After he comforts us and we pull through our trial, trouble, suffering, difficulty and/or tribulation, then He will use us to be merciful and comfort others. 2 Corinthians 1:4 goes on to say “that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Father, blessed are You! Thank You for being the Father of mercies. Thank You for being the God of all comfort. We appreciate You always being there for us and for comforting us immediately whenever we go through various trials, troubles, sufferings, difficulties and tribulations. You are such a good God. Please help us to “comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves” have been comforted by You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Luke 14:26 - Love God above everyone else

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”

Luke 14:26

Jesus wants us to exclusively love the Father through Him. In comparing our love for Him to the love we have for our loved ones, we find out that we need to love Him more than we do those He has given us. He alone should be who we worship and live for. Should we love our loved ones, yes! It’s just that Jesus needs to hold first place in our lives. He even tells us that if we have our order turned around, we should hate this. It should bother us. We should make things right if they are not. He also informs us that we can’t be His disciples if we don’t love Him more.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love my family. My family is very dear to me. They also know that I love the Lord with all my heart too. I spend hours with the Lord each and every morning. I love this. I worship Him in song for as long as my heart delights, pray to him, read and meditate from my bible, and read many devotionals. My time with Him is sweet, and I am so thankful for our time together and the fellowship that we share.

The favorite years of my life have been those of being a wife and mother. I LOVE being a mom. I loved raising my girls and teaching them to truly know God and to apply God’s Word in their everyday lives. They are grown now and are both in college. It is an absolute joy (and a humungous gift from the Lord) to have them home every summer. I get to be a “real momma” once again! Our time together is very special. This year was a little different though for me spiritually. I was used to having hours to sup with the Lord each morning. This year I was struggling, trying to find time to with my Lord. I would be trying to do this with someone else in the room. I was finding that I would hardly take in anything spiritually during my time with Him. I was doing it. I was doing the right thing. The same thing I always had, it was just that I was not getting anything out of it. I'm sure that He wasn’t getting anything out of it either. Sometimes I could go upstairs and shut my door, being alone with Him. This would work. But once in a while Dave would be home and he would be sleeping so I couldn’t. I have found that I need to be “alone” with Him for things to work. You may recommend that I get up early and do it. I did this sometimes. Sometimes it worked. And … oh … when they did I realized just how much I missed the closeness that we shared. I loved my time with my family, I even treasured it, it was good, but my very best friend in all the world was being shoved out of my life some. I didn’t like it. It hurt. I prayed about this as I could see that there was a problem. I asked the Lord to help there to be a balance in my life. I needed Him to make things work out for the summer. He has provided the answer to my hearts cry. I am so thankful. Nicole was given a job on first shift. Brittney was given the opportunity to work a split shift. She works a few hours in the late morning giving me time with her before she goes to work. Then, she comes home so we can all enjoy an early supper together. And, then, she goes back to work, leaving me time to be with Nicole. This leaves me several hours in the late morning and early afternoon to be alone with the Lord. Problem solved! God is good.

Be encouraged today. Love your family, thank God for them, but be sure to love the Lord even more. It will keep things right with Him, and then everything else will be blessed. Remember that we love others best when we love God most.

Father, we truly want to be Your disciples. We thank You for our family, friends, and loved ones. We love them with the love of the Lord. Help us to guard our relationship with You. Make our relationship with You happen. We want to love You above all. We also desire a balance in our lives. Please, Lord, make this happen. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Psalm 147:3 - God heals our broken hearts

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3

God is a good God. He is always good. Today the thoughts of those in my family are on the Lord and our beloved cat, Trigger. Trigger passed away sometime this morning after Dave left for work at 2:00 a.m. and the girls got up at 5:00 a.m. It came as no surprise as we had taken him to the vet Monday. When we were there the vet told us that Trigger was going to die in the next day or two as his kidneys and liver were shutting down. The vet sent us home with some liquid pain med’s so that Trigger wouldn’t have to suffer much. All of us wanted to have a few more special days with him. He was such a good cat. He was our little buddy. We were blessed with having him for almost 13 years. Our hearts are broken, we’ve shed many a tears, but God is near. Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” Praises to God, and thanksgiving, are on our lips. We may be grieving, but we know that God will mend and heal our broken hearts. There is some joy in our hearts. The fond memories of him bring us joy, causing us to laugh at the sweet memories and cry at the same time. Again, God is good. God is always good. And He was so good to have blessed us.

Father, we thank You that You are near to all who call upon You. We thank You that even though our hearts can become broken at different times of our lives, You don’t leave our hearts to bleed forever, You heal them. We thank You that our love for You is great, and that even, in the midst of pain, we still find ourselves  praising You--for we know that You are good. Heal every broken heart that is in our world today. Be near them. Bind up their wounds. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

James 5:7-8 Be patient

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

James 5:7-8

God tells us to be patient until the coming of the Lord. He gives us an example by telling us to watch the farmer. We are to “[s]ee how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth.” How does the farmer wait for it? He does this by “waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain,” all of which is done on God’s very own timetable. God Himself personally instructs us in His Word by telling us the simple word “You.” Yes, it says “You.” “You also be patient.” He goes on to instruct us by telling us to make sure that we establish our hearts in Him. Why? Because the “coming of the Lord is at hand.” It is a sure thing. He is coming again. God, nor His Word, lies. We are to be patient. We are to be waiting patiently. We are to establish our hearts in Him. Let’s make sure that we do this today, for there may be no tomorrow.

 Father, help us to be patient. You were patient. Help us to be waiting patiently until You return. We know that You will come on Your very own timetable. Only You know when this will happen. Help us to establish our hearts and to make them secure and strong in You. We ask these things all in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 19:4 - God freed us so that we would know and worship Him

“I … brought you to Myself.”

Exodus 19:4

God’s people were slaves in Egypt for quite a long time. In His love He decided to bring them up out of that lifestyle. He was going to take them out of bondage and lead them into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. God did not deliver the Israelites from being slaves and lead them to the Promised Land just so that they could enjoy living in the Promised Land. He delivered them so that they would be brought to Himself. He wanted them to be free to worship Him with their whole hearts. He wanted them to have a real relationship with them so that they would know Him closely and intimately with them. We need to be careful in our day and age as well. We have so much in America. Many have the so called “American Dream.” Our refrigerators and pantries are full and packed with so much food. We have a roof over our head with heat in the winter and air conditioners in the summer. We have vehicles so we can travel anywhere we want. We have a sense of purpose and good jobs. We are blessed with family and friends. There are churches all around that we can attend to worship the Lord and get active and involved in. These are all blessings from the Lord. He has taken us up out of the muck and the mire of the world and has put us on solid ground. Many of us no longer are slaves to sin. Many of us no longer are in bondage. Many of us no longer have strongholds in our lives. We are to be grateful and thankful for all these things. We need to learn a lesson from the Israelites. God didn’t take us from being slaves to sin to just enjoy living our everyday lives high on the hog. He is glad that we want to go to church. This is good. He is glad if we decide to get involved in our church and its activities. This is good too. But we need to remember something. He delivered us from sin to bring us to Himself. He wants a relationship with us. In our freedom He wants us to take the time to worship Him, know Him closely and intimately, and even walk with Him. The question for today is … how is your relationship with Him? Are you close to Him? Can you honestly say that He is your best friend? If your honest answer is “no” you can do something about that today. God is my friend. If there is one thing that I know it is that He is always merciful. His Word says that His mercy endures forever. Come back to Him. He is waiting with open arms.

Father, thank You for all the blessings that You have given us. They are many. Today we want to thank You for bringing us to Yourself. Thank You for freeing us so that we can know and worship You with all our hearts. May we find joy in doing this each and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Proverbs 11:17 - Be merciful

“The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.”

Proverbs 11:17

We need to forgive others when they wrong us and to be merciful to them. When we do this it is good for our own soul. If we are cruel to them, repaying evil for evil it troubles our own flesh. We will be the one to suffer for this. Our walk with God will suffer. God is a God of love. He is gracious, merciful, winsome. As His children, we should walk in His love towards Him, as well as towards others. We don’t want to let evil rule, reign or have its way in our bodies. We want to reflect Jesus and His goodness. We want nothing to do with darkness and its evil deeds. God is our God … we want to follow after Him. If we harden our heart and repay evil for evil we are not operating in the Spirit. We are operating in the flesh and following after the ways of the devil. This should not be! Satan is our real adversary (not people) … He is the one that is trying to trip us up and cause us to stumble. We don’t want to follow him or his ways in any area of our lives. Walking in darkness leads to death. If we repay evil for evil it is an open door for the enemy to come in and wreck havoc in our life. It is letting the devil have his way in the situation. If we let him have his way in our lives it will bring death, destruction, and division. Don’t give the devil a crack or an opening to go through in any area of your life. Put on the full armor of God. Walk in the light as He is in the light. Be wise. Realize what the enemy is really trying to do in your life. And … don’t let him. Submit instead to the Lord. Surrender to His will. Forgive the offender. Love them and pray for their souls. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 says “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Be sober. The Lord is our God. God has a plan for our lives. God wants to bless us. Satan has a plan for our lives as well. He wants you to pay and to suffer. He wants to devour you. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.” Know your real adversary ... Satan. Be kind and merciful to the people that are in your life. They are human and humans make mistakes. Matthew 5:7 says “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Keep your heart pure. Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Be blessed.

Lord, may I always be merciful with those that have wronged me, for I want to obtain mercy. May I keep my heart pure, for I want to see God. I know that I have an adversary. And this adversary is the devil. He is seeking whom he may devour, and may he not be able to devour me. Help me to submit to You and Your ways. May I be able to resist the devil at all times and may he flee from me. May I be sober and vigilant. Keep me steadfast in the faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.