- Tuesday, 6/29/21 Psalm 40:3, And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Our verbal praise can elicit trust in the Lord. So, our silence perpetuates
doubt and fear in others. I owe you to praise Him. Psalm 42:5, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Because we’re sinful creatures with a corrupt mind and body, we will occasionally experience moods that are out of sync with the situation or our desires. It could happen because of fatigue, germs, food, hormones, stress: all we can do is to do our best and hang the rest. Pray, praise, forgive, serve...even if you don’t feel like it. Your will can force your body and your heart to obey.
- Wednesday, 6/30/21 Psalm 42:2, My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Praise God that we don’t have to wait to come to Him: we can come anytime, 24/7/365. Have you thanked Him for His availability? Have you taken advantage of the privilege? Has God been good to you? Perhaps a conscious frequent awareness of His goodness is a missing key in our Christianity. Psalm 116:12, What shall I render unto the Lord, for all his benefits toward me? So, what should we do in return for His abundant goodness? V13-14, I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. 1) Get saved. 2) Call upon Him both in times of need and plenty. 3) Be with His people. 4) Vow and fulfill the vows of service.
- Thursday, 7/1/21 One thing we all like, even crave, is to feel significant, like we matter, that our words are important, right? Proverbs 27:18, Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that WAITETH on his master shall be HONOURED. Help, protect, serve the boss. Make him look good. One of the lies that our heart tells us and that Satan echoes is that giving in to sin will take the pressure off and make things better at least in the short run. FALSE. You’ve done; I’ve done it. Romans 6:19, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to INIQUITY unto INIQUITY; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Justifying and excusing sin in one arena simply makes it easier to do it again in another...and another...and another...and all of sudden, we are where we never thought we could EVER get to. Fight the good fight of faith...today; this hour; right now.
- Friday, 7/2/21 Romans 6:15, What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Is there any area in your life in which you’ve been getting a little lax? Closer to sin or less righteous? Not as diligent as before? Psalm 44:1, We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. Two thoughts for the more mature saints: first, do you regularly brag on what God used you to do in the past? This’ll inspire and encourage the younger generation. Secondly, if all we can do is brag on the past, we need to get busier in the present (or get ‘fessed up in the present.)
- Saturday, 7/3/21 Psalm 44:17, [Many negatives are] come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. The test of a man’s character is what it takes to stop him. Don’t brag about how high your mountain tops are; but rejoice in how high your valleys are. Psalm 44:3, For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. It’s easy to forget and to get deluded that we “deserve” or “earn” some of our blessings...nope. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”
- Sunday, 7/4/21 Psalm 32:11, Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Joy is an attribute of God so it is NOT just an abundance or degree of happiness (the root of which is “happen”: it’s a good feeling based on what is happening.) Joy is the awareness of our eternal positives despite our short-term negatives. Psalm 46:2, [Because God is near], Therefore WILL NOT we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Fear is an emotion, and therefore, is under control of the will...we all balk at that concept, but it is. We can do what we’re supposed to do in spite of what we feel. So, what is it that you’ve been afraid to do? Conquer your emotions, get God on board, and do it.
- Monday, 7/5/21 Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. He IS...period. Whether we perceive Him is a separate matter, and doesn’t affect His presence. If you can’t feel His nearness, rest on His promise. Be honest: are you defeated these days? Discouraged? Depressed? Feel like life is a huge conspiracy aimed at complicating your life? Feel like throwing in the towel? David described it this way: Psalm 119:25a, My soul cleaveth unto the dust. Are you face down, plastered in the dirt? OK, the solution is given too: “quicken thou me according to thy word.” “It’s in the Book; take a look.” You see yourself as miserable, unloved, worthless, and unworthy. God sees you as forgiven; cherished; valuable; worthy. Who’s smarter? Who has a better track record of being right? Go see God’s perspective and believe it.