- Tuesday, 8/30/22 If there is anyone you think cannot be forgiven, transformed, and used again by God, then never again say, For with God nothing shall be impossible, Luke 1:37.
Let yourself get recommissioned and used again, and let anyone else do the same. No one is ever disqualified from serving God...we never were qualified. Matthew 26:35, Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. Of course, all of these men forsook Him and fled. Lesson: we can think and intend to act a certain way in a certain situation, but we don’t know what we’ll do until we’re there. So, be a little more cautious about tooting your own horn and predicting how well you’d play if you were ever on the big stage; be a little more (self) forgiving when your actions don’t match your words; and be a LOT more forgiving when others fall, especially, if you’ve never been in their shoes. Each of us have enough weak areas to keep us focused for a few more centuries.
- Wednesday, 8/31/22 Psalm 67:1, God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. V1&2 state the desired outcome: God, generally bless us and we'll tell others of you. But V5&6 actually start the process. What causes God to do as we want in v1? Praise. Psalm 26:11, But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. All we can control is us, our thoughts and actions. What God chooses to do is His choice, though He allows us to influence Him via prayer. David tells God of his decision, his choice to continue to do rightly, and asks for a favorable response from Him. Veteran believer, maybe we should make a lot more public declarations of our intent to do rightly. Make your promises to Christ, AND tell those closest to you of those choices.
- Thursday, 9/1/22 Matthew 5:11, Blessed are ye, WHEN men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, FOR MY SAKE. A verse by which to measure ourselves: Paraphrase: “If you live for My sake, two things will happen: I’ll bless you, and men shall criticize and hate you.” Proverbs 29:2, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. A question designed to cause some introspection in leaders: Are your followers happy? Is the mood at work jovial or cynical? Does the party cease when you are around and increase as you walk out? Do they include you in the laughter when leaving work? Check yourself at home, church, and work/school.
- Friday, 9/2/22 2 Samuel 11:24, And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. David thought he’d killed the consequences of his sin, but forgot God is in the resurrection business. Do you need to come clean with God before He exposes you? Matthew 27:3, Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. That sinking feeling when you realize things are not gonna go as you thought. The betrayal didn’t happen here: it started months earlier with a thought. (Not to mention the prompting to get saved.) Sin can be stopped...up to a point. Once the snowball is over the lip of the hill and gathering speed...you WILL crash at the bottom. Are you thinking any foolishness? Starting to orchestrate something? STOP!!! NOW!!!
- Saturday, 9/3/22 Psalm 69:10, When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. Sometimes, when you do all you can, it’ll not be enough for some people. Do all you can anyway. Sometimes, you’ll do all the right you know to do, and it won’t be good enough. Do all the right anyway. Psalm 19:14, Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable IN THY SIGHT, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. A novel thought: we must make sure that whatever we do in life, to do it “as unto the Lord.” If we start living rightly “in others’ sight,” that means we are, on some level, seeking their approval. If we’re there, it wouldn’t be hard for the Devil or our flesh to pivot us and we’ll start living wrongly “in others’ sight” and we’ll seek their approval for what is now, our sinful activity. So, for whom are you doing that class? that bus route? that Bible reading? that forgiving? It must be a frequent conscious choice.
- Sunday, 9/4/22 Psalm 32:1, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Really, this is all that matters. Are you saved? Then you have been, are, and will be blessed. The worst that could happen today is that you’ll be a day closer to Home. “If the Lord could save you, what couldn’t He do for you? If the Lord would save you, what wouldn’t He do for you?” So, smile awhile; turn that frown upside down; grin despite the din; keep chuckling and quit buckling. Matthew 27:25, Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. These were the defiant words of the mob that was willing to take credit for killing Christ, but our only hope for Heaven is that we have His blood on our hands. Meaning: we have to realize that it was our sin, no, MY sin, that caused it all to happen. Yes, YOUR “bad habits,” YOUR “small mistakes,” YOUR “inconsequential deeds” nailed Him there. If we’ll realize that it was OUR sins that deserve the death penalty, then we’re one step away from having a guaranteed home in Heaven. Message me if you are not sure that you have one.
- Monday, 9/5/22 Proverbs 31:2, What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Paraphrase: “WHAT are you doing, son?? NO!!” 1) Experience is the best teacher. 2) We made lots of mistakes and they made us what we are today. 3) Ultimately, we must live with the choices others make. 4) Our command is not to govern others, but to love them. Psalm 71:1, In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. This resolution needs to be completed daily. “That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. God is a “Day by day” kind of God, not a “Week by week” or “Month by month” God. Whom are you trusting as you pick out your clothes this morning? Prioritize your day? Choose your route to work? Choose and pack your lunch? Say “goodbye” to your family? We’d need so much less “Emergency Praying” if we’d just, TRULY, begin each of our days by submitting, worshipping, and rededicating ourselves to our wonderful Dad.