- Tuesday, 4/7/20 Jeremiah 2:3, Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord. The reason that God is so protective of His people is that we are His tithe. Don’t touch His possessions. (BTW, we are
still to tithe off of all of our increase.) Psalm 60:1, O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. Any relationship involving a human waxes and wanes and needs constant maintenance to remain vibrant. With others, it may be “their fault” but we’re still supposed to strive to better the relationship. With God, it’s always our fault, though, occasionally, He does “leave us for a bit” to test us. So, which of your relationships needs some TLC? Don’t wait for the other to do it: be proactive and do what you can do.
- Wednesday, 4/8/20 Psalm 64:1, Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer... Practical thought: do you pray OUT LOUD? Doing so helps to focus our thoughts, and it would mean we’re by ourselves, so maybe, we’d be more honest. Take a “walk with God” and try it. Psalm 24:5, He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. I want the blessings of God and more righteousness!! How do I qualify? V4, He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. God works via formulas: if we do our part, He’ll do His part. It’s your turn...
- Thursday, 4/9/20 A sweet promise for troubled days: Psalm 29:11, The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. Go get some peace and strength at the Heavenly store this morning: read His Word, pray, worship, praise, dedicate yourself...you know the drill... Psalm 65:4, Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. “Choosing” us: He is personally working in your life and mind. “Causing (making) to approach”: generally, this means that we’re in trouble. What’s His goal in sending those troubles? Getting us to “dwell in His courts,” and becoming “satisfied” with His goodness, i.e. developing new tastes. Quit running away from problems: approach, dwell, be satisfied.
- Friday, 4/10/20 Proverbs 4:13, Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. We are an information fat society, but one that is instruction starved. Beware the source of your “instruction.” Is it from God? The KJ Bible? A humble soul winning tither who goes to church? Is it ever right and proper to ignore someone? To turn a deaf ear to their pleas for help or conversation? Consider Proverbs 1:24-31, Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Of course, the Lord has infinite wisdom and understanding, but sometimes, I think it IS proper for us to turn our back on someone for a time. Looking further down the road though, He only does it for time: He’ll welcome any of His children back. (The unsaved CAN cross the “Point of No Return,” and He’ll quit trying to win them.)
- Saturday, 4/11/20 Mark 9:22-23, And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. The dodging of responsibility is not new. “The woman that THOU gavest me...” Everything we need today is at hand today. Start by picking up your Bible and connecting with God. Proverbs 4:13-14, Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. The instruction to which you listen, your LIFE: is it advising you to walk closer to sin or farther away? To have a better attitude or more cynical? To hurt people or to forgive, encourage, and help them? To get closer to good folks and farther from the bad ones, or vice versa? What you listen to: God says it is YOUR LIFE. Beware!!!
- Sunday, 4/18/20 Psalm 30:1a, I will extol thee, O Lord (today); for thou hast lifted me up (in the past). We can be happy today, if for no other reason, that for what God has done for us in the past. You’re still saved, right? Still an American? Still fed and housed? “Forget not ALL his benefits...” 1 Corinthians 10:13b, ...but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able... In times of a virus pandemic or slow/no work or quarantine or exhaustion or loneliness: you CAN take what is given you. You CAN successfully deal with what is on your plate right now. And, you CAN take it while being a good Christian: cheerful, understanding, forgiving, patient, and loving. You CAN...now, WILL you?
- Monday, 4/19/20 A new day; a new week: on what will you trust? Psalm 71:1, In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. The Christian life starts anew every morning. CHOOSE to trust Him with the uncertainties of today, and if we’ll do that every day, we’ll never be put to confusion. Psalm 34:4, I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. I wonder if God often gets a bad rap from us for not delivering us, when He never promises to deliver us (on our timetables). Here, it is said that David was delivered from his fears, NOT the problems that caused the fears. Problems can occur in our lives for a multitude of reasons, and we’re generally supposed to deal with them, but fear is non-essential. Lose the fear and conquer the problem.
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