God's peace

Sunday, March 18, 2018 (4:48 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for snippets of sleep. That You for pieces of understanding. Thank You for new ideas on handling old problems. Thank You Father. Yes. Thank You.

Thank You for memories of happiness and contentment. Thank You for peacefulness and a sense of settling down. Perhaps even settling in.

Yes Father. Thank You for the peace that comes from settling in to Your Word. Looking to You. Remembering. Asking. Seeking. Knocking. Hoping. Yes. Hoping.

Today I am willing to hope. To ask. To ‘not worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell You what I need, and thank You for all You have done’ (Philippians 4:6).

You provide for us. All our needs. You comfort us. In ways unimaginable. You love us. Unceasingly. And we are blessed to be considered Your own.

Thank You Father. Thank You for Your will and for Your way. Thank You for Your peace. Your indescribable, loving peace.

“And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings, His peace can do this far better than our human minds” (Philippians 4:7; Easy-to-Read Version).

Your peace. Stated so many different ways is “beyond all understanding”; “surpasses (is better than) every mind.” Calms. Soothes. Heals.

The Message, “Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

Yes. It truly is!

Use Your peace in me this day. Exactly for and as You wish. I love You. I long to serve and represent You well. Do all You must, I pray. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(297 words ~ 6:21 a.m.)

easily amused

Friday, March 16, 2018 (5:25 a.m.)

How ‘bout that, Lord?

I’ve been talking with You since I woke up for the last time this morning. At 4:24. Thank You that I am so easily amused with numbers. Thank You for every single time I find myself smiling.

Thank You for the wide range of music that plays and sings inside my head. From ♪Anything Goes♪ to I’m not sure what praise and worship song was here just moments ago.

Yes. Father, thank You even for fleeting thoughts. Snippets of Truth. Reminders of what a good and awesome God You truly are.

For the first time in many months I bounded out of bed just now, eager [agog] to share my heart with You. Thank You that as I lay there thinking of and internally singing to You, the words “target practice” came to mind.

Yes most holy God, thank You for the way they all tied together. Let me try and untangle what all made perfect sense just moments ago.

I love You. Your Word tells us in Deuteronomy 6:4-6, “The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart” (Revised Standard Version).

Just the day I got a bit of understanding regarding this text and the one quoted by Jesus in Mark 12:29-30. Deuteronomy says, “might” while Mark has Jesus saying, “mind and strength”. Thank You Father for the clue of how difficult it is to find the perfect word from one language to another.

We are to love You totally. Completely. With all we are. And our neighbors as ourselves. That’s the target for which I am to aim.

With all of my heart. All of my soul. All of my mind. And all of my strength. Every single part of my feeling, being, thinking and doing. Love You, myself and others.

Blessed God, how I thank You for blessing me. Keeping me. Knowing me. Wanting me. Use me this day exactly as You wish.

I love You. I praise You. I choose You. I trust You. Loving You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength is my target. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(391 words ~ 6:55 a.m.)

Blessed beyond belief

Thursday, March 15, 2018 (7:18 a.m.)

Holy God,

I am looking to You. I came out here excited to meet with You. Then I got side tracked. Started looking at other things. And there went my spirit.

Mm. Yes. Father, there is a huge battle raging within me right now. I absolutely know I am blessed. Yes. Blessed beyond belief. Yet at the very same time I am plagued by the “what about…?”s.

What about this? What about that? What about something else? Hmm. Rather than stay in that way of thinking, I turn to You and find hope.

Yes! Thank You Father. I tend to get lost inside my head. There is so incredibly much to consider at any given time. And then I remember. Look to You. Turn to You. Trust You.

Thank You Father. Praise You. Trust You!

The Life Recovery Bible Discovering Hope John 5:1-15 discusses “all or nothing” thinking. I confess to getting trapped there often. Something is either all wonderful or all terrible, no middle ground. Not true!

Well, except You. You are always all good! All knowing. All forgiving. All loving.

Thank You Father that I get to bring all my thoughts, hopes, fears, wonders straight to You. And You never disappoint.

Thank You that as bad as I may feel about myself or others or circumstances, I always have the choice of coming before You. Exactly as I am.

Thank You Father. Thank You Son. Thank You Holy Spirit. Thank You that no matter what is going on within me or without, You remain constant.

Back to Discovery Hope, “This man was so crippled that he couldn’t go any farther on his own. He camped as near as he could to a place where there was hope for recovery. God met him there and brought him the rest of the way. For us, ‘entirely ready’ may mean getting as close to the hope of healing as we can in our crippled condition. When we do, God will meet us there and take us the rest of the way.”

Thank You for the hope we have in being made whole (John 5:6). Let my answer to Your “Would you like to be healed?” Be “Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!”

Healing, wholeness comes from You. Thank You for the privilege of asking, “From whence shall my help come?” (Psalm 121:1b) and immediately being told, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (v. 2).

Thank You Father. Praise You. I love You. I trust You. I choose You. I need You. Do all You must with, in, by, through and for me this day. Let it [and me] be exactly as You wish. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(465 words ~ 10:33 a.m.)

"in spirit and in truth"

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 (6:01 a.m.)

Sweet, sweet Jesus,

Thank You. Thank You for rain. Thank You for time. Thank You for love. Thank You for pain.

Yeah, I’m not so sure about that last one. As I sit here and wonder on that I ask You to work in me about being honest.

Thank You for the privilege of sitting here. Wondering. Pondering. Considering. Loving. Learning. Hoping. Praising. Seeking. And finding.

Yes Jesus, I ask You for truth and You open avenues I didn’t even expect. John 4:23-24. Deuteronomy 6:5. John 16:33. Mm, yes. Speak to me now I pray.

(7:23 a.m.)

Yes Blessed Jesus,

Thank You For Your Truth and Your Spirit. Reading in one direction took me straight over to another and the next thing I knew my spirit was at such peace, I slept. With hope. In You. Thank You Jesus. Thank You for Your Truth which leads to…? Peace? Eternity? 

Reading part of Your prayer for Your disciples, I ask You to include me as one. You said to our Father, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by teaching them Your words of truth” (John 17:15-17).

Your Spirit. Your Truth. John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will be telling you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

Teach me to truly live each day worshiping the Father “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). I love You so much. I want others to see it in my presence and hear it in my voice.

Do all You must to make it so. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(320 words ~ 8:15 a.m.)

God has our backs

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 (6:34 a.m.)

Holy God,

(6:46 a.m.)

Yes. Holy, Holy God,

Thank You that You have our backs. Mmm… Yes! You have our backs.

Thank You Father that I get to read Your Word and the words of others that support this Truth. And right in the midst of reading, ♪Marvelous Light♪ starts singing within me.

As I re-enter the exploration of “fear(ing) not”; “be(ing) not afraid”, I am so incredibly encouraged. Thank You Father.

Thank You for Your presence. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for truly having our backs.

Use me this day exactly as You wish. Fully trusting You to guard me and guide me. Yes Father. Thank You for having my back. I love You. I need You. I choose You. I want You. Thank You Father. Amen.

(143 words ~ 9:04 a.m.)

a good and mighty work

Monday, March 12, 2018 (6:48 a.m.)

Holy, Holy, Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

You are doing a work in me. A good and mighty work. Thank You. Thank You for challenging me to look at the hard places and not be afraid.

Mm… I don’t have to be afraid! Thank You Father. Thank You.

I got to wake up singing again. ♪Anything Goes♪ Very jazzy. Practically danced my way down the hall. Got here and honestly changed my tune.

Funny thing… I just realized that I had only moments before been reading of the importance of singing You a new song. Thank You Father. Thank You for the ways You are here with us, especially when we aren’t keenly aware of Your presence.

The apostle Paul spoke of being irresistibly drawn to Jerusalem by Your Holy Spirit (Acts 20:22-23). “Paul sensed a clear leading by the Holy Spirit and was determined to follow it. Apparently Paul was aware that God’s plan would lead him through difficult circumstances [jail and suffering (v. 23)]. Yet he felt compelled to do the work God assigned him” (The Life Recovery Bible comment 20:22-38).

In speaking to the Ephesian elders Paul told them, “But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.” Thank You for such a clear example of dedication and obedience to Your leading.

As the peppy tune of ♪Anything Goes♪ continues popping in and out of my subconscious I once more become aware of the new things I am learning. The importance of going through and fully experiencing our pain. Being willing to ask, “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?” Changing my “if/then” beliefs to “though/still”.

And here again comes the new song I started singing earlier. ♪Even though I walk through the valley Of the shadow of death Your perfect love is casting out fear And even when I’m caught in the middle Of the storms of this life I won’t turn back, I know You are near… Yes, I can see a light that is coming For the heart that holds on And there will be an end to these troubles But until that day comes Still I will praise You, still I will praise You♪

Even though this or that or something else has happened or may happen, still I will praise You. Yes Father. In this process of learning to lament, experience my feelings, and forgive myself and others, I am asking You to guide me step by step through the undertaking.

I love You Father. I trust You Jesus. I need You Holy Spirit.

Through the effort of addressing the “fear of letting go of the old and no longer needed” I look to You and Your good and mighty work in, with, by, through and for me. I am asking You Dear Father, Son and Holy Spirit to do all You must in making me truly able to “freely and easily release the old and joyously welcome the new” (Heal Your Body).

Oh how I love You. I fear You. I thank You. Praise You. You are good. Mighty. Holy. Work in and through me, I pray. Thank You. Amen.

(561 words ~ 9:42 a.m.)

learning to lament

Sunday, March 11, 2018 (7:00 a.m.)

Awesome God,

I am asking You to talk with me concerning my learning to lament. It’s a relatively new-to-me topic. I confess to struggling with the seemingly fine line difference between truly lamenting and simply complaining.

Griping, growling, groaning, grumbling… those all come relatively easy for me. So much so that I try desperately hard to avoid them. Now I’m learning that we’re not called to gloss over the hard stuff, we are to grieve it.

Hmm. Work in me I pray. Reading in Psalms, Lamentations, Habakkuk, Zephaniah and Zechariah I find examples of Your people who truly lamented. They didn’t pretend. They cried out to You. Honestly.

Thank You Father. Thank You for reminding us throughout Your Word of our need to be honest with You. Psalm 23:4 (New Life Version) tells us, “Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me.”

Holy God, I confess to attempting to avoid walking through the dark things. I look long and hard for the positive in the valleys as if to bypass experiencing the pain. Teach me, I pray, to lean into and trust You to carry me through all the hurt I have yet to allow myself to feel.

There are disappointments. Disillusions. Wrong beliefs. Challenges. Illnesses. Denials. Deaths. All of which I thought I handled fairly well. Now we’re coming to the Truth. Your loving, wonderful Truth.

I actually need to grieve the losses. Not pretend my way through them. Truly feel them. Teach me I pray.

(10:24 a.m.)

How I thank and praise You!

Here again I get to read of Truth and freedom (John 8:31-32). While I do not claim to understand the complexity behind these seemingly simple words, I do ask You to make them real in my life.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

I seek Your freedom Father.

The Life Recovery Bible devotional Honesty (John 8:30-36) begins by asserting, “Living in denial is living dishonestly.” It concludes with, “The spiritual forces that sway our life have roots in either truth or deceit. Truth leads to freedom; deceit leads to bondage and death.”

I confess to the deceit that has kept me bound. I have yet to grieve the losses in my life. My parents. Many hopes. And dreams.

Work in me Father. By, with, through and for me. Bring me to a point of lament, grief and healing. I love You. I need You. I trust You. I choose You. And I ask You. Oh, how I ask You. Do all You must to free me from this self-imposed prison of my own making.

Yes Father. Teach me. Free me. Thank You. Amen.

(517 words ~ 10:48 a.m.)

history and hope

Saturday, March 10, 2018 (5:55 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for the way You watch over us. Thank You for Your presence in our lives. Thank You that You allow us all of our emotions.

Thank You that we get to trust You. Hope in You. Choose You.

Thank You that Your Word provides us with history. And hope. Mm. Yes. History and hope.

I get to sit here, reading Your Word. Honestly feeling like I am snuggling deep into You. Breathing slowly. Resting. Hoping.

And the source of this rest and hope? You. Your Word. Particularly the prophet Jeremiah’s book of Lamentations.

Holy God, thank You that upon waking earlier this morning I was keenly aware of silence. I immediately noticed the lack of any particular song singing itself to me and quickly scrambled to find one.

♪For God so loved the world the world He gave His only Son, That whosoever would believe in Him, Would not perish, but would have everlasting life, Everlasting life♪

Even singing it now brings a smile to my face and a settling to my heart. Father, You are so very good to us. ♪Our God loves us, So He gave us, Our God gave us J-E-S-U-S, Oh, Our God loves us, So He gave us, Everlasting life♪

Thank You, Father. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that even when we resemble Jeremiah’s feelings of being 'heartbroken, weary, discouraged and completely undone' there is still an opportunity for hope.

Mm, yes. Blessed God how good You are to have provided us Your Son on Whom to build our hope. Yes! And here comes another song.

♪My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness… On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand♪

Father, thank You. As You are introducing me to the idea of lamenting I thank You for the contentment that is filling my being.

Jeremiah wept as he reviewed the history of Jerusalem’s destruction and his own misery and suffering. “I remember them well. And I am very sad. But I have hope when I think of this: The Lord’s mercy never ends. His mercies never stop. They are new every morning. Lord, Your loyalty is great. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is what I have left. So I have hope.’” (Lamentations 3:20-24).

Blessed Lord God, thank You for the history and the hope we have in You. Every single moment of every single day. Let me use them to Your liking. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(448 words ~ 12:20 p.m.)

hope in God

Friday, March 9, 2018 (6:11 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your Truth. Thank You for the hope we have in You.

Yes! Thank You. Praise You. Bless You Father.

I confess to You my most recent refusal to hope. The other day a five minute timed writing exercise yielded a true fear… of disappointment. My own. And that of others.

Thank You Father! Thank You that we get to bring our every single foible before You. Thank You that You are not put off by any of our weaknesses and failings.

Yes, Father. Yes. Oh yes.

Hope is not easy for me. It opens me up to potentially being disappointed. Thank You that You are so much bigger than every single one of my fears.

“Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope” (Ephesians 3:20).

Yes. Yes. Oh yes!

“3:14-21 … Paul prayed that his friends might be deeply anchored and rooted in the soil of God’s love. As we learn how much God loves us, we will become confident that He is able to do far more in and through us than we could ever imagine! … We may feel that our life is hopeless and beyond recovery. But through God restoration and healing are possible. When we are grounded in God’s love, recovery will follow” (The Life Recovery Bible).

My hope is in You Blessed God.

“You made me; You created me. Now give me the sense to follow Your commands. May all who fear You find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in Your Word” (Psalm 119:73-74).

“119:73-77 … All of God’s work - even His discipline - is done because of His goodness and faithfulness. God wants us to live joyfully. We need to seek God’s will and do our best, with His help, to follow it” (TLRB).

Yes Father. My hope is in You. You keep reminding me through songs of Your presence. ♪Mr. Moonlight♪, ♪Every Little Thing♪ and now ♪My life is in You, Lord♪

Oh, yes Blessed God! ♪My life… my strength… my hope is in You, Lord In You, it’s in You… All my hope is in You♪ Do all You must in using me exactly as You wish.

I love You. I praise You. I thank You. I need You. I want You. I trust You. I hope in You. Do all You must. Thank You. Amen.

(432 words ~ 7:37 a.m.)

from above

Tuesday, March 7, 2018 (6:21 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You.

Praise and worship was not my first genre this morning. I confess to having felt pretty awkward about the song that repeatedly came to me before dawn.

♪Mr. Moonlight, come again please Here I am on my knees Begging if you please♪

Ah, but now as I explore the lyrics, I have the smile that’s announcing the peace that is growing in my heart. ♪And from above You sent us love♪

Oh yes! Holy God, You did send us love from above. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

As I turn to Your Word Blessed Father, I ask You to guide and direct me to Your liking. Isaiah 32:15, “Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured down on us from above” (The Message). Illustrated Bible Handbook, “But one day God’s Spirit will be poured out.” Mm.

The smile on my face at this particular moment is reflecting the wonder that continues welling up in my heart. Thank You Jesus.

You are so good. So holy. So righteous. So perfect.

Reading over in John 3, I find myself again in awe. Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost), thank You that You can speak to me so simply. Yet at the very same time so profoundly.

There are huge Truths here. Spiritual rebirth. God’s Kingdom. Faith. Forgiveness. Empowerment. Change. New life. Your will. Our unwillingness. Trust. Refusal.

Oh! Here come the chills. The joy. An excitement I haven’t experienced with You in a while.

Jesus, the Light of the World “Jesus said to the people, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life’” (John 8:12).

A reference to Jeremiah 31:33 leads me to reading a comment in The Life Recovery Bible. “31:1-40 God paints a joyful picture of recovery, with all the elements of repentance, sorrow, forgiveness, laughter, restoration, and hope. Once again God’s people would follow His plan for them, and He would receive their worship and praise.”

Holy God, this is what I pray. Your healing power. Our rebuilt relationship. Your delight “in finding new ways to exhibit [Your] love to those who belong to Him.”

So much Truth. So much hope. Enable me as another comment states, “3:1-12 … Being born again is the beginning - a baby step in the process. The hard part comes each subsequent day as we submit our stubborn heart and will to the control of God’s Spirit. True recovery is not attained by our trying harder to live a better life. As we repent, entrust our life to God, and seek to obey Him, we will receive forgiveness and true recovery.”

Amen Dearest God! 

“Friends of the Light John 3:18-21 Sometimes we don’t want to know God’s will because there are areas in our life that we aren’t ready to deal with yet. Recovery is a process for us. We may be ready to pray for God’s will in some areas but feel uncomfortable having God’s light shine into the areas that are still hidden in shame.”

Again, I say, “Amen!” This is me.

“Darkness is great when we are trying to hide something, but light is needed when we are trying to walk without falling.” Darkness. Addiction. Shame. Power. Redemption. Light. Your incredible guiding light!

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You for singing ♪Mr. Moonlight♪ so repeatedly to me that I could not ignore it. ♪Here I am on my knees Begging if You please… I’ll pray and pray more each day… And from above You sent us love… Cause we love You, Mr. Moonlight♪

Yes. Indeed. How much we love You. Use us this day. Exactly as You wish. Thank You. Praise You. Love You. Serve You. Amen.

(649 words ~ 8:04 a.m.)

whom then shall I fear?

Tuesday, March 6, 2018 (5:21 a.m.)

First things first Dearest Dad, thank You! Thank You for singing Your presence in my fearful thinking throughout the darkness. Yes, Lord. Thank You.

Now for the ask… I would like to know what song it is that I keep getting snippets of.

Thank You. Thank You again. I asked. You answered. In the very next keystroke. Thank You Father. Matt and Beth Redman’s ♪You Never Let Go♪

(6:55 a.m.)

And here comes the smile. As I search more about the song and it’s history, I learn more about others’ walk with You.

I’m confessing to You right now a lingering dissatisfaction with myself. I have fallen headlong back into comparing myself with others and finding myself severely lacking.

(7:40 a.m.)

You have so much more for me than fear. Thank You Father. Thank You that as I look deeper into this song the impact of Your Truth grows within.

Inspired by Psalm 23:4, the song was written in opposition to what Mr. Redman “describes as the daily drumbeat of the ‘dark, disturbing, depressing news’ that fills our TV screen on a daily basis” (songscoops). Thank You God.

Thank You that as my mind begins to take me in one direction, I again hear ♪O no, You never let go♪ start singing to me. ♪Through the calm and through the storm… In every high and every low… - Lord, You never let go of me♪

You are so good Blessed God. I know this. I believe it. I trust it. So here I ask You to empower me to living it.

♪Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death Your perfect love is casting out fear And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life I won’t turn back; I know You are near And I will fear no evil For my God is with me And if my God is with me Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?♪

Whom then shall I fear? Indeed.

Holy God, if I genuinely believe this to be true [which I absolutely do] why do I so often falter? In fear. Even the phrase “Thy rod and Thy staff” has often made me think more towards discipline than comfort.

As I look deeper at this well known verse, I find words that give me pause. Where I am most used to the idea of walking through the valley of the shadow of death and fearing no evil, I confess to these being words I mainly recite. Not necessarily act upon.

Reading the various translations, I consider “deepest darkness; death-dark ravines; Death Valley” and question my understanding. The Life Recovery Bible reminds us that You are “our Shepherd [who] knows what we need better than we do”. I believe this.

“God wants us to have what is best for us. As long as we make Him our Shepherd, He will lead us to places of safety. He knows how to direct us away from places where we may be tempted to stumble. Even when we fall, He can deliver us from our failure, pain, and suffering. God will help us avoid the places we have stumbled in the past and guide as we journey toward recovery.”

I have experienced Your guidance Father. I have. Why then do I fear? And again I confess, I do fear. Help me with this debacle, wouldn’t You Lord?

Your comforting rod and staff are also described as “a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help” (New Life Version). Console. Protect. Reassure. Make me feel safe; secure. Give me courage. Guarding, guiding all the way.

The Passion Translation tells us, “Lord, even when Your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for You already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of Your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for You are near.”

I long to live this Truth Dearest God. Unquestionably unafraid. Solidly trusting Your will and Your way. Show me. Lead me. Guide me. Help me. Yes Father, help me in all the areas I lack skill of my own.

I look to You. I lean on You. I trust in You. Thank You, Father. ♪Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?♪ Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(759 words ~ 9:45 a.m.)

all

Monday, March 5, 2018 (7:15 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

(7:37 a.m.)

Thank You. Thank You that You are good. Holy. Kind. Loving. Mighty. Powerful. All…

Ephesians 4:6

Micah 7:18

♪Mercy ~ You delight in showing mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment♪

Yes Father. Thank You for all the directions my mind takes me. I think of You as all powerful. All loving. All mighty. All merciful.

Blessed God, I am so grateful to You for the hope I find in reading Your Word. I confess to focusing far too often on the mistakes I regularly make. How comforting it is to read, “Where is another God like You, who pardons the sins of the survivors among His people? You cannot stay angry with Your people forever, because You delight in showing mercy” (Micah 7:18).

Here I again smile while hopefully rereading the lyrics to a song sung in church yesterday. ♪My past embraced My sin forgiven I’m blameless in Your sight My history rewritten You delight in showing mercy Mercy triumphs over judgment♪ Oh that I would truly believe and trust Your mercy and grace.

Blessed Father, how I ask You to teach me to forgive myself. I long to allow You to do the work You would in me.

Illustrated Bible Handbook for Chapter 7. Misery and Restoration ends with, “Micah’s closing image of a God who will ‘hurl all our iniquities into the depth of the sea’ is a beautiful picture of the completeness of forgiveness. As His redeemed our sins too are forgiven… and gone.” What hope I find in this.

Turning again to Ephesians 4:6, I ask You “the perfect Father who leads us all, works through us all, and lives in us all” to do all You must that I would live this day as You wish. Straighten my thinking to Your best for each of us. I love You. I long to serve You. Worship and adore You. In Jesus’ most holy name I pray. Amen.

(338 words ~ 9:43 a.m.)

Rejoice and be glad.

Sunday, March 4, 2018 (6:12 a.m.)

Awesome God,

What would You have me do with this day? Rejoice and be glad (Psalm 118:24). Yes! This IS the day that You have made.

Thank You Father. Thank You for the smile that comes when I lean into You and Your Word. Thank You for the various ways of expressing Your Truth.

The Voice, “let us celebrate and be happy today.” Yes. Oh, yes!

Wycliffe Bible, “make we full out joy, and be we glad therein.”

Thank You for the hope and joy that comes from steeping in Your Word. Rejoice and be glad. Celebrate and be happy. Yes. Father, it seems so simple. Do all You must that this would truly be the case.

Reading further in The Message to include verse 25, “let’s celebrate and be festive! Salvation now, God. Salvation now! Oh yes, God - a free and full life!” Mm. Yes. Please. A free and full life.

The Passion Translation, “This is the very day of the Lord that brings gladness and joy, filling our hearts with glee. O God, please come and save us again; bring us Your breakthrough-victory!”

Think about it. You made this day. It boggles my mind. You made this day. And You care about us.

Yes Father. Do all You must that I would truly rejoice and be glad in this day that You have made. Thank You Father. Bless You. Praise You. I love You. Amen.

(246 words ~ 7:38 a.m.)

be loved by God

Saturday, March 3, 2018 (7:29 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You that we get to love and be loved by You.

(2 Samuel 22:17-20, The Message)

silly and playful?

Friday, March 2, 2018 (6:56 a.m.)

I missed it. Several hours ago I planned to announce “6:54 3/2”. And then I missed it. By a minute. Thank You God that I get to be silly and playful with You.

Silly and playful? Is that an appropriate approach to come before You? Hmmm… maybe not.

Guide and direct my thinking here Father. I love You. I want to worship and adore You. I think of having a childlike faith (Matthew 18:3) and I come back to “silly and playful”. Those words don’t often describe me. "Serious and rule-oriented” are much more like it.

Then I read Malachi 1:10 in The Message, “Why doesn’t one of you just shut the Temple doors and lock them? Then none of you can get in and play at religion with this silly, empty-headed worship. I am not pleased. The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is not pleased. And I don’t want any more of this so-called worship!” Ummm. Do I border on sacrilege?

Please Father, I long that any silly, playfulness on my part would be seen by You as childlike; not childish.

Quoting a South Bay Calvary Chapel blog ‘be-like-a-child’, “God seeks a childlike submissiveness and meekness, a gleeful childlike heart… and a childlike faith. Faith builds character, and the process starts when you are a child. Without faith, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6)… Childlike faith, along with childlike love, are an open road to God’s heart.”

Dearest, Holy God, I come before You this morning asking, seeking, knocking (Matthew7:7) that You would guide and direct me in worshiping You in ways that You will be pleased. Grow my relationship with You exactly as You wish it to be.

I love You. I long to serve You. Perhaps somewhere in between ‘serious and rule-oriented’ and ‘silly and playful’? Freed to be precisely all You want me to be. Make it so Dearest God. Make it so. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(340 words ~ 10:02 a.m.)

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simplicity

Thursday, March 1, 2018 (6:30 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! For SO much. A brand new month. The many things that make me smile. Numerals on a watch face that read the same upside down as they do right side up. 1:01. 6:19. Thank You Father for simplicity.

Simplicity. Mm. Even the thought helps me smile. “Keep It Simple Sweetheart”. Straightforwardness; clarity; plainness; unpretentiousness. Ah, that I would truly live a life of simplicity. Let me start with this day Dear Lord.

Matthew 6:19

'seek out'

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 (6:39 a.m.)

Deep breath, big smile.

Thank You Father. I’ve been avoiding You this morning. Didn’t know how or even want to start our time together, so I looked up the opposite of ‘avoid’. It’s ‘seek out’. And I started singing just like that.

♪Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, And His righteousness, And all these things will be added unto you, Allelu, alleluia♪

Mm, yes. Holy God, I long to truly seek You out. Thank You Father.

Turning to various translations of Matthew 6:33, I find my heart swelling with the hope that comes from trusting and believing You. Blessed God, thank You.

By reading in and of Your Word, I am reminded that “Each day there is something to find joy in, and there is strength promised for the troubles of the day” (The Life Recovery Bible devotional). Thank You Father.

The Amplified Bible tells us we are to “aim at, strive after” Your “way of doing and being right - the attitude and character of God”. “Then all your other needs will be met as well” (Expanded Bible).

We look to You Blessed God. International Children’s Bible, “The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.”

All we need. Not want. Need. Illustrated Bible Handbook says, “Freed from the need to constantly worry about the material, Jesus’ followers can put God first and live each day for Him (32-34).” Yes, please.

I love You. I seek You out. Do all You must that I would follow as You lead. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(283 words ~ 7:51 a.m.)