facts

Monday, March 30, 2020 (6:54 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

I love You. I love You…

And just like that Sam Cooke is singing. Or is it Nat King Cole?

The details don’t matter. It’s the facts that count.

Yes Lord. I am turning to You again for the facts.

There are a lot of mistruths out there. Half truths. Out and out untruths. So once again I look to Your Word to guide us in Your way. Your Truth. Your life (John 14:6).

And I am thanking You in it all.

Father, Your Word speaks Truth. Hope. Faith. Love. And it also spells out warnings. Guide us, we pray, in living each day exactly as You would have us. Boldly. Bravely. Sharing Your Truth.

I get to read of facts in Proverbs. Acts. Romans. And then surprise, surprise in Joel.

The introduction for this book begins, “Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes - natural catastrophes of all kinds have a way of making us feel helpless. We can do nothing to stop them. We can only do our best to avoid them and then pick up the pieces after they have occurred…”

Oh yes Blessed God!

And even here the singing begins again. ♪I love You For sentimental reasons♪ But it’s NOT for sentimental reasons! It’s for Your Truth. Your promises. Your facts.

THE BOTTOM LINE in The Life Recovery Bible states the PURPOSE of this book was “To warn God’s people of impending judgment, and to urge them to admit their sins and turn back to God.”

Father, how we do turn to You. Confessing our errors. Our missteps. Our failings. Our sins.

We keep hearing “another month; we haven’t seen the worse; few resources…” Our natural response is to fear. Blessed Holy Father God, I long to hear more of You!

The key verse of this Old Testament book is listed as 2:13. “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you.”

Oh Dearest God, how I depend on Your Truth. Your facts. Your promises.

Turning the page to read the RECOVERY THEMES I’m drawn in again by their titles. “The Power of Confrontation; The Importance of Forgiveness; God’s Power Is Limitless; God’s Power within Us.”

The very first section starts by stating the obvious, “God’s people had lost sight of their need for God and had become complacent about following the plan He had laid out from them. To break through their denial, God allowed them to suffer a series of disasters. Through their sufferings and the prophet Joel, God let His people know that they needed to make some changes in their lives.”

Holy God, this is where I call out to You to be glorified in all of this! Some of us will escape with our lives. Many will not. The mere thought of that can be terrifying. That is why I once again turn to Your facts.

Because You love us [♪for sentimental reasons♪?] I get to turn to the author of Hebrews’ Concluding Words (Chapter 13:5-6). Moses’ charge to Joshua is quoted. As is a verse from Psalms.

Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.”

Psalm 118:6, “The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

We absolutely do not know what today will bring. And we ask You to lead and guide us through every single step of it.

You are our future and our hope! Here I pray Paul’s words to the Romans right back to You. Asking “that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Yes Father. ♪I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You…♪ NOT for sentimental reasons!

I love You because You are good. And mighty. And loving. And kind.

Be with us Lord. ALL of us. We need You. Desperately!

Do all You must. And all You alone know is best. Thank You. We love You. We pray. Asking in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

(728 words ~ 8:47 a.m.)