Love. Truth. Promises.

Monday, March 7, 2016 (5:37 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your Truth. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for inviting us in to the hope that is found in Your Word.

Thank You Dearest Father. Pages and pages I read this morning. All of the same psalm. 119. Each verse reaffirming truths I have long come to believe.

Holy God. I love You. As I continue breathing in deeply, my soul settles firmly on the hope that is found herein. Thank You that we have the privilege and opportunity to study Your Word. Thank You that the only guarantee we have in this life is that of Your unfailing love.

Something odd is happening with my vision at this very moment. I have no idea what to make of it. I bring even this to You Blessed Lord. Lead me. Guide me. Direct my steps.

(9:53 a.m.)

Forty-five minutes of extremely unusual vision makes me keenly aware of how often I take even my physical sight for granted. Be in all aspects of my perception this day I pray. Physical, emotional, mental and especially spiritual. I invite You to be all You want to be for me.

Guide and direct me in Your love. Your Truth. And Your promises that I would continue becoming the woman You desire me to be. I love You Father. Thank You. Amen.

(236 words ~ 9:59 a.m.)

Psalm 33:4

Sunday, March 6, 2016 (6:22 a.m.)

Much loved Father God,

Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your trustworthiness. Thank You that Your Word continues teaching us how You would have us live.

This cold, rainy morning I don't have actual words. My thoughts jump quickly from one far end of the spectrum to what seems to be its polar opposite. Yet when I open Your Word all my thinking settles down. I find peace. Hope. Truth. Love.

Thank You Father that Your love never changes! You stay the same through the ages. Your Word guides and comforts us.

So far this morning Dearest God, I have gone from Hannah's prayer of praise (I Samuel 2:1-10) to Paul's urging the believers in Ephesus to live as children of light (Ephesians 4:17-32). Wondering where best to put my focus, I land on Psalm 33:4.

The Voice uses these words to speak Your Truth, “For the word of the Eternal is perfect and true; His actions are always faithful and right.” A comment in The Life Recovery Bible tells us, “Such a powerful God is worthy of our trust and praise.” How true!

While we don't necessarily understand all happenings we are reminded in this footnote, “The God who spoke the universe into existence is able to re-create us, and He is filled with tender love for us.” Blessed Father, You continue giving me reason to believe You at Your Word.

“He can heal us of the defects that have brought such destruction to us and the people we love. All He asks is that we turn our life over to Him so He can work these changes in us.” I had the opportunity to practice trusting You late last night and again in the early morning hours. This is a faith and trust that still does not come naturally.

You continue reminding me to turn away from fearful thinking and again to Your trustworthy faithfulness. Father, it is to You I come with all the concerns I carry. Too often I set them down before You only to pick them up once again. Thank You for every single occasion we have of exercising our faith muscles.

Do all You must in, with, by, through and for me this day that I will return home thanking and praising You and Your most holy name. I love You Father and I truly long to glorify and enjoy You as You wish. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(416 words ~ 7:33 a.m.)

being still

Friday, March 4, 2016 (6:07 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You that my first waking thought this morning was based on Your Word. “Be still and know” immediately countered my renewing concern over a problem that has yet to be resolved.

Blessed Father, I confess to You my tendency of holding onto my own way of thinking. Believing myself as able to see clearly what others either cannot or will not see for themselves. Forgive my arrogant impatience, Father.

As I sit and consider all that You are and I am not again I thank You Lord. Thank You for hope. Peace. Truth.

Reading the various translations for Psalm 46:10 I wonder, does “wait and see” factor in as a potential rephrasing of being still and knowing that You are God?

“Give ye attention, and see ye, that I am God” (Wycliffe Bible).

The Voice: “Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God.”

“[Let go, relax] Cease striving and know that I am God” New American Standard Bible.

Names of God: “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am Elohim.”

“Stand silent! Know that I am God!” (The Living Bible).

“Stop your fighting – and know” (Holman Christian Standard Bible).

Contemporary English Version: “Calm down and learn”.

“That's enough! Now know that I am God!” (Common English Bible).

You ARE God! You know the plans You have for us. They are plans for good and not for evil. They are plans to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). I depend on this blessed God.

I do not pretend to know what next week will bring. In the past my inclination would be to worry, fret, stew, speculate and overanalyze the potential outcome. Today I ask instead that You be glorified and enjoyed through the process.

I love You Father. Bless us and keep us in being still and relying on Your Truth. Use me this day as You wish. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(342 words ~ 7:39 a.m.)

rejoicing and being glad

Thursday, March 3, 2016 (5:54 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! I got to wake up singing again. This time? ♫This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made; We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made♫

Rejoicing and being glad. It's good theory. Great practice. NOT what I was taught early on however. We were more of the grumbling and being mad way of thinking. A lifetime of negative examples is not easily overcome. But life in You changes us.

Thank You Father. Thank You for the calls to worship You place in our hearts. Even right there I automatically start singing ♫Here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that You're my God You're altogether lovely Altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me♫

Father, thank You for the ways in which You lead and love us. Take this morning for example. I woke up excited about the song I was singing and I tracked it back to Your Word. Psalm 118:24. The Voice speaks Your Truth with these words, “This is the day the Eternal God has made; let us celebrate and be happy today.”

Mm. Yes. We have occasion to meet at a cemetery this morning to celebrate the life of a dear woman. Her roots grew down deeply into our community and she will be sorely missed. Thank You for her example of love, acceptance and encouragement. Thank You for the woman she was and the example she set.

Father, Yours is the highest example of all. Your call to us is turn to You in all circumstances. Always being joyful. Praying all the time. And giving thanks no matter what (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Thank You for the mighty, powerful work You do in us.

Many years ago I was made aware of the importance of Psalm 118:8. Found partway between the shortest and longest of Psalms, it is crucial that we remember, “It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.”

Standing on the Truth found here I begin singing yet another deeply ingrained worship song. This one based on Proverbs 3:5-6 ♫Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him And He shall direct your path♫

Guide me in the practice of rejoicing and being glad this day Blessed Father. Celebrating and being happy truly does not come naturally for me.

I love You. I long to serve You as You wish to be served. And I thank and praise You for all You are and all You call us to become. Work in me I pray. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(491 words ~ 7:20 a.m.)

yieldings

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 (1:18 p.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You for the change in today's plans which has yielded so many things. Time spent with loved ones. A completely empty laundry hamper. The decision to make an unschedule phone call and the blessings involved there.

Most dear and blessed Father God, these have not been automatic choices. My typical way of handling disappointment is to get angry. Brood. Shut down. Close myself off. Dwell upon and replay the negative. Praise and thank You Father.

Thank You for this added opportunity to turn once more to Your Word. In doing so I am blessed again by Your Truth. Searching a verse for 'yieldings' I get to learn more about wisdom. Just look at what Proverbs 8:19 (New American Standard Bible) has to say, “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.”

Thank You for the God that You are. And thank You for calling us to represent You well. I love You Father. I long to serve You. And thanks for clean clothes! Amen.

(182 words ~ 2:56 p.m.)

"learning to worship God"

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 (6:16 a.m.)

Amazing God of Glory,

Thank You! Thank You that You are God. And that You are amazing! Thank You for the choices You provide for us. Every single moment of every single day. The choice is always ours.

Thank You that we can choose to get upset. Curse. Behave badly. Or we can choose to turn to You. Fall on our faces in surrender. And praise. Thank You that every time we turn back to You and Your Word there is so much more to be found.

I confess to waking up this morning feeling somewhat bitter. Even going to sleep last night I had the choice, grumbles and growls or spinning and grinning. Thank You Father for the simplicity of a ditty put together for the benefit of grandchildren.

“Growl. Grump. Give a little jump. Spin. Grin. Let's begin again.” Thank You for this succinct reminder of Ephesians 4:26. New Life Version tells us, “If you are angry, do not let it become sin. Get over your anger before the day is finished.”

Blessed God, You are so good. You have been working in me all these years and I am incredibly grateful. Thank You.

Thank You for the privilege of coming before You this morning asking that the Truth Moses sang of in Deuteronomy 32 be seen in my choices, thoughts, words and actions. Verse 47 in the New Living Translation rings loudly and clearly this morning. “These instructions are not mere words – they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to occupy.”

Awesome, Holy God, YOU are my life! Upholding Your Word in the choices I make is my desire. Teach me Blessed Father. Help me in learning to praise and worship You as You wish. You are every single thing we need. Let my goal today be to know You even more.

I love You Father. Bless us and keep us as only You are able. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(349 words ~ 7:15 a.m.)

true

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 (5:42 a.m.)

Gloriously Loving God,

Thank You! Thank You that Your love for us is SO big. Bigger, far greater, infinitely more immense than we could ever even begin to imagine.

Holiest God, I got a taste of that love last night. At an actual tenth birthday party for a forty year old loved one. It was love that was most easily seen by all in attendance. A mother's genuine love for her daughter. Sisters, nieces, off-spring, those related by marriage. Family.

Father, I am truly awed by the love and acceptance I experienced last night. So filled with wonder by it all that when I awoke just earlier that's where my focus fell. Blessed God, how I thank You for examples of Your love and faithfulness.

Upon awakening my heart was filled with concern over the struggling marriages of which I am aware. I immediately recognized those concerns as burdens and started singing them to You. Thank You Father.

Thank You that we are truly called to sing out our cares to You. I began by substituting all-inclusive words where necessary while pleading with You to ♫Change our hearts, O God, Make them ever true. Change our hearts, O God, May we be like You. You are the Potter, we are the clay; Mold us and make us, This is what I pray. Change our hearts, O God♫ (Psalm 51:10).

Holy God, thank You for Your godly woman of my early church going days who introduced me to this, her favorite Bible verse. Thank You for reminders of much loved ones.

Thank You too for the opportunity of identifying the burden I felt I was carrying and to immediately start singing to You about that as well. ♫I cast all my cares upon You. I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet. And anytime that I don't know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon You♫ A very simple song from our childrens' childhoods that still rings true for me today.

Checking the corresponding verse (Psalm 55:22) I am further encouraged. The Life Recovery Bible comment tells of David's anguish and betrayal of an old friend. “The solution for David, and for us, is to give our burdens to God. He is able to strengthen us, encourage us, and keep us from falling.”

Thank You most dear and holy Father. Thank You for yet another song that reminds me, ♫Anxiety in the heart of a man brings it down♫ Looking into the verse of its origin (Proverbs 12:25) finishes the Truth. “But a good word makes it glad.”

You make us glad. See? Even right there. Another song! ♫He has made me glad, He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad, glad, glad♫

And would You just look at this? Now I am even more excited! Yesterday in the very midst of the heaviness my breaking heart was feeling I asked You for a song to fill my soul. ♫This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made; We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made♫ came immediately out of my heart, soul and lips.

Every single verse I look up leads to yet another Truth. You are so good. So faithful. So. Loving. Kind. All knowing. All powerful. And I look to You Father. With all of my cares. Hopes. Dreams. Wants. Needs. YOU are Who makes us glad!

Thank You for the songs in my heart. The praises on my lips. While the hurts and the fears are still here, standing on Your Word of Truth holds them at bay.

Having the opportunity of coming before You singing ♫I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart; I will enter His courts with praise. I will say, “This is the day that the Lord has made!” I will rejoice for He has made me glad♫ gives me the strength and courage to face the challenges of every day.

Thank You Father. Thank You for Your love. Your Word. Your Truth. And for all the songs that are based on them. Thank You Father. Praise You.

Provide my every need this day. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(750 words ~ 7:06 a.m.)