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Search and Praise to Your Heart’s Content
One of the exciting things about the day in which we live is that the Bible is being recognized as a reliable historical and scientific source. Things at which previous generations scoffed, we nod our heads in agreement, “The Bible was right about that. The earth is round, not flat.” (Is 40:22) However, Psalm 145:3 addresses an important fact. Although we may “know” God and acknowledge that He is great, the reality is, His greatness is UNSEARCHABLE. We’ll never know or understand everything about Him. Our praise of Him today is just the beginning of an eternity of our praise.
Lord, You are UNSEARCHABLE. We praise and worship You.
“Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is UNSEARCHABLE.”
Why We Don’t Worship Earthly Gods
Do you ever wonder, “Why bother to praise God?” If so, Isaiah 40 explains why.
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (vs 21-22)To whom then will you liken Me, that I would be his equal?’ says the Holy One. vs 25
God makes it clear that no one is equal to Him. He calls us to lift up our eyes and see the heavens He created. What does this mean for us? It means we are not alone. It means that nothing is too difficult for God. It means our Heavenly Father deserves our worship.
Lord, You are UNEQUALED. There is no one more deserving of praise, honor, and worship than You.
When You Need Insight
Do you have a problem? Are you in a quandary about what to do about something in your life? If you are in need of insight about a course of action or a relationship, look to Christ. Why? Proverbs 3:19 tells us that He is a God of intelligence, skill, and insight; well-proved by His creation of the earth and heavens. “The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.” The Hebrew word for UNDERSTANDING, means “intelligence, skill, and insight.” In other words, when we look at the earth and heavens, we’re seeing evidence of God’s intelligence, skill, and insight. Trust God to provide you with the wisdom, intelligence, skill, and insight you need for daily life, decisions, and relationships.
Jesus, we praise You that You are a God of UNDERSTANDING to whom we can look for skill and insight.
“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.” Proverbs 3:19
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H8394&t=NASB
Why Did I Do That?
Have you ever done something and immediately afterwards you said, “Shoot! Why did I do that?” That happened to me the other day. I’d tackled a stack of papers that had accumulated on my desk – you know – the to dos, notes to myself; as well as important papers like bills. I was quite pleased with the amount I’d shredded. Then, after writing out a check and looking for the self-addressed envelope, I realized I’d shredded it, too. My haste had made waste. It caused me to stop and think about how I handle my days. Am I running around so busily that in my haste I waste precious time that could be spent with my Heavenly Father in prayer and meditating on the important truths in the Bible? If you, like me, don’t want to get to the end of your life and realize that in your daily haste you wasted time that could have been spent in prayer and Bible reading, please join me HERE.
Here’s Something for Which to be Grateful
Recently, someone said to me, “The only good I have is because I’m a Christian.” What did the person mean? They were acknowledging that Christ is the “goodness” in them. Christ is more than “good,” however, as we understand goodness. He is what Hebrews 7:26 defines as undefiled. Whereas, our human nature is defiled, Christ is the opposite. He is “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted about the heavens.” Christ is a fitting high priest who is able to save us not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Our stubborn sinfulness doesn’t throw Him. Our willful rebellion doesn’t cripple His saving power. We have a holy, innocent, UNDEFILED Savior to whom we can look with gratitude.
“For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, UNDEFILED, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;” Hebrews 7:26.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us and saving us! We love you.
If You’re in Need of Love and Grace
Are you the kind of person who easily feels guilty? Do you want to live for Christ, but often feel like a failure or like you’ve let God down? Do others remind you of your sin or hold your wrongs over your head? If so, Micah 7:18 is a comforting verse on which to meditate. “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity… He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in UNCHANGING LOVE.” Think about these words and personalize them. God forgives me. God pardons my sin. God doesn’t stay angry with me. God delights in UNCHANGING LOVE for me. Yes, we should go to God and others when we sin and ask forgiveness. Yes, we should practice walking in God’s ways. But, until heaven we won’t be perfect. God doesn’t forgive us so we walk in guilt. God forgives us so we walk in grace. What a joyful verse on which to meditate.
Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness and UNCHANGING LOVE! What a blessing You are.
Are You a Fisherman?
“Are you a fisherman?” someone asked after I’d shared that my husband and I’d fished on our vacation. “Yes! I love to fish.” “So do you fly fish,” my friend questioned. “I do,” I replied, noticing by his, “hymph” that he was a little surprised. Then, I decided I needed to clarify. “Well, I like to cast and I like to catch fish, but I really don’t take the fish off the hook. And, I need someone to tell me what bait to use.” The more I thought about it, I wondered if I should even say I’m a fisherman. That caused me to realize that sometimes in the United States we use the word “Christian” rather loosely like I rather loosely said I’m a fisherman. What does it mean to be a Christian? Well, certainly not just showing up at a church building a couple of times a year. Christ defined His followers as those who actually followed His teachings. If you’d like to know more about what it means to be a Christian, please click HERE.
Listen to the Right Person
Today, trust is at an all time low. Why? People don’t always speak truthfully. Lying appears to have become socially acceptable. But, it’s not acceptable to God. He is the truth and speaks the truth. Revelation 21:5 NIV records, “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are TRUSTWORTHY and true.’” Jesus wants us to know that if He says something, we can count on it. He and His words are trustworthy and true and He is making everything new. Those are words of hope and encouragement that we need to hear. If there were ever a time that we should listen to Jesus and take hold of the hope of a new day, it’s now. If you’ve been hurt by an untrustworthy person, don’t let that keep you from trusting God. He has an eternal track record of being TRUSTWORTHY
Lord, thank You for being TRUSTWORTHY!
We Need Help Winning the Battle
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS for the SD P.R.A.Y. with PASSION CONF! Your prayers were needed and appreciated. Too long of a story for here, but hopefully, I can share with you soon. HE was TRIUMPHANT in the BATTLE!
Do you ever feel like things are getting harder, not easier; that truth is ignored, and too often evil seems to win? If so, Christ can relate. He was pronounced “not guilty,” then crucified. How irrational was that? But Colossians 2:15 tells us Jesus TRIUMPHED over the irrational. He disarmed the rulers and authorities. He made a public display of them. And Christ is still triumphant even though we may not see it at certain times. Jesus will right what is wrong. Truth will prevail. That’s good news on a national and world level. It’s also good news for us personally. Christ, who triumphed over the grave, is able to triumph over despair in our heart and temptation in our lives. Christ is the triumphant Lord. What do you need His help with today? He’s a prayer away.
Lord, You are TRIUMPHANT over death, rulers, and authorities. You are triumphant over despair and temptation. We ask for Your help to stand against evil and to live holy lives.
“When He (Jesus) had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having TRIUMPHED over them through Him.” Colossians 2:15
Lost and Found
TODAY! Please PRAY for an outpouring of God’s Spirit today at the South Dakota P.R.A.Y. with Passion Across the Nation Conference. Thank you!
Have you ever been lost? Perhaps you took a wrong turn in the road and didn’t know how to get back home. As bad as that is, what’s worse is to be spiritually lost, which is how Jesus describes us prior to our salvation. We were so lost that there was no one who could help us except Jesus. In Luke 19:10, Jesus describes Himself as the Son of Man who came to seek and to save the lost – us. In other words, Jesus left heaven’s glory to come for us. Jesus did what no one else could do. Through the virgin birth of Mary by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born, the Son of Man, to seek and to save our lost souls and return us to the Father. What good news.
All praise to You, Lord Jesus, Son of God, SON of MAN, for seeking and saving us when we were lost. We love and adore You.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10