365 Days of Praise

If you’re a runner or know someone who is, you understand the importance of removing anything that might slow you down. You’re also aware of how critical it is to stay focused while running and not get sidetracked by any distractions. You or someone you know has probably also experienced weariness at some point while running—maybe toward the end of a race, a marathon, or a high-mileage run. 

Hebrews 12 draws a comparison between the Christian life and running a race. The chapter starts out by encouraging believers to throw off any hindrances, such as sin, that so easily entangles, and to run the race with perseverance. Hebrews 12:2 goes on to say, “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus despised the shame of the cross, yet He suffered through it in order to not only give us a start in our Christian walk, but to also make sure that our faith is perfected, complete, and finished. You see, Jesus is not only the author or the source of our faith, but He also oversees, sustains, and completes the faith of those who trust in Him. Philippians 1:6 reminds us of this—“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

It is with tremendous gratitude each of us should look heavenward in praise of our Lord and thank Him—the author and finisher of our faith!

Lord Jesus, I praise You! I thank You that You are not only the author, but also the FINISHER OF OUR FAITH!

We don’t have to run the Christian race alone. Jesus sent us a Helper—the Holy Spirit. To learn more about Christ’s gift, listen to this free podcast teaching: Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.

Father of Spirits. Are you familiar with this title of God? We don’t often hear it. More often in prayer groups we hear praises of God as the Way, Truth, and Life; of Him being Sovereign and Healer. 

However, in Hebrews 12:9, the author uses the designation, “Father of Spirits.” “We had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of Spirits and live?” 

What is meant by “Father of Spirits”? Although some commentators mention a possible reference to God’s creation of angels, far more agree it is a reference to God being the Father or Creator of people’s souls. We find a similar reference in this regard in Numbers 16:22. “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?” God of the spirits of all flesh is a reference to God’s creation of mankind. 

There is a most important aspect to God being referred to as the Father of Spirits in Hebrews 12:9. The passage goes on to explain that as earthly fathers discipline their children, the Father of Spirits disciplines His children. Who are His children? Those who have been born again (John 3:3) of the Holy Spirit; who are new creations (Galatians 6:15).

The Father of Spirits gives us a new birth. He then assumes responsibility for disciplining us so we share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10) What a wonderful Father of Spirits we have! 

FATHER OF SPIRITS, thank You for giving me a new birth with Your Spirit and disciplining me so I share Your holiness. I love You and pray I reflect well on You, my Father.

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Have you ever needed someone to extend mercy to you? You did something wrong, thoughtless, or perhaps careless. You felt bad and desired forgiveness. You asked to be forgiven. What if their heart was hardened and they said, “no”? And how horrible it would be if our Heavenly Father refused to forgive us. Quite the opposite. 

Second Corinthians 1:3 tells us that God is the Father of mercies. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” 

Mercy flows from our Father. It’s His nature. He is the original transmitter of mercy. So when you go to a Christian sister or brother and ask forgiveness and they extend mercy, they are a reflection of their Father—the Father of mercies. 

The good news doesn’t stop with God being a transmitter of mercy and our Christian brothers and sisters being transmitters of mercy. The good news is we can be transmitters of mercy also, reflections of our Father. 

In today’s culture, it can be easy sometimes for a person to be offended. They may hold grudges and not want to forgive or extend mercy. However, what a precious opportunity it is for believers to show mercy as our Heavenly Father does. Let’s make it a point to do this well. 

FATHER OF MERCIES, thank You for extending mercy to me. May I be quick to extend mercy to others and reflect well on You. 

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Our nation and world are going through what some call dark times. In the midst of these trying times, what can believers do? We can shine brightly with the love, hope, and truth of our Lord, whom James 1:17 describes as the Father of Lights. 

The prince of darkness, Satan, wants us to stumble in the darkness. But James points to our hope. “Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” 

Commentator, Charles Ryrie, explains this reference to the Lord means “God is the source of all light—physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual—and He does not change.”¹

Rather than physically, intellectually, morally or spiritually stumble, we can pray with our heart, mind, soul, and spirit. We can walk through our day in the light of the Father of Lights. We can spread His light to others. Will we? 

FATHER OF LIGHTS, illumine my heart, mind, soul, and spirit with Your Light so I walk as a child of Light and spread Your Light to others. 

Want to learn more about living a victorious Christian life? Watch Debbie’s teaching on Acts 28 : The 7 Characteristics of People Who Are More than Conquerors. 

¹ Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008).

Have you ever suffered for the cause of Christ? Perhaps you took a stand on the inerrancy of the Bible. Maybe you held to the conviction that Jesus is the way, truth, and life; no one goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Perhaps someone distanced themself from you because you held to the Biblical definition of marriage as being between a man and woman. 

What can you do when you suffer for the cause of Christ; when our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer being disowned by their family, being beaten, imprisoned, or die for their faith? 

Peter, who suffered for his faith, writes that we are to entrust our souls to our faithful Creator. “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right” (1 Peter 4:19). Peter also directs us to look at God’s character; that He is Creator God and that He who created the world and us is faithful. We can trust Him, knowing that He will remain faithful and make all things right. 

Consistent with what Peter writes is the vision John received and recorded in Revelation 19:11 regarding Christ’s return. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” 

Our Creator God is faithful and true and He will act faithfully on your behalf. 

FAITHFUL LORD, I praise You that I can trust You and entrust my soul to You. 

One of our key verses today is 1 Peter 4:19. To watch Debbie’s teaching on all of 1 Peter 4, click HERE. You can also check out her 1 Peter Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts. You can access them by going to “Bible Studies” in the main menu or by clicking HERE.

The news that singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most weeks atop the Billboard 200 Chart exalted her to new heights in 2023. However, her exalted position is not guaranteed. Only the Lord God’s is, as He tells us in Psalm 46:10. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 

Psalm 148:13 also reminds us, “His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above earth and heaven.”

The Lord is exalted above other gods. “For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods,” Psalm 97:9 

What about Jesus? Acts 5:31 tells us, “He is the One whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” 

Although the Lord is highly exalted, Psalm 138:6 encourages us that “though the LORD is exalted, yet He regards the lowly.” 

How amazing our exalted Lord is! What should be our response? Nehemiah 9:5 tells us. “Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!” 

Our Lord is highly exalted above all yet regards the lowly. Will you humbly exalt and bless His glorious name; praising Him for regarding you? 

EXALTED Lord, I praise You, bless Your glorious name, and thank You for regarding me.

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Have you ever wondered if there was some place you could go that would be away from God? Perhaps you felt shame over something you did and wanted to hide. Or, you may have just wondered if it was a possibility to get away from God. Perhaps you feared your actions had driven God away. 

I learned the answer to those questions when I was in high school while doing my daily Bible reading. I came to Psalm 139:7-10 which assures us that there is nowhere we can go from God’s presence. The words were so beautiful, I picked up my guitar and wrote music to accompany the words. Meditate on them as you read Psalm 139:7-10.  

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.”  

The psalmist’s words are beautiful, but they are more than that. They are true. 

Jesus affirmed His continual presence with us in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  

Which of the verses in Psalm 139:7-10 touch your heart? What does it mean to you that God is everywhere and His hand will lead you? 

Lord, I praise You that You are EVERYWHERE. Thank You that I am never apart from Your presence. I love You.

The Lord is always present and wants us to talk to Him through prayer. Learn to pray more purposefully through Debbie’s book, “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.”

Do you ever worry about the end? A job ends. Time with loved ones ends. But there is One who has no beginning or end: God. 

In Psalm 90:2, Moses points out that God is everlasting. “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” 

Jeremiah 10:10 refers to God as Everlasting King. “But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the Everlasting King.”  

Psalm 145:13 assures us His kingdom is everlasting. 

Habakkuk 3:6 points out that in addition to God’s kingdom being everlasting, His ways are everlasting. 

The prophet Isaiah personalizes the Everlasting God by calling Him “Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6. 

Psalm 103:17 tells us God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him. 

Deuteronomy 33:27 says we can rest in God’s everlasting arms. 

If you ever feel a sense of loss or that everything dear to you is ending, remember that God will be with you forever and will be the same Everlasting Father that He has always been. 

Lord, You are the EVERLASTING God and Father in whose Everlasting Arms I can rest and in whose Everlasting Love and Kingdom I can live. I rejoice in You.

During the peak of the 2021 COVID pandemic, someone shared with me the following regarding the dire conditions many faced. 

“Make no mistake. When loved ones are removed from your home by ambulance because the virus has hit them hard, you are not going to be able to sit by their hospital bed and hold their hand. You are not going to be able to pop in at 7:00 pm during visiting hours. They are going to have no one other than exhausted and brave hospital staff to see them through days or weeks. During that time, they will be completely alone. Imagine that person is someone you love dearly. Because it is a reality for many.” 

Disconcerting? Absolutely. Dire? Yes! What is our hope in such times? Is there any hope? Yes, we who have placed our faith in Jesus have the assurance that in even the darkest of times, our Eternal Father is with us (Isaiah 9:6).

Bible scholar and commentator Charles Ryrie explains that Eternal Father means “Messiah is eternally a Father to His people, guarding, supplying, and caring for their needs.” ¹ There could be no greater comfort in dire situations. 

Do you have a relationship with the Eternal Father through Jesus Christ? If so, with whom might you share Him? 

ETERNAL FATHER, in the best of times and in the direst of times, thank You for being with me. Embolden me to share the assurance I have in You with others.

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¹ Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008).

Can you imagine if God ruled by whim, by ever-changing emotions and laws? What if on a whim, God decided to not forgive you? What if on a whim, God changed His mind about who was allowed in heaven? 

I think you might agree with me that we’re thankful that is not who God is. Rather, throughout the Bible, we are assured that God rules with equity, with evenness, and uprightness, as Psalm 9:1-8 points out. 

“I will give thanks to You, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High. My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before You. For You have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, You have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. The LORD reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.” 

Heavenly Father, thank You that I don’t have to worry that You rule by whim. Rather, I am assured that You are EQUITABLE in Your ruling, and I trust You. 

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