365 Days of Praise
We’d Better Get this Right
Are you reading each Beyond Ourselves – 365 DAY of PRAISE? Are you as amazed as I am at not only the ways the Father, Son, and Spirit are revealed; but also through whom the revelation is made? The high priest asked Jesus if He was the Son of the Blessed One. But the one who acknowledged Jesus as SON of the MOST HIGH GOD was a demon. Luke 8:28 records this about the demon’s encounter with Jesus. “Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, ‘What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.’” A demon recognized Jesus as the Son of the Most High God. His statement is clear. There are numerous gods in the world; which is why GOD commands us, “You shall have no other gods before ME.” But there is one ultimate MOST HIGH GOD and Jesus is His Son. It’s important we get this right. The demons do.
Lord Jesus Christ, You are the all powerful, holy SON of the MOST HIGH GOD. Forgive us when we treat You casually and don’t honor You as we should. Quicken our hearts and minds to give You honor over and above all else.
Lost and Found
Have you ever been lost? Perhaps you took a wrong turn in the road and didn’t know how to get to your desired destination. 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 so we could be reunited to our Heavenly Father. What good news. Is there someone we need to go looking for, someone with whom we could share the good news and invite them to church with us?
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
Are We Tolerating What Jesus is Against
Jesus is the Son of Man who knows what it is to live in human skin. But, what is inside of Him is different from us. His innermost being is holy glowing purity. Revelation 2:18-20a describes the ascended Christ like this: eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze. Revelation 1:16 describes His face as the sun shining in its strength. Following these magnificent other worldly, heavenly descriptions of Jesus, we’re told that Jesus, the Son of God, says this, ” I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first, but I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.” Yes, Jesus is our Shepherd and He is slow to anger, but we must never forget that He is the Son of God reigning in glory. He sees our deeds and what we are tolerating.
Lord Jesus, SON of GOD, forgive us for tolerating what You hate.
Just You Wait and See
Things aren’t always as they appear. Just you wait and see. For instance, Jesus had no earthly possessions, wasn’t married, and when arrested, His friends abandoned Him. He was lied about, mocked, and beaten almost to death. Mark 14:61 records the high priest questioning Him prior to crucifying Him, “‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’” How incongruous. Blessed? Yet, Jesus was and is the Son of the Blessed One. So, when we think about our lives or circumstances, they may not seem to add up to our being the “blessed child of God.” But that is who we are. Things aren’t always as they seem. Just you wait and see.
Heavenly Father, we praise You for Christ, SON of the BLESSED ONE, and for the blessings You’ve promised us.
Are Things Heating Up in Your Life
Our Heavenly Father has a goal: to cleanse us of sin. Malachi 3:3 explains that He sits as a SMELTER, or a refiner, watching over us as the heat of daily life, trials, and sufferings causes our impurities to rise. What happens when our sin glaringly rises in our lives? We have the opportunity to confess them. God’s goal is for us to be increasingly purified so we better reflect Him. Are things heating up in your life? If so, rest assured that your Heavenly Father is closely watching over you. He hears your prayers and confessions. And, has anyone told you? You are reflecting Him more every day.
Lord, thank You, SMELTER of our mind, spirit, and soul. Purify us so we reflect Your image.
“He will sit as a SMELTER and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3
The Difference in Slow and Fast
Lord, thank You for being SLOW to ANGER. You are a gracious and merciful God. We love You and thank You!
When Your Head is Hangin’ Low, Try This
Have you ever had your head “hangin” low? Perhaps you were depressed. It seemed everybody or everything was against you. Or, maybe your head was “hangin” low in shame. Or maybe you’re at a crossroad and don’t know what to do. The acclaimed King David knew what it was like to have his head hanging low. He penned these words, “You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who LIFTS MY HEAD.” (Psalm 3:3) His head had been down, but he knew on whom to focus – the Lord. If your head is hanging low today, remember this comforting truth – God sees you and cares about you. Whatever you’re facing, He can LIFT YOUR HEAD, just like He did David’s. How? As an example, do the following. 1) Turn to Psalm 3 and read it. It’s only 8 verses. Read Psalm 1, only 6 verses. 2) Write a verse from one the passages that is meaningful and one that is instructive. Personalize them. For instance, I wrote in Prayers of My Heart, “Psalm 1:1a, 2-3b. How blessed is the woman whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law she meditates day and night.” What happens when we follow our Father’s instruction and lift our head and eyes to His glorious Word? We find hope, peace, grace, glory. If your head is “hangin” low, lift it to God’s Word.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for giving us the Bible that lifts our head and heart to You.
Have You Ever Wished You Had Someone to..
Have you ever wished you had someone to watch your back? Or, better, to watch over your soul – your mind, emotions, and will? The fact is, believers have just that person in Jesus. First Peter 2:25 tells us “…you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” When doing research for my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion about God being the guardian of our soul, I discovered that the word “guardian” is translated from the Greek word episkopos and means an “overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by another are done rightly.” (page 98) What a blessing for us to have God as the Guardian of our souls! LORD, thank You for being the GUARDIAN of my soul!
TIP
God assumes responsibility for being the Guardian of our soul, but it is our responsibility to tune into Him and follow what He tells us to do both in the Bible and when the Holy Spirit prompts us during the day. Begin each day prayerfully greeting God and lifting up your soul to Him. Invite Him to fill your soul, then pay attention to His prompts throughout the day. You know how I value opening my prayer journal every morning and recording His attribute that I share with you. Being still in God’s presence with pen in hand and journal open is an invitation for God to speak; to prompt me how to pray and what He wants me to do each day. Try it. I think you’ll like it. Prayers of My Heart Journal; Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion
When You’re Devastated by the Separation, Take His Hand
Have you ever been separated from someone you desperately wanted to be? Whether the separation occurs due to death, divorce, disease, distance, or destruction, the pain of not being able to reach a loved one is indescribable. “Indescribable.” That’s a word victims and survivors often use when explaining their loss, suffering, and sadness. Jesus understands such depth of emotion. He loves us and created us to live in union with Him. Indescribable love drove Him to leave heaven’s glory and come to earth to seek and to save us. Jesus, separated from sinners, crossed the chasm that separated heaven’s glory and earth’s despair to offer us His holy hand of redemption. Will we take His hand?
Lord, we praise You, who are SEPARATED from SINNERS, yet humbled Yourself to come to earth to save us.
“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.
Prayers of My Heart Journal – Record God’s character traits each day as you praise Him for His great love.
Whose Side Are You On
Sides. Children learn the concept of “sides” at a young age. They’re on this side or that side of the field depending on their team. They learn about historical battles and what each side stood for. The Bible tells us that there are spiritual sides. God is on one side and the devil is on the other. They’re battling over human souls. Ephesians 6:16 tells us how to extinguish the devil’s flaming arrows. But, we’re not in this battle alone. Our Heavenly Father is the Captain of our side, and He doesn’t use just any arrow to win the war against Satan. Isaiah 49:2 tells us that Jesus is a Select Arrow, sent from God’s quiver. He is the One who destroys the works of the devil and saves souls. Take courage. You may be in a skirmish, but if you’re a follower of Christ, you’re on the right side.
Lord Jesus, God’s SELECT ARROW, thank You for coming to earth to destroy the works of the devil and take us to Your side. We love and praise You!
“He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver,” Isaiah 49:2.