365 Days of Praise

Are you familiar with the saying, “I’m your huckleberry”? Last summer, my husband and I visited Glacier National Park. Right outside the park, we stopped at a restaurant that had everything huckleberry. Huckleberry pie, huckleberry pancakes. Huckleberry coffee. And, for those of you who know Keith, you won’t be surprised that he couldn’t keep from buying me a purple huckleberry teeshirt that says, “I’m your huckleberry.” I wasn’t sure what I was wearing so I did a little research. To be one’s huckleberry is “to be just the right person for a given job, or a willing executor of some commission.” What does any of this have to do with Jesus?  Colossians 2:9 says about Christ, “…in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” Many today are struggling. People are overwhelmed. Some who have gone to church their whole lives are striving to do and be what they think God wants. But, friends, we can never live the Christian life in our strength. In Christ all the fullness of God lives. HE is “just the right person for the job,” for fulfilling all righteousness in us. To the degree that we understand this, we’ll live a life surrendered to Christ.

Lord Jesus, You and You alone are the One in whom ALL the fullness of DEITY dwells. May we be continually more mindful of living surrendered to You.

LISTEN

As the sun rises in the east and brings light to the world, so, in Luke 1:78, Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied this about Jesus, “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.”  Jesus, the Dayspring of heaven visited earth and brought heaven’s glorious light to our dark world. What light? The light of salvation. The light of His glory. The light of the Holy Spirit shining in our hearts. The light of His Words showing us the path of right living. The light of His radiance purifying us of our sin. The light of His presence energizing our souls. If you’re struggling with the darkness, ask the Dayspring from on high to rise and shine in your heart.

DAYSPRING from ON HIGH, we confess that in our world, the darkness can feel heavy. We confess we need Your light to purify us of sin and shine on the path we’re to go. Thank You.

Have you ever wondered about the “why” behind God’s commands? If so, it helps to realize that since He created us, as Isaiah 40:28 and other passages explain, He knows what is beneficial to us and what hurts us. For instance, when the Scriptures were written, they didn’t have the research on the harmful effects of worry and stress. So, Jesus simply stated as recorded in Matthew 6:34, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” They didn’t have the research on the destructive nature of bitterness so God simply commanded as stated in Ephesians 4:31-32 to forgive and put bitterness away from us. If we’re wise, we’ll read and follow the Owner’s manual for us.

Heavenly Father, Lord and CREATOR, forgive us for too often ignoring Your commands. Draw us to Your Holy Presence and to surrender to Your will. 

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.” Isaiah 40:28 

 LISTEN

Do you feel like your life is a mess of puzzle pieces and you don’t see how everything is going to come together? Do you wish there was someone you could talk to; who could advise you? If you’re in that place, Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus is your “go to” Counselor, and He’s wonderful! How does He counsel us? He counsels us in prayer. He counsels us through the promptings of our heart. He counsels us in the Bible through His teachings and by His example. For instance, in Matthew 15:32-38, there appeared to be a problem – 4,000+ people who were hungry and no food. Did Jesus wring His holy hands? No. Instead, He asked the disciples how many loaves of bread they had. They replied seven and a few small fish. Jesus “took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and ….” You know the rest of the story. Jesus THANKED His Heavenly Father for what He had in His hands. He acted in faith with what was in His hands. Thanking God for what we have is powerful. If you’re struggling with discouragement and don’t know what is going to happen with your life, start recording your heart-felt prayers and questions in Prayers of My Heart journal. Instead of turning over the same puzzle pieces in your mind, pause in your Counselor’s presence and see what He impresses on your yearning heart. Do what He tells you. He is, after all, the Wonderful Counselor.

Jesus, thank You, wonderful COUNSELOR, for Your presence and Your wisdom. 

LISTEN

Could use some compassion? Has life been brutal? Does it seem like everything is going wrong? Are you trying your best but it’s never seems to be enough? Are you on a treadmill of bad habits that you’re trying to break and can’t? Do you feel like a failure? If you’ve ever felt one of those ways then you know how our soul longs for compassion in the midst of those times. Exodus 34:6 is an incredible word from God if you could use some compassion today. It says, “Then the Lord passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, COMPASSIONATE and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” Those are refreshing words to hear any time. But, do you know when God expressed His compassion? It was on Moses’s second trek up Mount Sinai to do a “redo” of the Ten Commandments since he had angrily shattered the first tablets when he found the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. Yes, God called Moses back up the mountain and expressed His compassion. He will express His compassion to you, too, when you call on Him.

LORD, thank You for deeply loving us, forgiving us, and being COMPASSIONATE toward us.