365 Days of Praise
Why It’s Important to Open Our Hands and Hearts
Do you ever feel empty or drained? What about anxious or uptight? Does mad or angry better describe you? Or sad and melancholy? Whatever our condition, whatever our need, Philippians 4:19 tells us “God will SUPPLY all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Short on perseverance? Ready to give up or cave in? Feel like you’re going to blow a fuse? Don’t know how you will ever smile again? Although we may have those feelings at times, we’re not hopeless. God offers to SUPPLY all our needs according to HIS RICHES in GLORY in CHRIST JESUS. Rather than tightly clutch to anger or discouragement, we can open our hands and hearts to God who will pour into them His SUPPLY of glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for supplying all we need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus!
Remember This On Dreary Days
Dreary days. Gray skies. They can make us feel gloomy. The death of loved ones or estrangement from family or friends weigh our hearts. On what can we focus? Malachi 4:2 tells us that “for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” What does that mean? Theologian Charles Spurgeon explains: “Jesus, like the sun, is the center and soul of all things, the fullness of all good, the lamp that lights us, the fire that warms us, the magnet that guides and controls us; he is the source and fountain of all life, beauty, fruitfulness, and strength.” Jesus is called the Sunof Righteousness because on the most dreary of days, when we are gloomy and despairing, we can call on Him to shine in our hearts and minds.
We praise You, SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and look to You to enlighten, quicken, grow, and ripen us to holy surrender and fruitfulness.
*http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/1020.htm
What Song Are You Singing
Are you dragging through your day singing the blues? If so, that can change. Yes, we have a choice what music or songs we play in our head and to what song we walk. In Exodus 15:2 , Moses tells us the music he walked to. Listen to his words, “The Lord is my strength and SONG, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him…” The word “song” in this verse can mean “music” or “melody.” In effect, Moses says, “The Lord is my melody. He’s the music to which I walk through my day.” What music or words play in your head throughout the day? Make the choice to tune your heart to God in the mornings and walk through the day singing His praises. Can’t think of a song? How about “Jesus Loves Me”? What better song to walk to through our day?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for being the SONG to which we can walk through our day. We love You!
CLICK HERE for more encouragement in your WALK with GOD!
God’s Perspective
Perspective. It’s everything. Our nation has been suffering terrible tragedies from shootings, hurricanes, flooding, fires, and hate crimes. We can look around and feel hopeless and vulnerable; wondering why God has abandoned us. Or, we can turn to the Lord, scale the heights of heaven and gaze on who God is, what He’s done, and will do. Proverbs 18:10 reminds us, “The name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER; The righteous runs into it and is safe.” God is not uncaring and and He is not inactive. He sent Jesus to overcome the eternal consequences of evil for all who call on His name. God has given us His Spirit to comfort and strengthen us. He’s creating a new world where evil doesn’t exist. From the perspective of heaven’s heights, I’d say our God is wonderful, loving, and faithful to we who are often unfaithful. What say you?
Heavenly Father, You are a loving, good, faithful STRONG TOWER. to whom we run to in these difficult days.
“The name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10
Do You Want More
An AT&T commercial once asked a group of children, “Who thinks more is better than less?” A little girl quickly responded, “We want more. We want more.” We can identify with her plea for more when we’re going through a difficult time. We want more of God’s strength. We want more of His grace to get us through our day. Second Corinthians 12:9 reassures us that God hears and responds. The verse says, “He has said to me, ‘My grace is SUFFICIENT for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'” What does it mean that God’s grace is SUFFICIENT? Does it mean barely enough? No. Rather, the Biblical word means, “to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to be enough.”* When we feel weak and like we can’t make it, God Himself is the answer to our cry.
Heavenly Father, thank You that when we’re weak, You respond to our cry for help, assuring us that Your grace is SUFFICIENT unfailing strength.
“He has said to me, ‘My grace is SUFFICIENT for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9
When What You Want is Different from What God Wants
Friends, I’m so honored to be asked to be a contributor to The Christian Post. Please take a glance and pray readers take it to heart.
There are times we’re called to do something we’d prefer not to do it. Perhaps for you, it’s a medical procedure. For a tired mom, it may be changing another diaper. A worker may wish they could stay in bed rather than go to work. Then, there are those excruciatingly painful occasions when we may be called to help with an intervention, or change the lock on a door to keep an abusive person out of the home. But, only one person has known the great sacrifice of dying on the cross so mankind could be saved. Jesus asked His Father for a way other than the cross, but when it was the only way, submitted His will to His Father. Is there something you don’t want to do or perhaps want to do that is contrary to God’s will? What will you do…what your Heavenly Father asks of you or what you prefer to do?
Lord Jesus, thank You for modeling being submissive to the Father’s will for the ultimate good of all. We love and praise You.
“He went a little beyond them and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39
Are You Poor or Wealthy
Many times our search for wealth comes up short. Have you found that to be true? The all powerful dollar is held before us as the “end all” we should seek, but Jesus tells us the opposite; that we’re to lay up treasure in heaven. The wealth that should be our goal is best summed up in Isaiah 33:6. Listen to how Isaiah describes the Lord in terms of wealth. “And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure.” So the question is, are you poor or wealthy? God’s estimation is that if you have Him, you have a wealth of salvation and a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we lived like paupers when we have a treasure in the Lord?
Lord, You are a WEALTH of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. Thank You for all we have in You!
FIND MORE encouragement HERE. Record God’s daily descriptions in Prayers of My Heart.
When You Want to Run Away, Go Here
THE LATEST: Friends, I’m excited to share with you that in addition to San Antonio Radio Station KLUP 930 AM inviting me to do UpLIFT Radio spots, Kerrville’s KCYR 101.5 FM is now airing them Wednesdays at 6 am. If you’re up, listen in! Or, get UpLIFT 1 Minute Devotionals delivered to you once a week. UpLIFT is different from 365 Days of Praise Beyond Ourselves. Check out our newest seeker sensitive outreach, and please share the good news.
Do you ever want to run away from evil or perhaps your own wayward thoughts? If so, go to God, who David likens as a STRONGHOLD. In Biblical times, a stronghold was a high place, a place of retreat, and for many years, it was David’s safe house. In 2 Samuel 22:3, after the Lord saved him from Saul, David likens God to a STRONGHOLD. Listen to his words of praise, “My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my STRONGHOLD and my refuge.” Do we know God as our stronghold? If not, He invites us to come to Him. He is high and lifted up. We can flee our fears, wayward thoughts, and enemy darts and retreat to Him in prayer.
Lord God, we praise You, our STRONGHOLD. Thank You that no matter the time, we can retreat into Your presence.
If You’re Worried About Your Future
Do you know all that God has prepared for you in eternity? The answer is “no, we don’t know.” First Corinthians 2:9 says, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” Does that bless your heart? Our earthly days may be rough, but God has prepared a future for us beyond our imagination. The passage continues explaining that no one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. First Corinthians 2: 10-12 explains:
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
Do these verses about the Spirit make you to want to have a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and how you can walk by His promptings? If so, I encourage you to get “Listen UP! When the Spirit Speaks,” our gift to you for a donation of $20. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to Christians. Know Him. Listen to Him. Love and adore Him, for He is the Spirit of Christ abiding in you.
Heavenly Father, Your gift to us of the SPIRIT who SEARCHES ALL THINGS, is the most amazing gift. Thank You! Help us faithfully walk by Your Spirit.
YES! Send me Listen UP! When the Spirit Speaks. 31 Points About the Holy Spirit Every Christian Should Know. Here is my 1 time GIFT.
Is There Anyone You Can Trust?
The TRUTH. When listening to the news, do you ever long for the truth? When questioning your child, have you ever doubted their words and said, “Tell me the truth.” If a person has lied to you once, do you wonder when they tell you something now if it’s the truth? How refreshing that in John 16:13 Jesus tells us we can trust God’s Holy Spirit, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. There’s not a lie in God’s holy body, Word, or Spirit. So when we question or wonder if we should do things our way or God’s way, the world’s ways or God’s way, we have the answer. Believe the Spirit of Truth. Follow the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. Obey the SPIRIT OF TRUTH.
Lord God, how refreshing that we can wholeheartedly trust You, the SPIRIT of TRUTH!
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13