365 Days of Praise
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Heavenly Father
“Please be good. It’s Father’s Day.”
The words rolled off Keith’s tongue years ago to our two young children as we hung suspended in a bucket high above the Magic Kingdom. Days earlier we had boarded a flight to Orlando, Florida. Everything from our happy face tee shirts to our hotel had been well thought out. Keith and I were giving Taylor and Lauren the vacation of their dreams. Had it not been for the heat and forty-five minute long lines for what seemed to be forty-five second rides, I think everyone would have been happy. However, human nature’s fussy side showed up even in the midst of Disney waffles and pictures taken with Mickey Mouse.
Somehow Keith’s plea seemed reasonable. “It’s Father’s Day.” In other words, the cards and presents our children had given Keith earlier that morning had been nice. However, the gift for which he yearned was behavior that showed they appreciated being in the Magic Kingdom.
Yesterday, Keith taught our adult class at church. Since it was Father’s Day, he emphasized our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Unlike children’s classes that often make Father’s Day cards for their earthly fathers, we closed the lesson by writing words of thanksgiving and praise to our Heavenly Father. It was a meaningful lesson. However, this morning as I woke, God reminded me that today is Father’s Day, too.
Lying in bed I pondered that reality. Keith had a right to expect love and behavior appropriate to the Magic Kingdom. Our Heavenly Father has a right to expect love and behavior appropriate to the Heavenly Kingdom. Unfortunately, I often forget the wonderful place to which my Heavenly Father has taken me. Colossians 1:13 reminds me, however. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
This morning, my Heavenly Father pierced my heart with several truths.
1. Every day is Father’s Day.
2. Matthew 22:37, “to love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind,” isn’t just a verse to memorize. I’m to live it from the time I rise until I go to sleep. The morning devotionals I give Him pale if I think and behave as an ungrateful child later in the day.
3. The war between my Father’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom is real. My Heavenly Father calls me to walk wisely; not according to the world, but rather according to His Kingdom. I must be more mindful of this and quick to stand against the enemy or I unwittingly revert to unredeemed patterns of thinking and acting.
4. My behavior is an expression of either my appreciation and love for my Heavenly Father or my callousness to the gift of His Kingdom.
“Please be good. It’s Father’s Day.”
I don’t know in what bucket you find yourself suspended today. However, if you’re a Christian, your Heavenly Father is in your bucket with you. May each of us show by our good behavior and the way we speak to one another that we love and appreciate Him for taking us to His Kingdom.
Love,
Debbie
How R U Doing at EXALTING God?
“Though they call them to the One on high, None at all exalts Him.”
Hosea 11:7 jumped off the pages of my Bible this morning. Turning from the highlighted words on page 1388, I flipped to page 1387; thinking surely I’d highlighted more than just those words.
As assumed, the first part of the verse was also marked. Hosea 11:7’s black print beamed from beneath the yellow highlight. “So My people are bent on turning from Me.”
I’d love your thoughts. Are God’s people in America bent on turning from Him? Certainly there are a few who aren’t, just as there were in Hosea’s day. However, God made a general statement about the spiritual condition of the nation. Would He say the same thing about many of us today?
What does God explain is the opposite of being “bent on turning from Him”?
Is it calling on Him? No.
It’s exalting Him.
God wants us to exalt Him in our lives. Although exalting Him in worship at church is nice, I don’t think that’s what He’s talking about. I think God wants people to look at us and find Jesus.
What do you think?
Love you,
Debbie
Lord who Turns King’s Hearts
Friends,
If you haven’t read Ezra in a while, jump in! It’s been so awesome. I’m in chapter 6 today, so let me bring you up with what’s happened since the Lord stirred the spirit of King Cyrus to let the Jews rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra 1 & 2 record all who returned. It lists ALL the families. It’s neat to read through them all. Ezra 3 tells how they began reconstruction “as one man.” I loved reading that part. In other words, they really came together for this project!
Ezra 4 is so cool because it tells how their enemies, who didn’t want them to rebuild the temple, played like they did and asked to be a part. Do times ever change??? However, and this is a big however, in Ezra 4:3, Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest replied, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.” In other words, “thanks, but no thanks.” Somewhere in there is a whole sermon on being astute.Let’s jump forward to verse 4.
After the foxes in lambs’ clothes were told “thanks, but no thanks,” they got mad and began a campaign against the rebuilding of the temple. It’s a long story. You can read about it in Ezra 4:4-24. Bottom line, the rebuilding was stopped. Don’t you hate that? What a reminder that we live in a fallen world and there will always be opposition to the ongoing work of the Lord. Opposition, but not ultimate defeat! Keep reading.
In Ezra 5 the construction is renewed due to the “preaching of the prophets.” (Amen and amen to pastors preaching the Word of God.) A letter was written to counter the enemies’ letter that had thwarted the rebuilding, and guess what? King Darius not only affirmed Cyrus’ original blessing on the rebuilding, he added his own blessing. See Ezra 6:8-10.
In addition, Daius made sure no more sassy enemies would deter the Jews and rebuilding. Listen to his warning in Ezra 6:11, “And I issued a decree that any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.” I mean he is one serious guy. Thankfully, he’s on the Jews’ side this time!
Let’s continue with the kings’ thoughts in Ezra 6:12, “May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to chage it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”Now, to the part I really want to emphasize today. Ezra 6:22, (upon completion of the temple) “And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”
Oh, my dear friends, did you hear that? The Lord turned the heart of the king. We should never despair. The Lord hears our prayers. I pray you are calling out to the Lord who turns kings’ hearts.
For those journaling in Prayers of My Heart, this is an awesome attribute of God upon which to base your prayers for others and yourself. Need a heart change? Know someone who does? P.R.A.Y. to the One who changes hearts.
Love you,
Debbie
God who Stirs Spirits
Friends,
I started reading Ezra a few days ago and in the first verse of the first chapter, I discovered a wonderful description of our God. Read with me,
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persian, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, …” Ezra 1:1.
There are so many wonderful revelations in that one verse!
First, God is going to fulfill what He has spoken through His prophets. Did you notice how God stirred Cyrus’ spirit, so Jeremiah’s prophecy would be fulfilled? (I guess we could add that to our list of 300 Names, Titles, and Attributes of God. “God who fulfills prophecy!”)
A second wonderful word for us is that God stirs kings’ spirits. Oh, let us pray for God to stir our president’s spirit and other leader’s spirits to do His will.
Third, Cyrus acted on what God stirred his spirit to do. The king bowed to the King, followed His orders, sent a proclamation, and “also put it in writing.”
Questions for us to think about today:
1. What word does God want to fulfill in and through us?
2. Are we praying, watching, and waiting on God to stir our spirit? In other words, do we live in anticipation of God?
3. Are we fervently praying for God to stir other’s spirits to act in accordance with His word?
4. Are we proclaiming and putting in writing that which God has stirred our spirits about?
Love you and pray you are having a good day as you open your spirit to God’s stirring,
Debbie