365 Days of Praise

With the night sky as a backdrop, many July 4th watchers “ooh” and “aah” at fireworks. I can’t help but grin at how easily amused we are. Certainly, our Heavenly Father who created the night backdrop must smile. I wonder if Jesus ever leans over and says, “Aren’t they going to be blown away when they see the Light display of Us?” Who will see the glorious display of LIGHTS and GLORY emanating from heaven’s throne room? Those who have placed their faith in the KING of the NATIONS.  Yes, all people throughout the world who have responded “yes” to Jesus’s gift of salvation will be at the Heavenly display of LIGHTS. How can we be certain that Jesus is the Savior of not only the Jews but of all the nations? Jesus himself said He is.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, Matthew 28:16-20,   

As you think about the fireworks on July 4, think beyond them to the One who made the night sky and who is King of the Nations, the light of the world.

Heavenly Father, we smile in anticipation of the display of GLORY emanating from YOU, KING of the NATIONS. Stir our hearts to live for Your pleasure and sharing You with others throughout the world. 

I see it in his eyes. They are kind. His eyes say it all. His eyes tell me what’s in his heart. My husband, Keith, looks at me with kind eyes. My response? I feel the most tender of love for him.

The eyes tell us what fills the heart. And, so we wonder. What fills Jesus’s eyes?  What if you were in His presence and He looked deeply into your eyes. What if you couldn’t take your eyes away from His. What would you see in His eyes for you? You’d see kindness beyond anything you’d experienced. The kindness that causes you to love Him with every fiber of your being.  So, the apostle asks in Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His KINDNESS and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the KINDNESS of God leads you to repentance?”  What a question! Do we?  Do we think lightly of God’s KINDNESS and tolerance and patience toward us? In other words, are we going about our day hardly looking Christ’s way? When He convicts us of sin, do we look in Jesus’s eyes and sincerely apologize to Him? Do we pause during the day and look into His eyes and say thank you for the little gifts of life? Look in Jesus’s eyes today. Think deeply of the riches of His kindness.

Dear Savior, You are so kind and loving, and patient. Forgive me for sinning against You and one another.  Help me look deeply into Your eyes and reflect on Your kindness to others. 

Record Christ’s attribute, KIND, in Prayers of My Heart. Click to ORDER. 

Heavenly Father, we praise YOU, LORD OF ALL THE EARTH! Your majesty and power are glorious. You reign in perfect righteousness.  Stir our hearts to speak boldly about You to others. 

The wise men worshipped Jesus. The Jews and Romans whipped Jesus.

The wise men gave Jesus gifts. The Jews and Romans gave Jesus the cross.

The wise men celebrated Jesus’s birth. The Jews and Romans celebrated Jesus’s death.

Not all kings are recognized as kings. Such was the case with Jesus when He walked on earth. Such is still the case with those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. But one day all people will bow before the KING OF THE JEWS.

Where is He who has been born KING of the JEWS?  For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:2

Lord Jesus, KING OF THE JEWS and our King, we bow before You in praise and worship You. Reign in our lives in such a way that others see Your influence in us.

Have you ever wished you’d gone in a different direction than the path you took? Have you reflected on words you said and thought, “I wish I’d said that differently.”  If so, Psalm 32:8 is an encouraging reminder that we can handle things and communicate differently in the future. How it that possible? We have a personal life coach. Yep, someone who will give us personal instruction on how to live, relate to others, and even speak. Psalm 32:8 assures us, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go…”  Think about those words. In addition to the Lord being our Savior and friend, He wants to instruct us so we live in the best way possible.  Don’t you agree that’s an incredible gift and blessing? We might wish for the top stock broker to advise us financially but not have access to the person. We might wish the most successful business people would coach us, but there’s no chance of getting a personal audience with them. But, our LORD GOD says, mosey on up. I’ll teach you. I’ll instruct us. I’ll be your life coach, your business coach, your marriage coach. Amazing! The Lord, who has infinite understanding and an eternity of knowledge, says He will teach us.  Why not pray now about a situation or relationship where the Lord’s instruction would help you?

Lord, You are infinite in understanding. Open our eyes to how Your Word is leading us. Open our ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, made landfall in Florida on October 10, 2018.  Governor Rick Scott and other governors issued warnings and called on residents in the path of the hurricane to evacuate and find shelter. Some ignored the warning.  Hurricane Michael, as predicted, brought devastation and death.  As human governors are looking out for their residents, our Heavenly Father is looking out for us.  Psalm 91:1 describes God as a shelter and says, “He who dwells in the SHELTER of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”  From what and how does our Heavenly Father shelter us? His words in the Bible shelter us from wayward thinking. His righteousness shelters us from temptation. His love shelters us from hate. His presence shelters us from loneliness and despair. God is a SHELTER. Are we heeding His warnings and staying close to Him?

“I’m tired! I’m tired of work. I’m tired of the tension in the world. I’m tired of struggling with… I’m tired of taking care of….” How would you finish those sentences? God understands. Our body, mind, and soul need rest. The Bible says God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2) One of His Ten Commandments is, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Today, some ignore God’s command to have a holy day of rest each week. Their reasoning? Believers aren’t bound by Old Testament laws. I agree that we are not legalistically bound to keep the Jewish Sabbath. I agree that Jesus’s work to obtain our salvation on the cross means that we don’t work for our salvation. I agree that God has provided a future eternal sabbath rest. (Hebrews 4:9-10.) However, is there value in setting aside a day of holy rest and gathering with others to worship?  (Hebrews 10:25) Apparently God places value on both. (Exodus 16:22-30, John 20:19, Isiah 58:13-14) What that looks like will be different for us. But no doubt, holy rest and worship are important.  What does your day of soul rest and worship look like?

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST for YOUR SOULS.  Matthew 11:29

I spoke in New York shortly after September 11, 2001. Shortly after Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked three planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C., killing everyone on board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. Shortly after a fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board after passengers and crew heroically attempted to take control from the hijackers. Evil reigned in the hands of the terrorists that day but evil didn’t ultimately win then and evil will never ultimately win. Christ Jesus is victor over evil! He overcame evil and sin and the sting of sin – death. All who place their faith in Christ will live eternally in His glorious presence. Today and continually we remember with gratefulness our loved ones, friends, and the many we will never know until heaven – those who sacrificed their lives for our nation. Today we also remember with utmost gratefulness the Lord Jesus who sacrificed His life for our souls. We must never forget either.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making PURIFICATION OF OUR SINS. We love and praise You for the ultimate sacrifice of Your life to make us pure as You are pure. 

“When He had made PURIFICATION of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”  Hebrews 1:3

Does the news ever shock or alarm you?  It increasingly shocks me.  “I can’t believe this is happening in our nation,” I’ve said to Keith increasingly through the years. The disregard for other’s lives, blatant deception, and what sometimes seems irrational decisions is concerning. What can we do in the midst of rising tensions?  We must do our part to cover relationships in prayer. We must take the high road of Christ’s example. We must pray for our leaders and pray for our enemies rather than speak or plan evil against them. We must believe that God’s is sovereign. So, no, I’m not going to live in fear or anger. I’m going to take my cues from a great example – Daniel. We find his story in Daniel 2. King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and demanded that it be interpreted or he would kill all the wise men. Daniel’s name was on the list of those to be executed. However when Daniel learned of the situation, he didn’t go into hiding. Rather, he gathered his friends and prayed. Daniel 2:18 says they requested, “compassion from the God of heavens” concerning the interpretation of the King’s dream. That night, God revealed the interpretation to Daniel. In Daniel 2:20, he praises the LORD. “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.” He continues in verse 23, “To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You.”  Do you believe God is powerful and that He can give you wisdom and power to know what to do in these troubling days? He can.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making Yourself available to us. Thank You that Your eyes are on our nation. Thank You that in the midst of evil days, You are holy and exalted and always there for us. We look to You for wisdom and power. Guide our thoughts and steps so we are instruments of peace. 

June 14, my husband, Keith, and I are celebrating our anniversary. I’ve known him for almost 49 years. We’ve been married 47 years today. I knew him when he didn’t have money to buy french fries with my hamburger. I know him as the guy who likes to put on an old teeshirt and mow the grass. But, I’ll never forget the first time I sat at the back of the room when he was holding court. After sentencing a criminal, he motioned for me to approach the bench. All eyes turned on me and I suddenly felt nervous and intimidated. Why in the world did I feel that way? Was it the courtroom? Was it his position behind the bench in a long black robe? If I felt that way approaching the judgement seat of my husband, I CAN’T IMAGINE what it will be like to sit in God’s courtroom and hear Him call my name to approach His bench. Are you ready to hear God call your name? Because He will…whether you like it or not.  Second Timothy 4:1 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to Judge the living and the dead…” In other words, every person will appear before God, our Judge.  Those who received Jesus’s death on the cross as judgement for their sins will be given rewards at the Judgement. Those who rejected God’s gift of forgiveness in Christ will be judged for their thoughts, words, and actions and not on the basis of worldly goodness, but rather on God’s holiness. If you know someone who hasn’t professed their faith in Jesus, diligently pray for them. If you’re not sure what or how to pray for the unsaved, click here.

Lord, we who have received salvation through Christ humbly, gratefully praise You, JUDGE of the LIVING and the DEAD. Open our eyes to the unsaved. Open our mouths to speak loving truth to them. Quicken the hearts of our unsaved friends and family to acknowledge their sin and turn to You; to say “yes” to Your gift of salvation.