365 Days of Praise
Unchanging God
Have you ever been with a person whose convictions changed as often as the seasons? Perhaps they read a book and decided to follow that person’s opinion and philosophy of life. Then they read another book and decided to follow a different view. Thank goodness believers don’t have to worry about God flipping His opinion every other year. Thank goodness and thank God that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) In other words, we can depend on Him. Christ and His teaching are IMMUTABLE. They are unchanging. What He called holy yesterday is holy today and will be holy tomorrow. What He called sin yesterday is sin today and is sin tomorrow. And, the grace God extended yesterday is the grace He extends today and extends tomorrow. We follow and serve an unchanging, IMMUTABLE God.
Lord Jesus, we praise You, IMMUTABLE, unchanging Lord God!
With Us
Can you imagine someone telling you what to name your unborn child? How about being told that your fiancé was going to have a son who would be born BEFORE the two of you came together sexually? While your head is spinning, add another piece of information: your fiancé is going to be pregnant not by a man, but by the Holy Spirit. At this point, it’s too much to absorb, but before you can ask a question, you’re told, “you will name Him Jesus.” Before you can protest that you had planned to name your firstborn son after you, you’re told “Jesus” was selected because he would “save His people.” Your heart is racing. “Save our people?” That thought is a good one! But before you can finish the thought, the messenger continues, “…from their sins.” You want to blurt out, “What? Save people from their sins? But only God can do that.” And, that is exactly what Jesus did. “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.'” Matthew 1:23
Lord Jesus, IMMANUEL, we praise You! You’re not a God who is far removed. Nor are You one who has left us to die in the guilt of our sins. Rather, You’ve come from heaven to earth, IMMANUEL…GOD WITH US. Thank You, Lord Jesus.
God’s Name
A person’s name represents the person. If you say “Billy Graham,” not only is it a visual of the man formed in your mind but also what Billy Graham represents. If you say the name, “Hitler,” another visual pops into our mind, along with his character. When Moses asked God what His name is, God replied in Exodus 3:14-15b “‘I AM WHO I AM;’ and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ … This is My name forever, and this is MY memorial name to all generations.'” His name, “I AM” means “I am the One who is.” His name, “I AM,” emphasizes “God’s dynamic and active self-existence.”* He is not only the God who was. He is not only the God who will be in our future. He is the God who IS presently active, dynamic, and self-existent today. How aware are you of His active, dynamic presence in your life?
Lord, we praise you, the great I AM!
*Charles Ryrie, Expanded Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition, New American Standard Bible, pg 94.
Something to Smile About
Lord, HUSBAND, Maker, Lord of hosts, Redeemer, Holy One of Israel, God of all the earth, we love You and thank You for Your abundant love and commitment to us. You give us a reason to smile.
An Offer to Come Closer Than 6 Feet
How’s your heart? Oh, I’m not talking about the physical condition of your heart, although that is important. Rather, I’m referring to your spiritual heart. Why? Because Jesus made us a great offer in Matthew 11:29. He tells us to mosey up close to Him – sincerely close. Close enough to be yoked together. In other words, closer than 6 feet. Close enough to smell the sweat on each other. Close enough to talk in a normal tone of voice. Close enough to be in step with each other. “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.” What benefit would there be for us if we walked in step with Jesus? a) We’d learn a lot from Him. b) We’d move in the right direction and with a gentle, humble heart. I wonder if we should give it a try. I know I’d like to be a lot more like Jesus. Would you? Would others like for us to be more like Jesus and have His humble heart? I think so!
Sweet, humble Jesus, I love You. Thank You for modeling Your humility when You died on the cross for my sins. Thank You for inviting me to come closer than 6 feet, to come right up to you, and to learn from You. I’m in!
Are You Clinging?
Do you ever feel shaky, like you might fall? Do you ever feel like you’re not sure how you can make it through the next day, week, or year? If so, consider memorizing Psalm 18:2 where our Lord is described in this unique way.
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the HORN OF MY SALVATION, my stronghold.”
Perhaps you’re familiar with the Lord being described as our rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, and stronghold. But what does it mean that the Lord is our “HORN OF SALVATION?” Scholar Herbert Lockyer explains:
“the figure of the Horn is taken from those animals whose strength is in their horns. Because the horn was once the instrument of the oxen’s strength, it became the symbol of power. And our God and Savior came as a horn or mighty instrument of salvation.
In addition, when horns were fixed to an altar they became projections to which sacrifices were bound and to which those who needed protection could cling.”
Yes, as you think about all the ways the Bible describes God, remember to add Jesus as your HORN OF SALVATION. Cling to Him.
HORN OF SALVATION, we praise You, our strength, and salvation. Thank You that we can cling to You.
Better than Bootstraps
Do you feel hopeless? Perhaps the last bit of hope to which you’ve clung just went out the window. Your future may appear bleak. Dark clouds may seem to hover over you no matter where you go or how hard you try. But the good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to ditch any thought of hopelessness. You have the GOD OF HOPE! Whoo Hoo! He is not only with you. He’s IN you. Romans 15:13 “Now may the GOD OF HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
It’s not a question of if you have hope. You do. The question is, are you allowing the GOD OF HOPE to fill you with His joy and peace?
News Flash: You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a matter of not trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps to believing God is on the throne, He sees you, and loves you. He has your best interest at heart. In faith, pray, “GOD OF HOPE, fill me with joy and peace through the Holy Spirit.”
GOD OF HOPE, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit so we can abound in hope by His power. We love and adore You!
Beyond Our Imagination – A Deeper Understanding of the Spirit
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 beyond our imagination. The passage explains that no one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit.
“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,” First Corinthians 2: 10-12
Do these verses about the Spirit make you 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.” 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.
Unclean Lips and Lives
I don’t think there’s any way we can get our minds around what the holiness of the LORD is like. I don’t think we have the slightest idea of the magnitude of heaven’s glory. Isaiah attempted to describe heaven.
“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, ….
And one called out to another and said ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled…”Isaiah 6:1-4a.
What was Isaiah’s response?
“Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips – And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts,” Isaiah 6:5.
Isaiah’s response to seeing the LORD was a profound awareness that he was unclean. Were it not for JESUS bearing our sins on the cross, it would not be possible for us to live in the HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD’S presence, which is why we praise HIM today and every day.
We praise You, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Lord!
In Favor of the Saints
Do you ever wonder what the future holds? If so, the book of Daniel answers your question. There will be a war and God’s saints will be overpowered UNTIL the One who is more powerful than any other, the Highest One, steps in. I wonder if you feel as I do – overwhelmed with gratefulness to be on God’s side, to be designated as His saint?
“I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” Daniel 7:21-22
Heavenly Father, to be referred to as “Your saint” and to know that You, the Ancient of Days, are going to judge in favor of us is overwhelming. Thank You, merciful Ancient of Days.
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