Beyond Ourselves
Where Can I Go from God
I was in high school when Psalm 139:7-10 first caught my attention. The words were so beautiful that I picked up my guitar and wrote music to accompany them. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” What comfort it is to know that wherever we go, God’s Spirit will be there and His hand will lead us. Which of the verses is your favorite? Which provides you the most comfort? What does it mean to you that God is everywhere and His hand will lead you?
Lord God, we praise You that You are EVERYWHERE, and never apart from Your presence. Thank You.
Good News for People with a Bad Taste In Their Mouth
Have you ever had a “bad taste in your mouth” after experiencing something unpleasant? Many today would say, “yes.” Many are going through life with a “bad taste” in their mouth. They’re “fed up” with the news. They can’t “stomach” another …..whatever. That’s where followers of Christ come in. Second Timothy 2:21 describes believers as vessels. As Christ’s vessel, we have the opportunity to “serve” the Lord’s love and Word to those who are spiritually hungry. Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is GOOD; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Many are starving for some good in their lives. Will you serve Christ’s goodness, mercy, and love to them? If you’re not sure how, Discovering His Passion will show you how Christ engaged people in spiritual conversations and how you can, too. Believe – Know Jesus as Savior is a link you can share in an email or text. God is GOOD. Let’s share the good news of His GOODNESS with others.
LORD, You are GOOD! Help us be ready vessels to share Your WORD and LOVE with others.
He Sees Your Tears & Just So You’ll Know…
One of the many things that amaze me in the Bible is that God SEES and addresses individuals. I suppose because God is enthroned in heaven, I sometimes forget that His eye is also on you and me. Not only is His eye on us, He sees us when we’re crying. He hears our prayers, as Isaiah 38:5 reminds us. “…‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have SEEN YOUR TEARS;” Are you crying? Are you sad? Are you grieved beyond the point of crying? God SEES YOUR TEARS. He hears your prayers. Don’t stop. Don’t give up. God is on your side. He sees what is going on. Trust Him. Keep your eye on Him. Keep praying. Follow His prompts. Receive His tender words that He sees you. He’s got this.
Heavenly Father, You who are enthroned on high but are also tender and compassionate toward us. You SEE OUR TEARS. You hear our prayers. Thank You. Help us mindfully watch and listen so we follow Your promptings.
How Can We Not…
On February 28, 2002, God healed my mother. Bernice Ruth Taylor went to be with the Lord. No longer did she suffer the physical ailments that had ravaged her body. She was ready to be with Jesus. She took off her oxygen mask, smiled at us, and after we verbalized our love for one another, she closed her eyes. However, none of us were prepared for the next moment. Mama’s eyes flew open and she startled us with, “boo!” How long she’d planned that dramatic and joyous moment, I’ll never know; or if it was a spur of the moment idea. Regardless, she made her point. She wasn’t scared. She was, in fact, excited. Her attitude reflected Jeremiah 17:14 which says, “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” My mother knew Jesus was her HEALER and that she was on her way to Him. With that, she closed her eyes a final time on earth and opened them in heaven…fully healed. How can we not praise Him? Jesus is our hope. He is our healer. On this we need to focus in these difficult days.
Lord God, You are our HEALER and we praise You!
When You Cry Out, He’ll Hear
Do you have children or have you ever babysat? Think for a moment to a time when a child cried for you. Maybe they were in their crib. Or, perhaps you heard a thud; then the cry of a toddler who had fallen. What happened at the moment they cried out? Their voice “came into your ears.” I love the way that just as a child’s cry “comes into our ears,” the psalmist, David, worded that our cries “come into God’s ears.” Second Samuel 22:7, “In my distress, I called upon the Lord. Yes, I cried to my God and from His temple, He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.” Yes, just as we can hear a child’s cry even if we’re in another part of the house, so God hears our cry from His temple. Our cries to God go into His ears. Our Heavenly Father is a HEARING GOD, not a deaf God. What will you cry out to Him about today?
Hearing Father, thank You for listening to our cries. Help us pay attention and hear Your voice, also.
Hard Work, No Joy
Have you ever worked hard for what you thought was Christ, but you experienced little joy? As a matter of fact, you felt agitated as you worked? If and when that happens, it helps to step back and consider if what we’re doing is a mission Christ assigned us and we’re relying on His wisdom and power, or if it’s an activity we decided was a good idea and we’re pushing through in our own strength. Why is this important? Colossians 1:18 explains that Christ is “head of the body, the church…so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” In other words, if it is not Christ’s idea, then it’s not a good idea and will not be empowered by Him. Why? As a body is lifeless without its head, so we, the church, are lifeless apart from Christ. We may do what we consider to be important work, but if it is done apart from Christ’s calling and Spirit, it is merely human effort. Therefore, it is important for us to continually seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) so that both our individual and corporate actions flow from Christ’s mind and are done in His power. When we do the work Christ assigns us it may be challenging and difficult, but the result will be Christ’s joy. Matthew 25:23
Lord Jesus, we praise You, HEAD OF THE CHURCH and life of the body of believers. May our words and actions be an extension of Your heart, strength, and power.
Think Bigger
Some time ago my son sent me a video, “How big is the Milky Way?” Watching it was an incredible reminder that I often make God too little. He’s Christ for believers. He’s the Jew’s long-awaited Messiah. But Isaiah 54:5, explains that it’s important to think bigger about who Christ is. “For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth.” God of ALL the EARTH. “For God so loved the WORLD, He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life,” John 3:16. As we celebrate the Risen One’s sacrifice and what it means for our life, would you join me in prayerful consideration of how faithful we are in spreading His message to our world? One way you can do that is by sharing this 365 Days of Praise on Facebook, Instagram, or by emailing it. We never know who may see, read, and believe.
Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, forgive us when we think too small and only of our family and friends. Quicken our hearts to take seriously Your words to make disciples of all the nations. Quicken us to ways to do our part.
Beyond Our Comprehension
Did you know that God distinguishes between when we unintentionally sin and when we intentionally sin? Yes, He notices. Yet, regardless of whether we were aware or unaware that our behavior was unholy, God still forgives us on the basis of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross for our sins. Isaiah 53:10 explains the magnitude of their love which is beyond our comprehension. “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him (Jesus), putting Him to grief; if He (Jesus) would render Himself as a GUILT OFFERING…” Christ laid down His life as a GUILT OFFERING so that we might receive His righteousness. What a wonderful, loving Father and Son!
Heavenly Father and Jesus, we praise You for satisfying our sin debt by Jesus being our GUILT OFFERING. Your love is beyond our comprehension.
Have You Ever Wished You Had Someone to…
Have you ever wished you had someone to watch your back? Or, better, to watch over your soul – your mind, emotions, and will? The fact is, believers have just that person in Jesus. First Peter 2:25 tells us “…you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” When doing research for my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion about God being the guardian of our soul, I discovered that the word “guardian” is translated from the Greek word episkopos and means an “overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by another are done rightly.” (page 98) What a blessing for us to have God as the Guardian of our souls!
God assumes responsibility for being the Guardian of our soul, but it is our responsibility to tune into Him and follow what He tells us to do both in the Bible and when the Holy Spirit prompts us during the day. Begin each day prayerfully greeting God and lifting up your soul to Him. Invite Him to fill your soul, then pay attention to His prompts throughout the day. You know how I value opening my prayer journal every morning and recording His attribute that I share with you. Being still in God’s presence with pen in hand and journal open is an invitation for God to speak; to prompt us how to pray and to what He wants us to do. If you haven’t yet tried journaling, this time in our lives is the perfect time. Prayers of My Heart Journal
LORD, thank You for being the GUARDIAN of our souls. Help us be ever sensitive to Your Word and will.
When You Don’t Know What to Do
Have you ever felt lost about what to do? I have. Probably one of the most difficult times was when I was 29 years old and received a letter from M.D. Anderson saying I had stage 1a ovarian cancer. The oncologist we selected agreed that a second opinion would be good. When we did, the second pathologist said it was not cancer. Our doctor’s advice was to treat it on the basis of M.D. Anderson’s diagnosis. We had one child but wanted more children. If we followed M.D. Anderson’s advice, I’d return to the hospital and have a hysterectomy. My husband and I didn’t know what to do. Isaiah 42:16 says “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will GUIDE them.” God is our guide to eternal life, but He’s also our guide for daily life. When we pray, which is what Keith and I did; along with many family and friends who prayed for us, God guided us and we felt at peace about what we should do. Difficult, stressful, knee-buckling, tearful times occur; but in each and every one of them, we are not alone. Our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit are present to guide us. Look to them. Follow them. Be assured they love you.
Thank You, Lord, for being ever present with us and for being our daily GUIDE. Guide all who are searching to follow Your will and heart today.