Tuesday Thought -- December 11, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.  They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.  They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.  They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.  The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (Psalm 145:4-8)

How will the next generation hear of the Lord and His marvelous love if this generation does not tell them?

Most parents want to give to their children the things that they need.  We want to provide them with good housing, decent clothes, nutritious food, and toys and things that demonstrate our love for them.  We spend time with them, read to them, tuck them in to bed.  And all of those are good things, but they are not what the next generation needs more than anything else.

More than anything else, the next generation needs to hear of the Lord and His marvelous love for them!

Who will tell the next generation if we don’t?

God has done marvelous things for you.  He’s shown you His love.  He’s demonstrated His power.  He has been good to you.  Tell a child.  Pass the word to the next generation and ones that follow, too.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 10, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?  Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” (Psalm 144:3-4)

It is an amazing thing that God is concerned at all about us, or involved at all in our lives.  Who are we?  We are just human beings.  Our lives are as brief as a breath compared to the length of eternity.  Our existence is insignificant from an eternal perspective.

Yet, God cares for us.  He loves us.  He watches over us.  He moves to help us.  Amazing!

In fact, David asks God to move heaven and earth on his behalf.

“Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.  Send forth lightning and scatter [the enemies]; shoot your arrows and rout them.  Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners.” (Psalm 144:5-7)

And God answers and acts.  He hears.  He cares.  He acts on our behalf.  Amazing!

Such a lowly creation.  Such a short life-span.  Yet, He loves you.  He gave His unique Son for us!

Amazing!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- December 7, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

Life doesn’t always go the way I would like for it to.  Circumstances turn out differently than I plan.  People treat me unfairly, at least from my perspective they do.  Sometimes, even my own body turns against me and brings pain and weakness.

I feel like complaining.  I feel like letting someone know how unfair life is being to me.  I need to get what I’m feeling off my chest.  But to whom should I complain?  If I complain to those closest to me it can create more problems.  In fact, the Bible says not to complain at all:  “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.” (Philippians 2:14-15)

But there is one place where I can take my complaints.  There is Someone who will listen, understand, not be offended, and help me work through what I’m feeling.  It was to Him that David took his complaints:  “I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.” (Psalm 142:2)

Life wasn’t fair for David at the time he wrote this.  He was hiding from King Saul in a cave.  Saul was pursuing David, trying to find him and kill him, to get rid of a rival for the throne.  It wasn’t right.  David had done nothing to try to take the throne from Saul.  It wasn’t fair.  It certainly wasn’t what David planned.

And David told that to God.  He brought his complaints to Him.  You can too!  He’ll listen, understand, not be offended, and help you work through what you’re feeling.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- December 6, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

I guess David must have had the same problem I do.  Here was his prayer:

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)

Words seem to get out of my mouth so quickly, before I even realize what I’m saying!  Maybe you have that same problem.  I need to be constantly reminded of the biblical admonitions about what I say.

Paul said, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)

James knew how inconsistent we are with what we say, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.” (James 3:9)

The only hope I have is to appeal to God for help.  I can’t control my tongue myself.  I’ve tried and it doesn’t work.  I need God’s help.  Maybe you need to join me in praying David’s prayer:

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- December 5, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.” (Psalm 140:12)

The Lord has a special concern for the poor and needy.

When Israel gathered the crops from the field at harvest time, the Lord instructed them to leave some portion for the poor. (Leviticus 19:10)

When the Lord promised a land of rich blessings to Israel, He told them there should be no poor among them. (Deuteronomy 15:4)  When riches abound, they are to be shared with those in need.

Solomon taught that if you oppress the poor you are showing contempt for God. (Proverbs 14:31)

Jesus Himself preached good news to the poor. (Matthew 11:5)

Dorcas was praised as a woman of God for helping the poor. (Acts 9:36)

God’s compassion extends to those in need and the compassion He desires to demonstrate in us will show itself in the same way.

Can the same be said of you:  he upholds the cause of the needy?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- December 4, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

David concludes Psalm 139 with one of the most challenging and frightening prayers you’ll ever find.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

You would think our hearts would not require searching and testing.  We ought to already know what is in our hearts.  But often we don’t.  It is so easy to deceive ourselves about what we are thinking and feeling.  We mask things even from ourselves.

Of course, God already knows what is in our hearts.  David’s prayer isn’t asking God to find out what is in his heart.  Rather, it is asking God to make it known to him!

Are you willing to ask God for that?  Are you willing to ask God to point out the selfish thoughts and feelings you have?  Are you willing for God to expose to you the wickedness in your heart?

David prayed this prayer because he understood how deceptive his heart was and because it was his desire to have a heart after God.  Do you share his desire?

It’s a scary prayer.  Will you pray it?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 3, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

God knows you.  He knows you better than anyone.   He knows you even better than you know yourself.

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.  You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:1-13)

God knows you.  And still He loves you!

You don’t have to wear a mask with God.  He already knows what you are like even in the deepest places of your spirit.  You don’t have to try to hide anything from Him.  It would be a fruitless effort, anyway.

God knows you.  And still He loves you!

His, by Grace,

Steve