Aug 16 Your eyes, Your ears, Your heart

Father, thank You that I have a permanent righteousness that comes from You; so I can know that when You talk about “the righteous” in scripture, I am included.   And Your promises to them are true for me.

First of all, “Your eyes are on me,” is a powerful deterrent.  Realizing that You are watching helps me remember that I am accountable for my actions.

You instruct me to “keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies.”  And since I know You are watching, that is enough to stop me in my tracks, and make me think before I speak or act.  If I would think to impress someone or sway them with an exaggeration or lie, Your Holy Spirit reminds me that You know when I lie.  And I would have to live with not only the consequences, but also conviction and guilt if I proceed.

It’s so easy to step into sin, to follow a broad path that others around me are taking without a thought.  But You tell me to “turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”  You remind me to be intentional about doing good.  And challenge me to think about what I’m doing, regardless of what others might be doing.

When doing good, it’s not likely that I will do what is evil.  So protection from evil is built in to doing good and seeking peace.

But also, “Your eyes are on me” is an awesome reassurance!  I know that You see everything!  Nothing that happens to me is beyond Your notice.   And You will rescue and defend me when I need help.

“Your ears are attentive to my cry.”   You are as close as a whisper.  And when I call, “You hear me; You deliver me from all my troubles.”  Does this mean I will never have difficulties?  No.  But I will always know that You are with me.  That You will deliver me and give me Your peace.

“You are close to the brokenhearted.”  Oh Father, I have been there.  Circumstances in my life that have been the result of illnesses, accidents, injustice, evil – even my own ignorance or pride – break my heart and bring me to my knees.  But in it all, I know You are here and that You care for me.  You will help me through, no matter what.  You will lend me Your strength.

Thank You Father, that I have these assurances of Your attention, of Your presence, of Your power to save me.  That is all I need.  Amen

Psalm 34:11-22

July 29 Be transformed

Father, I see this list of admonitions of how to live a godly life, and it shows how much room I have for improvement.  The truth is, I can’t even do one of them without You!  It is only in experiencing Your grace that I can be gracious to others.

Forgive me Father, when I “think of myself more highly than I ought.”  With the advertising slogans of today it’s easy to become focused on self, and what I “deserve” to have.  It puffs me up, making it hard to “honor one another above yourselves.”   I find myself feeling proud and entitled.

Lord, turn me around when this happens.  Help me see my behavior through Your eyes.  Remind me to “share with Your people who are in need” and “practice hospitality.”  Show me how to “live in harmony with others”, and “as much as I can, to be at peace with them.”

That may mean giving up what I perceive as some of my “rights” and saying “I’m sorry, I was wrong” when I am in the wrong.  I realize that I hate being wrong; and even worse, I hate to admit it.

How can I change the way I am, Lord?

It has to come from You.

But I can do my part.  You challenge me, no, You command me: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The pattern of this world is selfishness, egotism, greed, if you want it – get it, or if it feels good – do it.  And I need to be more than a non-conformer.  I need to be a Transformer!

How?

I can be transformed by spending time with You in prayer.  Hearing from You can redirect my focus, rewrite my priorities.

I can have my worldview reshaped by reading Your Word.  The Bible tells me how to gain Your perspective and consider eternity rather than just my immediate concerns.

The way I think affects the way I act.  So if I think on things that are true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy – I will act accordingly.

Thank You Father for showing me the way.  For inspiring me to achieve.  For helping me accomplish.  I desire to be all You created me to be, and to receive all that You have for me.

Today, help me see one thing I can change and help me do it.  Amen

Romans12:1-21; Philippians 4:8

Aug 16 Your eyes, Your ears, Your heart

Father, thank You that I have a permanent righteousness that comes from You; so I can know that when You talk about “the righteous” in scripture, I am included.   And Your promises to them are true for me.

First of all, “Your eyes are on me,” is a powerful deterrent.  Realizing that You are watching helps me remember that I am accountable for my actions.

You instruct me to “keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies.”  And since I know You are watching, that is enough to stop me in my tracks, and make me think before I speak or act.  If I would think to impress someone or sway them with an exaggeration or lie, Your Holy Spirit reminds me that You know when I lie.  And I would have to live with not only the consequences, but also conviction and guilt if I proceed.

It’s so easy to step into sin, to follow a broad path that others around me are taking without a thought.  But You tell me to “turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”  You remind me to be intentional about doing good.  And challenge me to think about what I’m doing, regardless of what others might be doing.

When doing good, it’s not likely that I will do what is evil.  So protection from evil is built in to doing good and seeking peace.

But also, “Your eyes are on me” is an awesome reassurance!  I know that You see everything!  Nothing that happens to me is beyond Your notice.   And You will rescue and defend me when I need help.

“Your ears are attentive to my cry.”   You are as close as a whisper.  And when I call, “You hear me; You deliver me from all my troubles.”  Does this mean I will never have difficulties?  No.  But I will always know that You are with me.  That You will deliver me and give me Your peace.

“You are close to the brokenhearted.”  Oh Father, I have been there.  Circumstances in my life that have been the result of illnesses, accidents, injustice, evil – even my own ignorance or pride – break my heart and bring me to my knees.  But in it all, I know You are here and that You care for me.  You will help me through, no matter what.  You will lend me Your strength.

Thank You Father, that I have these assurances of Your attention, of Your presence, of Your power to save me.  That is all I need.  Amen

Psalm 34:11-22

July 29 Be Transformed!

Father, I see this list of admonitions of how to live a godly life, and it shows how much room I have for improvement.  The truth is, I can’t even do one of them without You!  It is only in experiencing Your grace that I can be gracious to others.

Forgive me Father, when I “think of myself more highly than I ought.”  With the advertising slogans of today it’s easy to become focused on self, and what I “deserve” to have.  It puffs me up, making it hard to “honor one another above yourselves.”   I find myself feeling proud and entitled.

Lord, turn me around when this happens.  Help me see my behavior through Your eyes.  Remind me to “share with Your people who are in need” and “practice hospitality.”  Show me how to “live in harmony with others”, and “as much as I can, to be at peace with them.”

That may mean giving up what I perceive as some of my “rights” and saying “I’m sorry, I was wrong” when I am in the wrong.  I realize that I hate being wrong; and even worse, I hate to admit it.

How can I change the way I am, Lord?

It has to come from You.

But I can do my part.  You challenge me, no, You command me: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The pattern of this world is selfishness, egotism, greed, if you want it – get it, or if it feels good – do it.  And I need to be more than a non-conformer.  I need to be a Transformer!

How?

I can be transformed by spending time with You in prayer.  Hearing from You can redirect my focus, rewrite my priorities.

I can have my worldview reshaped by reading Your Word.  The Bible tells me how to gain Your perspective and consider eternity rather than just my immediate concerns.

The way I think affects the way I act.  So if I think on things that are true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy – I will act accordingly.

Thank You Father for showing me the way.  For inspiring me to achieve.  For helping me accomplish.  I desire to be all You created me to be, and to receive all that You have for me.

Today, help me see one thing I can change and help me do it.  Amen

Romans12:1-21; Philippians 4:8

Mar 26 Help me hear

“We will listen and obey.”  This was the Israelites response to all You said on the mountain when they heard Your voice telling them how they should live.

Many things in the world keep me from hearing You.  The world is a loud, noisy place, with so many voices that distract or actively deceive.  Those voices suggest what I need and how I should live to be “accepted” and “successful” by the world’s standards. They tempt me into materialism, humanism, and all kinds of ungodly ideologies.

But to listen and obey, I must listen specifically and intentionally.  I need to walk a path, live a lifestyle that purposely shows others what I believe.

Please remind me when I speak or act or make a decision, that everything I do will either draw me closer to You, or move me away from You and Your will.  Help me examine my thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes, to ensure that they are honorable and do not cause distance or separation from You.

You also tell me I am responsible to teach others about You and Your truth.  So I need to live what I believe – talk about my faith and who You are to me and how You impact my life.  Help me do that when I have others in my home.  And when I travel.  From the time I get up until the time I go to bed.

When I am not speaking of You, my faith should still be obvious to others by my dress, my countenance, my attitudes, how I treat others.  When people come to my home, they should see more than just the symbols of the world’s values.  They should sense Your peace.  I

n my emails, tweets, facebook posts and any other presentation to the world, I must be mindful that I represent You.  As I am a Christ-follower, my presence in others’ lives shows whether I truly listen and obey, or whether I am a Christian in name only.

I will listen.  And I will obey.  And I will “proclaim the power of God!”  Amen

Deuteronomy 5:1-6:9; Psalm 68:34