May 17 How do I Praise?

Psalm 113 uses the word “praise” five times in three verses.  It must be important.  And yet not a word I use much in everyday conversation.

Yet PRAISE is one very significant way I demonstrate that You are a part of my life.  I give honor, worship, adoration to You, God in recognition of who You are, and in gratitude and thanks for what You have done.

I like to use acrostics to help me remember things.  To help me make PRAISE an intentional, doable action  – I see PRAISE as

Putting
Real
Adoration
Into
Situations
Every day

To me that means:

Putting:  I intentionally and on purpose – do something

The groceries and the dishes don’t get put away unless someone does it.  It’s the same with Praise –it doesn’t just happen, someone has to do it.

Real:  in a genuine and sincere way, honest – not forced, not hurried

I take time to literally communicate to You.  Sometimes it’s by words, a statement or a prayer, sometimes I write it down in a letter or journal, or I might write a poem, or song – I might sing it!  Or just take a walk, taking a moment to speak to You in my heart.

Adoration:  my appreciation, thanks, gratitude, even simple acknowledgment of who You are and what You’re doing, and have the power to do.

I hardly ever take a drive, that I don’t notice the mountains, or the sky or sunset.  But I don’t say “Wow, Mother nature is something!”  No, I thank You as the Creator of it all for giving me such a beautiful world to live in and look at!

Into Situations:  into the middle of whatever circumstances come my way: good or bad, deserved or unfair, difficult and trying or pleasant and joyful.

So if I see my child being awesome, I thank You for making me a mother!  Or I pass a car accident, and ask You to help the people involved and strengthen the ones giving assistance, and then I thank You for protecting me from dangers, and all the accidents You have kept me from that never happened.

Every day:  on a daily basis.  I don’t wait for a holiday or Sunday to come around, but praise You spontaneously!

As things happen, thanks and appreciation is voiced.  It may sound silly or awkward at first, but the more I do it, it just becomes a way of life.

So P-R-A-I-S-E, Putting Real Adoration Into Situations Every day means:

Intentionally, genuinely and sincerely, take time to communicate to You, my appreciation, thanks and gratitude in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way on a daily basis.

Father, help me remember to fill my life with praise for You!  Amen

Psalm 113:1-3

Apr 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle.

These men had become outcasts in their society.  They stood at a distance and shouted “unclean” because that’s what they were required to do by law.  A person with leprosy was called “untouchable” and could not approach another person; but had to keep their distance from uninfected people.

Leprosy was believed to be a communicable disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being cured or being able to participate in society again.  Family, loved ones, friends, all were relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own.

They would never again be able to hold their child, kiss their beloved, shake hands with a friend, or give a warm embrace to a family member.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle!

For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks? 

Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?    Did they intend to come back later?  Were they unsure the healing was real?  Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner.  Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master?  Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I don’t know.  But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You.

I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this.  Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems.  Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Thank You for the good times I’ve experienced and the blessings I’ve received from You.  And I also thank You for the trials.  For growing my faith and giving me the endurance I need to outlast the trials.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You for life, for breath, for energy to rise, for clothes to wear, food to eat, clear thinking to reason with, a home to live in, transportation.  Thank You for loved ones in my life, family and friends who care, faith, hope, and love.  Help me express my gratitude and thank You in word, in song, in praise, in the way I treat others, for the trials and the blessings in my life!

Let me always be like the one.  Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Jan 31 Thank You Thank You Thank You!

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard Jesus was passing by they called out. When You stopped, You asked what they wanted You to do for them. They asked for their sight. You had compassion on them and healed them. What a miracle!

I depend on Your mercy as well. And Your mercies are new every day. But if You were to ask what I want of You, I am already so blessed, it would be hard to answer.

You have already given me eternal life in Your presence for all time. You have forgiven my sin. You have allowed me to be born in a time when most disease is treatable, water and air are safe to drink and breathe, and injuries do not usually become life threatening.

I have no fear of wild animals attacking as I live in a safe place. You have placed me in a country where I have freedoms that most in the world do not. I can worship You freely, I can travel where I want, can vote for my form of government and live my life in peace within its protected borders, without persecution.

You have allowed me to be born into a loving, supportive, Christian family who raised me to love You. And who gave me not only adequate food, shelter, and an education, but also loved me and encouraged me.

You have protected me and saved me from more tragedy and trauma than I will ever know about. And have blessed me with a husband and children, and friends. I live in a beautiful place where every day I can look to the mountains and be reminded of Your strength and majesty.

I enjoy four seasons with all the consistent changes that come with them; weather, wildlife, life cycles of plants, flowers, trees. I have full use of all my senses that can take in the beauty around me and see your infinite diversity at work in birdsongs, floral aromas, the lushness of grass, the chill of fresh snow, the painted sky at sunrise and sunset.

As I think of all these things, my heart overflows with gratitude and thanksgiving. Forgive me for not voicing it every day.

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!

For as many days as I have left on this earth, there will always be something to thank You for. And when I pass into that next part of our eternal relationship, “I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and enter Your courts with praise!”

Matthew 20:29-34, Psalm 100:4

Happy Thanksgiving!

Being Thankful

Father, we are asking You for so many things

– protection for our families and loved ones from these awful viruses and every other bad germ out there – riddance worldwide
– healing for those with other illnesses
– reunification of the citizens of the US
– an end to abuse of power in all walks of life
– for injustices to be righted
– for people to be able to be employed again at levels that can provide and sustain a living wage
– for persecution of believers to stop
– for peace on earth!

But if it is Your will that we simply endure these challenges for a time, give us what we need to persevere with hope. To live in a way that brings honor to You and Your name.  To walk in Your Light and share that Light with others.

Help us today to focus on being thankful to You. 

Lincoln said it wonderfully at the end of his Thanksgiving Day proclamation:

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

1 Thessalonians 5:18  “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thank You Lord for giving me
all the blessings that I see:
friends and food and family
Thank You for loving me

Thanks to Thee as life unfolds
days of trial and days of gold
Help me live that all might see
a glimpse of Your love in me

Let others see Jesus in me

May 17 How do I PRAISE?

Psalm 113 uses the word “praise” five times in three verses.  It must be important.  And yet not a word I use much in everyday conversation.

Yet PRAISE is one very significant way I demonstrate that You are a part of my life.  I give honor, worship, adoration to You, God in recognition of who You are, and in gratitude and thanks for what You have done.

I like to use acrostics to help me remember things.  To help me make PRAISE an intentional, doable action  – I see PRAISE as

                                                Putting

                                                Real

                                                Adoration

                                                Into

                                                Situations

                                                Every day

To me that means:

Putting:  I intentionally and on purpose – do something

The groceries and the dishes don’t get put away unless someone does it.  It’s the same with Praise –it doesn’t just happen, someone has to do it.

Real:  in a genuine and sincere way, honest – not forced, not hurried

I take time to literally communicate to You.  Sometimes it’s by words, a statement or a prayer, sometimes I write it down in a letter or journal, or I might write a poem, or song – I might sing it!  Or just take a walk, taking a moment to speak to You in my heart.

Adoration:  my appreciation, thanks, gratitude, even simple acknowledgment of who You are and what You’re doing, and have the power to do.

I hardly ever take a drive, that I don’t notice the mountains, or the sky or sunset.  But I don’t say “Wow, Mother nature is something!”  No, I thank You as the Creator of it all for giving me such a beautiful world to live in and look at!

Into Situations:  into the middle of whatever circumstances come my way: good or bad, deserved or unfair, difficult and trying or pleasant and joyful.

So if I see my child being awesome, I thank You for making me a mother!  Or I pass a car accident, and ask You to help the people involved and strengthen the ones giving assistance, and then I thank You for protecting me from dangers, and all the accidents You have kept me from that never happened.

Every day:  on a daily basis.  I don’t wait for a holiday or Sunday to come around, but praise You spontaneously!

As things happen, thanks and appreciation is voiced.  It may sound silly or awkward at first, but the more I do it, it just becomes a way of life.

So P-R-A-I-S-E, Putting Real Adoration Into Situations Every day means:

Intentionally, genuinely and sincerely, take time to communicate to You, my appreciation, thanks and gratitude in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way on a daily basis.

Father, help me remember to fill my life with praise for You!  Amen

Psalm 113:1-3

Apr 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle.

These men had become outcasts in their society.  They stood at a distance and shouted “unclean” because that’s what they were required to do by law.  A person with leprosy was called “untouchable” and could not approach another person; but had to keep their distance from uninfected people.

Leprosy was a disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being cured or being able to participate in society again.  Family, loved ones, friends, all were relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own.

They would never again be able to hold their child, kiss their beloved, shake hands with a friend, or give a warm embrace to a family member.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle!

For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks? 

Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?    Did they intend to come back later?  Were they unsure the healing was real?  Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner.  Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master?  Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I don’t know.  But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You.

I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this.  Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems.  Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Thank You for the good times I’ve experienced and the blessings I’ve received from You.  And I also thank You for the trials.  For growing my faith and giving me the endurance I need to outlast the trials.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You for life, for breath, for energy to rise, for clothes to wear, food to eat, clear thinking to reason with, a home to live in, transportation.  Thank You for loved ones in my life, family and friends who care, faith, hope, and love.  Help me express my gratitude and thank You in word, in song, in praise, in the way I treat others, for the trials and the blessings in my life!

Let me always be like the one.  Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Jan 31 Thank You Thank You Thank You

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard Jesus was passing by they called out. When You stopped, You asked what they wanted You to do for them. They asked for their sight. You had compassion on them and healed them. What a miracle!

I depend on Your mercy as well. And Your mercies are new every day. But if You were to ask what I want of You, I am already so blessed, it would be hard to answer.

You have already given me eternal life in Your presence for all time. You have forgiven my sin. You have allowed me to be born in a time when most disease is treatable, water and air are safe to drink and breathe, and injuries do not usually become life threatening.

I have no fear of wild animals attacking as I live in a safe place. You have placed me in a country where I have freedoms that most in the world do not. I can worship You freely, I can travel where I want, can vote for my form of government and live my life in peace within its protected borders, without persecution.

You have allowed me to be born into a loving, supportive, Christian family who raised me to love You. And who gave me not only adequate food, shelter, and an education, but also loved me and encouraged me.

You have protected me and saved me from more tragedy and trauma than I will ever know about. And have blessed me with a husband and children, and friends. I live in a beautiful place where every day I can look to the mountains and be reminded of Your strength and majesty.

I enjoy four seasons with all the consistent changes that come with them; weather, wildlife, life cycles of plants, flowers, trees. I have full use of all my senses that can take in the beauty around me and see your infinite diversity at work in birdsongs, floral aromas, the lushness of grass, the chill of fresh snow, the painted sky at sunrise and sunset.

As I think of all these things, my heart overflows with gratitude and thanksgiving. Forgive me for not voicing it every day.

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!

For as many days as I have left on this earth, there will always be something to thank You for. And when I pass into that next part of our eternal relationship, “I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and enter Your courts with praise!”

Matthew 20:29-34, Psalm 100:4

July 2 Teach me to number my days aright

Father, You sent word through Isaiah that Hezekiah would die.

I have often wondered:  if I could know when I will die, would I want to?  It’s an interesting question.

This kind of curiosity started in the Garden of Eden.  When the serpent held out the possibility of being “like God,” having Your knowledge and wisdom, Eve bit!

Even though I know intellectually, that everyone dies, including me, it’s not something I think about from day to day.   I tend to put it out of my mind and live as if I have years or even decades ahead of me.  But, if, for instance, I received information that I have a medical condition that comes with an expiration date, it would be a sobering realization.

If I were given such information, how  would I set about reworking my priorities?   Would I “put my house in order” as Hezekiah was told to do?  Would I cry out to You for more time?   It would definitely disrupt my thinking, my activities, my attitudes, and the way I relate to people.  I would be more motivated to orchestrate my remaining days…

Father, help me live my life now, as if every day were a precious gift from You, not to be wasted or squandered.  Show me how to arrange my priorities, recognizing what is really important.  Do not let me waste time in foolish pursuits or on meaningless tasks.  Show me the godly relationships You want me to cultivate, and how to let go of and separate myself from the ungodly ones.

Help me be thankful for every single day You give me.  Remind me to praise You every day.  And worship You for who You are and for Your character that never changes: Your faithfulness, Your gentleness, Your love towards me, Your righteousness and Your omnipotence.

Thank You for all You have done: created this amazing universe, established a way of salvation, given me Your Word for instruction and encouragement.    I appreciate Your hand of protection and provision in my life, as I have food, shelter, clothing, family, friends, and freedom.

And when I think about the end of my time here on earth, I have no fear of what comes after.  Because I know You, I am not anxious about my future.  I know I will spend eternity with You, and I can’t wait!  Amen

2 Kings 20:1; Psalm 150:1-6; Psalm 90:12

May 17 How do I praise?

Psalm 113 uses the word “praise” five times in three verses.  It must be important.  And yet not one I use much in everyday conversation.

Yet PRAISE is one very significant way I demonstrate that You are a part of my life.  I give honor, worship, adoration to You, God in recognition of who You are, and in gratitude and thanks for what You have done.

I like to use acrostics to help me remember things.  To help me make PRAISE an intentional, doable action  – I see PRAISE as

                                                Putting

                                                Real

                                                Adoration

                                                Into

                                                Situations

                                                Every day

To me that means:

Putting:  I intentionally and on purpose – do something

The groceries and the dishes don’t get put away unless someone does it.  It’s the same with Praise –it doesn’t just happen, someone has to do it.

Real:  in a genuine and sincere way, honest – not forced, not hurried

I take time to literally communicate to You.  Sometimes it’s by words, a statement or a prayer, sometimes I write it down in a letter or journal, or I might write a poem, or song – I might sing it!  Or just take a walk, taking a moment to speak to You in my heart.

Adoration:  my appreciation, thanks, gratitude, even simple acknowledgment of who You are and what You’re doing, and have the power to do.

I hardly ever take a drive, that I don’t notice the mountains, or the sky or sunset.  But I don’t say “Wow, Mother nature is something!”  No, I thank You as the Creator of it all for giving me such a beautiful world to live in and look at!

Into Situations:  into the middle of whatever circumstances come my way: good or bad, deserved or unfair, difficult and trying or pleasant and joyful.

So if I see my child being awesome, I thank You for making me a mother!  Or I pass a car accident, and ask You to help the people involved and strengthen the ones giving assistance, and then I thank You for protecting me from dangers, and all the accidents You have kept me from that never happened.

Every day:  on a daily basis.  I don’t wait for a holiday or Sunday to come around, but praise You spontaneously!

As things happen, thanks and appreciation is voiced.  It may sound silly or awkward at first, but the more I do it, it just becomes a way of life.

So P-R-A-I-S-E, Putting Real Adoration Into Situations Every day means:

Intentionally, genuinely and sincerely, take time to communicate to You, my appreciation, thanks and gratitude in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way on a daily basis.

Father, help me remember to fill my life with praise for You!  Amen

Psalm 113:1-3

Apr 25 Remember – Commemorate

Heavenly Father, my memory is so bad when it comes to recalling all the times You have stepped in to rescue me.

There have been relatively small things and really big things where You have acted on my behalf or worked things out for me.  And at those times, words of thanks went up; but I wouldn’t say I did an adequate job of expressing my gratitude to You or cementing Your blessing in my memory.

Why is it I can remember toothpaste or cereal jingles from when I was a child, but can’t remember when You made a significant impact in my life?  If only I could write a silly jingle whenever I am thankful…

Your people were so greatly impacted with the victory over Sisera and Your defeat of his army, freeing them from twenty years of oppression, that they wrote and sang a song about it.  What a great way to commemorate the occasion and pass on what happened to others!  Perhaps that would be something that would improve my memory too!

Seriously – I could adapt the song “Jesus loves me…”

Jesus loves me this I hear

For He healed my young son’s ear

Doctors sang a surgery song

Jesus healed it – they were wrong!

Jesus loves me this I think

‘cause He saved our backed up sink

Others had costly plumbing jobs

But now our water drains, no clogs!

It’s no “Deborah’s Song” but the sentiment is genuine, the gratitude sincere, and I will remember this – and even sing it to friends!

Whether with songs or words, prayers or journals, I will be more intentional about recording the ways You impact my life and reveal Your love for me.  Ways that I can demonstrate my gratitude, record for my own memory, and share with others.

What songs will You give me about this Covid-19 experience?  Even farther back, what things do You want me to remember and commemorate now?

Thank You in advance for helping me remember, record, and share the amazing ways You work in my life!  Amen

Judges 4:1-5:31

Apr 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle.

These men had become outcasts in their society.  They stood at a distance and shouted “unclean” because that’s what they were required to do by law.  A person with leprosy was called “untouchable” and could not approach another person; but had to keep their distance from uninfected people.

Leprosy was a disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being cured or being able to participate in society again.  Family, loved ones, friends, all were relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own.

They would never again be able to hold their child, kiss their beloved, shake hands with a friend, or give a warm embrace to a family member.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle!

For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks? 

Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?    Did they intend to come back later?  Were they unsure the healing was real?  Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner.  Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master?  Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I don’t know.  But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You.

I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this.  Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems.  Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Thank You for the good times I’ve experienced and the blessings I’ve received from You.  And I also thank You for the trials.  For growing my faith and giving me the endurance I need to outlast the trials.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You for life, for breath, for energy to rise, for clothes to wear, food to eat, clear thinking to reason with, a home to live in, transportation.  Thank You for loved ones in my life, family and friends who care, faith, hope, and love.  Help me express my gratitude and thank You in word, in song, in praise, in the way I treat others, for the trials and the blessings in my life!

Let me always be like the one.  Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Jan 31 Thank You Thank You Thank You!

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard Jesus was passing by they called out. When You stopped, You asked what they wanted You to do for them. They asked for their sight. You had compassion on them and healed them. What a miracle!

I depend on Your mercy as well. And Your mercies are new every day. But if You were to ask what I want of You, I am already so blessed, it would be hard to answer.

You have already given me eternal life in Your presence for all time. You have forgiven my sin. You have allowed me to be born in a time when most disease is treatable, water and air are safe to drink and breathe, and injuries do not usually become life threatening.

I have no fear of wild animals attacking as I live in a safe place. You have placed me in a country where I have freedoms that most in the world do not. I can worship You freely, I can travel where I want, can vote for my form of government and live my life in peace within its protected borders, without persecution.

You have allowed me to be born into a loving, supportive, Christian family who raised me to love You. And who gave me not only adequate food, shelter, and an education, but loved me and encouraged me.

You have protected me and saved me from more tragedy and trauma than I will ever know about. And have blessed me with a husband and children, and friends. I live in a beautiful place where every day I can look to the mountains and be reminded of Your strength and majesty.

I enjoy four seasons with all the consistent changes that come with them; weather, wildlife, life cycles of plants, flowers, trees. I have full use of all my senses that can take in the beauty around me and see your infinite diversity at work in birdsongs, floral aromas, the lushness of grass, the chill of fresh snow, the painted sky at sunrise and sunset.

As I think of all these things, my heart overflows with gratitude and thanksgiving. Forgive me for not voicing it every day.

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!

For as many days as I have left on this earth, there will always be something to thank You for. And when I pass into that next part of our eternal relationship, “I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and enter Your courts with praise!”

Matthew 20:29-34, Psalm 100:4

July 2 Teach me to number my days aright

Father, You sent word through Isaiah that Hezekiah would die.

I have often wondered:  if I could know when I will die, would I want to?  It’s an interesting question.

This kind of curiosity started in the Garden of Eden.  When the serpent held out the possibility of being “like God,” having Your knowledge and wisdom, Eve bit!

Even though I know intellectually, that everyone dies, including me, it’s not something I think about from day to day.   I tend to put it out of my mind and live as if I have years or even decades ahead of me.  But, if, for instance, I received information that I have a medical condition that comes with an expiration date, it would be a sobering realization.

How would I set about reworking my priorities?   Would I “put my house in order” as Hezekiah was told to do?  Would I cry out to You for more time?   It would definitely disrupt my thinking, my activities, my attitudes, and the way I relate to people.  I would be more motivated to orchestrate my remaining days…

Father, help me live my life now, as if every day were a precious gift from You, not to be wasted or squandered.  Show me how to arrange my priorities, recognizing what is really important.  Do not let me waste time in foolish pursuits or on meaningless tasks.  Show me the godly relationships You want me to cultivate, and how to let go of and separate myself from the ungodly ones.

Help me be thankful for every single day You give me.  Remind me to praise You every day.  And worship You for who You are and for Your character that never changes: Your faithfulness, Your gentleness, Your love towards me, Your righteousness and Your omnipotence.

Thank You for all You have done: created this amazing universe, established a way of salvation, given me Your Word for instruction and encouragement.    I appreciate Your hand of protection and provision in my life, as I have food, shelter, clothing, family, friends, and freedom.

And when I think about the end of my time here on earth, I have no fear of what comes after.  Because I know You, I am not anxious about my future.  I know I will spend eternity with You, and I can’t wait!  Amen

2 Kings 20:1; Psalm 150:1-6; Psalm 90:12

 

May 17 How do we praise?

Psalm 113 uses the word “praise” five times in three verses.  It must be important.  And yet not one I use much in everyday conversation.

Yet PRAISE is one very significant way I demonstrate that You are a part of my life.  I give honor, worship, adoration to You, God in recognition of who You are, and in gratitude and thanks for what You have done.

I like to use acrostics to help me remember things.  To help me make PRAISE an intentional, doable action  – I see PRAISE as

Putting

                                                Real

                                                Adoration

                                                Into

                                                Situations

                                                Every day

To me that means:

Putting:  I intentionally and on purpose – do something

The groceries and the dishes don’t get put away unless someone does it.  It’s the same with Praise –it doesn’t just happen, someone has to do it.

Real:  in a genuine and sincere way, honest – not forced, not hurried

I take time to literally communicate to You.  Sometimes it’s by words, a statement or a prayer, sometimes I write it down in a letter or journal, or I might write a poem, or song – I might sing it!  Or just take a walk, taking a moment to speak to You in my heart.

Adoration:  my appreciation, thanks, gratitude, even simple acknowledgment of who You are and what You’re doing, and have the power to do.

I hardly ever take a drive, that I don’t notice the mountains, or the sky or sunset.  But I don’t say “Wow, Mother nature is something!”  No, I thank You as the Creator of it all for giving me such a beautiful world to live in and look at!

Into Situations:  into the middle of whatever circumstances come my way: good or bad, deserved or unfair, difficult and trying or pleasant and joyful.

So if I see my child being awesome, I thank You for making me a mother!  Or I pass a car accident, and ask You to help the people involved and strengthen the ones giving assistance, and then I thank You for protecting me from dangers, and all the accidents You have kept me from that never happened.

Every day:  on a daily basis.  I don’t wait for a holiday or Sunday to come around, but praise You spontaneously!

As things happen, thanks and appreciation is voiced.  It may sound silly or awkward at first, but the more I do it, it just becomes a way of life.

So P-R-A-I-S-E, Putting Real Adoration Into Situations Every day means:

Intentionally, genuinely and sincerely, take time to communicate to You, my appreciation, thanks and gratitude in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way on a daily basis.

Father, help me remember to fill my life with praise for You!  Amen

Psalm 113:1-3

April 25 Remember – Commemorate

Heavenly Father, my memory is so bad when it comes to recalling all the times You have stepped in to rescue me.

There have been relatively small things and really big things where You have [2020 out-  acted on my behalf or] worked things out for me.  And at those times, words of thanks went up; but I wouldn’t say I did an adequate job of expressing my gratitude to You or cementing Your blessing in my memory.

Why is it I can remember toothpaste or cereal jingles from when I was a child, but can’t remember when You made a significant impact in my life?  If only I could write a silly jingle whenever I am thankful…

Your people were so greatly impacted with the victory over Sisera and Your defeat of his army, freeing them from twenty years of oppression, that they wrote and sang a song about it.  What a great way to commemorate the occasion and pass on what happened to others!  Perhaps that would be something that would improve my memory too!

Seriously – I could adapt the song “Jesus loves me…”

Jesus loves me this I hear

For He healed my young son’s ear

Doctors sang a surgery song

Jesus healed it – they were wrong!

 

Jesus loves me this I think

‘cause He saved our backed up sink

Others had costly plumbing jobs

But now our water drains, no clogs!

 

It’s no “Deborah’s Song” but the sentiment is genuine, the gratitude sincere, and I will remember this – and even sing it to friends!

Whether with songs or words, prayers or journals, I will be more intentional about recording the ways You impact my life and reveal Your love for me.  Ways that I can demonstrate my gratitude, record for my own memory, and share with others.

What songs will You give me about this corona experience?  What things do You want me to remember and commemorate now?

Thank You in advance!  Amen

Judges 4:1-5:31

April 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle.

These men had become outcasts in their society.  They stood at a distance and shouted “unclean” because that’s what they were required to do by law.  A person with leprosy was called “untouchable” and could not approach another person; but had to keep their distance from uninfected people.

Leprosy was a disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being cured or being able to participate in society again.  Family, loved ones, friends, all were relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own.

They would never again be able to hold their child, kiss their beloved, shake hands with a friend, or give a warm embrace to a family member.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle!

For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks?

Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?    Did they intend to come back later?  Were they unsure the healing was real?  Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner.  Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master?  Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I don’t know.  But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You.

I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this.  Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems.  Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Father, in our time now, we turn to You for healing.  We need a miracle to heal those who are sick with this virus.  And to keep others from getting sick.  Even the healthy are isolated trying to remain healthy.  We need a miracle!  And we will give You our thanks and praises  – not just when this passes, but even now, while we are in the thick of it.

I praise You for life, and breath, for energy to rise each day, for clothes to wear and food to eat, clear thinking to reason and a home to live in.  Thank You for loved ones in my life, family and friends who care, and for faith, hope and love.

Thank You for the good times I’ve experienced and the blessings I’ve received from You.  And I also thank You for the trials.  For growing my faith and giving me the endurance I need to outlast this latest one.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You –

Let me always be like the one.  Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Jan 31 Thank You Thank You Thank You!

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard Jesus was passing by they called out. When You stopped, You asked what they wanted You to do for them. They asked for their sight. You had compassion on them and healed them. What a miracle!

I depend on Your mercy as well. And Your mercies are new every day. But if You were to ask what I want of You, I am already so blessed, it would be hard to answer.

You have already given me eternal life in Your presence for all time. You have forgiven my sin. You have allowed me to be born in a time when most disease is treatable, water and air are safe to drink and breathe, and injuries do not usually become life threatening.

I have no fear of wild animals attacking as I live in a safe place. You have placed me in a country where I have freedoms that most in the world do not. I can worship You freely, I can travel where I want, can vote for my form of government and live my life in peace within its protected borders, without persecution.

You have allowed me to be born into a loving, supportive, Christian family who raised me to love You. And who gave me not only adequate food, shelter, and an education, but loved me and encouraged me.

You have protected me and saved me from more tragedy and trauma than I will ever know about. And have blessed me with a husband and children, and friends. I live in a beautiful place where every day I can look to the mountains and be reminded of Your strength and majesty.

I enjoy four seasons with all the consistent changes that come with them; weather, wildlife, life cycles of plants, flowers, trees. I have full use of all my senses that can take in the beauty around me and see your infinite diversity at work in birdsongs, floral aromas, the lushness of grass, the chill of fresh snow, the painted sky at sunrise and sunset.

As I think of all these things, my heart overflows with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Forgive me for not voicing it every day. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!

For as many days as I have left on this earth, there will always be something to thank You for. And when I pass into that next part of our eternal relationship, “I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and enter Your courts with praise!”

Matthew 20:29-34, Psalm 100:4

Jul 2 Teach me to number my days aright

Father, You sent word through Isaiah that Hezekiah would die.

I have often wondered:  if I could know when I will die, would I want to?  It’s an interesting question.

This kind of curiosity started in the Garden of Eden.  When the serpent held out the possibility of being “like God,” having Your knowledge and wisdom, Eve bit!   But beyond the simple curiosity factor, how would I react if I knew when the end would come?

Even though I know intellectually, that everyone dies, including me, it’s not something I think about from day to day.   I tend to put it out of my mind and live as if I have years or even decades ahead of me.  But, if, for instance, I received information that I have a medical condition that comes with an expiration date, it would be a sobering realization.

If I were given such information, would I set about reworking my priorities?   Would I “put my house in order” as Hezekiah was told to do?  Would I cry out to You for more time?   It would definitely disrupt my thinking, my activities, my attitudes, and the way I relate to people.  I would be more motivated to orchestrate my remaining days…

Father, help me live my life now, as if every day were a precious gift from You, not to be wasted or squandered.  Show me how to arrange my priorities, recognizing what is really important.  Do not let me waste time in foolish pursuits or on meaningless tasks.  Show me the godly relationships You want me to cultivate, and how to let go of and separate myself from the ungodly ones.

I want to be thankful for every single day You give me.  So I will praise You every day, Father.  I worship You for who You are, for Your character that never changes: Your faithfulness, Your gentleness, Your love towards me, Your righteousness and Your omnipotence.

I thank You for all You have done: created this amazing universe, established a way of salvation, given me Your Word for instruction and encouragement.    I appreciate Your hand of protection and provision in my life, as I have food, shelter, clothing, family, friends, and freedom.

And when I think about the end of my time here on earth, I have no fear of what comes after.  Because I know You, I am not anxious about my future.  I know I will spend eternity with You, and I can’t wait!  Amen

2 Kings 20:1; Psalm 150:1-6; Psalm 90:12

May 17 How do I praise?

 

Psalm 113 uses the word “praise” five times in three verses.  It must be important.  And yet not one I use much in everyday conversation.

 

Yet PRAISE is one very significant way I demonstrate that You are a part of my life.  I give honor, worship, adoration to You, God in recognition of who You are, and in gratitude and thanks for what You have done.

I like to use acrostics to help me remember things.  To help me make PRAISE an intentional, doable action  – I see PRAISE as

Putting

Real

Adoration

Into

Situations

Every day

To me that means:

Putting:  I intentionally and on purpose – do something

The groceries and the dishes don’t get put away unless someone does it.  It’s the same with Praise –it doesn’t just happen, someone has to do it.

Real:  in a genuine and sincere way, honest – not forced, not hurried

I take time to literally communicate to You.  Sometimes it’s by words, a statement or a prayer, sometimes I write it down in a letter or journal, or I might write a poem, or song – I might sing it!  Or just take a walk, taking a moment to speak to You in my heart.

Adoration:  my appreciation, thanks, gratitude, even simple acknowledgment of who You are and what You’re doing, and have the power to do.

I hardly ever take a drive, that I don’t notice the mountains, or the sky or sunset.  But I don’t say “Wow, Mother nature is something!”  No, I thank You as the Creator of it all for giving me such a beautiful world to live in and look at!

Into Situations:  into the middle of whatever circumstances come my way: good or bad, deserved or unfair, difficult and trying or pleasant and joyful.

So if I see my child being awesome, I thank You for making me a mother!  Or I pass a car accident, and ask You to help the people involved and strengthen the ones giving assistance, and then I thank You for protecting me from dangers, and all the accidents You have kept me from that never happened.

Every day:  on a daily basis.  I don’t wait for a holiday or Sunday to come around, but praise You spontaneously!

As things happen, thanks and appreciation is voiced.  It may sound silly or awkward at first, but the more I do it, it just becomes a way of life.

So P-R-A-I-S-E, Putting Real Adoration Into Situations Every day means:

Intentionally, genuinely and sincerely, take time to communicate to You, my appreciation, thanks and gratitude in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way on a daily basis.

Father, help me remember to fill my life with praise for You!  Amen

Psalm 113:1-3

Apr 25 Remember – Commemorate

Heavenly Father, my memory is so bad when it comes to recalling all the times You have stepped in to rescue me.  There have been relatively small things and really big things where You have acted on my behalf or worked things out for me.  And at the time, words of thanks went up, but I wouldn’t say I did an adequate job of expressing my gratitude to You or cementing Your blessing in my memory.

Why is it I can remember toothpaste or cereal jingles from when I was a child, but can’t remember when You made a significant impact in my life?  If only I could write a silly jingle whenever I am thankful…

Your people were so greatly impacted with the victory over Sisera and Your defeat of his army, freeing them from twenty years of oppression, that they wrote and sang a song about it.  What a great way to commemorate the occasion and pass on what happened to others!  Perhaps that would be something that would improve my memory too!

Seriously – I could adapt the song “Jesus loves me…”

Jesus loves me this I hear

For He healed my young son’s ear

Doctors sang a surgery song

Jesus healed it – they were wrong!

 

Jesus loves me this I think

‘cause He saved our backed up sink

Others had costly plumbing jobs

But now our water drains, no clogs!

It’s no “Deborah’s Song” but the sentiment is genuine, the gratitude sincere, and I will remember this – and even sing it to friends!

Whether with songs or words, prayers or journals, I will be more intentional about recording the ways You impact my life and reveal Your love for me.  Ways that I can demonstrate my gratitude, record for my own memory, and share with others.  Thank You!  Amen

Judges 4:1-5:31

Apr 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle.

These men had become outcasts in their society.  They stood at a distance and shouted “unclean” because that’s what they were required to do by law.  A person with leprosy was called ”untouchable” and could not approach another person; but had to keep their distance from uninfected people

Leprosy was a disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being “cured” or being able to participate in society again.  Family, loved ones, friends, all were relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own.

They would never again be able to hold their child, kiss their beloved, shake hands with a friend, or give a warm embrace to a family member.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle!

For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks?

Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?    Did they intend to come back later?  Were they unsure the healing was real?  Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner.  Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master?  Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I don’t know.  But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You.

I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this.  Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems.  Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You – for life, for breath, for energy to rise, for clothes to wear, food to eat, clear thinking to reason with, a home, transportation, loved ones, hope, faith, love in my life.  Help me express my gratitude and thank You in word, in song, in praise, in the way I treat others, for the trials and the blessings in my life!

Let me always be like the one.  Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Mar 4 Worship! And Stand!

Clap your hands!  Raise your voice!  Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs!

Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume!  Don’t be bashful – show your joy!  God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, any thing on this earth!

You, Lord are more powerful than Mother Nature!  You rose from the dead while other proclaimed ”deities” are in their graves!

Your creation of the earth and choosing a people for Yourself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press!  It has been translated into 3,223 languages!

I do not live in subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings!  I owe You my praise and will sing out to You.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings.  I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

You reign and rule, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary.  And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud.

There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words.  And in that place, is a great throne room, where You are seated on Your Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, You draw me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land.  This is something I can visualize and understand.  Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.

It is the same with You.  Just because I cannot see You, I should not doubt You are real.  Or think that You will not come for what is Yours.

When the storm comes, and I believe it is coming to this country in my time, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm.  Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Aug 21 Blessed be Your name

Father, I have often wondered why You singled out Job and allowed so much suffering to come into one life. How tragic, and yet how strong his faith in You, that it stood up to all satan threw at him. He did not curse You, but said those famous words, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; may the name of the lord be praised.”

I would not want Job’s misfortunes. When much less has happened to me, I have heard my own thoughts turn to thinking it would have been better had I never been born. Easier, certainly. But what a testimony that he could still praise You in the face of all the tragedy and suffering! It makes me wonder, have I made comfort and ease idols?

Father, my life is so blessed. With so much. And I take so much of it for granted. Help me be more thankful to You for all You have given me. Help me have an “attitude of gratitude” in my daily life. Remind me to express my thanks to others, and my praise to You. Gratitude and thankfulness are signs of my faith. In this I do want to be more like Job.

There is a praise song by Matt Redman that expresses just this thought:

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s all as it should be
Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Father, let that describe me. Amen

Job 1:1-3:26

May 2 All His benefits

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…”

O Lord, if I took a whole day, I could never list all the benefits You lavish on me. I take so many things for granted. Often I don’t even think about how every breath that I take is from You! And I should be thankful.

Beginning when I wake up in the morning, I am thankful that I do wake up! And that I can breathe clean air in a warm bed, in a secure house, with a family I love, with food to eat and clean water to drink and bathe in. I have more clothes in my closet than some people on this planet ever own in a lifetime! I have many pairs of shoes.

It is a choice for me to eat breakfast or not. And if I choose to eat, I have several options of clean, untainted food in a kitchen with running water and convenient appliances to make food preparation almost effortless. My fridge keeps my food cold to preserve its freshness until I want it. Then, at the turn of a switch or the push of a button, I can cook it. Another button and my dishes are washed.

Just this part of my day is blessed far more than most of the people on this earth.

I live in freedom to be what I want to be, go where I want to go, with whom I want to be with. I can choose my career, my husband, my entertainment. I can worship You in the open however I want, read scripture without fear of arrest or imprisonment. I can attend public church services without being detained and beaten, or having my property seized, or my life forfeited.

When I step outside my house, I see a beautiful sky, majestic mountains, flowering trees, gorgeous flowers. We have warm, rainy, windy Springs, temperate Summers, gorgeously colored, cool Falls, and crisp, snow covered Winters – all four seasons in a beautiful and varied environment rich with birds of many kinds, singing their Spring songs and migrating south in the Fall.

On top of all this, You preserve my life, forgive my sins, deliver me from the oppression and deceit of satan. You show me love I did not earn, and pour out mercy and compassion on me I do not deserve. You satisfy my desires with good things, or remove those wrongful desires from me. You answer my prayers, guide me with Your wisdom, encourage me with Your Word, and have promised to take me into paradise with You for all eternity.

Father, help me remember every day to thank You for something. Open my eyes to things I take for granted, and accept my praise for Your goodness. Remind me at the beginning of every month, to come back and read Psalm 103 and spend time “forgetting not, all of Your benefits”. Amen

Psalm 103

Apr 25 Remember and Commemorate

Heavenly Father, my memory is so bad when it comes to recalling all the times You have stepped in to rescue me. There have been relatively small things and really big things where You have acted on my behalf or worked things out for me. And at the time, words of thanks went up, but I wouldn’t say I did an adequate job of expressing my gratitude to You or cementing Your blessing in my memory.

Why is it I can remember toothpaste or cereal jingles from when I was a child, but can’t remember when You made a significant impact in my life? If only I could write a silly jingle whenever I am thankful…

Your people were so greatly impacted with the victory over Sisera and Your defeat of his army, freeing them from twenty years of oppression, that they wrote and sang a song about it. What a great way to commemorate the occasion and pass on what happened to others! Perhaps that would be something that would improve my memory too!

Seriously – I could adapt the song ‘Jesus loves me’…

Jesus loves me this I hear

For He healed my young son’s ear

Doctors sang a surgery song

Jesus healed it – they were wrong!

 

Jesus loves me this I think

‘cause He saved our backed up sink

Others had costly plumbing jobs

But now our water drains, no clogs!

It’s no ‘Deborah’s Song’ but the sentiment is genuine, the gratitude sincere, and I will remember this – and even sing it to friends!

Whether with songs or words, prayers or journals, I will be more intentional about recording the ways You impact my life and reveal Your love for me. Ways that I can demonstrate my gratitude, record for my own memory, and share with others. Thank You! Amen

Judges 4:1-5:31

Apr 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle. These men had become outcasts in their society. They stood at a distance and shouted ‘unclean’ because that’s what they were required to do by law. A person with leprosy was called ‘untouchable’, and could not approach another person; but had to keep their distance from uninfected people.

Leprosy was a disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being ‘cured’ or being able to participate in society again. Family, loved ones, friends, were all relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own. They would never again be able to hold their child, kiss their beloved, shake hands with a friend, or give a warm embrace to a family member.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle! For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks? Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?   Did they intend to come back later? Were they unsure the healing was real? Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner. Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master? Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I don’t know. But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You. I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this. Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems. Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You – for life, for breath, for energy to rise, for clothes to wear, food to eat, clear thinking to reason with, a home, transportation, loved ones, hope, faith, love in my life. Help me express my gratitude and thank You in word, in song, in praise, in the way I treat others, for the trials and the blessings in my life!

Let me always be like the one. Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Mar 4 Worship! And Stand!

 

Clap your hands! Raise your voice! Sing hymns and worship songs at the top of your lungs! Put on a worship music tape and crank up the volume! Don’t be bashful – show your joy! Your God is the One and Only True God who has more power than any person, any force, anything on this earth!

 

He is more powerful than Mother Nature! He rose from the dead while other proclaimed ‘deities’ are in their graves! The story of His creating the earth and choosing a people for Himself has been a best seller ever since there has been a printing press! It has been translated into 3,223 languages!

I live in a country that is not subject to a king, but Jesus Christ is my King – the King of Kings! I owe Him my praise and will sing out to Him.   I will hum quietly, sway and clap, sing in the shower, and with others at gatherings. I will play any instrument I can, write new songs, sing along with youtube videos that make me cry, and continue to sing through tears!

God reigns and rules, but not from an earthly throne in a temple or synagogue or sanctuary. And not on a mountaintop or in a river or floating on a cloud. There is a reality that cannot be seen by the human eye and cannot be described completely by human words. And in that place, is a great throne room, with Him seated on His Holy throne.

Because I cannot see it, Jesus draws me pictures with parables: a vineyard owner who went on a journey renting out the land. This is something I can visualize and understand. Though the owner is not present, he exists, and is still the owner, and is due the income from the land and the respect of the people.   It is the same with God. Just because I cannot see Him, I should not doubt He is real. Or think that He will not come for what is His.

When the storm comes, and I believe it is coming to our country in my time, and has swept by; O Lord, may I still be standing firm. Amen

Mark 12:1-12; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:25

Jan 31 Thank You thank You thank You

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard Jesus was passing by they called out. When You stopped, You asked what they wanted You to do for them. They asked for their sight. You had compassion on them and healed them! What a miracle!

I depend on Your mercy as well. And Your mercies are new every day. But if You were to ask what I want of You, I am already so blessed, it would be hard to answer.

You have already given me eternal life in Your presence for all time. You have forgiven my sin. You have allowed me to be born in a time when most disease is treatable, water and air are safe to drink and breathe, and injuries do not usually become life threatening. I have no fear of wild animals attacking as I live in a safe place. You have placed me in a country where I have freedoms that most in the world do not. I can worship You freely, I can travel where I want, can vote for my form of government and live my life in peace within its protected borders, without persecution.

You have allowed me to be born into a loving, supportive, Christian family who raised me to love You. And who gave me not only adequate food, shelter, and an education, but loved me and encouraged me.

You have protected me and saved me from more tragedy and trauma than I know about. And have blessed me with a husband and children, and friends. I live in a beautiful place where every day I can look to the mountains and be reminded of Your strength and majesty. I can enjoy four seasons with all the consistent changes that come with them; weather, wildlife, life cycles of plants, flowers, trees. I have full use of all my senses that can take in the beauty around me and see your infinite diversity at work in birdsongs, floral aromas, the lushness of grass, the chill of fresh snow, the painted sky at sunrise and sunset.

As I think of all these things, my heart overflows with gratitude and thanksgiving. Forgive me for not voicing it every day. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You! For as many days as I have left on this earth, there will always be something to thank You for. And when I pass into that next part of our eternal relationship, “I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and enter Your courts with praise!”

Matthew 20:29-34, Psalm 100:4

Oct 28 Joy in the midst

“Shout for joy…Worship with gladness…Come before Him with joyful songs…Enter …with thanksgiving.”

Psalm 100 says this is how I am to approach You, Father. And some days it is easy. When the weather is good, my home is clean and in repair, when my family is healthy and getting along, when there are no disasters in the news, or storms, or shootings. But other days, I am so affected by negative things, that it is hard to muster glad and joyful worship. It is more likely I sit and pour my heart out to You.

There are days when everywhere I look in my home, I see only piles of stuff that need sorting or cleaning or some kind of attention I don’t have the energy for. And when the plumbing backs up or the fence blows down, or critters take up residence in the chimney, it creates stress and worry about the time and money and energy it will take to fix things. When my children have some unidentified blood disease, or their appendix ruptures with complications, or they become depressed and unmotivated, or rebel against the way they were raised, I feel such a sense of loss and helplessness. When I visit with my friends and hear how they are coping (or not) with disabled children, or cancer, or divorce, or unrelenting disease and death, I am overwhelmed by my own inability to help. When I turn on the tv and hear of destruction by natural disasters: floods, storms, earthquakes; or see evidence of man’s inhumanity towards man in attacks of arson, terrorism or murder, my heart is hardly filled with joy and thanks.

But within each of these, if I change my focus, I can see opportunities for You to be at work. Because I know that “You are good and Your love endures forever” I can rejoice in that. I rejoice that You are my God! That I can call on You and You will answer me in whatever circumstances I find myself or the world in! I thank You that You have given me friends. And that I can pray with them and for them. I praise You that there are no circumstances that You are overwhelmed by. Thank You that You can give perspective and wisdom and healing to those who need it. Thank You that You can turn a prodigal’s heart to You and bring them home. Thank You that You can reach around the world, where I cannot, to bring healing and help.

I thank You and praise You that You have made me a “sheep of Your pasture”. As Your sheep, I can ask for my Shepherd’s help for my home issues, for my family, for my friends, and for any in need due to natural disasters or violence. I praise You that Your power supersedes any other. And that Your faithfulness allows me to have hope that whatever the circumstances, I can choose to focus on You. I can still worship with gladness and have joy! Amen

Psalm 100:1-5

May 17 How do I praise?

Psalm 113 uses the word “praise” five times in three verses. That must mean it’s an important word. And yet not one I use much in everyday conversation.

One very significant way, I demonstrate that You are a part of my life Lord, is Praise. I give honor, worship, adoration to You, God in recognition of who You are, and in gratitude and thanks for what You have done.

I like to use acrostics to help me remember things.  To help me make PRAISE an intentional, doable action  – I see PRAISE as

Putting

Real

Adoration

Into

Situations

Every day

To me that means:

Putting:   intentionally and on purpose, I do something

The groceries and the dishes don’t get put away unless someone does it. It’s the same with Praise –it doesn’t just happen, someone has to do it.

Real:    in a genuine and sincere way, honest – not forced, not hurried

I take time to literally communicate to You.  Sometimes it’s by words, a statement or a prayer, sometimes I write it down in a letter or journal, or I might write a poem, or song – I might sing it! Or just take a walk or take a moment and speak to You in my heart.

Adoration:   my appreciation, thanks, gratitude, even simple acknowledgment of who You are and what You’re doing, and have the power to do.

I hardly ever take a drive, that I don’t notice the mountains, or the sky or sunset. Do I say ‘wow, Mother nature is something!’ No, I thank You as the Creator of it all for giving me such a beautiful world to live in and look at!

Into Situations:   in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way, good or bad, deserved or unfair, difficult and trying or pleasant and joyful.

So if I see my child being awesome, I thank You for making me a mother! Or I pass a car accident, and ask You to help the people involved and strengthen the ones giving assistance, and then I thank You for protecting me from dangers, all the accidents I never knew about because they didn’t happen.

Every day:   on a daily basis. I don’t wait for a holiday or Sunday to come around! But spontaneously!

As things happen, thanks and appreciation is voiced. It may sound silly or awkward at first, but the more I do it, it just becomes a way of life, life in You.

So P-R-A-I-S-E, Putting Real Adoration Into Situations Every day means:

Intentionally, genuinely and sincerely, take time to communicate to You, my appreciation, thanks and gratitude in the midst of whatever circumstances come my way on a daily basis. Father, help me remember to fill my life with praise for You! Amen

Psalm 113:1-3

 

Apr 25 Remember – Commemorate

Heavenly Father, my memory is so bad when it comes to recalling all the times You have stepped in to rescue me. There have been relatively small things and really big things where You have acted on my behalf or worked things out for me. And at the time, words of thanks went up, but I wouldn’t say I did an adequate job of expressing my gratitude to You or cementing Your blessing in my memory.

Why is it I can remember toothpaste or cereal jingles from when I was a child, but can’t remember when You made a significant impact in my life? If only I could write a silly jingle whenever I am thankful…

Your people were so greatly impacted with the victory over Sisera and Your defeat of his army, freeing them from twenty years of oppression, that they wrote and sang a song about it. What a great way to commemorate the occasion and pass on what happened to others! Perhaps that would be something that would improve my memory too!

Seriously – I could adapt the song ‘Jesus loves me’…

Jesus loves me this I hear

For He healed my young son’s ear

Doctors sang a surgery song

Jesus healed it – they were wrong!

 

Jesus loves me this I think

‘cause He saved our backed up sink

Friends had costly plumbing jobs

now our water drains, no clogs!

 

It’s no ‘Deborah’s Song’ but the sentiment is genuine, the gratitude sincere, and I will remember this – and even sing it to friends!

Whether with songs or words, prayers or journals, I will be more intentional about recording the ways You impact my life and reveal Your love for me. Ways that I can demonstrate my gratitude, record for my own memory, and share with others. Thank You! Amen

Judges 4:1-5:31

Apr 15 Let me be the one

Only one in ten came back to thank You, Jesus, for a healing that was a complete miracle. These men had become outcasts in their society. They stood at a distance and shouted ‘unclean’ because that’s what they were required to do by law. A person with leprosy was called ‘untouchable’, and could not approach another person; but was made to keep their distance from uninfected people.

Leprosy was a disease that progressed once you were infected, so there was really no hope of ever being ‘cured’ or being able to participate in society again. Family, loved ones, friends, all were relinquished, as these lepers were put out into communities of their own. They would never again be able to hold their child, shake hands or give a warm embrace to a family member, kiss their beloved.   This disease brought a new, cruel way of living to those cursed by it.

So for this disease process to be cured, reversed, was an absolute miracle! For those ten men to once again enter society and be able to touch and be touched, changed every aspect of their lives completely.

I wonder then, why did only one turn and express his thanks? Were the other nine being obedient – going first to show the priest as You told them?   Did they intend to come back later? Were they unsure the healing was real? Were they so filled with joy at the prospect of all it meant to be healed, that they forgot You, their Healer?

You point out that the one who returned was a foreigner. Perhaps that one did not feel worthy of a Jewish healing from a Jewish Master? Perhaps the others felt deserving of what they received?

I do not know. But it does speak to my heart of how often I too, forget to thank You. I take for granted so many things until I am reminded like this. Or until I see someone who is worse off than me, or has bigger problems. Or until I lose something, and realize I wasn’t really grateful while I had it.

Father, help me begin every day with thanks and praise to You – for life, for breath, for energy to rise, for clothes to wear, food to eat, clear thinking to reason with, a home, transportation, loved ones, hope, faith, love in my life. Help me express my gratitude and thank You in word, in song, in praise, in the way I treat others, for the trials and the blessings in my life!

Let me always be like the one. Amen

Luke 17:11-19

Feb 1 Where there is no way You make a way

Father, I pray this for many who are undergoing trials that seem overwhelming right now.

I pray that according to what You, the Holy One did for those who left Egypt when You delivered them out of the hand of Pharaoh at the Sea of Reeds in Exodus 14:19-31, You will do for this precious one in their time of trial, difficulty or crisis. [You interposed Yourself between Pharaoh’s army and your people who were in the desert trapped up against the Sea of Reeds. You kept them safe all night as You prepared their way of escape. You threw the enemy into a panic and vanquished the enemy completely. You gave them safe passage, making a way where there seemed to be none. And You gave them a wonderful deliverance.]

Lord God, will You now physically place Yourself between this one You love, who You have redeemed and whatever threatens their safety, their security and welfare; and personally assume responsibility for their protection – not because they deserve it by anything they have done, but for the sake of the eternal relationship You have with them.

May You keep vigil over them and send Your almighty Spirit to make a way of escape to deliver them. May You watch over them through the night, the dark time when they cannot see your hand at work on their behalf – may they feel Your protection even in light of seemingly overwhelming circumstances when they focus on the enemy.

As in Exodus 14:21 when You sent the ‘Ruach kadim’ generally translated as ‘east wind’ but literally meaning ‘the breath that was from before the first that was in the very beginning’ (reference to Genesis 1:2 when the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the waters, and the Ruach [the breath or Spirit] of the Holy One moved over the face of the deep) may they feel the Ruach or Spirit of God moving in whatever challenge is facing them, as You make a way of escape for them.

May You set panic in the heart of their enemy and send that enemy into confusion so they may not be harmed. May none of the enemy’s weapons find their targets. May they even turn on themselves in the confusion.

May You vanquish the enemy before their eyes. May the enemy fall into the very pit they have dug as a trap and into the hands of a jealous and mighty God. May You totally repel and defeat the enemy on their behalf, because You love them.

We do not underestimate Your power, Holy One, our Covenant Partner. You know what is needed.   Provide for safe passage for them to the place of fulfillment of their purpose in life. They are Your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the works You prepared in advance for them. And You who began a good work in them will be faithful to complete it. You absolutely can and will do whatever You have to do to make a way even when there seems to be no way.

And may You, our Lord God, give an awesome aftermath, where they can tell others about the wondrous and mighty work of the Holy One on their behalf. May You give them a heart of gratitude and thanks that acknowledges You and gives You the glory. May their testimony be that in faith, they stood and saw the deliverance of the LORD. Amen

Exodus 13:17-14:31

Jan 31 Thank You Thank You Thank You

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard Jesus was passing by they called out. When You stopped, You asked what they wanted You to do for them. They asked for their sight. You had compassion on them and healed them! What a miracle!

I depend on Your mercy as well. And Your mercies are new every day. But if You were to ask what I want of You, I am already so blessed, it would be hard to answer.

You have already given me eternal life in Your presence for all time. You have forgiven my sin. You have allowed me to be born in a time when most disease is treatable, water and air are safe to drink and breathe, and injuries do not usually become life threatening. I have no fear of wild animals attacking as I live in a safe place. You have placed me in a country where I have freedoms that most in the world do not. I can worship You freely, I can travel where I want, can vote for my form of government and live my life in peace within its protected borders, without persecution.

You have allowed me to be born into a loving, supportive, Christian family who raised me to love You. And who gave me not only adequate food, shelter, and an education, but loved me and encouraged me.

You have protected me and saved me from more tragedy and trauma than I know about. And have blessed me with a husband and children, and friends. I live in a beautiful place where every day I can look to the mountains and be reminded of Your strength and majesty. I can enjoy four seasons with all the consistent changes that come with them; weather, wildlife, life cycles of plants, flowers, trees. I have full use of all my senses that can take in the beauty around me and see your infinite diversity at work in birdsongs, floral aromas, the lushness of grass, the chill of fresh snow, the painted sky at sunrise and sunset.

As I think of all these things, my heart overflows with gratitude and thanksgiving. Forgive me for not voicing it every day. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You! For as many days as I have left on this earth, there will always be something to thank You for. And when I pass into that next part of our eternal relationship, “I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and enter Your courts with praise!”

Matthew 20:29-34, Psalm 100:4