May 7 It’s all about You

Father, let me be like Hannah. 

Let me be earnest and persistent in prayer as Hannah was, pouring out my feelings and heartaches to You.

Father, there is much in the world to be heartbroken over: illness, abuse, death, poverty, political disunity, injustice.  And You know each individual and their personal needs.   You know the desire of my heart as You knew Hannah’s.  Help me not give up, but persevere, keep praying, trusting in Your timing: for healing, for salvation, for peace.

And like Hannah, when I make a promise to You, help me be true to my word, no matter how hard it is.  Hannah gave back to You the very thing she prayed for: a precious son.

Help me hold Your blessings loosely enough that I do not love them more than I love You.

I will rejoice as Hannah did over all You do for me.  Help me acknowledge that all my blessings come from You.  It is You who give life and take it away, You who send poverty and wealth. You who heal and save.

It is not by strength that any of us prevails, but You who deliver, give me strength, and give me victory over our enemies.

You are the Lord God Almighty who knows all and weighs all deeds.  You laid the foundations of the world and set it in place.  There is no one holy like You.  You are the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness.  You are my God.

Thank You for answering prayer.  Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

I Samuel 1:1-2:11

Jan 21 It’s all Perspective

Father, Your will often puzzles me. I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man.

In our human understanding of fairness, that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes.

And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective.

My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in far better ways than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the “why” of it at the time, I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Oct 16 Trust in God’s Plan

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

These wonderful words of lif, promise and hope that so many believers have claimed as personal encouragement were given first to a specific group of Your people who had rejected You.  They endured hardship by being forcibly removed from their homes and land.  They had been seized by a military force and taken to a foreign country to live as captives.

I cannot even imagine the trauma of being relocated like that.  I would imagine escape back home would have been considered.  Or revolt.  Some attempt to regain freedom.

But even if escape were possible, home was a thousand miles away!  And now comes this letter from Jeremiah to say “Accept captivity!  Settle down!  Live in the new land.  Pray for your new home!  For seventy years!”

That must have seemed just the opposite of what they wanted to do.  And the harsh word that this was Your doing must have been confusing and hurtful.  But then, in the same breath, comes Your promise to them. “When seventy years are completed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My good promise to bring you back to this place.” And the reassurance that Your plan was to give them hope and a future.

Father, I have been in some hard places and I sometimes wonder if it’s really where You want me to be.  I trust the plans You have for me.  Even if it means I have to wait on Your timing.

Father, open my eyes to the truth of where I am right now. If I have gotten myself off Your path, show me how to return to it. 

If I am where You want me to be, help me hear your voice of encouragement.  And feel Your presence here with me. 

And if waiting is involved, help me wait patiently, prayerfully, praise-fully, and productively.  But please don’t let it take seventy years!

Show me Your plans as I need to see them.  My hope and my future are in You.  Amen

Jeremiah 29:1-14

Sept 16 God’s plan is the Best Plan for all of us

Lord, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago.  He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working.

You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring.  For through his descendants came salvation on the cross.  And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah.  And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me.  You will “aid me against the enemy.”   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.”   

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years.  But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately!  I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now.  I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.

But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us.  Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts wise.  Do not let them be misled by the “wisdom of the world” or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh.  But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today.  Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right.”

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised.  Thank You.  Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:11-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Sept 2 Be still…

Be still and know I am God.”   What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life.  Solomon wrote it all out Lord.  You have created “a time for everything under heaven.”  “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”  It goes on.  And I realize Father, that I need to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life.

Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away.”  I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things.  Help me also know when to “speak” and when to “be silent.”  When to “search” and when to “give up.” When to “embrace and when to refrain from embracing.”

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

Jun 9 Something bigger than myself!

Father, show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-8; Psalm 127:1-2

May 7 It’s all about You

Father, let me be like Hannah. 

Let me be earnest and persistent in prayer as Hannah was, pouring out my feelings and heartaches to You.

Father, there is much in the world to be heartbroken over: illness, abuse, death, poverty, political disunity, injustice.  And You know each individual and their personal needs.   You know the desire of my heart as You knew Hannah’s.  Help me not give up, but persevere, keep praying, trusting in Your timing: for healing, for salvation, for peace.

And like Hannah, when I make a promise to You, help me be true to my word, no matter how hard it is.  Hannah gave back to You the very thing she prayed for: a precious son.

Help me hold Your blessings loosely enough that I do not love them more than I love You.

I will rejoice as Hannah did over all You do for me.  Help me acknowledge that all my blessings come from You.  It is You who give life and take it away, You who send poverty and wealth. You who heal and save.

It is not by strength that any of us prevails, but You who deliver, give me strength, and give me victory over our enemies.

You are the Lord God Almighty who knows all and weighs all deeds.  You laid the foundations of the world and set it in place.  There is no one holy like You.  You are the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness.  You are my God.

Thank You for answering prayer.  Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

I Samuel 1:1-2:11

Jan 21 It’s all Perspective

Father, Your will often puzzles me. I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man.

In our human understanding of fairness, that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes.

And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective.

My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in far better ways than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the “why” of it at the time, I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Oct 16 Trust God’s Plan

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

These wonderful words of life and promise and hope that so many believers have claimed as personal encouragement were given first to a specific group of Your people who had rejected You.  They endured hardship by being forcibly removed from their homes and land.  They had been seized by a military force and taken to a foreign country to live as captives.

I cannot even imagine the trauma of being relocated like that.  I would imagine escape back home would have been considered.  Or revolt.  Some attempt to regain freedom.

But even if escape were possible, home was a thousand miles away!  And now comes this letter from Jeremiah to say “Accept captivity!  Settle down!  Live in the new land.  Pray for your new home!  For seventy years!”

That must have seemed just the opposite of what they wanted to do.  And the harsh word that this was Your doing must have been confusing and hurtful.  But then, in the same breath, comes Your promise to them. “When seventy years are completed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My good promise to bring you back to this place.” And the reassurance that Your plan was to give them hope and a future.

Father, I have been in some hard places and I sometimes wonder if it’s really where You want me to be.  I trust the plans You have for me.  Even if it means I have to wait on Your timing.

Father, open my eyes to the truth of where I am right now. If I have gotten myself off Your path, show me how to return to it. 

If I am where You want me to be, help me hear your voice of encouragement.  And feel Your presence here with me. 

And if waiting is involved, help me wait patiently, prayerfully, praise-fully, and productively.  But please don’t let it take seventy years!

Show me Your plans as I need to see them.  My hope and my future are in You.  Amen

Jeremiah 29:1-14

Sept 16 God’s plan for all of us is the best plan for each of us

Father, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago.  He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working.

You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring.  For through his descendants came salvation on the cross.  And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah.  And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me.  You will “aid me against the enemy.”   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.”   

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years.  But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately!  I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now.  I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.

But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us.  Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts wise.  Do not let them be misled by the “wisdom of the world” or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh.  But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today.  Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right.”

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised.  Thank You.  Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:11-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Sept 2 Be still…

“Be still and know I am God.”   What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life.  Solomon wrote it all out Lord.  You have created “a time for everything under heaven.”  “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”  It goes on.  And I realize Father, that I need to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life.

Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away.”  I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things.  Help me also know when to “speak” and when to “be silent.”  When to “search” and when to “give up.” When to “embrace and when to refrain from embracing.”

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

June 9 Something BIGGER than myself!

Father, show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-8; Psalm 127:1-2

May 7 It’s all about You

Father, let me be like Hannah. 

Let me be earnest and persistent in prayer as Hannah was, pouring out my feelings and heartaches to You.

And like Hannah, when I make a promise to You, help me be true to my word, no matter how hard it is.  Hannah gave back to You the very thing she prayed for: a precious son.

Help me hold Your blessings loosely enough that I do not love them more than I love You.

I will rejoice as Hannah did over all You do for me.  Help me acknowledge that all my blessings come from You.  It is You who give life and take it away, You who send poverty and wealth. You who heal and save.

It is not by strength that any of us prevails, but You who deliver, give me strength, and give me victory over our enemies.

You are the Lord God Almighty who knows all and weighs all deeds.  You laid the foundations of the world and set it in place.  There is no one holy like You.  You are the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness.  You are my God.

Thank You for answering prayer.  Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

I Samuel 1:1-2:11

Jan 21 It’s all perspective

Holy Father, Your will often puzzles me. I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man.

In our human understanding of fairness that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes.

And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective.

My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in far better ways than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the “why” of it at the time, I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Oct 16 Trust God’s plan

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

These wonderful words of life and promise and hope that so many believers have claimed as personal encouragement were given first to a specific group of Your people who had rejected You.  They endured hardship by being forcibly removed from their homes and land.  They had been seized by a military force and taken to a foreign country to live as captives.

I cannot even imagine the trauma of being relocated like that.  I would imagine escape back home would have been considered.  Or revolt.  Some attempt to regain freedom.

But even if escape were possible, home was a thousand miles away!  And now comes this letter from Jeremiah to say “Accept captivity!  Settle down!  Live in the new land.  Pray for your new home!  For seventy years!”

That must have seemed just the opposite of what they wanted to do.  And the harsh word that this was Your doing must have been confusing and hurtful.  But then, in the same breath, comes Your promise to them. “When seventy years are completed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My good promise to bring you back to this place.” And the reassurance that Your plan was to give them hope and a future.

Father, I have been in some hard places and I sometimes wonder if it’s really where You want me to be.  I trust the plans You have for me.  Even if it means I have to wait on Your timing.

Father, open my eyes to the truth of where I am right now. If I have gotten myself off Your path, show me how to return to it. 

If I am where You want me to be, help me hear your voice of encouragement.  And feel Your presence here with me. 

And if waiting is involved, help me wait patiently, prayerfully, praise-fully, and productively.  But please don’t let it take seventy years!

Show me Your plans as I need to see them.  My hope and my future are in You.  Amen

Jeremiah 29:1-14

Sept 16 God’s plan for all of us is the best plan for each of us

Father, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago.  He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working.

You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring.  For through his descendants came salvation on the cross.  And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah.  And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me.  You will “aid me against the enemy.”   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.”   

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years.  But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately!  I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now.  I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.

But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us.  Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts wise.  Do not let them be misled by the “wisdom of the world” or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh.  But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today.  Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right.”

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised.  Thank You.  Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:11-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Sept 2 Be still…

“Be still and know I am God.”   What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life.  Solomon wrote it all out Lord.  You have created “a time for everything under heaven.”  “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”  It goes on.  And I realize Father, that I need to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life.

Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away.”  I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things.  Help me know when to “speak” and when to “be silent.”  When to “search” and when to “give up.” When to “embrace and when to refrain from embracing.”

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will.  You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses.  The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away.  Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years.  And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians.  The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven.  Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted.  And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times.  Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings.  I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”  – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life.  Help me be patient while I am waiting.  Help me “be strong and take heart.”

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations.  You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand.  And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings.  For Your promises.  For Your prophecies.  And for answering me when I seek Your face.  Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14

It’s all about You

Father, let me be like Hannah. 

Let me be earnest and persistent in prayer as Hannah was, pouring out my feelings and heartaches to You.

Father, there is much in the world to heartbroken over: illness, abuse, death, poverty, political disunity, injustice.  And You know each individual and their personal needs.   You know the desire of my heart as You knew Hannah’s.  Help me not give up, but persevere, keep praying, trusting in Your timing: for healing, for salvation, for peace.

And like Hannah, when I make a promise to You, help me be true to my word, no matter how hard it is.  Hannah gave back to You the very thing she prayed for: a precious son.

Help me hold Your blessings loosely enough that I do not love them more than I love You.

I will rejoice as Hannah did over all You do for me.  Help me acknowledge that all my blessings come from You.  It is You who give life and take it away, You who send poverty and wealth. You who heal and save.

It is not by strength that any of us prevails, but You who deliver, give me strength, and give victory over our enemies.

You are the Lord God Almighty who knows all and weighs all deeds.  You laid the foundations of the world and set it in place.  There is no one holy like You.  You are the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness.  You are my God.

Thank You for answering prayer.  Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

I Samuel 1:1-2:11

Apr 13 God’s Plan – not mine

Lord God, once again You show that You have a plan and are willing to include man in it.  You gave specific details of what Joshua was to do in order to gain Your victory.

First, though, the Israelites had to purge the sin from within their midst.  It is the same for me.  I cannot ask You for victory when I am harboring sin.

Then You told them “do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  It would have been easy to dwell on their last failure and be fainthearted in the presence of the same enemy who had routed them before.

When I have tried to do something in my own strength, and failed, it is hard to get up and try again without fearing the same disastrous result.

Next they had to follow Your plan exactly, to Your specifications and in Your timing.  That can be hard as well.

So often I second-guess You by trying to come up with my own plan.  There are ways that seem to make sense to man, but do not often yield the desired result.  So I must be willing to give up the direction my own thoughts lead me and be obedient to what You tell me.

Last, they enjoy the victory, giving thanks and credit to You.  They collected the spoil but went right to building an altar for offering sacrifices, acknowledging that You are the One who gave the victory.  Every person involved was present and attentive to Your words, being reminded of the blessings and the curses You promised.

When things go well, it’s easy to sit back and take the credit, not including You until I need You again.

But it is vital I recognize that the victories in my life come from You.  I am learning how to give credit to You without sounding false or insincere.  And it strengthens me to know You are involved in my life.

What was the result of this successfully executed plan?  Even more kings came together to make war against them!

Sometimes the battles we face, challenging as they may be, are simply preparation for bigger battles to follow!   But we can know that having done well will lay the groundwork for the next success.

Victory is ours when the battle is the Lord’s!  Amen.

Joshua 8:1-9:2

Jan 21 It’s all perspective

Holy Father, Your will often puzzles me. I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man.

In our human understanding of fairness that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes.

And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective.

My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in far better ways than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the “why” of it at the time, I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Jan 12 Trust God with it all

Thank You for sharing the secret to prosperity with us in today’s Proverb. It is a simple statement, but holds the key.

You instruct us to “honor You with our wealth, with the firstfruits of our crops.”

We often consider “honoring You with our wealth” to mean tithing money to an affiliated church. Period. And while money is certainly a part of our “wealth” it is not the only thing.

Some of us have a wealth of talent, some a wealth of personality, some a wealth of time, or of good health and energy. All these things are gifts from the Father of Lights from whom every good and perfect gift comes.

So we need to consider giving of our talents, our time, our energy, our relationships, all in a way that brings honor to You.

Lord, help me think beyond the change in my pocket. Let me glorify You in how I treat other people, how I speak to them, how I look on them in my heart attitude. Let the bounty of Your provision to me in time and talent overflow onto those around me.

Help me spend the minutes in my day as carefully as the dollars in my purse, in a way that points to You, and brings acknowledgement and praise to You.

Help me turn away from greed, selfishness, pride, arrogance; and reflect the righteous qualities of the fruit of the Spirit: goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, patience, peace, love, joy, and self-control.

The second part of the key is timing. The firstfruits of a crop are what is harvested before the rest of the crop is mature and ready to be gathered.

Earthly wisdom would be to “get what you can, can what you get, and sit on the can.” It would be to bank a “‘sure thing” and then wait to see if the rest of the crop comes in. After all, there could be floods, winds, freezes, insects or disease that could overtake a ripening crop and destroy it completely. Then nothing would be left to sustain the grower and give profit.

But to honor You with the firstfruits is an exercise in trust.

It means I am willing to sacrifice a “sure thing” because I trust the One who is in control of it all!

Help me act in faith, being willing to show I trust in You and in Your will for my life by giving You what is given to me first. Don’t let me be fearful of the future and stockpile the firstfruits for myself, then be satisfied with ”tipping” You if any is left over.

Father, thank You for this reminder that speaks again to the reassurance I have in You.  You are the One with the power and the might and the authority and the sovereignty over all things.

You remind me that I can trust You with all things in the present and the future. I choose to trust You with my words, my actions and my prayers. Amen

Proverbs 3:9-10

Sept 16 God’s plan for all of us is the best for each of us

Father, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago.  He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working.  You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring.  For through his descendants came salvation on the cross.  And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise. 

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah.  And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me.  You will “aid me against the enemy.”   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.” 

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years.  But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well. 

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately!  I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now.  I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.  

But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us.  Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts wise.  Do not let them be misled by the “wisdom of the world” or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh.  But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today.  Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right.” 

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised.  Thank You.  Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

May 7 It’s all about You

Father, let me be like Hannah.

Let me be earnest and persistent in prayer as Hannah was, pouring out my feelings and heartaches to You.

Father, there is much in the world to heartbroken over: illness, poverty, political disunity, abuse.  And You know each individual and their personal needs.   You know the desire of my heart as You knew Hannah’s.  Help me not give up, but persevere, keep praying, trusting in Your timing: for healing, for salvation, for peace.

And like Hannah, when I make a promise to You, help me be true to my word, no matter how hard it is.  Hannah gave back to You the very thing she prayed for: a precious son.

Help me hold Your blessings loosely enough that I do not love them more than I love You.

I will rejoice as Hannah did over all You do for me.  Help me acknowledge that all my blessings come from You.  It is You who give life and take it away, You who send poverty and wealth. You who heal and save.

It is not by strength that any of us prevails, but You who deliver and give victory over our enemies.

You are the Lord God Almighty who knows all and weighs all deeds.  You laid the foundations of the world and set it in place.  There is no one holy like You.  You are the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness.  You are my God.

Thank You for answering prayer.  Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

I Samuel 1:1-2:11

April 13 God’s Plan – not mine

Lord God, once again You show that You have a plan and are willing to include man in it.  You gave specific details of what Joshua was to do in order to gain Your victory.

First, though, the Israelites had to purge the sin from within their midst.  It is the same for me.  I cannot ask You for victory when I am harboring sin.

Then You told them “do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  It would have been easy to dwell on their last failure and be fainthearted in the presence of the same enemy who had routed them before.

When I have tried to do something in my own strength, and failed, it is hard to get up and try again without fearing the same disastrous result.

Next they had to follow Your plan exactly, to Your specifications and in Your timing.  That can be hard as well.

Take now, for instance.  The plan against this virus is to stay home unless absolutely necessary, until we are told it’s ok to go back to work and socialize again.  We are not a people who like to be told what we can or can’t do.  And most of us like to be “fixers,” and feel like we’re doing something active to combat our problems.

There are ways that seem to make sense to man, but do not often yield the desired result.  So I must be willing to give up the direction my own thoughts lead me and be obedient to what You tell me.  In this case, also to what our leaders are telling us because they are in authority.  And I need to pray for my leaders to have wise judgment as You have allowed them to be in those positions of authority.

When this is over, it is You who we must give thanks to.  Things may never be the same as they were before this crisis.  And when the Israelites won, even more kings came against them.  So I know this will not be the last crisis that we will deal with -, as individuals, or communities, or as a nation.

Sometimes the battles we face, challenging as they may be, are simply preparation for bigger battles to follow!   But we can know that having done well will lay the groundwork for the next success.

Victory is ours when the battle is the Lord’s!  Amen.

Joshua 8:1-9:2

Jan 21 It’s all perspective

Holy Father, Your will often puzzles me.

I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man.

In our human understanding of fairness that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work here out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes.

And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective.

My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in ways far better than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the “why” of it at the time, I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Jan 12 Trust God with it all

Thank You for sharing the secret to prosperity with us in today’s Proverb. It is a simple statement, but holds the key.

You instruct us to “honor You with our wealth, with the firstfruits of our crops.”

We often consider “honoring You with our wealth” to mean tithing money to an affiliated church. Period. And while money is certainly a part of our “wealth” it is not the only thing.

Some of us have a wealth of talent, some a wealth of personality, some a wealth of time, or of good health and energy. All these things are gifts from the Father of Lights from whom every good and perfect gift comes.

So we need to consider giving of our talents, our time, our energy, our relationships, all in a way that brings honor to You.

Lord, help me think beyond the change in my pocket. Let me glorify You in how I treat other people, how I speak to them, how I look on them in my heart attitude. Let the bounty of Your provision to me in time and talent overflow onto those around me.

Help me spend the minutes in my day as carefully as the dollars in my purse, in a way that points to You, and brings acknowledgement and praise to You.

Help me turn away from greed, selfishness, pride, arrogance; and reflect the righteous qualities of the fruit of the Spirit: goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, patience, peace, love, joy, and self-control.

The second part of the key is timing. The firstfruits of a crop are what is harvested before the rest of the crop is mature and ready to be gathered.

Earthly wisdom would be to “get what you can, can what you get, and sit on the can.” It would be to bank a “‘sure thing” and then wait to see if the rest of the crop comes in. After all, there could be floods, winds, freezes, insects or disease that could overtake a ripening crop and destroy it completely. Then nothing would be left to sustain the grower and give profit.

But to honor You with the firstfruits is an exercise in trust.

It means I am willing to sacrifice a “sure thing” because I trust the One who is in control of it all!

Help me act in faith, being willing to show I trust in You and in Your will for my life by giving You what is given to me first. Don’t let me be fearful of the future and stockpile the firstfruits for myself, then be satisfied with ”tipping” You if any is left over.

Father, thank You for this reminder that speaks again to the reassurance I have in You.  You are the One with the power and the might and the authority and the sovereignty over all things.

You remind me that I can trust You with all things in the present and the future. I choose to trust You with my words, my actions and my prayers. Amen

Proverbs 3:9-10

Sept 16 God’s plan is the best

Father, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago.  He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working.  You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring.  For through his descendants came salvation on the cross.  And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah.  And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me.  You will “aid me against the enemy.”   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.” 

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years.  But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately!  I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now.  I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.

But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us.  Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts wise.  Do not let them be misled by the “wisdom of the world” or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh.  But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today.  Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right.”

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised.  Thank You.  Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

May 6 Faith = things hoped for but not yet seen

Lord, may my faith be like that of the royal official.  He asked for You to come and heal his child who was close to death.  You simply told him “Go, your son will live.”  And he took You at Your word and left.

Even before he saw it with his own eyes, the circumstances proved that You did what You said You would do.  They even revealed that it happened exactly when You spoke!

Father, help me trust in You and what You tell me, even when I can’t see the results immediately.   When it is not in front of my eyes and the doubt of the world pushes in, don’t let my faith waver.  When it doesn’t seem to be happening quick enough let me be patient and trust that Your timing is perfect.

Reminds me of an old country hymn.  Part of the lyrics say:  “Take Him at His word when it’s not lookin’ good, believe that He’ll do what He said that He would…’”

I believe.  Amen

John 4:43-54

Jan 21 It’s all perspective

Holy Father, Your will often puzzles me. I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man.

In our human understanding of fairness that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work here out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes.

And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective.

My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in ways far better than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the “why” of it at the time, I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Dec 15 When?

Father, I wonder what the people thought when they heard this prophecy from Micah?  Were some moved to change their ways?  Did some campaign for a national awakening and shift in policy?

 

Did they just think it was for another generation?  Or that it would never happen?

Did they believe it at first, and then as time passed and destruction did not come, think they were safe in their sin, and settle back into complacency?

How was it in Noah’s time?  Did they all scoff at the ship builder’s efforts?

Micah at least gave hope, that after the calamity there would be a time of peace again.  Even though the Israelites were delivered from Babylon, was Micah looking even further into the future?

Moving from Micah’s prophecy to John’s Revelation puts the prophecy squarely into my time for consideration.  I have heard of “the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” since I was very young.  And as I grew to understand that they were a part of a bigger picture of the Revelation given in the Bible about end times, I began to wonder if these things would come in my lifetime.

Forty years ago as a young woman in college, I heard some sermons and read some pamphlets and believed the end times were upon us.  When I told my parents of my discovery they said that they too, when they had been in college twenty-five years earlier, had also made connections from prophecy to current events.  They had thought the same thing in their time.

It has been sixty-five years my father has waited, and now he is old.  It has been forty-five years for me, and I am old.   Will John’s Revelation come to pass in my lifetime?  I do not know.  Your time, Father, is not the same as my time.  Psalm 90:4 says  “A thousand years in Your sight is like a day…” 

I have studied Revelation enough to know that man will not know the day and time, but can certainly recognize the signs of its coming which You have revealed.  For me and my life, I can do no more than praise You as Your servant, minister in Your Name, and tell others of Your wonderful greatness.

O Lord, “May You bless [me] from Zion, You, who are the Maker of heaven and earth”.  Amen

Micah 4:1-13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 90:4; 134:1-3

Oct 16 Trust God’s plan

 

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

 

 

These wonderful words of life and promise and hope that so many believers have claimed as personal encouragement were given first to a specific group of Your people who had rejected You.  They endured hardship by being forcibly removed from their homes and land.  They had been seized by a military force and taken to a foreign country to live as captives.

I cannot even imagine the trauma of being relocated like that.  I would imagine escape back home would have been considered.  Or revolt.  Some attempt to regain freedom.

But even if escape were possible, home was a thousand miles away!  And now comes this letter from Jeremiah to say “Accept captivity!  Settle down!  Live in the new land.  Pray for your new home!  For seventy years!”

That must have seemed just the opposite of what they wanted to do.  And the harsh word that this was Your doing must have been confusing and hurtful.  But then, in the same breath, comes Your promise to them. “When seventy years are completed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My good promise to bring you back to this place.”

Father, I know I sometimes wonder if where I am is really the place You want me to be.  I trust the plans You have for me.  Even if it means I have to wait on Your timing.  But please don’t let it take seventy years, Lord!

The Israelites must have looked at their circumstances and doubted whether it could really be Your will.  Father, sometimes things don’t look too good to me either.  And I wonder how You will work things out for my good.  But I totally trust that You will.   I completely rely on Your faithfulness.

Father, open my eyes to the truth of where I am right now.

If I have gotten myself off Your path, show me how to return to it.  If I am where You want me to be, help me hear your voice of encouragement.  Help me feel Your presence here with me.  And if waiting is involved, help me wait patiently, prayerfully, praise-fully, and productively.

Show me those plans as I need to see them.  My hope and my future are in You.  Amen

Jeremiah 29:1-14

 

Sept 16 God’s plan for all of us in the best plan for each of us

Father, what an amazing plan You had for Abraham so long ago. He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working. You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring. For through his descendants came salvation on the cross. And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah. And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me. You will “aid me against the enemy.”  With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.”

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years. But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately. I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now. I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.

But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us. Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts wise. Do not let them be misled by the “wisdom of the world” or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh. But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today. Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right.”

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised. Thank You. Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Aug 5 Prophecies and Promises

Lord God, from today’s scriptures it is clear that you have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will. You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.

Their choices were clear. In obedience they would receive Your blessings. Disobedience would bring Your curses and they would be removed from the land You gave them as an inheritance. Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.

You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years. And the prophet Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!

Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken away into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon. Then the Persians came to power and overtook Babylon. Their King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven. Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go!

This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted! And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!

So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days.   All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times. Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.

I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings. I need to be watching so I am not misled.   My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.

I believe that I must “wait for You”. For Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life. Help me be patient while I am waiting. Help me to “be strong and take heart”.

You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations. You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand. And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.

Thank You for Your blessings. For Your promises. For Your prophecies. And for answering me when I seek Your face. Amen

Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5; Psalm 27:13-14

 

June 9 Something bigger than myself

Father, Show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory. I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure! I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name. It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work. And they created a masterpiece! It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever. He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion. He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is? I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure. Without You, I can do nothing. With You, I can do anything! Inspire me Lord. Empower me. Let me be part of Your great plan. Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-29; Psalm 127:1-2

Jan 21 It’s all perspective

Holy Father, Your will often puzzles me. I cannot see from Your perspective or understand the effects of actions looking forward into the future.

Your servant John the Baptist lived as a righteous man. He was a believer and taught of Your kingdom. He even baptized Jesus! He was a great part of Your plan; yet he was beheaded by an unrighteous, evil, manipulative man. In our human understanding of ‘fairness’ that seems so wrong.

Yet, again, our perspective is not Yours. And our life here on earth is not the end of it all. There is also what comes after: where and how we spend eternity.

So can I still pray for things to work here out here on earth, in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones? Yes. And can I ask in faith, believing, and not doubting? Absolutely!

But I must remember that You answer prayer from a greater perspective. My sight and my ability to see “the solution” are very limited. Even in my own life, I have prayed and You have answered in ways far better than anything I had asked for, or could have even imagined.

And can I trust Your answer? Without a doubt!

Even if I can’t understand the ‘why’ of it at the time. I know that Your love for me is great. And You are trustworthy. And Your sense of mercy and justice are right.

So no matter how things look from my perspective, I will proclaim boldly with the Psalmist, “As for God, His way is perfect!”

Matthew 14:1-12; Psalm 18:30

Jan 12 Trust God with it all

Thank You for sharing the secret to prosperity with us in today’s Proverb. It is a simple statement, but holds the key.

You instruct us to “honor You with our wealth, with the firstfruits of our crops”. We so often consider “honoring You with our wealth’ to be tithing money to an affiliated church. Period. And while money is certainly a part of our ‘wealth’ it is not the only thing.

Some of us have a wealth of talent, some a wealth of personality, some a wealth of time, or of good health and energy. All these things are gifts from the Father of Lights from whom every good and perfect gift comes. So we need to consider giving of our talents, our time, our energy, our relationships, all in a way that brings honor to You.

Lord, help me think beyond the change in my pocket. Let me glorify You in how I treat other people, how I speak to them, how I look on them in my heart attitude. Let the bounty of Your provision to me in time and talent overflow onto those around me.

Help me spend the minutes in my day as carefully as the dollars in my purse, in a way that points to You, and brings acknowledgement and praise to You. Help me turn away from greed, selfishness, pride, arrogance; and reflect the righteous qualities of the fruit of the Spirit: goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, patience, peace, love, joy, and self-control.

The second part of the key is timing. The firstfruits of a crop are what is harvested before the rest of the crop is mature and ready to be gathered. Earthly wisdom would be to ‘get what you can, can what you get, and sit on the can’. It would be to bank a ‘sure thing’; and then wait to see if the rest of the crop comes in. After all, there could be floods, winds, freezes, insects or disease that could overtake a ripening crop and destroy it completely. Then nothing would be left to sustain the grower and give profit.

But You tell me to honor You with the firstfruits. It’s an exercise in trust.

It means I am willing to sacrifice a ‘sure thing’ because I trust the One who is in control of it all. Help me act in faith, being willing to show I trust in You and in Your will for my life, by giving You what is given to me first. Don’t let me be fearful of the future and stockpile the firstfruits for myself, then be satisfied with ‘tipping’ You if any is left over.

Father, thank You for this reminder that speaks again to the reassurance I have in You. You are the One with the power and the might and the authority and the sovereignty over all things. It reminds me that I can trust You with all things in the present and the future. I choose to trust You with my words, my actions and my prayers. Amen

Proverbs 3:9-10

Dec 15 When?

Father, I wonder what the people thought when they heard this prophecy from Micah? Were some moved to change their ways? Did some campaign for a national awakening and shift in policy?

Did they just think it was for another generation? Or that it would never happen?

Did they believe it at first, and then as time passed and destruction did not come, think they were safe in their sin, and settle back into complacency?

How was it in Noah’s time? Did they all scoff at the ship builder’s efforts?

Micah at least gave hope, that after the calamity there would be a time of peace again. Even though the Israelites were delivered from Babylon, was Micah looking even further into the future?

Moving from Micah’s prophecy to John’s Revelation puts the prophecy squarely into my time for consideration. I have heard of ‘the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ since I was very young. And as I grew to understand that they were a part of a bigger picture of the Revelation given in the Bible about end times, I began to wonder if these things would come in my lifetime.

Forty-five years ago as a young woman in college, I heard some sermons and read some pamphlets and believed the end times were upon us. When I told my parents of my ‘discovery’, they said that they too, when they had been in college twenty-five years earlier, had also made connections from prophecy to current events. They had thought the same thing in their time.

It has been seventy years my father has waited, and now he is old. It has been forty-five years for me, and I am old.   Will John’s Revelation come to pass in my lifetime? I do not know. Your time, Father, is not the same as my time. Psalm 90:4 says “A thousand years in Your sight is like a day…”.

I have studied this Revelation enough to know that man will not know the day and time, but can certainly recognize the signs of its coming which You have revealed. For me and my life, I can do no more than praise You as Your servant, minister in Your Name, and tell others of Your wonderful greatness. O Lord, “May You bless [me] from Zion, You, who are the Maker of heaven and earth”. Amen

Micah 4:1-13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 90:4; 134:1-3

Oct 16 Trust God’s plan

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” These wonderful words of life and promise and hope that so many believers have claimed as personal encouragement were given first to a specific group of Your people who had rejected You and endured such hardship that they had been forcibly removed from their homes and land. They had been seized by a military force and taken to a foreign country to live as captives.

I cannot even imagine the trauma of being relocated like that. I would imagine escape back home would have been considered. Or revolt. Some attempt to regain freedom. But even if escape were possible, home was a thousand miles away! And now comes this letter from Jeremiah to say ‘Accept captivity! Settle down! Live in the new land. Pray for your new home! For seventy years!’

That must have seemed just the opposite of what they wanted to do. And the harsh word, that this was Your doing must have been confusing and hurtful. But then, in the same breath, comes Your promise to them. “When seventy years are completed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My good promise to bring you back to this place”.

Father, I know I sometimes wonder if where I am is really the place You want me to be. I trust the plans You have for me. Even if it means I have to wait on Your timing. But please don’t let it take seventy years, Lord! David prayed, and I do too, “Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in You.” Thank You Lord, that You are “forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call on You.” Thank You that You do “Hear my prayer, Lord,” and “listen to my cry for mercy.” I praise You that You are “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”.

The Israelites must have looked at their circumstances and doubted whether it could really be Your will. Father, sometimes things don’t look too good to me either. And Iwonder how You will work things out for my good. But I totally trust that You will.   I completely “rely on Your faithfulness”.

Father, open my eyes to the truth of where I am right now. If I have gotten myself off Your path, show me how to return to it. If I am where You want me to be, help me hear your voice of encouragement. Help me feel Your presence here with me. And if waiting is involved, help me wait patiently, prayerfully, praise-fully, and productively.   Show me those plans as I need to see them. My hope and my future are in You. Amen

Jeremiah 29:1-14; Psalm 86:1-17

Sept 2 A Time for everything

“Be still and know I am God”.  What a great reminder! When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You. But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence. It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself. “Be still and know I am God”.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You. One at a time, You take them and ease them away from me. You can handle whatever it is, because You are God. I know this. Not just ‘I-read-it-in-a-book’ know it. But ‘I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust’ know it. You are God and there is no other. You are God and there is no other.

If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them: youth, appearance, energy, vitality, children, financial security, what I can do for others. There is a long the list of things that I sometimes gain my identity from. But I lay each of them down. My identity, who I really am, comes only from You. Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life. Solomon wrote it all out Lord. You have created “a time for everything under heaven”. “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” It goes on. And I realize Father that I need to, I want to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life. Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away”. I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things. Help me know when to “speak” and when to “be silent”, when to “search” and when to “give up”, when to “embrace” and when to “refrain from embracing”.

As I read each pairing I can feel You speaking to me. You lead me to a place in my spirit where either one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life. Thank You Lord. Thank You for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.” Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10