Daily Devotional - 9/21/15 (1/21/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 3
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)


Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 81


"Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!... He says, " I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you,.." ( vs. 1, 6, 7a)

Sing for joy...

Be happy and excited about God and His strength...

No matter what is going on in our lives, we are to rejoice in the Lord. Circumstances will always let us down but God will not. We can always rejoice in Him for He removes our burdens. He frees up our hands from the slave labor of the world. He gives us a new perspective. He rescues us from all that would harm us including ourselves. God answers. God is worthy of our praise, always.


"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you - if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." (vs. 8-10)

Beyond rejoicing, we must listen and obey. There should be nothing that rivals God in our lives and in our hearts; nothing should get in the way to our obedience and worship. Work, schedules, exhaustion, ourselves - these things are not worth serving. Life will go on without us, but will we go on without God? Don't bow down to them. Remember it is God that has brought us here to this point in our lives and will continue to take care of us if we let Him. He brought us up out of our Egypts; our captivity. He is wanting to fill us up. We need to open wide our mouths. Give God the opportunity to work. There is no limit to God and how He works.


"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices." (vs. 11-12)

The problem though, is that we struggle to listen. We forget God is speaking to us all the time and the world is so noisy that it is hard for us to hear His voice unless we are focusing intently on it. We need to make a concerted effort to hear and when we ask for something, we need to pay attention so that we can hear the answer. I think we are often like children who ask questions of their parents and then get so sidetracked that they never hear the answers. We need to be still and listen and then we will hear God. Beyond hearing, though, we need to obey. We have to submit our will to His because He knows what is best for us. If we ignore Him, eventually He will let us go our own way.  He will give us over to our rebellion and self will but it will break His heart.  We will wander like the Israelites in the desert until we die or have a change of heart.

"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before Him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (vs. 13-16)

When we decide to change our minds, however, and begin listening to God, then He can come to our rescue.  If we start putting His words into practice, we will see miracles. God's love for us is so clear as He speaks of how quickly He will subdue our enemies if we take His messages to heart. He is speaking to us relentlessly and waiting to bless us and take care of us. If we will listen and obey, God can and will turn anything around in our lives - illness, debt, clutter, lack of organization, ineffectiveness, bad schedules, bad parenting, bad marriages. God can transform any of these things in a minute. God is waiting. It's up to us now.

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,


We long to be filled by You. Help us to rid ourselves of the idols in our lives and the things that we strive after instead of you. Help us to be still and hear Your voice. Help us to be still and know that you are God and we are not. Life will go on without us. We are not indispensable. Our relationship with You is all that really matter and You will take care of the rest. We want to obey. We want to rejoice. Help us. We are opening wide our mouths. We are waiting on You. We will let You lead us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Am I praising God and focusing on all He has done for me? What did He set me free from? What was I in slave labor to and what burdens has He lifted from me?

2. Do I have idols in my life? What do I devote most of my time to? Is it worth it? How can I change my priorities to make sure God is in first place?

3. Am I listening to God's voice? What distracts me from hearing Him? Am I allowing myself quiet time in which I can meditate on His word? How can I incorporate more time for reflection into my life?

4. Am I obeying the voice of God in my life?  Am I allowing Him to subdue my enemies? What enemies do I have that need subduing?

5. Am I remembering God's love for me in all of this? How has He shown His love in my life?  How can I focus on this more?

Daily Devotional - 9/9/15 (11/9/09)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about your family



Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 69



"My eyes fail, looking for my God...May those who hope in You not be disgraced because of me, ...But I pray to You, O Lord, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation...Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide Your face from Your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes...

The Lord hears the needy and does not despise His captive people. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell there." ( vs. 3b, 6a, 13, 16, 33-36)


Sometime we are searching, and sometimes we are finding.  There are many seasons in our lives.  I love the scripture in Ecclesiastes that highlights this.

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:

 

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace."

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Psalm 69 contrasts two seasons - a season of struggle and a season of rebuilding.  Both are written by the same person.  I know I have been through both seasons and though I love the rebuilding, I do not regret the seasons of struggle.  I would not want to go through some of the valleys I have been through again, but I would never want to take them back.  They are why I am where I am at now and God has used them.  He has used them to humble me and to show me what life is truly about. 

I was very arrogant as a young person and I did not really understand struggle.  Many things came easy to me and so I became very prideful and sure of myself.  But we can not find God if there is no room for Him in our hearts; if we are too full of ourselves.  That was me.  I had been trained to be a student, not a person.  I was taught to achieve, not love.  I was taught that it was all about me.  There was no room for God in my life, even though I professed to be a Christian.  God had to allow me to face complete and utter moral failure so that I could truly see who I was.

All the things that I used to hide behind were stripped away in college.  It was there that I truly began to understand that I was not a "good person".  Whatever I had was not of my own doing.  I did not make myself intelligent.  That was a gift of God.  I did not make myself athletically talented.  That too was a gift of God.  What I had made of myself, however, was a mess.  I could finally see how I used people.  I could see how I thought so many mean and impure thoughts.  I could see how I thought I was better than others because of the gifts that God had given me.  I could finally see clearly. 

I did not want to bring shame and disgrace on those that hoped in God anymore.  I claimed to be a Christian, but in my actions I was denying Him.  I was as big of a hypocrite as the people I hated for being hypocritical.  In God's great mercy, He had allowed me to see this.  He did not show me this to destroy me, however.  He showed me this so that I could change.  He allowed me to start over.  He came to my rescue.  I had searched and searched for Him and He was found.  At the right time, when I was most open to see the truth, God was there.  God is here.  I was crushed so that I could rise to a better life.

God saved me from myself and He continues to save me from myself.  I can not believe how far I have come and I am so grateful that I can now understand life better and I know what it is to struggle.  I know what it is to have to climb that long ladder back up to normal; to be a successfully functioning human being.  God does restore and rebuild, even if everything right now lies in chaos around us and we struggle to get through each day. God will not despise us. The poor and needy will see and be glad. Our hearts will live. Our searching for God is not in vain. We will find Him and He will reward us if we are faithful.  I praise God every day for this.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We grow weary searching for You. We are looking. We are struggling but You are strong. You are waiting for us to come to You. You are not far from each one of us. Help us to clear all the fog from our vision and throw off the sin that so easily entangles us. Help us to run our race with perseverance and not lose sight of our goal to make it to be with You. Keep our sights eternal. We love You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What season am I in right now?  How do I know this?  What seasons have I gone through?  What have I learned from them?

2. Am I disgracing God and/or my brothers and sisters by the way I am living? What do I need to change to be living a life that pleases God?

3. Am I praying and pleading with God about my needs? How often am I praying? Can I make a schedule that would enable me to have more time to pray? When is the best time for me to pray? Where is most effective?

4. What do I need God to rebuild in my life? In what way am I like the cities of Judah that were torn down? How can God restore me? Do I believe God can and desires to do this?

5. How will I be able to help others better once I am rebuilt by God? What is my vision for what my life could be like and what is my vision for how God could use me?

Daily Devotional - 9/5/15 (11/5/09)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude

Day 1
Pray for:
One thing I am grateful for about the country that I live in


Thank God for the effect that what I am grateful for has on:
my spiritual life
my physical life
my emotional life
my mental life



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 65


"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions, Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas," ( vs. 2-5)

"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. ..You crown the year with Your bounty and Your carts overflow with abundance." (vs. 9a ; 11)



We worship "O You who hear prayer." What a good way to describe God. He hears our prayers.  He is waiting to hear from us.  It is hard sometimes to find a person who can listen to us.  Everyone is so busy these days and most people have so many things to deal with already.  Yet, God always has time.  Even silly little things are not unimportant to Him.  I am grateful I can turn to Him and pour out my heart at anytime.  I am never alone.

I am grateful that there is more to life than just the physical aspects; the seen.  I know there is more, but many people can not get beyond the seen.  This does not negate what is true, however.  There is a greater truth that does exist and some day we will all know it.  Some day, all men will come to God and bow down before Him, acknowledging that He is who the Bible says He is.  We are blessed if we have been given the opportunity to know and follow God. He chose us, not the other way around. That should make us eternally grateful; that we were chosen and that we will be filled with all the good things that God has in His house.  How grateful I am that He has chosen me now.  I am grateful that He picked me.  Why? I do not know but I thank Him daily.  I truly am blessed. 

I am also thankful that God forgives our sins. That is what makes Christianity so different. Many religions teach us how to live and have noble aspects to them but there is always the problem of sin.  We have all sinned.  We are all separated at some point because of this.  We can never work our way to forgiveness or become good enough to pay for what we have done in the past and what we continue to do because of our human frailty.  But in Christ, there is forgiveness of sin.  This forgiveness comes through the death of Jesus on the cross.

 God is the hope of all the earth. He is my hope. He can do anything and everything, even care for the land. I do not need to worry.  God is the one who keeps this whole planet functioning and He cares for all that is alive on earth. He knows every single bird. He knows the number of hears on our heads. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same.  Is there anyone else like our God?  No, not one.

God's ways are right.  God's ways are loving.  Crown us with Your bounty, Lord.  Yes, crown us as we strive to follow You. Surely Your cart does overflow.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We are so grateful to have been chosen by You and brought close to You. We are so grateful that even though You are caring for everything n the world, You still have time for us. You have so much abundance and blessings. You are able to provide richly for us. Help us to remember that Your idea of riches and abundance are often different than ours. You are our hope.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Do I believe that God hears prayer? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?


2. Am I asking God for forgiveness for my sins on a daily basis? Am I feeling overwhelmed or relieved? Can I make a daily list of what I need forgiving from for a week and then commit to praying about these needs?


3. Do I realize that I have been chosen by God? Am I living like a chosen one? How can my life reflect this in a greater way?


4. Do I realize that God is managing and running the whole world? List twenty of the things that God does on a day to day basis in keeping the earth functioning?

5.  Do I think about the power of God that is available in my life if He is able to do all the things previously written down? What should I be bringing to Him in prayer if I believe He is truly in charge of everything?

Daily Devotional - 9/3/15 (11/3/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers



Day 6
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to
One person that you have read about that is still alive



Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 63



"O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is not water. 

I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.  Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.  My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me."     ( vs. 1 - 6 )


I have seen the power of God. I have seen Him change me. I have seen Him change others. I have also seen great victories. I know I would be nothing without Him and that He is all that I have that is good. I don't know how I knew this at 17 but I did.  I had been wandering and I was thirsty and weary.  I had great achievements - valedictorian, athlete, popular.  I had been able to travel to Europe and Japan, among other places.  Basically, I had done everything that I wanted had wanted to.  I had accomplished all my goals up to that point, and yet I was dying.  I was so empty.  Life was meaningless to me.  I went from one party to the next trying to fill the ache inside; using and being used.  I made an ultimatum with God.  Show me this is real!  And He did.  When I finally saw the Bible being lived out, then I knew.  I had to respond.  I clung to God because I knew that He was my only hope for a better life and that if I walked away from Him, I would be walking away from the best thing that I ever would have.  I was right.  I have had many wonderful things in my life and even now, life is good; but I still  have never found anything like God.

I must always remember this.   God's love is better than life.  Life is a struggle, God's love is not.  I will be satisfied. I will choose to be satisfied.  Day in and day out.  It is a choice and I will make it.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,



We will be satisfied. We will turn our eyes to You and our hearts to remembering. We have beheld Your power and Your glory. We will remember. Help us when we are faltering and forgetting. Help us when we wander. We choose today to be satisfied. Your love is better than anything that we have.  All our blessings have come from You. You are the great Giver. You are the perfect Father and Husband. We run to You and hide in the shelter of Your wings. Help us. We are damaged people longing to be healed. Help us to learn to sing again and to be mentally, emotionally, physically, and most important of all, spiritually healed so that we might be able to serve You.  We desire to worship You completely and acceptably. We come before You in humble adoration. Please accept us today and always.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. How am I feeling about life?  Do I feel weary, thirsty, and parched or do I feel refreshed and rejuvenated?  How is my relationship with God?

2. How has God's power been expressed in my life? Do I recognize God's glory? Am I praising Him daily?

3. Do I truly believe that God's love is better than life? How do I know this? How do I show it?

4. Am I satisfied with God alone? What tends to get me feeling dissatisfied? How can I stop allowing these things to distract me from God?

5. Am I clinging to God?  Am I letting God heal me? What do I need to be healed from? How can running to the shelter of God's wings heal me?

Daily Devotional - 9/2/15 (11/2/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers


Day 5
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 62



"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." ( vs. 1-2 )

I am so tired tonight.  Going back to work from the summer break is hard as it brings long days and short nights.  Hours in the car fighting traffic and endless commitments.  I can hardly think, but I keep going.  What is important gets done and we keep moving on.  My time with God is my only time to myself, but most importantly, it is my lifeline. If I did not have God, I would surely be lost.  First of all, I would not have my family, my husband, or my beautiful children.  I would not be a teacher, and probably, I would not be alive.  I have found rest despite being exhausted.  I have a stronghold.  I have something beyond this life.  I always thought that if all we had to live for was the 9 to 5 and the grow old, get a job, raise a family, then die type of life than it was all so hopeless.  I am so glad that God showed me something different.

"My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty Rock, my Refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." ( vs. 7-8 )

Besides rest, my honor comes from God as well.  If I had been left to myself, I wouldn't have had any honor.  I was not a very nice person before I became a Christian.  I used people and all I cared about was myself and my desires.  I was full of anger and rage and had a seared conscience.  I was so hardened by sin, that my spiritual transformation took a long time.  I did not change overnight when I decided to follow God.  Yes, I had grace, but the real work was just beginning.  The consequences of only 17 years of godless living have now taken thirty plus years to overcome.  It is hard for me to imagine, but I have been trying to do this since 1983; all of my adult life has been dedicated to becoming closer and closer to God.  It has taken all that time to develop, through God, whatever honor I have now.  What a thought!  My integrity has come through walking through the furnaces and learning the hard way what it means to serve Him

One thing I am especially grateful for is that during all of this time, I have always had God to run to and to hide in.  When the going got rough, as it often did, I poured out my heart to Him and then just slept an empty sleep, letting His spirit burn off the dross of my soul.  In the morning when I would awake, I would be a little bit better; a little closer to the woman of integrity that I longed to be.  The sun always seemed to shine brighter on those days and everything was a bit clearer.  It was as if I could see God shining through.

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving. Surely You will reward each person according to what he has done." (vs. 11-12 )


Finally, I will remember that God is strong. That fact is a given which I need to always remember. He is not like me. He is more than capable. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God is huge and powerful. God is able!  I will also remember that God is loving. He loves me. He loves You. All of what He does day to day in maintaining and running the universe is in an effort to try and bring people back to Him. That is His ultimate goal and desire. He desires that all men are saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (I Tim 2:3-4). Let us be faithful.  It is worth it.  I know.  God will reward us if we are faithful. He will reward us for what we have done! Let us do something worthy of being rewarded today!




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We are coming to You. Our souls find rest in You alone. Thank You for providing us with the refuge that we so long for. We are lonely, weary travelers here. We are so different that sometimes it is tiresome. But You know. You are strong and You are loving. You will be here for us and provide for us. You are our fortress and refuge. We will trust in You. We will pour out our hearts to You. We will commit with our hearts and souls to serving You. We know You will reward us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT




1. Am I finding rest in God alone? What other things do I try to find rest in? How can I turn more to God for the rest and refreshing that I need?

2. Am I easily shaken? What does my stability say about my relationship with God? How can I become more stable?

3. Which of the names of God mentioned here do I most identify with? What does it mean to me to know that God has these qualities? How can this help me to trust in Him at all times?

4. Am I remembering that God is strong and loving? Which of these is harder for me to remember? Why?

5.  Am I living as if I believed He was going to reward me according to what I have done? What would I change if I truly believed He was going to do this?

Daily Devotional - 8/27/15 (10/27/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 6
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you

Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not


Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 57


"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me." ( vs. 1 - 2)


God fulfills His purposes for us. It is not our will that succeeds. We can make all the plans in the world but in the end, it is what God wants that triumphs. This can be a relief if we are hiding in the shadow of His wings, or a frustration if we are fighting His will for us. Hosea echoes this sentiment, "Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9)  If we are not willing to accept and live the life God has planned out for us, we will always have trouble and difficulties.


"For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (vs. 10)


If we consider the love God has for us, this walking in His will would not be so hard. When we know someone loves us, we are willing to do just about anything for them. God loves us more than anything that we can imagine.   God's love is all around us.   It fills the heavens and reaches to the sky.  We cannot, with our mortal eyes, detect where the sky starts and stops and so it is with God's love. We cannot tell, as humans, where His love starts and stops. It just is; like the air. Without the air, we would die. Without God's love, we would all die as well. Sometimes we hear statements such as "How could there be so much bad in the world if God exists". If God didn't exist, that is all there would be. There would be no good anymore.

 God is love. God is goodness and kindness expressed. God is beauty. God is light. Without God, there would be none of that. It would be all evil and darkness all of the time. God gave us freewill, and Satan does roam.  We must remember that - there are two sides in this battle.  I am grateful that there is someone good to cling to and that there is morning after night and sunshine after rain. I am glad there is God.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


I am glad that You have a purpose for me. I had so many dreams as I was growing up, but now - I have You. As my life is half over, I see how fleeting our time is. We want to number our days right and focus on walking in Your ways and Your will. We can get so preoccupied in our successes and failures, but we are so minuscule in the scope of eternity. We run to the refuge of Your wings. We long for Your love and faithfulness. We get so exhausted. You have the strength. You are to be exalted. We thank You for giving us life and we praise Your glory and perfection. We know the world would be a dark dark place without You. Help us to reflect Your glory and shed more joy and hope into the world. Help us to make it a better place for our existence as well. We love You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. What purposes does God have for me? Am I walking in them or stumbling in them?  Why?

2. Do I believe God's ways are right? Which of God's ways are the most difficult for me to believe are right? Why?

3. How do I feel about good and evil?  Why?  Can this view be supported biblically?

4. What does God's love mean to me? Is it easy or difficult for me to comprehend? How can I have a deeper understanding of it?

5. How has God been faithful to me? Have I been faithful to God? How can I be more faithful?

Daily Devotional for 8/21/15 (10/21/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 51


"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)

"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)

"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)

In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)


True religion is something totally different than what most of us think.  Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts.  Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love.  What is the greatest commandment?  Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39).  This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love. 

God is love.  Do we remember this?


I think we forget.  We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away.  God does not care.  God is not fair.  God is mean.  God hates.  God just wants me to obey.  But is this really true?  Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us?  Can we ever be good enough?

The answer to all these types of questions are no.  No, no, no.  God is love.  God wants truth.  God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You."  God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different.  Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us.  Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.


I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well.  There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed.  I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life. 

But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek.  I believe this barrier is sin.  Sometimes we think we are so clever.  We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out.  We think no one can really see what is going on within us.  Well, that is not really true is it?  God sees everything.  God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.

When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times.  Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's.  I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing.  It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret.  I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.


So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them.  We need to seek repentance.  We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help.  We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right.  That is what I had to do.

I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me.  He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers.  He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence.  But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be?  This is where Psalm 51 is essential.  It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.

When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life.  He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment.  He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could.  He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.

I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life.  My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it.  Sin hardens us.  Sin hardens and breaks us.  This world is broken.  I was broken.  Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves.  It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences.  It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world.  We can not be close to God and be in sin as well.  It is impossible. 

I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation.  I needed a new heart, and new spirit.  I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.

I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough.  God did have mercy on me.  He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  God was faithful and created a pure heart within me.  I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different.  Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God.  I could have integrity.  I could have truth.  I could walk without fear of what I was hiding. 

God was and is faithful.  Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.

I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper.  He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.





Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Have mercy on us we pray.  Forgive us our sins.  Cleanse us.  Only You can do this.  We thank You for forgiving us.  We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT


1. What do I think God really wants from me?  Why?  Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not?  How can I get a more accurate view?

2. Do I realize how much I sin against God?  Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?  Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God?  Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me?  How can I remind myself of this fact?

3. Do I feel burdened by past sins?  Have I been forgiven?  How do I know?  Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?

4. What does repentance mean to me?  What do I do when I have done something wrong?  How do I deal with it?  Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?

5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?

Daily Devotional - 9/16/10 (10/16/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends



Day 2


Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.





Psalms 46




"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (vs. 1-2)



Tomorrow I am going to a reunion in San Diego. As I was preparing to go, I became very sad and frustrated. I was afraid to go. Afraid to face my out of shape body and my inability to play a sport I once loved and still do. Afraid of what I have cut myself off from. Afraid of bad memories and feelings of failure that I left when I left that city. I haven't been back in many years. I haven't had any desire to return except perhaps to play waterpolo. That I have missed and longed for. That is why I am returning. But I know that my body will betray me. My life is so different now. But God is still my refuge. Even in these vague murmurings and sadness. I am still going. I am going to face my fears and my sadness. God is my help and this is my time to deal with my six years in San Diego. I cannot cut out so many years anymore. I must begin to synthesize my life and accept all of it.



"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (vs. 7)



And God will be with me. He is my fortress as I deal with my soul. He is the healer of wounds we cannot see. No one else knows the aches in our hearts as He does and no one can be a fortress for us. No one else can save us from ourselves.



"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (vs. 10)



I will be still and know that God is God. I will go to the bluffs and the ocean and all the old places and I will feel once again all the pain and I will let it go. I will let God be God and I will be still. I will listen to what those years have brought me to now. I had to go through the fires. I had to experience it. I would not go back or take it over and yet I would not wish it on anyone else either. But I will be still tomorrow, all day, and I will listen. I will laugh and do my best and reconnect and be someone that I was not in a place that I once was. God will be exalted, somehow, because God is always exalted whether we do the exalting or not. Hopefully, I will join in with the earth and exalt as well. It will be okay. I will be okay and when I return home, I will be better than I was. I will be more complete.



"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacobs is our fortress." (vs. 11)


Amen




Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


You know the sadness and the wounds of our hearts. It is so easy to put band aids on gaping holes and move on but You know and You arrange for us to meet the healing forces or face the pain again so that there may be closure. As we face our fears, help us to remember that You are our refuge and strength and that You are our ever present fortress. Help us to stop running from our painful pasts. Help us to embrace them and learn what You would have us learn.

We respect those that are able to face great tragedies and turn them into triumphs. Most of our pains are of the lesser type but in our souls they are festering and they are keeping us from fully living. Help us to come to grips with all our experiences, good and bad, and help us to use them to glorify you by strengthening others. You have great plans for us. You allow us to suffer so that in the end You may be lifted up through us and used, just as Jesus suffered and was used to save all those who would come to Him. We are grateful for all of our experience and we are grateful for Your saving grace. We will be still and know that You are God. Help us to do this. Help us to quiet our souls and hear Your voice. Help us to know now and always, that You are God.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Am I running from any past memories or experiences? Why am I doing this?

2. How can I face these experiences and work through them so that I can have closure and move on in my life? What help is available for me?

3. What am I afraid of? Am I giving these things over to God in prayer? Am I remembering God in these moments of fear?

4. Am I still before God? How can I be still before God?
5. What does it mean to me to know that God is God?  How can I practically do this more and more in my life?

Daily Devotional - 8/15/10 (9/15/09)

Focus Letter - O



Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter


Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 15



"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?  Who may live on your holy hill?" (vs 1)


This question is in the hearts of most people whether they acknowledge it or not.  We wonder if we are really going to make it and what it takes.  Compare this verse to the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18: 18-30 (also Matt 19:16-30).  He had everything going for him in a worldly sense and yet he still came to Jesus asking, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 18 b)

Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man said he had.  Then Jesus took it higher and confronted the man's heart.  He told him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me (vs 22b)."   In Psalms 15, the psalmist also lays out several principles to follow that are very intensive.  He then states that if we do these things, we will never be shaken - we will, in effect, make it. 

In Luke, however, the rich young ruler walks away sad.  He was not willing to part with his great wealth and often this is like us as well.  We wonder in our hearts what it takes to be right with God and yet when we find out,  we don't want to do what it takes to obey.  We walk away sad or we feel overwhelmed and hopeless at the prospect of really trying to live an exceptional life.  Many times we rationalize away the requirements of God by saying that the Bible was written a long time ago, or can be interpreted many ways.  Sometimes we focus only on the passages about God being loving and we throw around the statement that if God is love, then how can He judge or condemn.  We pick and chose what we will obey.  But do these coping mechanisms really solve the questions that lie deep in our hearts? 

I don't believe they do.  It reminds me of the line by Thoreau in Walden (1854) - "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." We go about our business and say everything is fine but deep down, a nagging feeling sits within us, rising occasionally, and so we too ask, "What will it take for me to make it?"


So, let's take a look at the different conditions in the psalm.  This is who will make it:

"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (vs. 2-5)


This is a high calling.  This is probably not what we expect.  Often we think of salvation we focus on the big things, "the externals".  We figure if we don't murder, or steal,  if we go to church once in awhile, if we are a good person (according to our definition) then we are okay.  But God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7).  The requirements in this psalm are like those in Luke and also those in the greatest commandment -  "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)"  It is all about who we are deep down.   Can we say we are blameless?  I can not.  Can we say we speak the truth and never slander or say bad things about someone?  I can not.  Do we hate what God hates and honor what is good?  Often it is the opposite for us.  Do we keep our oath, even when it is hard to do?  Or is it easy to just blow things off?  Are we above reproach?  No.  We cover up all these shortcomings with the bandaid of outwardly appearing good or together, and so the question nags at us.  We know what we are really like.  Even the best of us, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, are far from the mark.

So what are we to do?  The disciples in the story about the rich young ruler also asked this question when the man went away sad.  Jesus said as he left, "'How hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'  Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' (Luke 18:24b-26)"  A good question to ask when we look at what is needed.  The passage goes on - "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' (Luke 18:27)" 

And with this we praise God.  We can be saved.  We can be purified from the inside and we can be forgiven.  Then we can walk in continual forgiveness as we strive to do our best at obeying God.  He knows we will sin; that is why Jesus died.  We are to walk in the light of God and walk in openness, and then the blood of Jesus will purify us from all unrighteousness.  The key is to acknowledge our sin and turn away from that which is wrong in our lives and strive to be different.  With God, we can do it.  The impossible will be possible.  Then as we grow, we will become more and more like the person in this psalm and we truly will, never be shaken.

This passage in I John is a great summary of this miracle.

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
     If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
    My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 
    We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in Him:  Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."  (I John 1:5 - 2:6)



Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,

We thank You for the miracle of being able to have a relationship with You.  We are not able to meet the requirements of heaven alone and so we praise You for providing a way for us to make it.  All things are possible with You.  Help us to strive our best to walk in the light and to confess our sins so that we may be healed.  We have all fallen short.  We are so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus.  We are so grateful that He is interceding for us and that his blood covers over our sins.  We long to never be shaken.  Grant us the strength to stay on the path to You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Which of these requirements of God are most difficult for me? Why?

2. Do I hate evil?  How can I hate evil without being self-righteous?  Do I honor what God honors?  Do I honor those who fear the Lord?  Why or why not?  How can I change?

3. In what ways do I find myself getting "bought" or accepting bribes? What do I compromise my values for?  Why?  How can I stop?

4. Am I a man or woman of your word? When do I struggle most with letting my yes be yes, and my no, be no" (Matt 5:37)?  How can I overcome this?

5.  Am I walking in the light?  Am I open about my sins with anyone?  Do I have any accountability in my life?  Why or why not?  Who can I talk to about issues I may have?  How will this help me?

Daily Devotional - 8/5/10 ( 9/5/09)

Focus Letter - E


Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic beginning with the focus letter that you would like to see you and your family grow in


Dear Lord, open my ears to Your voice and grant me the strength to obey


Psalm 5


"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." (vs. 3)

In the morning God should hear our voice. In the morning, we should come with our requests. It is so important to pray and meet with God in the morning. I must pray for my needs. I must make this a priority. God is waiting to meet me. Where am I? Am I still in bed when the Creator of the Universe waits? If He was my boss, would I be there and be on time? Probably. Would I blow him off and sleep in? Probably not.

I need God. I need this time to get ready for the day. He has never failed to provide me with the time and the energy for the day when I have made the time to be with Him for awhile. Even if I have gotten up very early and am really tired, I have still been able to accomplish what I need to and do well if I have set my heart on Him, even for a few moments.

Then, after I have gotten up and made my requests, had my prayers, listened to God's voice, I am not supposed to just forget what I prayed for. I am to wait in expectation! I am to be confident I will receive an answer. I need to be looking for it in everything I do and everything that happens that day.

Have you ever waited for an important letter to come, or maybe a check? Every day you check the mailbox eagerly, running out as soon as the mail truck comes by. I imagine I should be like this with God; excited, and waiting eagerly for the answer to come, focused on how He will provide. It will add a sense of mystery and fun to our days, looking for that answer, that message from God. Where will it be? How will it look? I hope I don't miss it.

"You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;with You the wicked cannot dwell...But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple."
(vs. 4 & 7)

Next, I need to focus on how God feels about evil and sin. He hates it. He hates arrogance. He hates wrongdoing. He hates lies. This is frightening because I know I do a lot of things wrong. I see these things in myself so very often. How can I stand before God when I fail so frequently? By myself, I cannot, but because of God's great mercy, I can. I can even come into His house and worship. His grace and mercy makes me feel so grateful. It allows me to have the reverence towards Him that I need because I know that I do not deserve to be close to Him, not now or in the past. I have never been good enough, nor will I ever be. It is a lost cause, but how amazing it is, I am not a lost cause.

"But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.  For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." (vs. 11-12)

I can even be glad in spite of my sin and myself. I am not supposed to go around moping and feeling sorry for myself. I am to be rejoicing. I can sing for joy because I have taken refuge in God and in His merciful forgiveness. I have taken refuge in Him for protection from my enemies both external and internal. I can now let go of the past and strain on toward my goal of knowing Him. I am free to do right and to be righteous.

When we are dwelling on our sins and faults it is very hard to do right or be righteous. I know the hardest times for me to do right, especially as a wife and mother, are when I allow myself to worry (which is sin) or to be down and depressed (which is also sin). So instead of moping, I need to run to God, accept His forgiveness, love Him for His grace, worship Him for His mercy, and dwell in His house. When I do this, then His favor will surround me like a shield, and then He will bless me. His protection will be spread over me and I will be able to rejoice even more in what a great God we serve!


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We praise You for listening to us.  Help us to come to You each morning and remember our need for You daily.  Help us to wait in expectation.  You are good, always good, and we long to be close to You.  You do not delight in evil so help us Lord to live correctly before You.  Help us to turn away from worry and self pity.  We have You and that is all we need.  Help us to take refuge in You.  We praise You for Your grace and mercy.  Truly, You are good.

In Jesus Name,
Amen


QFT

1. Am I coming before the Lord each morning?  If not, what is getting in the way of this time?  How can I devote some time to God each morning, or increase the time/quality I am spending?

2.  Do I wait in expectation for the Lord?  Do I forget what I have asked God for?  Am I persistent in prayer?  Why or why not?  What answers to prayers have I received?

3.   What is my attitude towards sin?  Do I have the same hatred of it as God does? Are there some sins I tolerate in my life? Why? 

4.  How do I view God?  Do I focus on only one of His characteristics or do I strive to understand Him in all of His complexity?   Do I have reverence towards God or am I too casual with Him? How can I have a more appropriate attitude towards Him?

5.  Do I rejoice in all that I do have?  Am I grateful?  How can I improve my attitude in general towards God and life?  Do I feel blessed?  Why or why not?  How can I focus more on my blessings.

Daily Devotional - 10/21

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 51



"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." ( vs 1)

We need God's forgiveness. The fact that He is willing to forgive us at all is all about Him and not us. We don't deserve it but because His love is unfailing and because He has great compassion, we have hope. I am grateful for God's mercy and do not want to take it for granted.



"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)

Whenever we sin, we are sinning against God. Sometimes we forget this and feel justified in doing wrong if the person we are sinning against is evil or has sinned against us. We are never justified. Our sin is always an affront to God. We need to remember that as it may help us to curb many of our more flagrant misdeeds. The sins of the heart are harder to deal with but are also done against God as well. He is justified when He says that we deserve death. He is not mean or evil. He is just and fair. We earn our condemnation. Praise God that He does not treat us as our sins deserve



"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 7)

We can start over. God makes us like new and erases all of our filth. We do not have to have those burdens of regret around our necks any longer. We can be free, but let us not use this freedom to sin. Let us be like the sinful woman, who when pardoned by Jesus, was still challenged to go and sin no more and did allow her life to be transformed. We need to change and strive with all of our hearts to no longer sin.




"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10-11)

We need help to do this. God can create a pure heart in me. He can renew a steadfast spirit within me. He can restore my joy and help me get through by granting me a willing spirit. I cannot make it on my own. I am too weak, but God is my strength and God can change and strengthen anything in me. He is able. I want these gifts from Him so that I can please Him, now and forever.




"In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem." (vs. 18)

In God's good pleasure, He will make us prosper. It is all in His timing. I don't need to force anything. I just need to live and to do my best. I need to humble myself and keep going with a broken and contrite heart. He will lift me up.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,



Thank You for forgiving us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We know that we are completely unworthy and we are so grateful that You care for us anyway. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. We can't keep it going by ourselves. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We are unworthy, but we know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT


1. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?


2. Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?


3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?


4. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?

Daily Devotional - 9/28

Prayer Focus - 8's

Pray for:

Eight things that you are grateful for
Eight people that are on your heart
Eight places that you care about
Eight characteristics to grow in
Eight characteristics/habits to get rid of

Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to follow through and obey.

Psalms 28

"He will tear them down and never build them up again." (vs. 5b)

Who will He tear down? This sounds so ominous. The murders? The violent? The criminals? When I look back to see exactly who the psalmist is talking about, I am convicted and challenged. Let's look starting in verse three.

"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts."

Wow! He is talking about people who are holding grudges against someone or have hatred, anger, or prejudice against another. I know I have sinned against others in this way. Maybe there is someone right now I need to clear things up with. I need to always search my heart to be sure it is clear.

How often have we been upset with someone and they come up to talk to us and we act like nothing is wrong. We speak nicely to them and all the while are angry deep down. God is expressing just how He feels about that here. That is doing evil and is putting us in danger of being torn down.

Why would this upset God so much? After all, isn't this exactly how the world works. This is so common. We are stabbed in the back continuously. People talk nice to us and as soon as we are gone gossip about us to their friends. We expect it. Sometimes we engage in it. In the church, we are tempted to do no differently. Why would it upset God so much?

"Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what His hands have done," (vs. 5a)

It goes back to the earlier psalm that reminded us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it (Psalms 24:1). Every person belongs to God and is special to Him; whether they have a relationship with Him or not. He created them and knit them together in their mother's womb (Psalms 139:13-16). They are important to God and as such deserve good treatment from me. This is referring to my personal family, to strangers, and especially to those in the church. We are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with special regard (Gal 6:10).

Thank goodness that God hears our cries for mercy (vs. 2). By myself, I cannot stand. I need the mercy of the Lord. I need His strength to do right, especially in this area; even after all this time. Conflicts will continue to happen in my life. As long as I am alive and interacting with people, I will have to deal with my heart, hurt feelings, and conflicts. I will never out grow it. Sometimes it will be my fault, sometimes it will be the other person's fault, and sometimes it will be just a misunderstanding. Even so, I need mercy and I need to give mercy.

When I do this and clear my heart so there is nothing false in me, I will be able to rejoice. My heart will leap for joy (vs. 7). It is so good to have a clear heart and a clear conscience. We can truly thank God then. He is our strength and will save and bless us when we are obedient. He will be our Shepherd and carry us forever.

Thank You Lord, because I cannot do it alone.

QFT

1. What is my reaction to the seriousness of harboring ill feelings towards another person? Do I see it as as serious offense as God does?

2. Is there someone I need to speak to and work something out with? When will I do this?

3. Do I have any stereotypes or prejudices that are hindering my relationship with God and my effectiveness for Him? How can I repent of these things?

4. How do I feel when I have a clear conscience? How can I strive to maintain this?

Daily Devotional - 9/5

Focus Letter - E

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic beginning with the focus letter that you would like to see you and your family grow in

Dear Lord, open my ears to Your voice and grant me the strength to obey

Psalm 5

In the morning God should hear our voice. In the morning, we should come with our requests. It is so important to pray and meet with God in the morning. I must pray for my needs. I must make this a priority. God is waiting to meet me. Where am I? Am I still in bed when the Creator of the Universe waits? If He was my boss, would I be there and be on time? Probably. Would I blow him off and sleep in? Probably not.

I need God. I need this time to get ready for the day. He has never failed to provide me with the time and the energy for the day when I have made the time to be with Him for awhile. Even if I have gotten up very early and am really tired, I have still been able to accomplish what I need to and do well if I have set my heart on Him, even for a few moments.

Then, after I have gotten up and made my requests, had my prayers, listened to God's voice, I am not supposed to just forget what I prayed for. I am to wait in expectation! I am to be confident I will receive an answer. I need to be looking for it in everything I do and everything that happens that day.

Have you ever waited for an important letter to come, or maybe a check? Every day you check the mailbox eagerly, running out as soon as the mail truck comes by. I imagine I should be like this with God; excited, and waiting eagerly for the answer to come, focused on how He will provide. It will add a sense of mystery and fun to our days, looking for that answer, that message from God. Where will it be? How will it look? I hope I don't miss it.

Next, I need to focus on how God feels about evil and sin. He hates it. He hates arrogance. He hates wrongdoing. He hates lies. This is frightening because I know I do a lot of things wrong. I see these things in myself so very often. How can I stand before God when I fail so frequently? By myself, I cannot, but because of God's great mercy, I can. I can even come into His house and worship. His grace and mercy makes me feel so grateful. It allows me to have the reverence towards Him that I need because I know that I do not deserve to be close to Him, not now or in the past. I have never been good enough, nor will I ever be. It is a lost cause, but how amazing it is, I am not a lost cause.

I can even be glad in spite of my sin and myself. I am not supposed to go around moping and feeling sorry for myself. I am to be rejoicing. I can sing for joy because I have taken refuge in God and in His merciful forgiveness. I have taken refuge in Him for the protection from my enemies both external and internal. I can now let go of the past and strain on toward my goal of knowing Him. I am free to do right and to be righteous.

When we are dwelling on our sins and faults it is very hard to do right or be righteous. I know the hardest times for me to do right, especially as a wife and mother, are when I allow myself to worry (which is sin) or to be down and depressed (which is also sin). So instead of moping, I need to run to God, accept His forgiveness, love Him for His grace, worship Him for His mercy, and dwell in His house. When I do this, then His favor will surround me like a shield, and then He will bless me. His protection will be spread over me and I will be able to rejoice even more in what a great God we serve!