Praying for him and...

I love him. I really do. And I long for him when he's working nights and I'm working days. I think of him constantly when we are apart. Well, maybe not constantly, I was distracted by that driver who cut me off in traffic - didn't they know I was late? And I was distracted by the coworker who asked me for help... again... I thought they should know what they were doing by now. But still, I think of him a lot when we are apart. I love him. I really, really do.

And it saddens me because I don't know the last time he read his Bible or the last time he prayed. It's been a while since we've been to church together. So I pray for him. Every day. I pray for him because I love him and want to see him drawn closer to Christ. I pray for him every day.

Today, I was praying: "Direct his steps by Your Word. And let no iniquity have dominion over him." I pray for him because I love him. I love him. I love him.

But it hit me as I prayed, I need to pray this too: "Direct my steps by Your Word. And let no iniquity have dominion over me." Can I say that I am surprised that as I pray for him (because I love him), I am drawn closer to Christ?

Ever Learning

I don't ever want to think I know it all. I don't ever want to think that there is nothing more that God can teach me. I don't ever want to get to the point where I open His word and there is nothing more for me.

O a God, keep teaching me. Keep making me more like You. Help ,ento learn from Your word and to praise you as I do so.

Seven

How often do you praise God? Do you just praise Him quickly in the morning and go about the business of your day? Do your have a time of devotions with your family later in the day? Do you praise Him before you lay your head down to sleep?

Seven times is what we read here. Seven times is not prescriptive. Don't make a checklist for yourself with seven boxes to check off each day. Seven is a number often used to indicate completeness in the Bible. Seven times a day. All day long. All day long I will praise the Lord.

In Pain

I don't like pain. Whether it's heartache or heartburn, I don't like it.

When we are experiencing pain, we sometimes want to hide. We want to draw the curtains, turn out the lights, and curl up into the fetal position. We want the world to do away. We may take something to relieve the pain. Maybe we pop a few aspirin. Or maybe we open a bottle of wine. We just want the pain to go away.

God knows our pain. He sent his son to rescue us. The Bible tells us so.

When I am in pain, I will cry out to the Lord. I will remember his word and know that He is with me.

Before

It's dark outside. The first rays of dawn have not yet made their appearance.

My family is sound asleep. Save for the purr of the refrigerator, nothing in the house makes a sound.

In the stillness I cry out to You, oh Lord. Hear my prayer. As I open your wonderful word and read, speak to me. Your word gives me hope to face the day. Walk with me today.

Pure

Have you ever been eating one of your favorite meals and something did not taste right? Perhaps someone made a favorite dish from your grandmother's recipe and it didn't taste quite right. After discretely asking, you find that out of necessity (or due to "creativity") a substitution was made to the recipe and it doesn't taste right. It's not fully your grandmother's recipe. It's close, but it's not pure.

God's word is absolutely pure. We may have many different translations, but His Word is absolutely pure. But there are many things that try and pervert Hos Word. Just as we may know Grandma's recipe because we've tasted and enjoyed it so many, many times, we know the pure Word of God by tasting it, by reading it every day. As we go to the source over and over again, we come to know it and we can better recognize when somebody is "changing the recipe." So open up your Bible and feast away!

Doorway

It's always darkest before the dawn and it's quiet and dark in the dormitory. Yet, light seeps through the doorway of one student. Did she pull an all-nighter to cram for a test or did she get up early to spend time with God. The light beckons you to come and you knock on the door...

God's Word has an open door policy. It's always there waiting for you. The light is always on welcoming you. You don't need to be a member of the clergy to learn from it. You don't need a degree in theology to become wise from it. You just need to open the door...

Growing Tired

Tom Petty famously sang "the waiting is the hardest part." We don't like to wait, do,we? We want it now!

Sometimes, God makes us wait. Maybe the answer to a prayer hasn't come. Maybe the sickness we've been fighting won't go away. Maybe it's just one more day of the drudgery we've become accustomed to. But still we wait.

And we grow weary as we wait. Waiting wears us out. Waiting is not passive like falling asleep on the couch while watching tv and waiting for our teenager to return home late at night. Waiting is active like cleaning the house as we await family and friends for a big holiday get together. Waiting wears us out.

But we should remain actively waiting. Like the virgins who had enough oil and kept their lamps burning as they awaited the bridegroom. (Matthew 25) They knew the bridegroom was coming and they, though they may have been tired, we're ready for his coming.

Whatever it is that we are waiting for, whatever it is that is making us grow weary, we know that God's promises are reliable. We know that Christ is coming again. The waiting may be the hardest part, but when the promises of God are fulfilled, we know that it is worth the wait!

Hiding

Some days you just want to run and hide.

You may have deadlines looming at work.

The house may be a wreck and you're not up for cleaning.

The kids may be restless and irritable.

Your husband may be upset with something and won't open up to you about what is going on.

You may want to flee...

Or drown your sorrows in a bottle...

Or hide...

But you say a prayer and open your Bible.

He is there for you.

He is your strength and shield.

He was is your hiding place.

In Him you have hope!

Light

God's Word shines light into our lives.

A light to guide use.

A light of revelation.

A light to keep us from harm.

A light to guide our steps.

If we refuse to open our eyes, we can not see the light.

If we run off on our own, thinking we know the better way, we may find the path darkened.

But God's Word remains a beacon to guide us back to where we should be.

Open your eyes.

Open your heart.

Walk in the light.

Sweet Words

Despite all he gray hair I have, I still adore Winnie the Pooh. That lovable bear always is scheming  and dearly anticipating the wonderful taste of his favorite food - hunny! Disguise himself as a rainbow and float under a balloon until he can get hunny. He'll do that. Gorge himself on so much hunny that he can't escape Rabbit's hole. He'll do that too.

God's Word is sweeter than hunny (and even sweeter than honey)! What will you do to read it? Will you get up early in the morning so that you can read it in the still quiet of a home that will be later bustling with activity? It's that sweet! Will you speak the Word of God to others to make your words sweeter? Please do. Will you drizzle the Word of God over your daily events so that they are sweeter? You should. Will you consume the Word of God so that you can settle your stomach upset my worries and anxiety? Dearest reader, His Word is good for that too!

Concentration

In the face of distractions, do you concentrate on God's Word? When things are trying to draw you astray, are you remembering God's commands and promises? When others seek to bring you harm, are you meditating on Scripture? Whatever comes your way, dear reader, keep God's Word in mind. His promises are always true. His revealed character does not change. His Word is still reliable. His commands are still trustworthy. Don't let distractions draw you away from His Word. Run to it instead.

Revive Me With Your Loyal Love

Sometimes the things we take for granted are the things we really need. We may lose heart in our day to day life and our will to obey God may diminish. We know that God's love for us never changes,b but we may forget that it is real every moment of every day. Remember His love today. Let Him revive you. Walk in His love and obey Him. It will be a good day.

How Do I React?

People have said mean things to me. People have said mean things about me. How do I react? I'll admit, I don't always react well. Sometimes I will dwell on what they said and stew over it. I may get angry. I may get upset. I may break down crying. But I handle things much better when I meditate on God's Word. Meditating on who He is helps me to take the focus off of what happened. Focussing on the promises He has made to me help to remember His truth and permanence. Remembering His Wod helps me to set my mind on eternal things and not things that can and should be forgotten.

Discernment

If you were a detective solving a crime, you would need to look at all the evidence and consider all the witness testimony. If one of the witnesses was lying and you depended on their testimony, you might draw the wrong conclusion and arrest the wrong person. If you found fibers of animal fur at the crime scene, you might think an animal attack happened. But what if the criminal was wearing a fur coat?

God's word is reliable. His testimony is good and true. You can trust it. But, you must be certain to interpret it correctly. You must know Him and His character. You must consider the context of what you are reading. Discernment and understanding are not always easy. But we have a helper in the Holy Spirit. All we need to do is ask, listen, and search the Scriptures to ensure we are hearing correctly.

Secure

What makes you feel secure? Do you feel secure because of your job? Does that motivate you to do your best at work? Are you secure because of your house? Do you take care of it, clean it, and keep it up so that it continues to keep you secure? Do you feel secure because of your husband? Do you work at your relationship so that you remain secure? The Lord is your source of security. What do you do to walk in His security? Read His Word. Talk with Him. Obey His commands. Walk with Him.

Waking Up

What wakes you up in the middle of the night? Maybe your children, especially if they are young, wake you up. Maybe your dog wakes you up because she needs to go outside. Maybe a storm is rolling through and the thunder awakens you. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I usually just want to roll over and go back to sleep. If something wakes me up in the middle of the night, it better be important!

Here, we read that the Psalmist wakes up int the middle of the night - deliberately - to thank God for His laws. Prayer and Thanksgiving are important, are they not? I want my uninterrupted sleep so that I can feel rested and ready to face the day in the morning. Would I be better off in the morning if I were willing to thank God - even in the middle of the night? Even if I weren't better off in the morning, would I be willing to sacrificially wake up in the middle of the night and devote myself to God? Regardless of the outcome, He is worthy of my devotion all day long - even in the middle of the night.

Sing It Out

Can you imagine singing "You shall not drive faster than the posted speed limit?" That would be weird, wouldn't it? Do you still remember the words to your favorite song when you were younger? Do you still remember the words to "Mary Had A Little Lamb" or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?" Of course you do! Did you first learn the letters by singing the alphabet song? Next time won't you sing with me! Singing is a great way to learn something and memorize it. Singing is fun and can bring you much joy. Why not sing God's word? It will help you to commit it to memory and it will bring you strength and joy long after you finish d singing it!

Sticks And Stones

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

I can remember reciting that many times when I was young. And almost every time I can remember that words DID hurt me. Though I hate to admit it, I've been on the other end of that also. I've been the one doing the insulting.

Insults hurt. But they don't have to. If we are focussed on God's love for us, if we remember all that He has done for us, if we trust His word, we can handle whatever insults come our way.

When we are insulted, the insults may draw our attention to something we lack or some way we fall short. They draw the attention to us. If we remember God's love for us, if we remember the works,He has done for us, if we trust in His word, we are drawing our attention to Him. He can handle it. He is so much bigger than any insult. He never changes.

So when you are insulted, dear reader, don't dwell on the insult, dwell in Christ.

Worthless Things

Isn't it amazing how much time we spend focussing on worthless things? It may be the latest celebrity gossip, or binge watching the hot new show online, or playing games online, or almost anything else. Sure, they may be fun for a while and maybe even bring some zest to out lives. But do they revive us?

First of all, I guess we should remember that we need to be revived. We have become new creations in Christ, but when we sin, it deadens us and turns our hearts away from Him. We need revival. His Word can bring us revival. It reminds us of His love for us. It reminds us of all that He's done for us. It reminds us that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How's that for revival?