Give Thanks!

Josh felt that things were not going the way he wanted them to go in his relationship with Janie. So, he decided to make her a beautiful bouquet and a large box of candy. When Janie saw the lovely gifts, she was so excited that she threw her arms around Josh and gave him a warm hug and kiss.

Suddenly, he turned and began running down the steps of her porch. “Where are you going, Josh? Have I embarrassed you? Have I offended you?” 

“Oh no,” came the reply. “I’m going for some more flowers and candy!” 

God gives us one good gift after another. They come whether we expect them or not - even though we do not always deserve them!

Psalm 106 begins with a shout: PRAISE THE LORD! And following the shout, the Psalmist gives us a reason for us to shout: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever!”

His everlasting love and goodness are like never-ending rivers that flow through our lives, bringing us His blessings that we do not deserve nor could ever earn. His river never dries up in the summer or turns into ice in the winter. It flows freely bringing us God’s best every day of our lives!  

Surely, it is good to give God thanks. But, it is even better to show Him our thanks by doing His work in His world. Now that Jesus has gone to be with His Father in Heaven, we are left here to finish what He started. We are obligated to reach out to the lost and hurting with His love, mercy, and grace. His work has now become our work. 

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for Your goodness and your unconditional love for us that never ends! Trouble our hearts, Heavenly Father, and give us no rest until we willingly do the things Your Son did. May we always reflect the love of Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:  Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 106:1 

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The Memories Of A Holy God

It almost seems contradictory when we read these words of the Psalmist: “For He remembered His holy promise.” It’s as if God were in a grocery store and just as He began to walk through the parking lot to His car He stopped and said, “Oh my. I forgot the milk! I’m glad I thought of it.” But, not so. 

As Psalm 105 ends, the author reminds us of the faithfulness of our God. So, he wanted to remind the readers, once again, that whether or not they were faithful to Him, He would be faithful to them. He made a covenant with Abraham and through the many generations from the day that covenant was made until that very moment, He was always with them. When they felt alone, He made His presence known. When they needed protection, He was there to guard them. When they were hungry, He provided food to nourish them. When they were weak and weary, they could rely on His power. 

God has been, is, and will be true to what He says. And, He is faithful to keep His word to whomever He gives it. Wherever we look in history - in times of defeat and delay - it does not mean that God has forgotten what He has promised. God is always faithful to His holy promises. His promises are holy and sacred because they come from a God who is holy and sacred. Through days that seemed unbearable and nights that had no stars, God was always with them - working out His will in His way according to His plan.

God calls us to Himself to make us like Himself. He will do whatever it takes to restore His image in us. Remember: God is a “working in us God” and is always faithful.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for being faithful to us! Give us patience and perseverance, faith and fortitude, courage and conviction, heart and hope to do what You call us to do. Always! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:  For He remembered His holy promise to his servant Abraham. Psalm 105:42

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Our Wonder Working God!

All of us know individuals whose lives have gone from pinnacles of prosperity to places of poverty. We know that temptations overtake some individuals, and they soon become enslaved and imprisoned by harmful habits. Once they were blest, but now they are in bondage. There seems to be a pattern of self-destruction that overcomes many who are not satisfied with the gifts of God. They apparently will not allow His grace and goodness to satisfy them. They always want “more!”

This is what happened to the people of Israel. It seems that the more God gave them, the less satisfied they were. Finally, their greed led them to slavery. But, thank God, their story does not end there. His love and mercy eventually brought redemption and restoration to them. When? When they repented and returned to the Covenant He made with them. God always keeps His Word.

Not only did He rescue them from their captors, but “they were laden down with silver and gold.” When we allow God to rescue us by His grace, His Word promises us that “It is He who will supply all of our needs from His riches in glory because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.” God will honor His Word with us, as He did with Israel.

He also empowers those whom He rescues: “From among their tribes no one faltered.”  When God rescues us, we are called to serve Him faithfully. He has a plan for each of our lives, and that plan contains many opportunities for us to honor and serve Him. And, for each of the opportunities He gives us, we know that He will equip and empower us, and we will not falter or fail if we are faithful to Him.  

Prayer:  Thank you Father for Your plan for our lives. Help us not to stray from it, but rescue and restore us to the plan You have for us. Help us to find joy in serving You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:  The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled. Psalm 105:37 

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God Works

“Do you know what U.N. stands for?” he asked.

“The United Nations,” I replied quickly and confidently.

“Not at all,” was his reply. “It stands for Unsettled Nations,” he informed me. 

Then he continued, “Does the Lord care about the condition of the nations of the world? And, if He does care, why doesn’t He intervene and make things better?”

 “Yes, He cares,” I answered. “But we need to see how God has intervened in historical writings by studying His Word so we can understand what He is doing today.” 

History shows one nation to be at the center of God’s attention: Israel. Psalm 105:24 describes what we might call an “explosion of people.” It reads, “The Lord made His people very fruitful. He made them too numerous for their foes.” We have often heard that there is “strength in numbers.” Here we see this “in action.” As the Israelites grew in numbers, they grew in strength, and they were able to overcome their adversaries. 

It was this “strength in numbers” that made the Exodus possible. The historian continues by revealing another fact to us: those “whose hearts He turned to hate His people and to conspire against His servants,” were led by Moses, His servant, and Aaron, His chosen one, to lead them into the land that God had prepared for them. Ultimately, it was their perseverance through persecution that led them to the Promised Land.

Is God involved in the affairs of nations? Indeed He is. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!” We may not see it now, but we will see it when the time is right. 

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for being our God! May we look to You, Lord, as the only One who can save our nation. May our leaders humble themselves and seek and follow Your guidance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:  The Lord made His people very fruitful. He made them too numerous for their foes. Psalm 105:24, 25

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From Humiliation To Exaltation

One evening when my son John came home from football practice, I noticed that his arms and hands had an unusual number of cuts and bruises on them. “What happened?” I asked.

“Have you ever noticed, Dad,” he replied, “that pain is optional, but suffering isn’t? I wanted to be on the starting team, so I knew it would take some ‘pain’ on my part. I’d been ‘playing,’ and now I wanted the coach to know I could be a ‘winner’ at football.”

The Psalmist reminded us that Joseph was sold as a slave, and that “They bruised his feet with shackles and that his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.” 

Tucked away in the great plan that God has for each of us is our fair share of suffering. After Joseph was sold into slavery, he did not complain about his situation. He persevered through the horrible conditions that were placed on him. By honoring and trusting God, the King of all kings honored him.  

When he was tempted by King Potiphar’s wife, he resisted her seductive behaviors. She did everything she could do to seduce him, but through his dependence on God, he did not give in to his passions. And, when she grabbed him physically, he was able to escape through God’s strength. When she lied about him, he was thrown into prison. And, rather than becoming bitter, he became better. Because he was true to God, he triumphed and eventually became the premier of Egypt. His path to power was through suffering, pain, and imprisonment. If we are true to God in our times of trial, we will be triumphant. 

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for carrying us through. Help us to be faithful to You, in all things at all times. May we understand and know that temptation and suffering, are part of Your plan for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:  They bruised his feet with shackles and that his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. Psalm 105:18-19

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