THANKFUL

Friday, June 3, 2022

Lord, You see how Your followers struggle with issues, battling the forces of darkness that tempt us incisively. We’re all over the place. We are all in for you one day, and then sadly, acting like we don’t know You the next. Again, this is nothing new. You saw how the psalmist, whom we often put on a pedestal, struggled with the same issues. Finally, he admitted to lying to himself, thinking You would dismiss his unrighteous behaviors as no big deal. He knew all along that wasn’t true.  Lord, like so many others, that is my story too. Your divine patience with Your followers reveals the depths of Your mercy. You never reject any who belong to You. You just want all our devotion all the time.

Lord, let our prayer paraphrase Psalm 119:29–32. “Forgive me, Lord,” the psalmist and I plead. “I choose to be faithful to follow You and live by Your precepts from this time forward. I choose to cling to Your Words and obey Your mandates. In so doing, I will not dishonor You nor bring shame to Your name. Expand my knowledge of who You are and open my understanding to the extent of Your Love.” And should I fail to live up to Your standards, I pray my inconsistency does not cause the ungodly to label all who You have redeemed as hypocrites.

Lord, may You find us faithful who choose to devote ourselves to You. Amen.

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Lord, since that ugly snake incident in the Garden when sin entered the world, our physical bodies, once created to live forever, began the process of wearing out and finally, dying, or as some say, “give up the ghost.” The psalmist penned a truth as the end of his life’s journey approached. “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,” he wrote, “but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.” (Psalm 73:26). 

How many of us can relate. These physical ailments, achy joints, failing hearing or eyesight may slow down my gait, but the mercies of God and His goodness to me strengthen my spirit daily. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers with these truths: “Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long, yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:16–17).

“Retirement” doesn’t mean we retire from participating in the Kingdom of God. Our role in the kingdom may change, but God says He is not through with us. He just points us in a different direction. “Even in old age they [this means you, Christ-follower] will still produce fruit” the psalmist wrote. “They will remain vital and green” [effectively sharing the Good News]  (Psalm 92:14).

Thank You, Lord, that You renew my inside person every day. Amen

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Lord Jesus, You were not exaggerating when You said living in this fallen world we would have problems and sorrows, (John 16:33). No one is exempt, especially Christ-followers, but here is the good news. For those who have placed their faith in You, and their lives revolve around Your truths, we can take heart and live in peace because You, Jesus. have overcome the world. What does this mean to Christ-followers? You go before us, fighting our battles. Our part is to stay tuned into You more than ever since all who belong to You are in spiritual warfare.

Facing seemingly insurmountable problems, amid sorrows and broken hearts, being oppressed at every turn, reveals my limitations to handle these trials on my own. Scripture plainly describes our struggles in this broken world: all problems originate from our unseen enemy, the spiritual darkness of the devil (Ephesians 6:12). Here is where the devil’s schemes backfire. We can give thanks and praise to God because anything that causes us to run to You Jesus will work for our good, (Romans 8:28). Through You Jesus, we win again.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Lord, what’s next? The headlines foretell of coming woes. For many, Christ-followers included, live in fear, worrying about happenings and events they cannot control.  We’re stuck in this fallen world where uncertainties are a way of life for most. Inflation eats away at our budgets. Shortages of cause many to scramble from store to store, searching for needed items. It’s easy to see how the ups and downs of life leave people fearful.

This is nothing new. When You walked among us, Jesus, You addressed the worried state of people, fearful of the unknown.  From Your perspective, Lord, worry is a faith-crippling problem. Worry causes us to doubt Your power or call into question Your love and concern for Your people. Speaking to the multitudes You assured them of Your concern. “God will certainly take care of you. So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” (Matthew 6:30–33).

Lord, help us keep our focus of trusting You our main priority. Oh, that I might faithfully follow this truth. Everything else then will fall into place as You divinely meet our needs.  Amen.

Friday, May 27, 2022

Lord, as the numbness wears off and the realities of the evil perpetrated upon innocents becomes clearer, our righteous anger grows deeper. We’re angry because in a few days this tragedy will fade from the minds of most people and replaced by another attention-dominating story. We’re angry for allowing our culture to remove Your morals as our standard for conduct. We’re angry our culture replaced Your precepts with moral relativism, declaring there is no right or wrong, but the truth is whatever one thinks it is. We’re angry that when You were removed from society, the vacuum created was flooded with insanity, denial of reality, and just plain stupidity. We’re angry that unscrupulous people whose hearts are darkened will exploit tragedies to benefit their political agendas and drag us further down the road to ruination.

Forgive us, Lord. We slept when we should have stayed awake against compromising Your standards. Isaiah 5:20-21 paints the picture of what lies ahead of the society that rejects You.

What sorrow [woe] for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow [woe] for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.

Lord, we repent. Man’s laws are futile to change human hearts. Only You can heal our hearts and restore us to a God-fearing people.

Heal our hearts, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, May 26, 2022 

Lord, we’re still in disbelief over the Uvalde school shooting. Their suffering is incomprehensible, their agony unimaginable. Our righteous anger rises at the evil spawned so mercilessly upon the innocent. Many ask: Where is God? Why didn’t He do something?

In our grief Your Spirit comforts us.

“Yes, I was there,” You whisper to our spirit. “I was holding the children’s hands, giving them bravery to face a danger they never should have had to encounter. I was with the two heroic teachers as they laid down their lives for their students, giving rise to the courage I placed within them for such a moment as this. I looked lovingly into the tender eyes of each child as I held each one, carrying them into Heaven. I held every parent, grandparent, sibling, family member and friend, crying with them, feeling their pain in their darkest hour. I spared the wounded grandmother so she could alert the authorities of the approaching danger. I was with the law enforcement officers, directing them to destroy this evil agent who rejected the light of My love and embraced all the wickedness of the kingdom of Darkness.

I am continuing to comfort the brokenhearted amid their wounded spirits and crushed souls. I am calling the good folks of Uvalde to a hope and unity that the world cannot match. I would never abandon these precious people. Yes, I very much was and still am with them. Please know I will always be close to those with a heart that feels pain. I am near the brokenhearted and the crushed in spirit, (Psalm 34:18).

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Lord God, we feel the sting of Your tears falling on our faces. Our hearts are broken almost beyond explanation. Your heart is broken as well. Evil, beyond normal comprehension, suddenly shattered the lives of countless people who were just going through their daily routines. How does evil so possess a person that their soul is total darkness, where no lights of love or compassion can penetrate? Anyone who has a heart will never be the same.

Comfort and bless the precious folks of Uvalde. Hold the parents, siblings, family members, friends close to Your bosom. And as only You, the Great I AM, can do, let each one feel Your presence in a tangible way. Assure them of Your Love. Flood their souls with Your goodness, mercy, and kindness. Show us how to help and minister to the hurting in their indescribable sadness and righteous anger.

Protect the minds and souls of those who witnessed this carnage and lead them to get the emotional and spiritual help they need. Guard and nurture the tender spirits of the children whose innocence was so violently taken from them.

Lord, new laws will not stop evil. Our country needs a spiritual awakening. Many have drifted down a dark path and we must turn around and seek You again. Forgive our sins, as individuals and as a nation, and restore us as a God-fearing people. Amen.

Monday, May 23, 2022

Lord, You made it clear there can be no other way. When we choose to become a Christ-follower, then we must surrender our heart to You. The way You changed us and made alive our inner being, how could we not allow You possession of our heart? Scripture instructs us to “let [allow] Your peace to rule in our heart” (Colossians 3:15), and who wouldn’t want that? When Your peace came to live within us, You saw how clutter and junk filled even the remotest corner of our heart. Old soul wounds from years back constantly jockeyed for ruling position. What will rule my heart today? Unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, envy, jealousy, anger and similar cohorts?  These destructive conditions had ruled our being long enough, but now a new ruler reigned in our heart. “Give those ‘false rulers’ to me,” You commanded. Your Holy Spirit helped us to release these soul wounds so Your peace could flood our heart, even to the remotest corner. What a miraculous transformation! Our soul wounds replaced by Your grace.

For some, this transfer of rulership happens almost immediately, while for others, transformation becomes a good work in progress, (Philippians 1:6). Regardless, for all Christ-followers, the moment the Holy Spirit enters our heart until our final heartbeat, God is cleansing our heart, so His peace can reign in every area of our life.

Still, Lord, reveal any area of my life that hinders Your peace from reigning in my heart.  Amen

Friday, May 20, 2022

Lord, You said to “let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts … (Colossians 3:15).  Who wouldn’t want that? Then why do many Christ-followers fail to have Your peace? That three-letter word ‘let’ in “let the peace …” speaks volumes. It means ‘allow.’ I must ‘allow’ the peace that comes from Christ to rule in my heart. Is this implying the Holy Spirit has to have my permission to let God’s peace rule in my heart? Does this mean my whole heart and not just the parts I want God’s peace to rule?

So what blocks Your peace from ruling in my heart? Perhaps I’ve failed to obey Your command to “as the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others who have offended you”? How I follow this command determines how I keep the other mandates You outlined in Colossians 3 on how to live a peaceful and meaningful life amid the chaos of this broken world.

Unforgiveness is ugly. It just destroys the one harboring it. The bitterness, resentment, often jealousy or envy follow along. Unrepentance isn’t far behind either. How can God’s peace rule one’s heart unless one allows the Holy Spirit to sweep it clean, regardless how painful it may seem at the time?

Lord, help me remember others are like me: flawed, imperfect, slow to listen, quick to speak before engaging my brain. And Lord, to my shame, judge others without knowing the whole story. Because I share my humanity with others, by Your help, I will order my soul to forgive them when they offend me. Whatever consequences they suffer will be on them, but my soul will be free to ‘allow’ Your peace to rule in my heart.

Lord, reveal any unforgiveness I may harbor, especially if I haven’t forgiven myself. By Your grace, I’ll allow Your peace to rule in my heart. Amen.

Thursday, May 19, 2022 Lord, You knew what You were getting: a broken soul in need of redemption, yet You fully embraced us as Your own. Our every flaw and shameful failure were on full display when You invited us to come to You in repentance. We are eternally thankful You canceled all our sins and replaced the with Jesus’ righteousness instead. You now even called us “holy,” which for many of us, is a label we (or our non-believer friends) never thought we would carry. Though we are forgiven, we are still flawed. Contrary to some people’s theology, flawed, imperfect Christ-followers are all You have to work with here. It is only fitting of Your nature that You gave Your Holy Spirit to live within each believer, because You called us, Your “holy” ones, to do what is impossible to do on our own. You said to “wrap ourselves in tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and—wait for it—patience.

Then You mandated the most crucial requirement for all believers.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you” (Colossians 3:12,13).  

The Holy Spirit helps us attain these godly traits, since, for most, these traits go against our human nature. Here’s the good news. The closer we stay to You, Jesus, the more Your character traits rub off on us. Our relationship with You makes Your mandate to forgive others as we have been forgiven, much easier, and gives You honor. Amen!