Sept. 30....with all my heart

Psalm 138:1 “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise.”

Heavenly Father,

My singing voice is weak. I love to sing, but I have a short range and “can’t hit the high notes”. But it doesn’t stop me from singing and it doesn’t stop me from joining a choir. My voice doesn’t have to be the solo voice….just one of the ones adding volume. My voice just needs to sing what it can and let the joint harmony of other voices swell together. This verse reminds me that the most important thing is that I sing “with all my heart”. My praise needs to be from the depth of my heart and it will sound beautiful to your ears. I sing because a part of me needs to sing and release the emotions within me….my heart sings, not just my lips. I feel closer to you when I sing your praises and the words that I am so inadequate in expressing are already beautifully penned by those who have a talent for songwriting. I can share the heart songs of 1000’s of men before me and 1000’s who will come after me. We sing “in the presence of angels” gathered around your throne….giving glory and honor and praise in the only way we know how….”with all our heart”. 1000’s of hearts and 1000’s of voices connected together in praise. I pray that our songs of praise are beautiful music to your ear because it contains our hearts. There is a freedom in singing that releases us from this world and brings us closer to heaven. “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free…His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.” I can sing because I have the assurance that I stand with Jesus Christ in your presence with the angels all around. Thank you, amen.

Sept. 29....angel praise

Psalm 148:2 “Praise him all you his angels, praise him, all you his hosts.” Heavenly Father, The angels in heaven know how to praise you. They are so attuned to this, that they sing your praise at all times. Revelations gives us word pictures of the 1000’s of angels circling the throne and praise you and the Lamb……”Worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise.” I always liked the praise song from Psalms 57 that says: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let thy glory be over all the earth”! Praise comes naturally to the angels who surround your throne, but man is such an earth-bound creature that we find it hard to praise you as we should. Man’s mind is fragmented by so many things that concern himself that pure praise seldom leaves our lips. The best we can do is to get caught up in beautiful praise music and high emotional feelings that hopefully are fueled by the Holy Spirit and by our love for you. We just don’t usually know how to express that love. When we say the words, we fear they are “just words” and we doubt our own sincerity. Satan tampers with our ability to praise you. I praise you best when I’m in a dedicated crowd of believers like the Tres Dias people, who are sincerely devoted to trying to voice their praise because they have seen your work in their lives and in the Tres Dias events. Hearts that are full, spill over with praise. Too much of the time I’m focused on earthly thins and can’t “set my spirit free” to praise you. I hope in these pages that some of my love and praise comes through. I want to sing praise with the angels! I want to give voice to the love and emotion I feel for you! Glory to God Most High! Worthy is the Lamb! Holy Spirit thou art welcome in this place! Amen.

To Sing Like The Angels

To praise you like the angels, To lift your name on high To fill the world with singing Lifting voices to the sky! If I could only break the shackles That keep me bound on earth And let my soul and spirit Soar heavenward in rebirth! Singing Hallelujah! Singing to the King! Praising you forever Heavenly anthems ring! Too often I am silent No praise within my heart Worried and distracted The world the greater part. My eyes are focused downward Instead of lifted high My thoughts are inward turned I fill the world with sighs. But I want to sing and praise you To join the heavenly throng Who lift their hearts and voices And praise you all day long! I want to sing like angels, Surrounding your heavenly throne I want to praise the One, I love

The One who is my own!

Sept. 28....encamps around us

Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them.”

Exodus 23:20-21a “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice.”

Heavenly Father,

Once again today we have “the angel of the LORD”. This seems to be a reference to You, O LORD or to Jesus Christ. You “encamp” around “those who fear him”. Encamping would mean settling in and staying. It would mean surrounding us with your presence. The promise here is “and he delivers them”. Jesus has delivered all who “fear him” or trust in him and believe who he is. The verse in Exodus could refer to Jesus, also. It is about an “angel” who goes before the people and guards them and brings them to a place prepared for them. We are told to “be attentive and heed him”. Whether these verses refer to angels or to Jesus Christ, the message is the same. Your presence is with us and around us wherever we go. You have prepared a place for us and have sent Jesus to bring us there. He has taught us things we need to know, and we need to be attentive to his words an actions and to heed them. We find life in his deliverance. We find blessedness in heeding his words. Being in your presence is our goal and anyone who leads us there and protects us on our journey is sent from You. “Fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom. When we seek you and find you we are delivered from our sins and welcomed home with you for eternity. Everyone is invited ….all may come. Your love is boundless and all-encompassing. Thank you for loving us, forgiving us, delivering us, encamping around us, welcoming us into your presence. Home! Peace! Kingdom of heaven! Your presence forever. Thank you, amen.

Sept. 27....angels around us

Psalm 35:5-6 “Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on. Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.”

Matthew 18:10 “See that you never despise one of these little ones. I assure you, their angels in heaven constantly behold my heavenly Father’s face.”

Heavenly Father,

More verses about angels that I don’t completely understand. The psalmist calls on “the angel of the LORD” to chase his enemies and drive them away. Jesus refers to angels as guardians of the “lost” ones….that “their angels” always see your face. Angels surround you at all times. I don’t understand their role in the lives of humans. They often brought messages in Biblical times….but now? I don’t know. You read stories of people who feel an angel appeared in their life at a time of need. Is this how angels protect us? Before Jesus came, angels seem to have played a more obvious role. When Jesus arose from the dead he left us the Holy Spirit to act in our lives and be with us at all times. Did the Holy Spirit take on the job of angels? Are both at work in our lives? I’ve never felt that I needed these details, but I wish I had answers if others ask. I know that you are present with me at all times. I know you guide and protect me. I know you hear my prayers and answer. I know you love me and accept me. I know my life is tied to you and that you are “home” and that my heart always seeks you. Whether angels or Holy Spirit, I know I need heavenly help to stay on the pathway home. I ask that your Holy Spirit be always with me and around me. I ask that your angels watch over me and those I love. I ask that you drive the evil one away and protect me at all times. I thank you for your presence in my life at all times. I worship and praise the One who made the angels and the One who made me. Thank you! amen.

Sept. 26....guard you in all your ways

Psalm 91:11-12 “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up I their hands.”

Heavenly Father,

More about angels…this verse says they will “guard you in all your ways”. I don’t know if this means guarding in a physical manner or in a spiritual things…..maybe both. To guard something, you keep a close watch on it and secure its surroundings. If angels “guard our ways” they must help keep us on the straight and narrow path to you. I don’t know in what way, but they are working to do your will in regards to my life…thank you! We can see an example of their guarding work with Mary and Joseph as they sent messages of warning to Joseph and the magi concerning Jesus’ safety. Guarding the Christ Child makes lots of sense….as a helpless human baby it was necessary to see that the humans who would raise him had as much protection as the angels could give them. If Jesus now lives in my heart, than my heart needs protecting, too. You have given us spiritual armor….a “breastplate of righteousness”…to protect our hearts. You have given us a “shield of faith” that will repel the enemy’s arrows and you have given us a “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” to pierce our enemies with and ward off their blows. If angels stand guard around us and the Holy Spirit clothes us in armor we are safe and secure! Angels will “lift us up in their hands” Upward toward you…upward toward eternal life...upward into your safe presence. Thank you, LORD, for angels and whatever they do in my life. I need all the heavenly protection and guidance I can get! Lift me up! Amen.

Sept. 25.....who obey his will

Psalm 103:20-21 “Bless the LORD, all you his angels, you mighty in strength, who do his bidding, obeying his spoken word. Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, his ministers, who do his will.” Heavenly Father,

One big difference between men and angels is obvious from these verses. Angels are “mighty ones”….”who do his bidding”….”who obey his spoken word”…..”who do his will”. They do and they obey, unlike man who prefers his own will to obeying yours. They obey you and surround your throne. We inhabit earth and exercise our “free will” to the harm of ourselves and others. We should learn from the angels that obedience to you brings harmony to the Kingdom of God. We are tempted by Satan to all sorts of evil…Satan who is described as a “fallen angel”. Satan wants others to suffer his own fate….separation from you. Why do we listen ? When we follow Satan and the world we end up miserable and in trouble. When we follow you, we are blessed and happy. Generations of people have proven the truth of this, but each new generation has to prove it to themselves. We are made for your purposes, and obedience puts us in rightful relationship to enjoy your blessings. Obedience isn’t a punishment. It isn’t a sign of weakness. It isn’t a loss of our free will or anything else that is good. Obedience brings peace to our lives. It brings hope for the future. It opens the possibilities of Heaven here on earth. We are imperfect beings, but One spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ, came and healed us. One Son of Man, Son of God, brought us back to you. Salvation is here and now and forever! We only need to say “yes” and Jesus can turn our willful nature into obedient service like the angels. We too can know the bliss of obedience to thy Word. We too can worship and know perfect love. Thank you! Teach me! Heal me! Amen.

Sept. 24....a little lower than angels

Psalm 8:5 “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings (angels) and crowned him with glory and honor.”

Heavenly Father,

I have never understood angels or their role in our lives. I know you send angels as messengers who speak to men in dreams or visions. Scriptures tell of other roles of angels in heaven…presenting our prayers, welcoming souls to heaven, protecting us, ministering in all ways by your holy will. Angles hover around the throne praising you at all times. They sing praises to the Lamb that was slain, He who is worthy and now sits at your right hand. Angels are pure spiritual beings….I’m sure very unlike what we like to imagine them with white robes and halos and wings and harps! I wonder where man got his idea of angels? I can see how each image might have developed from what little we know, but it is amazing how we persist in this image over the years. You have made man “a little lower than angels”. We are not spiritual beings, but we have a soul, a spirit that connects us to you and makes us in your image. Some part of us is part of you. Your Holy Spirit dwells within us and leads us into as close a relationship as we can have with you. Christ was the “firstborn”, the only incarnate One who took on human flesh (how heavy it must have seemed after heaven!) For a short while he too was a “little lower than angels”. But Christ fulfilled your holy will and died and rose and once more sits on the throne to be praised by all the angels in heaven! Thank you! Praises to your holy name, O LORD! Amen.

Sept. 23.....reaching the skies

Psalm 57:9-10 “I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaching to the skies.”

Heavenly Father,

“Reaching to the heavens”…reaching to the skies”…..How high are the heavens, how high are the skies? To me they seem forever away, totally out of reach. To some men they become a goal to explore and they try to go farther and higher to find what is there. Are they in reality searching for You, LORD, but don’t realize it? I guess a part of all of us would like to experience space and what it must look like to look down at the earth or step on the moon, or travel “where no man has gone before”. That great vastness out there full of the unknown pulls us and stirs our imagination. We can never go there except in our dreams and in our imagination. But this verse tells us that your love is so great that it does reach the heavens. Your faithfulness does reach the sky. No place is beyond your reach. If man does make it further into space, he will find you there. Not physically but your Spirit is everywhere. After all you made whatever is out there! Just as we can never go beyond where you are, so we can never go beyond the boundaries of your love or your faithfulness. They are eternal. They never end. They reach out to forever and beyond. Endless love and compassion and mercy and hope! Endless faithfulness in all you have promised us! You are our hope and our salvation! You are our end and our beginning. You Are! Thank you, LORD, for the heavens and for your heavenly reach. Thank you for your love and faithfulness with no boundaries…eternal! Amen.

Sept. 22.....all will praise you

Psalm 145:10-11 “All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,”

Heavenly Father,

I look forward to the day when “all” will praise you! When the world will “extol you, tell of the glory of your kingdom, speak of your might”. What a different world this would be if “all” worshiped and praise you! If the God of love truly ruled in all of our hearts, there would be no more war, no more terror, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed, no more sin, no more persecution. You created us to love You and to love others. We fail miserably. We focus too much on ourselves. We look for what benefits us and don’t worry about others. We shut our eyes so we won’t see. We shut our ears so we won’t hear. We walk away and hide in our homes where we are isolated. Your love is bigger than everything, but we won’t allow it to take over our lives and rule them. Your kingdom is a home for all, but we prefer our self-built hovels on this world, filled with “stuff”. Even as I say these things and admit their truth, I know that I speak of myself and not just some anonymous persons. I don’t live as I should. I don’t love as I should. I don’t seek you and praise you and tell of your glorious kingdom. I have failed. I have sinned. I need your grace and mercy and love and forgiveness. Thank you for Jesus Christ who came to save, who came to heal, who came to make things right, who came to restore us in love to our Father’s house that we might find salvation for eternity. I praise you! I love you! I thank you! amen.

Sept. 21....faithful ones

Psalm 30:4 “Sing to the LORD, you saints (faithful ones) of his; praise his holy name.”

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the “faithful ones”…those who pass on your teachings from generation to generation. Looking aback at my own life, I see my parents who faithfully took us to Sunday School and church every week and nurtured the first seeds of faith in me. Beyond them I know my grandmother and my aunts and uncles were just as faithful in their keeping of the Sabbath as holy. This was a witness to me that attending church and finding a relationship with you was important and to be done faithfully. Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit, which we all should strive to develop. It pains me greatly to know I was unable to pass that faithfulness on to my own children. Where did I go wrong? Why were the seeds that I planted not nourished enough to grow and produce fruit? How can I make it right now? This is my greatest sorrow in life, that I failed to produce children who will follow in the faith and establish a relationship with you. Lord and Savior, I pray that where I failed, you will heal and save. I pray my children will be found and called by you as they wander lost and that you will bring them home. I love my children and I want them to love you, their Creator, their Savior, their LORD. Show me how to reach them or send others who will succeed better than I did. If I planted any seeds of faith at all, please water them and make them grow! What I can’t do, you can! Where I can’t reach them, you can! Touch their hearts and minds, LORD, and pull them from the world and into your loving arms. Thank you for all the faithful who never stop trying to lead children home to their Father in heaven. Amen.

Sept. 20....unity in Christ

Psalm 133:1 “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”

Heavenly Father,

Humans need to chant this every day. Living together in unity isn’t always our way. We argue in our families. We argue with friends. We fight with neighbors and co-workers. We disagree in our churches. I’m surprised we can’t hear an enormous “sigh” from heaven every hour of every day. When will brothers live together in unity?? I guess first we must declare all men our brothers, all women our sisters, all children our own. We must learn to love as you love, give as you give, forgive as you forgive. Grace isn’t just for us…it is for everyone. If you forgave the world, why can’t we? Unity is one of the cornerstones of Christian faith…yet all Christians are not united. Denominational differences and human politics and bickering interfere even in the Church. We need to tear down the walls. I honestly believe that many Christians would be happy to do that….but we’re caught up in a web of traditions, history, and habit, as well as the denominational hierarchies that direct our actions from a distance, that won’t allow us to tear down the walls with any ease or grace. Groups like Tres Dias are a blessing because they bring us together in ecumenical worship and work. We need more of that! Non-denominational churches are a start also. How “good and pleasant” it would be if we all joined in unity! “One Bread, One Body, One Lord of all”….this is how it should be. One Church with Christ as head. One Body working in unity. One Kingdom of life in your holy presence. One in Christ Jesus! One through grace! One in Spirit. Amen.

Sept. 19....your name

Psalm 75:1 “We give you thanks, O God, we give thanks, and we invoke your name; we declare your wondrous deeds.” (NAB) “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

I have 2 translations today that don’t seem very similar, so it’s a bit confusing to catch the meaning. Sometimes scripture is like that….illusive, just beyond my understanding. I just added another translation, “Your name is our favorite word”….I like that one. I’ve often chosen my favorites in many categories, but have never thought about a favorite word. With all the words in the human language it would never have occurred to me to try to pick one! However, the psalmist was focusing on you, as we all should, and realized that there is only one word that matters…your name. You have many names, but they all are “the answer” to everything. My favorite word is your name that fits every moment. We don’t have multiple gods as many cultures do, we just have One God with a multiple personality. You are God Almighty, Jehovah, Yahweh, I AM, the Creator! You are Father! You are Jesus Christ, Savior, Friend, Prince of Peace, Healer, Sanctifier, Good Shepherd, Door, Light, Bread, Living Water, the Way, the Truth, the Life! You are Holy Spirit, Illuminator, Guide, Intercessor, Conscious, Emmanuel! You are Rock, Shield, Strong Tower, Deliverer! I can’t even list all your names, and I can make up new ones. Whatever my problem, you are the answer. Wherever I look, you are! You are “the Word”….so how can you not be my favorite word? May your names be ever on my lips and your praise flow from my heart at all times. May I joyfully tell of your works and your grace. May I show your love and mercy to others. Your name is near! I invoke your Name! Your name is my favorite word…forever! Amen.

Sept. 18....I will praise you

Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart. I will tell of all your wonders, I will be glad and rejoice in you, I will sing praise to your name…O Most High!”

Heavenly Father,

There are 4 promises here that I should make….I will praise you wholeheartedly, will tell of all your wonders, will be glad and rejoice in you, and will sing praise to your name. If I “praise you with all of my heart”…I make you most important…above family, above friends, above hobbies, before work, before schedules, before everything else that distracts me. Sometimes that isn’t easy. I no sooner began writing this and company arrived! You’re testing me? All I can do is try. I know I am to love others with your great love, also. Jesus was often interrupted and bothered with distractions. I need to learn to praise you will all of my heart even amid the busyness going on around me. I will “tell of all your wonders”. Another “all”…this time describing what you are rather than what I need to be. I know all the great things you are and do and I need to speak more freely of your wonders to others. I can’t “tell” anything if I don’t open my mouth. I will “be glad and rejoice in you”. None of this should be a burden or a “duty” or something difficult. If I love you wholeheartedly your praises and wonders should flow freely and joyfully from me to others. If I’m a “sourpuss” Christian something is wrong. Rejoice! This leads to “I will sing praise to your name, O Most High!” My mouth will not only open, but I will sing your praises…joyfully. Singing comes easily to me. My heart sings and is full of music all the time. Singing brings together the emotions, thoughts, feelings, and rhythm that are in me and puts it all into words. I love to sing your praises! O Most High…high above me in all ways! High in wonders, high in my priorities, high in importance, high in emotion. Most High, I love you! Most High, I sing to your name! Amen

Sept. 17.....He has given life to our souls

Psalm 66:8-9 “Bless our God, you peoples, loudly sound his praise; He has given life to our souls, and has not let our feet slip.”

Heavenly Father,

What exactly is our “soul”? I guess that soul and spirit are the “immortal” parts of every human. The parts that are created “in God’s image”. The part that makes us different from other creatures. Our soul is connected to You, our God. Our soul is the seat of all the holy possibilities within us. Not that we are in any way gods or can become gods, but that we are tied to our Creator, our Father, in a special way. You “breathed” life into us. That holy breath made us the creatures that we are. You “gave life to our souls”…..breathed a permanent connection that causes mankind to seek his Creator. We know you are out there, and we seek to find you. Like a homing device implanted within us. Your signal beeps away in our subconscious and calls us home. Some of us are very good at masking that signal or ignoring it. Others seem to lock on to that powerful radio beam of your holiness and head straight for home. We should cherish our life, our souls, more than we do. We should be thankful that we have a guidance system, if we turn it on and use it. You made it all simple by sending Jesus Christ to show us how a Son of God should live and by giving us the gift of grace through him. You showed us the great love that you are and the great love that we are connected to by our soul. Forgive me what I let my soul sit idle and ignore your signals. My soul knows when it is far from you and it pines and longs to return. Guide my soul home! Let the Holy Spirit breath new life into my soul and pull me toward you. “Breathe on me Breath of life”. Amen

Sept. 16....your unfailing love

Psalm 147:11 “The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

Heavenly Father,

In some ways this verse picks up where my last prayer left off. I asked you to help me “see”. This is a starting point. It says that you “delight” in those who fear you (reverence and worship you) and who “put their hope in your unfailing love”. Where do I put my hope? In my Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the incarnation of your “unfailing love”. I need to allow myself to appreciate the great gift you gave us….Jesus, and your unfailing love…and to hope on that gift. What is hope? Hope is trust in something or someone based on past evidence that leads to expectation of a favorable future. If my hope is in you, and your gift, Jesus Christ, than it means I trust you and believe in both you and the gift, and that I fully expect my hope to bring results based on your past faithfulness. I trust in you for my salvation and my eternal life based on Christ…but that somehow seems easy. I can’t see my salvation or my future. It is the daily trust that I fail at. It is the trust and hope I need for my daily living when I see the problems around me. Forgive me, LORD, for my lack of faith and trust in the small things. If I can trust you for the big things, for holding of my future in your hand, why on earth should I fail to trust you for the puny everyday things of this world? Help me to keep my perspective and to always remember that my God is huge! My God is in, around, above, and below everything! My God can save me from drowning, whether it be in a sea or sin or a puddle of worry! Take my hand, O LORD, and pull me up! My hope is in your unfailing love, Jesus Christ! Amen.

Sept. 15....whose hope is in the LORD

Psalm 146:5 “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob , whose hope is in the LORD his God.”

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Do not be surprised, beloved, that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst. It is a test for you, but it should not catch you off guard. Rejoice instead, in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will be overjoyed.”

Heavenly Father,We are blessed because you love us. You have given us a hope that bears all things. We know that no matter how life goes here and now that our future is secure in your hands. Jesus made it possible for us to leave behind all our worries, all our mistakes, all our helplessness, all our fears. We don’t have to beat ourselves up over our past or fret about our future. We can leave past mistakes in the past and live in the now with hope for the future to come in our eternal home. I know I’ve done and said many wrong things. I also know I’ve left many good things undone and unsaid. I get too wrapped up in my own life to see the problems around me. I wallow in self-imposed misery and guilt. None of that is necessary. You welcome the prodigal sons back home with open arms and say, “stop worrying about earning my love….I give it as a gift of grace….just take it, in my son’s name.” Why do we forget this and agonize over every minute of our existence here? Why don’t we just sing for joy and dance and enjoy the blessing? We are a stupid people! We make everything so hard! I continue to feel I need to “earn” my salvation…not consciously… by my acts of grateful service. Do I serve because of the joy I have in your gift of grace? Or do I serve because I feel I must repay the gift, say thanks in a way that makes me feel less guilty? I’m so confused at times about “works”. Help me see and understand, that I might enjoy the blessings that you give without the guilt that I impose on myself. My hope is in You! Teach me to rejoice in it! Amen.

Sept. 14....God of hope

Psalm 119:116 “Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” Rom. 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

(This meditation was written at a time when we were changing churches and struggling with where to go. God sent us to a church where we feel very much like we belong.)

Heavenly Father,

Your promise of life, through Jesus Christ, sustains me always. Your promise is the one thing I can always count on and hope on! You, O LORD, do not change and your love is forever. Forgive me when I let the world pull me into its craziness and drown out my “hope”….never my true hope in Christ, but my daily hope of living for you. The world distracts me. The world changes me. The world discourages me. The world tires me out. I focus too much on me, and not enough on you. Let your Holy Spirit fill me with new hope, new strength, new enthusiasm. Help me to keep my true hope in Jesus Christ and the life to come at the fore of my thoughts, words and actions. Block out Satan’s attempts to swamp me in triviality and worldly nonsense and worldly cares. I must live in this world, but I don’t have to join it and embrace it. Keep my eyes fixed on the goal of eternity. You, the God of hope, are always with me. I feel I’m drowning in our current church, and that means this church is not your church because I feel none of your Holy Spirit in what I see and do. We are off track and struggling. Show us the way to go, the way to get back on the path of salvation, the road to the kingdom of heaven. Send us where we can feel your presence and continue your work. Show us the answers we need. Don’t allow my wavering and discouragement to effect others. Show us where your church is working in this world and how to be a part of it. Thank you, God of hope, my life and my salvation. Amen.

Sept. 13.....hope in God

Psalm 42:5b “Put your hope in God. I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”

Heavenly Father, “Put your hope in God”….I must know you, Lord, and see your holy attributes in order to put my hope in you. I must be aware of your past provision to have the hopeful expectancy needed for the present and future. I must have seen your power in action to trust your strength. I must have felt your love and mercy in order to accept your grace at all times. I must have seen the results of your wisdom, to leave my worries in your hands. Each of us has to have a first moment of trust….a leap of faith….where we consciously say, “I believe God will do this.” That first moment of answered prayer will lead to additional moments of trust. As we come to know you, we see more clearly your will and your answers to our prayers. It is easy in our crazy world to ignore the signs of your presence and to think it all happens by some other means. Faith and hope come in the silent times away from the world. If we persevere, we find you. You aren’t hidden from us, but we build so many barriers between us that we have to fight our way through. Your hand is reaching out to us through Jesus Christ and he can lead us through the Door into peace. I praise you always, my Savior and my God! Keep my faith and my hope strong and firmly planted in you, my God. Show me how to explain that faith to those I love and who need you. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within in me.”….that I might hope and trust and obey you. amen.

Sept. 12....unfailing love

Psalm 33:22 “May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”

2 Thes. 2:16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, may God our Father who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” Heavenly Father,

“May your unfailing love rest upon us.” Unfailing love is a beautiful term. The idea of love that won’t end, won’t disappoint, won’t diminish, won’t falter….is a wonderful thing to think about. To know that You exhibit this wonderous love and that we are the objects of it is amazing. I like the phrase “rests upon us”. Your love is like a soft quilt gently covering us….resting on us…and bringing warmth and security and comfort. We “put our hope” in you and that restful quilt of unfailing love. We are held gently and yet securely in its folds. It wraps around us and feels like “home”. Your unfailing love is our home. Our hope…our expectant trust…lies within that home, that place of unfailing love. If we don’t find that hope within us and place it where it belongs….in You….we never find that unfailing love that you offer us. We have to exchange our present life…its sin, its worry, its attractions, its treadmill of time, its material things….for a new life, a better life, a home with a quilt of unfailing love waiting to rest upon us and enfold us forever. Why do we hang on to this life? Why do we fail to seek that better place with you? Your offer of unfailing love should be a beacon that draws us away from this world. Jesus Christ came to bring that love, to show us how to have it, to make it possible for us to know it. When we let him he guides us toward home and your love. He gives us hope for today and a vision of tomorrow. “Eternal encouragement” and “good hope”….all for the tasks at hand and the homecoming at the end of our journey. Wrap me in your unfailing love and show me how to share it with others. You are my only hope. Amen.

Sept. 11.....take heart...Blessed Hope

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD”.

Titus 2:11-13 “The grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all men. It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires, and live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age as we await our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus.”

Heavenly Father,

“Take heart”…..it’s a strange expression when you think about it. How do you “take heart”? I guess it means trust in, hope, be encouraged. The heart is the source of life….if your heart stops you are dead. So it could mean “take life”. The ones who “take life” are those “who hope in the LORD”. Those who believe in the Lord, trust in the Lord, find life in the Lord. In the verses from Titus, Jesus is referred to as “the blessed hope”….”the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Jesus is God’s answer to our sin. Jesus is the “grace of God”….the gift of all God’s riches wrapped up in love and forgiveness. He has appeared to all men. All have seen him or heard of him. All are invited to take the gift of salvation, the gift of grace. That is why he is the “blessed hope”. Blessed means true happiness, deep inner peace, reconciliation with God the Father, home, eternal life. We take heart, take life when we find and accept this blessed hope available in Jesus Christ. All we need is hope to “be strong and take heart”. God provided that hope in Jesus, just like he provides for all our needs. Hope always has an element of expectation in it. Hope expects an answer….a favorable answer! Hope trusts in the One we pray to, and expects an answer that shows God’s love and care. We are stronger when we have hope. Our strength comes from both the character of the One we pray to and also from the element of expectation in the hope. Strength trusts. Strength hopes. Strength comes from God. Strength is part of our Blessed Hope, Jesus Christ, the grace of God and our salvation. Amen.

Sept. 10.....Only in God

Psalm 62:5-6 “Only in God be at rest, my soul, for from him comes my hope. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed (shaken).” Heavenly Father,

“Only in God will my soul find its rest, for he is my hope, my salvation”……You know that this psalm verse is planted in my mind as a song. It is one of my favorites from the St. Louis Jesuits album where I first heard it. You gave them a great gift to write songs for the words of scripture. I’m sure it has helped more people than me to remember the precious words found in the Psalms. My soul truly finds its rest only in you. When I let the world pull me away, I am restless and unhappy. I need more time close to you, but seem to have trouble finding it at times. I need to sing this song daily and remind myself that “only in God” will I find “rest”. My hope is in You! Hope that waits and expects. Hope that trusts and remembers. You are my salvation. You save me from the world. You save me from my sin. You save me from an uncertain future and give me a secure one with you. You save me from death. “Only in God”….my hope, my salvation, my rock of safety, my strength, my glory , my God! You are all of this and much more. I’ve always liked the name “Rock” to describe you. I guess your Rock attribute is one that appeals to a weak person like me. I need that strength, that firm foundation, that stability, that security. “Rock of Ages”! “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand”! I’ve always been drawn to that image of rock-like strength. “Only in God!” My soul find rest because, you, O LORD are my home. Home is where the heart is, and my heart, mind, soul and strength seek to be with you! Thank you for that strength and salvation, the rest and hope that I find, only in You, my God! Amen.

Sept. 9.....strengthen the bars

Psalm 147:12-13 “Glorify the LORD O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.” Rev. 21:3 “This is God’s dwelling among men. He shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and he shall be their God who is always with them.” Heavenly Father, “Bars of a gate”….a strong defense? You strengthen these bars and bless the people within. What gate? Gates have 2 purposes…letting people in and keeping people out. Jesus claimed to be “the Door/Gate”. He is the one who allows people in or out, who makes an opening between heaven and earth. Jesus is strong with the strength of his Father, God Almighty. You have made the entrance to heaven both strong and secure, but also easily accessible through Jesus Christ. You have blessed us, by providing Jesus as a Door into your presence. We are sinful, but he has provided forgiveness. We are “unclean” but he has made us pure and righteous. We are weak, but he is strong. Evil and death are stopped at the Gate/Door. The bars of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection stand strong and invincible. They will not fall or crumble. The Gate of Jesus Christ is permanent and eternal. It can’t be removed or over-powered. The bars are as strong as they need to be. Why does the Gate have bars and not a solid surface? With bars, those who are outside can see in. We have to desire what is on the other side. We have to be willing to go trough the Gate. In the Harry Potter books to get on the train, they must rush headlong at a solid looking brick wall. What seems impassable, turns out to be passable. Christ is the brick wall, the Gate, that allows all of us in, who are willing to go through him. We throw ourselves on the Gate of Jesus Christ and he pays our way and lets us in. Heaven awaits ! The kingdom of God is through the Gate. “Now the dwelling of God is with men”….through Jesus Christ. Thank you! amen.

Sept. 8....with all my life..as long as I live

Psalm 146:1-2 “Praise the LORD , O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

Eph. 5:18-19 “Be filled with the Spirit; addressing one another in psalms and hymns and inspired songs. Sing praise to the Lord with all your hearts.”

Heavenly Father,

These verses speak of serious commitment….”all of my life”….”as long as I live”. All of my life can not only mean how long I will praise you, but also describe the depth of my praise. All of me….devoted and serving and focusing on you. Sometimes this is hard. Part of my mind is always wandering on many other pathways. However, if I keep in mind that you are in all things, around all things, present everywhere, than I can try to make whatever I’m doing part of my praise. “I will sing praise”….I love to sing and I try to keep praise songs running through my mind at all times. I like to listen to praise while I do other things. Sometimes I lose my songs and can’t seem to get back into that state of singing praise at all times. It makes me sad when that happens. Help me keep my songs of praise in my heart and mind at all times! I hope they are always in my heart even when they are not in my conscious mind or on my lips. I want my praise and my commitment to be whole hearted and “all of my life” and “as long as I live”. I know that you will never leave me. If anyone leaves or gets lost it is me. I pray that you will always pull me back, always search the hills for me…the lost sheep. I need your constant care and love. It is my life. I hear some of my favorite songs right now…calling my heart, leading me to you. Bring me home! Thank you always, for your presence and pull the songs of praise from my heart and mind and lips. I love you, LORD, with all my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sept. 7.....praise his holy name

Psalm 145:21 “My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

Heavenly Father,

Names used to mean something. In the OT names were always given to describe something about the person or their birth. There seemed to be a great importance attached to any name. Your name, Jehovah….I AM, was considered too holy to speak and was spelled with just 4 unpronounceable consonants. Names were not treated lightly. A name defined who you were, who you were related to and what you had done. You often chose the names for your most selected servants. You chose Jesus’ name…..Savior. Now names are whatever crazy thing people can think of and often reflect unworthy choices such as soap opera stars or athletes or singing sensations. We should choose names with more thought of what we hope our children will be. I have an important Biblical name, but seldom live up to the image of any of the Mary’s in the Bible. This psalm tells us to praise your “holy name” forever and ever. Your name always means something and no other being bears the names of the One True Living God. God Almighty! Yahweh! Jehovah! I AM! Your names automatically call for awe and reverence. When we swear using your name, we not only dishonor it and commit sin, but bring great embarrassment and shame on ourselves. Your name is holy and to be revered! We are told to pray in Jesus’ name. Jesus means Savior. We pray in his name and on the basis of what he did for us on the cross. We honor his name by using it to direct our prayers to you. He is the Door. He is the reason we can approach your holy throne. His name is our key to salvation and the kingdom of heaven. I give thanks and praise to your holy name!….in the name of the one who saves me, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sept. 6.....give to the LORD the glory

Psalm 96:6-7 “Splendor and majesty go before him; praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary. Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!”

Heavenly Father,

Just saying the words….splendor, majesty, praise, grandeur, strength, glory….conjures up visions of a God so wonderful that I bow in awe and reverence. Man’s words are inadequate to describe you or praise you or glorify you. The things that I write here are just words. My words are pretty worthless and it makes me wonder why I record them. I guess because in writing them I sometimes catch a glimpse of who you are. I see the Father who loves me. I see the Creator who made me. I see the Rock that stands in any storm or trial. I see the Good Shepherd who knows me and hunts for me when I’m lost. I see the Light of the World that shines out of the darkness, so I can find my way. I see the Bread of Life that feeds me and the Living Water that quenches my thirst. I see the Lamb, worthy to be slain, dying for me. I see the Resurrection and the Life risen up and ascended to his rightful place. I see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit….3 in 1…..1 in 3….above and beside and around and within me. My words can’t adequately describe, but my heart can know you. I can seek and find, ask and be answered, knock and you’ll open the Door. I can accept your gift of grace with eagerness and rip off the wrappings and have it now! The kingdom of heaven! I can eagerly anticipate the heaven yet to come in your holy presence. I can trade my burdens for peace, my sin for forgiveness, my death for life! I can let you “bring me to your holy mountain, the place where you dwell.” Thank you! Word of all Words! King of kings! LORD of LORDS! Amen.

Sept. 5.....the LORD made the heavens

Psalm 96:4-5 “For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”

Heavenly Father,

Great is your name! You are worthy of praise! You are feared (revered) above all gods! This praise reminds us that you are much different from any other god that we can make or think of. You are real! You have proven it by your creation….”the LORD made the heavens”. Other gods, that nations have worshiped have done nothing. They are imaginary. You are a God that has interacted with his creation, his people, throughout time. When we pray to you, you listen and respond. You are a loving God, who has provided for our needs. You are a merciful God who has protected us. You are a forgiving God who has looked away from our sins and found a solution for them. You are a Father God who cares for us like children. Your greatest gift was your Son, Jesus Christ. To become man and live among us is something no other god could do. To die for us and remove the burden of our sin and redeem us for eternity is an act of greatness and grace that can’t be equaled by any other “idol” that man might call “god”. Most of our gods are within our personalities or man-made in our sin. Our sins themselves become our gods and rule us when we lose sight of the only true God, the Creator and Father of all. Help me turn away from any other god that might rule me. Turn my eyes firmly on you and keep them focused there. May your might and power and strength fill my vision and blind me to any other god. You, the LORD, made the heavens! You, the LORD, made me. You, the LORD, are worthy of praise. Great is the LORD! Great is the Son! Great is the Holy Spirit of Truth! Amen.

Sept. 4....riding on the clouds

Psalm 68:4 “Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds….his name is the LORD….and rejoice before him.” Heavenly Father, I have a fascination with clouds. I love to watch them and call it “cloud therapy” when I lie in my hammock watching huge puffy clouds float overhead. I remember the first time I flew in the clouds and being amazed that they look the same when you are above them! I like the name: “Him who rides on the clouds”. The idea of my LORD, my God, my King being above the earth on the beautiful fleecy clouds appeals to my dramatic sense. The clouds that awe me, that bring me joy and peaceful thoughts, that fascinate me…only God, the LORD, can ride them! I extol the King of clouds and all creation! I praise the One who masters the sky and all that is in it. In the Old Testament, you often came as fire or cloud. Your brightness, too bright for us to bear seeing, your being shrouded in clouds that we might realize your presence in a visible way. When I look at the clouds I should cry, “Immanuel”….God With Us! Even storm clouds bring needed rain. I don’t understand clouds…they are mysterious and far away…but they are evidence of your greatness, your presence, your provision. We tend to think of clouds as obscuring things or hiding them. Sometimes clouds symbolize confusion for us. When I feel these clouds of confusion, I know that you will make your presence known in this cloud and eventually I will see your guiding hand of provision. You “ride the clouds”…you control them. You bring knowledge from confusion. You establish your kingdom everywhere. I will wait and watch and draw comfort in your presence. Thank you. amen.

Sept. 3.....lips that praise you

Psalm 8:2 “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”

Eph. 1:22-23 “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything.”

Heavenly Father,

You gave us mouths and lips to praise you. No other creature or created thing forms words of praise or shouts your name in joy. We are created in your likeness and that allows us to relate to you as none other can. And we seldom appreciate that wonderful fact. Because we are made in your likeness and can think, and speak, and act, it means we also are the ones who can choose. You did not make us as puppets, but as beings who could be like children …..loving or willful. We choose our reaction to your love. We choose to obey your commands or go our own way. We choose to “leave home” like the prodigal son with all the worldly goods you have given us and live it up in “the far country” or we choose to stay at your side and serve you. You are all-wise and you knew we would make wrong choices. You know that like children, we won’t always listen to what is best for us. You know that we will use our “riches” in wrong ways and try to become our own gods and our own creators. So you gave us an escape plan….a way that always leads back home. You gave us Jesus Christ and “placed all things under his feet and appointed him head over everything.” Now it is his problem, his world, his decision. He chose to save us all by sacrificing himself as a perfect Lamb. He took our sin, our debt, and our punishment. He saved us and forgave us. He is the Light of the World shining forever as a pathway out of the darkness. He is the Door that leads to the throne room of heaven ……our home! Grace! He did it all that we might have it all! Thank you! amen.

Sept. 2,.....God's peace

Psalm 37:11 “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” John 14:27 “My peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives.”

Heavenly Father,

This verse is echoed later by Jesus in the Beatitudes….”Blessed are the meek, they will inherit the earth.” Learning to have a spirit of meekness is important, but often difficult. We are meek when we come seeking your will and your control rather than our own. We are meek when we realize that we are at the end of our resources and can only survive through your grace and mercy. The prodigal son is the perfect example. He had come to the end of his own resources and realized how foolish he had been and what he had given up. He knew that the answer lay in going home and humbling himself before his father. He wanted back in his Father’s good graces. That is what we all want and need…You, our Father’s good “grace”. You give us grace and forgive us and take us back, just as the father of the prodigal son showed nothing but love for his son and threw a party for him. He never said, “I told you so”. He didn’t wait for the son to beg his forgiveness. He knew what was in his son’s humble, meek heart and immediately enfolded him in his loving arms and welcomed him home. We are assured that you are waiting for the meek with arms wide open. We are assured of grace. And because of this we “enjoy great peace”. As Jesus said, “my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives.” Anything the world gives us is fleeting and unsure, but what Jesus gives is forever. His peace is based on a permanent relationship with the Father. His peace is based on grace, given through his death on the cross. We need only meekly accept what is offered. Grace for the meek. Grace for peace eternal. Thank you, LORD! Amen.

Sept. 1....mountaintop peace

Psalm 72:3,7 “The mountains shall yield peace for the people and the hills justice. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.”

Col. 1:19-20 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Heavenly Father,

“Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell” (Psalm 43:3)…..”the mountains shall yield peace” (Psalm 72:3). Peace is found with you. To our minds the image of a lofty mountain with all its power and grandeur seems fitting to be the “holy place” where you dwell. The image works well for me because I will never climb a mountain, so they seem huge and far away! For those who do climb mountains, where do they imagine your home? Do they climb from some sense of trying to find you? I guess I climb mountains in my mind….always trying to scale some distant ridge that might lead me closer to you. Too often I feel trapped in the valley with another mountain looming over me and no energy to begin the climb. Spiritual mountains, like real ones, can be daunting. My clue seems to come from Psalm 43:3…”Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me, let them bring me to your holy mountain, the place where you dwell.” I can’t climb the mountains. I don’t even know where to begin. But you can “send forth” the guides that I need…your light (Jesus Christ, the Light of the World) and your truth, (Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth). They can guide me, point me in the right direction. They can bring me, take me by the hand and show me the way. They know your dwelling place well…they live there with you! I need only rely on Jesus and the Holy Spirit to find you! You made “all fullness” to dwell in Jesus Christ, that through him we might find you and be reconciled. Peace…lasting peace….peace “that abounds till the moon is no more”….is found through his blood on the cross. I’m home! I’m on the mountain top with you through Jesus Christ! Thank you! amen.