The Daily Grace - Tell His Story

Let's be thankful for the assurance we can have that we will be with Jesus after we die if we have trusted in Him to forgive our sin. There is no greater hope. It is now our privilege to share that hope with as many as we can. 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us: "... always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."

We have the opportunity from God, as David said, to "call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples" (1 Chron. 6:18). The stories of so many people we love are not yet ended. And, the privilege to tell them about the love of Jesus is a gift most precious. Let our days be filled with a longing - and the opportunities - to tell our story of Jesus.

Today We Pray

Dear God, help me to be open to You for this time as I put aside the cares of this world. Fill my thoughts with Your peace and Your love. Grant that I may always choose to follow You.

Have patience with me, mighty God, and forgive me. Do not spew me out, as You have warned You might do with the lukewarm. Fill my soul with the fire of Your Word and help me grow, to put more and more confidence in You and less and less in the world before me; forgive me my sins and help me to live in them less and less today, and every day, that I might more perfectly follow Your commandments.

As I travel through the rest of my day, may the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope. Guide with pure wisdom those who guide the nations of the earth and the many factions who may find disagreement, that Your kingdom may go forward in tranquility and goodness, free of hatred and hostility, until the earth is filled with knowledge of Your love. In the name of Christ, I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

No matter how hard we suffer, we should never be crushed. Do not hedge in on the pressures of life. We may be unsure of finding a way out, but we should not drive in despair. Know that God is always there to help you in whatever situations that you may encounter.

Stay strong in the Lord. Be of good courage. You should never be destroyed. Don't let the enemy destroy your life. You may be knocked down by the trials, but make sure you will stand up again.

The Daily Grace - For Sale: "As Is"

A house listed for sale "As Is" usually means the seller is unable or unwilling to spend any money to repair it or make it attractive. Any necessary repairs or desired improvements are the responsibility of the buyer after the purchase is complete. "As Is" on a real estate listing is equivalent to sayng, "Buyer bweare. Home may require significant futher investment".

How remarkable that when Jesus died, He paid the highest price for each of us, regardless of our condition. Revelation 5 describes a scene in heaven where only "The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" is found worthy to open and read a sealed scroll (vv. 3-5). He appears as a Lamb and becomes the object of praise in a new song, "For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth" (vv. 9-10). 

Jesus Christ willingly purchased us for God with His blood. We were bought "as is", faults, defects, needed renovation included. By faith we are now under His ownership, in the process of remodeling for God's glory. How wonderful that God knew us, loved us, and bought us just as we are. God knows us inside and out. No renovation project is too big for Him.

Today We Pray

Dear God, I come before You this morning to offer myself, my soul and body to You. I live in awe of Your purity, Your justice, and the power of Your love. You are the strength and light of my soul, for without You I have neither life nor goodness.

Forgive me for all of my sin, merciful God, through the mystery of salvation, by Your grace that came through Your only Son, Jesus Christ. From the bottom of my heart, I swear my love for Him. He is my Lord and my Savior, and I cast myself utterly upon Your mercy in His name.

I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought; and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to listen first for Your voice in everything I may say or do, this day and always.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Revelations 21:4

All things will be made new by Christ at the right time. Be prepared in His coming. Repent on your sins. Turn from your wicked ways so that you will inherit His Kingdom.

All of the negatives will be gone forever when He will come back again. Look forward to it. Just believe in His Name and have faith. Then, at the right time, you will experience the wonderful things that He has promised. Trust in the Lord!

The Daily Grace - Happy Ending

In it's "plot", the story of the Bible ends up very much where it began. The broken relationship between God and human beings has healed over at last, and the curse of Genesis 3 is lifted. Borrowing images from Eden, Revelation pictures a river and a tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2). But this time, a great city replaces the garden setting - a city filled with worshipers of God. No death or sadness will ever darken that scene. When we awake in the new heaven and new earth, we will have at last a happy ending.

Heaven is not an afterthought or an optional belief. It is the final justification of all creation. The Bible never belittles human tragedy and disappointment - is any book more painfully honest? - but it does add one key word: temporary. What we feel now, we will not always feel. The time for re-creation will come.

For people who feel trapped in pain or in a broken home, in economic misery or in fear - for all of us - heaven promises a timeless future of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. The Bible begins with the promise of a Redeemer in the book of Genesis (3:15) and ends with that same promise (Rev. 21:1-7) - a guarantee of future reality. The end will be the beginning. The gains of heaven will more than compensate us for the losses of earth.

Today We Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, what a great day! Thank You for this and every day when I have woken up, with my heart beating and my mind able to read and think. By the power of your Holy Spirit, fill my heart with joy for all that I have been given.

Help me to shoulder the burdens of my life with strength and courage, finding my solace in Your promise of eternal life. I look forward in absolute faith to the glorious new body that all of Christ's children have been promised. But, I pray to enjoy this not-so-glorious body, to see all of its wonders and remember that, being a gift, I am in no position to complain about its imperfections.

Send me Your light and truth, to keep this day and all the days of my life. And may Your mighty hand protect me, and all my brothers and sisters who have joined me in prayer this day, blessing our homes and our lives. Through Christ I pray.

Amen

The Daily Grace - Amani

Amani, which means "peace" in Swahili, is the name of a Labrador retriever pup that has some special friends. Amani lives with two young cheetahs at the Dallas Zoo. Zoologists placed the animals together so the cheetahs could learn Amani's relaxed ways. Since dogs are generally at ease in public settings, the experts predict that Amani will be a "calming influence" in the cheetah's lives as they grow up together.

David was a soothing influence in King Saul's life when a "distressing spirit" troubled him (1 Sam. 16:14). When Saul's servants learned of his problem, they thought music might ease his affliction. One servant summoned David, who was a skilled harpist. Whenever the king became troubled, David would play the harp. "Then Saul would become refreshed and well" (v. 23).

We crave refreshment and well-being when we are plagued by anger, fear, or sadness. The God of the Bible is a "God of peace" (Heb. 13:20-21), One who gives His Holy Spirit to everyone who believes in Him. When we're agitated or anxious, we can remember that God's Spirit produces power, love, and self-control (2 Tim. 1:7). God's influence in our lives can create a calming effect - one that leads to comfort and wholeness.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, we're grateful for the peace that You offer for our hearts. Nothing has the power to take that away. Thank You that Your peace has come to stay.

May I always remember that no matter the day and whatever hardship I face, You are with me, extending Your hand in love. Help me to be open to Your guidance. Knowing that You want what is best for me, only asking in return sorrow for my sins and my willingness to do good. 

I pray that I may be blessed every step of my path this day by the great God of light. May Your sun shine upon me; as the moon moves the tide, may Your Spirit move my emotions with every grace and magic; may my heart sing with the voice of your angels and my hearth be warm; and may this and every blessed day You have given me be filled with joy.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 2 Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of sound judgment and personal discipline. These are the abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control.

The Daily Grace - Guidance Needed

We can all certainly identify with the need of guidance. In fact, Jesus addressed this very need during His Upper Room Discourse. He said that after His departure, the Holy Spirit would play a crucial role in the lives of believers. As part of that role, Jesus promised, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

What a marvelous provision! In a world of confusion and fear, guidance is often needed. We can easily be misdirected by the culture around us or by the brokenness within us (1 John 2:15-17). God's Spirit, however, is here to help, to direct, and to guide. How thankful we can be that the Spirit of truth has come to give us the guidance that we often so desperately need.


Set your course by His life, and you will reach safe harbor. The Spirit is a reliable guide in all of life's seas. Let Him guide you. We may be weak, but He is mighty. He will hold us always with His powerful hands.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, grant me by the same Spirit to be guided in my work today, and in my every thought and deed and in everything I say. Let my decisions be wise and holy, and my ears open to Your wisdom. And let me always be open to change

Unstop my ears and soften my heart,. Help me learn Your way better and better every hour of this day. Guide me always to do Your holy will knowing that Your strength will carry me through.

Look into my heart and see my longing for peace. Watch over me, Lord. I know that You are always by my side.

Amen

Todays Godly Reminder - Psalms 150:6

Let every breathe of life will praise His Name. Every living creature will shout praises to the Lord. Everything that breathes will give glory to His Name. And, that includes us, His people.

Praise His mighty Name, today. Let His Name be known. Let His Name be glorified among the earth. Give glory to His Name, forevermore.

The Daily Grace - Mightier Than All

Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina is a spectacular waterfall system of 275 falls along 2.7 km (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Etched on a wall on the Brazilian side of the Falls are the words of Psalm 93:4, "Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!" (RSV). Below it are these words, "God is always greater than all of our troubles".

The writer of Psalm 93, who penned its words during the time that kings reigned, knew that God is the ultimate King over all. "The Lord reigns", he wrote. "Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting" (vv. 1-2). No matter how high the floods or waves, the Lord remains greater than them all.

The roar of a waterfall is truly majestic, but it is quite a different matter to be in the water hurtling toward the falls. That may be the situation you are in today. Physical, financial, or relational problems loom ever larger and you feel like you are about to go over the falls. In such situations, the Christian has Someone to turn to. He is the Lord, "who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20) for He is greater than all of our troubles. Never measure God's unlimited power by your limited expectations.

Today We Pray

 

Dear Lord, what is present to me is what has a hold on my becoming. I reflect on Your presence that is always there in love, amidst the many things that have a hold on me. I pause and pray that I may let You affect my becoming in this precise moment.

You created me to live in freedom. May Your Holy Spirit guide me to follow You freely. Instill in my heart a desire to know and love You more each day.

May Your Holy Spirit guide me in all my dealings with others. May I use the gift of speech with kindness. This is all I ask through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Todays Godly Reminder - John 1 4:11

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

God loves us so much in this incredible way. His love is vast and deep. He loves us unconditionally. And, this is called agape love.

Since He loved us so much, we must also love one another just like Christ loved us. If we love one another, God dwells deeply within us. And, His love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

The Daily Grace - Do No Harm

The principle of "doing no harm" extends to our relationships with others in everyday life. In fact, benevolence is central to New Testament teaching about loving others. In reflecting on the law of God, Paul sees that love is the intent behind many biblical commands: "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Rom. 13:10)

Each day as we follow Jesus Christ our Savior, we are faced with choices that will affect the lives of others. When we choose a course of action, we should ask ourselves, "Does this reflect Christ's concern for others, or am I only concerned for myself?" Such a sensitivity demonstrates the love of Christ that seeks to heal the broken and help those in need. Caring for the burdens of others helps us to forget about our own.

Love never hurts anybody and it will never hurt. Love doesn't have to hurt. God is the author of love and He will never hurt us. Love does no harm.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, the heavens are telling of Your glory and the wonders of Your love. Yet, as clouds will cover Your sky in gloom, as the ceilings of men's buildings hide the sky from my sight, so the cares of this existence block Your majesty from my mind. I look with hope to the day when my knowledge of Your glory will never be hidden by the concerns of the world.

Look upon me, O Lord, and let all the darkness of my soul vanish before the beams of thy brightness. Fill me with holy love, and open to me the treasures of thy wisdom. All my desire is known unto thee; therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened me to ask in prayer.

I seek thy face. Turn thy face unto me and show me thy glory. Then shall my longing be satisfied, and my peace shall be perfect.

Amen

Todays Godly Reminder - Psalm 121:5

The Lord will always keep you. He is your shade. He is always there at your side. He will never leave you.

Wherever you will go, He is always there. He is your Guardian. He will be right at your side to protect you. Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke. Do not be afraid.

The Daily Grace - We Thank the Lord

Anna Anderson's husband died early in their marriage, leaving her with three young daughters and a difficult future. Although trained in Virginia as a teacher, she lacked full credentials to work in the Philadelphia schools, so she took in laundry, did ironing, and later scrubbed floors at a large department store. As African-Americans, they often experienced racial prejudice and discrimination. When doors of opportunity closed, Anna believed that if they would trust the Lord with all their heart and acknowledge Him in all their ways, He would direct their paths (Prov. 3:5-6). She taught her daughters to depend on God, follow Him, and always be thankful.

When her firstborn, Marian, rose to become an internationally acclaimed classical singer, Anna continued to pray for her, and always gave God credit for her success. Reporters, who asked Anna how she felt after attending Marian's concert at Carnegie Hall and her 1955 debut with the Metropolitan Opera, heard her say, "We thank the Lord". Her reply was not a cliche, but sincere gratefulness to God. Rather than lament what she lacked, Anna Anderson expressed gratitude for what she had and used it for God's glory. Today, we can follow her example with faith, confidence, and a heartfelt, "We thank the Lord". Gratitude is a mark of godliness.

Today We Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make me and all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of Your Name. I humbly pray that we may always prove ourselves a people who remember Your favor and are glad to do Your will.

Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here from so many different lands and languages.

Grant the spirit of wisdom those to whom we entrust with the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home. And that, through obedience to Your law, we may demonstrate Your praise among the nations of the earth. In times of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in days of trouble, do not let our trust in You fail; all which I ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Proverbs 3:5

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding"

Rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart. Do not rely on your own insight or understanding. Trust God from the bottom of your heart. With all your heart, you must trust Him and not your own judgment. Don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Do not depend on your own understanding.

The Daily Grace - Outlasting Bitterness

During the Second World War, Corrie ten Boom's family owned a watchmaking business in the Netherlands, and they actively worked to protect Jewish families. Eventually, the entire ten Boom family was sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie's father died 10 days later. Her sister Betsie also died in the camp. While Betsie and Corrie were in the camp together, Betsie's faith helped to strengthen Corrie's.

That faith led Corrie to forgive even the ruthless men who served as guards during her concentration camp days. While hate and the desire for revenge continued to destroy many lives long after the concentration camps were gone, Corrie knew the truth: Hate hurts the hater more than the hated, no matter how justified it may seem. Like Corrie, we each have the opportunity to love our enemy and choose forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn't excuse the offense, but when we forgive we show Christ to the world. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32). God will help you let go of every angry grudge as you watch the Spirit build into you a place where others see the Savior. When we forgive someone, we look more like Jesus than at any other moment in our life.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, How great You are in Your creation! How great You are in man! You are wonderful and magnificent God!

Deliver me in whatever work my hand may find today. Assist me, that I may do the work which You have given me to do, in truth, in beauty, and in righteousness, with singleness of heart as Your servant, and to the benefit of my fellow men. Make me also a blessing to the people surrounding me.

There are people praying with me, right now, whom I will never meet. I don't know their names, or what country they live in, or what they may look like, but I will know their souls, for we are brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that we might be united in the Holy Spirit, and that I will know and feel the kinship and love, in my spirit, of those who share these prayers with me.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Be kind and helpful to one another. Be tender-hearted and also be understanding to one's feeling. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Be merciful.

The grace that God manifests to us is the grace that we are to manifest to others.

The Daily Grace - The Warmth of the Sun

On a November day in 1963, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote a song quite unlike the band's typically upbeat tunes. It was a mournful song about love that's been lost. Mike said later, "As hard as that kind of loss is, the one good that comes from it is having had the experience of being in love in the first place". They titled it "The Warmth of the Sun".

Sorrow serving as a catalyst for songwriting is nothing new. Some of David's most moving pslams were penned in times of deep personal loss, including Psalm 6. Though we aren't told the events that prompted its writing, the lyrics are filled with grief: "I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim, I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief" (vv. 6-7).

But that's not where the song ends. David knew pain and loss, but he also knew God's comfort. And so he wrote, "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer" (v. 9). In his grief, David not only found a song, he also found reason to trust God, whose faithfulness bridges all of life's hard seasons. In the warmth of His presence, our sorrows gain a hopeful perspective. A song of sadness can turn our hearts to the God whose joy for us is forever.

Today We Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, in fear of You and in the hope of mercy, I worship You. Lead me in Your righteousness. Make Your way straight before my face. 

Life can be so wonderful, but also hard. Help us to seek You in the good times, as well as the bad. Help us to always be mindful that You are our sure hope in a world that doesn't always seem to care.

Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them shout for joy, because You defend them; those who love Your name, grant them mercy and joy. And evermore let Your word spread throughout the world, and make me Your servant in this task. In Christ's name, I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Psalm 6:9

"The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer."

God hears your prayer. He delights when we come to him and ask him to help us. He wants to give us the things we need, not the things we think we need. Sometimes the answers we get to prayers aren’t what we want or expect or they take longer than we think they should. But, none of that is the absence of answers. God hears every prayer no matter what method of praying you use: speaking, singing, or thinking. Even our actions can be a prayer to God.

The Lord heard our plea for grace and mercy. He will also receive our prayer if we come before Him. God had heard your sobs. Your requests have all been granted. He answers prayer.

The Daily Grace - Dealing with Distractions

A restaurant owner in the village of Abu Ghosh, just outside Jerusalem, offered a 50-percent discount for patrons who turned off their cell phones. Jawdat Ibrahim believes that smartphones have shifted the focus of meals from companionship and conversation to surfing, texting, and business calls. "Technology is very good", Ibrahim says. "But. . . when you are with your family and your friends, you can just wait for half an hour and enjoy the food and enjoy the company".

How easily we can be distracted by many things, whether in our relationship with others or with the Lord. Jesus told His followers that spiritual distraction begins with hearts that have grown dull, ears that are hard of hearing, and eyes that are closed (Matt. 13:15). Using the illustration of a farmer scaterring seed, Jesus compared the seed that fell among thorns to a person who hears God's Word but whose heart is focused on other things. "The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (v. 22). There is great value in having times throughout each day when we turn off the distractions of mind and hear and focus on the Lord. Focusing on Christ puts everything else in perspective.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day — that it even exists, and especially, that I can live in it, that I can know it through the sense you gave me and breathe the air you have made. Help me to turn off all the distractions around me and focus on You. May my heart be good soil for the seed of Your Word today.

Keep me and those I love from danger, sickness, accident this day, I pray. Help me to turn my back on evil in all of its myriad forms, to turn aside from the temptation that besets me from within myself and from my reaction to the world outside. Broaden my mind and give me the gift of hearing truth even when I do not want to hear it, when a false thought is embedded in my mind and the truth disagrees with my preconceptions.

Fill me with gratitude. Give me the courage to change the things that are contrary to Your Word, even when they are ingrained and it is painful for me to give them up. Let me realize my sin and give me the grace to repent it and seek Your forgiveness.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Matthew 13:22

"The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful."

The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.

Let the seed grow in you. Don't be like a weed. Let the Word be absorbed in your heart. Meditate on it day and night.

The Daily Grace - Can You Help?

The administrators of the high school in Barrow, Alaska, were tired of seeing students get into trouble and drop out at a rate of 50 percent. To keep students interested, they started a football team, which offered them a chance to develop personal skills, teamwork, and learn life lessons. The problem with football in Barrow, which is farther north than Iceland, is that it's hard to plant a grass field. So they competed on a gravel and dirt field.

Four thousand miles away in Florida, a woman named Cathy Parker heard about the football team and their dangerous field. Feeling that God was prompting her to help, and impressed by the positive changes she saw in the students, she went to work. About a year later, they dedicated their new field, complete with a beautiful artificial-turf playing surface. She had raised thousands of dollars to help some kids she didn't even know.

This is not about football - or money. It is about remembering "to do good and to share" (Heb. 13:6). The apostle James reminds us that we demonstrate our faith by our actions (2:18). The needs in our world are varied and overwhelming but when we love our neighbor as ourselves, as Jesus said (Mark 12:31), we reach people with God's love. Open your heart to God to learn compassion and open your hand to give help.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, grant me, I pray, Your divine helping grace. Endow me with patience and strength to endure my tribulations with complete submission to Your will. You know my misery and suffering and to you, my only hope and refuge, I flee for relief and comfort.

May it please You, my good Lord, that there may come a day when I can repay a little of my great debt to you. O Jesus, strengthen my soul, You who are good above all good. Here is my life, my honor and my will; I have given them all to You and they are Yours: use me to do whatever You want.

Give me grace today, so to live that by obedience I may increase in faith and in the understanding of Your Holy Word. I submit to Your Holy Word. Help me to meditate on it day and night.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Psalm 103:2

Bless the Lord at all times. Affectionately, praise His Name. Let us not forget the good things that He has done in our lives. Our God is a sovereign God. He is always gracious to extend to us the blessings that comes from His hands. Receive that blessing always. It's not just one or two, but you will be blessed a thousand folds. Acknowledge the Lord always. Let His Name be known to the nations. Let the people know the good things that He has done so that many people will come to Him and inherit His Kingdom.

The Daily Grace - Goodbye

When Max Lucado participated in a half-Ironman triathlon, he experienced the negative power of complaint. He said, "After the 1.2-mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn't have much energy left for the 13.1-mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. He said, 'This stinks. This race is the dumbest decision I've ever made;. I said, 'Goodbye' ". Max knew that if he listened too long, he would start agreeing with him. So he said goodbye and kept running.

Among the Israelites, too many people listened too long to complaints and began to agree with them. This displeased God, and for good reason. God had delivered the Israelites from slavery, and agreed to live in their midst, but they still complained. Beyond the hardship of the desert, they were dissatisfied with God's provision of manna. In their complaint, Israel forgot that the manna was a gift to them from God's loving hand (Num. 11:6). Because complaining poisons the heart with ingratitude and can be a contagion, God had to judge it. This is a sure way to say "goodbye" to complaining and ingratitude: Each day, let's rehearse the faithfulness and goodness of God to us. Proclaiming God's faithfulness silences discontentment.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, You have given us so much. Forgive us for our short memories and bad attitudes. Help us to remember and be grateful for all that You have provided. 

Help us also to tell others of the good things You have done for us. Let your Holy Spirit guide me in my prayer and in thought, and grant me the grace to listen and hear Your Word. Soften my heart, that I may be directed by Your truth, and not the devices of my body and mind.

Support me all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over and my work is done. Then of Thy mercy, grant me a safe lodging, and a holy rest and a peace at last through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  In the name of Christ I ask this.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Hebrews 13:5

 Let your character be free from the love of money. Shun greed—be financially ethical. Let your moral essence and inner nature be clean. Be content with what you have, God promised us that He will never, under any circumstances, desert you nor give you. God will never leave us without support or in any degree, leave us helpless. Be assured that He will not forsake or let us down or relax in His hold on you, assuredly not!

The Daily Grace - Rooted Love

When I think of all the wonders of God's magnificent creation, I am especially awed by the giant sequoia tree. These amazing behemoths of the forest can grow to around 300 feet tall with a diameter that exceeds 20 feet. They can live over 3,000 years and are even fire resistant. In fact, forest fires pop the sequoia cones open, distributing their seeds on the forest floor that has been fertilized by the ashes. Perhaps the most amazing fact is that these trees can grow in just 3 feet of soil and withstand high winds. Their strength lies in the fact that their roots intertwine with other sequioas, providing mutual strength and shared resources.

God's plan for us is like that. Our ability to stand tall in spite of the buffeting winds of life is directly related to the love and support we receive from God and one another. And then, as the writer of Hebrews says, we are to "do good and to share" (13:16). Think of how tough it would be to withstand adversity if someone were not sharing the roots of their strength with us. There is great power in the entwining gifts of words of encouragement, prayers of intercession, weeping together, holding each other, and sometimes just sitting with one another sharing the presence of our love. Let the roots of God's love in your life be entwined with others who need your support.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, You are good and You are our great comforter. No matter what will happen in our lives, whether it is pleasing or not, still You are a great God. We praise You for Your unending love to us.

Please forgive me if sometimes I am like a sheep that have gone astray. I am sorry if sometimes I am not listening to Your Words and directions. Comfort me Lord when trials come into my life, I sometimes fail and being stubborn.

Renew our minds, renew our strength. Help us to grow so that other people will be inspired by our lives, having You in our ups and downs. And, they will know that You are a good Father to us that provides tranquility.

Amen.

Todays Godly Reminder - 1 Thessalonians 6:11

Always practice in building each other up. Don't acquire that crab mentality, it doesn't pleases the Lord. Encouraging one another pleases Him because it is His commandment also in Hebrews 11:25. God talked several times in the Bible about encouraging one another. Discover those words more by studying deeply in His Word, by yourself or with your accountability partners.

Keep doing good things around you. Be kind to others and show the love of Christ to them. When they are sad, comfort them. When they are happy, rejoice with them. Let us help one another as the day comes.

The Daily Grace - He Already Knows

A friend who is a commercial pilot told me about a flight in which he encountered a serious mechanical issue - a problem with dangerous implications. When the situation occurred, the warning lights in the cockpit informed him of the problem and he monitored it all the way to the destination, ultimately landing safely. Once on the ground, the pilot immediately went to the maintenance staff and reported it. To his surprise, the mechanics responded, "We already know about the problem and are ready to fix it. When you got the cockpit warning, we automatically got an electronic warning as well".

As he shared that incident, I couldn't help but compare it to Jesus' words about our heavenly Father: "Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matt. 6:8). He said this in contrast to people who believe that they must "use vain repetitions. . . For they think that they will be heard for their many words" (v. 7). Jesus presupposes God's knowledge of and concern for His children. Even though God knows our needs, He still wants us to share our hearts with Him. He stands ready to hear our prayer and to repair our brokenness by His grace. Prayer is the voice of faith, trusting that God knows and cares.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, we know that our enemy seeks to devour us. Please protect us from him. We believe Your Word that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

I am battle-ravaged by my sin, sick by my own will. The pure spirit You gave me is wreckage and rubble. Forgive me, dear Christ, and replenish me with Your infinite mercy, with Your pure, clear, perfect love, until I am restored to the perfect beauty and peace of soul that can be found only by Your grace.

I pray to You for all the graces I need to know You, to love You and serve You faithfully unto death, and to save my soul. Give me a tender and fervent devotion to Your sacred passion by which I was redeemed, venerating You each day in prayer. And, teach me how to unite sorrows and sufferings of my life with Your own.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Joshua 1:5

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."

All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way that God was with Moses, He will be with you. He won’t give up on you. And, He won’t leave you.

Receive this promise from the Lord today that He will not leave us or give up on us. This is what He did to Moses. Live on this promise and trust in Him because He already did this to our ancestors. He will always help us.

The Daily Grace - Amazing Guide

When actors and actresses make a movie, it's the director who sees the "big picture" and the overall direction. Actress Marion Cotillard admits she didn't understand everything the director was doing in one of her films. She said, "I found it very interesting to allow myself to be lost, because I knew that I had this amazing guide. . . You abandon yourself for a story and a director that will make it all work".

I think Joshua could have said something similar about the director of his life. In Joshua 1, the newly comissioned leader of Israel is standing at the threshold of the Pormised Land. More than 2 million Israelites are looking to him to lead them. How would he do it? God didn't give him a detailed script, but He gave him the assurance that He would go with him.

God said, "I will be with you. I will not leave you" (Josh. 1:5). He commanded Joshua to study and practice everything written in His Word (vv. 7-8), and He promised to be with Joshua wherever he went. Joshua responded with complete devotion and surrender to his amazing Guide, and "not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken" (21:45). We too can abandon ourselves to our Director and rest in His faithfulness. As Oswald Chambers quote, "Faith never knows where it is being led; it knows and loves the One who is leading".

Today We Pray

Dear God, You have given me another day. Bring Your Holy Spirit into my mind and my life, so that I may walk this day in Your presence. Let me feel Your presence throughout the day, remembering always that you sent Your Spirit that You might be a living force in all I see and all I do. 

Grant me this day the strength to be temperate in all things, diligent in my duties, and patient under my afflictions. Direct me in all my ways. Give me grace to be just and upright in all my dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all people, according to my abilities and opportunities.

When I feel temptation or begin to stray, show me Your path. Correct me, comfort me, let me live Your will; that I may be happy in this life and blessed in the life to come. This I pray in the name of Christ, my Lord.

Amen