God's Goodness

 Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19 (NJKV)

Thought for Today: Randy's car did not start on his way to a job interview.  He really needed this job, since things had gone downhill with his current job after the accident.  Randy's family had been injured in an automobile accident and required a lot of medical care that stretched on for months.  Today was just turning out to be another bad day, part of another bad week and another bad month.

Have you ever been stretched to the brink, in despair because of circumstances in your life?  Perhaps you feel that way now after losing a job, a significant relationship or experiencing the death of a loved one.  You might feel that you are in a deep, dark place from which you can never escape.  The light that you once knew is just not present.  I could tell you countless stories of people in the Bible who have felt just like you do.  But maybe instead we should focus on one thing: God's goodness.  You see,  being His special creation, loved by Him from the beginning of time, you have a place in His divine mercy and love.  Our Lord, only being good, wants to give good things to you.  Maybe right now your life does not look so good. You might wish that there was a magical way to escape to the life you once knew. Regardless of how you feel, that does not change the character of God.  He is good and has your best interest in mind.  Our Lord, who wastes nothing, will use all that you are experiencing for good.  All you have to do is trust.  A simple concept, yet so hard to do.

Randy managed to get his car  jump started and made it to the job interview on time.  He got the new job which eased some of his financial pressures while his family healed.  Perhaps today you need a jump start, so to speak. Turn from despair to trust.  If only we all could learn to trust the Lord as a baby trusts his or her mother.  The Lord indeed is in control.

Heavenly Father, we all walk through difficult times.  Help us to learn to trust You in all things, for You, oh Lord, know what is best for us. You say in Jeremiah that You know the plans that You have for us, plans to prosper and not to perish. Help us to fully trust in your purpose for our lives. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Ashamed No More

Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
Psalm 31:17

Thought for today: Eric was not happy about what he had done and was not certain about how exactly he was going to tell his father.  He and his friends were playing a game of baseball in the field behind his family's barn.  Had he been thinking, Eric would not have made the area near the barn the outfield. He was at bat when the ball was pitched, contacted his bat and flew through the air.  It likely was a homerun although no one noticed once the glass broke.  Having gone through a rather large window in the barn, the ball abruptly ended the game.

What is it that you are most ashamed of?  Perhaps it is a secret sin, one that no one knows about and, hopefully, never will.  Of course, God knows.  Maybe you have acted in ways that you should not have, not shown mercy or forgiveness.  Or is it that you can't forgive yourself?

When Eric's father came home, he ran to him and confessed what he had done.  Of course, there were consequences.  Eric had to replace the windows himself with his dad's guidance.  But, his father still showed mercy and understood that an accident can happen, even one that could have been avoided by thinking through things before starting the game.

Whatever it is today that is on your heart, whatever may be keeping you from fully loving the Lord, bring it to Him.  Call out to Him with a heart of repentance, He will indeed show His mercy and take your shame away.  Will you trust and call upon the One who saves us?

Precious Heavenly Father, we so often carry our shame for far too long.  We know in our heads that your son Jesus nailed that shame to the cross, yet our hearts don't believe it. Help us to see that all we need to do is call out to you and you will indeed take away our shame and sorrow.  In the most beautiful name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen

Mercy

"Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake."
Psalm 31:16 (NKJV)

Thought for today: Many of you know the story of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and the grandson of King Saul.  He was crippled when rescued from certain death by his nurse after Jonathan and Saul were killed.  He went on to live in a desolate place named Lo Debar, literally the land of nothing.  In 2Samuel 9 we see King David honoring an oath to Jonathan and inviting Mephibosheth to sit at his table and live in his house.  Amazed, Mephibosheth asks "why would you notice a dead dog like me."  This, dear reader, is a great example of mercy being shown to someone and of shining one's light onto another.

Perhaps today you feel outside of God's mercy, that His face could not possibly shine upon you.  Maybe you have strayed away from Him, done some things of which you are not proud.  He may feel far away but there is no hole too deep for the love of God.  All you have to do is claim the unmerited favor that is ours through Christ Jesus.  Will you do that this day?

Heavenly Father, so often we feel far away from you yet you are always as close to us as our breath.  May we not dwell on the distance that we feel but instead feel your closeness.  May you save us from where we are and bring us back into a close relationship with you, the only true God.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray.

A Still Small Voice

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.

Psalm 31:15b (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Jack awoke on a bright fall morning to unfamiliar voices.  As the fog cleared from his brain, he opened his eyes only to see a room with white walls and a white ceiling.  On a typical morning, he would arise from bed upon waking and start his morning routine.  Today, he had obstacles preventing this, the shackles on his arms and legs.  The prior night Jack had experienced yet another bout with his schizophrenia.   The police were called as he was destroying his own home, threatening the very ones who loved him so dearly.

What enemies do you face today?  We often think of enemies as external, whether it be enemy troops or the neighbors with whom we constantly fight.  Yet, maybe our worst enemies are the ones living inside of our very beings.  I'm not talking about those that come with mental illness like the voices that Jack hears.  Rather, it is the small, quiet voices like self-doubt, fear of failure, regret.  Do you face these today?  Are you not quite sure how to quell the inner voices that threaten your peace?

The only way for Jack to stay well is to keep taking his anti-psychotic medication.  Fortunately, most of us do not need that. Mixed in with all of the quiet voices in our hearts and minds is the still small voice of our gentle Shepherd.  Do you want to be delivered from all of your internal enemies?  Turn up the volume of the one voice that offers deliverance.  How do you do that?  Spend time daily in His Word and in communion with our Lord through prayer.  As you enable His voice to speak more to your heart, the other voices of fear, self-doubt, regret, and hurt will slowly diminish.  This day, will you commit to focusing on the still, small voice of the One who loves you more than anyone else?

Precious Lord, help us this day to spend time in Your Word and in prayer.  May you, oh Lord our deliverer, free us from the voices inside of us that threaten our very peace.  In the name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Are you in control?

My times are in Your hand;

Psalm 31:15a (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Ned lived a fairly routine life.  He and Cheryl had married, bought a house, had two children.  He worked every day as an accountant while Cheryl stayed home to take care of the kids. Being in his early forties, he figured that his work routine would be the same for the next several decades until one day he and Cheryl could retire and really enjoy life.  Being savvy with money, Ned had saved what he could and invested well, awaiting the day when all of his hard work would pay off and he could live off the fruit of his labor.  That was until he began to feel tired all of the time.  A visit to his physician resulted in a battery of tests and waiting for the phone call with the results.

How often life seems to be going along smoothly, sometimes rather mundanely.  We falsely think that we are in control, that we control our destiny.  What we don't realize is that we control nothing.  Many have amassed fortunes for security in retirement only to die before even having a chance to spend some of the fortune.  Others see a relationship, perhaps with a spouse, as the one thing that defines them and meets all of their needs.  Suddenly, things change, the spouse leaves or, worse yet, dies. What do you rely upon today for your security?  What planning have you done to ensure a secure future or who do you rely upon to meet your needs and make you happy?

Ned's physician did call and confirmed his fears: Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Fortunately, there were treatment options and, after a season of illness, Ned was able to resume life again.  He was changed though, realizing that we can plan for nothing and only the One who planned us from the creation is in control.  Ned continued to pursue his retirement goals since these are not a bad thing. Yet, he put less stock in the security of his finances and focused on his security in the Lord Jesus.

Perhaps today you are not looking to the Lord for your security and you have not given over your life to His control. Friend, you can control nothing.  It is best not to try, for the Lord knows what is best and has a wonderful plan for each and every one of us if we let Him take control.  

Father, we are stubborn people who think that we can control our destiny by planning and plodding.  Help us to see that only You have ultimate control.  May we surrender to You and welcome Your wonderful plan for our lives.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Safety from the Sharks

For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”

Psalm 31:13-14 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Jane had decided to take her sea kayak out from Point Judith and paddle to Block Island even though the ocean seemed a bit rough that day and the weather looked like it might be getting worst.  Being an experienced kayaker, Jane felt that she could handle any weather and had no fear going out in any weather.  The view was beautiful on this fall morning.  As she left the shelter of Point Judith harbor, the sea was a bit rougher.  About one-quarter mile out from the safety of the harbor the swells were very high.  Jane tried as best as she could to keep the kayak from capsizing but then a giant wave hit and tipped her complete upside down.  Jane was able to escape from the overturned kayak but then another wave came and swept the partially-submerged kayak away from her, carrying it further out to sea.  Being a strong swimmer, she thought about pursuing the kayak but then it sank out of sight.  Jane's only recourse was to swim back to the harbor.  As she began to swim, she noticed a bit of blood on her arm from a cut sustained when the kayak tipped over.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, came several sharks attracted by the scent of blood.  Jane tried not to panic and continued to swim towards safety.  The sharks circled, trying to prevent her from swimming to shore.  To her astonishment, four bottle-nose dolphins appeared and swam beside, behind and in front of Jane to protect her from the sharks.  This magnificent team swam with her all the way to shore so that she could safely leave the water.

Perhaps you feel that you are surrounded by sharks, waiting to devour you. Your sharks might be people, but more than likely, they are emotions and circumstances.  You want to get to a safe place in life but find that you are about to be devoured. Perhaps you can't get over negative emotions or perhaps you are living in chaos due to a sick child, lost income, health issue or a host of other circumstances.  Like Jane, you can't be devoured if you are surrounded.  Who can surround you in the midst of your difficult circumstances?  Only the Lord.  He will put a shield around you, provide protection and peace.  But, you know what, He likely won't just appear like the dolphin team.  You need to ask Him for help, ask for protection, peace, and guidance.  He will provide for you because He loves you deeper than you could ever know.

Heavenly Father, we face so many trials in our lives; difficult circumstances, lost jobs, broken relationships to name a few.  You, oh Lord, know our pain and want to walk with us through our trials.   May learn this day to trust in You and You alone.  In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Forgotten?

I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel.

Psalm 31:12 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Jeff awoke in a North Vietnamese prison camp.  Last he knew, he had been fighting with the 1st Calvary Division at Quang Tri. It was 1968 and the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive was in full swing.  He had no idea how he had gotten to the prison camp.  He looked down at his legs and saw the blood-soaked bandages covering the wounds inflicted by a morter shell.  What would follow were five long years of forced labor, beatings and sometimes solitary confinement.  Even more painful than the physical trauma, Jeff had no idea if his government or his family even knew that he was still alive.  He also did not know how his wife and children were, since there was no communication with family allowed from the prison camp.  He indeed felt forgotten.

Have you ever felt forgotten, out of the mind of someone else or a group of people? While the reality of death is that the memory of us will fade in others, there are other things in life that can cause us to feel forgotten.  Perhaps you have divorced and feel forgotten by your ex-spouse and your adult children.  Maybe a relationship has ended or is strained.  Distance and circumstances can also cause us to feel out of the minds of others. Have you ever felt forgotten by God?  

Jeff's wife Anne wrote letters to him every day while he was missing in action. She prayed continually for his safe return.  In 1973 he was freed as part of Operation Homecoming.  After a brief hospitalization, he was able to return home. His wife and children waited for him when he landed at the airfield. As they embraced Anne told him that she had never forgotten him and would never have even if he never came home.

Dear reader, do you think that your perceived distance from the Lord has caused Him to forget you?  He who knows every hair on your head, every thought that you have will never forget. If you feel broken today, thinking that you are too far from the Lord ever to be back in His arms, think again.  His arm is not too short to save, and His mercy is unending.  Confess your brokenness, your pain, your sin, your guilt; whatever it is that is keeping you from Him.  If you are angry with Him, tell Him so for He has broad shoulders.  But mostly, just open the lines of communication so that He can have fellowship with you, the one He so loves and for whom he gave His all.

Heavenly Father, in our humanness we so often put up barriers to You.  Help us to see that Your love knows no barriers nor knows no bounds.  Teach us to love You and to accept Your love and Your free gift of grace. In Jesus' precious name we pray.  Amen.