Daperly Dozing Rapidly Rosen

  As the pre-dawn gray crept upon Parris Island, the young marines slept, snugly tucked beneath the covers after a long day.  Suddenly, in a flurry of noisy activity, the lights inside the barracks came ablaze.   Walking through the rows of bunks, the Drill Instructor shouted, "All right you maggots, up out of them racks!"  All, jumping out of bed, stood at attention, except for one recruit who continued to peacefully sleep.  Much to the dismay of the others, the D.I. in one swift move overturned the bunk, displacing its occupant, while shouting, "That will teach you lard buckets that no one ignores my orders."

 David writes "hide me in the shadow of your wings" in Psalm 17:8 (NIV).  Often, we view the Lord as one who covers us with His care, tucking us warmly in with the blankets of blessings.  Acting as children writing to Santa, we pray, asking that He continue to show His mercy and shower us with blessings.  Our Lord is wonderful in that He does provide for every need of those who put their trust and hope in Him.  Yet,  He wants us to stretch beyond the safety of the shadow of His wings to serve Him, bent to do his will, giving all of ourselves wholeheartedly. 

 Like the young marine,  we often need to be shaken out of a blissful spiritual sleep.  Most often, God awakens us by allowing difficulties to come our way. Psalm 66:10(NIV) says, "For you, O God, tested us;  you refined us like silver."  Silver is refined in a furnace of clay and purified seven times.  In the same way, our spirits, which reside inside of these fragile vessels of clay, are being refined by the fires of a God who longs for us to know Him.

Perhaps you have suffered a setback in your life and are struggling with why this would happen to one who trusts the Lord.  Maybe you are undergoing a difficult set of circumstances now.  Seek out the Lord, not asking Him to remove the circumstances or the pain of past events so that life would be all comfy-cozy again.  Rather, ask Him to help you to endure whatever He has allowed to come your way, that you may become more like Him, eagerly ready to do His will.

 Zech. 13:9 (NIV)

This third I will bring into the fire;

I will refine them like silver

and test them like gold.

They will call on my name

and I will answer them;

I will say, 'They are my people,'

and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'

Cut Off

Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless, You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.

Psalm 31:21-22 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Arthur had a happy childhood. Yet, when he reached adulthood, he began to believe that his parents had cut him off, wanting nothing to do with him.  He moved to a distant city after college and did not keep close contact with his parents. He met Sue, someone his parents did not accept for many reasons. Against their wishes, he married her.  The relationship with his parents was strained.  Sue became pregnant but had some difficulties, requiring her to take total bed rest. Arthur did not know where to turn, feeling so alone.  He did not think that he could call his parents for help.

Have you ever felt alone, abandoned, or cut off?  Sometimes, we can feel this way in our human relationships.  But do you feel that way right now in your relationship with God? You may be facing some struggles that could use a hand from our loving Father. Yet, you have done things you think would not please Him? Are you afraid to reach out and build a bridge to help you through this time?

In his time of need, Arthur picked up the phone and reached out to his parents, asking for forgiveness and understanding. Of course, being parents, they drove to his house and immediately pitched in. Having an extra couple of hands around made things easier for Arthur and Sue.

Are you hurting right now as you read this?  Is there pain in your heart that you just can't get over that is threatening to eat you alive?  We have a wonderful Lord who can help.  He is the master of the universe; nothing is too great for Him to solve.  Yet, you have to reach out and build the bridge to Him. How you ask?  It is simple: ask Him to forgive you and ask for help.  David wrote in Psalm 31 that our Lord still heard his supplications even when he felt cut off.  It is simple: just pray.  Will you do this today?

Heavenly Father, we often feel we are cut off from You.  Yet, You love us so much that You never leave our sides.  Help us ask for forgiveness and help as we travel this difficult road called life.  In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Secret Place

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
Psalm 31:20 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Tommy had been sick all night.  It was an important time of year in school when he would take his tenth-grade exams.  He really did not want to miss school, yet knew that he was too sick to do well on the exams. His mom and dad went to work that day leaving Tommy to care for himself.  He dozed off for a while and awoke to the sound of glass breaking and footsteps in the house.  When his family had moved into this house, they had shown Tommy a secret room off of his bathroom and told him to hide there should there ever be trouble.  He grabbed his mobile phone and headed for the secret room, locking himself inside. A few minutes later, he heard the footsteps of two men, looking for anything of value and, likely, for anyone home.  Thinking it was a closet, they pulled on the door to the secret room, but it would not open.  They moved on to other parts of the house.

What kind of difficulty are you facing today?  Perhaps the darkness you face is inside of you, depression, anxiety, and self-doubt.  Maybe you are facing circumstances beyond your control, the loss of a job, the loss of a family member, or health issues.  Whether internal or external difficulties, there is no hole too deep for God to reach down into and provide peace, comfort, and shelter.  Our Lord cares so much for each of us, those who have called upon His name to be saved.  He will shelter you when the storms of life come upon you.

Tommy was able to call the police while in the secret room.  The intruders were caught and Tommy was able to come out of the closet safely.  Lucky for him, the secret room spared him from intruders whose only intent was to steal and harm.  The Lord's shelter in His presence is a lot like that secret room.  A safe haven, where all the evil plots of men and the circumstances of life cannot prevail over us.  Will you trust our Lord today to provide shelter in His presence?  Will you surrender all of your burdens to Him and let Him care for you, shelter you and provide for you?

Heavenly Father, this day may You provide shelter under the shadow of Your wings for those who love You.  May we feel the peace that comes from knowing that You, our loving Heavenly Father, cares for us and protects us in all situations.  In the name of Jesus, amen.

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.