November 15 - Thankfulness

Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

Psalm 28:6 (NKJV)

Thought for Today:  Each morning at exactly 8:45 Nathaniel ordered coffee and a bagel at Jessie's Coffee Shop on his way to the office.  When he first started stopping by Jessie's he, being not very talkative on the way to his world of stock trading, would simply bark out what he wanted.  Being a good business person, Jessie got to know her customers and, after about a week or so, would have Nathaniel's order ready for him when he arrived.  They very rarely exchanged words, he would pay her four dollars and 38 cents in exact change and be on his way.  Jessie longed once just to have a conversation with Nathaniel.  Yet, their exchanges were all business, at times ungracious.

It is interesting that the word voice is attached to supplications in this verse.  The Hebrew word, ק֤וֹל, is used 165 times in the Old Testament,  mostly referring to voice. There are a couple of occasions where the word is used to imply noise, proclamation and even the bleating of sheep.   How would you describe the voice of your prayers?  Perhaps, like Nathaniel, you just walk over to God and expect Him to know what you want, really not even needing a laundry list.  Maybe you ask for things quietly, not wanting to bother the Lord.  Perhaps you do bring Him a laundry list of things for Him to fix in your life. One thing is certain: we need to bless the Lord for hearing our prayers.  How do you bless Him?  By being thankful.  The Hausa people of Nigeria have a saying: "Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot."   

One day at exactly 8:45 Nathaniel walked into Jessie's Coffee Shop and was handed a burnt English muffin and a cup of tea.  Taken aback, Nathaniel asked Jessie why she had given him this instead of his usual order.  Jessie replied, "I just wanted to see whether you would even bother to notice.  For years now I've given you your choice for breakfast, never once being thanked."  Nathaniel walked away with his head down, for even he, hardened by the business world, knew that he was wrong.

Today we have a choice.  Do we continue to ask the Lord to bless without blessing back with thanksgiving or do we come to the Lord in thanksgiving, not expecting more, but simply basking in His presence and all that He has done for us?   

November 14 - Truce

Do not take me away with the wicked
And with the workers of iniquity,
Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.
 Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.

Psalm 28:3-4

Thought for Today: This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce of 1914.  The British and German troops had been fighting for over four months when there was a stalemate, particularly on the western front.  As such, both sides developed fortified systems of trenches, many times only 30 to 40 yards apart.  Due to the close proximity, the British and German soldiers would often talk to each other from the trenches.  On occasion, the British soldiers would bring cigarettes over to the Germans, who would give them cheese in exchange.  All of this led up to a most amazing thing on Christmas Eve and Christmas day 1914: troops came out of their trenches and celebrated with their enemies. They exchanged stories of their families, exchanged gifts and even played soccer, Brits against Germans.  At the stroke of midnight December 26th, those who were acting like old friends went back into their trenches, enemies again.

I particularly like the story of the Christmas truce because it shows the human side of war.  Regardless of which side of the war you were on, you could come together with the other side and relate as human beings.  How sad, though, that all of this had to end after the holiday.  How difficult it must have been for the soldiers to fire into the enemy trenches after that magical truce.

Sometimes, we so want our "enemies" to get what they deserve.  These "enemies" could be difficult people in our lives or enemies of the Lord  Yet, we need to remember that they are human, have needs, wants, dreams and desires just like anyone.   Like us, they too have a God-shaped hole in their hearts.

Is there someone that you have written off and don't want to deal with?  Do you prefer to sit in the foxhole rather than venture out and call a truce?  Will you today step outside of yourself and pray that the Lord would give you understanding and compassion for that person, that you might see the pain that is driving the behavior and know how to respond in love?  Just maybe we can bring Jesus into the most unlikely place of all, the hardened heart that so needs His love.

November 13 - Meltdowns

Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Psalm 28:2 (NKJV)

Thought for today: I sometimes get hyper-focused on tasks.  One day I was working on fixing some things around our house.  My oldest daughter was a toddler at the time.  As I went whizzing by her to find some tools, she, being non-verbal at that time, put her arms up to be picked up.  Being focused on the task at hand, I did not notice her attempts for some attention.  This resulted in a meltdown which took some time for all of us (Mom, Dad and child) to recover from.  Ironically, the same daughter now shows me silly YouTube videos about adults acting like toddlers and having meltdowns.

Do you ever feel that God does not hear your prayers, that they are going only as far as the ceiling?  Do you want to scream at Him, throw a fit, get foot-stomping mad?  Go ahead, He has broad shoulders and would rather that you tell Him how you feel than to hold it in.  The Lord knows how you feel anyway, its just that it does you a lot of good to acknowledge those feelings. 

God does hear your prayers, trust that.  His answers come in His time and in His way.  Telling God how you feel about His answers or apparent lack thereof likely won't change Him or His will.  But you know what, it just might change you.

November 12 - Silence

To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.

 

Psalm 28: 1 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: What is the biggest fear of mankind?  No, it is not war, famine or disease.  It is simply silence.  We do so much to fill our lives with noise that we don't take time to be silent.  We crave peace and tranquility but then, when we have a moment to be silent we realize how painful silence can be.

Do you think that God is silent?  Perhaps you have been waiting for a prayer to be answered or for some direction in your life.  Do you feel as David writes that you will go down to the pit if you don't receive an answer? Maybe the answer is in the silence.  Perhaps God is waiting for you to abandon your own will and trust solely in His perfect plan for you.   Will you trust Him today?

November 11 - Waiting

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

Thought for today: I hate waiting, especially when driving to work in the morning.  I have a 45 mile commute that can take anywhere from a little over 1 hour to 2+ hours, depending upon traffic.  Have I mentioned how much I really hate waiting in traffic?  It is even more annoying when you are going along at a nice speed and someone pulls out in front of you and decides to drive slowly.  I found myself in this situation the other morning.   As I was listening to a song with the lyrics: "I've got joy, unspeakable joy" suddenly my joy turned to screaming when a driver cut me off, slowing my progress.  Of course, I shamefully thought of the irony of the lyrics and my subsequent behavior because my plans (getting to work fairly early) were slightly skewed by one driver.

Waiting does not seem to be something that we are good at today.  We tell ourselves that it was easier to wait when there was less technology, when life was slower.  If waiting on the Lord was not so important, David would not have mentioned it twice in this verse.  We need to wait in order to have our hearts strengthened.  We need to wait in order to learn to trust in the Lord.

What can you not wait for today?  Do you need an answer to prayer, deliverance from your circumstances, an instant solution to your problems?  Are you sitting in the midst of some difficult circumstances?  Can you wait on the Lord, focusing on the Master rather than the disaster?  Strangely, once we earnestly seek His face, we are strengthened because our only desire is Him.  The trials and troubles all pale in contrast to the glory of being in His presence.  Will you wait on Him today, seeking His face, choosing to fully trust in the Lord alone? 

November 10 - Goodness in the Land of the Living

Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

Psalm 27:12,13

Thought for Today:  We all face many enemies in this life, whether it be the forces that wage inside of our own spirits that go against God's best intent for us or another person's intent to do us harm in some way.  How would you define your enemy: internal or external?

Dean Inge wrote: “Let us remember, when we are inclined to be disheartened, that the private soldier is a poor judge of the fortunes of a great battle."  Do you feel that you are about to lose heart, to give up on a situation in your life that seems impossible?  Trust that even though you may not yet see the end result,  the Lord does have your good in mind.  He who made the stars walks with you even through the darkest days. Can you trust Him to deliver you and show you His goodness in this life?

November 3 Give Me Tomorrow

Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

Psalm 27:11 (NKJV)

It was November 1950.  Eight thousand US Marines struggled to survive the coldest North Korean winter in 100 years, surrounded by 120,000 Chinese troops.  Temperatures at times got as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Their only lifeline was the Main Supply Route, a 15 foot wide steep mountain road.   A dangerous 78 mile journey led to the Sea of Japan.  The US troops endured thirteen days of hardship, losing many, in order to make it to safety.   During this difficult time, one soldier was asked by a war correspondent what he wanted for Christmas.  His reply: "Give me tomorrow."

We all want everything to go smoothly in life.  David seems to imply in this verse that we must allow the Lord to teach us His ways in order to be led along a smooth path because, without the Lord's direction, we would be lost to our enemies.  Does smooth mean a life without bumps and hiccups along the way?  Most likely not.  Yet, we can be assured that regardless of the difficulty we may face, we do serve One who has given us tomorrow, an assurance of eternal life if we receive Him as our Lord and Savior.  How about you?  Are you resting on the assurance that you have been given tomorrow by the One who created time?  Or are you worried about tomorrow and the uncertainties that it could hold?  I pray that it is the former, that you may trust fully in Him, knowing that He will lead you all the days of your life.