For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
Psalm 31:10 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: I ran into Max on the streets of Boston one day when I was going to lunch. He looked like he once had a good life, but had fallen into hard times. He asked me for some change. Instead, I decided to offer to bring him with me for lunch. Max and I talked for over an hour about life and how the choices that we make have a lasting impact. As Max and I parted ways, he said to me, "Don't waste your life making bad choices as I have done. Choose wisely and you will finish strong." As I walked back to my office, Max's words hung over me. I knew that we can make our own future, good or bad, by the choices that we make today. Yet, I never really thought about how a lot of little choices add up and weigh you down.
Perhaps today you are experience grief, like you have lost your strength and your way. Maybe you feel so far removed from God because of what you have done in this life, your iniquities. Nothing that you have done or can do will separate you from God's love for you. If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are forgiven of everything that you have ever done and will ever do. End of story. Yet, as a believer, we will feel grief from our sins, we will feel a distance from the Lord until we confess our sins and restore fellowship with the Lord. Dear reader, this day do you feel that you have gone over the edge of a cliff and fallen into a pit of your own doing? The arm of the Lord is never too short to save and pull you from the pit. But, you need to ask for His mercy and forgiveness. If you have never committed your life to Christ, that is the first step, asking Him to forgive you for all of your sins and trusting completely in His salvation. If you are already a believer, all it takes is a simple prayer, asking Him to forgive, asking Him to help you to change so that you may live the life that He has called you to.
Heavenly Father, we ask that you forgive us of all of the bad choices that we have made in this life, even the seemingly small ones. Forgive us for not always putting You first in our lives and for letting sin get in the way of a relationship with You, our ever-loving God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Secret Sin
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I
am in trouble;
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
Psalm 31:9 (NKJV)
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
Psalm 31:9 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: The knot in his stomach grew
larger as Jim sat waiting in the courthouse for his trial to begin. For so
long, he had been doing well in his job, being the go-to person for the CEO and
a role model for the entire organization.
At least until the auditors came one day to take a look at the
books. They uncovered how Jim had been
moving money from the company into his own personal account. He had been able to cover this up for many
years, but now he had been exposed.
Facing the possibility of a prison sentence, Jim could not contain the
anxiety inside. He was indeed grieving
his poor choices, feeling all in his life slowly slipping away.
Perhaps today you are caught up in a secret
sin. If you have given your life to
Christ, the Holy Spirit can’t help but to convict you of that sin. You may feel that you are wasting away, not
knowing where to turn. Your friends can’t
know. Your spouse can’t know. Surely, if
anyone finds out about this sin, they will surely look down upon you and now
longer want anything to do with you.
Dear reader, there is One who knows your sin because He died for
it. There is nothing that you can do or
anything that you have ever done that is beyond His forgiveness. Jesus paid for your sins, all of them, secret
and exposed, at the cross. Have you
trusted Him and asked Him to be your lord and savior? If not, please do so
today. If you have, then go to Him,
confess your sin and ask for His cleansing and renewal. He will heal us of all of our iniquities.
Heavenly Father, you know our sin. You sent your son Jesus to pay for our
sins. May we rest in Your
forgiveness. You alone can restore us
and deliver us. Amen.
Friday, January 19, 2018
A Wide Place
And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a wide place.
Psalm 31:8 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: Last summer while swimming in the ocean with my family I was trying to catch up to my daughter, who was a little too far out in deeper water. Although she is a good swimmer, there have been a lot of riptides lately and many people have been rescued by lifeguards as they were about to be swept out to sea. With my total focus on her, I did not notice that I was walking in between rocks which made my footing unstable nor did I see a large wave coming right at me. My legs were thrown into a large rock underwater, resulting in a good size gash on one leg.
Sometimes, we are so concerned with the circumstances around us that we don't know where our feet are planted. Perhaps we are looking to the future without considering where we presently stand. Maybe there is anxiety about some future event that has us paralyzed. Fear can be such an enemy at times, robbing us of balance in our lives as well as joy.
Just as I had been hit by a large wave, so too can anxiety sweep us off of our feet, leaving us feeling smashed and in pain. Had I been paying attention that day in the ocean, I would have kept my feet on more stable ground and perhaps would not have been thrown into the rocks. Do you feel overcome by fear and anxiety? Are you afraid of it consuming you? Our Lord promises that He will not let us be shut up into the hand of the enemy. He can and will set your feet in a wide place, a place of stability and of peace. All He wants you to do is surrender your fear to Him and ask Him to take it from you. It is so simple, yet so difficult. Trust Him to plant your feet on solid ground.
Heavenly Father, we are so tossed about by fear and anxiety. Yet, you promise us perfect peace if we only trust in You for our comfort, our healing. May we rest in You this day, knowing that we can cast all anxiety upon you.
You have set my feet in a wide place.
Psalm 31:8 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: Last summer while swimming in the ocean with my family I was trying to catch up to my daughter, who was a little too far out in deeper water. Although she is a good swimmer, there have been a lot of riptides lately and many people have been rescued by lifeguards as they were about to be swept out to sea. With my total focus on her, I did not notice that I was walking in between rocks which made my footing unstable nor did I see a large wave coming right at me. My legs were thrown into a large rock underwater, resulting in a good size gash on one leg.
Sometimes, we are so concerned with the circumstances around us that we don't know where our feet are planted. Perhaps we are looking to the future without considering where we presently stand. Maybe there is anxiety about some future event that has us paralyzed. Fear can be such an enemy at times, robbing us of balance in our lives as well as joy.
Just as I had been hit by a large wave, so too can anxiety sweep us off of our feet, leaving us feeling smashed and in pain. Had I been paying attention that day in the ocean, I would have kept my feet on more stable ground and perhaps would not have been thrown into the rocks. Do you feel overcome by fear and anxiety? Are you afraid of it consuming you? Our Lord promises that He will not let us be shut up into the hand of the enemy. He can and will set your feet in a wide place, a place of stability and of peace. All He wants you to do is surrender your fear to Him and ask Him to take it from you. It is so simple, yet so difficult. Trust Him to plant your feet on solid ground.
Heavenly Father, we are so tossed about by fear and anxiety. Yet, you promise us perfect peace if we only trust in You for our comfort, our healing. May we rest in You this day, knowing that we can cast all anxiety upon you.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
He Knows my Soul!
You have known my soul in adversities,
8
Psalm 31:7b
Thought for Today: Sue and Jean were great friends, talking on the phone several times a day and getting together for coffee at least once a week. Life was going well for both young professionals moving up in their careers. They had so much to talk about, all the excitement of moving up in the corporate world as well as their hopes and dreams of finding a Mr. Right and settling down. Their friendship continued to flourish until Jean became seriously ill and lost her job.
It is easy to talk with someone and to understand where he or she is coming from when you share similar experiences, especially good ones. Keeping within our comfort zone, we don't mind knowing the soul of another as long as it is not messy. Our human nature drives us to seek relationships that aren't draining on our time and energy. Once the relationship heads in that direction, we sadly tend to move on to something more comfortable.
As David writes in this verse, our Lord knows our soul in adversities. He is not looking for a relationship with low maintenance, perfect people. He wants to be intertwined in the messiness of our daily lives, all of it, the joy, the sorrow, the pain and the brokenness. When I gaze upon the wreckage that I call my soul, I don't know why He would choose to want to know me, in the midst of my struggles. Yet, His perfect love sees beyond my pain, beyond my sin, beyond my past and sees His precious child. How can we even fathom such love? Yet, it is real and it is true. As you go through struggles this day, may you embrace God's love for you. May you see that regardless of where you are at, in the deepest pit of despair or the darkest point of sin, He loves you and so wants to meet you where you are.
Heavenly Father, may we bask in the presence of Your love in all the parts of our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly. For you, oh Lord, seek to know us, want to heal us and redeem us. Thank You for Your unwavering love.
8
Psalm 31:7b
Thought for Today: Sue and Jean were great friends, talking on the phone several times a day and getting together for coffee at least once a week. Life was going well for both young professionals moving up in their careers. They had so much to talk about, all the excitement of moving up in the corporate world as well as their hopes and dreams of finding a Mr. Right and settling down. Their friendship continued to flourish until Jean became seriously ill and lost her job.
It is easy to talk with someone and to understand where he or she is coming from when you share similar experiences, especially good ones. Keeping within our comfort zone, we don't mind knowing the soul of another as long as it is not messy. Our human nature drives us to seek relationships that aren't draining on our time and energy. Once the relationship heads in that direction, we sadly tend to move on to something more comfortable.
As David writes in this verse, our Lord knows our soul in adversities. He is not looking for a relationship with low maintenance, perfect people. He wants to be intertwined in the messiness of our daily lives, all of it, the joy, the sorrow, the pain and the brokenness. When I gaze upon the wreckage that I call my soul, I don't know why He would choose to want to know me, in the midst of my struggles. Yet, His perfect love sees beyond my pain, beyond my sin, beyond my past and sees His precious child. How can we even fathom such love? Yet, it is real and it is true. As you go through struggles this day, may you embrace God's love for you. May you see that regardless of where you are at, in the deepest pit of despair or the darkest point of sin, He loves you and so wants to meet you where you are.
Heavenly Father, may we bask in the presence of Your love in all the parts of our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly. For you, oh Lord, seek to know us, want to heal us and redeem us. Thank You for Your unwavering love.
Friday, July 21, 2017
You have considered my trouble
I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
Psalm 31:7(a)
Thought for Today: A little boy named Ben had lost his ball in a field one day. Many people went by but no one would stop to help him, at least until Dr. Turnbolt, a very prosperous and busy surgeon, came by. Without even being asked, he took several minutes to help find the little boy's lost ball. Then, to Ben's amazement, Dr. Turnbolt asked him if he would like to play catch. They played in the bright sunshine for over one hour that day.
If you think about all of the difficulties that you have gone through in life and perhaps are going through right now, how many people genuinely care about your circumstances and are willing to lend an ear or perhaps a hand? If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that it is very few. All of us, in the busyness of life, do not stop often enough to show mercy to another, to lend a hand or just listen. What is so amazing about our Lord is that He is willing to consider our troubles even though He is the master of the universe. One would think that He would be too busy to care, that our difficulties are too small when compared with many other terrible things going on in this world. Yet, He does care because He loves us so much.
Today, as you go about your business, take some time to reflect upon the mercy shown to you by our Lord. Is there someone in your life who needs to be shown mercy? In gratitude for the mercy shown to you, reach out to that person and show him or her that you care and that God does care, even when in the depths of difficult circumstances.
Heavenly Father, this day may we be grateful for all the mercy that You have shown to us. Thank you for caring for us, for loving us and for sending Your only son, Jesus, to save us from our sins.
For You have considered my trouble;
Psalm 31:7(a)
Thought for Today: A little boy named Ben had lost his ball in a field one day. Many people went by but no one would stop to help him, at least until Dr. Turnbolt, a very prosperous and busy surgeon, came by. Without even being asked, he took several minutes to help find the little boy's lost ball. Then, to Ben's amazement, Dr. Turnbolt asked him if he would like to play catch. They played in the bright sunshine for over one hour that day.
If you think about all of the difficulties that you have gone through in life and perhaps are going through right now, how many people genuinely care about your circumstances and are willing to lend an ear or perhaps a hand? If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that it is very few. All of us, in the busyness of life, do not stop often enough to show mercy to another, to lend a hand or just listen. What is so amazing about our Lord is that He is willing to consider our troubles even though He is the master of the universe. One would think that He would be too busy to care, that our difficulties are too small when compared with many other terrible things going on in this world. Yet, He does care because He loves us so much.
Today, as you go about your business, take some time to reflect upon the mercy shown to you by our Lord. Is there someone in your life who needs to be shown mercy? In gratitude for the mercy shown to you, reach out to that person and show him or her that you care and that God does care, even when in the depths of difficult circumstances.
Heavenly Father, this day may we be grateful for all the mercy that You have shown to us. Thank you for caring for us, for loving us and for sending Your only son, Jesus, to save us from our sins.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 31:3 (KJV)
Thought for Today: I was reading recently the story of a 92 year old man, John Trippon, who is one of the few remaining soldiers left from the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. The Germans had built bunkers on top of the cliffs on the beach, making landing troops incredibly difficult. John recounts how he made his way to the shore, only to sink into a 20 foot pit made by German shells that had landed in the water. He had to shed all of his gear, including his gun, grenades and ammunition in order to be able to swim. When John arrived on the shore it was littered with bodies. He made his way to a the face of a cliff, which was so steep that the Germans could not shoot down at the troops standing next to the cliff.
Perhaps today you are struggling, having made your way out of the deep water of difficult circumstances only to find yourself in the midst of a new set of difficult circumstances. You may lack energy to fight this next battle due to having to use all of your resources to make your way out of the pit of your last set of circumstances. What can you do? Run to the rock, our fortress, Jesus Christ. In Him, you can find protection, safety and strength. Within this fortress, the fiery arrows of the enemy of your soul cannot penetrate.
Psalm 31:3 (KJV)
Thought for Today: I was reading recently the story of a 92 year old man, John Trippon, who is one of the few remaining soldiers left from the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. The Germans had built bunkers on top of the cliffs on the beach, making landing troops incredibly difficult. John recounts how he made his way to the shore, only to sink into a 20 foot pit made by German shells that had landed in the water. He had to shed all of his gear, including his gun, grenades and ammunition in order to be able to swim. When John arrived on the shore it was littered with bodies. He made his way to a the face of a cliff, which was so steep that the Germans could not shoot down at the troops standing next to the cliff.
Perhaps today you are struggling, having made your way out of the deep water of difficult circumstances only to find yourself in the midst of a new set of difficult circumstances. You may lack energy to fight this next battle due to having to use all of your resources to make your way out of the pit of your last set of circumstances. What can you do? Run to the rock, our fortress, Jesus Christ. In Him, you can find protection, safety and strength. Within this fortress, the fiery arrows of the enemy of your soul cannot penetrate.
It is likely that you know the rest of the story. John recalls how shelling from the ships took out the enemy fortifications and the soldiers were then able to scale the cliffs, eventually securing the beach and pushing forward toward victory. In the same way, we too can move forward from difficult circumstances and experience victory. Had the soldiers not sought the protection of the edge of the cliffs, they surely would have died. If we don't see the protection of our Lord, we too shall never experience victory over our difficulties. My prayer today is that you would run, as fast as you can, from any difficulties to the protection and peace of our Lord.
Heavenly Father, help us to see that only you can be our fortress, our strength, our protection.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Trust not in Idols
I have hated those who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
Psalm 31:6 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: After being falsely accused of a crime, Silas Marner, the main character in George Elliot's Silas Marner; The Weaver of Raveloe, moved to another part of England. He established a solitary life as a weaver and enjoyed clinging to his gold in an idolatrous fashion. One day, his gold was stolen by the son of one of the wealthy families in the village. Although he had not associated with them much, the villagers tried to help him get back his gold, to no avail. It seems that once the object of his idolatry was taken away, his faith in humanity and ability to live life once again returned.
We live in a society of many idols, some obvious and some subtle. So what is yours? It is real easy to look at this verse and say, "yes, I will not like those who replace the living God with idols." Yet, how often do you and I trust in the things of this world at the exclusion of trusting in our Lord? Some of the idols that we have are good things, like family, friends and work. When we measure our worth on anything besides being a child of God, we begin to walk down a dangerous path. You and I were created to relate to our living God as His child, to trust fully in Him regardless of what we have or don't have in this life. You see, the things of this world are constantly changing. One day, you have a great job, the next day you are downsized. Trusting in anything but the Lord is like building a house on a foundation of sand; one day, the sand will shift and the house will fall.
My prayer is that you will examine your heart. What are you trusting in besides God? What idols do you need to tear down? By doing this, you, like Silas Marner, can be free to love the Lord and to live a full life as He has planned for you.
But I trust in the Lord.
Psalm 31:6 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: After being falsely accused of a crime, Silas Marner, the main character in George Elliot's Silas Marner; The Weaver of Raveloe, moved to another part of England. He established a solitary life as a weaver and enjoyed clinging to his gold in an idolatrous fashion. One day, his gold was stolen by the son of one of the wealthy families in the village. Although he had not associated with them much, the villagers tried to help him get back his gold, to no avail. It seems that once the object of his idolatry was taken away, his faith in humanity and ability to live life once again returned.
We live in a society of many idols, some obvious and some subtle. So what is yours? It is real easy to look at this verse and say, "yes, I will not like those who replace the living God with idols." Yet, how often do you and I trust in the things of this world at the exclusion of trusting in our Lord? Some of the idols that we have are good things, like family, friends and work. When we measure our worth on anything besides being a child of God, we begin to walk down a dangerous path. You and I were created to relate to our living God as His child, to trust fully in Him regardless of what we have or don't have in this life. You see, the things of this world are constantly changing. One day, you have a great job, the next day you are downsized. Trusting in anything but the Lord is like building a house on a foundation of sand; one day, the sand will shift and the house will fall.
My prayer is that you will examine your heart. What are you trusting in besides God? What idols do you need to tear down? By doing this, you, like Silas Marner, can be free to love the Lord and to live a full life as He has planned for you.
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