Happy Valentine's Day!

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

As does most people, this is one of my favorite verses of the Bible, John 3:16. But the seventeenth verse is just as important. When I was a young choir member at church, we sang a song that was based on John 3:17. I remembering disliking the song. I think it was because of the tune, but I was a young Christian and did not want to sing it. But, being the faithful and good choir member I was, performed it. Today, if I could find the music, I might consider singing it again. What a valuable message. God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save it. How I long to get that message out to the world. I see people every day that want to be accepted, loved and forgiven, but are scared that someone will see their faults if they walk into a church. I like that a my brothers and sisters see my faults and still love me. It still makes me want to do better, and grow, but at least I know I am forgiven. We need to start doing the same for strangers. See them for themselves, and love, accept and forgive them. That love and acceptance is what we all want and need to thrive. Start today by doing something nice for someone. It could be just saying a nice word, sending a note or phone call to a someone you haven't seen in a while. No matter what, love the unloved. Do not condemn them, they get enough of that from the world. Love them the best way you know how. Then your Valentine's Day may get brighter.

Snow and Fire

Daniel 7:9-10

⁹ “As I looked,

   “thrones were set in place,
   and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
   the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
   and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing,
   coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
   ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
   and the books were opened.

What a marvelous description of God.  First, Daniel calls him Ancient of Days.  What a title of years.  Most of us do not want our kids to call us ancient, yet for God, because he has been forever, it fits.  

Next, He always is associated with snow and the color white.  I think white is purity and yet, it seems to have a softness about it.  God is also described with fire many times.  Snow and fire?  I think this makes his presence fierce.  His throne was blazing, as was his wheels...wait, what wheels?  Maybe his throne was more like a chariot.  Also the river that he has coming out before him is on fire.  Strange description.  But, as always, it is fitting for him.  

Daniel has not scared us with this description, he has given us a clear glimpse of what may be expected when we do get our turn to see God.  I can not wait for that!

Foggy Vision

Daniel 7:4-8


 ⁴ “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.  ⁵ “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’

 ⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

 ⁷ “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

 ⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.  


What a terrifying vision.  Four beasts all powerful and smart.  A lion with eagle wings, a bear that needed to eat, a leopard with wings and four heads.  Then the vision turned dark and a scary monster with iron teeth and horns and one of the horns had eyes of a human and a mouth.  That would be enough to scare me.  These qualities make for uneasiness in the pit of one's stomach.  I' sure Daniel was not sure what to make of it at first.  But as always, God had a purpose in this vision.  Sometimes we just have to go along until it's revealed, no matter how scary.  I think it's like being in fog.  Sometimes your visibility is through the distance.  Sometimes it's clouded and you can only see what's right in front of you.  I love fog, especially in San Francisco.  It is always dense, cool, yet pretty and gives a sense of uncertainty.  When the fog comes in thin and high, the sun burns it off quickly.  When the fog comes in thick and dense, it may take all day to clear.  Either way, you have to wait for it to lift before you can see clearly.  Daniel gives that uncertainty words, as he speaks of this vision.  But he trusts God and so should we.  He will lift the fog from our eyes when he feels the time is right.

Have You Truly Accepted God as God?

Daniel 4:19 - 27

¹⁹ Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”

   Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! ²⁰The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, ²¹ with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— ²² Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

 ²³ “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

 ²⁴ “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king:²⁵ You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. ²⁶ The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. ²⁷Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

God had had enough!  if you remember, every time King Nebuchadnezzar described Daniel, he said he was filled with the spirit of the holy gods (verse 9).  God wanted the king to recognize him as the one and true God, and he knew that this would be the way to do it.  King Nebuchadnezzar would be cut down and stripped of his kingdom for seven years.  He would be out in the wilderness and people would think him insane.  But God also had mercy on him.  The king would return to his kingship after he professes God as the Most High.  God is a God of second chances and he loves each of us and wants to give everyone a chance to acknowledge and come to him.  It's just that some of us are more stubborn and take longer to let the word hit our heart and mind than others.  Has it truly hit the mark of your heart?  Have you truly accepted God as God?  I pray that we have.   

The Weird Dream

Daniel 4:9 - 18

⁹ I (King Nebuchadnezzar) said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. ¹⁰ These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. ¹¹ The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.

 ¹³ “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger,^[c] coming down from heaven. ¹⁴ He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

   “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times^[d] pass by for him.

 ¹⁷ “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

 ¹⁸ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

As usual, this is a strange dream.  But that is what makes it interesting.  I hardly ever remember the dreams I have.  So to remember one this detailed is interesting to me.  A tree so high it touches the sky, it feeds and houses every living thing.  Someone tells King Nebuchadnezzar to cut it down.  Then the dream says that someone will become like the animals for seven years.  These decisions are from God and his word is law.  How strange.  It would have scared me.  This is a nightmare, not just a dream.  I am not sure I would want my dreams interpreted.  I think that sometimes it's better not to know, than to anticipate the worst.

But King Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel to tell him what the dream meant.  He now trusts Daniel, even making him the chief of the magicians.  The king knows that no one else can tell him what it's all about.  What confidence the king has in him.  What jealousy must rage under the surface of all the other magicians and wise men.  If I was Daniel, I would first pray, but then question the dream.  Is the King crazy?  Did this dream really happen? But I am sure Daniel, already had ideas.  

Not Gonna Bow!

Daniel 3:8 - 18

At this time some astrologers^[b] came forward and denounced the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! ¹⁰ Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, ¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. ¹² But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

¹³ Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴ and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? ¹⁵ Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

 ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us^[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

When I was a teenager, I loved Russ Taff's music.  He is a Christian singer who first toured with Amy Grant, and later the Gaither Vocal Band.  He based a song on these verses, that I still hear in my head when I read about idols.  This song, Not Gonna Bow, even today, plays a big part of my thinking when it comes to idols.


Not Gonna Bow 
Michael Landau/James Newton Howard


Ninety feet tall and nine feet wide
Solid gold – “it must be a god”
They were told
“when you hear the music play
Fall on your knees and begin to pray”
They were told
But when the trumpet sounded
The whole world bowed
Three men stood there all alone
– they said

[Chorus]
Not gonna bow to your idols
Not gonna bow, oh no
Not gonna bow to your idols
I won’t bow down

All Bobby wanted was just to fit in
To be accepted he must act like them
He said no
“everybody does it – so what’s the fuss? 
Come on, Bobby – won’t you be like us?”
He said no
And when the pressure came
He watched them bow
Bobby stood there all alone
- he said

[Chorus]

We don’t have to give in to it
We can choose to go against the crowd






This story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego teaches me that it is okay to stand up for your beliefs, especially if it is God's way and not the world's way.  I  think these verses, and this song is one of the greatest stories for teens today.  God wants all of us to stand up for Him and for what we truly believe. It is hard with the peer pressures of the day, but it is possible, especially if we support each other and help each other as a family should.  This is one good reason to have small groups of support for us, and to have your children in Youth Group and activities of your church.  They can make lasting friendships and a firm foundation of beliefs.  Join a small group or start one.  It will be make the difference in eternity!

Daniel's Reward

Daniel 2:44 - 49

 ⁴⁴ “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. ⁴⁵ This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

   “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

 ⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. ⁴⁷ The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

 ⁴⁸ Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. ⁴⁹ Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

Daniel explained the meaning of the dream to King Nebuchadnezzar.  When all was revealed, the king payed him honor and gave him many things.  He made Daniel be over all of Babylon and put him in charge of the wise men.  Daniel did not forget his friends.  He asked if they could be overseers of Babylon.  

When you do not understand something, isn't it a relief when you do know the meaning?  It frustrates me when people think they know what it is all about, but in honesty, they are wrong.  The wrong may be something they were told and chose to believe, or it was a miscommunication, but in either case jumping to conclusions until all sides of the story are in can be frustrating.  When you hear the whole story, then the light bulb can come on and you can wade through and find the facts.  If you are lucky enough to have a mentor, then it makes it easy.  But for most of us, we chose to believe things that are not true and usually do not want all the facts because we rely on half truths.   

King Nebuchadnezzar heard what Daniel said and knew it was true, because he did not tell anyone what his dream was about.  He lavished great gifts on Daniel and trusted him.  Daniel relied on God for this and because of his faithfulness, was rewarded in kind.  

Connections

Daniel 1:18-21


¹⁸ At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
 ²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

After three years of studying, teaching and being groomed for service in King Nebuchadnezzar's court, the young men that were stolen from their home finally came to the King and showed their stuff.  They were wise and showed understanding about everything they were asked and he thought them to be much better than the magicians and enchanters throughout his kingdom.    They did everything asked of them and impressed the king.  But, in doing so, they made enemies, the magicians.  Wouldn't it be upsetting to find out that these young men were essentially smarter and more impressive than your so-called magic?  What you dazzled on, is no longer amusing your king.  How would you feel?  First things first, you want to get the offenders out of the king's sight.  This is where the plot thickens.

Just know that these four young men are now known as Daniel, Shadrach, Meschah and Abednego.  Did you know that they were connected to Daniel? Lots of questions, not a lot of answers today.  But as we delve into the book of Daniel, lots will be answered.

Eat your Veggies!

Daniel 1:15-16

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.


If there was ever an argument for eating your vegetables, this is it.  Daniel and the other young men who were captured by King Nebuchadnezzar, didn't want to eat the rich foods offered to them by the king.  They made the deal of eating just vegetables and relied on God to keep them healthy.  God blessed them and they looked better and were healthier than the men who ate the royal food.  How's that for telling your kids to eat their vegetables?


It makes me giggle.  I use to hate most vegetables.  My tastes have changed, and I like a lot more of them now, but I might have thought twice about it if someone had told me this story.  It seems silly, but to an eight year old, I'll bet eating is serious business.  God wants us at our best and eating healthy is a part of that.  Having a healthy body, helps with a healthy mind, and a healthy soul.  All three, when working together, provides us with the opportunities that we can't create when we are sick.  So, eat your vegetables and help your self stay healthy!

Veggies or Rich Food (What Would You Eat?)

Daniel 1:11 - 14

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹²“Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.


I despise tests and being tested for anything.  I get nervous, think terribly of myself, and usually second guess everything I do.  I admire Daniel for his confidence.  He knows that the food from the table of King Nebuchadnezzar is not in his best interest and goes against all he has learned.  So he challenges the chief official over him and his acquaintances to a test.  He asks that they be allowed to eat nothing but veggies and water and compare them with the other young men that eat the royal food.  


Now, I like veggies, especially vegetable soups, fresh vegetables from my garden and salsas.  But ten days of nothing but vegetables?  Maybe there is something to that.  I could make this all about how there are too many preservatives in our food and how a lot of us doesn't make anything from scratch anymore, but that is not what this is about.  This is about Daniel showing that his upbringing and faith in God has been instilled in him to the point that he feels it is important to keep.  How many of us would have caved and started to feed from the king's table?  How many of us would have accepted what was happening and went with the flow and not made a stand?  I hope none, but put in that situation, I'm not so sure what I would have done.    I pray that I stay strong in the Lord and always keep his commandments, especially when I am tested.

The Lord's Joy

Nehemiah 8:10

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

In all we do, our strength is God's joy.  He wants to be there for you, just ask him.  If you have a burden tell him and he will give you the strength you need to get through it.  He loves you and cares for you.  He is more than willing and happy to care for you, his child.

God's Promise

I finally finished the book of  Psalms.  I started it in August 2010!  I didn't realize that it took me a year to go through that book, but I am glad I did it.  I learned a lot, and I hope you enjoyed it.   So while I figure out what to do next (does anyone have any suggestions?), I will be doing a Bible verse of the day, picked randomly by various means. 

Jeremiah 7:23

But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’

I have been thinking a lot about this verse and didn't even know it.  This economy is brutal.  I am terrible with money anyway, and keeping up with everything is hard. I sometimes struggle with giving to the church.  Mike and I try our hardest, but some weeks the money seems to just evaporate.  Giving my time and ability is often easier to justify.  But, as this verse says, ...and you walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.  Giving is hard when everyone wants a piece of it.  Your bills need paid, your kids needs shoes and clothes, school activities cost, the car needs fixed, the hospital needs paid.  The list goes on forever.  But, God did command us to give ten percent as an offering back to him.  Not because he needs it, but because he wants our obedience.  It's hard, but to not do it is to be disobedient.  And, if I trust him enough and love him by obeying him with my tithe, then he will see us through these stormy economic storms.  He promised that all will be well.  That's a promise I plan on clinging too.

Get Together

Psalm 133:1

¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity! 

July 31st, some of the congregations in our brotherhood will be getting together to have dinner on the grounds and singing and a speaker.  It will be an evening of fellowship and entertainment.  I am excited to lead the choir for this event.

This verse in Psalms tells should put us all in the mood to attend.  I am at fault at neglecting this.  Sometimes when I hear that the area churches are having a get-together, I think, I don't need to go, this doesn't apply to me.  God tells us that it is good to be with those of the same minds and faith.  To fellowship with one another.  That doesn't mean just of our own congregation, but of whole family of God.  When we get to heaven, we will be mingling and worshiping with like-minded Christians that we will not have had any contact with, maybe.  So come out, eat, worship, and enjoy each other's company for the evening.  Maybe it will be a little bit of heaven on earth!

5th Sunday Rally, July 31, 2011 @ 6:00 PM
at Lifeway Church, 780 Lebanon St., Monroe, OH 45050

Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down

Psalm 95:6-7
 ⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
   let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
   and we are the people of his pasture,
   the flock under his care.

These verses are some of my favorite.  I remember the first time I heard the praise song made out of these words.  It was while I was looking for a Christmas cantata for our choir.  Come, let us worship and bow down.  Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker;  Come let us worship and bow down.  Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker.  For He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of His hand, and the sheep of His hand.  It is a quiet, soothing song that I imagined that could be played at the manger of our Lord, as he slept.

It shows that we should revere, respect and rest God.  We should revere him by bowing down in worship.  We should respect him as our God and Maker.  We should rest, because we are under his safety and care. Won't you come today and kneel at the foot of God?

The Trail

Imagine, if you will, a trail.  A trail on the side of a mountain.  The dirt trail is cluttered with roots and foliage that scratch your ankles and calves as you make your way down the slippery slope.  It's dusk and to make matters worse it rained last night, making the trail muddy and slippery.  The trail starts to get steeper and the night starts to grow around you.  It's hard to see and you start slipping in the mud.  You try and slow down, but your legs just keep going, your feet just keep sliding.  Part of you is enjoying the thrill, the free-for-all sensation you have, but part of you knows you need to stop before you fall of the trail.

That's what it's like with sin.  You taste what the world has to offer.  Just a little bit, when you think no one is looking.  Pretty soon you are gliding along, skimming on the wrong trail.  You know you need to stop, not sure how you got here.  That when you quote Psalms 94.

¹⁸ When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
   your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. 

You ask God to help you.  You ask him for forgiveness and he gives it freely, as well as his never failing love.  He will support you.  He will bring you back to the trail of his will.  We have all been there.  We have all sinned and gotten off the beaten path, onto one that we know is of our own doing, not God's.  But he is there, waiting for you to let him know that your "foot is slipping".  So stop skimming and start depending on his grace to get you through.

Christianity At It's Finest

He walks into church on his tip-ties, one hand in his father's and fingers from the other hand shoved in his mouth.  He is a cute little blonde that we see always smiling, always hugging.    He wants to be with his daddy, whom he adores.  He has a wide forehead, a flatten nose and deep set eyes.  He appears to be calm and a happy child.   His name is Carson and he goes to my church.  He has a rare genetic problem, Smith Magenis Syndrome. 

With two older brothers and a younger sister, he is a force to be reckoned with.  He wants to do what his sister, two years is younger does.  He tries to speak, and does get a few words out, though not a conversationalist.  Carson's ability to communicate is limited.  This syndrome affects his sleep, his learning abilities, and may cause hearing loss as he grows older.  But Carson keeps going on, and so does his family.  His mom doesn't let us see what happens at home, too much.  Carson is like the energizer bunny that never quiets.  He can quickly get in to anything just in the three minutes she leaves the room to take a bathroom break.  She has three other children that need her attention too.  Her husband is there as much as a working father can be, but a lot of dealing with Carson and the others fall on her.  But, this weekend is about Carson.

Our church held a benefit for his mounting medical bills.  Until the insurance catches up and certain things are decided, it is scary to think what they have to endure.  The benefit was tonight as an auction.  Several community businesses, people from our church, and all over to help this family out.  It was Christianity at it's finest.  Bids were made, friendly banter exchanged, and the love for one family, for one little boy has been felt.  This is what God wants us to do.  Help those who can not help themselves.  Take care of those who need and accept it.  Our minister, who is also Carson's grandfather always goes to the song, "Little Is Much When God is In It."  Have you seen a little do great big things because God blessed it?   Praise God and thank him for his blessings.

He Doesn't Forget

This devotion may seem like a continuation of yesterday, but sometimes it seems as if those against us get the praise and adoration and we get nothing.  In Psalm 74, the author is pleading with God to remember who mocked his name, who burned down the sanctuary, who is against God.  Like God would forget.  But sometimes it does our heart good to say out loud, or write down our truest feelings.  Please God, don't forget about me!  Don't you think that when you are going through an illness, a family problem, or just feeling down?  I
God doesn't forget about us.  He is totally into you.  He knows your favorites, your wants, desires, and what makes you unique.  He is more personal to you than you will ever be toward Him.  But we should always strive for that and always praise His name.

Psalm 74:21
²¹ Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
   may the poor and needy praise your name.

Out of the Water

When I was about twelve or thirteen, my family and my Dad's sister and her two boys went to Armco Park to go swimming in the lake.  Now as most lakes do, it gets progressively deeper the farther out you go.  While we were swimming, I went out where it was almost to my shoulders.  I'd dive under, grab the mud on the bottom and see what I could bring up.  I could do that for hours.  I love being underwater, especially in dark, murky cool water. 

Well, during this time, I came up for air, I hear someone yelling.  I look over to the shoreline and see my Aunt Judy looking past me and starting to run.  I turn around, and I see John's head going under, maybe for the last time.  So I push myself over to where he is, grab him, and lift him out of the water.  He grabs my neck with all his might and I carry him to the sand.  He got in too deep and couldn't swim well enough to get out. 

I was reminded of this incident when I read the first few verses of Psalm 69.
¹ Save me, O God,
   for the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in the miry depths,
   where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
   the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help;
   my throat is parched. 

When you feel like life is crashing over you like waves, and you can't get your head above the water, God is there.  Verse 29 states this very truth.
 ²⁹ But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
   may your salvation, God, protect me. 

 Praise be to God for lifting us out of the waters of despair.  Out of the sin and trouble, he rescues us.

Psalm 55

^{Psalm 55}

¹ Listen to my prayer, O God,
   do not ignore my plea;
 ² hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
 ³ because of what my enemy is saying,
   because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
   and assail me in their anger. 

^{What do you do when someone tries to spread rumors about you and turn the whole world against you?  You know that they are just trying to be hurtful, it does hit the mark.  As with most rumors, they are lies.} 

  ⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
   the terrors of death have fallen on me.
⁵ Fear and trembling have beset me;
   horror has overwhelmed me.
⁶ I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
   I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷ I would flee far away
   and stay in the desert;
⁸ I would hurry to my place of shelter,
   far from the tempest and storm.”

<sup>You want to punch, scream, cry, escape from the barrage of lies that you feel you are facing every day.  But you can not.   You have more self-esteem than that.  You are the bigger person, aren't you?  God listens to your prayers, especially when you are in the heat of a battle like this. 

 22</sup> Cast your cares on the LORD
   and he will sustain you;
he will never let
   the righteous be shaken.

He will listen to you.  He loves you.  Thankfully, in this case, the person that is the target, is doing their best to ignore them, and as luck would have it, most of the time, the lies are so far-fetched that no one would believe it.  Oh other attacks are sure to come, but this Christian will do their best to keep their head high, and quietly let the truth overcome.

Old Regrets, New Hopes

As we quickly unwind 2010 and start the winding up of 2011, I have been thinking about regrets and hopes.  Now, personally, I don't have a lot of regret.  I usually stick to my opinions, decisions, and live with the consequences. I try to accept what has happened in my life and deal with it.  I do not fight back, I do get pouty at times, but I try not to lay down in self-pity and doubt.  That is what hope is for. 

Christ gives us the best hope anyone can ask for.  He tells us that there is something more than just this earthly existence.  Some days it is a good thing to remember that.  When your family, co-workers, and friends are driving you batty, you sometimes times want to go sit in the corner and cover your eyes and ears.  But through Christ, many ideas and opportunities happen.

     Galatians 4:7 says "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
     Philippians 4:7 says "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
     Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

We can do all, have God's peace, and be heirs through Christ.  What more is there?  So has you celebrate the end of this year, and ringing in the new year, I pray that through this devotion, your studies, and teachings, you will let go of the regrets of the past and turn toward the exciting new hopes that God has to offer!

Happy New Year!