Category Archives: Thanks & Praise

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June 1, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Money & Wealth, Obedience, Thanks & Praise

WE DIDN’T DO IT ON OUR OWN

The Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.” [Judges 6:8-10 (NLT)]

God made it quite clear: the Israelites were not to worship the Amorite gods, yet they fell into a life of disobedience and idolatry. With such a concise and simple prohibition, why did the Israelites fail to obey God? Had they forgotten who freed them and fed them, gave them victory in battle and led them to a “land of milk and honey”? Perhaps they had and they began to think they had accomplished everything on their own. Lack of gratitude can be a dangerous thing. For the Israelites, it meant that they suffered for seven years at the hands of the Midianites; homes, crops and livestock were destroyed and Israel was on the brink of starvation. Let us never make the mistake of worshiping the false gods of self, fame, or fortune. While we enjoy the blessings of this life, we must never forget who made them all possible.

However, if you do not listen to me or obey all these commands, and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, I will punish you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them. I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you! [Leviticus 26:14-17 (NLT)]

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May 28, 2015

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God's Grace & Love, Salvation: A New You, Thanks & Praise

DRESSED LIKE A BRIDE OR GROOM

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I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban, like a bride with her jewels. [Isaiah 61:10 (GW)]

 

I like to visualize Bible verses but this verse from Isaiah had escaped me. The typical American groom wears a well-tailored black tuxedo and his lovely bride wears a beautiful gown with some pretty pieces of family jewelry. While lovely, it’s nothing as magnificent as the clothing of salvation and righteousness should be. When going through photos for yesterday’s devotion, I reviewed my pictures from this beautiful Indian wedding. While this couple are neither Jewish nor Christian, their attire helps me picture what Isaiah is saying. The clothes of righteousness aren’t just a tuxedo or a long white dress worn with a pearl necklace and a pair of diamond earrings. They are made of richly woven colorful fabric with gold threads. The materials are laden with pearls, beads, and crystals and the gold jewelry is measured in pounds not ounces! While the groom didn’t wear a turban, he was elaborately dressed. He and his nephew sat on an ornamented saddle as a white horse carried them to the marriage canopy. Every bride is beautiful, but I’ve never seen another bride so richly attired at this stunning young woman was that day. It’s this kind of attire about which Isaiah is speaking: splendid, ornate, extravagant, spectacular and sumptuous. The clothing of salvation and righteousness is all that and more; yet it weighs not an ounce, doesn’t need cleaning, pressing, to be insured, and is always a perfect fit.

Like the ground that brings forth its crops and like a garden that makes the seed in it grow, so the Almighty Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up in front of all nations. [Isaiah 61:11 (GW)]

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May 22, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Money & Wealth, Obedience, Thanks & Praise

BILLS, BILLS, BILLS

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! [Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 (NLT)]

Bills, bills, bills! We all complain when we get them. We recently got our property tax bill which meant for a few groans. Instead of complaint, however, today I will choose to give thanks.

3-30-15 billsDSC07878redwebThank you, Lord, for my tax bill. It means that I have a home, when many are homeless, and our community has schools, police and fire protection, a library and community center, garbage pick-up, good roads and beautiful parks. While I’m at it Lord, thank you for my electric and gas bills, for those mean I have lights and warmth. Thank you for my water bill because that means I have clean safe water to drink. Thank you for my insurance bills, for those tell me that I have possessions enough to insure. Thank you for my Blue Cross and doctor’s bills, as well; those mean I have medical care when many have none. Thank you for our cable bill because it means I have news, music and entertainment readily available. Thank you for my phone, wireless and internet bills. Those services mean I have all sorts of information at my fingertips and allow me to communicate with loved ones anytime and from any place. I look at my credit card bill and I am again thankful. Seeing the charges from the grocery, I give thanks that I’ve never gone hungry when many do. I look at the rest of our charges and see how we’ve purchased clothing, books and gifts, gone to movies and out to dinner, or taken trips while there are far too many who can barely make ends meet. Thank you, God, for all my bills; they are a way of reminding me of how truly blessed I am.

As I thank God for our financial blessings and the privilege of paying my bills, I remember another privilege he has given me: the privilege of supporting my church and various worthwhile charities. As much as I appreciate having shelter, food, clothing, communication and entertainment, they would mean nothing without God. So, today, as I write yet another check, I thank God for the privilege of financially supporting His work here on earth.

We can tell our values by looking at our checkbook stubs. [Gloria Steinem]

“Your money, or your life.” We know what to do when a burglar makes this demand of us, but not when God does. [From “The Second Neurotic’s Notebook’” by Mignon McLaughlin]

Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. [1 Corinthians 9:13-14 (NLT)]

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. [Proverbs 21:13 (NLT)]

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May 18, 2015

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Joy, Knowing Him, Nature, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count

“AHA!” MOMENTS

aha2webPraise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! [Psalm 148:7-13 (NLT)]

We had a plane to catch but, before spending hours sitting on an airplane, I wanted to take a quick walk. Knowing my tendency to lose track of time whenever I have camera in hand, I deliberately left it at home. A blue jay was perched on a low branch and never moved as I walked past. Also apparently oblivious to my presence, a great blue heron stood quietly while river otters played at the edge of the pond. Unmindful of me, a red-bellied woodpecker started hammering on a nearby tree, a baby bunny stopped in the grass beside me, and then an enormous bright green Cuban knight anole slowly crossed my path. Peeved at missing these great photo ops, I complained: “God, how can you torment me this way? I’ve been trying to get shots like these for ages; now you give them to me when I have no camera!” At first, it seemed like God had a wicked sense of humor and was messing with me. That, however, wasn’t the case. He was telling me something important and it wasn’t, “Always take your camera!” I was being told that appreciating God’s splendid handiwork is far more important than taking pictures of it. A good photograph is not the purpose of God’s “Aha!” moments; those occurrences are to remind us of the magnificence of his creation and His overwhelming presence in our lives. Although I took no pictures that morning, my breath was taken away in awe, wonder, praise and thanks; I felt God’s powerful presence and returned home filled with joy.

Later that day, while reading 1 Romans, I came across the following verse: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” [Romans 1:20 (NLT)] Those words helped me recognize the truth of what I thought God was telling me through that morning’s circumstances. Since that day, I’ve managed to get most of the shots I missed that day. The anole, however, while spotted by neighbors several times in front of our house, has eluded me. I hope God doesn’t have another lesson planned when it decides to reappear, unless, of course, it’s has to do with patience: “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.” [Psalm 40:1 (NLT)]

Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! [Psalm 96:6-8a (NLT)]

P.S. The day I finished writing this devotion, I felt the urge to walk outside and check out the tree in front of our house. The anole was there and I even had my camera ready. Not satisfied with the shot, however, I stepped closer and he quickly scampered up the tree and out of sight. Perhaps God was telling me that there are some “Aha!” moments that are simply meant to be kept in our memories and not in pixels on the computer! You can’t tell me He doesn’t have a sense of humor!

 

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March 14, 2015

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Bible Stories, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Thanks & Praise, Trusting God

YOU PROMISED!

Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you. [Genesis 28:15 (MSG)]

Moses said to God, “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me.” … God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.” [Exodus 33:12a,14 (MSG)]

In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. [Joshua 1:5 (MSG)]

“I promise I’ll be there.”… “I promise nothing bad will happen.”… “I promise I’ll pay you.”… “I promise I won’t be angry.”… “I promise I’ll get it done in time.” We all make promises; usually, we truly mean to keep them. Sometimes, however, we break our promises. Perhaps we didn’t even try; maybe, we tried but just not hard enough. We may have tried our very best but simply didn’t have the ability or means to fulfill our promise. Sometimes, circumstances totally beyond our control defeat us. Whatever the reasons, our promises are often broken.

God, however, has no limitations when He guarantees something. Unlike you and me, God is absolutely true to His word; He will never break a promise. Moreover, unlike you and me, He is entirely able to fulfill every one of his promises! There are no things beyond his ability and no circumstances he cannot control.

God made promises to Jacob, Moses, and Joshua: He would not leave them. That same promise was repeated by Jesus and made to us. He is with us in the valleys and on the mountain tops, in times of plenty and famine, in times of joy and sorrow. As our captain, He’ll never abandon ship; as our shepherd, He’ll never leave his sheep; and as our Heavenly Father, He’ll never forsake his children.

Thank you, God, for never leaving us alone; no matter what the circumstances, you are always with us. Help us to truly trust your promises and your mighty power to keep them so that we truly rest in the peace of your presence.

God never made a promise that was too good to be true. [Dwight L. Moody]

I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age. [Matthew 28:20 (MSG)]

When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God. [Hebrews 6:17-18 (MSG)]

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February 14, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Thanks & Praise

FOR THOSE WE LOVE – Valentine’s Day 2015

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” [Matthew 19:4-6 (NLT)]

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Father, thank you for my spouse; please don’t let me take my life’s partner for granted. Prevent us both from allowing the obligations and frustrations of each day hinder us from making time for one another. Give us forgiving hearts when the other’s words or actions cause anger or grief. May we never allow people or things to keep us from walking the same path, hand in hand, for the rest of our lives.

Father, for those who are not blessed with a partner at this time, give them plenty of friends and family to fill their hearts and lives with love and joy.

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. [Robert Anderson]

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. [1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)]

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. [Ephesians 4:2-3 (NLT)]