Feb. 28.....river of delights....living water

Psalm 36:7-9 “How precious is your kindness, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house; from your delightful stream you give them to drink.”

“You give them drink from your river of delights, for with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light.” NIV John 4: 14 “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life.” Heavenly Father,

We have an image of the life-giving water you provide….”your river of delights”…..”the fountain of life.” And in John we learn of the water that Christ Jesus gives us…..”a fountain within”…..the Living Water so we will never be thirsty again, “leaping up to provide eternal life.” Water is something we all need to live. I remember learning in school that we can only live 3 days without water. So how can we “never be thirsty again?” Comparing the life that Jesus brings us, to something we need to exist, to have life on a daily basis, certainly highlights the importance of Christ to our lives! For people in this country water is so abundant that we take it for granted. We are seldom truly thirsty. We know that water is just the “turn of a tap” away. For much of the world this is not true. Water is a precious commodity that requires much work and diligence to provide daily. The metaphor of eternal life in Christ is more easily understood by those who are truly thirsty. Jesus told us that “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Until we know hunger and thirst, until we have a need rather than a whim, we can’t really appreciate what Jesus offers us. His message was readily welcomed by the poor, the sinners, the lame, the blind, the imprisoned. These people knew what “need” means and they were very, very thirsty! Jesus gave them hope and an answer just as he gives it to us. When we get really thirsty for answers, Jesus is there to give us the “fountain of eternal life” to leap and dance within us. Then we will be blessed! But first we need to recognize our need and acquire a great thirst. Thank you, LORD, for you “river of delights”, your “living water” that leads us to you. Amen

Feb. 27.....God's love revealed

Psalm 36:5-6 “O LORD, your kindness reaches to heaven; your faithfulness, to the clouds. Your justice is like the mountains of God’ your judgments, like the mighty deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.” 1 John 4:9 “God’s love was revealed in our midst in this way: he sent his only Son to the world that we might have life through him.” Heavenly Father,

(originally written in Dec.) I’m drawn to the verse from 1 John because this is the season to celebrate that “God’s love was revealed in our midst”. Love came down. Love as a tiny baby born in a stable. When something is “revealed” it is made plain and open, not hidden from view. Anyone who ever wants to know about your love only has to look at this baby and the man he becomes. It’s all there out in the open to be seen by all. The verse from Psalms speaks of other attributes…..kindness, faithfulness, justice, judgement…..all described a high and mighty, and deep and unfathomable God. We are to know of your omnipotent nature and your eternal power in all things. But sometimes man can’t get close to a God who is so big and mighty. We hide like Adam and Eve, knowing that we are “naked” before the Almighty God. It is the innocent tiny baby that lets us feel close to you and to see your love. The gentle Savior who walked earth and talked to the sinners. The one who wore himself out healing and teaching all who would listen. And love shone brightest on the cross when he sacrificed himself for our sins. This was a God we could all love and cherish, a God who exchanged “fear” and awe for sentiment and salvation. God’s love revealed….Jesus Christ. Thank you, O LORD, that you are big enough to become so small that we might see your love. Amen.

Feb. 26....the LORD sustains me

WEEK NINE: PROVIDENTIAL LOVE Psalm 3:5-6 “When I lie down in sleep, I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the LORD is an aid to life; one eats and sleeps without being visited by misfortune.”

Heavenly Father,

Sleep, wonderfully peaceful sleep is one of the best gifts you give us. If we have had a good night’s sleep, each new day begins with our body and our mood refreshed. I’ve always liked this verse and the next about the “tens of thousands” drawn up on every side. Some days feel like that. Problems mount up and grow and surround us until we want to bury our heads…..or go back to sleep! But you tell us we need not fear the tens of thousands. They may surround us but they can’t touch us when you are with us. It is this confidence in your power and sustaining love that allows us to “lie down in sleep” and know we will “wake again”. Sleep is often used as a metaphor for death. This sleep, too, is one that we can confidently know that when we “lie down” we will “wake again” in your presence. Christ has given us that assurance, that even in death we will never be separated from you and your love. At Christmas we see Jesus as a sleeping child. What can better show the trust and confidence we all have in our Heavenly Father, than a tiny innocent sleeping baby who doesn’t worry but trusts his parents care? From the moment he was born, Jesus’ life teaches us how we should live. Sleep in peace….God will sustain us. Awake anew each morning in Your presence. Thank you, LORD, for peaceful sleep and your sustaining 24/7 presence! Amen.

Feb. 25.....high above all nations

Psalm 113:4-6 “High above all nations is the LORD, above the heavens is his glory. Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?” (Who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?” NIV) John 18: 36 “My kingdom does not belong to this world…..As it is, my kingdom is not here.” Heavenly Father,

These verses remind us of your high and exalted position in heaven. As we look at your wonders of creation we are in awe of the One who can do such marvelous things. Looking up seems the natural thing to do to see the One who is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, I AM, Almighty God, Jehovah, Yahweh, King of Kings! The psalmist asks, “Who is like the LORD our God….?” And we echo those thoughts in our own worship and praise. But I like the next line of the psalm that says, “….who stoops down to look.” This is the God I love best and think of most. The God who is so big and so great that he stooped down in love and became incarnate as a man so that we might be raised up to his kingdom on high. It takes someone “big” to stoop down. It takes great love to make a great sacrifice. The psalm goes on to tell of your love…..”He raises the poor from the dust”, “He lifts the needy….and seats them with princes”, “He settles the barren woman….as a happy mother”. No matter what our need, you have the answer. This is the season to celebrate the incarnate God, Jesus Christ. This is the time of love stooping down for all mankind.

“Love was when, God became a man ……to reach and love one such as I.”

(song words)Thank you! Amen

Feb. 24....you are the same

Psalm 102:26-28 “Of old you established the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They shall perish, but you remain…..you are the same, and your years have no end.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him” Mathew 24:35 “The heavens and the earth will pass away but my words will not pass” Heavenly Father,

(originally writen in Dec.) Today we begin the annual journey to Bethlehem……a time to remember Christ’s coming, leading up to celebrating his birth. Every year it’s like it is new all over again. Jesus is born once more in our hearts and minds. In reality Jesus is eternal, just as You are eternal and we can rely on the knowledge that there is never a time when Jesus is not here…….no time of actual waiting for him to be born and to grow up and to die. Jesus’ life seems to be encapsulated in a moment of time from his birth to his death to his resurrection. Reliving it each year is a way to let his sacrifice and gift of grace be born anew in us each year. Humans don’t really understand “forever”, but we do understand cycles of birth and death. We see them around us always in plants, animals, and family and friends. So for us the cycle of Jesus’ life is a “forever” moment, but celebrated in a way we understand. All else will perish, but You, O LORD, always remain. We will die, but because of Jesus, we too will arise and learn what eternity really is. Our eternal moment of truth begins with that baby in Bethlehem. His cycle draws us in and leads us to your eternal presence. Your words, your “WORD”…..Jesus Christ”…..will never pass away. The Holy Child we await with expectation of delight and wonder is as ancient as time itself. We see him as new and fresh each year and feel his power to draw us into the holy cycle of eternity. Thank you! Amen.

Feb. 23.....let your work be seen

Psalm 90:16 “Let your work be seen by your servants and your glory by their children.” John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no, he shall possess the light of life.” Heavenly Father,

For most people seeing your wonders in this world is the easiest way to experience them. When we open our eyes and look around us, your greatness and glory are evident. We can choose to see only the bad and focus on what is ugly or broken or imperfect or evil, but those are usually things man has done rather than what you have done. If we honestly look at this world without man in it, it is a wonderous marvel. Viewed from space even the natural “disasters” would be stupendous to observe and show your great power and order. Man makes a difference to everything in the world. There are few places of pristine beauty left that man hasn’t “lowered the value” of. We must look past the imperfections to the real beauty. Man, too was meant to be a marvel of creation but we ruined the original plan and didn’t follow it as designed. But Jesus came to take away the imperfections and allow us to be seen once again as “perfect” by aligning ourselves with Him and reflecting his glory rather than our failures. Through the one perfect Man we too can be perfect. That seed of possibility is in each one of us. We must look past the obvious flaws to the spark of Light that Jesus can bring into each of us. When we look for the Light in others, it will grow and become more obvious. We will see what we wait to see. Let the Light shine! Look for the Light! Thank you LORD, for giving us eyes to see your glory and Light to illumine it. Amen

Feb. 22....wonderous deeds

Psalm 72:18-19 “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds. And blessed forever be his glorious name; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen. “ Ephesians 3:20-21 “ To him whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine….to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end. Amen.” Heavenly Father,

“Who alone does wonderous deeds”……I like that line! Only you do wonderous deeds. Man is sometimes clever or artistic or talented, but our deeds are mere reflections of the “wonderous” deeds you have done and the things you have created. We can only mimic or try to copy. Because we are created in your image we can do some pretty great things, but always you are in control and you can do much more. Some of our deeds aren’t so wonderful……we harm others, we trash the beautiful planet you gave us, we use our intellect to scheme and plot evil, and use our words to hurt and wound others. What we could use for others, we waste on ourselves. What we could share, we hoard. What we could say in comfort or kindness, goes undone through apathy and selfishness. Forgive me, LORD! You are a wondrous God and we need to seek wisdom from you. We need to learn about love from you. I also like the second verse for today……”He can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.” Your power and love have no limits. What we can’t even imagine, you have already done! What we don’t know enough to ask, you have already provided. Open my mind and heart to imagine more and ask for what you wish me to have. Teach me to trust your holy wisdom and to see your wonderous deeds and to do your will as I follow your example. Christ showed us the way and I wish to walk in it. In his name, amen.

Feb. 21....sanctuary

Psalm 63:2-3 “Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you.” Luke 9:33 “Master, how good it is for us to be here.” Heavenly Father,

Sanctuary is a place of safety, a place found only in your presence, a place to see and worship you. Sanctuary is where we draw close to you. To find sanctuary we must find you. We all want to be safe and secure, to be loved and wanted. Seeking you brings us to that place where we know we belong……home. To see you in the sanctuary we must first seek you. You never move or go away, but we do. We draw towards you, but then when our confidence level rises we began to think it is ourselves who are creating the place of safety….we think we are the ones in control and can handle things on our own. We step away from you and true sanctuary. But once we have known you and your peace hopefully we will always find our way back again and maybe not be so anxious to leave. I always see the prodigal son turning toward home and his father, and the father coming to meet him with arms open wide to hold him and throw him a party. This is sanctuary. This is love greater than any we can experience anywhere else. This is home and family. Peter says it best in Luke 9:33, “Master, how good it is for us to be here.” It’s not just good it is the best place to be always! Thank you, LORD for making it possible for us to always come home, always be forgiven, always be loved, always find sanctuary. “I have seen you in the sanctuary……” I’m home! Amen.

Feb. 20....your strength

Psalm 21:13 “Be extolled, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing, chant the praise of your might.” Rev. 5:13 “To the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!” Heavenly Father,

All of creation shows your strength. Strength to build mountains. Strength to create oceans and control them. Strength to spin the planets and fill the heavens with stars. Strength to hold the sun and place it in the sky. But sometimes strength is shown in gentleness. Your strength holds us when we’re sad, comforts us when we’re hurting, heals us when we’re broken. Only your strength could bear the cross and all the sin of the world. But your strength also reaches down to the children and says, “come to me”. Your strength is the Rock we build on for a foundation and trust on for protection. But it’s also the gentle peace we find when we sit at your feet and listen. It takes great strength to be gentle. The hand that created the sun and stars also created a baby bird and tiny insects. It fashioned every tiny detail of the human body and made it all work in harmony. Strength brings order and stops chaos. All of this strength is found in You, and You alone. “Power and glory, riches and honor, wisdom and strength be unto you”. Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient! “Our strength is in you, LORD, in you”. Thank you! Amen

Feb. 19....the heavens declare the glory of God

WEEK EIGHT: CREATION’S TESTIMONY Psalm 19:1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge.” (“Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” NIV) Mathew 13:43 “Then the saints will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let everyone heed what he hears!” Heavenly Father,

Most of us, when we take time, look at your glorious creation and enjoy the silence. But this verse tells us that both day and night your works are declaring your glory that “day after day they pour forth speech” and “night after night they display knowledge”. The next verse goes on to say that they speak everywhere in all languages. Even those who have never heard scripture, can hear the voice of nature and see your wonders and know that there is a God, and a mighty creative one! Why any man bothers to question and look for a scientific answer behind creation when all the evidence speaks of a wonderous, artistic, majestic Creator, is really beyond comprehension! The second verse for today says that, “the saints will shine like the sun”. We too are God’s creation and should “shout” of his glory to all we see…..even when we are silent. Our faith and hope and trust in God should shine out of us and reflect God’s glory. Man was meant to be God’s crowning glory, not his biggest thorn in the side! Man has a capacity to understand the creation and to spread God’s love throughout it. Man can enter into relationship with God. This pleases him. We are made to love him and know him. Jesus came to show us a perfect man and to teach us to love God as he has loved us. Maybe with Jesus’ help we truly can “shine like the sun” and reflect God’s glory. Thank you! Amen.

Feb. 18....obedience

Psalm 148:5-6 “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created; He established them forever and ever; he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.” Ephesians 3: 8-9 “To me, the least of all believers, was given the grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten all men on the mysterious designs which for ages was hidden in God, the Creator of all.” Heavenly Father,

This verse says, “He established them forever and ever; he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.” Every part of creation is ordained to function in a certain way. All the parts of creation compliment each other in their functions. I sometimes wonder how man fits into all of the rest of creation. Man who has free will and the ability to choose. Man who can fulfill his function or ignore it. Man who can throw the rest of creation out of sync by his actions. Man was created in your image. Man has intellect and emotions, spirit and a soul, talents and abilities. Unlike most of creation man has to make choices. We have to choose to obey. We have to discern right and wrong. We have to act based n facts and wisdom. You have given us “duty which shall not pass away”, just like the rest of creation, but man must choose to do it, to follow, to obey your commands. You didn’t create us as puppets, but as free creatures. When we show love to you or to others it is our highest calling and a fulfillment of the duty we were designed for. All the commands you have for us are commands to love. Man functions perfectly when he acts in love. Jesus was the perfect man because his actions were of obedient love. When we go unto all the world with Jesus’ message we act in obedient love and fulfill our duty. Thank you, LORD, and guide me to fulfill your duty and purpose for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Feb. 17....bow down in worship

Psalm 95:6-7 “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.” John 1:10 “He was in the world, and through him the world was made, yet the world did not know who he was.” Heavenly Father,

We come today to worship and bow down in thanks for all you have created. We thank you for the blessings of family, friends, food and shelter. This psalm leads my mind to at least 2 songs that sing these words. They remind us of the source of our blessings and our reasons for being thankful. Thanksgiving began because the founders of this country recognized their need to give thanks to you for richly blessing them. This country is blessed from shore to shore with great beauty and great bounty. We seldom appreciate it as we should or take time to say thank you! I’m taking the time now. THANK YOU, Lord of Lords, King of Kings! Thank you Creator, Father God! Thank you Son and Savior, Jesus Christ! Thank you Holy Spirit for always being there! We are your people and the “sheep of your flock”. You are our God and King! Continue to love and guide us, to bless us and nurture us, to teach and mold us. Help me to show your love and glory to others and to lead them into relationship with you that all the world will some day bow down and praise and thank and honor you! Thank you this day for my blessings. For my family, my friends, my church, my share of your bounteous provision! Amen

Feb. 16.....glorious, exalted

Psalm 8:1 “O LORD, our LORD, how glorious is your name over all the earth! You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.” Ephesians 1:22-22 “He has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made him, thus exalted, head of the church, which is his body: the fullness of him who fills the universe in all its parts. Heavenly Father,

Glorious, exalted…..these are hard words for me to grab unto and understand. Mankind doesn’t tend to raise much to that standard….certainly none of us meet it! I see glory and majesty in your creation……a mountain towering above the land, an ocean deep and wide, a beautiful sunset, a night full of stars, wild creatures of all sorts, flowers of endless beauty, the power of a storm, tall trees forming canopies of silence, babies… perfect and innocent, a whale leaping into the air from the waters, the gracefulness of a cat, colors, smells, sounds! When I pause to notice these things they awe me. Two of my favorite things to do are to lie in the hammock and look up through the leafy branches of the oak tree at the intricate pattern of branches and shapes and colors and movement, and the other is to watch a sky full of huge puffy clouds. Nature sings your song of majesty at all times. Man seldom looks up to see it. We are too busy looking down and within. Worship is taking the time to see and hear your majesty. You have “set your glory above the heavens.” We can’t miss it, if we look and listen. Christ is described as the fullness of You (him-who-fills-the universe-in-all-its-parts). You sent Christ to help us see and hear and understand your majesty. You sent Christ to “bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” With Christ as head and we the body, we can become the manifestation of You here on earth. We can make it easier for others to see You, the God of majesty and glory, exalted above the heavens. Amen

Feb. 15.....Y-O-U, O LORD

Psalm 89:12-13a “Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth; the world and its fullness you have founded; north and south you created.” 1 Timothy 1:17 “To the King of ages, the immortal, the invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.” Heavenly Father,

I guess everyone who read “The Purpose Driven Life” remembers the first line, “It’s not about you.” In that case the “you” means “us”. However, in this psalm “You” means You, the Heavenly Father, the Almighty God, the LORD of creation. This is the Y-O-U that it is really about. “Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth; the world and its fullness you have founded; north and south you created.” It’s all about YOU! It all began with YOU. It exists because of YOU. For the selfish heart of man that is a hard statement. We want it to be about us. We want to be at the center of things and each of us lives like we are. When we face the fact that we aren’t the center, we have a choice. We can worship YOU or we can turn our backs. Sometimes we don’t turn to you, not because we don’t wish to worship, but because we don’t know how. We don’t know where we stand. If we aren’t the center than where do we belong? We wander, we search, we seek a place. You made it clear in scripture that you have a place for us. We have a home with you if we want it. Jesus came to throw wide the arms of love and embrace all of us and say, “Come….come home with me to my Father’s house. You are welcome there!” YOU are still the center, but we are “family” and we belong, too…….thanks to Jesus Christ who teaches us that it doesn’t matter that it isn’t about us. It’s about omnipresent love with YOU in the center. Thank you! Amen.

Feb. 14.....let all

Psalm 33:8-9 “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all who dwell in the world revere him. For he spoke, and it was made; he commanded, and it stood forth (it stood firm NIV)” Col. 1:16-17 “In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations, principalities or powers; all were created through him, and for him…..In him everything continues in being.” Heavenly Father,

The first words to leap out of this passage were “Let all…..”. This is every Christian’s prayer….that ALL will believe and revere you and ALL will be saved. I have tremendous respect for all the ministers, apostles, missionaries, teachers, etc. who have devoted their entire lives to just that project…..making sure that ALL will know the Good News. I’m ashamed that I have done so little to spread your message. I’m ashamed that I can’t even teach my own children to know you. This is my most earnest plea, LORD, that you will enable me to bring the Good News to my own children, to other family members, and to ALL I meet. I want to serve you better and have more courage and wisdom in how to spread your word. I know that what I can’t do, you can. I know that it is of the utmost importance that ALL the world worship you and know you. The world stands firm as you created it. Only man wavers and falters and stubbornly refuses to worship and obey. But your great love goes beyond our failures and reaches out in love and mercy. You gave us the answer, Jesus Christ. You gave us forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace. Now it’s our turn to give that gift to ALL we meet. Help me O, LORD, to fulfill your great commission and to spread the Good News to ALL before it is too late. Amen

Feb. 13....your Word, your Breath

Psalm 33:6-7 “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.” (NIV) Word=Jesus Breath=Holy Spirit John 1:3-4 “Through him all things came into being and apart from him nothing came to be. Whatever came to be in him, found life, life for the light of men” Heavenly Father,

I see your triune nature in this verse extolling your creation. As Jesus spreads out the heavens, the Holy Spirit flings the stars about. The Word…..Jesus Christ, the Breath….the Holy Spirit. Creation spoken and breathed into being by the LORD God Almighty! The sea is “gathered into jars” and put in the storehouse of the deep. Created, bottled, saved, stored. It brings images of my mother canning the bounty of our vegetables and fruits and carefully storing them in our cellar for later in the winter. This preparation gave us control over the future months, and knowledge of our preparedness allowed hope and peace. Your creation was carefully prepared for mankind and stored up to provide for our needs. It is a pity that man doesn’t take better care of your bounty and squanders it daily and ruins what you have graciously given us. Forgive us, O LORD, for our lack of understanding and care. John speaks of the Word, Jesus Christ and tells us that, “whatever came to be in Him, found life.” Jesus gives us new life and frees our created being from the sins that are destroying it. Our life is fresh and new and stored in the storehouse of heaven for your great pleasure when we allow Jesus to recreate us. Thank you LORD, and may the storehouse of heaven be overflowing with beautiful jars of saved souls! Amen

Feb. 12....great is the LORD

WEEK 7: THE WORK OF YOUR FINGERS

Psalm 96: 4-5 “For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens.” Rev. 14:7 “Honor God and give him glory, for his time has come to sit in judgment. Worship the Creator of heaven and earth, the Creator of the sea and the springs.” Heavenly Father, The author makes a profound statement that, “in our computerized society we are so proud of our achievements that it is easy to think we don’t need You, our God.” We begin to see ourselves as “little gods” who can do it all by ourselves. How sad and how untrue! The natural disasters of the past year……tsunami, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes…..certainly show us that all that man makes or does is easily destroyed, including man himself. We have no power compared to yours! You are omnipotent, all powerful, almighty, unmovable, unshakeable, I AM! “Awesome” is He, beyond all gods”! We must not forget that ever! If we truly look at the things around us that really are awesome, they all are your things not ours, and what we create pales by comparison. “….the LORD made the heavens”. Heavens are always there and they don’t change. A star may fall but new stars are born as You ordain them and You’ve numbered them! Man cannot create a star or a sun or a planet. Man can put things in the heavens, but he cannot truly change the heavens in any significant way.

Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, With wisdom, power, and love, Our God is an awesome God!”Amen

Feb. 11....happy, hope, help, his God = holy

Psalm 146: 5-6 “Happy he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.” Ephesians 4:23-24 “Acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth.” Heavenly Father, I could call this the 4-H of holiness:……..happiness, help, hope, his God. Happiness, also translated blessedness in scriptures, is an inner joy or completeness found in God. It’s a satisfying, peaceful, safe feeling that all is right. Help ….this verse says God is the source of our help. Whatever we need, he has the answer. Whatever we must go through he is with us. Help means sharing a burden and supporting one who is in trouble. Hope…..the sister of faith. Hope is an assured reliance that expects an answer. Hope never doubts or wavers. Hope is ready to receive.

His God ….this is the source of the happiness, help and hope. “His” is the important word. Not someone else’s. Not someone distant. But his own personal Savior and source of all blessing and life itself. These 4 H’s add up to Holiness. We are to become a “new man” in God’s image. God is holy and we become holy only through his grace, in Jesus Christ. Jesus erases all the bad and makes us a clean free new being…..one acceptable to God who can share in his holy presence. With hope in our hearts, accepting God’s help, happiness is ours as we trust in our(his) God. We can claim this blessing and take on this mantle of holiness whenever we give our life to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Thank you, LORD! Hallelujah! Amen

Feb. 10....toward the mountain...where you dwell

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me? My help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” 1 Peter 4:19 “Let those who suffer as God’s will requires continue in good deeds, and entrust their lives to a faithful Creator.” Heavenly Father,

I like the image of looking toward the mountains seeking your help. Maybe that is why one of my favorite verses is “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me, let the bring me to your Holy Mountain, to the place where you dwell.” (Ps. 43:3) Looking toward the mountains makes me think of my sister's house and how I enjoy looking out her front window at the mountains while listening to praise music. It’s a very spiritual setting. However, most of us don’t have mountains to look at to remind us of you. But in our minds we can still be drawn toward that lofty place where you abide. It’s the Light (Jesus Christ) and the Truth (Holy Spirit) who bring us there, if we allow them to guide us. Jesus made it possible for us to draw near to you anytime we want. We can scale the mountain in a matter of moments and find ourselves in your presence. The Holy Spirit shows us the way. We know in our hearts that “our help” comes from you. We look to the mountains certain that we will see you. We raise our heads knowing that we will hear your answer. Looking to the hills and mountains answers a deep longing in our souls that continually whispers, “come to me”. We look up, we come, we abide in your presence. Home! Our home is on that holy mountain with you, and our hearts and spirits draw us there for help and comfort and rest. “My help comes from the LORD!” Hallelujah! Amen.

Feb. 9....your hands

Psalm 119:73 “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me discernment that I may learn your commands. Col. 3:9-10 “ What you have done is put aside your old self with its past deeds and put on a new man, one who grows in knowledge as he is formed anew in the image of his Creator.” Heavenly Father,

When I read the words, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me,” I also think of another verse, “I will not forget you….you are engraved on the palms of my hands.” These verses go together in that your hands first formed us and created us to live on this earth and you promised that we are engraved or etched into your hands where we can never be forgotten. I’ve long held a picture in my mind of Jesus’ hands outstretched, with the holes from the nails on the cross visible. The lines that make up the drawing of the nail holes are actually 1000’s of tiny names of everyone on earth. Christ truly engraved us on his hands when he died on the cross and took our sins! How could he ever forget those that he so willingly died for? We are a permanent “mark” on his hands and feet and soul. We are “formed anew” by his act and our acceptance of it. We are “recreated” by the same hands that first created us in human flesh on this earth. We pray for discernment here to know your truths and to learn your commands. When we seek your will and obey you we become the new creatures that you wish for us to be. We began to take on the character of Jesus Christ who gave us new birth and a new beginning…..formed anew, reborn! Thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who draw us safely into your waiting presence! Amen

Feb. 8....God's blessings

Psalm 115:15-26 “May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Heaven is the heaven of the LORD, but the earth he has given to the children of men.”

1 Cor. 2:9 “…what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Mathew 25:34 “Come. You have my Father’s blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared fro you from the creation of the world.” Heavenly Father,

This prayer, “May you be blessed by the LORD,” is one we should all pray every day. And it should be followed by, “Thank you, LORD, for your blessings!” I’m very aware right now of my blessings. The recent tornado (written 2005) that took lives and destroyed homes in our city makes me very aware of how blessed we are…..even when the skylight drips on our bed! At least we have a roof and a skylight and a bed. I also see my blessings right now as I gripe about paying for an expensive plane ticket for our daughter to fly for a visit. At least we can pay for it even though it is costly, and our daughter is well and we will get to see her. Thank you! This prayer is similar to “Give us this day our daily bread.” It is about knowing where the blessings come from and acknowledging the giver. It is about trusting that all will be provided for our needs. It is also recognizing that our true blessings have nothing to do with material things. Our true blessing is that we are Your children and You care for us. That You loved us enough to send Jesus to save us. Jesus is the incarnate “blessing” that You have given. Grace is all we need. Your love is assured. Salvation and eternal life are ours. We can truly respond and say, “I am blessed by the LORD!” Thank you LORD, and accept my offering of praise and a full heart of love for you! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Feb. 7....the work of your fingers

Psalm 8:3-4 “When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place….what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?” 1 Chr. 29:11 “Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power, majesty, splendor, and glory.” Heavenly Father,

The author of the devotional says, “ We are the masterpiece of God’s creative love.” When I think of a masterpiece, I think of a beautiful, well-executed painting, or an exquisite piece of glasswork, or a great sculpture, or a beautiful quilt. Something full of artistic merit as well as something that moves the heart. Anything that inspires awe or wonder and makes you say, “Wow!” Here we have the idea of man as “masterpieces of God’s creative love”. When I look at the intricacies of the human body and how amazing it is I can see it as a masterwork of creative art....."the work of your fingers". But the true difference that makes man “special” is the fact that we are created in your likeness. That is hard to understand! How can we be like you? You are so great and perfect….great enough to have created everything! You created us with the capacity to love as you love. You created us with a spirit, just as you exist as Spirit. When we accept your Holy Spirit as ours and live in love as you love, we become one with You and find “home”. We can only do this through Jesus Christ who showed us perfect love and washed us clean of sins. We must always remember to look at each human being as your “masterpiece of creative love.” Every human is a potential dwelling place for your Holy Spirit. Every human is an expression of your love and someone that we must also love and see your likeness in. We are all family and all sons and daughters of the Most High God, if we choose to be adopted into your family. Thank you! Amen.

Feb. 6....life, heartbeats

Psalm 89:47 “Remember how short my life is; how frail you created all the children of men! Gal. 6:14-16 “May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…All that matters is that one is created anew. Peace and mercy on all who follow this rule of life” Heavenly Father,

This psalm speaks of the shortness of our life and the frailty of our bodies. The author of the devotional makes a statement that I find interesting: “our next heartbeat, like the last one, is a gift from God.” Each heartbeat, each throb of our pulse beats a rhythm ordained by You. We don’t have control over when, how often, or how long our heart beats. If we had to consciously think about our heartbeat, we would all quickly die. Life comes from You. We seldom think about such basic things as gifts….but we should! If you gave us the beat of our hearts, then for what purpose does it beat? For You! Each beat is a second longer that we have to find and know You. Each beat is an opportunity to give our whole heart to You. Each beat is a chance to spend time in Your presence. Each beat can count off a moment of prayer. Each beat is a time to serve You and a moment to love You. We should treasure each beat and thank You for it. We should strive to spend those beats well and to waste as few as possible. The second scripture for today says: “…all that matters is that one is created anew.” Our beating hearts are seeking the One who came to save us, to make us new, to extend our life into all eternity….Jesus Christ. That’s all that matters. Our heart joined with God’s heart forever, beating in unison with all other hearts who love him and worship him. Thank you! Amen

Feb. 5....love gifts

(Feb. 5) WEEK SIX: LOVE CREATES AND RECREATES

Psalm 139:13-14 “Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.” Eph. 2:10 “We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance” Heavenly Father,

The author of this devotional says that “love by nature wants to give.” Combined with the psalmist’s description of being “knit in our mother’s womb,” I think of Christmas presents! I’ve always liked giving handmade Christmas gifts and when Mike and I were first married, it was all we could afford to give. I couldn’t knit, but I could crochet and sew. Some of my gifts, looking back, were crude and sloppy, but it was all that we had to give and they were created in love for my family members. As a crafter, I find the image of You, the Father, knitting us in love and placing us in our parent’s womb as a comforting “homey” and loving image. It is a restful image of a parent taking the time to create something special from what he has…..a heart of love. The best Christmas present anyone ever received was when you “knit” your own Son, Jesus, and placed him in Mary’s womb as a gift to all mankind. Each time one of your children opens that great gift of love and embraces it and says “thank you” you must smile and feel like a proud Father who has given a gift that will be cherished, created from his loving heart. Your gift is the one that “keeps on giving.” Your gift is the one we must all pass on so that everyone knows the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and can rejoice and cry “Thank You…..its just what I needed!”, from the bottoms of their hearts. Amen

Feb. 4....sing!

Psalm 104:31-33 “May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in his works! He who looks upon the earth and it trembles; who touches the mountains, and they smoke! I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.” Rev. 4:11 “O Lord our God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power! For you have created all things; by your will they came to be and were made.” Heavenly Father, I love to sing your praises! I love to sing! Singing is such a release of joy, it is hard for me to understand those who will not sing. I stand behind a man every Sunday who will not sing. He stands mute and silent while all around him others burst into song. Just once I wish he would open his mouth and join in the singing. I hope that he sings inside his head or at least follows the words. I find my greatest worship time is usually when I sing while I do something else. Hymn writers and praise songwriters are wonderful people to have provided such perfect songs for us to sing your praises. I love the scripture based songs and love to know I’m singing from the Bible. I thank you that you taught me to sing and I hope that “I will sing to the LORD all my life” as this psalm says. Teach me to share my love of song with others, if that is your will. Fill my heart and soul always with your love and the knowledge of your awesome greatness, so that the music will never end for me. amen

“Sing to the mountains, sing to the seas, Raise your voices, lift your hearts, This is the day the LORD has made

Let all the earth rejoice!”

(St. Louis Jesuits song)

Feb. 3....send forth your spirit

Psalm 104:30 “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” 2 Cor. 5:17 “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new!” Heavenly Father, All life is Spirit life. When you first created us you breathed your Spirit into us and molded us in your image. What does being created in your image mean? Obviously we don’t look like you….we don’t even look like each other! What is the “divine image” that you imprinted on us? I guess to me it seems it would be mostly your capacity to love. God is love. So we too must be able to love as you do. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to die for us that whoever believed in him will have eternal life.” Eternal life would be another factor of “your image”. Only man has the possibility of eternal life. Scripture also tells us that you are Spirit. Your Holy Spirit is involved in our lives and lives in us when we commit our hearts to you through Jesus……born anew, born of the Spirit, a new creation. We spend so much time concentrating on our physical lives, our human bodies, and they are but “dust”. Our true life is wrapped up in your Holy Spirit, your eternal life, your great love. Heaven “calls” us because we know that something here is “not right”, not permanent, not home. Heaven is home! Your presence is our home! Our spirit wants to blend with your Spirit. Our love wants to respond to your love. Christ showed us the way home. “One thing I ask, this alone I seek, to dwell in the house of the LORD, all my days. For one day within your temple heals every day alone, O LORD, lead me to your dwelling” (St. Louis Jesuit song from Psalm 27) amen.

Feb. 2....the sea

Psalm 104:24-25 “How manifold are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all….the earth is full of your creatures; the sea also, great and wide, in which are schools without number of living things both small and great.” Mathew 8:27 “What sort of man is this, “they said, “that even the winds and sea obey him?” Heavenly Father, Today’s reading is about the sea and “living things both small and great”. I’ve always loved the sea! Watching waves roar in or gently flow in mesmerizes me. I could watch the water for hours. I love being out on the water and have wonderful memories of Lake Erie from my childhood. I’ve seen both oceans and have memories of each. In August we went to Seattle and went whale watching in the San Juan Island area. Awesome! Whales are truly your creation….”great”! Watching them surface and jump and swim was wonderful and these whales weren’t even your largest ones. Wow! I also went with Emily to the aquarium and watched the fish and otters and seals. Such fascinating creatures in the water! No wonder so many people want to live by water. The prettiest water I ever saw was near Cancun at Tulum……turquoise with white sand. I love to get close to water and watch the birds….great blue heron, sanderlings, gulls, whatever! “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power and love, Our God is an awesome God!”Jesus held out his hand and calmed the sea, showing tremendous power and greatness! No wonder the disciples trembled in awe! The sea manifests your greatness in all that it is. Thank you, LORD! Amen.

Feb. 1.....You made the moon

Psalm 104:19-20 “You made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows the hour of its setting. You bring darkness, and it is night.” Rev. 21:23 “The city had no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.” Heavenly Father,

Nature is very orderly. The sun rises and sets each day. The “moon marks the seasons.” Every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every year is ordered just like the previous ones. We fall into a feeling of security to have our world ordered around us in such rhythm and familiarity. It’s only when disaster strikes…..earthquake, tornado, hurricane, tsunami that the very nature that gives us such comfort normally, becomes frightening instead. However, even nature’s chaos ha a certain order. There are “seasons” for hurricanes and tornados, too. We have some idea when disaster will strike. Order is important to man. We can’t function without order in our lives. You designed our bodies and brains to respond to the rhythms of nature. We have to know that our God is always there. We need assurance that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We need to know that Jesus Christ has saved us and that no one can take that away. “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Even the storms of nature can’t keep us from your love and your presence! Thank you! Amen