GREAT IS THY FAITHFULESS

I praise your name

for your unfailing love and faithfulness;

for your promises are backed

by all the honor of your name.

Psalm 138:2 NLT

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I started singing scriptures songs and praise and worship choruses over 30 years ago. They have stimulated my faith and helped me express love and appreciation to God for His mercy and grace. But I also love the old hymns of the Church. My most favored of all is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by T. O. Chisholm. You know the familiar refrain: “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

I became aware of that reality over 58 years ago and I still praise His name for His unfailing love and faithfulness. Today’s scripture reminds us that God’s promises can be counted on without reservation because they are “backed by all the honor of His name.” God will never go back on His word for that would bring dishonor to His name. In fact it is impossible for Him to be unfaithful and still be God! Being faithful is His nature. As the hymn says, “There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy passions they fail not; As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.”

How blessed we are to have "Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, His own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside."

Let’s Pray-
Lord, I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness. You keeping your promises brings honor to your name and after all that’s what it’s all about – the honor of your name!
Thank you, Lord.

“HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRAY FOR OUR NATION?” Click the response which best fits you. The POLL appears at the upper right side of this Blog, - Please cast your vote.

If today’s promise and comments have been meaningful to you – don’t hesitate to leave a comment. (Single space gives best appearance.)

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HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

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When we are confronted with making decisions, our normal inclination is to assume that we can handle it on our own, even when there are major unknowns involved. I guess it may be a bit of pride in us that motivates us to do that sort of thing. If I read this week’s Scripture right - that’s depending on my own understanding, which I shouldn’t be doing. Our understanding is so limited – the Lord’s is unlimited - so the wise thing for us to do would be to try and find out what His will is in the matter.

There are many decisions we make from day to day which aren’t that consequential. But if the decision could have serious effects on our life or the lives of others, we really need to check it out with the Lord. I think most of us know how to do that. It’s just a matter of doing it. We need to pray about it with an open mind – find out what His Word has to say on the issue – be willing to set aside our will where it conflicts with His.

If we honestly desire to know His will and trust Him wholeheartedly, He will show us the way we should take. It may take a while and we may vacillate between doubt and trust. But once we trust Him wholeheartedly, we will have peace and we will know we are on the right path.

Let’s Pray-
Father, forgive us for “going it on our own” so much of the time. Help us to seek your will in all we do. And when you show us the way, grant us grace to trust you with all our heart!
Amen


“HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRAY FOR OUR NATION?” Click the response which best fits you. The POLL appears at the upper right side of this Blog, - Please cast your vote.

If today’s promise and comments have been meaningful to you – don’t hesitate to leave a comment. (Single space gives best appearance.)

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PRAY FOR CIVIL LEADERS

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.
Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf,
and give thanks for them.

Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority
so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives
marked by godliness and dignity.

This is good and pleases God our Savior.

I Timothy 2:1-3 NLT

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During political elections, and for that matter most other times as well, it is common to speak disparagingly of political leaders and aspiring politicians, especially those of the “other” party. Political discussions can get downright nasty to the point of destroying friendships. As Christians we need to guard against falling into that sort of attitude. “For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1 NLT

No candidate or elected official is going to be perfect, measured by God's standards. They will have some policies and values with which we do not agree. And even the people we feel the most comfortable with most likely do not fully measure up. So as we chose for whom to cast our vote, it will come down to choosing the lesser of two evils. This requires that we be informed concerning the candidate’s stand and what biblical principles have to say on the issues. Instead of belittling and maligning candidates or elected officials, whether local, state or national, we need to treat them with respect, even those with whom we differ.

This week’s Scripture says we are to pray for all in authority – that would mean regardless whether they promote godly policies or not. We are to intercede for them and ask God to help them “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” That sort of “support” is good and pleases God.

Let’s Pray-
Father, thank you, that we are blessed with a government instead of anarchy. We pray that it would please you to grant us leaders who govern righteously. Help us to do our part to bring that about.
Amen

“HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRAY FOR OUR NATION?” Click the response which best fits you. The POLL appears at the upper right side of this Blog, - Please cast your vote.

If today’s promise and comments have been meaningful to you – don’t hesitate to leave a comment. (Single space gives best appearance.)

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THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.
People judge by outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

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During the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing, a 9-year-old girl named Lin Miaoke sang a ballad to a packed stadium and a billion television viewers. But the voice coming out of our TV sets wasn’t hers. It belonged to a 7-year-old girl named Yang Peiyi. “The reason was for the national interest,” said Chen Qigang, general music designer of the opening ceremonies. “The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression.” The girl with the lovely voice had crooked teeth and a plain face - that barred her from performing before the cameras.

There is something within us that is repulsed by that. Yet, how many of us judge our outward appearance as being inferior in one way or another – we are too tall or too short - some part of our body is either too big or too small – something is not the right shape or is unattractive compared to other people. Some of those features come from our genes, and it’s just who we are. Taking care of ourselves and looking our best pleases God, but He is more concerned how we look on the inside. People have a tendency to judge others by outward appearance, and that can be very deceptive. But God’s focus is on our heart, which reveals our character.

Let’s Pray –
Father, forgive us when we fall for the temptation of thinking that you short changed us when you passed out good looks. Thank you for making us beautiful on the inside through Jesus, in whose name we pray.
Amen


“HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRAY FOR OUR NATION?” Click the response which best fits you. The POLL appears at the upper right side of this Blog, - Please cast your vote.

If today’s promise and comments have been meaningful to you – don’t hesitate to leave a comment. (Single space gives best appearance.)

You can e-mail this page by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this page.