this is the day

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day the Lord has made

God has created this new day

God has allowed me to wake up today
'
God has given me a new day

I will rejoice, take joy in it

I will take joy at what God has done

I will take joy in who God is

I will appreciate the blessings given to me

I will seize the opportunity to

trust God
seek God
love God
serve others

I will avoid that which causes stress

worry
anxiety
fear

I will rejoice in Jesus

My Savior, Lord and King

And be glad in today

I will take pleasure in it

I will remember God has made it

I will remember God knows what I am dealing with

I will remember God is in control

I will rejoice and be glad today!

eyes

Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

God is watching those who respect him, revere him, hold him in highest esteem, those who hope in his unfailing love.

God sees - God loves - God constantly sees; does not look away.

Aspect of God - unfailing love

He never gives up, never goes away, he watches those who fear him.

1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

The eyes of the Lord are on

Those who fear him (respect him)

those who are righteous (live moral lives)

Lord I want your eyes on me

watching constantly

not looking away

I want to live the life that makes you be honored and glorified

help me to fear you - hold you in highest esteem

and to live morally for you

I love you Lord.

impossible, part two

Matthew 9:27-28 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”  When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him and he asked them "Do you believe I am able to do this?" "Yes Lord" they replied.

Do you believe I can do the impossible?

Restore your sight

Give sight to you.

Matthew 9:29-30 (a) Then he touched their eyes and said "According to your faith it will be done to you" and their sight was restored.

People came to Jesus with the impossible.

Dead daughter (Matthew 9:18)
Hemorrhaging lady for 12 years (Matthew 9:20)
Blind men (Matthew 9:27)
Man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1)
Servant paralyzed in great suffering (Matthew 8:5)
Paralytic man (Matthew 9:1)

And so many more

Each time they believed - had faith - that Jesus could do the impossible

Raise the dead
Cure the sick
Cure leprosy
Restore sight
Restore movement

According to their faith the impossible happened.

What are my impossibles?

Hubby - job
Son - protection, being on fire for Jesus
Friend - healing from cancer
Daughter - restoration of relationship

You are the God of the impossible Lord, I will wait for you. I will have great faith.

impossible; part one

Matthew 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Call out to Jesus in times of trouble; he is always there, immediately there; he wants to hear from you.

Matthew 14:28  Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Testing God; if you are really who you say you are; do the impossible; allow me to walk on water. 

Matthew 14:29(a) "Come,” he said.

Simple command; doesn't have to back up who he is; doesn't have to give his credentials of what he's already done that was the impossible, he fed 5000, healed the sick, etc.  "I am who I am; come". 

Matthew 14:29 (b) Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

He did the impossible; he walked on water.

Matthew 14:30  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

He started to doubt when circumstances became too tough or seemed impossible to overcome.  He saw the wind; he took his eyes off Jesus and he began to be afraid, to sink.

We must keep our eyes on Jesus; we must believe he is capable of doing the impossible if he chooses to do so. We must not doubt.  We must not be afraid.

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Why do we doubt? Why don't we believe? Why don't we trust?

We know better.  We know God is more than able to do the impossible. We've seen it documented in the Bible; seen it documented in our own lives, yet we still at times are of little faith and we doubt.

Lord, increase my faith, remove my doubt.  You can do the impossible.

Jeremiah 32:27 I am the Lord, the God of all mankind, is anything too hard for me?

No Lord, nothing is too hard for you.

ask, seek, knock

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.

What should I be asking for?
What should I be seeking?
Where should I be knocking?

If I go with the premise that God already knows what I need physically (Matthew 6:28-32); he clothes the lilies of the field, he will clothe me.  He knows I need food to eat, liquid to drink, clothes to wear. 

He knows I need those things.  He knew I would need the physical before he even created me, or anyone else.  He knows our needs.

Knowing that, knowing the physical is important, but the spiritual is more important (Matthew 6:33  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well), when I ask, seek, knock, should it be more directed towards something that will impact eternity and not necessarily all that impacts physical to make my life easier on earth?

So to ask for wisdom, understanding, love, patience, mercy, compassion, kindness, peace, knowledge.

To seek - God - pursue him, spend time with him, adore him, fear him, love him completely, totally.

Knock - to make myself, my needs known to God.  Physical thing that happens when you knock.

Ask - speaking
Seeking - looking
Knocking - making a purposeful effort to make my presence known, putting myself vulnerable, will the door open? How will the person opening the door respond, etc.

God is telling me

If I ask - I receive - he hears my prayers - he will provide

If I seek - I will find what I'm seeking - GOD!

If I knock, he will open the door willingly.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.

When you knock Lord, help me to open the door willingly.

(I'm still thinking a lot about the concept of ask, seek, knock; this is in conjunction with thoughts I'm having as I'm doing a study on prayer based on Live a Praying Life by Jennifer Kennedy Dean).

Just Like Jesus; a book review

For BookSneeze, I am reviewing Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado.  As part of reading the entire book and posting a review of it on my blog and a consumer site, I received a complimentary copy of the book.

It was with great delight when I saw this book was available for review from BookSneeze. Max Lucado has always been one of my favorite, if not my favorite, Christian author.  His talent to put words together in pictures as he describes scripture is truly a wonderful gift from God. 

I was not disappointed, as I knew I would not be, in reading Just Like Jesus.  From the start, the concept of the book captured my heart and attention and I knew I wanted to continue to read the book because I wanted to have a heart like Jesus, which is what the concept of the book is about.

Max Lucado starts out with a "simple" premise.  God loves me just the way I am, but he refuses to leave me here.  He wants me to be Just Like Jesus. 

Over 12 chapters in the book, Mr. Lucado lays out traits Jesus had that we can have too that will make us have a heart like his.  Some of these included A Forgiving Heart, A Worship Hungry Heart, A Focused Heart, and a Hope Filled Heart, among others.  Each chapter was devoted to that particular trait, backing up in scripture how Jesus lived that trait in his time here on earth and how we can live that trait too in our lives. 

My favorite chapter was The Enduring Heart when Max Lucado gave encouragement on finishing the race (our lives) well no matter what we were going through, citing what Jesus had endured for the joy of what laid ahead, the hope of heaven. 

Also included in the book was a study guide with questions aimed at the key points of the chapter that could be done individually or part of a group setting.

All in all, it was a great book. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to have a heart like Jesus, for anyone who wants to go deeper in their walk with Jesus, for anyone who wants to fix their eyes on Jesus. 

be still before the Lord

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently before him.  Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Be still before God.

Listen to his small voice.

Be quiet, not anxious.

Wait patiently; that speaks for itself.

WAIT PATIENTLY.

Do not fret, do not worry

Don't get worked up

Don't take matters into your own hands

WAIT PATIENTLY

Do not fret when men succeed in their ways

Don't be anxious

Don't be worried

Don't excessively dwell on it

Even when things don't make sense

When evil is being done

Just go back and remember

Be still before God

and WAIT PATIENTLY before him.

Trust in his timing, will, ways,

Patiently be still.