Psalm 139:14 "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well."

There is a song I learned as a child about this verse and as I read this passage the song was running through my mind.  What a great message to begin the day with.

Today is the first day back to school after spring break.  The neighborhood kids head back to public school, my little boy goes to preschool and my daughter and I pull out the home school work.

Yesterday I was already beginning to dread today.  It is hard to come back to school after a break and it seems doubly hard for me since I am Mom and teacher.  I know there will be struggles in focus and desire to work for both teacher and student in this home school today.  I remember how these days have gone in the past.

As I meditated on this verse I realized that the day could go more smoothly if I held this verse in my heart and in my head during school.  I realized I could teach my daughter the song I know today and we could sing it together when we are feeling frustrated or unhappy with ourselves.

I want to see the world with new eyes today.  I wish everyone would see the world with new eyes today.  We are all fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator.  Today let each of us praise his name for wonderful are his works; that we know very well!

Lord,

I praise you and thank you for the blessing of this verse in my heart today.  Lock these words into my mind and soul so that each person I see, I see with new eyes.  Let each moment I experience be with the remembrance that you created it, and it is wonderfully made.  All glory to you.  Amen.

Psalm 33:22 “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

Hope springs eternal...

I was reading some different internet stories yesterday evening before I went to bed.  I can tell you the stories did not fill me with hope as I read them.

I look around me home and the clutter that seems to grow instead of diminishing even though we regularly donate to different charities, this does not fill my heart with hope.

I see discord and disharmony all around me and all through the world and these do not fill my heart with hope.  Where can I find hope in the midst of all these things that attempt to pull me down into the mire of despair?

When I look to the Lord, I will find hope.  When I let go of the gaze on the world and the things in it and focus my gaze on the Holy of holies, I am able to find hope in my heart.  His steadfast love is true and faithful.  He fills us removing the darkness of gloom, replacing it with the light of love.

I cannot ignore the world around me; I am here for a time and for a reason.  I continue to strive to serve and share love in the world of God in this broken world.  I, a broken person, can only do this through the faithful love of God.  He gives me strength and renewed faith to continue on in the battle of souls.  He is my hope.

Lord,

Do we recognize the battle of souls for what it is?  We battle our human weakness, we battle darkness that waits to take over us and we do not even realize it sometimes.  When we see it, we are often filled with dread.  Banish the fear and dread we hold and fill us with your steadfast love instead.  Fix our gaze on you so we hold eternal hope in you, God of gods, and Lord of lords.  Amen.

Matthew 4:3-4 "3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

I cannot count how many times I have heard my children saying that they are starving and they need something to eat right away.  I, myself, have felt that way on occasion but I know the truth.

We eat three good meals a day and usually there are some snacks between meals so there is no fear of hunger or starvation in our house.  My kids think they do not get enough to eat sometimes but there is always plenty.  Once in a while I remind them of the people who have no food and no table for the food they do not have.

We fill our plates and our bellies without much thought.  Most people I know have something to do after the meal so the tendency is to rush through the meal to get to the next thing.  This is how it seems we live.

What if we took time to be more intentional about what we eat and how we eat?  What if we sought true bread more fully and bread for our bellies less often?

I do not condone starvation but I also know we, as a society, have forgotten what true hunger is.  Step back from food for a moment and seek the bread of God, his Word.  From this, we will receive true nourishment and never hunger again.

Lord,

When my belly growls let it be a reminder to me that my soul hungers more.  Help me seek food for my soul more fully and earnestly than I seek food for my belly.  Give us all a taste of your eternal bread, Jesus Christ.  We truly live by every word that comes from your mouth.  Amen.

Revelation 4:8 “...Day and night without ceasing they sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’”

I wonder what music sounds like in the heavens?  I wonder what the voices of angels sound like when they sing?

I love music.  I love to sing, I love to ring bells, and I love to listen to music.  The harmonies and melodies tied together speak to my soul in a way nothing else does.  There are days that it seems I live in a musical.  If you have seen a musical of any kind you know that they break into song throughout the play to express what they want to say in a different and more profound way.

If you try, you can find a song to fit just about anything you are experiencing.  There are songs to express every emotion human beings experience.  If I cannot find words to express my thoughts and feelings, I can find a song to speak to that emotion and the music transports me.

God must have put music in our souls.  Every nation, from the most remote tribes in the jungle to the fast paced first world countries, has music.  Children begin making rhythms almost before they can speak.  All of creation sings. 

Join in the song today.  Allow the music of creation to speak to your soul and before you know it, you will join in the songs of adoration to the Most Holy.  Hallelujah, praise the Lord!

Lord,

You are Most Holy, the Almighty One and I praise your name today.  Let my voice join those in the heavens that sing without ceasing.  Let my life be a song that glorifies you day and night so that when I come to your throne in a new life, I simply continue the song I had already been singing.  Amen.

Revelation 3:20 “Listen!  I am standing at the door, knocking, if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”

I remember at the beginning of this year, I resolved to have more people over.  I want this year to be a year of friends and fellowship; a time of building bridges and reconciliations.  It is now April and I have had exactly one family over for dinner.

What would my reaction be if Jesus stood on my front door step when I opened the door?  I wonder...

I haven’t dusted recently and there are toys strewn around almost all of the time.  I need to mop the kitchen floor and I really need to go grocery shopping.  I also know that when Jesus comes, he is not looking at the condition of my house or the stock in my pantry.  He comes to dine with me spiritually.  He searches the condition of my heart and soul.  The story of Martha and Mary comes to mind here and I fear I would be inclined to busy myself with the house and cooking rather than the matters of the heart.

I want to open the door and invite Jesus in, not caring that there is dust and toys, not caring that I have a meager meal to offer as we dine.  I want to sit with him and take time for the matters of the heart.  Just a simple cup of tea and a beautiful conversation; this is what my heart needs and truly desires.  Come, Lord Jesus.

Lord,

I think the condition of my home is a peek into the condition of my heart.  I have not deep cleaned and I have become less than tidy.  I do not want to busy myself with the trivial but I do need to be diligent in the daily cleaning.  As I clean my house today, help me see each task in light of my heart.  Clear away the dust and debris from my soul Lord.  I want to sparkle in your light for the whole world to see.  Amen.

Colossians 3:13-14 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

The other day my daughter needed to apologize to one of her friends for hurting their feelings.  Asking forgiveness is not always easy but it is necessary.

As we, in this house, continue to work on treating each other and others as we would like to be treated there is much conversation about what we really like.  I enjoy the conversations because I am learning right along with them to treat others the way I would like to be treated.  I flew off of the handle yesterday and after stepping away from the situation for a few moments, I had to come back and apologize.  I do not like it when people jump all over me and I know my kids don’t like to be jumped all over.

As we learn this important lesson from Jesus I hope it becomes easier to live in that love rather than having to come back and ask forgiveness.  Until then, we are reminded to bear with each other.  Forgive whatever grievances we hold just as Jesus forgives us.  Above all, let love cover and infuse all things to bind us together in unity.

Lord,

You taught us so much of how we are to live when you were here those many years ago.  We have these precious words and your Spirit to remind us and guide us.  This day I ask you to soften our hearts.  Help us release our grievances,   Heal the wounds we have created in others and the wounds others have created in us.  Bring us together again in your love and bind us as one in you.  Thank you for your grace and forgiveness.  Thank you for your love.  Amen.

Isaiah 55:1 “Ho everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat...”

Water; it is one of our most precious resources.

Depending on where you live you may feel like you have more water than you know what to do with or that water is truly scarce.  In Colorado, we are somewhere in between those extremes but each summer we hear much from the local media about the lack of water and most of us end up on some sort of water restrictions in an attempt to conserve water.

Water covered the earth in the beginning and then again in a massive flood with Noah.  Water was parted to save the Israelites from Egypt and it was poured out from rock in the desert to save them again.  John baptized with water and the disciples were fishermen before they were followers of Jesus.  Jesus talks of living water at the well in Samaria.

The water he gives cannot be purchased.  Isaiah hints at this with his words in this verse.  You who have no money, come.  All who thirst; drink.  We only need to come and request, seek and we will find.  He gives it to all who desire it.  This water never ends.

Lord,

Thank you for your living water.  Help each of us find you, the source of this water that never ends and allow us to be filled and satisfied with it.  Give us voices to draw others to this wellspring of life so that all may come and taste, so that all may receive true life through you.  Amen.