A Glad Surrender

Enemies

2011-04-22T01:42:00.000-07:00

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45a)

The deepest question about anyone is this: what do you love? Every lie of Satan, in one way or another, is really an attempt to deflect our love away from its proper objects: God and our neighbors. The Scriptures rightly teach that if we would simply love God and love others, there would be no need for any other laws.

Our normal practice, however, is to love ourselves. Even our love for our friends and family is often self-serving: we love them for what we get from them. It is when we face enemies that the poverty of our love is really brought to the surface.

In Jesus' day, many people decided that He was the enemy and so they put Him to death on a cross. But at that very moment Jesus demonstrated what His Father is like more clearly than it had ever been seen before. He died on a cross because He loved the very people who were killing Him, the people whose sins made the cross necessary. Jesus, on the cross, prayed for the very people who were killing Him. That was yet another proof that He truly is the Son of God, for He was acting just as His Father in heaven does, with perfect love.

Starter Prayer:

Father, we thank you that you love your enemies, that you are gracious. We thank you that you sent Jesus, your only Son, to save us. We celebrate His amazing love for His enemies. We celebrate the cross, where the most wicked act in human history became the source of our salvation.

Amen.

Those Liars

2011-04-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

But let your word 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no' be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

Who comes to mind when you hear the word "liar?" Almost surely you think of someone other than yourself--liars are the people who tell really big lies, really hurtful lies, lies that are worse than what we tell. In this passage Jesus points us to the heart attitude that lying comes from. We have all kinds of different ways of manipulating people that, in our minds, are totally different from lying. We choose our words very carefully so as to say nothing literally false, while leaving impressions that are both false and self-serving.

In fact, as we consider the evils we have learned about in the past six weeks, we will see that lies, the lies of Satan, are at the root of many of the temptations we face. Satan promises that we would be happier if we had someone else's house, and so we covet. Satan tells us we have the right to be angry at someone who has wronged us, and so we give in to a vengeful anger.

We are both tempted by lies and tempted to lie in order to serve the deceitful desires of our hearts.

Starter Prayer:

Father, forgive us for the way we try to hide ourselves with words the way Adam and Eve hid themselves with fig leaves. Forgive us for the way we use our words to manipulate others. Your words are always true. Put a spirit of truth in our hearts.

Amen.

The Damning Look

2011-04-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!" (Matthew 5:27-30)

Hell. What an awful word. It puts knots in your stomach. It makes you flinch.

It is supposed to.

Jesus tells us that when we entertain lust, it is the first step onto a damning path. We're flirting with adultery. We're on a slippery slope with a really bad ending.

Jesus came to rescue us from that path. He came to show us a better way. We celebrate his divine rescue operation this week, often called "holy week." We praise Jesus for intervening in our lives that were heading toward destruction.

Knowing this, why would we flirt with sin, the sin that caused Christ's death? We shouldn't, and we don't have to. He daily gives us the power to say "no" to sin and "yes" to righteousness (Romans 6:12-14). Praise be to God! He is risen! Woohoo!

Starter Prayer

Jesus, You found me on a reckless path. You saved me from destruction. I'm thankful and so I daily offer You my eyes, my heart, and my life!

Amen

Really? Anger is a sin?

2011-04-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, 'Do not murder,and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire." (Matthew 5:21-22)

Boy, it is easy to see the sins of others. We're good at spotting those. But when we look in the mirror (not the mirror above our sink, I'm referring to the mirror of God's Word as in James 1:22-25), we find that sin is pretty easy to spot much closer to home.

Do you get angry? I'm not speaking of "righteous indignation;" I mean the kind of anger that causes you to speak harshly or cruelly to someone. Have you ever torn someone apart with words that are fueled by anger? Sometimes we regret the damage we inflict. Sometimes we feel smug and justified.

Jesus pulls no punches. That kind of anger is cause for judgment ... the punishment of hell.

But thanks be to God! This Friday we celebrate the ultimate Day of Atonement, the Day that Jesus died on the cross to absorb the punishment that we deserve for all our sins, including the sin of anger.

Starter prayer:

Jesus, how desperately I need You. How grateful I am that when you died on the cross, it was for ALL my sin - even the sin of my anger. Forgive me for my anger. Forgive me for inflicting pain on others because I was unable to contain my anger. I've been wrong - terribly wrong.

Thank you for the cross and for full forgiveness. Change me by Your grace, Lord!

Amen

We were to be salt

2011-04-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. (Matthew 5:13)

Over the last several weeks in this blog, we have looked at the reality of sin in the world. We have seen how human life is devalued and how the church is persecuted. We have looked at the hurt caused by poverty and crime and by our violations of the Ten Commandments. In all of these things, we see the evidence of decay caused by sin.

Jesus called us to be the salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative. It is supposed to hold back the decay. As we look back at all of the pain sin causes, and we look forward to the cross of Christ on Friday, we should be moved to confessing our own sin. We were called to be salt, but many times we have failed to be salt. Jesus says that salt that doesn't preserve is useless. If we as individuals and the church collectively had been salt as we were commanded, we would see a much more God- honoring world than the one we live in.

Starter prayer:

Father, You have called us to be salt in the world, to work against the evil of sin through Your power. We confess to You how often we are so concerned about ourselves and our immediate friends and family that we don't even take time to pray against the destructive power of sin. We confess how often we do not act as those who are salt should. We ask for Your forgiveness and we remember that our sin is why Jesus had to die.

Amen.

Envy

2011-04-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

Do not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:17)

The 10th commandment leads us deeper still into the heart from which we sin against each other. People lie to each other because there is something they want that they think they can't get by legitimate means. People steal because they want the property of others. They have affairs because they want another person's spouse. Murders normally happen either because of anger caused by one of the above or by some other desire we have that is unfulfilled (James 4:1-2).

Some people think that Jesus was saying something radically new in the Sermon on the Mount (which we will look at next week) when he said that it is not enough to obey the commandments in your actions, you must obey them in your hearts. In fact, He was not saying something new, He was just restating what the 10th commandment already said: that God wants changed hearts, not just changed behavior.

Starter Prayer:

Father, you are all that we need, yet our lives are so easily consumed by the desire for what we do not have. Forgive us. Help us to be content with what we have because we have You and that is enough. Help us to rejoice in your goodness to others.

Lying

2011-04-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)

From some perspectives, the sins get smaller as we go through the Ten Commandments. Most people would say murder is worse than adultery, and that adultery is a bigger deal than theft, and theft is a bigger deal than telling a lie. We rank them this way because in our minds the sins become more frequent as you go down the list. Sins that we think we are more likely to commit are not as bad as sins we think other people will commit.

But from another perspective as we move down the list, we get closer and closer to the heart issue. Imagine a world without lying, and you will imagine a world where murders, adulterers, and thieves would almost certainly get caught, and know they will get caught. Deception is the tool that allows murder, adultery, and theft to do their damage, and it also reveals an underlying attitude they have in common. Other people are not to be respected; they are to be used. That self serving attitude is at the root of much sin. Jesus came to testify to the truth, in fact Jesus himself is the truth. In his life and death he comes to bring in a new age where every word is true because all of us have finally embraced grace.

Starter Prayer:

Father, you are true and your word is true. We pray that across our nation we would become known as people who speak the truth. Help your children to be salt and light by what we say, and rid us of the heart attitude that leads us to manipulate others.

Theft

2011-04-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

Do not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

Most people, at some point in their lives, experience theft of some type, be it loss of a car, a bicycle, a wallet or purse, or all of one's household possessions. There is often a feeling of anger and insecurity that follows this experience.

If the eighth commandment were actually observed, the world we live in would be a radically different place. Not only would the hurt that the sin of theft inflicts be gone, but we would notice how much of our lives is spent trying to prevent it. In Zambia one sees that the houses of the wealthy have large walls with broken glass and barbed wire on the top to keep people from breaking in. Were our police as ineffective as theirs, Americans would do the same very quickly.

In the Old Testament, a recurring promise of what God's blessing will be like is that the crops will be eaten by the people who planted them, not by robbers or foreign armies (Psalm 144). We look forward to the day when Jesus will establish a kingdom where theft and the fear and anxiety it produces are no more.

Starter Prayer:

Father, everything we have really belongs to you. Help us not to be possessive of our possessions, to hold loosely the things you give us. We also ask that you would foil the plans of those who enrich themselves by stealing from others, that you would help them to do something useful with their labor so that they might have something to share with those in need.

Adultery

2011-04-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

(photo credit capl@washjeff.edu)

Do not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

When God created man and woman, He created the family. Adultery, sexual activity with someone other than your spouse, tears apart the trust and commitment upon which the family depends. Rationalizations do nothing to heal the terrible brokenness that unfaithfulness brings about. Amidst recent culture wars, perhaps we have been distracted by the debates over gay rights and misled into thinking that it is the greatest threat to the institution of marriage. Ir is not. The biggest threat remains the unfaithfulness of married people to each other. The reason many young people forgo marriage has more to do with their experiences of their parents' infidelity than with the messages of our media. Let us pray today that marriages around our nation would be characterized by simple, God-honoring, faithfulness.

Starter Prayer:

Father, You created marriage as the first building block of society. You intended the faithful love of a husband and wife to be a picture of the faithful love between Christ and the church. We pray that you would lead people away from the temptation to be unfaithful, and we pray that your grace would bring healing to those who are already living with the effects of adultery.

Murder

2011-04-11T01:52:00.000-07:00

(photo copyright Richard Croft)

Do not murder. (Exodus 20:13)

This week we will use the second half of the Ten Commandments to pray about the realities of sin in our world. The sixth commandment is only three words long: "Do not murder." As we have seen over the last few years, this commandment is broken not just in big cities, but in Central Iowa as well. Murder leaves an enormous amount of hurt and pain behind, not only for the friends and family of the victim, but also for the one who killed.

In Genesis 4, when Cain killed his brother, God said, "Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground!" God is the ultimate avenger, but remarkably He is also the one who offers grace even to those who murder. The apostle Paul himself was an accessory to murder, yet he was used powerfully by God to build the church. As we pray today, let us pray that God would turn murderers away from their course of action, and that where murders have already happened, God's grace would invade the lives of everyone affected.

Starter prayer:

Father, we ask You to restrain the evil all around us that leads to murder. We pray for the families of both victims and murderers, and for the murderers themselves, that they would see that there is no sin too great for your grace to forgive.

Generous Poverty

2011-04-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Do you want a shocker? It is often those in poverty who are the most generous toward God.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia: during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. (2 Cor. 8).

Remember the poor widow in Luke 21? "For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus," Jesus said, "but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on."

Let's follow that pattern! Let's ask God to give us hearts and hands of gratitude. Let's not wait until we can give from our abundant surplus. If we wait, we likely never will - no matter what level we attain. Let's give generously because God is honored and praised when we follow His example.

Starter prayer...
Jesus, You gave us Your all. You held nothing back. Now teach us to give as You gave.

Amen

Poverty in America?

2011-04-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

The number of people in the U.S. in poverty in 2009 (43.6 million) is the largest number in the 51 years for which poverty estimates have been published (U.S. Census Bureau).

Though Americans have more access to aid, there are many (especially children) who are vulnerable and who remain at great risk.

Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? Jesus concluded that poignant story with a question: "'Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?' 'The one who showed mercy to him,' he said." And if the point had not already been clear, Jesus zeros in... "Then Jesus told him, 'Go and do the same.'" (Luke 10).

Starter prayer...
Jesus, we look forward to celebrating all that You did for us on the cross. And as we celebrate Your death and resurrection, give us grace to also celebrate Your LIFE. You showed us what righteousness and mercy look like. Help us, Jesus, to follow You!

Amen

Using Your Gifts

2011-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I made every effort to do. (Galatians 2:10)

Every Christ-follower must ask the question, "How has God gifted me to make an impact in His name?"

Cornerstone has been blessed to send many workers to the nations. At the Hope Center God has used builders, craftsmen, painters, farmers, teachers, children's workers, engineers, electricians, and others to "remember the poor."

When you see a need, ask God if He has uniquely gifted you with the ability to meet that need. Maybe those needed dollars are in your wallet. Perhaps the needed skills are in your hands. Are the needed words in your mouth? Is the compassion welling in your heart?

When Jesus came on His rescue mission for us, He gave His life for us. He rose again for us. And He has poured out His Spirit on us so that we might carry on His work in His name.

Starter prayer...
Father, once I have seen the poor, give me the strength to intervene according to Your will and with the strength that You provide. You served the least of these - including me! Now may I follow Your path and serve others ... especially those in greatest need.

Amen

Why Does Poverty Exist?

2011-04-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

More than 50 percent of Africans suffer from water-related diseases such as cholera and infant diarrhea. (source: World Health Org.)

These diseases and their accompanying casualties seem unimaginable to us. They are preventable. They shouldn't exist in our modern world.

But they do.

The Hope Center that Cornerstone has established in Serenje, Zambia seeks to bring the basic necessities of clean food and water to the most vulnerable orphans in that region.

And the Zambian team that works among these children offers them the hope and peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray that lives will be saved and souls will be saved. Simple and accessible solutions to their hunger and thirst ... physically and spiritually. Hope.

Starter prayer...
Lord, bless Navice, Nyawa, Joshua and all those who work among the children of the Hope Center. May You use our gifts to reclaim lives that might otherwise be lost to poverty and disease. And may heaven ring with the voices of those who meet Jesus there!

Amen

Poverty - But I don't see it!

2011-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 25 offers this beautiful description of God...

For You have been a stronghold for the poor,
a stronghold for the humble person in his distress,
a refuge from the rain, a shade from the heat.

We know that God is merciful and has compassion on the poor. And we know that He wants His people to mimic Him.

But where are the poor? I don't face them in our streets. They don't live around the corner.

Or do they?

Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — lives on less than $2.50 a day.

1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world).

In this time of prayer and fasting, let's remember those who - though they may not live next door - are as visible and accessible to us as we want them to be. Let's ask God to open our eyes, and begin to see the poor as He sees them ... and then respond as He would have us to.

Starter prayer...
Father, sometimes we don't see what we don't want to see. Give us the courage to see the poor. Give us the mercy to respond. And give us the grace to be transformed into Your image. Jesus, you came to bring peace through the cross and to free us to bear Your image. Help us.

Amen

Christians in Action

2011-04-01T01:09:00.000-07:00

"Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we didn't know about this,' won't He who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work?" Proverbs 24:11-12

There are Christians who are working to fight against the forms of oppression we have looked at this week. One group is International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org). They go into countries where child prostitution, forced prostitution, slavery, and land seizures are happening and where such activities are illegal according to that country's own laws. They do investigations and then find honest law enforcement officials who will take the evidence and act on it. In doing so they are calling these countries to live up to their own standards as well as God's standards. We can pray for those who work for them as well as the people that they are trying to help.

Starter Prayer: Father, we pray that you would help the efforts of International Justice Mission to rescue and help those who are being oppressed. We pray that those they help would be not only rescued, but would come to know Jesus as Savior. We pray that Christians would be known as people who love both justice and mercy, since we know that you are a God of justice and mercy.

Defending Widows

2011-03-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

Micah 2:2

"They covet fields and seize them; they also take houses. They deprive a man of his home, a person of his inheritance."

We live in a society where it is easy to steal small things but much harder to steal big things like houses and farms. In Micah's day, and in much of the world today, that is not the case. Many people do not have legal documents to prove ownership of land and even when they do, officials are often easily bribed. In Matthew 23 Jesus specifically called out the Pharisees for preying on widows, and again, that is still the case today. It is very common in Africa, for example, for a man to die and for his widow to be illegally run off of the property by others, greedy to seize it. Widows not only need active help in need, they also need to be defended from those who would take advantage of their weakness.

Starter Prayer: Father, over and over again in Scripture you declare that you are the defender of the widow and the orphan, that you will call to account those who oppress and exploit them. We pray for the weak around the world who find their property taken from them by those who are richer and more powerful than they are. We look forward to the reign of justice that will happen when Jesus returns. We ask you to help us hope for riches in heaven that can never be taken away.

Prayer for Freedom

2011-03-30T01:27:00.000-07:00

"If your brother becomes destitute and cannot sustain himself among you, you are to support him as a foreigner or temporary resident, so that he can continue to live among you. Do not profit or take interest from him, but fear your God and let your brother live among you." Leviticus 25:35-36

As Americans we often think of slavery as a racial issue. Through much of human history and in our world today, slavery has been caused by debt. There have always been people who have been willing to exploit the poverty of others by loaning money at high interest rates that the person will likely never be able to repay. These people are often forcibly detained as slave labor. By some estimates there are 27 million slaves in the world today, many of them children, who are caught in this vicious trap. In Leviticus, God gives us a sneak peek of Jesus by describing the year of Jubilee. Every 50 years, lands would be returned, debts forgiven, and slaves would be set free. It is a picture of grace. Isaiah, prophesying about Jesus, said that he would bring "liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners" (61:1) Because of Jesus there is hope for all those who are enslaved. But the passage from Leviticus above also makes it clear that the knowledge of future redemption was not a license to exploit people here and now. We should share His heart that the weak and the vulnerable would be helped instead of exploited.

Starter Prayer: We pray for those who are being exploited and trapped by people who ignore the law and ignore what is right to enrich themselves. We pray, Father, that you would set the captives free and we remember that we too owed a debt that we could never repay and are in debt to our savior Jesus Christ.

The Image of God Objectified

2011-03-29T01:06:00.000-07:00

Esther 2:2-3a: "The king’s personal attendants suggested, 'Let a search be made for beautiful young women for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom, so that they may assemble all the beautiful young women to the harem at the fortress of Susa.'"

To gratify his pride and his lust, the king of Persia abuses his power to round up beautiful women from every province to add to his harem. Lust, and the greed that exploits it, not only harms the people enslaved to it and the spouses and children who suffer its consequences, it also powers an enormous industry where women (and sometimes men) are treated as objects to be rounded up, displayed, and sold to gratify the lust of those who will pay for it. Sometimes the "price" for which these women are sold is nothing more than the nearby ads on a webpage. Some women end up in these industries after being abused in many other ways first; a significant number are forced into it against their will and intimidated into staying. But the story of Esther also gives us hope. God was able to use even this horrific event to demonstrate His power and to save the lives of countless Israelites. We know also that one day God will make a new heaven and a new earth where no person is ever treated as a product to be sold to satisfy someone else's lust. It is this knowledge that teaches us how to pray.

A starter prayer: Father, we know that you hate sin and you hate the oppression it leads to. We know that you hate the lust and greed that fuel the pornography and prostitution industries which bring such harm to those who consume and those who provide. But we know your power and we know your heart to free the oppressed, so we ask that you would heal those whose sin fuels this fire and rescue those caught in its clutches.

Praying for the Oppressed

2011-03-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 58:6
"Isn't the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?"

Lent is often a time of self-denial. People give up a TV show, or chocolate, or choose to fast at certain times. Isaiah 58 argues powerfully that merely giving things up is not what God wants; He most of all wants us to have the same heart that He has. As our verse makes clear, God has a heart for the oppressed. He wants us to have a similar heart and to actually help with the process of freeing those who are oppressed. This week we will look at different parts of our society where this happens: prostitution, pornography, slavery, and the seizure of property from widows and orphans, and we will also look at how Christians are trying to do something to stop the oppression. One of the most important ways we can align our hearts with God's is to pray that those who are oppressed and enslaved would be set free.

Starter Prayer: Father, have mercy on those who are oppressed. Free those who are trapped by threats and addictions. Vindicate the poor when the rich use their power to try to steal from them. Let your justice be seen in the earth as a foretaste of what will happen when Jesus comes back.

Come, You Who are Blessed by My Father

2011-03-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?' And the King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'" (Matthew 25:37-40).

Perhaps now it is time to think of what you should DO as a result of praying for the persecuted church.

Be informed. "The Voice of the Martyrs" website is a great place to start. Click here.

Be generous. Cornerstone is generous toward the nations. We hope to set a pace that each member of our church family will follow. A big portion of our offerings goes to ministry outside of our church, this includes international missions, church planting, support for orphans, organizations in our community that help the needy, and much more. We are planning on giving over $500,000 toward these ministries this year.

Be active. Become an "activist" with the gospel with people you know right here. And then advocate for those who are in the Family who are sharing the gospel at great risk in other parts of the world.

Be prayerful. We are one in Christ. Join in the partnership of those who are willing to become martyrs for the sake of Christ.

Starter-prayer...
Lord, we want to hear the words, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father." And we will, if we give ourselves to becoming Your hands, Your feet, and Your voice in the world. When we see the hungry, give us courage to feed them. When we meet the stranger, show us how to taken them in. When we know of a prisoner (especially one who is there because of the gospel), teach us to take care of them.

Enlarge our hearts, our vision, and our passionate commitment to the gospel, Lord!

Amen

Partners in the Gospel

2011-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel. (Philippians 1:7)

Though we are spread out around the globe, all of us in Christ are "one." We are to stand united in our love for Christ and in our love for one another.

Pray today for the brothers and sisters from Cornerstone who are living intentionally among the nations. Few of them are in places of danger, but almost all of them are in places of difficulty. As you pray, think of yourself as a partner in their work.

Starter Prayer...
Include these people today as you pray:

Kristopher (Egypt),
Michael (China),
Andy & Lisa (Iraq),
"A couple" (Somaliland),
Ylli & Nikki (Albania),
Mike & Emily (China),
Justin & Laurel (Turkey),
Marcus & Kanyapon (Thailand),
Alan & Angie (United Kingdom),
Ryan & Tara (Turkey),
Jake & Stephanie (Kazakhstan),
Jason & Alishia (Kazakhstan),
Andre & Lindsay (Ukraine),
Jackson & Sheryl (Turkey),
Jonathan & Kari (Senegal),
Audrey (China),
Harold & Julie (Kazakhstan),
Dan & Tammie (China),
Paul & Alana (Taiwan),
Sarah (Turkey),
Cornel & Erica (Romania),
Reed & Rachael (Turkey)

The Church in Smyrna

2011-03-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

"The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says: I know your tribulation and poverty, yet you are rich. [I know] the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have tribulation for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death."
(Revelation 2:8-11)

Look again at the picture above. Then read again the words of Jesus to His people when He says, "Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer."

What makes you afraid to tell people about Jesus? The rolled eyes from a friend as you tell him about your faith? The broken relationship you might suffer if you tell a family member that you've become a Christ-follower? Have we ever truly suffered for the gospel?

Yet Jesus tells us to be "faithful until death." Likely we'll never have to face death for the gospel. But what are we willing to face for Him?

Let's allow the example of our brothers and sisters in Christ to urge us on toward boldness, courage, and joy as we faithfully tell others of Jesus!

Starter-prayer...
Father, we are fearful. And yet when we consider what it is that we fear - our fear turns to shame.

Give us boldness, Lord. And let us join in praying for those who, like the man in the photo, are unashamed to be Your children. This man suffered for a moment, but he fell asleep only to awaken to a coronation - Jesus crowned this man with the crown of life!

We honor this man. And we seek to emulate his faith. Make us bold, Lord!

Amen

Remember the Prisoners

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Remember the prisoners, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily (Hebrews 13:3).

It is right that we should thank God that He allows us to live in peace and safety and freedom. In this way the gospel can go out unhindered from this place.

But we must always remember those who are persecuted and join with them in their pain and suffering. We are to stand together, "in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel" (Philippians 1:27).

Pray today for the Christ-followers in Pakistan. Here is a recent account:

Christians in the city of Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan, are facing threats from local police after filing charges in the murder of an 18-year-old Christian man. On January 6, Waqas Gill was abducted from his home by four police officers. His body was found in a sewer two days later. The Christians who found his remains protested against local police, claiming they covered up Waqas' brutal murder and accused them of delaying an autopsy. Head officials reluctantly filed charges against the four accused officers. An autopsy revealed that Waqas had been raped, tortured and shot with police-revolver bullets. Waqas' father said that police have since threatened to kill him and other local believers or charge them with false crimes if they do not withdraw the charges against the officers. At least six Christian youth in that area have reportedly been killed in a manner similar to Waqas. (to read more click here)

Starter-prayer...
Father, our hearts grieve with the family of Waqas.
This young man "fell asleep" like Stephen and was welcomed into the safe and loving arms of his Savior. But the grief among his loved ones must linger on.

Lord, give the Christ-followers of Pakistan a sustained gift of courage and boldness. And give them comfort and peace when one of their brothers or sisters pays the ultimate price for following You.

Give us watchful eyes to see what is happening in our world and allow us to suffer with those who suffer.

Amen

Like Stephen

2011-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

The early church experienced explosive and thrilling growth. Those early days are summed up by Luke in Acts 6:7, "So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith."

The very next narrative from Luke's pen is the story of Stephen. This young man is described as "full of grace and power" and his ministry was dynamic - he was "performing great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8).

But not everyone was impressed. The enemies of the cross soon gathered their forces and sought to silence Stephen's powerful witness. They finally accomplished this wicked deed by picking up rocks and bringing Stephen down to a slow and bloody death.

Stephen's last words still echoed the call of the gospel, "'Lord, do not charge them with this sin!' And saying this, he fell asleep" (Acts 7:60). Luke uses the beautiful euphemism of "falling asleep" to describe Stephen's brutal death for the sake of the gospel.

Stephen would be the first of many thousands of those who would pay the ultimate price for witnessing to the truth of the gospel of grace. And this is not simply a first-century phenomenon. Today about 171,000 Christ-followers are martyred annually - more by far than at any time in history.

This week we will pray for the international church - especially where believers are being killed for their faith in Christ. Let us sense the bond of unity that is ours with our brothers and sisters who are paying the ultimate price for the sake of the gospel.

Starter prayer...
Lord, we are blessed here at Cornerstone.
We are privileged to boldly preach Your gospel
unhindered and with a great harvest.

It is not the case for many around the world.
Today we pause to admire the faith of those
who would suffer and die for you.
We hold people like that in high honor.
And we will seek to emulate their faith.

Amen

The Blessing of the Aged

2011-03-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

"Don't discard me in my old age: as my strength fails, do not abandon me." Ps 71:9

As the psalmist here prays to God, he expresses a very real fear that many share. We take pride in our independence, our ability to take care of ourselves. Perhaps we find our worth in our ability to serve other people. But what will happen to us when our minds or our bodies no longer allow us to care for ourselves? This is a question of momentous importance. The elderly already make up a higher percentage of the population now than at any other time in human history, and that percentage will climb rapidly in the years to come. There will be fewer young people to take care of more old people. Given human selfishness, there will be more and more pressure to end their lives earlier and plenty of rationalizations to do it. But we believe that human life, whether young or old, is a gift from God. It is to be valued. As each generation provides loving care for the one that preceded it, it is a wonderful reminder that proud independence was always a lie, that we were always dependent on each other. And it is a time to follow Jesus' example by delighting in the opportunity to be a servant.

Starter Prayer: Father, we thank you for those who are older than us though whom you have blessed us. Help us to serve, care for, and value human life from the beginning to the very end, for all human life is in your image.

Adopted

2011-03-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

James 1:27

"Pure and undefiled religions before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

Perhaps the most amazing part of the good news of Jesus Christ is that we are not merely forgiven, but we are adopted into the family of God. If we imagine a child in an orphanage who has given up all hope of being adopted by a family and then suddenly finds out that she has been adopted not just by a family, but by a loving father who has a wonderful family and also happens to be the king we get a partial glimpse of the reality that has happened for each one of us. A wonderful picture of how we can respond to God's love is being played out at Cornerstone right now as many families are adopting children both domestically and from abroad. There are many more still in need of homes. Each child is an opportunity for a family to try to reflect the love God has shown us in adopting us.

Starter Prayer: Father, thank you for adopting us into your wonderful family. We pray that you would continue to raise up Christian families to adopt children in need of a home. We pray that you would help us, as a church family to support them and all the parents who are trying to raise their children to love and obey you.

Life Before Birth

2011-03-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

"For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know [this] very well." Psalm 139:13-14

In this psalm David reflects on how God knows everything about him, and pauses to consider the fact that God knew him intimately even while he was still in his mother's womb. From the moment an egg is fertilized, it is a human life that begins the continuous process of development that will lead it to birth, childhood, and adulthood. The permissive attitude toward abortion, not just in America but around the world, refuses to see the image of God stamped on even the youngest members of our species. Biblical justice seeks to protect the weak and the helpless, and the unborn are the weakest and most helpless among us. As Christians we should pray that hearts would be changed in our country so that the gift of life would be honored in the womb and after.

Starter Prayer: Father, I pray for the many women who are or soon will be contemplating the question of whether they will abort. I pray that you would lead them to choose life, and I pray that our churches would come beside them, urging and helping them to choose life.

Blessing or Burden?

2011-03-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

"Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, children, a reward." Ps 127:3

Lent is a time of preparation. To appreciate Jesus's resurrection we need to understand his death, and to understand his death it is valuable, though also hard, to spend time reflecting on the sin and brokenness in the world. It helps us to appreciate why Jesus died and the promise of healing and restoration that we find in his resurrection.

This week's theme is life. All of life is a gift from God, and the Bible teaches us that we should view children as a gift from God. They are a blessing. In our culture and in our world, this truth is often ignored. Birth rates in Europe have dropped below the rate needed to maintain the population. In many countries in Asia, boys significantly outnumber girls because baby girls are killed or aborted or simply die from neglect because their families view them as burdens, not blessings. At the very same time we are also surrounded by people who view children not as blessed gifts to be enjoyed but as idols to be worshipped. While these examples may seem stark, we must ask ourselves whether the same root attitudes are sometimes in us. Do we see children as a blessing from God, or do we instead view them as burdens or as idols?

Starter Prayer: Father, we plead with you to change our hearts and the attitudes of people around the world toward children. They are a gift from you, and we will give an account for how we treat them and raise them. Let children everywhere be raised and nurtured as blessed gifts.

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The Gift of Life

2011-03-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

March 14 The Gift of Life

To appreciate what it means that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ new life has broken through where death reigned, we should begin by thinking about God's first gift of life to us. In Genesis 1 we see a display of what only God can do:

"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so.... ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.... Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so.... ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” (v 11, 20, 24, 26).

Pharaoh's magicians could not even create gnats (Ex 3:16). With all of our technological ability we can only manipulate living things, not create living things out of what is unliving. Often times the most important things, the most awe inspiring things are what we take for granted.

Starter Prayer: Father, we have no right to live or exist. Everything that lives in the universe lives because you made it, not because you had to but because of grace. Life itself is your gift to us. Teach us to treasure it.

Preparing to Celebrate Resurrection (March 11)

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One of the ways that God's people prepare to celebrate the resurrection is through worship. Today as you pray, think of one of your favorite songs of worship and sing it to God.

Need some help? How about "Holy, Holy, Holy?" Or maybe you love to sing, "Home"

Into your courts I run with praises,
Flowing from my heart
Every day I wake I sing Your song
It's the anthem of my life...

Put on the Anthem CD or sing all by yourself. Worship is the way we engage our whole attention - body, soul, and mind - on the One who gave His life for us!

Starter prayer...
How great is our God, sing with me,
How great is our God, all will see
How great, how great is our God.
Name above all names,
My heart will sing
How great is our God...

Amen

Preparing to Celebrate Resurrection (March 10)

2011-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Often when people want to celebrate what God has done, they beckon others to join them. Look at the words of Psalm 95...

Come, let us shout joyfully to the LORD,
shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!

Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving;
let us shout triumphantly to Him in song.

For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.

Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

As you begin the season of Lent, call someone you know to join you. Share the joy you experience with others. Speak of the truths you are pondering. For the Lord IS a great God!

Starter prayer...

Lord, hear us as we pray. And give us the opportunity to draw others into this worship.

Amen

Lent 2011

2011-02-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday (March 9, 2011)

Why ashes to inaugurate the season of Lent? It is a sign of repentance. Ash Wednesday begins a time of preparation during which Christ-followers remember and reflect on the death of Jesus Christ for us all.

But it is not a time of somber reflection only. It is a time for renewal - a recalibration - a time to realign our lives with God's will for us.

Each week during Lent 2011 we will bring Biblical focus to a specific way that God is calling His people to realign their ways with His. Issues such as the international persecution of Christians, protecting the lives of the preborn, and homelessness are just a few.

Why an issue-orientation for Lent? We take our lead from this Isaiah 58...

Will the fast I choose be like this:
A day for a person to deny himself,
to bow his head like a reed,
and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast
and a day acceptable to the LORD?

⁶ Isn't the fast I choose:
To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and to not ignore your own flesh [and blood]?

⁸ Then your light will appear like the dawn,
and your recovery will come quickly.
Your righteousness will go before you,
and the LORD's glory will be your rear guard.

⁹ At that time, when you call, the LORD will answer;
when you cry out, He will say: Here I am.
If you get rid of the yoke from those around you,
the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,

¹⁰ and if you offer yourself to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted one,
then your light will shine in the darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.

Join us each day until Easter as we prepare, as we pray, and as we ask Jesus to realign our lives with His grace and truth!

Starter Prayer...
Lord, align our hearts with Yours. Use these days to purify us. Bring us repentance. Open our eyes to see what You see.

Amen

Psalm 1 (April 3)

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¹ Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

A Starter Prayer...

Spend this morning meditating on the beautiful imagery of the "blessed man" this psalm brings us.

All that we have in God is ours because of the Risen Christ.

Thank Him. Worship Him. Bask in the riches of all that you have in Him.

And prepare your heart to worship Him!

Psalm 2 (April 2)

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¹ Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?

² The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.

³ "Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."

⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

⁵ Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

⁶ "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."

⁷ I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.

⁸ Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.

⁹ You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.

¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

A Starter Prayer...

When I think of the absurdity of a human king trying to subvert Your throne, it is laughable. Imagining some weak human being puffing out his chest and digging in his heals to fight You, it is stunning and preposterous.

Yet, here I am.

When you found me I was absurdly rebellious. I was shockingly proud. Did it make You laugh at the sight of it?

But You broke through my stupidity and my blind arrogance. And You gave me life! You accepted me. You revealed Your Son to me and I was granted entrance into His throne room. There I found myself bowing in reverence and paying Him the honor I had once reserved (foolishly) for myself.

The One who will come in wrath to this earth is now my God, My Deliverer, My Refuge...

He is my King!

And I gladly bow before Him today!

Amen

Psalm 3 (April 1)

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A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

¹ O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!

² Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
Selah

³ But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah

⁵ I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

⁶ I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

⁷ Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸ From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah

A Starter Prayer...

I am stunned, Lord, that this was written in the midst of one of the darkest moments in King David's life, when he was pursued by a hate-filled, rebellious enemy - and that enemy was his own son. How, with such inner and outer turmoil, did David find solace? How could he sing of You being His shield? How could he sleep? How could he rise and eat?

Because he knew that deliverance only comes from You, and he was confident that You were on His side.

We share David's confidence, Lord. You are on our side! Even when things look bleak and hopeless and frightening ... You are on our side. And that brings us great comfort and strength to face today.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

Amen and amen!

Psalm 4 (March 31)

2010-03-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹ Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

² How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Selah

³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

⁴ In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah

⁵ Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

⁶ Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

A Starter Prayer...

In only a few days, Lord, we will celebrate the death and the resurrection of Your Son.

We have come to experience true joy because of Him.

We now know true relief and rest because of Him.

We understand and cling to mercy because of Him.

We have peace ... true restful peace ... because of Him.

Search our hearts today, Lord. We want to celebrate this weekend with clean hands and a pure heart. Lead us today to confess and forsake and repent of anything that would hinder us from lifting our hands to You in worship.

(Pause in silence and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in a time of confession)

You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

I love You, Lord.

Amen.

Psalm 5 (March 30)

2010-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. For flutes. A psalm of David. ¹Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.

² Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.

³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

⁴ You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
with you the wicked cannot dwell.

⁵ The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
you hate all who do wrong.

⁶ You destroy those who tell lies;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
the LORD abhors.

⁷ But I, by your great mercy,
will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down
toward your holy temple.

⁸ Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make straight your way before me.

⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with destruction.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.

¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

¹² For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

A Starter Prayer...

Bring me today, Lord, a sense of anticipation as I pray.
Give me the confidence of David who prayed to You in the morning,
and then watched expectantly through the day for Your hand to move.
And as I wait on You,
give me the grace to worship you,
to bow in reverence before You.
Give me a humble, submissive heart to follow You.
Help me see Your leading and go there with glad surrender.

Let me be found among the righteous today, Lord.
Let my mouth be filled with truth, not lies.
Keep me on paths of righteousness, not wrongdoing.
Give me brokenness, not rebellion.

And I will rejoice to sense Your protection,
Your favor,
Your blessing,
Your joy.
Your love.

In the name of Christ,
Amen

Psalm 6 (March 29)

2010-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.
A psalm of David.
1O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.

2 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

3 My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?

4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.

5 No one remembers you when he is dead.
Who praises you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from groaning;
all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.

7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my weeping.

9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;
they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

A Starter Prayer...
The Psalmist, Lord, leads us to cry out for mercy.
No longer does he long for justice as in Psalm 7.
No, today he cries for mercy.
Today he groans with weakness.
Today he writhes in anguish.

Many, Lord, are crying to You today.
I remember those who are crying today.
(Pause and pray for those in a painful trial)

Many, Lord, face enemies who are raging with hatred.
(Pause and pray for fellow believers who live in Sudan, India, China, Indonesia, and elsewhere around the world)

Lord, thank You that we say with confidence that You hear us when we cry.
You accept our prayer because of Jesus Christ.
He, too, understands crying and suffering.
He, too, has looked into hate-filled eyes.
He knows how to comfort those who face such trials.
He knows how to draw near to the brokenhearted.
And so we cling to You and offer You these prayers.
Through our Lord and Savior and Comforter, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Psalm 7 (March 28)

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A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

2 or they will tear me like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands-

4 if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
or without cause have robbed my foe-

5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
Selah

6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.

7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you.
Rule over them from on high;

8 let the LORD judge the peoples.
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.

9 O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

10 My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.

11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who expresses his wrath every day.

12 If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.

13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.

14 He who is pregnant with evil
and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

15 He who digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit he has made.

16 The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
his violence comes down on his own head.

17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

A Starter Prayer...
Lord, the psalmist leads us to cry out for justice.
How awesome it is, Lord, that with You we find Perfect Justice.
When we call out to You for justice,
we don't fear that we'll catch You on a bad day.
We don't wonder if we'll land on the wrong side of Your favoritism.
The peoples of this earth have never met such a judge.
We've never known a judge to be perfectly righteous and just.
Even the best of our judges can be wrong and are not immune from prejudice.
But with You we find security.
We know You will ultimately do the right thing.
And we trust You.

That's why the cross is so marvelous.
In the cross You satisfy the demand of justice.
The people of this earth have fallen miserably short of righteousness.
I am among them.
And so, in Christ, You become both just and the One who justifies.
You are the Righteous Judge and You are the One who receives the penalty that justice demands.
The result? I go free. I'm forgiven!
Justice was not ignored, it was satisfied.

O Lord my God,
I take refuge in You!

Amen

Psalm 8 (March 27)

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For the director of music. According to gittith.
A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise [b]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

A Starter Prayer…

O Lord, silence my thoughts
with childlike wonder of You.
When I stop my mind for a moment
and block out all thoughts of busyness,
let it explode with awe of You.....

Even now I am having trouble
finding words to express
the beauty of this planet, and
the complexity of my body
as I breathe in and out.

With child like simplicity,
my feelings go beyond words,
as I only want to soak
in the privileged position
in which You have placed me.

Your love for me reaches
across the universe like gravity,
down to every cell in my body,
to my very soul.

Your Love left Heaven,
taking the form of a body
and sacrificed Himself,
to save my very soul.

None of this I deserve.
I cannot express my gratitude enough.
So I will praise You forever.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You,
for loving me.

Amen.

Psalm 9 (March 26)

2010-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Death of the Son." A psalm of David.

1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He will judge the world in righteousness;
he will govern the peoples with justice.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

13 O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by his justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion. [b] Selah
17 The wicked return to the grave, [c]
all the nations that forget God.
18 But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
19 Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.
Selah

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, I am but a man.
As I think of Your kingdom,
what a blessing Your judgment is,
because it allows me to trust....

Trust in a righteous judge
over in my unrighteous judgments.

Lord, how many times
have I been found...
in a hole I dug myself,
in a trap I laid for someone else.
on the wrong side of an argument,
when I would have bet my life I was right.

Thank You for not letting me bet my life
every time I thought I was being righteous.

Thank You for showing me I am unrighteous,
and revealing my need for Your Provision.

This is why I entrust my life
to Your Son under Your reign.
Lord, I ask for Your Spirit to
guide me to align my life
in allegiance with Your Word;
allegiance that will last for ever and ever.

Let my life glorify
and strengthen Your kingdom,
trusting in Christ,
to find myself on the right[eous] side
of Your judgment.

Amen.

Psalm 10 (March 25)

2010-03-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.

9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.

11 He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees."

12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.

13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account"?

14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.

16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.

17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, I never thought being prideful was wicked.
But whatever separates me from You is most wicked.

My pride is so inflated in my mind
that often there is no room for thoughts of You.
Even in prayer my thoughts stray
away from You, back to myself.

Pride is the Wicked Man's
most effective weapon against me.
The Enemy moves in under stealth of pride,
drawing my attention to lies
dressed as prosperity and worldly desires.

Lord only in Your strength can I stand,
and not be crushed, collapse, or fall
under the Wicked Man's schemes.
Thank You for sparing me.

Lord, the only way I can live,
is to die...
By trusting Your biblical wisdom,
over my own self-centered instincts.
By arresting every thought that encourages my good
at the expense of others.
By handing over my pride and stop serving myself,
and picking up my cross in service to You.

You are my King of Grace.
You are my King of Power.
You are my King of Glory.

Amen.

Psalm 11 (March 24)

2010-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. Of David.

1 In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
"Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.

3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?"

4 The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes the sons of men;
his eyes examine them.

5 The LORD examines the righteous,
but the wicked [b] and those who love violence
his soul hates.

6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice;
upright men will see his face.

A Starter Prayer...

Thank You Lord for being righteous and just.
Thank You for the righteousness
You give me through Your Son,
so You can remain just.
It amazes me how You can
love justice, hate sin,
and still love a sinner like me.

Lord, I hate that I continue to sin.
Yet it blows me away,
that as I continue to repent from my sin
You continue to draw me even closer to Yourself,
making me even more grateful for Your Son.

Your love is so powerful
it can turn my anger into sympathy,
so I would rather have those against me
know Your love,
rather than burn for eternity,
under Your judgment.

Lord, I can't wait to see Your face so clearly
that sin will hold no appeal.
As I keep my eyes focused on You,
let my face shine undeniably with Your love,
So that anyone I come in contact with
cannot remain in darkness.

Amen.

Psalm 12 (March 23)

2010-03-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. According to sheminith . A psalm of David.

1 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men.
2 Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.

3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue
4 that says, "We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips — who is our master?"

5 "Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise," says the LORD.
"I will protect them from those who malign them."
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.

7 O LORD, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.
8 The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men.

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, I confess we underestimate the power of words.

Our words have invisible power
to change someone's behavior,
to build someone up, or
to tear someone down.
Lord, our words can destroy.

As I hear words used on TV,
on the radio,
in movies,
and in every day conversation with each other,
I recognize we are careless with our words.

As I reflect on how I use my words......
I confess that I am not responsible enough.

As I read Your Words and repeat them,
the words crossing my lips have
never had such Power.
The Power to save.

Lord, let the words I choose
continually draw from Yours.
Let my speech live in Your Spirit
so everything I say
powerfully points others to You,
with every sentence,
with every word,
with every syllable.

Lord, as we live in a world,
where wicked words are held
in high regard,
let me rest in
the power of Your protection,
so that I may be bold
in speaking Your Truth.

Amen.

Psalm 13 (March 22)

2010-03-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

A Starter Prayer...

As one who wrestles with his thoughts Lord,
I can hear David speak these words to me.

As my thoughts run circles around me
they wind tighter and tighter,
eventually paralyzing me in fear.

Fear in making the wrong decision,
Fear of failure,
Fear of being found out
that I am not perfect.

Who am I trying to fool!
Only You are perfect.
We all fall infinitely short
in comparison with You.

As I constantly focus on me,
I am certain to fall.
Lord, save me from myself,
because I cannot.

Only when I stop focusing on myself,
and turn my gaze to You,
do I see You standing right beside me,
waiting....

As my thoughts just melt away,
my heart rejoices in Your presence
as I move closer to You and remember,
how good You are to me.

Amen.

Psalm 14 (March 21)

2010-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the director of music. Of David.

1 The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Will evildoers never learn—
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD ?

5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

A Starter Prayer…

Lord as I take a moment to reflect on my life...
I can’t remember my first sin.
I can’t remember my second.

But all it takes is one
to separate me from You.
It could have been the lie I told in preschool.
It could have been disobeying my mother before that.
It could have been....anything.

If I had been born in Your presence,
I would have been removed in that moment,
launched into infinite darkness,
with no way to return on my own.

If that weren’t enough,
I continued to sin after that,
with even more knowledge that I shouldn’t.

Lord, it is impossible to stay righteous on my own.

Then you saved me.
You restored me.
You sacrificed Yourself for me.
You brought me back into Your presence.

How amazing that you love me that much!
That I did nothing to earn Your love,
and with my back turned to You in sin,
You opened my eyes and took my place.

Lord I owe You more than I could ever repay.
I owe You my life,
and so I gladly give it,
as You gave Yours.

Amen.

Psalm 15 (March 20)

2010-03-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

² He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

³ and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

⁴ who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

⁵ who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

A starter prayer:

Lord, where You are is where I want to be.

I long to be in a place where everyone speaks truthfully.

I long to be in a place where there is no slander and

everyone uses their words to build one another up.

I long to be in a place where everyone steps up to do what is right.

And I long to be in a place where I can take each person at their word.

Lord, I long for heaven and desire for Your church to be like that place now.

Today, Lord forgive me when I have failed be that kind of person and

transform my heart that I will be more like that kind of person.

I know that it is only by Your grace and Your mercy that I may dwell with You.

Thank You Lord for work You accomplished on Calvary's hill

that I may dwell with You on Your holy hill.

Psalm 16 (March 19)

2010-03-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 16

A miktam of David.

¹ Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.

² I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."

³ As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

⁴ The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.

⁵ LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.

⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

⁸ I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy Onesee decay.

¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

A starter prayer:

Lord, I surely do not understand the path you have laid out for me,

but I am always at home in Your house.

Perhaps better said, I am only at home in Your house.

When I am in Your presence I am at peace and

the trials, painful as they may be, fade away in Your glory.

I thank You for Your wonderful counsel, the grace I receive through Your words and voice.

I rest at ease in the true friendships You provide me with among Your people.

This world truly has nothing for me beyond You.

You have provided all and are all I need.

You forgave me, died for me, and saved me on a cross you did not deserve.

Lord, I don't know why You love me so much.

But I thank You and...

I love You Lord.

Please Lord,

allow me to serve You today.

Psalm 17 (March 18)

2010-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

¹ Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;
listen to my cry.
Give ear to my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.

² May my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.

³ Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,
though you test me, you will find nothing;
I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

⁴ As for the deeds of men—
by the word of your lips
I have kept myself
from the ways of the violent.

⁵ My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

⁶ I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

⁷ Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

⁸ Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

⁹ from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

¹⁰ They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.

¹¹ They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

¹² They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.

¹³ Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

¹⁴ O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.

¹⁵ And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

A starter prayer:

Lord, I don't understand why things can go so terribly wrong when I am striving so hard to do what is right.

You know my heart. I cannot be so bold as to say I am sinless, that I am free from fault.

No one but You could truthfully make such a statement.

But Lord, You have tested and examined me. You know the direction of my heart and how I cling to You and to Your truth.

I desire more than anything to do Your will. I love You Lord.

But I find myself in circumstances that I do not understand. Things I would expect to happen to those who turn away from You. Those who are willfully in sin.

I am not among them but they surround me and they seem only to take pleasure in my misfortune. They seem vindicated in their unbelief.

Lord, at times I feel I feel I am an embarassment to You because of my circumstances, but I do not know how to change them. I am waiting upon You.

Today Lord, I ask for Your grace, and I ask for You to move anew in power in my life.

I call out to You Lord for the power not simply to stand but to move forward. I will trust and praise You as I wait in humility for Your answer Lord.

Psalm 18 (March 17)

2010-03-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 18

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

¹ I love you, O LORD, my strength.

² The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

³ I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

⁴ The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.

⁷ The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.

⁸ Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

⁹ He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.

¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.

¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.

¹² Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

¹³ The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.

¹⁵ The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.

¹⁹ He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

²⁰ The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

²¹ For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.

²² All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.

²³ I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.

²⁴ The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

²⁶ to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁷ You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

²⁸ You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

²⁹ With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

³¹ For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?

³² It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

³³ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁵ You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.

³⁶ You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

³⁸ I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.

³⁹ You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.

⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.

⁴² I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;
I poured them out like mud in the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations;
people I did not know are subject to me.

⁴⁴ As soon as they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners cringe before me.

⁴⁵ They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!

⁴⁷ He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,

⁴⁸ who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me.

⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;
I will sing praises to your name.

⁵⁰ He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.

A starter prayer:

Lord, You have come to my rescue so many times

You have delivered me from enemies and circumstances that were far greater than me.

I am so humbled when I think how You demonstrate Your power for me. Who am I that the Lord of the Universe would rise to defend me?

Even now as circumstances far beyond my control rise up and threaten to crush me, I take great confidence that there are none beyond Your control. Help me to find my strength in You today.

As I look to the cross, where our lenten journey is leading, I remember just how far You will go to deliver me and vanquish my enemies. You overcame the sin that had me cruelly oppressed and in chains.

You are my Savior.

Lord, help me to carry my own cross today in Your strength. Help me to carry it onward with the joyful vision of Your glory that awaits beyond it. With Your strength, there is nothing I cannot overcome.

Lead me on to the battle, my Lord. Lead me on.

Psalm 19 (March 16)

2010-03-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

³ There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

⁴ Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

⁵ which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

¹¹ By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

A starter prayer:

Lord, You are simply amazing!

I see your fingerprints everywhere I look and am filled with awe of Your creative genius.

It is beyond comprehension how anyone could deny Your glory much less Your existence.

It is also wonderful to think of so much beauty in Your creation - that I was created to be one of Your crown jewels. That You the creative genius takes pleasure and pride in me!

I thank You for Your word and that You have opened my heart to Your truth.

Today I want to bath myself in the truth of Your word. Show me again where I am falling short; show me again where through Your grace I must change.

I want my life to reflect Your glory and Your majesty that is so evident in the rest of Your creation; I want to be as You intended me to before sin - transform me today Lord!

Help me to keep Your word fresh in my mind and heart throughout the day that I my life may pour forth Your glory and that others may see You. Thank You Jesus.

Psalm 20 (March 15)

2010-03-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 20

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

² May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.

³ May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
Selah

⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

⁵ We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.

⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he answers him from his holy heaven
with the saving power of his right hand.

⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.

⁹ O LORD, save the king!
Answer us when we call!

A starter prayer:

Lord, so often I feel at war;

perhaps it is better to say that often I forget I am at war.

Forgive me when I try to battle alone,

forgetting Whose battle this is, and who is the Victor.

Lord, I lift up my struggles to You right now,

I ask for Your wisdom in how to respond to them.

Show me where I am foolishly putting my confidence in things other than You.

Help me to confidently say as David did against Goliath: "but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel"

Lord, help me today to both carry my cross and to lift Your banner high for Your glory.

Psalm 21 (March 14)

2010-03-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 21

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!

² You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah

³ You welcomed him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

⁴ He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.

⁵ Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

⁶ Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.

⁸ Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.

⁹ At the time of your appearing
you will make them like a fiery furnace.
In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up,
and his fire will consume them.

¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.

¹¹ Though they plot evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

¹² for you will make them turn their backs
when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³ Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your might.

A starter prayer:

Lord, I am reminded of Your faithfulness to King David,

of how many dark trials You allowed and sustained him through,

of how much you gave to him,

of how much You forgave of him,

all more than any sinful person ever deserved.

Now, I thank you for so much you have carried me through,

for providing me with more than I could have dreamed,

I thank you for forgiving my sin through Jesus, the true King,

who endured the cross to purchase my entry into Your Kingdom.

You have treated even me, as royalty.

I thank you for Your love and Your mercy,

I am also reminded of Your wrath,

the wrath I deserved had You not extended mercy to me.

Lord even as I thank you for so much,

I now lift those whom I know and love that do not yet know You.

Lord as I sit before You now, bring them to my mind.

Lord, I ask that You empower me today to speak faithfully

of Your open invitation to enter Your Kingdom.

Thank you again for inviting, forgiving, and saving me,

through Jesus, My Savior and My King.

Psalm 22 (March 13)

2010-03-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.

4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.

5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.

10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.

23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,

28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.

A Starter Prayer...
The words of this psalm, Lord, have so many connections with the cross.
I am in awe of the way that You had every detail of the crucifixion
planned before any of the human characters were even born!
Lord Jesus, knowing that this was the script prepared for You,
I am stunned that You would come for us.
You chose to leave Your Father's side in order to experience...
groans of pain and tears,
crying out only to receive silence from heaven,
scorn and derision,
mocking and assaults,
weakness and the piercing of Your hands and feet,
suffering at an inestimable degree.

But you loved us enough to come.
You weren't shocked by the scene surrounding the cross,
You walked right into it - eyes wide open.

Lord Jesus, I am among those who will proclaim Your righteousness!
There are more people who need to hear of Your love,
of Your sacrifice.
May the ends of the earth hear and remember and turn to the Lord!

Here are some of the people that I bring before You today.
Here are those who need to hear of Your love and Your sacrifice...
(pray for those who have yet to turn to Christ)

Hear my prayer, Lord.

Amen

Psalm 23 (March 12)

2010-03-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

A Starter Prayer...
Today read through this psalm again and pause to let the imagery soak in. Meditate on it. There is a reason this psalm is so memorable and so adored. Pray these truths back to God. Thank Him for the truths beautifully portrayed here!

Psalm 24 (March 11)

2010-03-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
Selah

A Starter Prayer...
Lord, You paint a very clear picture of how You want Your people to live.
As we accept Your invitation and make our way to Your house,
You have a description of what we should look like.

By Your Spirit, Lord, help me to know if I truly have...
clean hands... (ask the Holy Spirit to search you)
a pure heart... (ask the Holy Spirit to search you)
Am I lifting up my soul to any sort of idol? (ask the Holy Spirit to search you)
Am I making promises in falsehood? (ask the Holy Spirit to search you)

Do a work in my life, Lord.
I want my life to reflect that I am Yours.
I want it to be evident that I seek Your face.

I long for that coming day when You will meet us in Your house!
There we will be - the full company of those whom You have redeemed!
And we will cry out... "Open the doors! Let's welcome our King!"

Oh, what a day that will be! Bring that day soon, Lord!

Amen

Psalm 25 (March 10)

2010-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David.
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3 No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;

5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.

8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.

10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11 For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

13 He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.

14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.

18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.

19 See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.

21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

A Starter Prayer...
Lord, I am stunned again as I consider the fact
that You choose to not remember and rehearse the sins I've committed.
You don't hold them against me.
Because of the complete and powerful work of Christ on the cross
I am completely and wholly forgiven.
Wow. I find myself still living in regret as I think about my sin.
Not You. You look at me with great mercy - not accusation.
You look at me with love - not hostility.

My sins are great. Even I can see that - well alone You who sees with far more perfect clarity!
Forgive me.
Not because I deserve it. But because of Your love.
Because of Christ.

And teach me.
I want to learn from You.
I don't want to keep falling into these pathetic traps I set for myself.
Guide me on very different paths than I am accustomed to taking!
And along the way, remind me of Your promises.
Bait me down Your path with songs of deliverance and hope.

You are awesome, God!

Amen

Psalm 26 (March 9)

2010-03-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David.
1 Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the LORD
without wavering.

2 Test me, O LORD, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;

3 for your love is ever before me,
and I walk continually in your truth.

4 I do not sit with deceitful men,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;

5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and go about your altar, O LORD,

7 proclaiming aloud your praise
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

8 I love the house where you live, O LORD,
the place where your glory dwells.

9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But I lead a blameless life;
redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 My feet stand on level ground;
in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.

A Starter Prayer...
I wonder, Lord, if this was the psalm that Paul and Silas were thinking of when, in Acts 16, these beaten and imprisoned witnesses for Christ found themselves singing hymns to You - even while chained and bloodied! Remarkable! And by the end of the story, even MORE people had come to Christ.

They were waiting for You to vindicate them.
Their focus was not on self-defense.
Their hope was not in the justice of a civil trial.
Thier focus was on living a blameless life.
And their hope was in You.

Lord Jesus, prepare my heart for worship.
As I enter into a time of celebrating Your resurrection,
let it be that circumstances do not dictate my ability to worship.
My focus is on YOU - on Your great sacrificial love for me!

May my feet stand on level ground - sure and confident.
And I will praise You, Lord!

Psalm 27 (March 8)

2010-03-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

A Starter Prayer...
All the way through this psalm, Lord,
you can feel the tension in the heart of David.
He has real fears. There are real enemies on the prowl.
There is a war that is about to break out.
Yet the confession of his lips remains resolute...

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

Help me today, Lord, to force myself to look above the circumstances that I face.
Give me strength to acknowledge the reality of my fears,
but then turn my gaze to "the beauty of the Lord."
Is it possible, Lord,
that I could sing to You,
even while being pressed in by my fears?
Yes! This psalm takes me there!
Teach me, Lord, I long to know this path!

And, Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me the way.
It was Your confidence that You would see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living at Your resurrection
that gave You strength to endure the most painful of trials imaginable!
I, too, can be strong in the midst of trials
because You are with me!
Thank You, Lord!

Amen

Psalm 28 (March 7)

2010-03-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David.
1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.

4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.

5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.

A Starter Prayer...
Lord, sometimes when we lift our hands to You
it is with joy and excitement,
like a child running into his father's embrace.
At other times we lift our hands to You
expressing our urgent need for You,
it is an act of surrender and longing.
Thank You for hearing us in those times.
Thank You for being strong for us.
Running to You we find safety and strength and trust and help.
Joy returns to our souls.
You carry us in those days, Lord.

Carry me to the cross today, Lord.
My hands will be lifted to You in joy once again.
And I will give thanks to You in song!

Amen

Psalm 29 (March 6)

2010-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his [a] holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion [b] like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks [c]
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

10 The LORD sits [d] enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, Your power is awesome!
If your voice shakes the earth
and shatters mighty trees,
how much more amazing will Your presence be in Heaven!

It is no wonder we will need new bodies.
How would we ever be able to remain in Your presence
with the feeble state of our current bodies.
It excites me that I am already in process,
as You build me stronger every day,
preparing my born-again body to be with You.

Lord, this passage overwhelms me with
the AWESOMENESS of your power
and yet You are so gentle with me.
It is no wonder you often speak to me in a still small voice.
To hear Your full voice would destroy me.

Lord, as I do my best to quiet the world around me,
Help me to hear Your voice.
Help me draw strength from Your power,
the power of Your Words,
as my eyes absorb the pages of my Bible.

You give me such hope,
that I one day get to be with You in paradise.
Thank You Jesus, for making this possible.
I can't wait to see You in all of Your glory.

Amen.

Psalm 30 (March 5)

2010-03-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave [b] ;
you spared me from going down into the pit.

4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
"I will never be shaken."
7 O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain [c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 "What gain is there in my destruction, [d]
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."

11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, I praise You!
I was dead in drinking to satisfy joy in my life.
I was dead in the anxiety of trying to manage crisis.
I was dead in depression, losing hope in myself.

But You brought me up from the grave!
You spared me from self destruction!

I cried out for mercy and You saved me!
You turned my wailing into dancing,
You destroyed the wall of sin
I had built around myself
and You rescued me.

You gave me...
Joy in showing You love me,
through blessing, despite my failings.
Trust by guiding me through my crisis,
only showing me the next step.
Hope in realizing I can depend on You,
who will never leave me.

I was dead.
You saved me.
Now you continue to build my faith on Your rock,
in which I can take shelter
and offer blessings to others who cross my path.
It amazes me how strong You rebuild,
out of the rubble of my life.
May my heart scream out your name!
I will thank you forever and ever!

Amen.

Psalm 31 (March 4)

2010-03-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, [a]
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave. [b]
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, David reminds me of what you did for me when he cries out,
"Into your hands I commit my spirit."
I cannot imagine the physical pain
You had to endure to fulfill Your Fathers will.
It gives me strength to persevere
in my trials as they pale in comparison.

I can't imagine the agony of feeling
separation from God the Father as You bore
the weight of our sin,
the world's sin,
my sin.

Yet through that you moved forward
towards Your Fathers will,
defeating death,
defeating sin,
defeating satan.

What a hero to put hope in!
One who not only has the power,
but the willingness to endure
such pain,
such beating,
such anguish,
for me, because You love me that much!

You know exactly what I am feeling
as I encounter trials,
as I chase after You.
You give me courage
to be strong and endure.
knowing that if You did not abandon Your Father's will then,
You will not abandon me now.

Amen.

Psalm 32 (March 3)

2010-03-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David. A maskil.
1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD "—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

A Starter Prayer...

Lord, thank You for letting me know You.

Lord, thank You for revealing Your Son to me and
calling me to respond.
Lord, thank You for not counting my sin against me
when I trust in Him.
Lord, thank You for forgiving me,
when I confess my sin.

I confess it is in my nature to live away from You, Jesus,
to keep You out of my work and my relationships, in sinful independence.
I confess that I want to live as a 90% Christian,
keeping 10% for myself, to live as I see fit.
How foolish of me, as you see all I do.
I find it amazing that I will trust You with my eternal soul,
but will not trust you with my taxes.
I find it amazing that I will trust You with my eternal soul,
but will not trust you with what my neighbors think of me.

I confess I can act just like a non-believer,
skeptical of Your promises,
critical of Your messengers,
too intelligent for Your commands,
hiding in my own sinful desires.

Why not just confess my heart to You,
the One who can offer a life free from sin,
full of forgiveness,
full of blessing.
A life of fullness in loving, dependent relationship with You.
A life better than anything I could have apart from You.

Jesus, thank You for not giving up on me,
continually inviting me to live in relationship with You.

Which is why I must constantly run back to You...
daily, in studying Your Word,
hourly, by living the life you call me to,
by the minute, in building others up with my words,
by the second, praying continually, aligning my thoughts with Your Word.

My struggle gives me a heart for the non-believer.
Lord, reveal Yourself in an undeniable way to....
my brother,
my sister-in-law,
my grandmother,
so they can know the fullness of Your love,
and the fullness Eternal Life has to offer both now, and forever.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Lord, for loving me.

Amen.

Psalm 33 (March 2)

2010-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.

5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars [a] ;
he puts the deep into storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.

13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;

14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-

15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

A Starter Prayer…

Lord, I confess that….
I put my hope in money
and things it can get for me.
Mostly, I put hope in myself….
in my intelligence and my ability
to manipulate things for my purposes.

What a self-centered world I live in.

Lord, I ask you to thwart my plans for
the job I want,
the career I want,
and the family I want,
so that my eyes may turn to Your Spirit
to guide me for plans and purposes You want for me.

Lord I turn to You,
that I may put my hope,
not in created things,
but in the Creator.

Lord, help me keep my eyes on You,
that I may trust in your unfailing Love.
Unfailing Love, you will not fail me!
Let me rest in that joy!
I sing Your praises,
that You, the Creator,
has greater purpose for my life
than anything I could create for myself.

Amen!

Psalm 34 (March 1)

2010-03-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

1 [a] I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

A Starter Prayer....

Lord, David's faith reminds me to...

Praise You at all times.
Praise You in trials that I could be angry about.
Praise You in blessing I could take credit for.
Boast in You so that others can know You!

Lord, thank you for letting me know You.

Know that I can take refuge in You,
when I have more to do, than time to do it.
Know that I lack no good thing in You,
when I am not getting what I think I need.
Know that I can move boldly and courageously in You,
when I am scared to make a decision.
Know that You will deliver me from my troubles,
when I cannot see an end in sight.
Know the peace of resting in Your Sovereign Hand,
that knows my every thought and move.

Let me be quick to remember
how You have provided in the past,
so I will be slow to panic in the present.

Thank You for loving me Lord.
Thank You for loving this unloving soul.
Thank You for forgiving this unforgiving heart.

So.......
I serve You by loving the unlovable.
I serve You by forgiving the unforgivable.
I serve You by building up people with my words.
and letting my lips speak of your Love, Your Son.

Thank You for redeeming me, Your servant,
through Your Son, Jesus Christ,
in whom I take refuge.

Amen.

Psalm 35 (February 28)

2010-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Of David.
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take up shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.

3 Brandish spear and javelin [a]
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."

4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.

5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away;

6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,

8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and delight in his salvation.

10 My whole being will exclaim,
"Who is like you, O LORD ?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them."

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.

12 They repay me evil for good
and leave my soul forlorn.

13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14 I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.

15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.
They slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked [b] ;
they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise you.

19 Let not those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
let not those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.

20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.

21 They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we have seen it."

22 O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent.
Do not be far from me, O Lord.

23 Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.

24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;
do not let them gloat over me.

25 Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!"
or say, "We have swallowed him up."

26 May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.

27 May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, "The LORD be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of his servant."

28 My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of your praises all day long.

A Starter Prayer....

Lord, it is so hard to trust You with justice in my life,
To leave room for Your Sovereign Hand to to work.

Lord I pray for You to show me...
how I am taking justice into my own hands by not forgiving someone.
how I am using self-pity to punish those who hurt me.
how I am allowing sinful bitterness to separate me from someone I love,
falling short of Your desire for my life.

Jesus, thank You for showing me...
that I can choose to trust You with the unfairness of life.
that I can choose to forgive those who hurt me.
that I can choose to experience the most You have for me in this life.

I can trust You...
who is right to punish sin, but spares me because I seek You.
I can trust You...
who paid the price for my sin, by crushing Your own Son.
I can trust You...
to judge my enemies, or spare them as You have spared me,
through the Love of Your Son.

So when my flesh is screaming out
"Take justice into your own hands!"
I will trust you by loving those who are against me,
so that they may experience the Love of God through me.
The love You so freely poured on me, through Your Son.

Amen.

Psalm 36 (February 27)

2010-02-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 36

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

¹ An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:^"
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

² For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.

³ The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

⁴ Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong.

⁵ Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

⁶ Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

⁷ How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find^"refuge in the shadow of your wings.

⁸ They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.

⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

¹⁰ Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.

¹¹ May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

¹² See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!

A starter prayer:

Lord, as I read these words I am struck not with anger for the 'wicked'

but with pity. What I see this morning is not the resulting sinful actions but the desperate state of a person without You.

I am reminded that once I was unable to perceive my own sin and am overwhelmed by thankfulness.

I thank You - that Your love reached beyond my behavior and hardness of heart.

I thank You - that Your love that reaches to the heavens, reached into hell and pulled me out.

Now I have the pleasure of seeing You!

There are no words for the joy that comes from reverent intimacy with You.

You are my Savior, my God, and my delight!

Lord, as I rise from my knees this morning help me to keep this in view.

Help me to replace anger at sinful behavior with compassion even for the hardest of hearts.

Help me to reach into that darkness as You have done for me.

I want to share this joyful abundance!

Thank You!

Psalm 37 (February 26)

2010-02-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 37

Of David.

¹ Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

² for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

⁹ For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

²³ If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

²⁴ though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

²⁹ the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

³³ but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸ But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future ^c]">of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

A starter prayer:

Lord, so often I get focused on this life and take my eyes off of You.

I am tempted to look with envy at the success of others. When I do I wonder what I am doing wrong, or worse is what I am doing right...worth it.

Forgive me Lord. Help me to remember that I have You and more importantly...You have me.

You have my every need in sight. You have my eternity in Your hands. You have me.

Lord, teach me to keep my eyes locked upon You and my focus upon eternity with You.

As I sit before You bring to my mind the events and people of the upcoming day that often evoke these anxieties.

Lord I want to entrust each of them to You and ask for Your grace as I encounter each one of them.

You are my peace, my security, and most importantly

You are my treasure. It may not look like it to this world

but with You, I am the richest person alive!

Thank You Lord.

Psalm 38 (February 25)

2010-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 38

A psalm of David. A petition.

¹ O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.

² For your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down upon me.

³ Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

⁴ My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵ My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.

⁶ I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.

⁷ My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.

⁸ I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹ All my longings lie open before you, O Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.

¹⁰ My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.

¹¹ My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.

¹² Those who seek my life set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they plot deception.

¹³ I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear,
like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;

¹⁴ I have become like a man who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.

¹⁵ I wait for you, O LORD;
you will answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶ For I said, "Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."

¹⁷ For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.

¹⁸ I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹ Many are those who are my vigorous enemies;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.

²⁰ Those who repay my good with evil
slander me when I pursue what is good.

²¹ O LORD, do not forsake me;
be not far from me, O my God.

²² Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.

A starter prayer:

Lord, it is much easier for me to come before you asking refuge from the sinful actions of others;

but now I am painfully aware of my own sins, the things that I know that bring Your displeasure.

The closer I draw to You, the more ashamed I become of so many attitudes and actions that I have tolerated. What I have regarded as folly, or 'little' sins - now deeply grieve me.

As I begin to see the wretchedness of my own heart, I am overwhelmed by the realization that You would be righteous and just to leave me here. But You have not. I confess my sins before You now and I trust in Your lovingkindness and forgiveness.

Help me to trust in the knowledge of Your forgiveness and not in my emotions.

Lord, I do not ask for Your forgiveness alone. I ask for Your grace and empowerment to leave these sins once and for all, and to live as You would have me to live.

I know that in You I do not have to submit any longer to these temptations, and by Your grace I may overcome all of them.

Many are those telling me I cannot and who remind me of my failures,

help me to hear Your voice and to keep my eyes on You and You alone

even as Your eyes are always upon me.

Lord, I thank you.

Amen.

Psalm 39 (February 24)

2010-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹ I said, "I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence."

² But when I was silent and still,
not even saying anything good,
my anguish increased.

³ My heart grew hot within me,
and as I meditated, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴ "Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath.
Selah

⁶ Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

⁷ "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

⁸ Save me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the scorn of fools.

⁹ I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
for you are the one who has done this.

¹⁰ Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

¹¹ You rebuke and discipline men for their sin;
you consume their wealth like a moth—
each man is but a breath.
Selah

¹² "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.

¹³ Look away from me, that I may rejoice again
before I depart and am no more."

A starter prayer:

Lord, my tongue is indeed a fire!

Forgive me for the many times I have spoken evil, when my flesh has interjected.

But Lord, also forgive me the other sin that I commit far more often - of not speaking what should be said.

Lord give me greater grace and confidence in tense circumstances to speak truth with love.

Lord increase my faith in Your Holy Spirit to place Your words in my mouth when under trial - for Your glory.

Lord, now as I sit in silence before You, please bring to my mind those with whom I must make amends both for what I have said in the past, and those to whom I should speak...

Lord, I commit to You now not to put off until tomorrow what You have shown me for today.

Help me to remember the brevity of this life and to maintain my focus on the coming life with You.

Amen.

Psalm 40 (February 23)

2010-02-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

³ He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

⁴ Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

⁵ Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced^";
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

⁷ Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.^"

⁸ I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

⁹ I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O LORD.

¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.

¹² For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

¹⁴ May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

¹⁵ May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
be appalled at their own shame.

¹⁶ But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The LORD be exalted!"

¹⁷ Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

A starter prayer:

Oh Lord, indeed many are the wonders that You have done

- the greatest being the work of transformation You have done within my own heart!

Lord, it is wonderful to be one who has walked through painful trial and witnessed firsthand Your sustaining hands. You have shown me that my faith grows only through such trials as I learn to trust You more. I believe Lord, help me in my places of unbelief!

Lord, You truly have become my delight! I cannot contain this joy of discovering more of You:

Your righteousness

Your faithfulness

Your salvation

Your lovingkindness

Your truth

Your compassion

Lord, as I meditate on all You have already done in my life,

I choose to trust wholly in You with my present trial(s),

You have never let me be put shame, and I know that You won't now.

Thank you Lord!

Amen.

Psalm 41 (February 22)

2010-02-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 41

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

² The LORD will protect him and preserve his life;
he will bless him in the land
and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

³ The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed
and restore him from his bed of illness.

⁴ I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you."

⁵ My enemies say of me in malice,
"When will he die and his name perish?"

⁶ Whenever one comes to see me,
he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

⁷ All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,

⁸ "A vile disease has beset him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies."

⁹ Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
he who shared my bread,
has lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰ But you, O LORD, have mercy on me;
raise me up, that I may repay them.

¹¹ I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.

¹² In my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.

¹³ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.

A starter prayer:

Lord, nothing hurts like a betrayed confidence;

no one hurts us deeper than once trusted friends and family

- those we have let into our lives.

Thank you Lord for choosing to walk amidst us, and for choosing to experience all of our hurts.

You quoted this Psalm as you experienced the same pain that I have.

Lord, help me in my weakness and pain to choose to serve and bless even those who willfully choose to hurt me - just as you chose to serve and to bless.

I confess to you that although I may not have 'done' things wrong to another,

all too often, I have failed to do things right for another. Help me to be more faithful to seek out opportunities to serve others.

Lord, help me to be a true friend who does not stand apart from those hurting and in need.

Teach me to respond as You have and do - in grace.

Lord, as I sit in silence before You, bring to mind first those who I must choose to forgive,

and second those with needs around me that I may choose to serve and bless.

And Lord, I thank you so much that You in Your grace,

have chosen to forgive, serve, and to bless me.

Amen.

Psalm 42 (February 21)

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For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

¹As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

³ My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

⁴ These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

⁵ Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and⁶ my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"

¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

¹¹ Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Starter prayer:

Lord You are my most basic necessity,

too often I forget that until I am parched,

then you consume my thoughts;

teach me to be consumed by you all of the time,

to drink deeply from Your living water until saturation;

Lord, help me to not confuse my circumstances, pleasant or unpleasant,

with your pleasure or anger with me.

Help me to see Your mighty hands at work through difficult times

and even as I suffer the scorn of those who surround me.

Lord, in You I will choose to rejoice, as even the difficult circumstances

increase my thirst and press me deeper into You.

Amen.

Psalm 43 (February 20)

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1 Declare me innocent, O God!
Defend me against these ungodly people.
Rescue me from these unjust liars.
2 For you are God, my only safe haven.
Why have you tossed me aside?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?
3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you live.
4 There I will go to the altar of God,
to God—the source of all my joy.
I will praise you with my harp,
O God, my God!

5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!

A Starter Prayer...
Sometimes, Lord,
we can feel pretty beat up by this world.
We can feel oppressed and weighed down.

We need Your light and Your truth to guide us.
Its a dark world.
Please break into it today.
Open my eyes and heart to see with Kingdom eyes.
Let me hear Truth as Your Spirit guides me today.
Let me be known today as one who is full of joy and delight and praise.

I'm choosing right now to put my hope in God.
You're my Savior. You're my God.
And I love You.

Amen

Psalm 44 (February 19)

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1 O God, we have heard it with our own ears—
our ancestors have told us
of all you did in their day,
in days long ago:
2 You drove out the pagan nations by your power
and gave all the land to our ancestors.
You crushed their enemies
and set our ancestors free.
3 They did not conquer the land with their swords;
it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.
It was your right hand and strong arm
and the blinding light from your face that helped them,
for you loved them.

4 You are my King and my God.
You command victories for Israel.
5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies;
only in your name can we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow;
I do not count on my sword to save me.
7 You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;
you disgrace those who hate us.
8 O God, we give glory to you all day long
and constantly praise your name.
Interlude

9 But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.
You no longer lead our armies to battle.
10 You make us retreat from our enemies
and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
11 You have butchered us like sheep
and scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your precious people for a pittance,
making nothing on the sale.
13 You let our neighbors mock us.
We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
14 You have made us the butt of their jokes;
they shake their heads at us in scorn.
15 We can’t escape the constant humiliation;
shame is written across our faces.
16 All we hear are the taunts of our mockers.
All we see are our vengeful enemies.

17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.
We have not violated your covenant.
18 Our hearts have not deserted you.
We have not strayed from your path.
19 Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home.
You have covered us with darkness and death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,
21 God would surely have known it,
for he knows the secrets of every heart.
22 But for your sake we are killed every day;
we are being slaughtered like sheep.

23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Get up! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you look the other way?
Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?
25 We collapse in the dust,
lying face down in the dirt.
26 Rise up! Help us!
Ransom us because of your unfailing love.

A Starter Prayer...
Lord Jesus, as we consider the cross, the empty tomb and Your resurrection,
we thank You, Lord for what YOU have done for us!
It wasn't our hand that brought victory.
We didn't crush our enemies - we were victims until You came!
I boast in You all day long, Lord, and am glad to tell others
what an awesome King You are!

This psalm reminds me of all that You went through for me.
You heard the taunts of those who revile God.
You felt the sting of their reproach.
You were crushed and covered in darkness.
You looked death in the face, like a helpless lamb at slaughter.
Why?
Because you deserved death?
Because You had brought it on Yourself?
No...it was for me.
It was for all of us who truly deserve it.
You took our place.
How can we ever thank You enough?
Redeem us, Lord, because of Your unfailing love.

Amen

Psalm 45 (February 18)

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1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.

3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;
let your right hand display awesome deeds.

5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.

6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.

8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.

9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:
Forget your people and your father's house.

11 The king is enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.

12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, [b]
men of wealth will seek your favor.

13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber ;
her gown is interwoven with gold.

14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her
and are brought to you.

15 They are led in with joy and gladness;
they enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

A Starter Prayer...

Lord Jesus, You are glorious, majestic and most excellent.
As Ruler, You champion truth - may I honor You by being a truth-speaker.
You champion humility - may I cherish all that I have as a gift from Your hand.
You champion righteousness - may I seek to live a life worthy of Your calling,
to join You in Your kingdom!

How unworthy I feel, Lord, to be counted as one of Your people,
To be one who is invited into Your presence.
More - as part of Your Church, I among those whom You will personally come for.
I will enter Your palace with joy and gladness.

I sing Your praise today, Lord.
And I long for the day You will come for me!

Amen

Psalm 46 (February 17)

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Psalm 46
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

A Starter Prayer...
Often, Lord, it is when the earth is giving way under our feet
that we are most eager to turn to You.
Suddenly we find that
We need You as our Refuge.
We need You as our Strength.
We need You to bring us stillness and peace.

When we look at our circumstances,
we are afraid (and we should be!).
But when we lift our gaze to You,
when we put our trust in You,
fears give way to peace, security, and joy.

We pray today for the people of Haiti.
Many felt the literal earth give way under their feet.
They lost loved ones and all that gave them a sense of security.
Give Your church in Haiti a passion to point people to You.
Open hearts to find true security in You alone.

That earthquake was just a taste of the global destruction
that will certainly come upon the whole earth.
Point us to Jesus!
Give us faith to see the secure hope of heaven
that is promised to all who trust in the risen Christ!

And may we lose our fears,
as we melt into the sweet refrain...
"The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Amen

Lent 2010

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Soon we will begin our journey to celebrate the hope of every Christ-follower - the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Ephesians 1:7-8 tells us...

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

We have been lavished with God's grace - and it is all rooted in the work He accomplished for us at Calvary!

In Old Testament days as God's people made their way to the triannual festive celebrations in Jerusalem, they would sing psalms of praise on their journey. These are the fifteen psalms from Psalm 120-134, the "songs of ascents."

We are going to follow that tradition as we make our way to Calvary and then the empty tomb. It is a sobering, reflective, but ultimately glorious journey!

Join us beginning Wednesday, February 17, 2010 as we pray and worship and reflect on the resurrection of Christ. And even now, make this your prayer...

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
(Ephesians 3:14-21)

Thank You!

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²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Spend today recounting all that you have seen of God's hand on Cornerstone, on individuals that you know in the church family, and in your own life. Thank Him today, and give Him the glory He so deserves!

Your Church

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²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God, it is clear that You have purposes that far exceed our ability to imagine. What You have done for Your church is amazing to us. Thank You! May we spend every moment and every gift You've given us to bring You glory!

Amen

To Know this Love

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and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

There is only one way to fully display Your glory in my life - that is to know, truly and experientially know, Your love. As I meditate on Your love, Lord, I am transformed. I long to be known by my love, as You are known by Your love. And You've taught me what it is to live a life of love...

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails. (1 Corinthains 13).

Change me, transform me as I meditate on Your love.

Amen

Power to Love

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And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

Lord, there it is again. A mention of Your power. You must know, Lord, how very weak I am, how desperately I need Your power. And where does this power come from? Your LOVE. It is uncommon for us, Lord, to see power and love woven so closely together. We think of power in association with courage or determination. But here the power is given to us to grasp the vast extent of Your love.

Take some time now to glance back over the first three chapters of Ephesians and note the expressions of God's love for us. There are plenty to choose from! Thank Him for every expression of His love and ask Him for power to grasp it and live out the life of love He's given to us.

The Family Name

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¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Lord, You have given me Your name! Like the joy of an orphan who is welcomed into a family and given the family-name, I am humbled and filled with joy at receiving Your name. Now, Lord, I need Your strength to live up to my new family-name. May I find that Your Spirit within me is giving me power. May I tap into that power, Lord, refusing to rely on myself and looking only to You.

May the people around me this week see the family resemblance. May they recognize me as a child of Yours. To the glory of You name!

Amen

Suffering?

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¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

How can Paul celebrate all that God has done - writing all these glorious words ... while a prisoner and in suffering? Mediate on this and ask God to fill You with the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may now him better!

For US!

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His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Your purpose, Lord, is that Your Church should be front-and-center. You have not chosen us so that we might find a new individualistic path to follow. You've not called us to live courageously but autonomously for the gospel. You've called us into Your Church. We're joined together to become a holy temple in the Lord.

May we not forget that, Lord. May we find a spiritual compulsion to join Your purposes in the Church. May we deflect any urge to pull away or to allow fracture. May we find great delight and motivation at approaching You with freedom and confidence ... together with Your people!

Let the universe see us and bring You glory as Your Church rises and strengthens and as we join our voices to celebrate the One who has accomplished it all ... for US!

Amen

Glad Messenger

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⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Lord, Your apostle, Paul, always seemed very aware of his unworthiness. He refers to himself as "the least of all God's people." How is it that my pride blinds me to my own unworthiness? If Paul is the "least," then what does that make me?

Yet, his awareness of Your grace (extended toward his unworthiness) made him a glad herald and broadcaster of Your message of hope. He knew that if Your grace could save him, then anyone could be saved. And he wanted to get that message out to all who would hear.

Who else needs to hear that message of hope, Lord? Who can I share it with today? Who needs to hear the glad message of the gospel this Christmas season?

Make me a servant of Your gospel, Lord!

Amen

Heirs together

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¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Lord, when I consider the words that were just used to describe my life as it once was ... separate, excluded, foreigner, without hope, without God ... I am grateful all over again for Your grace.

Take some time to consider how far you were from God until He stepped into your life with the grace of Christ. Thank Him that, though you were far off, now you have been brought near through Christ!

God's Dwelling

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²¹In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Lord, make Your dwelling with us! Like the Shekinah glory that filled the Temple, fill Your church with Your presence. We want to be holy. We want to let people see Your glory and grace through us. Let us stay in step with Your Spirit and do this together in harmony and unity!

Amen

Thanksgiving

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¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Today is "Thanksgiving" - a day that we give God thanks for all He has done for us. Go back through Ephesians chapter 1 and thank Him for every spiritual blessing He has given us in grace! Then thank Him for family, friends and everything else. Thank Him for His household - the Church and for all He is doing among us!

Access to the Father

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¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Today consider those whom you might consider "far away" from Christ. Pray also for some you know who are "near" but who have yet to believe and trust in Christ. Whether the people in Ephesus were "near" (like the Jews who grew up with the Scriptures) or "far away" (like some of those who practiced sorcery and had never heard the gospel), all have access to the Father by one Spirit. Thank God for His grace!

Destroying Barriers

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¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Lord, the centuries-old hostility between the Jews and their Gentile neighbors was well fortified. They were bitter enemies and could not remember a time when it had not been so. Which one would give up or give in? Peace seemed an impossibility - unattainable. But then You stepped in! You didn't ask either to capitulate. You drew BOTH into a brand new entity - Your Church!

It makes me wonder, Lord. Do I have someone that I am at enmity with? Is there someone, or even a group of people, with whom I sense hostility? Break through it, Lord! May the power of the cross bring reconciliation and peace. May Your Church be a living testimony of peace!

Show the world that enemies can be made new. And may this miracle draw the world to Christ.

Amen

Remember

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¹¹Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— ¹²remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

Lord, when I read words like, "separate from Christ" and "excluded from citizenship" and "foreigners" I am reminded of what a gift my salvation is! It isn't that I found my way home. It is that you found me. The thought of going back to being without hope and without God in this world is frightening.

(Take some time to remember where you were when Jesus drew you near through His blood. Thank Him for saving you - thank Him for His grace.)

Created to do good works

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¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Lord, You have lavished me with love and mercy and grace. You have overwhelmed me with Your kindness. Now, Lord, I am ready to discover what You created me to be and to do. No longer for myself. No longer running from You. You made me with purpose and I am now eager to find out what You have in store.

Help me see it today, Lord. Give me the eyes to see a way to express good works that will be clear evidence that I am no longer my own - that I am a child of God!

I lay this request before You, and I will wait with expectation to see what You have planned for me!

Amen

By grace!

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⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

Take the verses today and insert yourself into it. Personalize it. "For it is by grace that I have been save, through faith -- and this is not from me, it is a gift of God -- not by works, so that I cannot boast."

Now turn this into a prayer to the One who has saved you!

Incomparable Riches

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⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Lord, I cannot get my mind around this story. You took me from death, from my self-inflicted sentence that I fully deserved. And then You placed me into Your family ... but far more: You gave me a place in the throne room of the One who is the rightful King and Heir of all things?!? How can this be? A man who sits on death row for crimes he clearly committed is now forgiven, pardoned, and ushered onto the throne?

Truly this is "incomparable riches of grace!"

May my lips speak of Your kindness to us in Christ Jesus this day!

Amen

It is by Grace

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⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Love. Unconditional. Unsought-after. Focused. Active. Passionate.

Mercy. Compassion. Pity. Displayed to an offender (me!). Deciding not to give me what my actions deserve.

Grace. Unearned. Unmerited. Free-of-charge. A gift, pure-and-simple. And You expect no attempt at repayment.

Take the time today to let your heart pull over and park on these beautiful and full-of-meaning words. God used them very intentionally. Meditate on these beautiful truths and worship the One who wrote them to You.

As for you...

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¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Lord, having spent weeks pondering Your lavish grace and love, I am startled to turn the page and come face-to-face with the state I was in when You found me. What a great yet sobering reminder. Your love for me is pure, complete, and unconditional. Yet when my eyes were first opened to You, I was trapped in sinfulness. My soul was dead. I was not serving You, the true King. I was a full-fledged member of the kingdom of all that is wrong and evil and godless.

Truly, Lord, I did not find You. You found me. Thank You again and again and again for the hope of the gospel. Jesus Christ died for sinners, of whom I am the worst.

May I spend the rest of my days with my eyes and hands lifted to You and with gratitude pouring from my heart and lips.

I love You, Lord.

Amen

The Church!

2009-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

²²And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Lord, once again I come back to this simple truth ... It's not about me! At the center of Your purpose and plan is Your Church. You've been waiting for ages and generations to reveal Your plan to the universe - a plan to create the incredible, powerful and global community of Your saints.

And I get to be part of it all! The psalmist said he would enjoy even being a little bird nesting near Your altar - just to be close to You (Psalm 84:3). So too, I am happy just to be part of such an amazing thing as Your Church. And to think that You will allow me to contribute to the Church - not just be a casual observer -- but to make a difference with my life in Your Church!

Thank You for letting me be part of Your Church. Keep us strong and passionately devoted to You.

Amen