The Old Testament tells the similar account over and over again of how God’s people followed him and things were good for them, then they became distracted, turned away from God, became self-centered, and their situations fell apart. A prophet or leader would bring them back to God, and things were good again. This theme continues over and over throughout the Bible, and arguably throughout history to this day.

One of the prophets through whom God spoke was Isaiah. In Isaiah 30:18 Isaiah says “Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love; He will conquer you and bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them.” The NIV version puts it this way, “..the Lord longs to be gracious to you”

Think of it like this. Your favorite store is giving away merchandise to anyone who shows up and asks; no charge; no fine print. However, they are not advertising or promoting the event, you have to show up to find out. That is what God is telling us. God is just waiting there for us to come to Him, and he will show us His love and blessing.

Dear Lord, Help us understand and appreciate that you are always there, waiting for us to come to you in faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

“Praise the Lord, Let all that I am praise the Lord.” Psalm 146

Many places in the Bible we are told to “Praise the Lord,” but what does that really mean? It means acknowledging that God is, well, God. He is all powerful, all knowing, the creator of everything.

Being written two or three thousand years ago, the examples used in the Bible describing the amazing things for which to praise God seem a bit simple to us now.

A psalm written about praising God today might be more like this:

Praise God for making the laws of physics that allow us to travel around the world in hours.
Praise Him for the elegant design of the atom that allows us to transmit information around the world in seconds.
Praise God for the amazing balance in molecules, and elements, that maintain stability of the chemistry in our environment.
Praise Him for the balance of earth’s cycle of life that maintains stability in the earth’s ecology.
Praise God for the astonishing sophistication of the human body that can do wonderful and beautiful things, a body that can be strengthened, and can heal itself.
Praise Him for the amazing creation of the human brain that allows us to learn about these amazing creations and use them to improve the quality of life for all people.

For these and marvels of Your power yet to be learned, we Praise you Lord. Amen.

Most of us have had an experience that was challenging or unpleasant, but because of that experience, we were lead into some new opportunity or positive situation, or avoided something even worse. Things like a traffic slowdown prevented us from being involved in an accident, or a minor medical issue that indicates something more serious early enough to resolve.

God talks about this type of situation in Isaiah 65:24, “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!”

God also tells us in Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” NIV

What a comfort it is to know that God cares about each of us, he knows our prayers before we even ask, and he is right there with us through life’s trials, our own trials, or those we love.

Dear Lord, We thank you that you have control over all of our lives. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Bring comfort and healing to those who face trials in their lives, so they may have your peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Recognition is one of the most sought after rewards for most people. Recognitions like certificates, plaques, public presentations, and “pats on the back” make us feel special and important. We need to be careful that we are not seeking recognition from people for doing the good God expects from us.

In Matthew 6:1 Jesus tells the people who gathered to listen to him, and tells us, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” In the following verses, Jesus writes about being subtle when giving to the poor, praying, and fasting. After each he says, when we do, “Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

God’s recognition and reward is the one that matters, and is so much better than we could receive from people.

Dear Lord, it is tempting for us to seek other people’s recognition when we do good; It can sometimes even be a status symbol. Help us remember that it is your recognition that matters, and you will provide the joy and satisfaction for doing good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many people find it easier to set priorities and make decision if they have a set of principles to follow. Many companies and organizations have “Guiding Principles” written down and distributed to their employees and members to help with managing their operations.

Jesus gave us a simple set of principles when asked what was the greatest commandment. In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” NIV

So when we are looking for direction on how we should live, or what we should do in various circumstances, we can look to these “Guiding Principles” to help with our priorities and decisions.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us this clear direction. Help us to live our lives in in this way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.