Sometimes, we just cannot understand why God is letting things happen the way they are. Terrible tragedies happen to innocent people, people lose their loved ones, evil people seem to succeed. We try and try to find the logic in the events, but cannot.

In those times, a few of the following verses may help:

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding.”

Psalm 91:14, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust my name.”

Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”

Psalm 27:14, “Wait patiently for the Lord, Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

Psalm 23:4, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

We may not understand the work God is doing, but we can know that He is in control, and He is there for us.

Dear Lord, You know how difficult life can be for some people, be with those who mourn, help them feel your presence and comfort. Give use the words, wisdom, and love to be your hands of caring to those in need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many professions require routine training in order to keep up with the latest technology and techniques, or just to maintain important skills. Doctors and Nurses, teachers, programmers, pilots, and many others have regular requirements for training and testing.

In a similar way, it is important for us to continue our study of God’s teaching in the Bible to reinforce the knowledge, learn more, and give God the opportunity to connect with us through his word. Obviously we will not lose our license to be a Christian if we do not keep studying, but Hebrews 2:1 says, “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.”

The important message for us is getting in the habit of regularly reading and listening to the “truth,” the good news in the Bible.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us the truth in your word, the Bible. Help us read and listen carefully so that we do not drift away. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

In Luke 6:46 Jesus is speaking to gathered crowds and says to them, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” That could easily be said for us today. We call ourselves Christians and call Jesus our Lord, but then we go and do things we know we shouldn’t.

What does He say we should do. Jesus’ summarizes this well in Matthew 22:37-40, when asked what is the greatest commandment, “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So during our day we should approach each situation with love for God, keeping him and his direction first priority in our lives, and we should act with fairness, kindness and respect for those we encounter.

Dear Lord, help us to recognize your will by listening to our conscience, and do what you say by acting out of love for you and our neighbor. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

A business coach I follow has a concept to describe two different mindsets people tend to have. He metaphorically describes the mindsets as “neighborhoods.”

One neighborhood he describes as the “Abundance” neighborhood. In this neighborhood, or mindset, people are grateful for what they have and for the contributions each other make. They work together to resolve issues in ways that benefit each other, and the success of each other builds to advance everyone and create abundance for the neighborhood. The foundation of this neighborhood is gratitude.

The other neighborhood he describes is the “Scarcity” neighborhood, where people believe there is only so much to go around, where there is friction between the “Haves” and “Have-nots,” and where the only way one person can “get ahead” is with someone else falling behind. The foundation of this “neighborhood” is envy.

Solomon writes about the “Scarcity Neighborhood” in Proverbs 24:1,2 “Don’t envy evil people or desire their company. For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble.” Solomon also wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:4, “Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors.”

Mark 8:6 describes the “Abundance Neighborhood” in the account of feeding 4000 with seven loaves of bread and a few fish, “So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.”

What neighborhood do you live in?

Dear Lord help us build our foundations on gratitude for all that you have provided us, and believe in the abundance that you provide for those who trust you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 8:22-25 tells about Jesus and the disciples sailing across a lake. “One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

We could read Jesus’ question “Where is your faith?” as a rhetorical question, like a figure of speech meaning, “You don’t have faith.”

However, you could also look at the question as Jesus actually expecting an answer. “Where is your faith?” And the answer in this case would be, their faith was in the likelihood of them drowning. They actually said, “We are going to drown.” Using their words, they were expressing their faith.

I think God is trying to get a message to us with this account. When we say things like, “I’ll never lose weight,” or “I’ll never get out of debt,” or “I am always late.” We are reinforcing a belief, (faith) in those statements.

We need to turn things around and put our faith where it should be, saying things like, “with God’s help, I will be on time.” or “By the grace of God I will lose weight,” or “I am confident God will make this situation work out.”

Dear Lord, We all occasionally have lapses in our faith in you to be with us in all types of situations. Help us remember to speak with faith in your ability to make things work out well. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.