I remember when my children were toddlers, my wife and I seemed to have an extra sense, and could tell what my children were up to even without watching everything they were doing. It was a combination of caring and awareness. We would intervene sometimes to prevent them from getting into trouble or sometimes let them experience challenges to help them learn.

Though at a much different level, these memories came to mind when I was reading Psalm 139:1-6, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!”

God is completely aware of our every action, thought, and feeling, and He cares about each of us.

Dear Lord, what a joy it is to know that you are aware of our every situation and concern, and care for us with your “hand of blessing.” Help us remember this so we can overcome our fears with trust in you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I think we all can admit that it feels good to be better than someone else at something. Better golfer, smarter, richer, in better shape, our child’s school is better, company is better; there are an unlimited number of ways we can find to try to compare ourselves to others in order to pump ourselves up. Though it is great to work hard and strive to make ourselves better, boasting about our advantages shows that our focus is in the wrong place.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things.”

There is only one thing we can rightly boast about and be proud in, and that is our Lord God.

Dear Lord, it is your awesome power that made everything we know, and all the while you care about each of us individually. Help us put our pride in you and be grateful that you called and loved each of us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

One of the joys of life, and also a challenge of life is dealing with different types of people.

Proverbs 9 has some wisdom for these interactions.

First, Proverbs 9:7-9 says, “Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you Instruct the wise and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous and they will learn even more.”

Then verse 12 says, “If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.”

We need to look at these passages, from both the speaker and listener point of view, making sure we are not the “mocker,” who knows it all and is not open to learn, but are the wise who are open to correction and do not get defensive, because we know we will be the one to benefit.

Most importantly we need to remember Proverbs 9:10, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

Dear Lord, it is you who provide us wisdom for life, good judgment, and understanding of those we encounter. Help us humbly look for wisdom to be better in all we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you ever wonder what God wants from us?

Christian behavior is one thing, which is summed up in Luke 10:27, where Jesus said, “Love the Lord with all your heart soul and strength, and love your neighbor as your self.”

But that is how he wants us to act, but what he wants us to give him is described in Psalm 50:14,15 which says, “What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory.”

What God wants from us, is thanks, obedience, and reliance on him, all of which will give him glory.

We do this by keeping him in our thoughts all the time as if he were our constant companion, which he is.

Dear Lord, Thank you for all the amazing blessings you have given us. Each of us have so much for which to be thankful. Help us keep you in our thoughts all the time and trust in your protection. When things go well for us, let us be quick to give you the glory. Without you, we would be lost. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

One of the reasons Jesus became famous during his ministry was because he performed many miracles. People came from all around to be healed, or to help others be healed. In most of the cases where Jesus healed people, he either asked them if they believed, or after healing them, he told them it was their faith that healed them.

Mark 6 includes the account of Jesus returning to his hometown, and finds that the people there are skeptical about his ability to perform miracles. verses 5 & 6 say, “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” I find it interesting that the verse says Jesus “could not” do miracles because of their lack of faith.

I believe from this that we all play a part in whether God performs miracles in our lives. If we don’t believe God can do it, he possibly won’t, and if we believe, Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, “but with God all things are possible.”

Dear Lord, we want to believe that you can do anything, but often we just cannot bring ourselves to truly believe these things that seem impossible to us. Help us remember that we don’t need to figure it all out; we only need to believe in your power. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.