Category: Thought For The Day

Psalms 119:14
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

As a vet, I’m not sure I like the imagery here, but I think that is the point.

All to often, I like to say “Alons” and “Ventre A’ Tere” – mottos of some of a couple of units I’ve been in.

Here, though, David calls God his “hiding place” and “shield”… and he will hunker down until he hears word from God.

That is a stark contrast to “Victory!” or “With Great Speed!”

That IS the point.

It a not-too-subtle way to remind us, THE BATLE BELONGS TO THE LORD.

We can barely identify the enemy let alone do battle.
(in the first recorded skirmish Adam & Eve ended up having lunch with the enemy, and it didn’t work out well for our side.)

The battle belongs to the Lord
…and so do I.

Striving to rest in the shadow of the almighty.

Psalms 118:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

The foundational truth about God… and about life itself.

It’s where EVERYTHING begins and ends – I think that’s why Psalm 118 begins and ends with the same words.

Working at living my life in light of the truth that envelops me.

Of course, now I have Chris Tomlin’s song bouncing in my head… what a great way to start a day!
Give thanks to the Lord
Our God and King
His love endures forever
For he is good
and above all things
His love endures forever
Give praise…

Psalms 118:24
This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

(For some reason, in recent years this verse reminds me of a television-centric preacher out of Houston. It erodes the treasure of the text.)

This is a great verse and a great reminder of an intentional choice:

1. to notice His GOODNESS all around.
2. to see each day as His GIFT.
3. to assume an attitude of GRATITUDE.

Looking to live joyfully.

Psalms 147:5
Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.

STRENGTH
UNDERSTANDING

Quite the combination!

Whatever the need…

• He knows why.
• He can DO SOMETHING about it.

Quite a combination.
Quite a promise.

Just the sort of person you want to have your back when the chips are down!

I’ll take it!

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

It’s A CLASSIC!

Even though it seems like it sometimes, my life is NOT an accident. I was created ON purpose…. FOR a purpose. I find a lot of comfort in that.

I love God’s promise: “I’ve got this one… and it’s a goody.”

It’s a great lens thru which to see life!
Living in His abundant plan.

Isaiah 54:17
” “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Living boldly in a culture of self destruction takes courage.

Simply to “live not by lies” takes guts.

The eternal part of us cannot be harmed by anything crafted by men. PLUS, anything done to us hear on Earth will be rectified on Judgement Day. That bought comfort to the Hebrew Nation, and I have to admit… it brings comfort to me.

He put us here.
He stands behind us.
Good enough for me.

2 Corinthians 1:4
“[God] comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

A great vs for when hard stuff happens:

• He is there to help me
• He redeems the pain by making it into a gift I can give to others

That all sounds great, but when I’m IN the hard stuff, it is VERY hard to remember.

I think I have help “forgetting,” and that makes the hard stuff harder.

I hate the hard stuff
I love His mercy & wisdom.

Isaiah 55:8,9
8.“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
9.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

So much I don’t understand.
I get all wound around the axle.
I love God’s quiet voice reminding me:

• “Relax… My thoughts are not your thoughts…”

He’s God.
I’m not.
I don’t HAVE to get it because He does.

Resting in His all-good Godness.

Psalms 143:8
“Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul.”

Want to change your life?

Train yourself to make this your first waking thought and your daily “start the day” prayer.

Before my feet hit the ground, before I claim blanket victory, I’m going to PRAY THIS.

Let’s see what happens…

James 1:9
But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position.

I don’t think many of us like “Humble Circumstances”… but James says that a “High Position.”

The Kingdom of God puts the least first.

Because “the least” trusts in God and not themselves.

I think the key is to see my world through WISE EYES (HIS eyes in v5).

I am reminded of when God opened the eyes of Elisha’s frightened servant Gehazi and let him see that he was surrounded by God’s Angel Armies. (2 Kings 6:6-17).

Too often, our circumstances mask the reality.
Too often, our eyes see only our fears.

Going for “Gehazi Eyes”.
Going for HIS Eyes.
Looking to see what HE sees.