- MONDAY -

Good morning forever family,

This morning I struggled to sleep and woke at 3:00 am. That's a tad early to start your day yet that is what it is I find as I age. As i sat and pondered the situation the world is in I thought about my own situation. That is I reflected on the fact that i tend to take my eyes off the One who can cause me to be my best. The world news this morning is disturbing yet I know I belong to the King of Kings. As dark as the world is right now my Lord never changes. 

I'm reminded that I desire to be closer to God and to have a clean heart and right spirit. Check out these two verses and how they speak to each other and to you...

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 ESV

⁵ He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, 
but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5 ESV 

Our AWESOME God is renewing us, sanctifying us, and refining us to be the people He wants us to be on this earth... and then he will take us to a new home. To be with Him for all eternity!

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- TUESDAY -

Good morning forever family,

In my bible this passage is called "The Certainty of God's promise." That's a comforting phrase! I used to work for a company where a few people would often come to me and proclaim I have a new word from God! Then they would share something with me that was actually not scriptural. That used to bother me greatly as no "new' word from God would ever violate His word. Now, please understand that I'm not trying to put God in a box here. God can do whatever He wants. He is not limited in His power. He just will not do certain things like lie or violate His word. God is good all the time. All the time God is good. God gave us His word and it is more sure than the ground we stand on. 

"The Certainty of God's promise"

¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:17-20 ESV 

Our bible is full of good news for those who love God and His commands. It is full of woe to those who simply refuse it.

A dear friend sent me this blessing from Numbers chapter 6 a few days ago. It is called Aaron's blessing, and though it was for the nation Israel, it is for all believers today.

It is for you...

²⁴ The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26 ESV 

Rest in His peace today.

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- WEDNESDAY -

Good morning forever family,

It's the middle of the work week and a great time to go to the reassurances we get from the Psalms. I've chosen 7 verses from the middle of Psalm 34, written by David, to look at this morning. In the English Standard version of the bible this Psalm is entitled "Taste and See that the Lord is Good".

Our Lord is good... all the time.  Even when we can't see the outcome from the beginning. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

⁸ Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹ Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
¹⁰ The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  Psalm 34:4-10 ESV

Our Lord makes sure His children lack no good thing. He is our Father and we are His children. Who could possibly love us like He can?

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- THURSDAY -

Good morning forever family,

It has been said that every person is born with a Jesus-shaped hole in their heart. Blaise Pascal has said it is an infinite abyss that only an infinite God can fill. I say it's a soul longing. Our soul literally thirsts for God. In our humanness and hunger we strive to fill this void with all manner of things... idols actually. Material wealth, addictions of all types, power and status among people, all consume our time in a never ending search. The answer lies right within our reach. God fills the void perfectly and completely fulfilling the soul thirst. He does this by Jesus (John 14:6). Jesus alone can satisfy the soul and bring us before the Father in everlasting life and joy in His presence! 

¹ O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Psalm 63:1 ESV

¹ As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.  Psalm 42:1 ESV 

Yes... we serve an AWESOME God! Our soul knows it well!  We must get to know this JESUS. 

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- FRIDAY -

Good morning forever family,

A friend is teaching on Jesus' love this weekend and it got me fixated on it these last few days. Jesus walked this earth as fully man and fully God at the same time. He knew all things. He felt all things the same as we do. He came to this earth to be born as a man... in a lowly cattle stall. A poor man yet He was the maker of all things including all the gold, silver and precious stones in the whole universe too large to even measure! He chose to do the Father's will in obedience- even unto death. All so that man might be saved from our wretched sinfulness. Our Lord Jesus understands everything we go through. He love is revealed all throughout Scripture. 

For today's Verse for Today post I have chosen a couple examples. The first is at Martha and Mary's house after the death of their brother and Jesus's dear friend Lazarus. Verse 35 of John 11 is the shortest verse in all of Scripture yet it says so very much. After Jesus wept over the grave of Lazarus He raised him from the dead! The second example is when Jesus entered Jerusalem. How He loved that stubborn city! Even when they failed to recognize Him as the Messiah He wept over their spiritual condition of unbelief.

He literally weeps over the plight of man. He is love personified...

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. ³⁴ And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”  John 11:33-36 ESV

⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,  Luke 19:41 ESV

May we do well to love Jesus back today by serving His people and by telling others of His great love for them today. I get to teach on that very thing tonight. God is so good!

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy