“Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!” (Psalm 146:1, Holy Bible, NKJ). Shallow thanks or other expressions of gratitude echo the hollow sound of a rehearsed delivery, absent of enthusiasm, offered for social requirements. The psalmist proclaims “Praise the Lord!” He repeats it, then declares the sounds more…
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name,” (Psalm 103:1, Holy Bible, King James). When I think of blessings, I anticipate good things heading my way. Happy moments. Pleasant telephone conversations. Time with friends. But that isn’t what the Psalmist had in…
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” (Psalm 139:23, Holy Bible, King James Version). My kitchen has a tools drawer where I can easily reach for a hammer, screwdriver, picture hangers, packing tape, thumbtacks, or other useful household items. I often have to…
“The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3, Holy Bible, New King James). Time is measured in precise increments but may seem different depending upon the event in progress. When an…
“Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy” (Psalm 100:2, Holy Bible, New Living Translation). How many times have you entered a sanctuary or place of worship saddened by life’s wrong turns? Personal obstacles became roadblocks between you and God. You responded to the music, habitual praise from…
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” (Revelation 12:11-12a in the New King James Version of the Holy Bible). There…
How often have you said, “I just wish someone understood me?” This verse reminds us once again that God really does understand what we are going through. Jesus is no stranger to pain and suffering. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:…
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way;” (Exodus 13:21 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible). Walking around with your head in the clouds is not always negative! Oh, how I want to spend my day…
Do you need wisdom to resolve a conflict in a relationship? Perhaps you did not contribute to the disagreement or offense, but you find yourself trying to find a way to diffuse the situation. I recommend reading the account of Abigail in I Samuel 25:1-39 for a biblical perspective on…