Remember One-a-Day Monday,  5/29/17

Posted on by May 29, 2017
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A life worthy

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

We are called to remember.

So…remember.

Remember the One who died that you might live,

who was bound that you might be set free.

And remember those who have followed His example, leaving their homes behind to travel to foreign soil, where they give their lives that you and I might be free.

Right now, as I write this, some warrior shoulders a rifle, or climbs into a chopper, or races toward a bomb blast, knowing that today could be the day that they are called to give “the last full measure of devotion.”

They may be terrified.

They go anyway.

For you

and me.

Remember, Beloved.

Night One-a-Day Thursday    5/25/17

Posted on by May 25, 2017
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A life worthy

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. (Psalm 16:7).

Reason #4,398 to be glad I’m not God: I take naps.

And when I’m napping, I am not thinking about you.

Not trying to hurt your feelings here, but it is what it is.

So, if you need my advice, such as it is, and I happen to be napping, you’re out of luck my friend.

If it’s night, and I’m actually sleeping—forget about it.

God doesn’t nap, you know.  He is there for you, his Beloved, every day and all the time.  So at 3am, when your heart finally quiets down enough to hear him, he’s there.

Speaking softly.

Listening intently.

Loving completely.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Inheritance One-a-Day Wednesday    5/24/17

Posted on by May 24, 2017
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A life worthy

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance(Psalm 16:5-6).

You know, there’s this thing about an inheritance—you don’t earn it.

Oh, maybe you’re thinking about all the holidays over the years when you’ve driven 100 miles just to eat petrified turkey with your freak show of a family and you’re saying to yourself, “You bet I’m earning it.  Every dime!”

But you aren’t, really.

An inheritance is a gift that comes to you but was earned by another.  If you earned it yourself, it would be wages.

When it comes to dealing with God, you don’t want your wages, trust me.

You want the gift.

The Psalmist understood this, and he was totally cool with it.  He didn’t stake his claim; he didn’t demand his rights.  He rested in the provision of God and trusted in the One who knew him best and loved him most.

So how about it, Beloved?  Are you content with the boundary lines that God has laid down for you?  Do you trust him enough to let enough be enough?

Surely you have a delightful inheritance.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Apart From You  One-a-Day Tuesday    5/23/17

Posted on by May 23, 2017
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A life worthy

I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”(Psalm 16:2)

Every now and then, my family goes out of town.  It’s just me and the dog.  And things are…different.  It’s not so much that I’m doing different things—I still eat, sleep, go to work, wash the occasional dish.  It’s that, without my family here, it all seems rather…blah.  The people for whom I do these things aren’t here, so my actions feel a little meaningless, a little empty.

It’s kinda like that in this verse.  Apart from God, I would still have things.  I would still do things.  I would still be things.  But those things would be devoid of meaning.

They would be robbed of their goodness.

With God at the center, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28, if you’re wondering).  Without him at the center, why bother?  Whatever I do, or think, or feel…it’s not going to be good.  Because he is what makes it good. In him I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28).

So, without him, bupkis.  With him…Woohooo!

Whadday say?  Shall we make today a Woohoo kinda day?

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

My Shield One-a-Day Monday    5/22/17

Posted on by May 22, 2017
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A life worthy

O Lord, how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me!  Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”

But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

Arise, O Lord!  Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

From the Lord comes deliverance.  May your blessing be upon your people (Psalm 3).

Now that, Beloved—that oughta kick-start your week.

Read it twice, out loud—though perhaps, you know, not in an elevator or other public transportation.  Then stand tall, square those shoulders, and walk into Monday secure in the knowledge that you are not alone.

You are his.

He is yours.

That is more than enough—it is everything.

So…go get ‘em.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Tell Your Story One-a-Day Friday    5/19/17

Posted on by July 19, 2019
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A life worthy

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion (Psalm 71:24).

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,

It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.

Refrain:

I love to tell the story,

’Twill be my theme in glory,

To tell the old, old story

Of Jesus and His love.

 

Thank you, Arabella Hankey!

Happy Friday, Beloved.

Praise! One-a-Day Thursday    5/18/17

Posted on by May 18, 2017
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A life worthy

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you–I whom you have delivered (Psalm 71:22-23).

Is your praise unfettered?

Are you able to throw your hands up, throw your head back, and dance and sing and shout your praise to God with all your heart and absolutely no reservations?

Me neither.

I go to church, and the music starts, and people around me begin to stand up and  I start to stand up too but then I think that maybe I’m only standing because other people are standing and I want to look as spiritual as they are and not like some pagan who doesn’t stand during the happy clappy song and then I see a guy three rows up on the aisle who isn’t standing either and I think “Good! Someone else isn’t standing” but then I realize he’s in a wheelchair so I really can’t count him and now I feel guilty because I was happy about a guy being in a wheelchair and I still feel like a pagan for not standing but I also feel resentful that I’m supposed to stand like somehow you’re not connecting with God if you don’t stand and people are going to see me and think I’m deeply disturbed or thoroughly backslidden because I’m not standing and now it’s the power chorus and people are raising their hands but I’m still sitting and I can’t raise my hands even if I want to because I’m sitting and I might accidentally smack somebody on the bottom and that would be significantly uncool and besides if I raise my hands while I’m sitting people will think I’m having a cardiac incident and waving for help or worse yet that I’m mocking the guy in a wheelchair because he’s raising his hands and finally the song is over and I have the announcements and the say howdy to your neighbor time to get a grip before it starts again…

But One Day, Beloved.  One Glorious Day…

Happy Thursday.

One Day One-a-Day Wednesday    5/17/17

Posted on by May 17, 2017
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A life worthy

You will increase my honor and comfort me once more (Psalm 71:21).

It won’t always be so hard.

Sometimes, you look at circumstances and you think, “This is lousy, and it’s always gonna be lousy, and it’s never gonna stop being lousy, and there’s nothing I can do to delouse it.”

But it’s not forever.

It’s just for now.

If you belong to Him, then you have a future that includes honor and comfort and joy and love and peace and contentment and joy and exhilaration and delight and joy and fulfillment and reward and joy.

Did I mention joy?

Maybe today

Maybe tomorrow

Definitely One Day.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Up From the Depths  One-a-Day Tuesday    5/16/17

Posted on by May 16, 2017
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A life worthy

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. (Psalm 71:20).

Sometimes life is hard.

In case you hadn’t noticed.

I’ve noticed recently that several people in my life are going through brutally difficult times.

And I have a fairly small life.

So much pain.  So much sorrow.  So much fear.  Sometimes I’m even afraid to pray for these people because I get caught up in it, swept up in it, and I feel like their pain will pick me up and carry me away.  And I want to help, but I know that there’s nothing I can do because I’m just Michael, and that’s really not so very much.

But then I read this verse.  I think back on yesterday’s verse.  I remember the troubles, many and bitter, that God has brought me through.  I remember that I am restored.

Redeemed.

And I know that, as painful as these times are, they are not eternal.

They may feel eternal…but that is a lie.

What is eternal, Beloved of Christ, is you.

And Him.

And you and him.

So remember that you are a child of promise.  And that promise is as strong and sure and certain as the One who made it.

He will lift you up.  Believe it.

If it helps…I’ll believe it with you.

Or for you.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.