Persistent Prayer

Today is Saturday, the thirtieth of July, 2022, in the seventeenth week of Ordinary Time.

May the peace of Christ dwell within you today!

Day 23,515

Twenty days until S turns 29!

We hit 103, yesterday, two degrees beyond the predicted 101, so our streak is now at fourteen days, and we have had a total of 34 days of 100+ temps, this summer. More importantly, however . . .

It rained.

Not for very long, maybe a half hour, and it was only a tenth of an inch (I didn’t measure it, but that’s what the nearest airport said), but it rained. It smelled so good, sounded so good, and felt so good. And the temperature dropped quite a bit when that happened. Between about 4 PM and 6:30, it dropped twenty degrees. The high today, at least on one of my weather apps, is predicted to be only 96.

We are going to Mineral Wells, later this morning. I have a lunch gathering with some old High School bandmates at 11:30, so I’ll go there while Mama and C go to the house. It’s going to be hot in that house, though, so I’m not sure how much work will get done. Or actually how much is left to be done, either. We’re very close to needing to get a truck to move the large pieces that we will be bringing to our house, and then we’ll be ready to get the estate sale going. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen until autumn, though.

The Texas Rangers won their second in a row, beating the Angels 7-2, once again behind the stellar pitching of Martin Perez. I’m a little concerned that the article about the game begins with, “With the trade deadline looming . . . ” It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they traded Perez. That’s what the Rangers are notorious for doing. He’s their only good pitcher, this year, and they’ll probably trade him, which will dash any hopes for playoffs this season. He has won nine straight games.

The Rangers are now 45-54 for the season, still in third place in the AL West, still twenty games out of first, and 7.5 out of the Wild Card race. They play the Angels again, tonight, in LA, at 8:07 CDT.

The Red Sox lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-1, making their record 50-51 for the season. They are in last place in the AL East, eighteen games out of first place, and 3.5 out of the Wild Card race.

The Dodgers continue to hold the best MLB record (by percentage), at 67-32. The Nationals are still the worst, at 34-67. The Mets and Athletics kept their win streaks alive, so they are tied with four straight wins. The Pirates lost again, so their losing streak is now at five games. The Yankees still have the best run differential, at +203, but are only ten runs ahead of the Dodgers. The Nationals continue to have the worst run differential, now at -164. The Rangers improved to +10, and the Red Sox dropped to -17.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Lord our God, we are your children. Hear all our concerns, we pray, for we want help from you, not from men, not from anything we can think or say. May your power be revealed in our time. We long for a new age, an age of peace in which people are changed. We long for your day, the day when your power will be revealed to poor, broken humankind. Be with us, and give our hearts what will remain with us, the strength and mercy of Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Daily Prayer from Plough.com)

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

Today I am grateful:

1. for RAIN!!
2. for the power, love, and self-discipline we receive from God's Spirit; may we employ that in our everyday living
3. for an opportunity to reconnect with old friends
4. for the lessons of the parables of Jesus
5. for the ability to acknowledge my weaknesses and unworthiness before the Lord, and the ability to rejoice in all things

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Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:12-14 ESV)

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
(Luke 9:62 ESV)

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
(Romans 6:13 ESV)

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. . . . “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
(Luke 18:1, 6-8 NIV)

Is Jesus teaching that we have to badger God into giving us what we want? Certainly not! But I have to confess that I have often puzzled over this passage (it’s not the only one I puzzle over, believe me).

But see the first verse in the chapter. Jesus is telling His disciples this parable why? “To show them that they should always pray and not give up.” It’s not the only time that He used a so-called “secular” device to teach one of His principles.

There is another principle at play, though, that might explain why we don’t get what we ask for, at least not right away. “God in His wisdom, righteousness, and love, dare not give us what would do us harm if we received it too soon or too easily.” (Andrew Murray)

Yet another principle to consider is what we are really after when we pray. I have discussed, previously, that prayer is not just a way for us to get what we want from God. And there are too many instances where people treat it that way. How many folks only pray when something is wrong?

Certainly, or Father wants to give us what we need. There may even be times when He gives us what we want. But He also earnestly desires fellowship with us, and that we would desire fellowship with Him more than we want His gifts. We all know what it feels like when, upon coming home from a trip away from the rest of the family, the first words out of the children’s mouths is, “What did you get me??”

I imagine that our Father feels the same way when we only pray to Him when we need or want something.

“We discover how earthly and finite our heart is and how we need God’s Holy Spirit to help us. Here we come to know our own weakness and unworthiness and to yield to God’s Spirit to pray through us.” In this, we also learn to crucify, with Christ, our own way and will.

“Let us acknowledge how vain our work for God has been due to our lack of prayer. We can change our methods and make continuing, persistent prayer the proof that we look to God for all things and that we believe He hears and answers us.”

As we carefully consider these things, it is worth noting that there is a not-so-recent trend in dismissing any idea of our unworthiness before God. While it is true that Christ has made us “worthy,” it is also true that we have no intrinsic worth without Him. This does not mean that we walk around with stooped shoulders and droopy faces, thinking bad things about ourselves all the time.

There is a balance here, and Paul speaks of this when he talks about boasting in his own weaknesses.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)

So, along with Paul, I proudly proclaim my weakness, and my unworthiness, because it is in the acknowledgment of these truths that He is seen as strong and worthy. And I also choose to rejoice in these things.

That’s the prayer word of the day, by the way, “rejoice.” And our choice in this is emphasized by a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “It is about your outlook towards life. You can either regret or rejoice.”

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
(Romans 12:12-15 ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
(Philippians 4:4 ESV)

Today's sources:
Pray a Word a Day
Daily Guideposts 2022
Power in Prayer, by Andrew Murray
Spiritual Classics, by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin

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Father, I thank You that You hear our prayers all the time. But I also thank You that You know what is best for us, at all times, and that You will not answer a prayer in the way that we want, if it will do us harm in any way (either spiritually or physically). Thank You for the parables of Jesus that teach us how to pray. Thank You for the examples of persistent prayer, to show us that we ought never give up in prayer.

I pray that my prayers would reflect Your will on earth, so that they will be more effective. I pray that my heart’s desires would be Your heart’s desires. And I know that the way for this to happen is for me to delight myself in You.

It is my heart’s desire, also, that I would desire fellowship with You more than the gifts that You give. Sometimes, I just want to sit and contemplate, basking in Your grace and mercy, in Your presence. There is such a warmth and acceptance in Your presence, Father, that even those words fail to describe.

And it is in that presence that I see the truth of how unworthy I am of all that You have done for me. However, I do not take that unworthiness to a level of self-deprecation that would cause me pain or grief. I celebrate it, because in Christ, You have made me worthy! I rejoice, along with Paul (not comparing myself to him in any way), that in my weaknesses, I am strong because of You and the work done in Jesus Christ on my behalf.

Help me to distance myself from thoughts and actions that would draw me away from You, or disturb my fellowship with You. And may my joy in You continue to grow and flourish.

Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!

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“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;”
(Isaiah 55:6 ESV)

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalms 16:11 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

SHINE!!!!

Today is Saturday, the twenty-sixth of March, 2022, in the third week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,389

I’ve been looking forward to this day for a couple weeks. Why? Because, today, C and I are going out to “celebrate” my birthday, which was two weeks ago. She had to work that weekend, and I had to work last Saturday, so we now have this Saturday to get out and do some things.

She has one thing planned for us that is a surprise. After that, we will have lunch and then head to Grapevine for a couples’ massage. I’m really looking forward to that. I have no idea where we will have lunch, nor do I really have a clue what the first activity will be. I do know that it’s not axe-throwing.

Next week will be busy, but not bad. I have a podiatrist appointment Monday morning, and a vein clinic appointment on Thursday morning. I work Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, so there is something going on every day. It will be okay, though.

My schedule may change slightly, going forward. One of the aides who works exclusively in the Computer Center got a job at the Irving library. he is not quitting Hurst, but may have to shift hours some, which may leave a whole in Computer Center coverage. Not sure what that will look like, just yet. But my manager told me yesterday about it, during our monthly one-on-one. It won’t increase my hours, and it sounds like the sixteen hours a week in circulation will stay the same, so I may not be doing shelving every Tuesday. We shall see.

Speaking of my manager, who is the coolest ever, well, let me give a tiny bit of back story. We have posters spread around the library, that simply have the word “READ” on them, featuring various celebrities holding books. There is one in particular, on the back wall in the non-fiction section, that I had expressed interest in having, should they ever change them or replace them. I believe I expressed said interest multiple times.

When I arrived at work, yesterday, there was a rolled-up poster in my inbox.

My boss is awesome! And yes, I might have a bit of a “crush” on Rachel McAdams.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

"Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
(The Book of Common Prayer, Morning Collect for Daily Devotions)

No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
(Matthew 5:15-16 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. for this lovely Saturday and its forthcoming events
2. that we, followers of Christ, are to be light in this world; go forth and shine!
3. that our relationship with God gives us dignity; may we extend that same dignity to our fellow human beings!
4. for the expectancy that God is going to move and that He will finish what He started
5. that I am loved, and that you are loved; YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤ 

Today’s prayer word is “light.” Now, there is a word that is replete with meaning. I mean, how many different meanings can you think of for the word “light?” In this case, it refers that that which obliterates the darkness.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
(Ephesians 5:8 NIV)

Now, what I find interesting in this verse (and admit having not noticed it before) is that the verse, at least in my favorite translations (ESV, included) states that the recipients of the letter WERE darkness and ARE light. This is a state of being, not a characteristic that was possessed. NLT and MSG indicate that the people were once full of darkness, but now have light. Honestly, I’m not a Greek scholar, so I don’t know which one is correct.

But the idea that one could be so full of darkness that one actually becomes darkness, and the resulting change of knowing Christ is that one actually becomes light . . . that idea appeals to me, greatly. And we have the admonition, that is pretty much the same in each translation, “Live as children of light.”

The writer, known only as “Becky,” speaks of entering a friend’s home, shrouded in darkness, as the friend wallowed in depression, and throwing open curtains to allow the light in. I like that example.

“Maybe that’s what Jesus wants me to do – throw open the curtains for others, allowing His light to illuminate the darkness around them.” I like that. But here’s what that doesn’t mean: It doesn’t mean noisily and hatefully expressing our opinions in the name of “right” or “light.”

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
(1 John 1:5 ESV)

But, the following is also true:

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
(1 John 4:8 ESV)

And . . .

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
(1 John 4:16 ESV)

So don’t go trying to be “light” without also being “love.”

(From Pray a Word a Day)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
(Psalms 133:1 ESV)

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
(Proverbs 27:17 ESV)

Two are better than one, 
because they have a good reward for their toil. 
For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. 
But woe to him who is alone when he falls 
and has not another to lift him up! 
Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, 
but how can one keep warm alone? 
And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, 
two will withstand him—
a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV)

So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
(1 Corinthians 12:24-26 NLT)

As God’s people, we should live lives of expectancy. Instead, a large number of us seem to live lives of reaction. We react to circumstances around us, and we are not reacting well. We are complaining and whining about minor inconveniences, as though we believe the world is about to end. It may be about to end, but that is not because gas prices hit $4 a gallon again.

God’s typical movement is to approach us. He “comes,” He does not “leave.” He comes and He speaks, and we need to be awake to this truth.

We need to “develop lives that connect what God did in the past with what he will do in the future. Will we live in spasms and jerks, in fits and starts, in fads and fashions? or will we live coherently and organically, believing that God will complete what he has begun? The expectant command is for us to love.”

And then this:

“We ought to cultivate the skills that equip us to live in cheerful anticipation of what God will do tomorrow. Will we live anxiously, complaining and querulous, because we don’t have all we want or because we don’t know what is coming next? Or will we live in confident joy, sure that God’s next move will be a good one? The expectant command is for us to rejoice.”

(From On Living Well, by Eugene H. Peterson)

So let’s pull this all together, here. We are light. We are expected to imitate Jesus in being the “light of the world.” We are also supposed to be love, as God is love. So we can be light, removing the darkness, not by violence and fighting, but by shining and loving! When you turn on a lightbulb in a room, there is no fighting or violence. There is no explosion, and there is no noise. The lightbulb simply and quietly shines.

Father, oh, Father! My heart is full of praise and expectation in this moment! You have filled me with light, and love! Thank You for the Light of the world, Jesus! And thank You for infusing us with that same Light, so that we might also be light in this world. I pray for us, Your children, Lord, that we might truly shine as light, blocking the darkness. But remind us, oh, please remind us, that we do not accomplish this with violence and fighting, but simply by allowing Your light to shine through us.

I pray for unity within Your Church, Lord. And I desperately pray that, if there are those who will not be unified, that they would just leave. I’m serious. I would love to see the ones who insist on fighting, complaining, and whining, just get out. Let them go start their own “church.” Let Your Church be filled with people who want to live and walk in the words of Jesus Christ, loving You and loving others as themselves. Let the witch hunters and haters be brought down, Lord. There is no place for hatred in Your kingdom!

That being said, I would rather see said folks repent and begin to shine and love.

Help me to live a life of expectancy, being awake to Your coming and speaking in my life, being filled with love, fully believing that You will finish what You started, both in me and in this world/universe, and rejoicing, believing that what You are going to do next will not only be good, but will be excellent and praiseworthy!

All glory to You, through the Son and by the Spirit.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
(2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Rejoice!

Good morning. It is pre-Friday, July 10, 2014.

Today is Teddy Bear Picnic Day. I remember this one from last year. It seems that it should always be on a weekend, though. Who has time for a picnic on Thursday??

Christi’s job situation is about the same. However, I think she is making strides, especially in sticking up for herself and speaking up about things that are just crazy. I think that’s a good thing. I’m praying that she can speak some sense into the operation and get things calmed down a bit. It would be good for everyone.

Stephanie is back over at Megan’s house, at least for last night, maybe for tonight, too. I think we need a break from this. 😀

As of last night’s fourth consecutive loss, the Texas Rangers are now worse than the Houston Astros. By one percentage point. So, this morning, the Rangers and the Red Sox are both in last place. What a great season.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8

(From The Divine Hours)

But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 115:18
Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant.
Psalm 86:16
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah.
Psalm 32:7
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 54:4
But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him! Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
Psalm 68:3-5

“Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father,
you have brought me in safety to this new day:
Preserve me with your mighty power,
that I may not fall into sin,
nor be overcome by adversity;
and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose;
through Jesus Christ my Lord.
Amen.”

Today’s reading in Reflections for Ragamuffins is “Rejoice! Rejoice!”

Brennan refers to the act of rejoicing as “good humor.” He says that good humor helps us be victorious over “that subtle form of egotism that would make [us] pose as a martyr or at least a victim, that makes [us] always want to be noticed, consoled, or placed on a pedestal.” It also makes the life of our community “richer and more delightful.”

In Philippians, Paul exhorted the Christian community to rejoice. “Rejoice in the Lord always! Rejoice! Everyone should see how unselfish you are. The Lord is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God’s own peace which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.”

Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say,
rejoice.
Philippians 4:4

Father, help me to rejoice more. Just this morning, after reading this, I am more inclined to be rejoicing! Even though there are plenty of struggles and trials to be concerned about, there is much, much more in our lives to be rejoicing about! I pray that I will be more unselfish today. I pray that anxiety will be dismissed from my mind, and that I will trust you implicitly! May I be faithful in letting my request be made known to you, and that your peace will surround my heart and my mind, guarding them from anything that would harm or distract me.

I pray for this day. May we have safe passage to and from work today. I pray that Christi will continue to make headway in her work situations. I pray for your intervention in the operations, and that she will be successful today. I pray for Stephanie today, that you would give her peace and understanding. I pray for Megan’s comfort, as her pet guinea pig died on Sunday. I know how much things like that affect people like Stephanie and Megan. She is very distraught.

Your grace is sufficient, Lord. Fill us.

Rejoice in the Lord!! I will say it again! Rejoice!!

Grace and peace, friends.

Rejoice! Be Reasonable! Don’t Worry! Be Content! Be Generous!

It’s Thursday, right? And I’m sneezing my head off. And that’s annoying. Especially when it rolls far enough away that I have to get up to retrieve it.

Two more work days until vacation. Today and tomorrow, I’m training someone to take my place next week. That’s always a dilemma, you know? How well do you train someone to fill in for you while you’re gone? I mean…you don’t want the company to figure out they could get by without you, do you? Just kidding. Seriously…everyone is expendable. If you think you are not replaceable, you will be very shocked someday.

Pray for our pastor and his family. It seems that they have all come down with some kind of “bug.”

I’m taking Stephanie to school today. There’s a pep rally early. I don’t even want a chance of last Friday’s scene.

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Today’s Bible readings:
Philippians 4; 2 Kings 23:31-24:20; Proverbs 18:13-18
Philippians 4 contains some final exhortations and greetings. After pleading with two women to get along, Paul gives these instructions: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (vv. 4-7)
We have plenty to rejoice about, so we should rejoice! But also, look at verse 5. “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed that verse before. I figure most of us skip right over from rejoicing to verses 6-7, which are some very popular memory verses. But think about that. I’ve met a lot of believers in my life who are totally unreasonable! What does it mean to be “reasonable?” I’ve found a few definitions. “Not extreme or excessive.” “Possessing sound judgment.” Ooookaaayyy…. Moving right along… Seriously, though…did you ever notice that we have a Biblical mandate to be reasonable? Apparently, a lot of other folks haven’t either.
I’m also a little shocked to notice that verse 6 is not the beginning of the sentence. I’ve always heard it that way. The memory verses always begin with “Do not be anxious about anything…” But the sentence actually begins in verse 5! “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything…” Is Paul referring to Christ’s return, or is he speaking of Christ’s abiding presence with us? (Keep in mind, I’m reading the ESV. The KJV actually starts the sentence in verse 6.) But since we have the presence of Christ, we have this admonition to not be anxious. Anxiety is incompatible with trust in God! Do we truly realize this? So, instead of being anxious, we are to bring our requests to God with thanksgiving. I’m not sure that means (as many have interpreted) that we are supposed to thank God in advance for answering our prayers. I’m not really a big fan of that practice. I see that more as being presumptuous than as having faith. Nevertheless, we are to be thankful when we come to him in prayer. And the result? PEACE! The kind of peace that cannot be understood.

Heh. In verse 8, Paul says “finally” again. Didn’t he say that in 3:1? “FINALLY, finally!” Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. This is a big one. If we were to think about all the things we think about (what??), would we find that they are “true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise?” I cringe when I read this verse. I think there are a lot of things that I spend time with that aren’t any of those things. Do the TV shows that I watch fit this description? What about all the books I read? Am I willing to chunk everything in my life that doesn’t fit the description in Philippians 4:8? I haven’t gotten there yet. Have you? This is a tough one.

Paul continues by telling us that he has learned to be content. He has faced hunger and need, and has had plenty. But he has learned to be content in all situations. This is another one that’s tough for most of us. We need this. Perhaps it’s part of being “reasonable.” Then there’s verse 13. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Don’t we love to yank that verse right out of it’s context and throw it around like a cure-all? Paul is speaking in terms of his ability to be content in any circumstances. He’s not claiming super-invulnerability, here. Context is key. Whatever situation he finds himself in, Paul has learned, by the strength of Jesus Christ, to be content and to survive.
Another verse that we love to pull out of context is verse 19. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Again, we throw that around like it will fix everything. But read the verses before it to see who Paul is speaking to and what he means. He is speaking to people who have shared out of their need to support his ministry! So before you go claiming Philippians 4:19 as a promise, check your generosity level. Have you been supporting the gospel of Christ? If not, you have no grounds whatsoever to be quoting that verse!

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The main event that happens in the passage in 2 Kings is that Nebuchadnezzar comes to Jerusalem and carries everyone off to Babylon.

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There are several good verses in the Proverbs passage (as if there are some that aren’t good?). Verse 13: If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. How many times do we start answering someone before they finish talking?
Verse 15: An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Verse 17: The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. This is meaningful for me, because I’m the type who hears the first argument and says, “Yeah, he’s got a good point.” Then along comes the second argument, and I’m, like, “Oh…wait a minute, now…” So we should hear all sides of an issue before we make up our minds, right?

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Father, I call out praises to you this morning. I call out to you, the God who is. You, who are YHWH, “I AM.” I will rejoice in you today. No matter what comes my way, I will rejoice. I will do my very best to be reasonable today. I thank you for showing me these truths today that I have not noticed before. I thank you that the Bible continues to be a living book, teaching me new things every day! I will endeavor to be content in all circumstances today, believing that I can, in fact, do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I pray that you will continue to keep us generous. You have gifted my family with enough. And we have been, over time, willing to share with others, to support the gospel of Christ with our giving. I pray that we will continue this, and that we will never get greedy or stingy. I have confidence that will supply all of our needs through your riches in Christ Jesus.
Lord, let my heart be intelligent; let my ears be wise. Let me seek your knowledge always. Let me be quick to listen and slow to answer. But also let me always have an answer for my faith. Give me the preparedness of the Holy Spirit in case someone questions me about my faith in you.

Father, I pray for this day. I pray for another good day for Stephanie. She’s had three good days this week. Keep us safe as we travel to and from work and school. I pray for a good work day for Christi and me. Give me wisdom as I work with someone to show them my job for next week.
I pray for our Lifehouse meeting tonight. I pray that as we continue to share our “stories” with each other, that you would grow us closer in fellowship and in grace. I look forward to these meetings and growing with these people.

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A lot of good stuff today. Not from me…from God’s word. The biggest one for me today is being reasonable.

Grace and peace, friends.