Month: December 2023

Scripture Psalms 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

Observation: We all know we are called to serve, but we are called to serve with the right heart. Serving is an opportunity for us to please God, but so many of us will either refuse that opportunity or do it without the gladness it should bring. We have a Heavenly Father that watches over us and loves us more than we can imagine and our goal should be to please Him. When we serve in His name it should be with gladness to honor Him, but if we are going to do it under an obligation we might be better off doing nothing.

Application: I need to have more joy when I serve. I need to stop worrying about the details and focus on that I’m doing it for my Lord and the joy that it will bring Him when I do it out of love for Him. What a concept that we can bring joy to our Creator, but His word tells us we do.

Prayer: My Lord my ultimate goal is to bring you joy from this life you have created me for. Open doors for your servant to serve and draw me closer to you. May my joy come from knowing that I’m your faithful servant and when you think of me it brings a smile to your face.

Scripture Psalms 99:8 You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

Observation: God forgives our sins, but our sins do have consequences. If you commit adultery God will forgive you, but you will have a broken marriage and pay the penalty. Just like any other sin we will have to pay the penalty of that sin, yet God will forgive us and still answer our prayers. God is a good father and as it is written He will discipline His child to help them learn and grow stronger and walk in the path of righteousness.

Application: I need to think and pray before I do anything. I need to think of the consequences of my actions and if the honor a\or dishonor God. I need to plan to do good deeds and make sure I’m doing them for God’s glory and not my own. I’m an ambassador for Christ and need to represent my master and stay out of trouble.

Prayer: My Lord, I thank you for your mercy and grace, I thank you for answered prayer and protection you give me from my enemies. Give me discernment to do what is right and keep me from evil and help me stay on the path of righteousness. I love you Lord and what to live each day in glory and honor to you.

Scripture Psalms 98:9 For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.

Observation: We all hate to be judged. We don’t want to hear anything negative about ourselves and we don’t want to be told we did something wrong and very seldom do we let that judgment sink in so that we may improve ourselves. Well, a time is coming that we will be judged one last time and this time will matter for all eternity. We need to start looking within and judging how we are doing and work on improving. This judgment will have eternal consequences if we are found unrighteous before our Lord.

Application: I need to stop being self-righteous and to be God righteous. I need to look at my ways through God’s eyes and not my own. I need to seek to have the heart of Jesus in all that I do, so when God comes to judge me, I will find favor in His eyes. My God is righteous and because of that He is not lenient, but will judge all fairly.

Prayer: My Lord, I know you know my heart and I ask you to change it to be more like your Son. I want to do what is right, but my sinful nature puts me on other paths. Help me stay focused on you and guide me each day so I draw closer to You.

Scripture Psalms 97:10 You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Observation: You can’t love the Lord and be neutral about evil. If you love the Lord you will want to do what is right in His eyes and not consider doing evil. We need to hate evil, just the thought of it should make us mad and have no desire to do anything that would constitute evil. As long as we are focused on God and doing His will, He will keep us save and keep us from evil. We aren’t only to keep from evil ourselves, but to prevent evil that we see in the world.

Application: I can’t accept evil no matter where I see it. I need to have a fire burn within me that it upsets me. I need to do something about it and if I have no control over it bring it to the Lord in prayer. I can’t have evil in me which means bad thoughts about others, which I have almost every day. I can’t have any evil (sinful) thoughts, my ways are to be pure and my focus on God. I need to trust God that He will deliver me out of evil if I stay faithful to Him.

Prayer: My Lord keep me from evil especially the evil within me. Help me stay focused on you that I will glorify your name and be an example to others. May I not accept evil, but hate it as you hate it. Draw me close to you that my heart softens and becomes more like your Son’s.

Scripture Psalms 96:13 For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.

Observation: That is the message we need to get out to the world that the Lord is coming. I don’t understand why He has waited so long with all the evil and sin that is in the world, but it is not mine to know. God has a perfect plan and he’ll come when He desires to come. He will come ready to judge His people and we will be called to account. I’m not sure how much longer He will wait, but I need to be ready no matter when.

Application: My job is to tell others about my Lord and savior. My job is not to judge or point out others sin, but to tell them what Jesus did for me and point them to Him. How I handle my purpose in this life will be my judgment and the people I don’t tell will be on my head. I’m here as a messenger and I need to get the word out.

Prayer: My Lord I have been lazy doing my job. Make me a better servant and help get me going. May my mind be focused on the mission you have given me and may I be successful in all you call me to do. I love you and desire to please you, my Lord.

Scripture Psalms 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Observation: Sometimes I forget that God is my creator. I forget He created me specifically with all the gifts and abilities I have for a specific purpose and one of the reasons I was created was to have fellowship with my Creator. He made me to love, so why don’t I feel loved at times? Most likely because I don’t think of my Lord as much as He thinks of me. He has watched over me each day and has guided me when I listened. I’m created to worship Him by living this life in His honor.

Application: I need to appreciate His creation as much as He does. I have everything I need to be successful in my maker’s eyes and I need to learn to start looking through them. He has given me His word and directions on how to live a life that will reap rewards and though I don’t deserve anything from my Lord, it gives Him pleasure to give them to me as my good Father. It’s so hard to accept at times but I know it’s true.

Prayer: My Lord and my Maker. Thank you for making me, me. It took a long time for me to realize I was created the way I am for a purpose and that You didn’t want to change a thing, that I was perfect in your eyes and I thank you. May I use all that you have given me to complete the tasks you have set before me. I love you my Lord may I worship you with my actions.

Scripture Psalms 94:3 LORD, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked triumph?

Observation: Each day I watch the news and I don’t know why. It is full of evil and breaks my heart. Just yesterday a murderer went into a school in Oregon and killed 10 people asking first what their religious beliefs were. All throughout the world is nothing but evil and hatred and I ask myself how long will God allow this. I know He wants none to perish, but each day it seems worse and the earth is turning into Hell.

Application: I’m only one person so what can I do. I can do what God calls me to do. I won’t affect the world, but if I help turn just one person from their evil ways and open their eyes to Jesus, it may be all that God has called me to do. He loves us so much that even one sinner is worth the sacrifice He made and He is calling me to be obedient to Him and focus on the lost and bring them to Him.

Prayer: My Lord my mind wanders everywhere. Help me focus on Your desires and show me how to fulfill the purpose You have created me for. I pray that my life will glorify your name and show others the love You have for them. Draw me close to You.