From the 23rd Psalm   

For every need, there is a name of Father-God that corresponds to the need. His faithfulness and his caring meet in the 23rd Psalm to portray our intimately personal Shepherd. God’s character in all of his covenant names can be seen in this psalm. Ask him what he wants you to know about who he is, what he does, what you have in him through each name. Cultivate your personal communion with God praying this Scripture.

The Lord is my Shepherd – 
Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord my Shepherd
Thank your Shepherd that he knows you by name and wants to communicate with you. Talk to him about your intimate relationship with him.

I shall lack nothing –
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord my Provider
Thank your good Shepherd that he provides all your needs, beginning with redemption. Ask him to carry all your worries, burdens, and cares.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters –
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord my Peace
Thank Jesus your Peace for his attention to the details of your life. Tell him you want to see him more clearly in your “dailies.” Let him speak to you.

He restores my soul –
Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord my Healer
Because Jesus your Healer became man, he understands everything you have experienced. Thank your Healer for healing the hurts. Remember his times of restoration.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake –
Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord my Righteousness
Thank the Righteous One that you are accepted in him and completely forgiven. Thank your Shepherd for his guidance of your life for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me –
Jehovah-Shammah: God who is there
Thank God who is there for his presence with you that dispels all fear. Your Shepherd is always there for you. Thank him that he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Thank God for his loving authority in your life to discipline, correct, and give you the security of loving limits. Thank him that you can never mess up so bad that you fear punishment by him.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies –
Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord my Banner of victory
Thank your Banner for his strength and protection against the enemy. Thank him that Jesus lives victorious in you.

You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.
Thank your Shepherd for his grace and favor that he gives you so generously. Thank him that you can enjoy fellowship with him.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Thank your Shepherd that you can continuously sense his presence because of his faithfulness. Worship him with a song that speaks of his nearness and love.

by Sylvia Gunter
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Psalm 23 Reflection by Cathy Cheek

Psalm 23   by Alec Niemi

Follow the Leader by Karen Huffaker

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The post Praying the Character of Your Father appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to [Jesus] and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me.”  Luke 10:40

Ever feel like a Martha? Someone who is focused, driven, hardworking “someone who wants to just get things done? Have you ever read Jesus’ interaction with Mary and her sister Martha, and felt sympathy for poor Martha, who is doing her best to be busy and work, only to be reproved by Jesus?

Does Jesus despise working hard? Surely not; Jesus commends hard work and perseverance (Revelation 2:2), and gives many parables to illustrate the value of hard work (such as the Two Sons, Matthew 21:32). What, then, does Jesus object to? Martha was not just working, but was : distracted,”  “worried,” and “upset.” Just as “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17), the inverse is also true: Actions done with a gladful heart are what God desires.

What is the “better” thing that Mary has chosen? “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29). If Martha were doing her work with the proper focus (on God) and a loving attitude, she would not have complained that her sister was focusing on listening to Jesus, for Jesus told the crowds to “Listen and understand.”  (Matthew 15:10).

Even when we have a Martha attitude, we can take comfort in this: “Jesus loved Martha”  (John 11:5) Even when we miss the mark, have a bad attitude, or lose patience, God still loves us. Take this opportunity today to examine your servant life, and see if your heart is “distracted,” “worried,” and “upset.” If so, it would be worthwhile to take time to spend some time in peace and quiet with God. Remember, “Jesus loved Martha.”

Question: Is your heart distracted, worried, or upset today? If so, take solace in the fact that God loves you, and try to turn those feelings into something great, by listening to God through His word.

by Darren Hewer
used by permission

FURTHER READING

But How Does it End?

Imbalanced Prayer

Wandering Desires

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Thoughts on today’s verse

God wants to hear our prayers, but to keep them from becoming too self-focused, God wants us always to remember to give thanks. It is so easy for us to turn prayer into a request line. We are the ones who are left bereft when thanksgiving and praise are robbed from our prayers.

Prayer:

Gracious God, I have so many reasons to praise you. In the face of trial and hardship I have your promises to reawaken my hope. In the moment of victory I have you to thank for my abilities. In the boredom of the routine, I have great joys in your surprises. Thank you, God, for being so great and yet so loving. In Jesus name. Amen.

by Phil Ware
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Do You Spend Time Under the Broom Tree?

Prayer: The Great Exchange

The Wellspring of Peace

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I don’t know about you, but I love going to Charity performances, etc., and feel really good about giving my money to a worthy cause.  It makes me feel warm inside and generally, I have a great time with my friends as well.  This week, I had cause to read the passage from Matthew about giving, and it made me stop and question my way of giving.

I asked myself if I would have given that money if I didn’t get anything out of it? Would I have been willing to give a homeless person I met in the street a bed and shelter without the fear that they would take my possessions or dirty my clean house?  I don’t think so.  It is far easier to give to an organization, using the excuse that they are able to deal with the situation much better than I can.

Another question that needs my answer is whether I would give my money to the church if I wasn’t in the planned giving program?  I know I give my time and my talents freely, but would I give my money anonymously during the week and not just on a Sunday when it is time for the offering?

I found these tough questions to answer but think we need to ask them every now and again, keeping in mind these verses and the way we give of our time and our money.

Matthew 6:1-4: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Prayer: God of Wisdom and Compassion, thank you that you sent your Son to teach us your ways so that we can make your Kingdom here on Earth a better place and also bring us closer to you.  Help us to see all our giving as an act from you and not from ourselves.  Amen

By Terry Stead
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Tithing – The Generosity Habit

Try Tithing

Joyful Generosity

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“He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart.” Psalm 15:2

Singer Bethany Dillon believes that college students value honesty when you’re telling them about Jesus. She said, “If Christ is shared in an honest, no frills, very passionate way, I think [the message] is heard.”

When Deanna heard that, she was puzzled.  All her life she had never let out what she really felt inside. So, her faith on campus seemed all too surreal to her classmates. Most of them thought she came from a loving home. But that wasn’t true.

Dear friend, honesty speaks far louder than the content of your words.  When Deanna decided to admit her emotional scars, the work God had done in her life seemed genuine. Christ’s love, comfort and joy were evident now as Deanna spoke honestly.

Maybe it’s time you shared how Christ has totally changed your life, honestly!   I think the difficulty in sharing with college-aged people is that it’s such a transitional season of life, SO much learning is going on– figuring out who you really are– taking hold of independence for the first time… I just think there are a lot of walls that go up because of it. However, I also feel like people in college really value HONESTY… whatever’s  REAL, you know? And if Christ is shared in a brutally honest, no frills, very passionate way, I think it’s heard.  I think one of the most precious things about His presence in my life is the permission to be HONEST… whether that’s weeping on my floor for hours without saying a word, or dancing around like a fool and not thinking twice about it. For that to be a safe place full of understanding, that’s been such a healing thing.

by Vonette Bright
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Ideas to share Christ’s love

Extending Grace to Others

Love is Patient and Kind – a story of a man on a bus

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I hear from different people as to how they have been ‘turned off’ by something some Christian has done. Or they say that so-and-so is such a hypocrite. My usual first response is that if we allow a hypocrite between us and God then the hypocrite must be closer to God than we are. However the biblical model is that we need to be more others centered, trying to be the model of Christ rather than a stumbling block.

My prayer for you this week:

“I pray that whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you do it all for the glory of God, not causing anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 10:31, 32

by Alec Niemi
used by permission

FURTHER READING

He Sets us Free

More Than Euphoria

Confession is a Radical Reliance Upon Grace

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Anger. It’s a peculiar yet predictable emotion. It begins as a drop of water. An irritant. A frustration. Nothing big, just an aggravation. Someone gets your parking place.

Someone pulls in front of you on the freeway. A waitress is slow and you are in a hurry. The toast burns. Drops of water. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Yet, get enough of these seemingly innocent drops of anger and before long you’ve got a bucket full of rage. Walking revenge.

Blind bitterness. Unharnessed hatred. We trust no one and bare our teeth at anyone who gets near. We become walking time bombs that, given just the right tension and fear, could explode.

Yet, what do we do? We can’t deny that our anger exists. How do we harness it? A good option is found in Luke 23:34. Here, Jesus speaks about the mob that killed him. ‘Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’

Look carefully. It’s as if Jesus considered this bloodthirsty, death-hungry crowd not as murderers, but as victims. It’s as if he saw in their faces not hatred but confusion. It’s as if he regarded them not as a militant mob but, as he put it, as ‘sheep without a shepherd. They don’t know what they are doing.

And when you think about it, they didn’t. They hadn’t the faintest idea what they were doing. They were a stir-crazy mob, mad at something they couldn’t see so they took it out on, of all people, God. But they didn’t know what they were doing.

And for the most part, neither do we. We are still, as much as we hate to admit it, shepherdless sheep. All we know is that we were born out of one eternity and are frighteningly close to another. We play tag with the fuzzy realities of death and pain. We can’t answer our own questions about love and hurt. We can’t solve the riddle of aging. We don’t know how to heal our own bodies or get along with our own mates. We can’t keep ourselves out of war. We can’t even keep ourselves fed.

Paul spoke for humanity when he confessed,

“I do not know what I am doing.” (Romans 7:15, author’s paraphrase.)

Now, I know that doesn’t justify anything. That doesn’t justify hit-and-run drivers or kiddie-porn peddlers or heroin dealers. But it does help explain why they do the miserable things they do.

My point is this: Uncontrolled anger won’t better our world, but sympathetic understanding will. Once we see the world and ourselves for what we are, we can help. Once we understand ourselves we begin to operate not from a posture of anger but of compassion and concern. We look at the world not with bitter frowns but with extended hands. We realize that the lights are out and a lot of people are stumbling in the darkness. So we light candles.

by Max Lucado
used by permission

From: No Wonder They Call Him the Savior
© W Publishing Group, 1986, 2004

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about-max

FURTHER READING

Anger Management

Watch Your Anger – Psalm 37:8

The Danger of Anger

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“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NLT)

She was elderly and very sweet. I was intrigued with the way she never asked, “How are you?” No, she would look you in the eye and ask, “So, what’s alive in you today?”

It’s a good question. It’s something to think on. Pause right now and ask yourself, “Where did I feel most alive today, most hopeful, most near God?”

Also ask, “Where did I feel most lifeless, most despairing, farthest from God?

Be a better steward of your memory and let it work for you as you review your day. Let it propel you onward toward God and toward true rest and peace. (The Rest of God chapter 15 by Mark Buchanan)

When we pause to examine our moments of life and lifelessness in the course of a day, we can track the wind of God’s Spirit in our lives. We can train the rhythm of our hearts.

Quiet yourself and reflect on your day. When were you most alive? Most empty? What was going on in that moment? Allow God to use your memory to draw you on. Press on to all God has for you. Allow recall to train your restlessness in the direction God wants you to go toward Him.

Father God, Thank you that Your plan for me is to be fully alive. Help me to be aware of my thoughts and to allow You to change my thinking as I draw near to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: So far today, can you define the moment you felt most alive? Ask God to sharpen your thoughts so you can grow in the good plans He has for your life today.

By Gail Rodgers
used by permission

FURTHER READING

You’re Alive, Be Strong

Don’t Go With the Flow

Renewed and Revitalized

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There have been many times in past years, even decades, that my life did not track the way I thought it would. Yet, I learned that when it doesn’t track according to my plan, that doesn’t mean it isn’t tracking according to God’s plan. When I watched my life take twists and turns that did not seem to add up to any expectation of what I perceived to be God’s plan for my life, I wrestled with how to deal with the perplexing turns my life was taking.

I know God is in the business of changing, moulding, shaping, and testing us. There will be unexpected twists and turns in the events of our lives that will make us wonder what God is doing and the answer won’t seem clear at all. That is part of the test to see if we are serious about the work He has called us to do. It is also part of the test to see if we are willing to be changed, moulded, and prepared for what He has planned for us in His perfect timing, perfect way, and in His perfect will.

I don’t know if the perplexing part of my journey was God changing me, preparing me, testing me, or the enemy assaulting me, or if it was all of those. If God was changing me, I am definitely a different person now. If He was testing me, I want to pass the test.  If He was preparing me, I am thankful for the work He is doing in me. If the enemy was attacking me, he failed.

God is building something out of our lives, and the beginning product does not look like the finished product. God is the one with the blueprint and the plan. Looking back across the years of my life’s journey, I can trace God’s work in my life through many turns in the road, including detours and disappointments, along with joy and blessings. Ultimately, His will is being accomplished in my life, and I choose to walk this road with Him, even when I don’t know where the road is leading.

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

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“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:22-23, 25-26

Before the verses you see above, the writer says he is quite sure God is punishing him for something! He says God has turned against him, waits like a lion to pounce, has bent his bow ready to shoot, and has cracked his teeth with gravel! (Books like Lamentations convince me God knows how to relate with real people with real problems!)

I have felt the same at times, and when I do, it’s easy to blame God for my ills. Perhaps God is using hardship to shape me, but maybe I just want an easy scapegoat for problems I created myself.

The bigger point here is the writer’s resolve: “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

When you pray, do you rant and shake your fist at God? Or do you sit quietly, assured of his faithful renewal even amidst turmoil?

God, I admit that it’s so easy to think that You cause my grief. If I have displeased You, show me where, and help me choose otherwise. In the meantime, God, help me to rest in Your faithfulness and compassion which is new every morning. Amen.

Ask God to renew your hope and to be your strength amidst your challenges.  Share with someone else how God is faithful despite your challenges.

By Bill Strom
Used by Permission

Bill also writes for www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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“‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”  Isaiah 1:18

We find promises of redemption sprinkled throughout Isaiah’s book. To redeem means to buy back or pay off–to satisfy a debt.

With these words, Isaiah prophesies a day of atonement, a time of cleansing, a sure salvation.

When we examine ourselves honestly, we see our sin. We recognize that we can’t fix our mistakes or stop sinning on our own. That’s why the promise of redemption brings such hope, joy, and peace.

We need cleansing. We need forgiveness. We need a Savior.

Listen to God’s words recorded by Isaiah:

“The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.” (Isaiah 4:4)

“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1)

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)

These promises from the past point to our present reality. Jesus Christ—the Redeemer—came to save us.

God, thank you for giving me the promise of redemption. I acknowledge that You are my King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: You are the first and the last; apart from You there is no God. I proclaim, my Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name—is the Holy One. Amen.

Questions: How can I live out the forgiveness Jesus offers me? Do I always see Him as my Savior?

By Suzanne Benner
Used by Permission

Jesus loves you.

He died for you on the cross, and then He rose again, defeating death forever. The pain in this world is not the final word. The empty tomb on Easter morning is!

If a relationship with God is something you crave, it can start here and now.  God cares far less about your words than the attitude of your heart.  So tell Him what you’re thinking.  Here is suggestion:

God, I believe that you created me to know you.  Thank you for sending your son Jesus, as a sacrifice to pay the penalty that I deserve.  I believe that his death and resurrection has restored me to you.  Please forgive me for everything that has offended you.  Take first place in my life and help me become the person that you created me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Further Understanding:

Four Spiritual Laws

How To Be Sure You Are a Christian

Printable pdf version: How to be sure

Now that I am a Christian,What’s Next? – 4 Starter Lessons in a printable pdf file

Reading the Bible – where to start?

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“And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy” Luke 10:19

By nature I am a very shy, reserved person. But I can look the world in the face and say, “I’m a child of the King. There is royal blood in my veins.”

Because of our identification with Christ, we are no longer ordinary people. The authority of God is available to those who believe in Christ. What a promise!

“Authority over all the power of the Enemy!” That is His promise, but it is something you and I must claim each time we face the enemy. We are to believe this; it is an intellectually valid fact. It is not exercising positive thinking and blindly hoping for the best; rather, it is claiming and leaning on the promises of God by faith.

Supernatural authority belongs to the believer, and there is a difference between authority and power. A policeman standing at a busy intersection has no physical power that would enable him to stop cars coming from all directions. But that little whistle he blows and the uniform he wears represent authority, and because of that authority the drivers know that they had better stop.

You and I have authority – given to us by the Lord Himself – over all the power of the enemy. He may tempt us; he may attack us; he may sorely try us. But victory is assured us as we continue to trust and obey our Lord and claim by faith His supernatural resources for our strength.

Bible Reading: Luke 10:20-24

Action Point: Because I have been given authority over the enemy, by faith I will exercise that authority on behalf of others as well as myself, believing God for ultimate victory in each situation.

By Dr. Bill Bright
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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