DAILY PRAYERS & BLESSINGS - JUNE 2

JUNE 2

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the

moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of

man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 8:3-4

Lord, it’s so easy for us to get bogged down in the details of life on this earth.  But when we have the opportunity to gaze up at the stars on a clear night, it is easy to remember that there is so much more to your creation than our relatively insignificant lives.  You placed the stars and know them by name, Lord, and you know us by name too.  We are blessed to be even a tiny part of your magnificent creation!   That you also care so deeply for us is the best gift of all.

FRETTING IS A WASTE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

FRETTING IS A WASTE  

READ:  Psalm 90:10-17

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain

a heart of wisdom.  Psalm 90:12

The older we get, the shorter life seems.  Author Victor Hugo said, “Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time.”

There’s no sadder example of wasted time than a life dominated by fretting.  Take, for example, an American woman whose dream of  riding a train through the English countryside came true.  After boarding the train she kept fretting about the window and the temperature, complaining about her seat assignment, rearranging her luggage, and so on.  To her shock, she suddenly reached her journey’s end.  With deep regret she said to the person meeting her, “If I’d known I was going to arrive so soon, I wouldn’t have wasted my time fretting so much.”

It’s easy to get sidetracked by problems that won’t matter at life’s end-difficult neighbors, a tight budget, signs of aging, people who are wealthier than you.  Moses acknowledged the brevity of life and prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”  (Psalm 90:12).

Instead of fretting, feed on God’s Word and apply it to yourself.  Strive to grow in God’s wisdom every day.  Stay focused on eternal values.  Make it your goal to greet your waiting Savior one day with a heart of wisdom, rather than a heart of care.

Day by day and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. -Berg

Worry casts a big shadow behind a small thing. 

CHOSEN TO FORGIVE

Chosen to Forgive

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

Luke 23:34

READ LUKE 1:76–79

As a middle-schooler, Patrick Ireland first sensed God had chosen him for something. But what? Later as a survivor of the horrific Columbine (Colorado) High School massacre where thirteen were killed and twenty-four wounded, including Patrick, he began to understand an answer.

Through his long recovery, Patrick learned that clinging to bitterness causes further wounding. God showed Patrick that the key to forgiveness is to stop focusing on what others have done to us and to focus on what Jesus has done for us. Christ’s words on the cross toward His tormenters, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), fulfilled Zechariah the priest’s prophecy of Jesus’ forgiveness (1:77). Additionally, His example revealed a purpose for Patrick, and twenty years after the tragedy, Patrick shared, “Maybe I was chosen to forgive.”

While most of us will not endure an unimaginable calamity such as the one committed at Columbine, each of us has been wronged in some way. A spouse betrays. A child rebels. An employer abuses. How do we move forward? Maybe we look to the example of our Savior. In the face of rejection and cruelty, He forgave. It is through Jesus’ forgiveness of our sins that we, ourselves, find salvation, which includes the ability to forgive others. And like Patrick, we can choose to let go of our bitterness to open our hearts to forgiveness.

By Elisa Morgan

REFLECT & PRAY

Dear Father, show me who I’m chosen to forgive today, and give me the strength to offer the forgiveness You died to provide.

Is your heart open to forgive? How might you experience more of the salvation Jesus died to provide by choosing to move toward forgiving someone who has wronged you?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Today’s passage records what Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, said about his infant son and his relationship to the coming of the Messiah. John—who was a relative of Jesus (see Luke 1:36) and whose birth was also announced by an angel (vv. 5-25)—was to “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him” (v. 76). John accepted this role and identity and gave voice to it himself. In the gospel of John (written by John the apostle, not John the Baptist), he announces his identity and role: “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:23). This quote is from the prophet Isaiah who spoke a message of comfort to the people of Israel (see Isaiah 40:1-3). J.R. Hudberg

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE

YOUR ARE BLESSED - 366 DEVOTIONS

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE

We know what happens to people who stay

in the middle of the road.  They get run over.

Aneurin Bevan

Making choices sometimes means we have to take sides.  We have to know enough about what we believe to take a stand.  If we believe that read is the best color in the world, chances are good that we have a number of red outfits in our closets and probably some red dishes in the kitchen.  We like people to know that we have a special love for red.

If  you go to church every Sunday and think that having faith is a nice thing then that’s a start in taking a stand about what you believe.  If you share your testimony with others whenever the opportunity arises, that tells people where you stand as well.  On the other hand, if you have a faith you never talk about or demonstrates in any public way, people might not know what your faith means to you.

When we choose to follow God, He wants to know where we stand.  He wants us to be willing to come out wearing our red shirts, shiny faces and bright dispositions because we are willing to tell the world what we know.

Then Joshua said, “You are your own witnesses

that you have chosen to serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:22 NCV

Lord, help me to always be willing to take a stand for

You and let others know what I believe.

Amen

DAILY PRAYERS & BLESSINGS - JUNE 1

JUNE 1

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed

God, and it was imputed until him for righteousness:  and he

was called the Friend of God.

James 2:23

Dear God, your love embraces me like the warmth of the sun, and I am filled with light.  Your hope enfolds me in arms so strong, I lack for nothing.  Your grace fills me with the strength I need to move through this day.  For these gifts you give me, of eternal love, eternal peace, and most of all, for eternal friendships, I thank you God.

A RAY OF HOPE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

A RAY OF HOPE

READ:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren,

concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as

others who have no hope.  1 Thessalonians 4:13

It was to be an exciting summer for our family.  We had many activities planned, including a trip to Florida to help our daughter Julie begin her teaching career.

Instead, the summer of 2002 began with tragedy.  When our teenage daughter Melissa was killed in an automobile accident on the last day of school, our summer of hope turned into a nightmare.

Right away, I began to pray that the loss of our bright, athletic, friendly daughter could have a positive impact on teenagers-first among her friends and then in ever-widening ways.

Toward the end of the summer, we did take that Florida trip to get Julie started, heavy-hearted as we were.  As she began teaching, Julie never forgot the desire to see Melissa’s life change the lives of others.  She told her classes about her sister and her faith.

One day, a student talked to Julie after class.  “I’m scared,” she said, “because I’m not a Christian like Melissa was.”  Julie then led her to faith in Jesus Christ.  I imagined Melissa rejoicing in heaven.  

The summer of 2002 didn’t turn out as planned, but we were thankful to see some fruit of a life well-lived.  Even in our sorrow, God gavels this ray of hope.    DB

Lord, give us grace to trust You when

Life’s burdens seem too much to bear;

Dispel the darkness with new hope

And help us rise above despair. -Sper

Even in life’s darkest hour, Christians have the brightest hope.  

NEEDING HIS LEADING

Needing His Leading

From the ends of the earth I call to you.

Psalm 61:2

READ PSALM 61

Uncle Zaki was more than a friend to scholar Kenneth Bailey; he was his trusted guide on challenging excursions into the vast Sahara. By following Uncle Zaki, Bailey says that he and his team were demonstrating their complete trust in him. In essence, they were affirming, “We don’t know the way to where we are going, and if you get us lost we will all die. We have placed our total trust in your leadership.”

In a time of great weariness and heartache, David looked beyond any human guide, seeking direction from the God he served. In Psalm 61:2 we read, “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” He longed for the safety and relief of being ushered afresh into God’s presence (vv. 3-4).

God’s guidance in life is desperately needed for people the Scriptures describe as sheep that have “gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6). Left to ourselves, we would be hopelessly lost in the desert of a broken world.

But we are not left to ourselves! We have a Shepherd who leads us “beside quiet waters,” refreshes our souls, and guides us (Psalm 23:2-3).

Where do you need His leading today? Call on Him. He will never leave you.

By Bill Crowder

REFLECT & PRAY

Loving Father, thank You for being my Shepherd and Guide. Help me to trust You and rest in Your wisdom, allowing Your Spirit to guide me through the challenging moments of life. Listen to Psalm 23: A Psalm of a Good Shepherd.

What was it like when you felt lost? How can you begin to trust God’s desire to guide you like a shepherd in those times of seeking?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Historical context for Psalm 61 isn’t provided in the superscription, so the only thing we know about the background for this psalm is that David is being pursued. Fleeing from Jerusalem, he prays, “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint” (v. 2). We’re not told who was pursuing him; however, some scholars believe there may be a clue in verse 6: David asks for God to prolong “the king’s life.” This seems to indicate that this is a different time period than when he was pursued by Saul to prevent him from becoming king. In this psalm, David is already king, which would more likely place it during the time he fled from the attempted coup orchestrated by his son Absalom. Bill Crowder