Giving God Praise

Matthew 21

14 The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”

But the leaders were indignant. 16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’”

I love watching children give praise to God. Some are boisterous, others are a little timid. But they go for it with, if you will pardon the very bad pun, a youthful enthusiasm. I want my praise for the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth to be that way, too. Having experienced one of the most powerful times of corporate worship in my life yesterday, I am stoked for that to be a regular occurrence. No, I wouldn’t grow tired of it. No, it wouldn’t become routine for me, and yes, it would be pleasing to God.

For God's Glory

Exodus 10

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them. 2 I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them—and so you will know that I am the Lord.”

So many times, people wonder why Pharaoh was so stubborn. I mean, you would think that after four or five of the plagues, he would have relented and acquiesced to God’s demands. Yet, the LORD tells Moses that the reason Pharaoh’s hard continues to be hardened is so that God can display His miraculous signs and so that the Israelites can pass along to their children and grandchildren how God delivered them from the bondage of slavery. The responsibility of proclaiming God’s glory, and teaching others about His deliverance continues to this day. May I make sure that I am always focused on my Savior and that I always proclaim my allegiance to Him.

End of Discussion

Matthew 19

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

After Jesus has just sent away the rich man who is very sad (having been told to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor), we see this exchange between the Disciples and Jesus. Check this out: we humans cannot save ourselves or anyone else for that matter. Salvation is a work of God through Jesus. Period. End of Discussion.

All I Need

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

Having once been a lost sheep, and now being found, I can absolutely proclaim that Jesus IS my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

Guard Your Heart

Proverb 4

23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.

Could I seriously add anything of significance to such a profound thought? No. All I can do is pray that God will help me guard my heart so that it may be set only on Him always.

Proclaiming God's Glory

Psalm 19

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

2 Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

One of the many benefits of living in Florida is the big sky here because of the flat terrain. I love looking up at the sky because it truly does display the glory of God. How anyone can look at the beauty of God’s Creation and deny that God exists is beyond me. It not only is illogical, it is simply stupid. There, I have said it. People who deny the existence of God are stupid. No judgement on my part, just observing the facts. I look forward to seeing the glory of God displayed in the heavens today. May He be praised always!

Keep My Eyes On Jesus

Matthew 14

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can walk on water. So sang Audio Adrenaline, and so says this passage of Scripture. The key to living the Christian life is to keep your eyes focused on the Christ. Yes, the storms of life will come, the winds will howl and the waves will crash. But, with Jesus, you can not only survive the storms, but you can come out the other side of them much stronger. My prayer each day is to simply keep my eyes on Jesus. I know that He can take care of me in the midst of storms, or when life is all clear.