Same Old, Same Old
I’ve been up for a bit, but finally settled down for some time together, Father. I pray that I will hear what You would have to share with me this day. May I give You my undivided attention. Amen.
Revelation 3:12-13 (<<click here to read the passage)
Sometimes life here on earth gets old. As King Solomon is credited with writing in Ecclesiastes 1:8-9,
Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. NLT
Now I don’t want to be ungrateful for what You have given us, Lord. And truly, the only redeeming factors in everyday life are the blessings which You so generously pour upon us. But the routines of life can become wearying.
The craving for something new, something different, can wreak havoc in our lives. We grow tired of our jobs, our homes, our vehicles, our friends, our spouses…much to our shame. We cast them aside and move on to the next thing. Much like children, we grow tired of toys we have and desire new ones, different ones.
Lord, help us to be content with the things we have. Help us to grow up. May we love and cherish the blessings You have given us. The new will come if we are faithful. And if we are faithful, we will be victorious!
This passage in Revelation speaks clearly of some of the “new” we will experience. We will have citizenship in the “new Jerusalem” (more on this when we get to chapter 21). And something that I’ve never realized before, Lord, You will write Your “new name” on us!
In reading the study helps on Biblegateway.com, specifically the MacArthur Study Bible notes, I read, “At the moment we see Christ, whatever we may have called Him and understood by that name will pale in the reality of what we see. And He will give us a new, eternal name by which we will know Him.”
Lord, I yearn for the day when the routines of life will be something left behind. What a glorious day it will be when we live with You in Your re-created world and when we will have Your “new name”! May I be faithful! Amen.
(July 27th, 2017, Thurs, 7:00 am)
Apr 20th, 2026, Sun, 12:18 pm
Random Thoughts
Good morning, Father, thank You for a wonderful day yesterday! It was a beautiful day to travel, and it was wonderful spending time with family we too rarely get to see! Be with me this day as we come together to bring You the praise and worship You deserve. Amen.
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Lord, these thoughts have been on my mind for a couple of days now, and I want to get them out of my head. I’m sure I am not alone in thinking about my relationships with the people I interact with on a regular basis. In thinking about this last week, the thought came to mind, “If people really knew me, would they still like me?” Not a single one of us is perfect. Even if they are only things we mull over in our minds, we all have thoughts of anger, impatience, distaste, shallowness, greed, stubbornness, lust, hate, whining, futility, boredom, disdain, selfishness, and the list goes on and on… “If people really knew me, would they still like me?” …much less love me…
Some of these things may lie about our minds fairly regularly, other things just pop in on occasion…none of them are pretty, and none of them are things people want to see or hear. So for many of us, they stay inside. There may be a couple of people who see them peek out on occasion, but all in all, we keep them to ourselves. We don’t like seeing them in others’ lives, and we know others don’t really care to see them in us either.
But You, Lord…You are different. You see every single thing that projects up onto the screens of our minds. You miss nothing. We cannot hide anything. It is astonishing, but in spite of it all, You not only still like me…You love me!
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 NLT
In the sphere of time, You have never not loved us! With all of our faults, with all of our failings, with all of our imperfections – and You know them all – You love us!
Lord, may we love ourselves because You love us. May we love others because You love us. It’s a challenge, but we have the perfect example…You! Amen.
(July 16th, 2017, Sun, 6:16 am)
Apr 11th, 2026, Sat, 9:22 am
You Loved Me First
Lord, I praise you, because of who you are
Not for all the mighty things that you have done
Lord, I worship you, because of who you are
You’re all the reason that I need to voice my praise
Because of who you are
– sung by Sandi Patty, More than Wonderful album, 1990
1 John 4:9-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
Lord, have I done anything to deserve Your love? Not one thing. I don’t deserve Your love, and I can’t earn Your love either, but, as I often quote, Ephesians 1:4 reads,
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” (emphasis mine)
You loved me first. And what is astounding is that You knew what I would say and do and think and be. And You still loved me! That is one of the many things about our relationship that I cannot truly understand. Why? Even after I sought Your forgiveness, so many years ago – decades ago. I have failed. I have fallen. And still, You love me…
Your love is undying. Your love is unending. You love me. You don’t give up on me. You want me to be victorious. You want me to be victorious over the many, many things that want to pull me…that want to destroy me. You are there right beside me, cheering me on.
May what You think of me sink in. May Your love seep into the very core of my being. May it make me pliable. May it make me compassionate. May it make me like You, more and more. Amen.
(May 10th, 2017, Wed, 6:46 am)
Feb 10th, 2026, Tues, 10:48 am
Challenge for the New Year!
The only New Year’s resolution you’ll ever need! Happy New Year to all!
Merry Christmas!
Christmas break is upon us, and since my son is home from out of state, I have chosen to take a few days off from posting so as to spend time with my family. Blessings upon you and yours! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!