Friday, August 16th

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.  “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.  He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’  So they went.  “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.  About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around.  He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’  “Because no one has hired us,” they answered.  “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’  “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’  “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.  So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more.  But each one of them also received a denarius.  When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.  ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’  “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.  Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go.  I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?  Or are you envious because I am generous?’  “So the last will be first and the first will be last.”  Matthew 20:1-16

Dear Jesus, Peter wanted to know that you would take care of him since he had left all things to follow you.  You told him that you would bless him with friends, family and possessions in this life mixed with trouble and persecution (Mark 10) too.  You knew that below his question stuck the thought, “I want God to be fair with me compared to others.”  So, you told him there would be some who were last but they would enter heaven first.  You told him there were some who were first that would be moved the end of the line too.  You would not be trapped by our childish desire to compare our lot in life with others.  You love us all the same while you give everyone a unique path in life.  Some live longer and sin harder before they are saved.  Others trudge along as Christian foot soldiers for decades before being relieved by heaven.  You reverse the right to hide your plan for each with letting them be compared.  All of us receive the same grace, the same love, and the same inheritance in heaven.  Use this beautiful parable about your equal grace to unequal people to jar me out of my natural inclination to compare my life to others.  Help me freely love forgive and hold grace out to everyone without discrimination regarding their sins or spiritual stature.  Amen.

Two undeniable truths collide when you meet God:  1) He loves everyone the same.  2) He treats everyone differently in regard to their earthly life. 

Thursday, August 15th

“Peter answered him, ‘We have left everything to follow you!  What then will there be for us?’  Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.’”  Matthew 19:27-30

Dear Jesus, I’m just like Peter, the changes that have happened in my life because I chose to follow you are huge.  Serving you took me in a whole other direction.  I am well aware of the way it made me “lose” in certain situations and I wonder, “Does God see and then bless me since I am special to him and have given up people and things for him?”  You watch me thinking these things and I know you smile.  Certainly you bless me in this life and the next.  If I will just take the time to count those blessings I will be encouraged.  I have new friends, new support and new open doors.  I hear what you are saying in this passage too.  Your blessings for me won’t just be in this life.  They will come in greater numbers when I step into heaven by grace.  Calm my fearful heart and give me the eyes of faith to see the blessings you are giving me.  Make me a willing servant in your army as we trudge through this wilderness holding out your wonderful light for all to see.  Amen.

God takes care of his troops.  Don’t waste any time or energy worrying if you will have a blessed life when you follow him. 

Wednesday, August 14th

“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied.  ‘There is only One who is good.  If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.’  ‘Which ones?’ he inquired.  Jesus replied, ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’  ‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said.  ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.’  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he has great wealth.  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’  Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’“  Matthew 19:16-26

Dear Jesus, That young man thought he needed one more little tweak in his already healthy, wealthy life and then he would be set for eternity.  He didn’t realize he needed a complete makeover.  He was sincere but he was sincerely wrong about spirituality and eternal life.  He thought it was earnable.  His perspective started with himself and moved upward and outward, instead of starting with you and moving downward toward him.  Everything he thought he was earning was already a gift that came at a huge price for you.  He thought you were a good teacher, but you were his sacrificial Redeemer.  He thought you were only human but you were his God, his Creator.  Our life is a gift of grace and our salvation is too.  Until we realize that we are really not amassing anything of value before you, we will always live in counterfeit wealth.  Our possessions and our good works look like Monopoly money to you.  It’s all temporary and worthless in the heavenly kingdom.  Help me to live in the freedom of faith filled detachment from my wealth, health and personal accomplishments.  Make me a giver like you.  My life and salvation are a gift from your divine hand.  Help me give it back to you by sharing it with people you place near me who need it.  Amen.

If it feels like something is missing in your life, you may be much more off track than you think.

Tuesday, August 13th

“Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?  I came into your house.  You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-as her great love has shown.  But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ “        Luke 7:44-47

Lord Jesus, You and I know more than anyone else the multitude of sins of which you have forgiven me.  It wasn’t just with a flick of your wrist either.  It was through your innocent, gruesome death.  You carried all the blame for all of them.  I will live every day grateful to you for covering my life with your grace.  I feel like I should kneel down next to that woman and anoint your feet.  Help me always appreciate how freely you have erased my shame so I can restart my walk with you each day.  Give me the power to honor you in how I gently treat everyone around me.  Amen.

We can tell how much your appreciate grace by how you talk about Jesus. 

Monday, August 12th

“ ’Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?”   So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’  ‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’ Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.  But it was not this way from the beginning.  I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.’  The disciples said to him, ‘If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry. ’ ” Matthew 19:4-10

Dear Jesus, You never married and yet you championed marriage as your Father’s treasured possession.  Help me to see in your words a strong endearment toward the institution you have established as the primary building block of society.  I live in a world where marriage is disregarded and devalued.  But you esteem it as the trophy of your creation.  Help me to treat my own marriage and the marriage of everyone else with the same honor that you have for them.  Give me the wisdom to protect every marriage around me.  Cause young people everywhere to rekindle their desire to honor marriage as an act of their faith instead of a function of convenience.  Give them immunity to the stale disregard for marriage they see on the silver screen too.  Make marriages everywhere the envy of the masses.  Amen.

God loves marriage more than he loves your happiness.  May you struggle as much with divorce as you do with marriage. 

Saturday, August 10th

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?  Up to seven times?’  Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.  (The Parable of the unmerciful servant.)  ‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”  In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’”  Matthew 18:21-22, 32-35

Dear Jesus, I cannot count how many times I’ve asked the very same question Peter asked.  “How long must I be gracious with this person?”  No matter how logical it sounds and how fair, it’s just not the right question.  Here’s the right question, “Lord, please give me the power to forgive him/her for what they did.”  I know you forgive everyone, even the worst perpetrator.  But I have a hard time forgiving even my loved ones.  Oh, Jesus, make me a grace filled soul that doles out mercy like water at a Vacation Bible School.  I want to be freed by a merciful heart.  Help me tear up the score card and erase the memory of my hurts.  Give me the freshness of a new morning mercy for every person.  Amen.

The air we breathe in God’s kingdom in his unconditional grace.  Not forgiving someone is like holding your breath there. 

Friday, August 9th

“What do you think?  If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.  Matthew 18:12-14

Dear Heavenly Father, I am thankful for how Jesus showed us your heart with this little parable.  You value every soul.  It reminds me why you have sent people to confront and comfort me.  You didn’t want me to be lost in sin and guilt.  Give me love and spiritual maturity to value every human being the same way.  Help me see beyond my own front yard to find people who need your love and truth.  Make me a protector of human hearts and lives.  Give me the eyes of faith to see and rejoice when anyone comes back to you in their hearts.  Finally, help me give up my desire to get what I want in every relationship so I can’t seek what you want instead.  Amen.

Thursday, August 8th

“And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  ‘If anyone causes one of these little ones-those who believe in me-to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea…’See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I saw to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.’”  Matthew 18:5-6, 10

Dear Jesus, Every single person is your special creation.  You number the hairs on each head.  You know the thoughts in every mind and the words that escape every tongue.  You love each and every one, not wanting anyone to perish but wanting everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth.  I know I don’t love everyone like you do, but I want to.  Please help me to stop devaluing certain people because they annoy me or let me down.  Make me sensitive to avoid tempting anyone to sin.  It’s way too easy to tempt people to gossip by sharing a juicy fact or to tempt someone to covet by boasting or to tempt someone to lust by dressing scantily.  Oh, Lord, “I am my brother’s keeper.”  I willingly take responsibility to love people honestly even though I cannot love them perfectly.  Thank you for giving everyone angels to protect them even while we fellow humans neglect even while we fellow humans neglect their spiritual and physical safety.  Amen.

God wants people to take care of people the way that angels do. 

Wednesday, August 7th

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’  And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever then humbles himself of this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”  Matthew 18:1-4

Dear Jesus, There’s a secret sin in the heart of everyone that really is no secret at all.  It’s the sin of desiring to be important, even more important than others.  We naturally love ourselves so much that we want to be the best looking, the smartest, the most liked, the most likely to succeed, the richest and the most charming.  Your disciples voiced it in a question that exposes this innate desire in all of us.  We want to be the greatest.  How tenderly and forcefully you answered them.  “Be like children who know they are small and live in the reality of the limitations.  Be like children who let themselves be rebuked by loving parents.  Be like children who trust God to take care of them no matter what the circumstances.  Be like children who are comfortable in their smallness.”  Oh Jesus, free from ambition to be great and make me content to love and be loved.  Amen.

Greatness is mostly a mirage in our minds when we are cut off from God by our self-centered pride. 

Tuesday, August 6th

“And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.’  And they were deeply grieved.”  Matthew 17:22-23

Dear Jesus, I would have been grieved too if you looked me in the eye and told me you were going to be betrayed by a friend and that it would mean your death.  Now that we have time to watch this unfold and contemplate the meaning of your life, we can see the committed love with which you navigated the disciples.  Your goal is not that we avoid suffering but that we understand the meaning of life, yours and ours.  How easily we lose track and get lost in denial.  Thank you for patiently saving the hard thing.  But many more thanks that you broke into this veil of tears and used your death to bring us life.  I have hope in the resurrection because you willingly paid for my sins and left them behind in the grave on the third day.  Give me the supernatural power to live in this hope today.  Amen.

If you know that you will ultimately cheat death, every other problem looks smaller. 

Monday, August 5th

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not drive it out?’ And He said to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.’”  Matthew 17:19-20

Dear Jesus, It cannot be that you were holding out for more faith before you would let your disciples cast out that demon.  It must have been that they didn’t really trust you had the power or interest to help them.  I too have been embarrassed by just how willing you are to help if we will but trust you.  I love your hyperbole.  If I just trust you enough to ask you, then if it is in your will for me, you will do it.  Give me that faith to ask you expectantly for help in every situation.  Come and deliver my loved ones and me from our troubles.  Help us with our difficulties that seem like there is no solution for them.  Be our God and savior and fix our lives by your grace and mercy.  Give us the faith to cast all of our cares on you.  Amen.

If trusting Jesus only a little gets him to act, imagine what trusting him a lot would do! 

Saturday, August 3rd

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!’”  Matthew 17:5

Dear Heavenly Father, Peter had just tried to rebuke Jesus for talking about his suffering and here he wants to build a shrine for him up on the mountain.  All you wanted from Peter was that he would listen to your Son.  You had sent him to save us but Peter was in danger of messing that all up.  I wonder in my heart of hearts how much I have messed up by not really listening to your word.  I suspect it’s ten times what I think it is.  It’s comforting for me to know that while Peter is a disruption to your plan, you still fulfilled it and loved Peter all the way to the end.  You love me too.  Your plans will overcome my clumsy interference as well.  I trust you are bigger than me and my ideas.  Help me to listen to your words today and to avoid trying to figure everything out.  You don’t need my help running your world or your church.  I will do whatever you have asked me to do but I don’t want to take over.  I just want to be a productive member of your team.  Give me the wisdom to stay in my land and listen!  Amen.

Man proposes.  God disposes and then he completes his work of rescuing man from himself.   

Friday, August 2nd

“And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread.  And Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’  They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, ‘He said that because we did not bring any bread.’  But Jesus, aware of this, said, ‘You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?  Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?  Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?  How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’  Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”  Matthew 16:5-12

Dear Jesus, How easily I let my earthly limitations capture my heart.  I worry about having enough money, about having the right opportunities, about getting the most success from my daily endeavors, when all the while you are concerned about the spiritual enlightenment of my soul and the safety of my heart in the pure gospel.  So, here I see you warning the disciples about the worldly teaching among religious leaders called Sadducees and Pharisees while the disciples are preoccupied with the food that they don’t have for the next few days.  You have my attention Jesus, I will be on guard against the Sadducees mind that denies the miraculous and supernatural and in liberality makes all things permissible as long as you can rationalize it away.  I will also watch out for the Pharisaic mind that focuses on outward behavior and dead formalism.  Instead, I will listen to you and your penetrating words that lead me to repent of selfishness and cling to grace and forgiveness for peace of mind each and every day.  I will concentrate on trusting in you for daily bread instead of my plans and successes.  I will focus on loving my neighbor instead of building my own nest.  I will rest at night knowing you will take care of the world while I sleep.  Amen.

Only the teaching where God is all in all, can suffice a human craving for truth. 

Thursday, August 1st

“He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’  ‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said.  ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’  Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith!  Your request is granted.’  And her daughter was healed at the moment.”  Matthew 15:26-28

Dear Lord, Oh, how you tested that woman and how she saw beyond your words to your heart!  How you must have swelled with joy when she trusted that you had come for all people and especially her too.  She was so divested of herself that she was not easily offended by your test.  She trusted your grace and mercy over what you said.  Help me to tenaciously trust your grace and mercy over what you allow to happen in my life.  Make me have great faith in you.  I’m thinking of several topics in my life that stress me out.  Right now, I’m making each one a request like hers.  Lord, come and fix things, bless us and change everything for the better.  I care not whether you call me a little dog or a royal child.  You came for them all, so bless me in your mercy!  Amen.

Trust God no matter how you feel.  Your Creator promises not to abandon you. 

Wednesday, July 31st

“Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee.  Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.  Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.  The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing.  And they praised the God of Israel.  Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.  I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”  His disciples answered, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?’  ‘How many loaves do you have?’  Jesus asked.  “Seven,’ they replied, ‘and a few small fish.’  He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.”  Matthew 15:29-34

Dear Jesus, You had already fed over 5,000 miraculously just a few weeks earlier.  Just that day you were healing people of anything and everything.  It’s amazing that the disciples stayed in the earthly paradigm void of your redeeming presence.  How much I am like them!  I live in blessings you have bestowed for me and even so, I will doubt and stress over other things.  I see that you have compassion enough to take care of all of us.  Help me to stop living by subjective experience and give me the faith to live simply by your word of promise to take care of my needs in your timing.  Help me let go of my doubts so I don’t waste precious energy on worry.  I need that strength to serve you and people anyway.  I will do the best with my seven loaves while expecting you to make them spread much further than I can ever imagine.  Amen.

You have God even when you have little.  That’s enough to live as free as the richest man on earth. 

Tuesday, July 30th

“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead!  That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’  Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’  Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.  On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.  Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’  The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison.  His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.  John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.  Then they went and told Jesus.”  Matthew 14:1-12

Dear Jesus, What treachery!  Your cousin was killed for telling the truth to a man for his own eternal good.  He was killed because that man was a coward.  He was killed because that immoral woman was a hater.  He was killed because he had to decrease while you increased.  It makes my head swim.  Both he and you are my example to speak the truth in love even if it angers people.  They have to know their sin and their need for you.  Help me find courage to stand up for your morals and your exclusive grace even though I live in a country where it’s a social sin to call anything but being mean, wrong.  Help me keep my head clear and heart willing to help lead lost souls toward you with peaceful but honest confrontation when it is appropriate.  Help us all Lord Jesus!  Amen. 

It’s not a bad thing to call a bad thing, bad. 

Monday, July 29th

“My soul, praise the LORD!  Lord, my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and splendor.”  Psalm 104:1

Lord God, When I think about who you are I often think about how that relates to me.  I ask myself the question:  “How does his glory affect me?”  I ask, “How does his wisdom impact me?”  But it is a wholly other thing for me to walk into your presence and ponder your majesty as a thing unto itself as if I were walking into a massive cathedral and enjoying all the sights, all the sounds, all the majesty of that place.  Lord God, you are very great.  You wrap the clouds around yourself as a cloak.  The sun runs through the heavens like a runner running its race, declaring your greatness from sunup to sundown.  O God, your power and majesty truly is great.  Lead me to take it all in with awe and wonder that I might be amazed and in awe of who you are.  Amen.

Saturday, July 27th

“When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed.  ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked.  ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?  Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us?  Where then did this man get all these things?’  And they took offense at him.  But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’  And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Matthew 13:53-58

Dear Jesus, I have been that prophet who was not accepted in his hometown.  It’s no fun.  How it must have hurt your heart to be the Savior of all of your dearest loved ones and yet they found conventional ways to reject you.  I’m moved by your patience with them.  You knew that you’d send others that some of them would listen to.  You humbled yourself to wait on the Father’s plan to play out.  I’m learning from you to pray and trust that you will send others to reach the ones I love with your word if they do not listen to me because I’m their hometown boy.  Give me the grace to rejoice when they tell me what someone told them that helped them, even though I had told them the very same things for years.  I want to be humble enough to see your hand and not my own.  In the same way, crush my foolish pride that doesn’t want to receive the word from my family just because I know them well.  Make my heart an open book ready to receive your words.  Give me the ability to listen with my heart and not just my head.  Whenever you have made me pliable, I have experienced great insights that I needed for my life.  I look forward to more, even from my closest relatives.  Amen.

Truth is truth whether it comes from an ass or an angel.

Friday, July 26th

“My soul, praise the LORD, and all that is in me, praise his holy name.  My soul, praise the LORD and do not forget all his benefits.”  Psalm 103:1-2

Lord God, As a Christian, you’ve given me the task of leading other people to praise you.  You teach me to encourage others when they are down and discouraged.  You tell me to proclaim the good news to those who are hopeless and downcast.  But I fail to preach it to myself.  Physician, heal yourself-you say to me.  Mechanic, fix your own car, you want me to think.  The hope that you want me to give to others is first and foremost for me.  The encouragement that you want me to pass on to hold others up you give to me first to hold me up.  O God, you are so good.  Your benefits for me are far beyond what I can begin to imagine.  You forgive all my sins-all of them.  There is not one spot of sin left on my garments of righteousness.  And these garments are also a gift from you.  You heal my soul with this forgiveness.  You have an eternity of joys waiting for me at your right hand.  And beyond the eternal and spiritual gifts you give, you are also at work in my life in some amazing ways.  The way you care for my family.  The way you are at work among the people of our church.  The way you are using me to serve other people.  This is nothing but your hand at work.  Yes, it is good for me to praise you.  There are so many ways.  Help me to find my joy I you even while I share it with others.  Amen.

Thursday, July 25th

“He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’”  Matthew 13:52

Dear Jesus, With your Old and New Testaments, we all have “something old and something new” of which you speak.  Both are necessary and both lead to our salvation.  I have come to love them both with the same level of affection.  I see myself in the people featured there.  I hear your voice in the words in red.  I find friends in the prophets and apostles.  They all speak your word into my heart.  I’m saved and I’m not alone.  I have your over 50 writers to share life with me.  Help me live in your word with them and to never lose my way as I take your book as my guide before leaving earth.  Amen.

The word of Moses to John and everything in between make great friends on our pilgrim journey.