From the Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table    Day 94

Today’s Reading:  Ps 102; Prov 3:13-18; John 8 31-38

Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.  Ps 102:2

I believe that those who pray, enjoy the face of God.  And I believe that in the word of God we find the face of God.  Proverbs says that His word (wisdom) is a tree of life.  Jesus said that those who abide in His word are His disciples and that His truth sets them free.  And I think one of the best things we can do is to pray God’s word when we pray.  As we pray His word, not our worries, we find His discernment, direction and deliverance to live His life in His creation.

The Kitchen Table    Day 93

Todays Reading:  Ps 102; Prov 3:5-12; Acts 7:44-56

But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever, you are remembered throughout all generations.  Ps 102:12

Be not wise in your own eyes fear the Lord and turn from evil.  Pr 3:7

We are never as smart and strong and savvy as He is.  The Lord our God is bigger, greater and wiser than we.  And its prayer that keeps those things in our face.  He knows the beginning from the end.  He has always been and always will be.  He is enthroned and in prayer we become enthralled with His majesty, power and authority.  Prayer takes us where He is (makes us aware of where He is) and places us in His promises and power.  It’s in the place and practice of prayer that we see His glory and discover His goodness.   Keep on praying!

The Kitchen Table    Day 92

Today’s Reading:  Ps 102, Ex 13:17-22; Acts 17:17-40

He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer

Ps 102:17

I’m pretty sure that God waits for us to pray.  He can do anything He wants without us but chooses to do everything He does with us.  And so, He waits for us to pray.  We don’t pray because we don’t pine (yearn intensely) for the presence, power and promises of God.  Without God in the picture there’s pain.  God doesn’t have to send pain, it’s part of the picture without Him but God will let the pain bring Him back into our picture.  God hears the prayer of those who pine for His presence, power and passion.  The Bible says so. 

The Kitchen Table    Day 91

Today’s Reading:  Ps 31; Ex 3:1-12; Acts 7:1-6

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for you name’s sake you lead me and guide me.  Ps 31:3

Never forget that God loves you.  Nobody loves us like He loves us!  No matter what is going on or around your life, know that God is working for His name’s sake.  Continue to let His love create hope that inspires faith.  It’s the only way to live in His love.  He is the Lord of promise and power.  Let Him be your rock and fortress.  Let Him be your refuge and your strength.  God is working because that’s what love does, it keeps walking  towards us and working for us.  Commit your spirit into His hands; He loves you like nobody else.

The Kitchen Table    Day 90

Today’s Reading:  Ps 31; Gen 12:1-3; Acts 6:8-15

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;  let me not be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!   Ps 31:1

Never forget that love creates hope that inspires faith and faith is what gives us hope to live in love.  To take refuge in God and His word is to place our trust and hope in Him.  Those who take refuge in God, the Bible says, will not be put to shame.  Abraham put his hope and trust in God and became the father of nations and blessing.  Stephen put his hope and trust in God and his face shown like an angel in the face of death.  When God is our refuge and our strength obstacles become opportunities to live a life that shines on the inside and the outside.

The Kitchen Table    Day 89

Today’s Reading:  Ps 100, Jer 23:1-8; Mt 20:17-28

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.

Mt 20:26Hidden motives stir the water.  Once again, the waters get muddied when the mission becomes about us rather than all of us.  Jesus was crystal clear in His mission and ministry, no hidden agenda, just love and life.  God had prophesied that this leader would bring people home and that would be His heart.  James & John couldn’t resist and neither can we, especially when we believe with all our hearts in the mission and ministry.  They wanted a position, besides, that’s where the decisions are made, that’s where you can really make a difference.  Control!  The kingdom of darkness is always about control.  The kingdom of light, of God, is always about service.  Hidden motives muddy the water and even though we struggle to be like Jesus, God can use us best when our mission and ministry are about Him, not ourselves.  Be honest today with yourself about yourself and give God the glory.

The Kitchen Table    Day 88

Today’s Reading:  Ps 100; Ezekiel 34:23-31; Heb 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen        Hebrews 13:20-21

Don’t go to muddy water, God has something much, much better than that for us.  He has equipped us for everything GOOD that we might do His will.  Jesus didn’t drink muddy water and neither should we.  Just on the other side of good lies muddy water.  Once we give up on good we find ourselves in muddy water where it’s hard to see and easy to fear.  God has equipped us to do good and that happens when we live in His glory with a heart of gratitude and a mouth of praise.  Those are two characteristics of people who drink good clean water.

The Kitchen Table                Day 87

Today’s Reading:  Ps 100; Ezekiel 34:17-28; 1 Peter 5:1-5

Know that the Lord, He is God!  It is He who made us, and we are His; we are the His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Ps 100:3

Nobody likes muddy water.  It’s not appetizing or appealing in any way.  But that’s what we get when life becomes about ourselves rather than our God.  Selfishness and pride muddy the waters.  It becomes hard to see and believe in people who muddy the waters,  They, like the sheep in Ezekiel, walk on what we need and muddy what we want.  Jesus never muddied the water and never does.  It’s crystal clear and good to drink.  Our lives should be the same if He is our Lord and Shepherd of our souls.  The problem comes when we make it about us rather than about Him.  Love, life and the light get blurry when pride steps into the picture.  Today, know that He is God, that He is the One who made us and that we are His.  Keep it simple and don’t muddy the waters.

The Kitchen Table            Day 84

Today’s Reading:    Ps 23; Ex 3:16-22; 4:18-20; 1 Pt 2.13-17

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.  Ps 23:4

There are those who go the way that they think is right and blame God and there are those who go God’s right way and bless God.  Like Moses, it’s an amazing thing to see God do His thing in our lives.  But it is so easy to let fear force us off God’s road and it is so easy to say that fear is faith when it’s not.  If you want to live in the blessing of God let your faith in God lead you.  Let His word and His Spirit guide and comfort you.  Hold out for His word and His will and you will bless Him, not blame Him, in the end.

The Kitchen Table            Day 83

Today’s Reading:  Ps 23; Ex 2:15-25; 1 Peter 2:9-12

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.  Ps 23:1

It’s an awesome thing to be on the mind of God and in the eye of God.  His love is amazing!  Remember, you have been chosen and you have received mercy.  Moses found that to be true in his life and we do too when we don’t let the passions of this world/life lead us in a different direction.  Believers enjoy being on the mind of God and in the mercy of God.  We can live in His passion or by our passions.  So many things come as pleasure and leave as pain, but God doesn’t.  He is our good shepherd and we shall not want.  God says that and He means what He says.  Live in God’s word and He will do the rest.  You’re on His mind and in His eye.