From the Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table            Day 47

Today’s Reading:    Psalm 128: Ezekiel 36:22-32; Jn 7:53-8:11

And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you.  Ezekiel 36:26

Those who hurl stones have a heart of stone.  I don’t think it’s what anybody really wants, it can just happen when we experience bad days and bad decisions.  A heart of stone can’t feel, and it can’t flex or function like it needs to.  A heart of stone can’t pump life to the whole body.  A heart of stone becomes consumed with its self-preservation and life then gets ugly.  Did you ever think that maybe the woman caught in adultery had a heart of stone too?  Maybe she stood there caught and condemned by a life of bad decisions and days that left her unable to feel and function with love.  Maybe Jesus’ act of kindness softened her heart anew, gave here a new reason to live.  He did tell her that He didn’t condemn her and to go and sin no more.  That’s what God’s heart does, it feels for our needs and functions for our life.  Praise God!

The Kitchen Table            Day 46

Today’s Reading:  Ps 128; Is 65:17-25; Rom 4:6-13

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Romans 4:7

The next step for any believer is the step of “forgiveness”.  The fortune and the future of God is on the other side of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is the key to heaven’s door and those who possess, and practice forgiveness possess His freedom to live this life as God intended it to be lived.  Forgiveness isn’t determined by how we behave; it determines how we behave.  So, we can’t act like we forgive, we must believe that we are forgiven.  We can’t act live we forgive someone we must forgive them, and it all begins with faith.  The first thing we believe God for is forgiveness and if we don’t get that down then walking ins the footsteps of faith is impossible.  Blessed are those who are forgiven.  This step is the first step to the rest of our life that God has planned for us and it is good.

The Kitchen Table            Day 45

Today’s Reading:  Ps 128; Numbers 21:4-9; Hebrews 3:1-6

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways

Psalm 128:1

There are promises for patience and there are patience for promises.  We often wander into God’s will as we walk in God’s word.  There are promises for those who are patient with God.  Impatience takes over when we begin to think our way is better, faster and smarter.  That’s when we get in trouble.  Like the Israelites, we can begin to complain and criticize God’s way and that’s when we get in trouble.  And like the Israelites, we call in our enemy when we begin to complain and criticize our Lord.  The Psalmist writes, “You shall eat of the fruit of your hands…”  (Ps 128:2)  Paul writes in Hebrews 3 to hold fast (tight) to your confidence and hope in Jesus.  The promises of God are for the patient and the patient will see the promises of God.  Wander into God’s will by walking in God’s word and don’t give up.

The Kitchen Table            Day 44

Today’s Reading:    Ps 121; Micah 7:18-20;  Rom 3:21-31

Who is a God like you…?  Micah 7:18

This life begins with faith and forgiveness.  Faith determines where we look, and forgiveness determines where we live.  The Psalmist writes, “My help comes from the Lord…”  A new day and a new life begin with forgiveness.  Everybody needs forgiveness.  We have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.  This life begins with faith for forgiveness.  Living with sin that hasn’t been dealt with is like trying to run with cement shoes, it wears us down and wears our out.  Forgiveness opens a brand-new door on life and love.  By faith squeeze it close and share it freely.  It’s ours when we look to the Lord for the help we need and who is like God who pardons sin and forgives transgressions? 

The Kitchen Table Day 43

Today’s Reading:  Ps 121; Is 51:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:3-7

Look to the Rock… Is 51:1

There are a lot of places to look for hope, help and happiness in this world but always look to God.  Look to what He has said.  Look to what He has done.  Look to what He will do.  He created this life and only He knows how this life works.  He knows you have choices but He also knows only one choice will work.  He has compassion of those who have looked to the wrong person, believed in the false promises and taken the wrong turns in this life.  Don’t deny failure and don’t defend it.  Just look to Him.  Joy and gladness, the Bible says, is found by those who look to Him.  Joy and gladness, thankfulness and the sound of singing will be found in those who look to Him.

The Kitchen Table            Day 42

Today’s Reading:  Ps 32; Ex 34:1-9, 27-28; Mt 18:10-14

So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  Matthew 18:14

Sin is a man idea, not a God idea.  Sin is man’s way of living, not God’s way of living this life.  Sin is living in disbelief and disobedience.  God will let you go there if you want but don’t blame Him for what sin costs and certainly don’t blame God for where sin takes you.  The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.  God doesn’t want a single one of us to perish.  Deal with sin, don’t deny or defend it.  With one choice we can break the power of sin over our lives.  God has something bigger and better in store for those who believe and obey Him.

The Kitchen Table            Day 41

Today’s Reading:    Psalm 32: Gen 4:1-16; Heb 4:14-5:10

Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.             Psalm 32:1

Man doesn’t need forever, man needs forgiveness.  Man has forever, we were made to live forever.  But forgiveness must be found in the one who can give forgiveness.  Life doesn’t work without forgiveness, it just doesn’t work.  Without forgiveness we walk like Cain through this life, as a fugitive (unstable) and a wanderer (fleeing and frowning) in a world where we fear someone is going to try to get even with us.  We all need to find the One who can forgive us and that One is Jesus who purchased our forgiveness.  A life without forgiveness is frustrating, fleeing, and fearful.  Don’t be afraid to find forgiveness, it will forever shape your future for the good.

The Kitchen Table            Day 40

Today’s Reading:  Psalm 32; 1 Kings 19:1-8; Heb 2:6-18

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.                   PS 32:10

There is a life with God, in His presence, that changes everything for the on who believes and behaves in belief.  His presence is powerful, changing problems into possibilities.  But it’s our sin, our disbelief and disobedience, that gets in the way.  Our disbelief leaves us by ourselves and our disobedience leaves us with only ourselves.  This life wasn’t meant to be lived alone.  God invited Solomon to walk with Him and Jesus did walk with God through the good and the bad.  Disconnection happens when we live in disbelief and disobedience.  It’s not that God has left us but that we have left Him.  Always be ready to deal with sin.

The Kitchen Table            Day 39

Today’s Reading:  Ps 51; Jonah 4:1-11; Rom 1:8-18

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.  Rom 8:16

Sometimes we all just need someone to ask us the right, hard, question.  Count on God to do that.  God asks Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry?”  Do yo want to be angry?  Do you want to live angry?  Truly broken people don’t carry around anger.  Anger doesn’t serve them well.  It doesn’t serve anyone well.  Jonah waited for God to break out against the city of Nineveh.  Paul wanted God to bring our His goodness and kindness toward Rome.  When we begin to want judgment rather than forgiveness, something is needed in us, not others.  That anger doesn’t and won’t serve us well.  Want what forgiveness brings, not what anger leaves.  Forgiveness will serve you well.

The Kitchen Table            Day 38

Today’s Reading:  Ps 51; Jonah 3:1-10; Rom 1:1-7

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.      Psalm 51:17

We must be broken to believe.  Until we see this life as being broken we will struggle to believe His life is what we truly need.  Nineveh became broken before God and believed in Him and God relented of His judgment.  They were broken and because they were broken, they could believe.  This relationship with Jesus isn’t just an appendage to our lives, it is a whole new life where we believe in Him, not us and live life His way, not our way.  Don’t be afraid of being broken, you’re in a place to believe, to be made new and to have a new life to live.  Drama is the result of people trying to live with broken lives.  Destiny is the result of people living with belief.