Two Thoughts for Today

by Dr. Bill Bright
__________________________________________________________________________________________

“How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn towards me. And when I waken in the morning, You are still thinking of me!” Psalm 139:17,18

Our sons, Zac and Brad, have helped me to understand, in some small measure, the truth of this promise, for in the course of a single day, I will lift them up in prayer many times. I am finite, but God is infinite. My love for our sons is limited, but his love is inexhaustible and unconditional. It is because of God’s love in my heart that I am able to love my sons unconditionally, even as He loves me.

What a comforting, encouraging thought, that the omnipotent Creator, God, who possesses all power and control of creation, loves me enough that He is constantly thinking about me. When I allow Him to do so - He talks to me, expressing His love, wisdom and grace from His Word,  through divine impressions and the counsel of wise and godly friends. His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth to make Himself strong and mighty in my behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Just as He is constantly thinking about me, I have been admonished to pray without ceasing. To talk to Him, to think about Him all the time - as difficult as it may sound - is a joyful reality to those who practice the presence of God, is that the kind of relationship you are experiencing day by day? If not, it can be.

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:1-10
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139:1-10&version=31)

Today’s Action Point: Mindful that God loves, cares and thinks about me constantly, I shall seek to live the supernatural life by practicing His presence, by praying without ceasing and by claiming His supernatural power by faith.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/04/bb_practicing/

by Bethany Hayes
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Be still, and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10a

With summer here, the stormy winter and chilly evenings of recent months have quickly been forgotten.  One morning, however, my heart felt like a lingering storm.   Numerous needs – my own and others’ – were crashing in on me like an unexpected whirlwind. 

Casting these burdens on the Lord, I was suddenly awakened to a scene quietly unfolding outside my window.  Like a fitting backdrop, tall fir trees lining our neighbor’s fence stood motionless, being what they were created to be.  Without a word, early summer flowers were telling of their Creator’s faithfulness and love for beauty.   Soon, a sparrow entered to complete the picture, not planting seeds or gathering food into a barn, but happily discovering and enjoying what our heavenly Father had provided for him.  This hushed scene struck me with its peacefulness – a sharp contrast to my stormy heart.

Distracted by this stillness, my thoughts turned to a particular storm in the lives of the disciples – one in which their Maker slept on a pillow.  The disciples weren’t sleeping.  With an unexpected storm crashing in on them, their lives were in turmoil.  But when they woke Jesus, He commanded the stormy winds and waves to be still.  And they obeyed.

Creation busies itself by resting in its Creator’s authority and by obeying the same command given to us:  “Be still, and know that I am God.”  (Psalm 46:10a)

He is God.  And that’s all we need to know to be still.

Father, Thank you for rest promised to those who remember that You are God.  Knowing who You are, we seek Your strength to be still.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/04/bh_stillness/

By Idelette McVicker
_______________________________________________________________

“Alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic! Alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic!”

We sounded the words to the rhythmic clapping of our hands. Faster, faster, faster. Alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic! This morning drill formed part of our early morning leaders meeting at Winners’ Camp, a residential camp for teenagers on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” As we went off to our daily tasks of shaping the lives and hearts of a troupe of teenagers—some more privileged than others—it wasn’t difficult to be enthusiastic about the day. I remember those seven days with such fondness. And I still remember many of the faces.

I learned a few years ago that the word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek term “entheos,” meaning “God within.”

When we can be enthusiastic about something, perhaps it is also an indicator that we are doing what we were meant to; that we are about the things that were set out for us on this earth to do. I find God in the places where I am most enthusiastic.

As another day dawns, am I alert, awake and enthusiastic about the possibilities that lie ahead? And if not, why not?

Dear God, today I invite you into every activity I put my hand and heart to. Thank you for filling me with enthusiasm as I go about the work you set out for me to do. Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/03/im_enthusiasm/

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon. Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.
____________________________________________________________________________________

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart“ Psalm 9:1

Praise should always follow answered prayer, just like the mist of earth’s gratitude rises when the sun of heaven’s love warms the ground. Has the Lord been gracious to you, and heard your voice as your earnestly pray? Then praise Him as long as you live! Don’t deny a song to Him who has answered your prayer and given you the desire of your heart.

To be silent over God’s mercies is to incur the guilt of ingratitude. It is to act as ungratefully as the nine lepers. After they were cured of their leprosy, they did not even bother to return to give thanks to the Lord who healed them. (Luke 17:11-19)

To forget to praise God is to refuse to benefit ourselves. Praise, like prayer, is one great means of growing our spiritual life. It helps to remove our burdens, to excite our hope, and to increase our faith. It is a healthy and invigorating exercise which quickens the pulse of the believer, and nerves us for fresh enterprises in our Master’s service.

To bless God for His mercy is also a way to benefit our fellow brothers and sisters: “My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.” (Psalm 34:2) Others who have been in similar circumstances will take comfort if we say, “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:3-4) Weak hearts will be strengthened, and weak souls will be revived as they listen to our “songs of deliverance.” Their doubts and fears will be assuaged, as we teach and encourage one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Then they too will “sing in the ways of the Lord” when they hear us praising His holy name.

Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. The angels do not pray, but they never cease to praise both day and night. And we the redeemed, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in our hands, should never grow tired of singing the new song, “Worthy is the Lamb.”

Question: Has your prayer been answered lately? Please share it with us, or a story about how God has answered your prayer in the past.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/03/cs_answered-prayer/

by Max Lucado
__________________________________________________________________

“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you?” 
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT).

Paul wrote these words to counter the Corinthian sex obsession. “Run away from sexual sin!” reads the prior sentence. “No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” (v.18 NLT).

What a salmon scripture! No message swims more up-stream than this one. You know the sexual anthem of our day: “I’ll do what I want. It’s my body.” God’s firm response? “No, it’s not. It’s mine.”

Be quick to understand, God is not anti-sex. Dismiss any notion that God is anti-affection and anti-intercourse. After all, he developed the whole package. Sex was his idea. From his perspective, sex is nothing short of holy.

He views sexual intimacy the way I view our family Bible. Passed down from my father’s side, the volume is one hundred years old and twelve inches thick. Replete with lithographs, scribblings, and a family tree, it is, in my estimation, beyond value. Hence, I use it carefully.

When I need a stepstool, I don’t reach for the Bible. If the foot of my bed breaks, I don’t use the family Bible as a prop. When we need old paper for wrapping, we don’t rip a sheet out of this book. We reserve the heirloom for special times and keep it in a chosen place.

Regard sex the same way—as a holy gift to be opened in a special place at special times. The special place is marriage, and the time is with your spouse.

Casual sex, intimacy outside of marriage, pulls the Corinthian ploy. It pretends we can give the body and not affect the soul. We can’t. We humans are so intricately psychosomatic that whatever touches the soma impacts the psyche as well. The me-centered phrase “as long as no one gets hurt” sounds noble, but the truth is, we don’t know who gets hurt. God-centered thinking rescues us from the sex we thought would make us happy. You may think your dalliances are harmless, and years may pass before the x-rays reveal the internal damage, but don’t be fooled. Casual sex is a diet of chocolate—it tastes good for a while, but the imbalance can ruin you. Sex apart from God’s plan wounds the soul.

Your body, God’s temple. Respect it.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/02/ml_body/

*********************************************************
Max Lucado
From: It’s Not About Me
© (Thomas Nelson, 2007),

Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://www.maxlucado.com/about/

by Katherine Kehler
___________________________________________________________________________________

“How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly” 
Psalm 139:17

Mark and Caroline arrived at our house just minutes before we were leaving for a conference. They lived in northern Alberta and had driven all night so we could meet our newest granddaughter, Sarah, before we left.  We could hardly wait to hold her.

And then they arrived.  I have to admit, even though I gave the adults hugs, I really wanted to hold that little girl. And when she was in my arms, a flood of love washed over me bonding me to this precious child.  I couldn’t take my eyes off her. However, we had to leave - my husband was the director of the organization so we couldn’t stay home. In three days, we would be back and would be able to spend extended time with them.

Something interesting happened to me during those few minutes I held that little girl. I had just met her, and for only a few minutes, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her.  She was in my thoughts during the whole trip to the conference and during the whole time I was there. It was amazing! 

The Lord brought to mind, the verse, “You are thinking about me constantly,” and I realized that God loves me so much that He is thinking about me all the time.  He loves me more than I love that little granddaughter.  Could anything be more wonderful than having the King of Kings love me that much?  Could anything be more wonderful than the King of Kings love YOU that much? I can’t help but say, “Hallelujah!”

Father, how grateful I am that You are always thinking about and loving Your children.  You fill my soul with indescribable joy.  Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/02/kk_thinking-about-you/