thoughts by Alec Niemi Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

Published October 8, 2023

Thanksgiving in Our Hearts

Leona Von Brethorst song “I Will Enter His Gates“, is a great song for thanksgiving because it leaves us rejoicing.

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart,
I will enter His courts with praise!
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made,
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

The following note is from an eleven year old who attended day camp this summer.

My commitment to God

Last week at camp, I gave my life to Jesus again. I’ve always loved Jesus, but this time it was different. This time I wanted it to be my own decision, not something my family tells me to do. I want to love others and God. In the past, I have been mean to my sisters. I want this to change. I felt really connected to God this past week, and I’m wanting to learn how to stay connected all my life. I soon want to be baptized.

Pontius Pilate washed his hands of Jesus’ case, symbolizing that he wanted nothing to do with it. I want to do the same thing, except with my sinful life. I want to wash away all my sins and be a follower of Christ.

Zion.

We are even more thankful and rejoicing because that eleven year old is our grandson.

My prayer for us this week

“Lord we shout to you with joy. We worship you our Lord with gladness; and come before you with joyful songs. We know that you Lord are God. It is you who made us, and we are yours; we are your people, the sheep of your pasture. We enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise; giving thanks to you and your name. For you, our Lord are good and your love endures forever; your faithfulness continues through all generations. Amen.” Psalm 100:1-5

By Alec Niemi
Used by permission

In Him

“And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. “1 John 2:28

Wow! What a challenge. Well when I first read it I thought that it was. It is such a struggle at times to not do something that would have me be ashamed on that day of reckoning.

Then as I reread the verse I found the key! …continue “in Him”…

And it’s found again in Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

It is “through Him” because “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. “In love.” Ephesians 1:4

We were chosen “in Him” before we were even born.

It sure makes sense to continue “in Him” then doesn’t it.

He died for my life and lives that He might be in my life!

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

My prayer for us

“Heavenly Father we rejoice in the knowledge that it is walking in the power of Your indwelling Spirit that we can be confident and unashamed at Your return. In Jesus name, amen.”

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Stand Firm

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Titus 1:9

“Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,” Ephesians 6:14

My prayer for us this week

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, I pray that we will stand firm. Letting nothing move us. Always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. In Jesus name amen.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

It was written by Harry Dixon in or about 1920 and has become a classic. I looked it up and discovered that there are more verses than I had ever sung. The two verses I hadn’t heard were; “Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine,” and “Jesus gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Jesus said…

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

The Psalmist gives credit to the Lord as the lamp to his feet and the light to his path. (Psalm 119:105.)

John tells us at the beginning of his Gospel that, in the beginning was the Word… and that the word became flesh, and it dwelt among us… (John 1:1 and 14)

So as we let our ‘little light’ shine” let it be Jesus shining in and through us that others may find a lamp for their feet and a light for their path too.

My prayer for us this week

“Heavenly Father we thank you for your word, it is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. We thank you for Jesus who came as the light that we may have the ‘Light of life’ and that we can let Him shine through us, giving light to this dark world. In Jesus name, amen.“

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Win the Argument Yet Lose

“Pick your fights.” “Don’t sweat over the little things.” “Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war.”

People seem to love to debate. (Others would call it argue!) There are times when one thinks they’ve won an argument but still wind up the loser in the end. The loss comes from not watching the tongue.

“I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” Psalm 39:1

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Proverbs 18:21

“A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

““He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” Proverbs 13:3

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” James 1:26

“But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
James 3:8

My prayer for us this week:

“Heavenly Father, we flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on You out of a pure heart. We will not have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because we know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. In Jesus name amen.” 2 Timothy 2:22-26

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Thirsty

Years ago in my former vocation as a logger I drove a machine called a skidder with which I pulled logs from the woods to an area where they could be loaded and sent for milling. We dragged logs for several kilometer on what was called a skid road. It was hot and dusty work going back and forth on this same road pulling in the logs and returning back to get more.

At one spot close to the side of the skid road we discovered water bubbling up from underground and then disappearing again. This water was cold and oh so sweet. Probably the best water I have ever tasted. Whenever we were thirsty we would stop and have a drink. However it was such a little spot it was hard to see and easy to miss while driving by. But there was always the thought, “Oops I missed it but I’ll stop next time by.”

Does it sound familiar? “Oops God, I missed you, but I’ll stop next time by.”

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2a).

“God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

“I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land” (Psalm 143:6).

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37).

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

Thank you Lord Jesus for inviting the thirsty to come and drink. Telling us that if we believe in you, as the Scripture has said, “streams of living water will flow from within us… through the Spirit that you have given us. Thank you Jesus, amen.” John 7:37-39

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Trust Me

Do you still really trust God?

“What should I do, do I make the change,” I asked?
as to and fro I paced.

“Do you still trust Me?” the Lord asked, in response
to a quandary I faced.

Oh my light, my strength, my helper! “Oh Yes,”
I responded without haste.

No words were spoken yet at that moment of ‘yes,’
all my doubts erased.

I trusted… I wasn’t afraid… in His comforting presence
I was embraced.

Go to His loving arms in times of need. Do it now.
There’s no time to waste.

Got a dilemma, struggling with a quandary,
trust God and be graced.

My prayer for us

Creator God, it is with anticipation and joy that we come to you with praise, thanking you for our strength and salvation. Do we still trust you? Unequivocally yes! We bless your holy name. Amen.

By Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Hosanna

The word “Hosanna” is used to express adoration, praise or joy.

In the original Rabbinical Hebrew it is interpreted to mean ‘save, we pray’. As we read part of the Easter story we are reminded that as Jesus was entering Jerusalem,

“a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:8&9)

As we celebrate the Easter season let us not only remember to express our adoration, praise and joy but let’s remember the ‘why’ as well; The resurrection! Our salvation depends on it!

My prayer for you this week

“Jesus, we ‘spread our cloaks on the road’ asking, save, we pray, oh Son of David. Blessed are you who came in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Amen. Matthew 21:8 & 9

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Wow! it is already December.

How the time flies.

Now it is time to get serious about Christmas.

Serious in the sense that we need to take the time to reflect on what this season is all about. Christmas songs are filling the air. And as we sing along with the Christmas songs being played on the radio, in stores, on iPod, etc. let’s sing them in remembrance of Jesus, the one whose birthday we are celebrating.

My prayer for you this week:

“Creator God we praise you. How good it is to sing praises to you our God, how pleasant and fitting it is to praise you! It is you oh LORD who built up Jerusalem; who gathered the exiles of Israel. You heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds. You determine the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great are you Lord and mighty in power; your understanding has no limit. You LORD sustain the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Yes we sing to you our LORD with thanksgiving and remembrance; making music to you on the harp. In Jesus name amen.” Psalm 147:1-7

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Celebrate the Lights

Christmas lights adorn the neighborhood setting the scene for festive celebration. It is easy to get into the mood of celebration amidst all the decoration. As we celebrate let us remember that Christmas is the celebration of the boy child Jesus who came as the light to a dark world. Just as He has opened our eyes with the truth of salvation, let’s use this celebratory season to shine our light for Jesus too!

My prayer for you

“Thank you LORD, you have called us in righteousness. Thank you for taking hold of our hands and keeping us and making us to be a covenant and a light to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Amen.” Isaiah 42:6, 7

By Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Freeze!

He was crouched low as he slowly followed a bit of a trail through the thick underbrush when his Sargent harshly whispered, ‘FREEZE!” He froze immediately and he listened intently for any noise as his eyes darted around trying to spot any danger that the Sarg. might have seen. And then he spotted it. Strung across the path, ankle high, right in front of his foot was a clear nylon trip line… He hadn’t seen it… One step more and… He didn’t want to think about it…

Life is full of trip lines. But praise the Lord for he has given us his Holy Spirit to warn us when to “FREEZE!”

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them. Proverbs 20:12

My prayer for us this week

“Heavenly Father, we are still because we know that You are God. You are exalted among the nations; You will be exalted in the earth. You are with us and are our stronghold. Thank you and praise you, in Jesus name, amen.” Psalm 46:10,11

Have a great week

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

The Deed of Doing

As disciples we have been set apart to expend our time, talent and treasures on Christ’s message.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17

The apostle Paul, speaking to the church in Corinth, gives us insight into how we should do this. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

The first thing he tells us is that we are to be generous. “whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” (v 6b) Being generous means showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected.

Secondly he tells us to be intentional with what we do. “what you have decided in your heart to give,” (v 7a) A deed is an action that is performed intentionally of consciously.

The third thing is that we are to do it voluntarily, “not reluctantly or under compulsion.” (v 7b)

His fourth instruction is that we do it cheerfully, “for God loves a cheerful giver.”(v 7c)

And then he tells us why… that, abounding in His grace, we might be sufficiently supplied… “God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (v8)

…for everything we do in furthering the Kingdom of God. “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” (vs 10,11)

As we do what we have been called to do, let’s do it generously, intentionally, freely and cheerfully.

Heavenly Father thank you for teaching us that if we sow sparingly we will also reap sparingly, and if we sow bountifully we will also reap bountifully. You tell us that we must do just as we have purposed in our heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for You love a cheerful giver. And You are able to make all grace abound to us, so that we will always have all sufficiency in everything, that we may have an abundance for every good deed. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

By Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Refuge

When facing stormy weather we seek refuge. Somewhere protected. Somewhere safe.

When facing a life storm it is the same.

In several of the Psalms the Lord is referred to as our refuge.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the LORD, who is my refuge... Psalm 91:9

But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. Psalm 94:22

I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 142:5

He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Psalm 144:2

No matter what situation we are faced with, He is there for our refuge.

“In you, LORD, we have taken refuge; let us never be put to shame; deliver us in your righteousness. Turn your ear to us, come quickly to our rescue; be our rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save us. Since you are our rock and our fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide us. Keep us free from the trap that is set for us, for you are our refuge. Into your hands we commit our spirit; deliver us, LORD, our faithful God. In Jesus name amen.” Psalm 31:1-5

by Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

Ten Times More

Someone once said,

“If you believe one-tenth of what you say you believe
you should be ten times more excited than you are.”

And I ask myself the question: Where and why do we fall short?

Maybe it’s this . . .
–   We fail to remember that being called “believers” means we “believe.”
–   We fail to remember what it is we believe.
–   And we fail to give thanks.

We believe that God gave.
And we received.

And when we receive a gift, what should be our natural response?
Thanksgiving.

God has given us numerous gifts for which we can be eternally grateful.

Here are TEN to start out with.

#1 – God’s Son

“Our Savior Jesus Christ. . . gave himself for us.” (Titus 2:14)

God’s Son wasn’t forced into being our Savior.
Jesus Christ gave Himself freely.

Why?

#2 – Forgiveness of Sins

“. . . that [we] might receive forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 26:18)

Each of us deserves the worst punishment imaginable for the filth of our sins.
Christ took it on Himself that we might receive forgiveness in its place.

#3 – Family Status

“As many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God.”
(John 1:12)

We have received the right to be called the children of God.
We have the same family status as God’s own Son.

#4 – Grace

“. . . grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (2 Timothy 1:9)

God’s favor when we didn’t deserve it – when we deserves His DIS-favor – was so certain to be ours that He gave it to us long before He brought anything into existence.

#5 – the Holy Spirit

“. . . ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

The Spirit of truth indwells us, fills us, rebukes us, seals us, and produces His fruit through us.

#6 – Peace

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” (John 14:27)

Christ left us His peace.
It is ours – available and apart from any peace we could achieve from any other source.

#7 – Wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. . . and it shall be given.” (James 1:5)

When we need wisdom, we can ask for it.
And He will give it willingly.
Again and again.

#8 – Victory over death.

“Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 15:57)

Because Christ rose from the dead, death will not have victory over us.

#9 – An Inheritance

“. . . that they may . . . receive an inheritance.” (Acts 26:18)

This inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, does not fade away, and is reserved in heaven for us.
We’re “joint heirs” with God’s own Son.

#10 – Everlasting Life

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Since we believe what we say we believe, let’s be more excited, more joyful . . . more grateful.

Ten times more.

by Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

Addicted to Sharing the Gospel

Last night we enjoyed supper and an evening of fellowship with friends. One of our friends said, with a big happy smile, that she was… “addicted to sharing the gospel with people.” A few weeks ago she had mentioned that her hands were getting arthritic and sore but she wouldn’t stop using her keyboard to reach others with the Gospel.

Her obvious ‘being chosen’ reflects her love to serve the one who called… The Lord Jesus Christ, and thus the desire to sacrificially give of herself to serving Him. We are blessed for knowing her.

“I pray that that you too can say that the Lord has heard your prayer and has chosen you as a place for Himself as a temple for sacrifices. Amen.” 2 Chronicles 7:12

Category: <span>thoughts by Alec Niemi</span>

Further Reading

“And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. “1 John 2:28

Further Reading

Further Reading

Remember the song, “This Little Light of Mine“?

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

Do you still really trust God?

Further Reading

The word “Hosanna” is used to express adoration, praise or joy.

“Jesus, we ‘spread our cloaks on the road’ asking, save, we pray, oh Son of David. Blessed are you who came in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Amen. Matthew 21:8 & 9

Further Reading

Now it is time to get serious about Christmas.

FURTHER READING

Further Reading

Further Reading

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17

Further Reading

When facing stormy weather we seek refuge. Somewhere protected. Somewhere safe.

When facing a life storm it is the same.

Further Reading

Ten times more.

Further Reading

Further Reading

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