February 22 – Instruct, Teach, Council with Love

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

This Psalm by David is one that records a prayer of confession David offered up to God.  The verse we look at is God's response to David's prayer of confession.  We have these promises from God also.  We can all look to God to do what He promises in this verse.   We all need His guidance and counsel every day in making small decisions and also in deciding more important things.  We need to recognize that He is watching our movements and that He has ways of letting us know which way is best each time we have to choose what to do.   He promises to instruct and teach us the way to go. Therefore, we need to be aware that our God in Heaven has His eyes upon us and that He has advice to give us when we open our hearts for Him to show us the Way He wants us to go.  

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January 6 – His Loving Eye Watching

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

Since we are still new in this year, we have selected this fitting promise from God's word.  We are all looking ahead to the new year which has begun.  We may have some questions still unanswered about how thing will go in the days and months ahead.  It seems like so much is uncertain in the world and in our countries' governments.  Whatever the situation is we can trust in the faithfulness of God for every day, every week and all through the year.  Yes, we can be sure that our Lord is with us and will be because He has promised to teach and counsel us.  He has promised to watch over us with His loving eye.  And, we can be confident that He knows what is ahead for us as He guides us with His teaching and instructions.  Trust this promise today, tomorrow and every day that comes.  

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June 12 – Flame Proof

“When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;”  Isaiah 43:2b-3a (NASB) 

We are reminded today of God's faithfulness as we read these promises given to us through the prophet Isaiah. Perhaps you get the feeling that you are walking through fine when you are faced with difficult circumstances. Do you wonder sometimes how you are going to get through some trying situations? And, maybe you think no one has ever had it as hard as you have? The promises we have here proves to us that people have always had problems in this world But it also reminds us how good it is to have a God who is loving and who is able to bring us through our difficulties. Yes, we may at times feel like we are walking through fire but God promises us that we will not be scorched or burned. Why can we trust that promise? Because it comes from the Lord our God, our Savior.  It is so good to know that God loves us and He promises to bring us through our trials and testing.

November 3 – Heed and Ponder

“Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.” Psalm 107:43 (NIV)

This is the last verse of this Psalm and it is at the end of a long series of reminders of the wonderful things which God had done previously. The concluding verse then reminds us that if we are wise we will remember what God has done and think of how He loves his people when he deals with them. Even when our situation seems very difficult and unpleasant we can know God loves us with perfect never-ending love. Actually this can apply to the whole record of God's dealings in the Bible. When we hear the Bible taught or preached, let all this remind us of the great love of God. Our verse tells us that if we do that we will be wise.  

October 22 – See Us Through

“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” Psalm 112:1 (NIV)
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7 (NIV)

We are choosing two verses from Psalm 112 today. The first verse identifies who the psalmist is writing this song for. Those who fear the Lord and delight in what He tells us to do.  The next verses describe a person who respects and worships God. Our second verse doesn't say that a follower of the Lord will never hear any bad news. It doesn't say that nothing unpleasant will ever happen to us. What our verse promises is that we won't spend time thinking of some bad things that might happen to us. What it means is that we will be trusting in the love of God to take care of us no matter what happens. We have a great and loving God and He promises to see us through.  

September 10 – Loving and Faithful

“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.” Psalm 25:10 (NIV)

This promise today reminds us of the greatness and the love of our heavenly Father. Let's never forget that our God in heaven is concerned about our needs and is involved in the events of our lives.  Our verse reminds us that God loves us and this makes a difference in how He deals with us. We respond and keep the demands of his covenant with us. Our part is to believe and trust in what He has said and live accordingly.  What God does for us is also determined by His faithfulness. Remember this, no matter what happens God does not forget His promises to us. He will always keep His Word. So, let's be sure to keep our part of the bargain – that we be loving and faithful to our God.

November 1

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10 (NIV)

We probably all recognize the daily need for guidance from God.  If we know our God as a loving, caring God we will want Him to teach us to do His will. If we know that He loves us, we know that He will teach us what is good for us. And how does God lead us? Our verse indicates that it is by His Good Spirit. We know Him as the Holy Spirit who lives within us. As we read the Bible or hear His word taught, we will hear the Holy Spirit’s voice assuring us that this is truly God’s word to lead us in our daily lives. So we can pray this same prayer – teach us to do your will and be led by your Spirit.

July 30

“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.”  Psalm 25:10 (NIV)

We are apt to forget that there are requirements attached to some of God’s promises. A covenant is an arrangement between two parties which states what each party is responsible for. That is what the law which God gave through Moses does. It states what God expected from His people as their part of the covenant. And for those who kept His commands, God was faithful in taking care of them. We are under a new covenant. We call it the New Testament. In order to benefit from this covenant we have to fulfill our obligation. First, we have to believe. We are saved by faith, and kept by faith.  But we must heed His rules of the Christian life. We must do as we sing, “trust and obey.”

July 11

“Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.” Psalm 107:43 (NIV)

The entire 107th Psalm was written to remind God’s people of how He had helped them and their ancestors in various kinds of circumstances. And it concludes with this verse. The point of the verse is that people who knew how God had helped them in the past should remember that and be reminded of His great love for them. We should do the same. Think back of how God has helped us in past days and then remember that He has done it because of His great love for us. This will encourage us to trust Him for today, tomorrow and always. That is what God calls “wisdom.”

April 28

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2 (NIV)

There are many reasons for loving God. The basic reason is that He loves us. When God hears our prayers and then responds by helping us when we need it, doesn’t that inspire us to love Him? Well, the fact that God does hear us is another indication of his love and His concern for us. He hears us because He loves us so it’s normal that we respond by loving Him. The psalmist sensed the love of God because He turned His ear toward him. God is attentive to us, waiting for us to call to Him.