Do-Over

TODAY’S VERSE
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. – Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 51: 1-2, 10 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How many times have you wanted to do something over? “If I could just take back what I said.” “If I could retake the test.” “If I had one more chance!” In Golf, it is the “mulligan.” In Monopoly, it is the “Get out of jail” card. On Wheel of Fortune, it is the “free spin.” How many times do we need a do-over? King David needed one. He had committed adultery, resulting in the woman becoming pregnant. To make it worse, he had her husband killed! God sent Nathan, the Prophet, to David to rebuke him. David came under severe guilt and repented. Instead of running from God, he ran toward God. He openly admitted his sins and asked God for forgiveness. What happened next was truly amazing. David experienced the love of God and the complete forgiveness of his sins. David depended on God’s unfailing love and asked for the seemingly impossible. He asked for mercy, the blotting out of his sins, and the cleansing of his heart. David agreed with God that he was guilty. But he also agreed with God that God’s love is unfailing. So David could ask for a “do-over.” He prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me!” And God did. Why not start over like David today? Make David’s prayer for mercy and cleansing your own.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Righteous Father, I know that You know all about me. You know my wrongdoing. I agree with You that I am guilty of so many things. I confess that I need Your total forgiveness for all that I have done. I ask for a “do-over.” Please, Lord, create in me a pure heart. Renew a right spirit in me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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The Promised Land Is Waiting

TODAY’S VERSE
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.
Numbers 13:30-32 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Attitudes can change everything. You know the story. Moses sent spies into the promised land to see what it was like. All twelve men saw the same thing but came back with different conclusions. Two saw possibilities born out of faith and hope in God’s love and power. The others saw defeat, death, dying, and doom. The people believed the second story. Why is that? Why can we accept the death, dying, and doom story so much easier than the land of milk and honey? What is it that keeps us from believing in the goodness of God? It is not so much that we doubt whether He can do good; we doubt whether He wants to. Dallas Willard, in his book Hearing God shares why even the miracles of Jesus could not convince some people of His love and Lordship. Willard writes, “Our preexisting ideas and assumptions are precisely what determine what we can see, hear or otherwise observe.” Caleb’s good report could not change what the people already believed in their hearts. They did not believe that God loved them. Deep in their hearts, they thought they were better off caring for themselves. What do you believe? Seeing a miracle won’t change it. A good report won’t change that deep-down doubt. Only repentance and a relationship can. Repent of unbelief, doubt, and fear, and then spend with God soaking in His love. Every day get to know Him until you sense His concern and deep love for you. Come to Him today, ask Him to show you His love. He will. The promised land is waiting.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Oh, Father, You know my heart. You know my doubts, fears, and negative thoughts. I have had them all my life. I repent, Lord. I want to believe. Help me correct my thinking. Help me know You more and more until my inner thoughts reflect the faith and love that You created me for. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Trust In His Love

TODAY’S VERSE
Let all who fear the LORD repeat: ‘His faithful love endures forever.’ In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me.
Psalms 118:4-7

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What a marvelous passage. Our faith is in a God who knows. Our faith is in a God who is able. Our faith is in a God who cares. Our faith is in a God whose love endures forever! A tragic situation faced our family. My middle son was in critical condition after being hit by a car. My youngest son was shaken to the core, and that night before he went to sleep asked me to pray with him. I prayed with all my heart. Afterward, as I was leaving, he asked me, “That won’t really make a difference, will it?” I know he believed, but he was as fearful as I was. I looked at him and said, “Yes, I believe it makes a difference. I always pray for God’s power. I ask for His power, but I trust in His love.” Like the Psalmist, we too can pray in our distress, and the Lord will answer. The Lord is for you; you can trust in His love.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, I don’t know everything that is going on. I can’t see the future. I know I often waiver in my faith. But Lord, I know I can call upon You in my distress. Please help me with those special burdens I am carrying. Most of all, help me today to trust in Your love. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Where Do You Go?

TODAY’S VERSE
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Where do you go when there is trouble? There are a lot of choices. You can run to your friends. Friends who listen, understand, and help you when needed are a true blessing. But not all of us have those kinds of friends. Sometimes it is easier for us to simply run away. Running can be in many different forms. It can be procrastination, you know, where we will always find a solution later. It could be an addiction to anesthetize ourselves from the situation. It could be running full steam ahead, ignoring problems, focusing on achievement, or materialism. Yet, there is a better way. Today’s scripture gives us another option that makes good sense. The author of Hebrews writes, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” You notice the verse doesn’t say to be timid. It says to “boldly” come to God. And what do we get when we find ourselves in His presence? Mercy and grace. Two of the most beautiful words in all of the Bible. Mercy not giving us what we deserve. Grace giving us what we do not deserve. Thank God today that He has His mercy and grace available for you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for promising me that I can come boldly to You anytime – day or night. I can come boldly with my problems, concerns, and weaknesses. I come to You now, dear Father. Hear my needs, hear the deep inner thoughts and concerns of my heart. Please make me conscious of Your incredible mercy and grace that You have promised to me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Choose Today

TODAY’S VERSE
Choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Choose today whom you will serve. Many people treat Christianity as a “once for all” decision. We decide to receive Christ as our Savior, and that is it. We are “born again,” and then we go on autopilot. But the term “born” indicates that it is the beginning of a life-long process, not the end! Christianity starts with a single choice but is followed by a lifetime of choosing to live for Him. The trouble is our life becomes such a routine that we make choices out of habit. Worse, we don’t even see our behavior as a choice anymore. We are just responding as if we were programmed. We need to wake up to the fact that we do have options. If you have been going down the wrong road, you can stop today and CHOOSE in a different direction. Have you been upset? The good news is that you can CHOOSE to return to joy. Have you struggled with wrong choices? You can CHOOSE to come to God with your problems, and He will help you make the right choices. You have a choice because God gives it to you. All the power of God is available and waiting for you to make a choice. What will you choose today?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You that I do have a choice. I can choose to follow You every day. Help me see all the opportunities ahead of me. Please help me to see all of the hundreds of actions I make every day as choices. Thank You that with Your Holy Spirit, I am not powerless; I don’t have to be the victim of negative habits. I pray that You will help, guide, and give me the strength to choose wisely in everything I do today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Behold His Beauty

TODAY’S VERSE
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Psalms 27:4 (ESV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I remember when I first saw my wife. People had told me about her. They said that we would be a great couple. One friend, trying to match us up, brought me a magazine article with her picture in it. That was it. I was smitten. I beheld her beauty. It was more so when I finally met her. While we were dating, I would catch myself looking at her. Still today, I am moved by her presence. This is more than a visual experience. It is emotional and existential. Why? Because I fell in love with her. Did you know that you can behold God in the same way? You can. God has given us an “inner eye,” that spiritual ability to connect with Him in a deep and personal way. David knew this, so he made it his most passionate desire. He wrote, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; to behold the beauty of the Lord.” If you can do that, everything else in life will fall in line. Today, stop and ask God to help you “behold His beauty.” Commit yourself to spend time in His presence, read His word, meditate on His goodness, and you will begin to fall in love with God.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me begin to behold Your beauty. Help me know You, hear You, and fellowship with You. Help me trust You, commit myself to You, and love You. Lord, I know this is a process, but it is one I deeply desire. Start today, Father, and guide me into a deeper relationship with You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Do His Work

TODAY’S VERSE
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:9 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
When was the last time you did something for the Lord? He loves you. He cares for you. God wants to work with you to do His will. Paul reminds us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Doing His good works in His time and His strength is what we were created for. It is where we will be the most fulfilled. It is where we will have the greatest peace. Today, work with God. Find out what He wants you to do and join Him. Ask God to guide you, direct you and lead you. You were created to do His good works.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I realize that so much of what I have done has been on my own. Today I know that I am Your workmanship and that You created me to do Your good works. I ask You to take charge of my life. I invite you to guide me in all I do. I commit this day and all of its activities to You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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What Do You Want Him To Do?

TODAY’S VERSE
Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?”
Matthew 20:30-32

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Deep down inside, you know there has to be more. There must be a relief for your pain. Perhaps like two blind men on the side of the road, if you knew Jesus was coming, you would shout out to Him. Doug Murren writes in his book The Church That Heals, “We need the miraculous in the church today. Postmodern people are too broken to be fixed through simple human caregiving; they need to be pieced back together through the Supernatural healing of Jesus through His body the church.” What is it you need today? Where are you hurting? Today Jesus asks you the same thing that He asked the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Jesus, I am sitting here today by the side of the road. I am in great need. I have shouted for mercy, and You have heard me. Help me to respond to Your question, What do you want me to do for you? In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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My Heart, Christ’s Home

TODAY’S VERSE
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
John 14:23

TODAY’S THOUGHT
A famous booklet called “My Heart, Christ’s Home” was written by Robert Munger. The author used a house as a metaphor for our hearts. He shares how excited we are first to let Christ in. Like a home, we visit Him in the living room, treating Him as our guest. We even offer Him a bedroom. However, most of us stop there and never take Him to our more hidden, personal rooms. Jesus never goes to the attic or searches our closets. After a while, we get busy with life and quit spending time with Him. Soon we ignore Christ, running out of the house in the morning, never even talking to Him.
The purpose of the book was to show us that knowing Christ is more than an occasional encounter. It is more than simply inviting Him into our hearts. Knowing Christ is having intimate fellowship with Him. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would allow Christ to dwell in their hearts. This is where the strength of our inner being comes from. John tells us that Christ is knocking on the door of our hearts and wants to fellowship with us. Jesus said that if we love Him, He and His Father would come and make their home with us. Who lives in your heart today? Why not let Jesus in? Why not let Jesus visit every room? Give Him complete control of your life and access to all parts of your being. You can trust Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I want my heart to be Your home. Lord, go ahead and check out every room, every closet, and basement. Be in complete charge of all I have and all I do. Be the ruler of my heart and make it Your home. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Don’t Lose Your Soul

TODAY’S VERSE
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
Matthew 16:26

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Jesus asked a question that has challenged people for centuries. His question has never been more relevant than it is today. He asked, “What will we benefit if we gain the whole world but lose our soul?” Isn’t gaining the whole world what everyone seems to be striving for? Never in the history of man has it been harder to be content. The pressures of this world are amplified through print, television, movies, and the internet. The convergence of media and information has escalated the speed of trends, fads, and popularity making us even more susceptible to manipulation. We must look certain ways, have certain things, go to certain schools, and live in certain places. And if we cannot make it, then our children must. The words of Jesus stand in contrast to the media hype. They warn us to stop the madness! Jesus points out that there is so much more in life than just the physical trappings and the praise of men. We have a soul! In this world, we live for 70, 80 years or so. Our soul, however, lives forever. This life is the beginning of who we really are. God created more than your body; He created your soul. It never dies. It is eternal. That is why the question Jesus asked is so essential. One way or another, you must answer. “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I must admit I have jumped onto a treadmill. I am running and running but not going anywhere. Help me to see myself as a living, breathing soul that You love and have created. Please help me not sacrifice it for the little that this world has to offer. Instead, I give my soul to You as a living sacrifice of worship.
In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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