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    • Today is the day!

      Posted at 6:16 am by sneuhofer, on September 6, 2018

      Psalm 118:24 (ESV) This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

      In Genesis 1, we read about the creation of the world. According to scripture, it took God 6 days to create day and night, the sky and the land, the seas, plants and trees, land and sea creatures, and finally mankind. As we read through this chapter in Genesis, we notice that at the end of each day, God says what He created is good. He made each day with order and purpose. Nothing God did in the creation of the universe was chaotic or unordered.

      Something jumped out at me as I looked deeper into the first part of Psalm 118:24. Read those words again:

      This is the day that the Lord has made

      If I think back to how God created the universe, I can be pretty certain that NOTHING about this day will go unnoticed to God. The Lord is near, overseeing everything. He is an active participant in the day, therefore I can rejoice and be glad in it – no matter the circumstance. I can know that the Lord is going to use whatever happens in this day to grow me, shape me, and mold me into the image of His son, Jesus. Throughout the day, I can lean in, press on, rely on HIM more than I did yesterday or the day before.  As I walk through this day aware of how close the Lord is, my relationship with Him will grow even deeper and stronger.

      So in this day, I can rejoice and be glad even if that means:

      • I am in the middle of financial difficulty
      • My marriage is failing
      • My world has been turned upside down by senseless violence
      • My teenager has fallen into the “wrong” crowd and is out of control
      • My health is failing
      • My family member is dying
      • My day doesn’t make sense
      • I’m overwhelmed at work
      • My new normal now includes a prosthetic arm or leg

      In whatever the circumstance…I can rejoice and give thanks because GOD IS GOOD. His steadfast (consistent, stable, constant, unwavering, faithful) love endures forever.

      This truth that I have discovered helps me to look at my day in a different way. I hope it does the same for you too. Every day, I am becoming more aware of God’s presence in the good and the bad – there is not one second of my day that God doesn’t see. I have not and will never slip out of His sight and in that, I can rejoice no matter what I’m walking through.

      Related scriptures:

      1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28

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      Posted in God is near, God with us | 0 Comments
    • God? Where are you?

      Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on August 29, 2018

      Why is God so far away when I need Him most?

      Psalm 10:1 (NCV) Lord, why are you so far away? Why do you hide when there is trouble?

      In times of trouble do you feel God’s presence, or do you think he has left you high and dry? In the very first verse of Psalm 10, the psalmist feels as if God is far away or is hiding from him. But don’t move too far away from that verse without noticing one detail…he is still talking to God. He is being honest about his doubts and is continuing to pray about what he needs. In this Psalm, the Psalmist needs help and he realizes he needs it from God.

      When you go through the valleys of your life – could be in your work environment or in your personal life – do you tend to forget that God is with you? What about when someone get’s something they really didn’t earn, taking the credit and reaping all the rewards. Do you wonder why God allows those things to happen?

      When I begin to feel like this, I have to remember that God see all and will be the ultimate judge. I have to remind myself to keep the big picture in perspective. The Bible is clear, everyone will have to stand before God and give an account for his/her life…every action, every word, every deed.

      I have to continually ask myself questions like:
      • Am I relying on God to get me through this day or am I relying on my own strength?
      •  Am I jealous of someone else’s success?
      • Am I angry because I don’t have what someone else has?
      • Am I harboring bitterness or doubt?

      As I walk through each day, I try not to worry about what I can’t control and what I don’t have. I am confident in the truth at God has a perfect plan for my life and that He will guide and direct me in the way I should go. I am also confident in the truth that I have been created on purpose to accomplish the very purpose He put me on this earth to accomplish. It’s up to me to continually seek Him through daily prayer and the reading of His word. It’s in the quiet moments that I hear is voice and know that He is there…even when my world is falling apart or I’m in the middle of a huge doubt-storm. He is there.

      Today I stand on the promise that the God who created the heavens and the earth is holding me in the palm of His hand. It was God who formed me in my mother’s womb and sees my life from beginning to end. It is because of these truths I know I can trust Him in the “little details” of my life because He is always near (Psalm 145:18, Jeremiah 23:23, Phil. 4:5) and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5).

      Related scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Cor. 10:31; Prov. 15:19; Titus 3:14

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      Posted in God in the details, God is near, Psalm 10 | 0 Comments
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