Sadness to Gladness

Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God. ~ Psalm 42:11 (CEV)

You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness. ~ John 16:20b (GNT)

KEY IDEA:

As we trust the Lord our sadness gives way to gladness.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for helping me. I spend way too much time being discouraged because I think over and over again about the discouraging things. I need some more help. Rescue my mind from this restless and discouraging loop. Help me to see that you are going to work things out in a way that is better than I can imagine. I'm going to trust you! Amen!

Sing praise

Praise the Lord! It is good to sing praise to our God... ~ Psalm 147:1a (GNT)

When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. ~ Ephesians 5:19 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

It is good to sing praise to our God.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are certainly worthy of all praise. I don't praise you enough -- even when my singing voice is working. Stir my heart so that I can participate in the great chorus of all those who gather to honor you in song. I'm going to sing! Amen.

Belonging

Ruth answered, “Don't ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ~ Ruth 1:16 (GNT)

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. ~ Ephesians 2:19 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

God moves us along from being foreigners to being family members.

PRAYER:

Lord, I'm the type of person who needs to belong. Throughout my life I've easily joined groups and have readily embraced people with similar interests. Thank you, though, for including me in the most important group of all -- your family! I don't always behave as a family member. But I know that because of the mercy of Christ that is my identity. I need your assistance so that I can help others know what it is like to belong. Through Christ we are all members of your family. Amen.

Necessary Word

The First Sunday in Lent
(These texts were mistakenly posted for last Wednesday but they belong with today.)

I, the Lord, also promise you a terrible shortage, but not of food and water. You will hunger and thirst to hear my message. You will search everywhere— from north to south, from east to west. You will go all over the earth, seeking a message from me, the Lord. But you won’t find one. ~ Amos 8:11-12 (CEV)

Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.” ~ John 6:68-69 (MSG) 

KEY IDEA: 

A word of any sort from the Lord is something to be cherished and taken seriously.

PRAYER: 

Lord, we desperately need to hear from you. Without your word we will shrivel up and die. Thank you for sending your living word, Jesus, who is the real eternal life in whom we trust. We don't always listen carefully but please don't stop talking. Without your word we become lifeless. I'm going to keep my eyes and ears alert so that I can take in all of your messages. I'm going to start by listening to Jesus and his message in the Bible. Amen.