GOD IS WAITING

ISAIAH 8:17 (MSG)
Meanwhile, I patiently trust the Lord, even though he is no longer pleased with Israel.

ROMANS 9:4 (CEV)
They are Israelites: the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises all belong to them.

THE ESSENCE
God continues to patiently wait for his people to get their act together and to start trusting him. 

DAILY FODDER
Why does God invest so heavily in people who don't consistently trust him?

PRAYER 
Patient Lord, thank you for the times you wait for me to come with my troubles, sorrows, and joys. You wait with open arms of compassion. You welcome me in and hold me close. I am adopted into your family. I am yours. You give good gifts, and with gratitude, I give you all the glory. Thank you. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

BROKEN PEOPLE WELCOME

PSALM 51:17 (NLT)
   The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

LUKE 18:13-14 (MSG)
   Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’”
   Jesus commented, “This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God.”

THE ESSENCE
God welcomes all who respond to him out of their brokeness. 

DAILY FODDER
Jesus isn't looking to develop a relationship with those who have their acts together. 

PRAYER 
Merciful God, you welcome the broken with open arms. Of course, you'd welcome all others, but all others seem uninterested in the kind of healing you offer. Forgive me for working so hard to demonstrate that I have my act together. You can see right through it all and you're patiently waiting for me to acknowledge the reality. I need your forgiveness. I'm going to live the rest of my life in the light of your mercy. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

COUNT ON GOD'S CARE

PSALM 139:9-10 (ABP)
If I took off flying at dawn, stopping to rest when I got to the darkness on the other side of the world—even there your firm hand would be guiding, protecting, and caring for me without wavering.

ACTS 27:23-25 (MSG)
"Last night God’s angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, ‘Don’t give up, Paul. You’re going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.’ So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me...."

THE ESSENCE
You can count on God to care for you wherever you are and in whatever the circumstances. 

DAILY FODDER
Where is the most surprising place that you have recognized God's presence? 

PRAYER 
Loving God, like a protective parent, you embrace me tightly and show me the way. You want what is best for me and you keep me safe. Thank you, Father. I want to follow wherever you lead. I desire to worship you and serve you with all that I am. I belong to you. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

SURPRISE!

PSALM 119:162 (MSG)
I’m ecstatic over what you say,
like one who strikes it rich.

MATTHEW 13:44 (MSG)
God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.

THE ESSENCE 
The God-defined-life is so surprisingly life-changing that it’s worth giving up everything to aquire. 

DAILY FODDER
What is it about God's wise message that makes it such a big surprise?  

PRAYER 
Wise and mighty God, your direction is life changing in the best way. I regret that I'm so stuck in my ways that I don't really hear what you're saying, even though I'm a regular Bible reader. Guide my feet so that I trip over your treasure and realize the value of what you put right in front of me. I'm determined to get rid of everything in the way of becoming an obsessed consumer of your Spirit-infused biblical wisdom. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.