Sin is so repulsive to us that we try to cover it any way we can. We rationalize it, hide it, laugh at it, or try to balance it with good works. None of this actually works in the long run because we still have a sense of shame. We know instinctively that something is wrong and needs to be addressed.
If you believe the Bible, the problem of sin is as old as the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, and covered themselves with leaves to further mask their shame.
If you don’t believe the Bible, I have a simple question for you. Why do you wear clothes? It’s not just because of the weather, is it? Covering specific parts of your body is as old as the Garden of Eden.
Covering our sin is as important as covering our body. The shame of having no covering is to painful to bear. But, while covering our body is simple, covering our sin is not. In fact, it is impossible to cover our sin without God’s help. There’s simply too much of it, and even if part of it can be hidden, other sins become visible.
The Psalmist says in this passage, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” In the Bible, we find that it was Jesus who bore OUR sins upon the cross. The beaten and bloody body of Christ was hung on the cross, naked, for all to see. The ugliness and shame were real, personal, deep, painful. Jesus did that for me, for you, that our sins might be covered if we believe.
Dear Lord, Please cover my sins. I ask for your forgiveness and your help. Take my shame, and give me life. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 32 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Folks, you just gotta love Will Rogers! Here’s a classic quote about war and the Federal Reserve from 1929 that still rings true today.
The Federal Reserve (The Fed) is responsible for conducting the nation’s monetary policy to help maintain employment, keep prices stable, and keep interest rates relatively low. The poor folks running The Fed have their hands full, with the prices of corn, grits and gas going up, unemployment going up, and who knows what’s going to happen with inflation and interest rates.
The Fed has to react to an administrations that is trying to run the economy by stimulatin’, regulatin’, legislatin’, and bloviatin’. Businesses don’t know where the administration will strike next.
They tried to stimulate the economy with “shovel-ready jobs,” but the president just admitted that they weren’t quite as “shovel-ready as we expected.” The EPA is going bonkers with new regulations to eliminate the threat of “global warming” by shutting down the coal and oil industry. Congress passed unconstitutional health care legislation which threatens to destroy the best health care system in the world. The bloviator-in-chief keeps proclaiming “recovery” while the vice-bloviator famously proclaimed: “Just because the stimulus was a monumental failure, doesn’t mean it’s not working.”
And what about war, or wars? This gets a bit confusing these days. Depending on how you define “hostilities” we might be in two, three or four wars. Our Nobel-Peace-Prize-Winner-in-Chief wants us to refrain from “torturing” captured enemy terrorists with water-boarding, but putting a bullet in the brain of a Osama bin Laden is ok. What’s a business to do? If you manufacture water-boards, you are going out of business, but if you make bullets you will survive.
Will Rogers is right, again! Businesses are on a wild roller coaster ride, just tryin’ to stay on the tracks. They’re watching The Fed closely and hoping we don’t get into yet another war, or even another “hostility.”
In this image, Will Rogers is holding his son and spinning his lasso at the same time.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
I’ve been afraid on a few occasions – a near collision on the highway, taxi rides in N.Y. City, almost falling off a ladder.
You know the feeling. Your hands start shaking and your heart is racing. It’s not the time to think about sleep, in fact you may have trouble sleeping for a few days as you ponder what might have happened.
The Psalmist says that he “will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” This takes amazing confidence and faith. I get concerned if even one person is angry at me, yet we have an image of the Psalmist facing battle and certain death as hordes of adversaries gather against him. The Psalmist sleeps and wakes because the Lord sustains him.
Dear Lord, Help my faith to grow so that I can rest confidently in the knowledge that you care, protect and provide for me moment by moment. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 3 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Below is an extra treat! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 3 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 3 – Rain Album |  |
I really like the “Bambi” images because they fit well with a number of Psalms. The iPhone screen shot below shows the fawn with Psalm 18:35 (NIV). I thought this fit well with the contrast between humility and greatness mentioned in the Psalm. The screen shot comes from the Daily Psalms NIV product.
In this beautiful photograph you can see the effect of the sunlight as it lights up the sky. Beautiful shapes and colors emerge, where before there was nothing but blackness.
We need God’s light to guide us, and we also need His truth. The Psalmist asks that they guide him to God’s dwelling. We cannot get there except that God guides us.
Where do God’s light and truth come from? They come from God’s Word, the Bible. As we grow in faith, by reading the Bible, God’s light and truth become more clear. As we fellowship with other believers and hear the preaching of God’s Word, our relationship to God continues to grow.
This journey leads us to the alter of God, and “exceeding joy.” Imagine the end of a long, hard trip. It felt good to arrive at the destination, and be welcomed by friends and family. Now imagine being welcomed by God as you approach His alter.
Darkness and lies give no guidance. They give no comfort. Only God’s light and truth can ever satisfy, and when we realize this, joy will come, and our response is to praise God.
Dear Lord, Please forgive me for hiding in darkness and lies. Let your light and truth lead me now, that I may approach your alter with joy and praise. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 43 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersWhat in the world did the Supreme Court have to do with nickel rides on the subway in 1929? In general, what does any branch of government have to do with the price of anything? When the government touches the price of goods and services, subway riders can’t get the seats they need, drivers can’t get the gas they need (remember gas lines in the 70s?), companies go bankrupt, and jobs are lost.
Why is it that brilliant government economists still don’t understand supply and demand? Even hog callers on the farm understand that when demand is high, you have to raise the price, and when demand is low, you drop the price. But when the government locks the price, you run out of hogs and go out of business.
I guess those government bureaucrats never had to call a hog, turn a wrench or meet a payroll. It ought to be a requirement that anyone, especially economists and office holders, ought to be required to work in the real world for a while. Let them work on a farm and call the hogs. Sooooooooweeeeeee, here pig, pig, pig, pig!
Image Info: Will Rogers took his typewriter with him everywhere. Each day he would type out his “Daily Telegram” syndicated column and deliver the copy to the local telegraph office for transmission to New York for publication. Will Rogers’ column was arguably the most popular daily column of the day. Even today the most famous bloggers would envy Will Rogers humor, wit, common sense, and ability to communicate with his readers.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Will RogersIn Rogers’ day, disarmament was a leading issue. In the period after WWI, there were numerous peace conferences. Rogers would attend and report on the proceedings with his characteristic wit and humor. Rogers saw the futility in nations trying to regulate how many battleships and weapons a country should have, and that it was no guarantee of a peaceful future.
Today the weapons are bigger, nuclear, and more destructive. Today we talk about nuclear disarmament. But the issue gets more complicated. Do we demand Israel exercise restraint when attacked? Do we ignore nuclear Iran’s threat to wipe Israel off the face of the earth? Should we unilaterally disarm, in hopes that others will follow?
The U.S. is a good country, and a strong U.S. presence around the world tends to be the most effective way to keep peace. Our national interest is served and the world is a better place. A weak U.S. will make the world a more dangerous place where rogue nations think they can dictate international policy that is a threat to the U.S. and our allies. Which way are we headed?
Image Information: The image of Rogers is from his 1921 silent film Guile of Women. Rogers plays a Swede named Yal who travels with a friend to America to seek his fortune. After misfortunes in love and business, his girlfriend finally arrives from Sweden.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
The concept of eternity is something that we just can’t comprehend as time-bound human beings. Whether the most ignorant or brilliant, everyone must ponder what happened before the ages began and what will happen after the ages to come.
Are the mountains pictured in the image eternal? As unchangeable as the mountains might seem, we can’t bring ourselves to say they are eternal.
The passage from Psalm 90 works with that thought – “before the mountains were brought forth” and continues with “or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world.” When we consider eternity we should take great comfort that “from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 90 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ASV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Forgiveness is in short supply in this world. It seems to be easier for some people to forgive than others. When someone spreads lies about you among friends or in the press, can you forgive them? Prominent politicians experience this regularly. What would I do in that case?
There is something deeply spiritual about being wronged or slandered. Likewise forgiveness is a spiritual experience. Can we respond with kindness borne of genuine forgiveness? Without God’s help it is impossible since it is contrary to our nature. The good news is that God understands our situation.
But it gets complicated. What about unforgiveness in families and among relatives. What about within churches or at work? My spouse hurt me deeply, and I just can’t forgive the wrong.
Whenever I think God doesn’t understand my situation, I am drawn to the cross for answers and comfort. The crucifixion was the single most unjust act in all of history. An innocent (and sinless) man was killed because of the malice and hatred of his enemies. On the cross Jesus uttered the words: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
God understands forgiveness! God can help us with forgiveness because Jesus lived it to his dying breath. As Spurgeon says, by returning kindness for evil you “heap coals of fire on the head of your foe.” Not only does forgiveness affect you, it affects others.
Dear Lord, When someone wrongs me, help me learn to forgive. Help me to be godlike, so that people may say: “He has been with Jesus.” Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersSeventy seven years ago the country was in depression. The greatest economic minds were unable to come up with solutions according to Will Rogers’ quote. Not only that, but anyone making economic forecasts must be insane! Nothing was working – unemployment was high. The Roosevelt era had embarked on massive deficit spending and government work programs. Sound familiar? It should, it’s out of today’s headlines!
Today we have the benefit of hindsight that they didn’t have. They didn’t know socialism/communism would ultimately fail. They didn’t know tax cuts under John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan would produce economic growth.
It’s time to go back to the future, and end this economic insanity. It starts with a vote on election day!
Image Information: The image of Rogers is from his 1921 silent film Guile of Women. Rogers plays a Swede named Yal who travels with a friend to America to seek his fortune. After misfortunes in love and business, his girlfriend finally arrives from Sweden.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
This quote is from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotional. The code M12-19 means that it is from the Morning reading on December 19.
The sparrow image was chosen to match the quote and really helps to emphasize God’s care for the least of His created creatures and how he truly cares for each of us.
The Spurgeon Quotes iPhone app has quotes for each day of the year with a matching image. The day’s quote is presented when the app is launched, plus you can browse through the other quotes if desired.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
I love this picture! Mr. Beaver seems to be talking directly to me, reminding me to “give thanks to the Lord.” Actually, I do need reminding, because I often forget to give thanks.
As in many Psalms, the Psalmist speaks of “the needy one” and of God’s protection and salvation. Normally I think of the “needy one” as some desperately poor person – someone else.
It turns out that that “needy one” is actually me! I need God’s protection. I need God’s salvation, through Jesus. I also need to give thanks with my mouth. I need to give thanks with God’s people in worship.
Dear Lord, bring to my mind often, the need to give you thanks – for your protection, for your salvation through Jesus, for all the blessings you have brought my way. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 109 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
“I never met a man I didn’t like.” This was perhaps one of Will Rogers’ most famous quotes. He could call presidents, senators, congressmen and many famous people friends. Rogers was extremely generous in raising money for the Red Cross to aid families in distress from natural disasters. He even traveled to other countries to help bring relief.
Image Info: The image of Rogers is from his 1921 silent film Guile of Women. Rogers plays a Swede named Yal who travels with a friend to America to seek his fortune. After misfortunes in love and business, his girlfriend finally arrives from Sweden.
The image was taken directly from movie stills at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
I just returned from a quick trip to western Pennsylvania. While trekking through some wooded areas with a friend just above the Allegheny River I noticed quite a number of chipmunks as they would dart into the underbrush. It’s a beautiful area of the country and these humble creatures seem to survive and thrive in the mountain woodlands.
Matching the image of a cute chipmunk with this Psalm seemed appropriate. Humble and meek, the Lord takes care of His creatures, just as He takes care of us.
Satisfied with Gods provision, we should praise God and continue to seek Him in humility. We should also thank God for His work in other lands as “all the kindred of the nations shall worship” God.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 22 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes KJV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersI don’t know much about banking, bailouts and loans, but when I read that a country is repaying a loan to the U.S. it does seem mighty strange. It was strange in Will Rogers’ day too. We had loaned vast sums of money to European countries after WWI for rebuilding, and we never saw most of it again.
We’re still giving away money – taxpayer money. We learned that money went to bail out foreign banks recently by the billions. Will we ever see any of it again? Will it produce jobs here in the U.S.? Will it help the U.S. get out of debt?
Will Rogers was a guy that believed in common sense. We can only hope (and vote) for some common sense to return back to Washington.
Wait a minute! Did I just put “common sense” and “Washington” in the same sentence? Folks, we’ve got a lot of work to do!
Image Information: Will Rogers was a frequent flyer. When he discovered that air transportation was the fastest way to get places he was constantly in the air. He started in open cockpit airplanes and became a part of the birth of commercial aviation.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
A refuge is a place of safety and shelter. It is a place that offers protection from any dangers that may affect us from outside. It is a place where we can find rest. An example of refuge for many of us, would be the arms of our parents when we were young. They were …
This quote from Will Rogers in March of 1932 is certainly relevant today! Sometimes when I read one of his brilliant humorous quotes, I have to laugh out loud. But as I ponder the meaning, it sends a chill up my spine. This is one of those quotes. One of the reasons it costs so …
Folks, you just gotta love Will Rogers! Here’s a classic quote about war and the Federal Reserve from 1929 that still rings true today. The Federal Reserve (The Fed) is responsible for conducting the nation’s monetary policy to help maintain employment, keep prices stable, and keep interest rates relatively low. The poor folks running The …
In Will Rogers’ day, they had organized crime problems. Today, we have domestic terrorism threats. Perhaps there’s not much difference when you have people wanting to kill each other. The quote from Will Rogers indicates that the killing and hate don’t end at the prison door. Inside the prison, the hatred and struggle for power …
What a glorious Psalm about God’s goodness. To ponder such great goodness, brings about praise as the Psalmist says: “Your saints will extol you.” Not only is God good now, but His goodness extends through all generations and beyond. Sometimes I struggle with why so many bad things happen to me. Bad things are all …
We don’t think much about the importance of rivers today, as we drive comfortably across bridges in air conditioned cars sipping from a bottle of clean water. To folks in the 19th century and earlier, rivers were their source of life-giving water. To have convenient access to a clean, clear, abundant supply of river water …
Politicians and candidates that don’t tell the truth really are to be pitied. Reporters and news organizations that make up stories and repeat the lies of the candidates are also to be pitied. Interestingly, it seems that the mainstream press seems to attack, without mercy, candidates that tell the truth. Every detail of their lives, …
In this beautiful photograph you can see the effect of the sunlight as it lights up the sky. Beautiful shapes and colors emerge, where before there was nothing but blackness. We need God’s light to guide us, and we also need His truth. The Psalmist asks that they guide him to God’s dwelling. We cannot …
Have you ever felt the exuberant joy described in Psalm 47? Have you ever been overwhelmed with the wonder of the greatness of God that you just had to praise Him? I’ve been in audiences where the person on stage received a standing ovation. We clapped and shouted. Everyone had a smile on their face. …
This Will Rogers quote must be true. How else do you explain how legislators get reelected after scandalous behavior or legislating against the will of the people. It’s just astonishing that some of these politicians have any credibility left, but they keep getting elected. It’s as regular and predictable as the milking schedule on a …
