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.
How hard is it to seek God? How hard is it to praise God? It takes some effort, but that effort is pleasing to God. Plus, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Anyone can seek God. No matter the situation. Start by prayer, reading the Scriptures, look for Christian fellowship, listen to the preaching of God’s word and other activities that will encourage you in your faith. As you seek the Lord, you will want to praise Him for the grace He has given you.
When I exercise, even these old, tired muscles of mine get stronger. However, the exercise must be regular, and it must challenge the muscles to grow. Allowing my faith to grow is similar, and the result is a healthy, strong and vibrant faith.
According to the psalm, the results are significant: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,” and “The poor will eat and be satisfied.” As I get stronger, I can encourage my family to get stronger, and together we can encourage other families, and so on, God helping us along the way.
Have you never sought God before. Then let’s pray together.
Dear Lord, Help me to seek you, that I might praise you for your saving grace, through Jesus. No matter what my sin, it can be forgiven. I want to believe, Lord, help my unbelief. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 22 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.
Will RogersWill Rogers’ published this quote and made the observation in 1929. We might think of those days as a bit slower and relaxed, but can you imagine what Will Rogers would think if he could see us today?
Cars, trains and airplanes are faster now. We are all still rushing to get somewhere, but we can “get somewhere we have no business” 10 times faster today.
This is such an interesting quote coming from Will Rogers because he was constantly going somewhere. When Will discovered he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air.
In the picture, Will is in the back seat of an airplane carrying U.S. mail. He was one of the few people that was allowed to ride in mail planes.
The next time we get ready to rush out the door, perhaps we should take Will’s advice. Do we really need to hurry to a place we have no business?
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.
My prayers always seem to be most earnest when I’m in the midst of a difficulty, when I’m sinking, or when I’ve gone under. When Peter was distracted by the wind and waves in Matthew 14 he began to sink. At that point Peter cried out for Jesus to save him.
I’m so thankful that even when we get distracted, Jesus is merciful and hears our frantic prayers. May the Lord help us to remain focused on Him!
I chose this picture of the walrus to go with the Spurgeon quote. This strange creature doesn’t look like it should float, yet it is perfectly adapted for the water.
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.
We lavish praise on many things, children, pets, coworkers, spouse and others. Sometimes the praise is quite lavish, such as awards for national or community service. Perhaps the praise is for great sacrifice, such as an award of the Medal of Honor.
Yet, even the most heroic sacrifice or deed of man deserving of praise, cannot compare to the praise due to our God. Consider what he has done!
In Psalm 148, the Psalmist focuses on creation. NASA photographs show us wonders in the heavens displayed in unimagined beauty. Scientists spend entire lifetimes studying the stars, and rather than coming close to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, they discover complexities even more mysterious.
Praise the Lord, for such wonders as the heavens. But for all the praise to God for the heavens, there are even more wondrous things right here on earth.
Beyond all created things, consider salvation from Christ. Consider Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. Consider what it means to mankind. Consider what it means to me, individually, personally.
Dear Lord, I praise you for your great creation, but most of all, I praise you for your great salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 148 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.
For many people, gazing at the heavens brings questions about the existence of a Creator to their mind. The distances are so vast that travel between planets can take multiple lifetimes at the speed of light. Looking at the stars, it becomes possible to imagine infinity – eternity.
But a vague belief in God isn’t enough. There are still questions about how we should respond to this idea of God? What does God require of us? Does God speak to us? Those answers can’t be found in the skies or nature alone.
Those answers can be found in the Bible. Quite simply, the Scriptures teach us that man’s primary purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. But, as sinful creatures we cannot please God or glorify Him.
We instinctively know that sin is a problem in our lives – when our anger gets out of control, when we hurt someone, when we lie… Scripture tells us that Jesus made the sacrifice for our sins on the cross, so that we can become one of His children. It is then that we can begin to glorify God and enjoy Him.
Dear Lord, My faith is small. Help me to believe that Jesus can take away my sin. Let me begin to glorify you and serve you as I learn more about you from reading your Word, the Bible. Let me say Oh, joy above all joys as I begin to praise you and enjoy you forever. 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.
About three months ago [August 2010] I became a grandpa. Our oldest daughter and son-in-law had their first baby. Staying up through the night will be part of their lives for a period of time, and I remember the days when our daughter kept us up at night. To be honest, my wife usually stayed up.
I got to hold my grandson for the first time recently. There was a feeling of contentedness and thanksgiving to God for such a wonderful blessing.
Caring for children is the high calling of parenthood. Praying for your child as you “serve by night” can make it a special time. Praise goes with it as you consider the blessings of being a parent. Bless the Lord!
May the Lord bless you young parents! “He who made heaven and earth.”
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 134 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
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I’ve been through some uneasy work situations where it seemed that people were against me and there was no recourse, no where to take my complaint. I felt alone, like the penguin in the picture.
My situation is pretty insignificant compared to Christian martyrs of the past, believers who suffered because of their faith in Christ. The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts gives several examples of persecution against Christians and how God gave them a fearlessness as they put their trust in Him.
The trial and crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most extreme examples of enemies proudly attacking a person because of their faith. On the cross, we see the most horrible picture of “what flesh can do” to a person. With complete trust in God and confidence in the Word, Jesus was not afraid, and because of that we have salvation through his sacrifice.
Dear Lord, Help me to not be afraid of circumstances, but to put my trust in you and your Word. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 56 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 RogersThe U.S. Navy is the most powerful force on the oceans of the world. Not only that, but if you look at the Navy website, you will find that it is also the most mobile, effective and efficient humanitarian force in the world.
Think back to tsunami’s, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters in the costal areas of the world. Within a couple of days there is an aircraft carrier and other vessels providing security and aid to the people directly affected. The Navy also has two hospital ships deployed in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for just such disasters, and they are on-station quickly for longer term medical support.
In this October 30, 1930 quote, Will Rogers makes his point as delicately as ever. Just because you haven’t used your life insurance, and it cost money, doesn’t mean you should drop it because you aren’t dead!
Cut back our Naval defenses, in order to save some money, to the point where they can no longer be effective in a dangerous world, and someone will challenge us. I just hope people don’t have to die to find out!
The image of Will Rogers taken in his later years 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.
This Will Rogers quote is from 1929, and we are still trying to figure out today if we are crooks or martyrs when it comes to the income tax form. It’s kind of humorous that today we have a Treasury Secretary, in charge of the IRS, that goofed up (in his favor) on his own income tax forms.
If you think that’s funny, try calling the IRS for help on your tax forms. Depending on who you get on the phone, phase of the moon, sunspot cycles and ozone levels, you can get a variety of different answers to the same question.
I have to hire an accountant to do my taxes. I can’t imagine how he keeps up with the tax code. It’s got more patches than a quilt and more loopholes than a handmade rug.
I don’t want to be rich, because then I could’t afford to die. But if I do die, I’ll never know for sure if income tax forms made me a crook or martyr. I just hope the IRS can’t repossess a used casket. (I had to dig deep for that one!)
Can I deduct underwear donated to the Salvation Army? Three out of five IRS representatives said yes. In golf, at least you know if you are a liar or not.
Image Information: This image shows Will Rogers riding with two of his children. Will loved horses and taught his children that same love and respect.
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.
Our form of government is truly amazing. Power peacefully changes hands as often as every four years. Votes and not machine guns determine the outcome of elections. If you don’t approve of who is in office, there’s always the next election.
The image is from one of Rogers’ silent movies called Jubilo from February 1920. Rogers plays a lazy roving hobo who encounters a rancher’s pretty daughter and reforms, slowly, painfully, but completely.
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.
When asked about the first thing they want to do when they get to heaven, most people say something like “I want to see my mother and father,” or “I want to say hi to Uncle Bushrod – he was my favorite uncle.”
Those are nice thoughts, and I’m sure we will have fellowship with saints who have gone before us, however the reward of heaven is to see Jesus – to thank and praise him for his salvation.
If you look at the image closely, you will see that the rabbit is buried in snow. Winter is a hard time for many animals, but it can be endured because of the promise of spring.
Adversity comes to the christian in many ways. We can endure it because of the promise of heaven. The harsher the winter, the sweeter the spring, and likewise the greater the adversity, the sweeter the promise of heaven.
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.
Dear Friends,
There have been quite a number of posts from Systems of Merritt, Inc. over the past few months, and unlike many posts in the blogosphere, these have more of a timeless quality. Please feel free to browse back through the older posts, and share them with your friends and family. With the variety of topics, there is sure to be something that will bring a smile to someones face, or be an encouragement in a time of need.
We’re going to hear a whole bunch of lame ducks quacking real soon! The congressional pond will be alive with flapping and splashing.
Rogers’ definition of “lame duck Congress” is dead on! The bums that were thrown out for not doing their job get one last chance to do some damage. Let’s pray that they don’t “burn the house down!”
Image Information: This image is from a Will Rogers’ silent movie called An Unwilling Hero, released in 1921. Rogers plays Whistling Dick, a hobo who loves life and classical music. He loves just about everything except work.
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’ve been so sick on occasion that I didn’t feel like doing anything. I didn’t even want to sit up and read because my eyes were sore. Sickness, grief, depression and other afflictions can get us down to where it feels like our soul clings to the dust, and our soul melts from heaviness, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:25. We feel like a desert wasteland, as shown in the image. Nothing is growing, nothing is green.
It’s amazing what a little medication can do for the body. A friend can come alongside to share the grief, or offer an encouraging word to help lift the heaviness of our heart. Rain in the desert can bring out beautiful blossoms and colors.
The Psalmist also asks for God’s help. “Quicken me” he says, “Make me understand the way of Your precepts” he prays. Once we start thinking about it we can begin to meditate on his wondrous works and offer the Lord praise for his grace and kindness toward us.
The passage continues: “Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me thy law graciously.” God’s word or law is our help and comfort.
Dear Lord, when our body is sick or our soul is heavy, please help us to turn to your word. Let it revive us, strengthen us and comfort us. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 119 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.
Who knows what our economic condition is these days – Depression, recession, economic malaise? Whatever it is, a committee has been formed to investigate it. I’m sure their report will tell us what we already know, and will be issued when it is politically convenient. Are you as amazed as I am that Rogers saw …
We’ve had some close calls financially, but there has always been food on the table for our family. My wife can stretch the food budget, a friend gave us some grocery money, a neighbor brought us a meal, another neighbor shared garden vegetables with us are some of the ways God has provided for us …
It’s interesting that Rogers noticed the growth of government back in 1934. By his humorously exaggerated estimate, half the people in the U.S. hold government jobs. Today, we also have a problem with growing government. Thousands of IRS agents are needed to handle the new healthcare legislation. When you hear about vast amounts of stimulus …
What’s hip, what’s hot, what ain’t I got? If it’s a cool electronic gadget or faster computer, I want it! I used to lust after an iPhone 4, until I got one recently. Now I want an iPad. After that who knows. Just give me the latest thing on the market. Modern marketing is not …
Rogers wrote this quote in 1933. Can you believe that the World Court debate still rages today? Some politicians and “legal scholars” believe that the U.S. should subject itself to external legal authorities. We’re trying to solve problems overseas, and making quite a mess of it. We can barely handle our own problems. There is …
Have you ever been in the right place at the right time to see something special? A few weeks ago, after a late afternoon thunderstorm, I looked outside to see the most magnificent rainbow. In fact, there were two rainbows. The colors of the dominant one were so bright and vivid – it was breathtaking. …
Our form of government is truly amazing. Power peacefully changes hands as often as every four years. Votes and not machine guns determine the outcome of elections. If you don’t approve of who is in office, there’s always the next election. The image is from one of Rogers’ silent movies called Jubilo from February 1920. …
What could a young lion possibly want. They’re at the top of the food chain! Perhaps it’s the never-ending cycle of want and hunger that the Psalmist mentions – never being satisfied. I’m a tech guy – always wanting newer and faster computers and gadgets. Can the things of this life cause us to not …
Hurry up, God! I need this, I need that – right now! Perhaps we are far too impatient, which is why we can identify with the plea in Psalm 70 – “make haste to help me, O Lord!” I have trouble waiting for paychecks. They never seem to come in time. Yet our needs have …
A friend stopped by last night and was telling us how she had used a “blue” bottle to feed milk to baby kittens. It took us a while to figure out that she was saying “glue” bottle. Communication problems seem to happen in our house all the time. Sometimes the results can be quite humorous …
