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.
Until I started looking through the Navy archives, I didn’t realize that burials at sea are routinely done to honor shipmates’ final requests. This image is unique in that a son has the opportunity to honor his own father, as he carries on a proud military tradition. You can see both pain and pride in this sailor’s face.
You may not be able to see it at the bottom of the picture, but the sailor is holding a flag. It is a symbol of the sacrifice and love of country, presented to the family. Passing this heritage from father to son is an act of valor, made up of simple, every day prayers and actions.
Psalm 39:12 came to mind as I thought about this moment in the sailors life. We are sojourner’s moving though life, walking with our God. We pray for peace during the tough times, but have cause to smile as we ponder God’s grace and mercy toward us.
Dear Lord, Hear my prayer, and give ear to my cry. Hold not your peace at my tears! I need your mercy and forgiveness every day so that I may smile again. Amen.
Psalm 39:12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
Image info: PACIFIC OCEAN (June 9, 2009) Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Noel Myers holds a photo of his father, Edmond McKinley Myers Jr., and a flag moments after a burial at sea ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Commanding Officer Capt. K.J. Norton presented the Flag to Myers. Ronald Reagan is underway on a routine deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Oliver Cole/Released)
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 39 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy 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 RogersHere’s a story for you.
Farmer Jones down the road is a strange bird. Somewhere he got the idea that spending all his money and borrowing like there’s no tomorrow is a way to improve his farm.
Papa always taught me to be thrifty and Mama would tan my hide if I wasted a nickel. I save my money and don’t spend more than I make. Farmer Jones is mighty educated though, so maybe he knows what he’s doin’.
Lately though, there’s been more people gathered at the Jones farm and activity than slopped hogs at the trough. New tools arrive by the truckload, new buildings, electric tractors and animals.
But there seems to be a problem. I’ve loaned him all the money I can and he’s emptied his silos to buy expensive cattle scanners. He’s been begging me for more, but I just don’t have any more to lend. He promised that even if he can’t pay me back his kids and grandkids can handle it.
With all that money you would think the Jones place would be going gangbusters. Funny thing is that half of his farm hands have been laid off, because the shovels weren’t ready. The building projects kept people busy for a short time, but they ran out of money half way through. I also noticed that the people managing his projects were the same ones that ran his campaign for Commissioner of Bug-tussle County. Sometimes I see ’em walkin’ down the road with suitcases full of money.
The other day I asked Farmer Jones if he hoped things would change for the better. He said that he was thinking that this was the new normal. Then he asked me: “Brother, can you spare a dime?”
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.
We don’t have to look far back into history to find oppression of innocent people. The holocaust during WWII certainly comes to mind along with many other cases of the brutal treatment of people whose only crime was being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Bible specifically records the oppression of the Jewish people under Pharaoh and Babylon.
We also see in Scripture that the suffering of God’s people did not go unnoticed. That God had a plan and a purpose all along. God would be glorified in the outcome and His people would be set free.
This is a bit hard to see when you are suffering persecution for your beliefs. The headlines today cover persecution of believers in many parts of the world. Some of them pay with their lives.
Some people will not see the day of vindication on this side of heaven, but through it all the Psalmist says the righteous “will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence.”
Dear Lord, Give me strength to stand firm in my faith in the face of persecution and hard times. Let me learn to give thanks and dwell in your presence daily. Amen
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 140 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.
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.
Will RogersIt’s very important for a charity, such as a church, that receives gifts to make sure the donor understands the tax requirements. With the donation receipt a statement must be included such as “With this gift, you did not receive any goods or services in exchange for your donation other than religious benefits.”
With Democrat pastoral leadership, from various high profile Reverends, rallies and meetings take on the air of revival, complete with fainting, screaming and chanting. So, why not toss a few dollars in the collection plate for all the religious benefits? Of course, it’s clear that no goods or services were exchanged for the donation, unless you happened to be the Governor of Illinois.
Now, things got a little confusing and disorganized over time, because people were expecting more than just religious benefits. They were expecting new kitchens, more unemployment benefits, cheaper health care, lower taxes, transparent government, and so on. People that took Will Rogers’ advice and “charged off” Democrat charitable campaign contributions got into trouble with the IRS.
The Democrat campaign is in trouble now. Charitable contributions are down. It’s a classic case of “over promise, and under deliver.” It looks like the only religious benefit left, is unemployed Democrat politicians praying for a job.
Image Information: This pictures shows the Rogers family in a Model A Ford. Pictured are Will Rogers, Jim, Mary, Will Jr., and Betty.
The image was taken directly from photographs 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.
Rogers understands nationalistic pride, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We should be proud of our country. The problem comes when such pride is bent on the destruction of other countries. Germany under Hitler would be a good example.
Even today, there are problems. The leader of Iran says that Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth. Are these idle threats, as Iran seeks nuclear capability?
How would you respond if your neighbor told everyone they were going to threaten your “baby?” Would you ignore the threat, or prepare an effective response?
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.
There’s a lot of gloom these days. Uncertainty over the future of our country in a dangerous world. We are concerned about crime. Leaders don’t seems to have common sense answers.
Psalm 99 helps us to put things in perspective: “The Lord reigns!” It seems so simple – but it’s true. All through the Scriptures we see God is in control of the nations and He is always glorified.
Recall that the Lord reigns even when it may not seem like it from our point of view. To be honest, people have survived worse times than we are faced with today. Recall Vietnam, the Cold War, WWII, WWI and the Civil War to name a few. Many suffered and some paid with their lives, yet we must understand that the Lord reigns.
The nation of Israel survived the Egyptian captivity, and later exile in Babylon. Even in those dark days God had His purpose and plan. If there was ever a clear picture of this it is in Daniel, chapter 3, where Daniel is given the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the golden statue. In the dream, God reveals His plan for the course of nations.
In Daniel 4:26 we find out why these things happen. It is so that we may understand that “heaven rules.” As we understand this truth our hearts should turn to praise. As the Psalmist says: “Let them praise your great and awesome name.”
Dear Lord, When the nations are in turmoil, let me understand that you reign over all things. Let me learn to praise your great and awesome name, for you are holy. Amen.
Look below for an extra blessing! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 99 to music. You can listen to the sample and then purchase your own copy at the iTunes store.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 99 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 99 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 99 – Rain Album |  |
Will Rogers“Never let a crisis go to waste,” so says the current administration. We now have the Libyan crisis and the Japanese nuclear crisis . Before that it was the Egyptian crisis, and who could forget the worst ecological disaster ever, the oil spill in the gulf.
Everyone gets whipped up into a frenzy by press reports of riots, radiation maps and gushing oil wells under the sea. But just like Will Rogers says, we “cool off faster than any nation in the world.”
Using a crisis for political gain, however, is about as foolish as using a skunk for perfume. It just doesn’t smell right! The stench from the economic bailout crisis and the healthcare crisis is getting worse every day.
We might heat up and cool down quickly, but skunk-smell doesn’t go away over night! If the stink is there on election day, people will remember.
Image Information Will Rogers was an expert with the lasso, perhaps the best ever. In this picture he is roping a moving rider from the back of his own horse. The rope is thrown to catch the horse by the legs.
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 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.
God remembers our prayers! He knows our needs. He cares about His children. What great comfort we can take in this knowledge.
The heavens are vast, as shown in this NASA photograph. Just as the Lord remembers each and every star, he can remember our prayers and fulfill them to our delight, as Spurgeon says.
Yet despair and discouragement always seem to be close at hand as we wait. When our faith is tried, it is important to realize that is when our faith grows. Continue in “earnest supplication,” persevere, hang on, dear child of God!
As we have seen in other Psalms, we need to look back and remember what God has done for us, how He has answered prayers and blessed us, even when we don’t deserve it. God knows our future as we see our past. It is all for His glory.
Dear Lord, Let me glorify you and enjoy you forever. As I pray, help my faith to grow each day, even through discouragement and hard times. Help me to always engage in earnest supplication. 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 RogersCongress wants to START down the same old worn out and ineffective path again. During Rogers day, in the aftermath of WWI, diplomats had numerous conferences on disarmament. Funny thing was that they could never agree on what battleships to scrap, or weapons to destroy. Rogers attended a number of these conferences for the humor value, and sent his dispatches back to the U.S. newspapers.
If you are a nation intent on peaceful coexistence, you would like to at least have a good defense. If you are an aggressor, you’re not going to give up anything, so what good does it do to try to define what weapons can be used, or not used?
Today, the diplomats have put together another grand masterpiece of useless agreements on weapons restrictions and reductions. The danger today is that we’re the only ones that seem to take it seriously, to the point of dangerously weakening our defensive systems.
Can you imagine one of those diplomats coming face-to-face with some thug on a Washington, DC side-street? The diplomat confidently points out that he has disarmed according to the treaty, and that the thug’s gun is not to spec, and that he is not wearing the proper uniform. The thug then confidently pulls back the trigger and says: “Your money or your life!”
Image Information: Will Rogers was an expert with the lasso. This rope loop is called the big crinoline and the size of the loop, plus the fact that he is on a running horse shows Rogers’ expert skill.
The image was taken directly from photographs 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 RogersAfter reading this Will Rogers quote, I suddenly realized why there has been so much confusion and controversy over where all of the “shovel-ready” jobs have gone. With the extension of unemployment benefits, nobody wants a shovel-ready job when they are offered a putter-ready vacation.
Actually that’s only half the problem. Our Vice President puts it this way: “Just becaust the Recovery Act was a monumental failure, does not mean that it is not working.” The solution, according to the administration is that not enough stimulus has been injected into the economy. More is needed!?
While the administration has been “stimulating the economy” the president has systematically crippled a number of sectors of the economy such as: tourism (Las Vegas and Gulf Coast), oil drilling and production, insurance, private aircraft, commercial air travel, and others. Nobody knows where they will strike next.
In summary, the government reduces the incentive for people to work with extended unemployment benefits, while at the same time destroying jobs. All I can say is I wanted a shovel-ready job, but all I got was this lousy putter.
I don’t get paid for writing this blog, but the government will pay me for not working! Well, I’ve got to go now, tee time is at 2pm.
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.
Praising God is special. For who he is, for what He does, for good or bad, in any circumstance, we can praise God.
Praising God in the congregation with song is, to me, even more special. I don’t sing very good, but when the congregation sings together, I can lift my voice as well. There’s a majesty, loveliness and peace about it, just like the swan in the picture.
One day soon, we’ll stand with the multitude in heaven praising God. “I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven crying out, Hallelujah!” Rev 19:1
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 135 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.
“Before the first of the stars began to shine!” We were on God’s mind in eternity past, when the covenant was formed, and Jesus expressed his love for each of us (his elect) as he became party to it. Can we even begin to comprehend ages so vast, or love so deep?
Words and images are simply inadequate in describing concepts such as everlasting and eternity. Spurgeon’s imagery, however is beautifully stated and wonderful to ponder. The background image is from a NASA photograph of deep space, to give further perspective to the long ages of eternity.
But how can I know if I am one of God’s elect? Because of God’s love for his people, he will surely communicate his love and salvation to us. There are several ways He communicates. God has provided his Word to us, the Bible, to communicate the gospel message to us personally. Pastors and christian friends share God’s word with us, and finally God’s Holy Spirit actively works in our lives. We are not alone!
If you are unsure of God’s grace and salvation in your life, pray for His help, and look for His answer. Complete assurance of salvation may not come all at once, but it will grow over time.
Dear Lord, Grant me a deeper understanding of your eternal love. Speak to me through your Word, christian friends and by your Holy Spirit, that I may know your salvation and be counted among your elect. 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.
The image shows Will Rogers doing one his trademark rope tricks – the big crinoline. Rogers plays out the lasso into a huge loop, not only encircling his horse, but the entire baseball team as well. The quote: “Things in our country run in spite of government. Not by the aid of it.” still rings …
Have you ever been excited about something? I just received my new iPhone 4 in the mail the other day, and the anticipation of opening the package and using my new phone got my heart racing. Only a geek would understand! All of us have our passions – things that set our hearts to racing …
These little lambs in the picture are pretty cute! You can almost imagine them speaking and giving thanks and praise to God. This image fits wonderfully with Psalm 100 – we are the sheep of his pasture. The imagery of the Psalms is amazing and wonderful. Through it, God expresses His love for us with …
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 …
In younger days I was a surfer, and I can tell you that waves can be powerful. Riding across the face of a wave is one of the most exciting things in the world, but when the wave comes crashing down on you all you can do is hold you breath, hang on, and wait …
Matching the image and quote adds quite a bit to the meaning of the selected verse. The geese flying against the beautiful sunset conveys the natural beauty of this world and God’s majesty. It should remind us of his protection as a shield. It should also remind us to walk uprightly. I hope you have …
Will Rogers quote for today summarized why we need a strong military. Most people can’t explain in in 20 minutes what Rogers expresses in just a few words. Additionally, Rogers’ humor drives the point home. The debate still rages today over military power. Does cutting back our strength bring peace? I took this picture at …
Rogers does it again with this quote. With rising taxes will it get to a place where a person simply can’t carry the tax load and make a living for the family. Rogers wrote this in 1932 and politicians are still raising taxes today! The image comes from one of Rogers’ many movies as indicated in …
I like the way this image and quote match. Trying to count grains of sand scooped up in your hand is difficult. Trying to count grains in mile upon mile of desert sand is a number so vast we can’t comprehend it. Even so are the precious thoughts of God toward us as the Psalm …
Nothing to us seems as permanent as a mountain. This verse reminds us that God is everlasting, from before the mountains were born. This screen shot comes from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app.
