May All Who Seek You Rejoice – Psalm 40 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Watching various posts, tweets and other social media messages, I see quite a few motivational quotes. They come in the form of “follow your dreams,” “strive to be the best,” “never give up,” “achieve your goals,” “be a winner” and so on.

These pieces of advice can be helpful, but take quite a bit of energy and determination. I have to ask myself, “Do I put as much energy into seeking the Lord as I do other things?”

The Psalmist speaks of rejoicing and praise coming from those who seek Him. The Psalmist also says that God takes thought for the poor and needy.

I admit, it’s easy to quit seeking God and pour my energy into something else. But I need to learn to love His salvation and praise the Lord more and more.

Dear Lord, Please honor my feeble attempts to seek you, and take thought for me. Give me strength and determination to seek you, rejoice and be glad in you, and love your salvation. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 40 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 Rogers on “Weather and Millionaires”

This Will Rogers quote was written in 1933, and it’s still true today! One big difference is that their predictions can be broadcast live over TV and the internet, so we can get the information faster.

The picture is from Will Rogers’ film The Ropin’ Fool. If you look closely you can see that Will’s lasso is circling both of them. The movie was produced by Rogers to highlight his roping skills and is fun to watch. You can get copies from the Will Rogers Memorial Museum gift shop.

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 Rogers on “The Rich get Richer”

Will RogersWill Rogers was a champion of the downtrodden and unfortunate who suffered in the aftermath of economic downturns and hardships. He tirelessly raised money for the Red Cross to help those who had been affected by natural disasters, especially farmers who suffered during the “dust bowl.”

In spite of his fame, Will Rogers was loved as a man of the people. Ironically, Rogers was friends with some of the richest and most influential men in the world, including Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. He often praised them for their achievements and generosity. Here’s an example quote: “Hurrah for Mr. Rockefeller, 96 years old today, one of the very few men that knew how to give money away so that every dollar does good. That’s more than our government can do. It’s more than anybody can do.”

I think Will Rogers had little patience with wealthy politicians of the day who bloviate about their concern for the farmer, while proposing programs that do little to help. Here’s a Will Rogers classic quote: “Farmers are learning that the relief they get from the sky beats what they get from Washington.”

Perhaps this explains Rogers’ quote. People who get rich at the expense of their fellow man or show no concern for the well-being of others were pretty low in Rogers’ estimation.

Will Rogers knew what it was like to be poor, and he also achieved a level of financial success. Through it all, Rogers lived a humble life of generosity which should inspire us all.

Image Information: Once Will Rogers discovered he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air. From open cockpit through the dawn of commercial aviation he flew coast-to-coast and everywhere in between.

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 Rogers

The Lord is my shepherd – Psalm 23 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

One of the most famous passages of literature is Psalm 23. It truly captures our soul’s desire, that we would be led by the Great Shepherd to the quiet waters.

This verse can certainly be applied to many areas of life. Our brave combat soldiers might take “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” quite literally. Financial struggles might not be a matter of life and death, but they can weigh heavily upon us. This Psalm brings hope to all believers in all circumstances.

I thought the image of the sheep looked like it might be speaking to us. Modern day sheep need their shepherd, just like in the days of David the king.

I thank the Lord that even when I am prone to wander, he brings me back to the flock, and cares for me, and comforts me.

This image is a screenshot of the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app, and it allows you to scroll through the rest of the verse.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 67 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.

Spurgeon on “I Long to Love You More” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

When I think of the the “love of God,” I find it easy to let the thought pass without much reflection. Three words that make up a simple, well worn phrase just don’t seem to carry much weight in our culture these days.

Spurgeon’s quote gives us a view of the infinitely vast reach of God’s love, and that exploring it will inflame our hearts. This isn’t just a feel good type of love, or even a truly deep human expressed love. It is so much more; beyond our comprehension.

God’s love is a love that reaches beyond our sin. In Romans 5:8 we read: “God shows his love for us in that ‘while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'” Think of the most wretched human being, a person who has betrayed you, or a person who hates you. Could you love that person? Would you die for that person so they might live another day? Yet this is what Christ did for us.

Have you ever had a moment where you suddenly realized you had hurt someone deeply. Perhaps you yelled at your spouse or children in a moment of anger. Did you feel the physical effect? Did your heart burn within you? I’ve felt it on occasion.

As we grow in grace and come to more fully realize the depth of our indwelling sin, our heart should burn within us as we understand God’s love and forgiveness reach beyond our sin. Infinitely beyond! This realization should cause us to “long to love him more,” as Spurgeon says.

Dear Lord, Help me to more fully understand your love for me. Your love led Jesus to the cross, and your Holy Spirit brings grace and help every day. Because of what you have done for me, I long to love you more. 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 Rogers on “The Crime of Taxation”

Like many people, I give to my local church and other charitable organizations. My expectation is that the money will be used in the most efficient way by these organizations to further the goals of the various ministries.

Suppose it is found out that members of the charitable organization are living high-on-the-hog, buying luxury items, or engaging in inappropriate activities. Then, after that revelation, the organization demands that you continue to contribute to their “cause.” Indeed, this has been the downfall of organizations, and I’m sure several come to mind.

This also holds true for businesses that are found to lack integrity in their practices. They will not survive in the long run. We’ve seen a number of spectacular crashes of businesses that looked good on the outside, but were rotten on the inside.

And now, gentle reader, we come to our Federal Government, and the money that flows into and out of its treasury. We look at the way it spends its money and unfortunately we have little say in the internal policies and practices.  Plus, some of the spending borders on criminal activity in the minds of many americans. Then there are revelations of massive fraud in the handling of taxpayer’s money.

Unlike giving to charitable organizations I don’t have any choice but to pay taxes to the government. When they demand more taxes to compensate for irresponsible spending, I get a little concerned.

I get concerned because more taxes means less money for my family and it means I have less money for charitable giving. Let’s say I’m a “fat cat” with lots of disposable income. Large gifts to charitable and other foundations are directly affected along with the ability to pass funds on to  heirs (death tax). The knowledge that my desire to gift money to charitable foundations is now forced to becomes a “gift” to the Federal Government is frustrating.

Along with Will Rogers, I wouldn’t feel the taking of my tax dollars was a crime if I knew that the spending of my hard-earned money by the governenment wasn’t such a crime. Thanks Will Rogers for a piece of great insight form 1932!

Image Information: This picture was taken during the Will Rogers-Wiley Post ill-fated Alaska trip in August of 1935. Rogers was dispatching his Daily Telegram column up to the day of the crash on August 15. Famous aviator Wiley Post is pictured on the right.

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 Rogers

Spurgeon on Spurgeon on “Affliction, Grace and Strength” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Affliction is a relative thing. For some believers it means giving up their lives under severe persecutions. For others, they may loose all their possessions or be thrown in jail. For me, it may be a more trivial affliction, such as a temporary financial problem, relationship difficulty, or health problem.

Whether the affliction is great or small, whether the faith is little or great, God grants “sufficient grace” to carry us through. The result is we find new strength to endure, and a growing faith.

One thing to realize is that this growing strength isn’t like lifting weights, it’s not the result of our own work. Our sin-stained efforts are only effective because of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It makes grace all the more precious and gives us more reason to praise God for his mercy.

I am always drawn to he cross of Christ as an example. Here was the most extreme affliction of physical suffering a human could be subjected to. In addition to the physical affliction, Christ bore my sins as well. If Jesus did that for me, then he understands my afflictions, and can bring me aid.

Dear Lord, When I am afflicted, help me to understand that you provide sufficient grace to help increase my strength. No matter the circumstance, there is always reason to praise you. 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 Lord Reigns – Psalm 99 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

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.

EXTRA!

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 on “Income Tax, Golf & Liars”

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.

Will Rogers on “Put Out the Fire!”

For whatever reason we don’t seem to take notice of problems until they become a crisis. Government seems to be especially bad about this, and the news media knows that crisis headlines sell.

Will Rogers makes a great observation with this quote. In fact, sometimes it seems that the government prohibits putting out the fire and then proceeds to throw gasoline on it – remember the subprime mortgage disaster?

The image in this iPhone screenshot comes from Rogers’ movie “An Unwilling Hero.” I love that hat!

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 Rogers on Basic Economics

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 Rogers

Will Rogers on Speeches & World Peace

Will Rogers delivers another zinger with this quote. He had a genius for teasing politicians without offending. We also find Rogers’ quotes as relevant today as they were in the 1930s. I don’t like to fish myself, but I’m sure that if I did it would keep me out of trouble!

I took this picture at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, OK this spring. It was a beautiful sunrise behind the statue of Will Rogers.

The museum is a great family destination. The exhibits are great. I couldn’t walk by one of the video exhibits without stopping to watch for a few minutes. It featured a movie showing some of Will Rogers’ roping tricks. Some of his tricks have never been duplicated.

I spent three days in the archives collecting images for the iPhone app. The staff was great and without their help the project wouldn’t have been possible.

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.

iPhone Daily Quotes by SOM – Distinctives

Matching the daily verse with a unique image is the main distinctive of the Daily Psalm and Spurgeon Daily quotes apps.

When I started working on the basic concept of the daily Psalm app on the iPhone two years ago, There were two issues that concerned me. First, was there enough space to store over 365 images, and second, was the screen resolution high enough to render a quality image? I was pleasantly surprised that the answer to both was yes! There was more than enough space, and the images were stunning, even on the small iPhone screen.

Reading through the Psalms for quotes was a joy. From there I needed hundreds of images to work with, and to keep  the cost down, I needed images in the public domain. I found that government websites were loaded with quality images. The credits with each application give a list of the websites if you are interested.

Each image is from some nature setting, and none of them show people or human objects such as roads, fences or houses. The one exception are a few images of the pyramids when the psalm mentions Egypt.

Matching an image with each quote was the next challenge. Images were matched through some keyword, thought or concept whenever possible. The result was that the image gives the verse more meaning. In some cases, the combination is quite stunning. If you go to the product pages, you can see some sample screen shots to fully comprehend what this means.

When the verse mentions “under the shadow of his wings” the images I found, include eagles with outstretched wings, or a small bird in a nest covering her young with her wings. When the verse mentions wine, an image of a grape vine might be used. In some cases the images give a bit of humor when it seems that an animal seems to be talking or gesturing. Beavers, otters, and penguins are some of my favorites.

I hope you enjoy the verses and images each day. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. Rating the application will let other know you have been blessed by the app.

Product review for iPhone Daily Psalms

Here’s a review for the Daily Psalms iPhone applications in The iPhone App Review.