Precious Thoughts – Psalm 139 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

Even before my oldest daughter was born, I was thinking about her. So was my wife. After she was born, we spent a lot of time thinking about her, praying for her and caring for her. That’s a lot of thoughts!

If I could add up all those thoughts, I don’t think I could come close to the number represented by the grains of sand in the image on the left.

The Psalmist give us an idea of the vastness of God’s precious thoughts toward us. Before we were even born he was thinking of us. From the day we were born, and every day and night – his thoughts are on his children.

Dear Lord, help me to understand even a small part of your thoughts and care for me, especially in the work of Jesus – his life, his cross, his death and his resurrection!

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 139 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.

EXTRA!

Below is an extra treat! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 139 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.

Psalm 139 – Rain Album

Will Rogers on “Can we solve our own problems?”

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 hope however – The UN just appointed a space ambassador to greet alien visitors.

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 Facebookpage regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers on “Mister, Can You Spare $10 Billion?”

The saying: “Mister can you spare a dime?” typified the poverty and despair during the depression years. My Grandmother told me that young, out of work, men would travel from place to place looking for jobs. Many times they would come to her back door to ask for a bite to eat. Those were difficult years for many Americans.

On Jan. 5, 1934, Will Rogers published this quote in his Syndicated  Daily Telegraph column. Well, the numbers have gone up by more than 10 this time. The President looked the country in the eye recently and said: “Mister, can you spare $800 billion?” That $10 billion in 1934 looks like 10 cents today!

What in the world are they going to do with all that TAXPAYER money? Why stimulate the economy, of course.

By the time the government hires millions of administrators for all the programs, accounts for inefficiency and waste, plus fraud, some of the money might create a few jobs. But that comes after bank and union bailouts, even foreign banks we now find out.

Here’s a novel common sense idea! How about if the government cuts its bloated spending, and lets me keep more of my own money that would have gone to taxes. That way I can stimulate the economy with my money, without all the government inefficiency, waste, fraud and bailouts!

Image Information: This picture was taken at the Will Rogers Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma. The farmhouse where Will Rogers lived has been preserved and is administered by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in nearby Claremore, Oklahoma. The Museum and Ranch are great places to visit if you are ever in the Tulsa area.

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 “The Death of Golf”

Will RogersI’ve driven by golf courses at various times and wondered why people were out there in the middle of the work day. After reading this Will Rogers’ quote, I think I understand. They’re vagrants!

Actually, I don’t think Will Rogers was patient enough to play such a slow moving game as golf. He would much rather be spinning his lasso, riding a horse, playing polo, flying somewhere, performing for a crowd, or playing with his kids.

If all the vagrants were chased off the golf course, Will would give them a hammer, nails, barbed wire and a shovel and take them out to fix fences on the back forty. Why waste time chasing a ball around when you could be working?

Another reason I believe Will Rogers didn’t like golf is because he couldn’t take his typewriter out on the golf course. At a ball game he could at least type out his daily and weekly newspaper columns between pitches.

Well, after all these years, golf isn’t dead. The next time you drive by a golf course, wave to the vagrants, be glad you’ve got work to do, and do it with energy and passion, just like Will Rogers did.

Image Information: Will Rogers was an expert with the lasso. This image shows him performing one of his rope tricks.

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

Wait for the Lord – Psalm 2 Minute Devotional

I love these little penguins because they symbolize patience in the extreme as they care for the eggs. They are also cute. It seemed to beautifully fit Psalm 27:14 as shown in the image.

This verse is from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB app. Each day of the year the app shows a different daily quote and matched image, plus you can browse the quotes collection.

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.

Strengthen Me – Psalm 119 KJV 2 Minute Devotional

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.

Will Rogers on “Worried or Confused?”

Will RogersIn this quote from April 23, 1933 Rogers indicates people are worried about inflation. Recently the Fed expressed its concern about inflation. With the current economy, and all the brilliant economic minds saying different things, I’m not sure what to think.

I think I’m actually both confused and worried according to Rogers. I’m worried that the current administration doesn’t appear to know what they are doing. They promise hope, but change seems to be going in the wrong direction. I’m confused about why they don’t appear to care.

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.

Will Rogers

God’s Choosing – Psalm 78 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

As I look back across my life, I am continually amazed to see God’s hand in events large and small. God called me out of a life of sin and self-destruction. He has guided my path step-by-step, through dark times and blessings.

In Psalm 78 we understand that God chose David. Had this not happened, David would likely have tended sheep for the rest of his life. There would have been no record of his life because there was nothing remarkable about him. Instead God lifts an unknown and unremarkable young man from obscurity to become one of the major figures in Scripture.

The story of David’s choosing can be found in I Sam 16.  From this passage, God makes it clear that the choice of David was His choice alone, and not a choice based on human reasoning, luck or chance. God chose David, David didn’t choose God.

I think the same is true of my life. God chose me, I didn’t choose God. In fact, Had it been up to me, I never would have chosen God. Furthermore, had I made all the choices in my life, it would have been a mess.

Ask God daily for his guidance. Look back and acknowledge God’s day-by-day work in your life. Thank God for the many blessings he has brought your way. It is a great comfort to know God chooses my path and directs my life. If I had to trust in my own choices, I would find no peace, and God would receive no glory.

Dear Lord, Help me to trust in your choosing. Let me earnestly seek your guidance each day, that you might be glorified. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 78 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 “Comfort in God’s Choosing” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Do you remember, as a child, being taken somewhere by your parents? If it was a place you really wanted to go, like the state fair, you were very excited. Additionally, you were absolutely confident in their choice to take  you where they said they would. Not only was it exciting, it was a great comfort as well, that you could trust them at their word.

Now contrast that with being lost in a big city. You never know if the choice you made to turn left or right will be the right choice – the choice that will take you to your destination. There is no comfort, only anxiety as you search for the way home.

Election in the Bible has to do with God choosing us. It’s amazing, that as you read the Scriptures, how many times we come across passages about how God has chosen us.

As Spurgeon says, it is truly humbling to know that we are not chosen because of anything about us, what we have done or even accomplished. For that undeserved grace, gratitude should pour from our hearts. We can take great comfort in that.

Now if my salvation and standing with God is the product of my choice, it would be unsettling, just like being lost in the big city. Did I make the right choice? If I choose God, can I then “unchoose” God? If I ever do find the way, then it would have been done through my effort, my choices.

I’m no theologian, but it just seems that concerning salvation, God choosing me, is much more of a comfort than me choosing God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph 2:8-9 ESV. If we look closely at this passage, we find that even our faith is the gift of God.

Dear Lord, Grant me the gift of faith, that I may believe. Help me to know how perfect your choice is. Help me to take comfort in your election, your choosing of the saints. If there is any uncertainty in me, help me to begin to understand the depth and completeness of your grace, and let my heart bring forth gratitude and praise. 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.

Bless the Lord – Psalm 134 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

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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Spurgeon on “Our Flesh Mourns & Our Faith Triumphs!” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

When I am ill, or under some sort of affliction, it’s not really a time that I would normally think of as a faith-building experience. My instinct is to focus on myself and complain to anyone who will listen.

In Judges 14 we find the story of Samson that Spurgeon mentions in the quote. One day while Samson is walking along the road, a young lion “came toward him roaring.” Then is says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and, with his bare hands, he tore the lion apart in pieces.

Later Samson returned to the place to find a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion, and Samson scraped the honey out with his hands and ate it, and gave some to his mother and father.

From the account of Scripture, we know that Samson was a strong guy, but notice that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him as the lion came toward him. God was with Samson during this deadly confrontation. I have trouble carving a turkey with a knife, but Samson tore apart a lion with his bare hands!

From this story, we find out that God was with Samson during the trial, and saved his life, plus sweet honey grew out of the aftermath. So it should be with us if we rightly consider our situation as Spurgeon says.

Dear Lord, Help me to acknowledge your presence during trials, so that my faith may grow stronger. I praise you for the honey that grows out of the adversity, the sweet taste after the bitter trial. 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 Who’s in Charge?

In 1933 the country was in crisis as the Great Depression took its toll. The elections were over and FDR was waiting to take office when Will Rogers wrote this Daily Telegram on January 19, 1933.

From this Will Rogers quote, it seems that nobody was in charge, and nobody wanted to tackle the problems facing the country in early 1933. Would they dare try to balance the budget? Could they bring in debts owed? Would they spend money that we didn’t have?

Are we in the same situation today? Congress has been spending money like a drunken sailor. It’s worse that that! Drunken sailors eventually run out of money. Congress can print more.

Maybe this is just too simple, but suppose that I sign up for every credit card application that comes in the mail, with the thought that I can use them to spend my way out of debt and on to prosperity. Not to worry, when I die, my kids will pay for the debt.

Can we really spend our way out of debt? They couldn’t do it in the 1930s. Why does this administration think it can be done today. Let’s hope and pray that sanity will prevail with the new congress and bring some balance back into the budget.

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.

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.

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.