​But He answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” - Mt 4:4

He's the Giver & Sustainer of life.  And He's enough for today. When tomorrow comes, He will be enough then too.

So, Father, give us THIS day our daily bread, as we walk through today with You, w/hearts & minds that recognize every interaction not as interruptions but as Your divine appts❤️

“We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jesus, as LOVE in action (willing the good of another) and LIGHT to a darkened (broken & hurting) world, You alone are the Answer.
And so we too will live lives reflecting yours - lives defined by LOVE in action (willing the good of other), LIGHT in dark places (lighting up the darkness - exposing evil and its lies), and always relying on You - PRAYING to the One who loves perfectly, who mourns when we mourn, who is for us (ALL of us) and is out for our good, who can heal and restore, who came to bind up the brokenhearted and is working even now to make everything new. We humbly seek your powerful Presence and healing hand. You, a God of mercy, full of grace, promise to one day wipe away every tear and right every wrong and so we ask for your help and lean on your strength to carry us forward, as we walk with You through these horrible tragedies. Amen ​

​Today we will teach our littles about "Following God's Directions."  As I pondered our Big Idea for the morning I did what I always do and asked the question, "why?"  Why "follow God's directions"?  What would cause us (and our littles) to want to "follow God's directions?"  Why does it even matter?

The short version is: because ONLY God's ways are good, and right, and best!

Here's the long version, that got me there:

As we remember the deeds of our God and His many miracles; considering all His works and meditating on them all, we see a God whose ways are holy; a God who performs miracles and displays His power among us; a God who, with His mighty arm, redeems His people.

What difference does knowing this truth make? Am I taking it seriously? If I forget this, how will that affect me? Have I forgotten it? Am I living in light of this? (love these questions from Timothy Keller in "The Songs of Jesus")

When we ponder these truths we begin to still our own hearts and minds which suggest our circumstances are hopeless.  Instead we begin to rest in the truth that if a God with power like this loves us then what are we afraid of?  And when our hearts believe afresh we are able to face every situation.  Finally, consider the cross, because God often works His gracious purposes out in our lives through what looks like defeat to us.

Now if the infinite power in the universe is our loving shepherd (Ps 23), then how can we live any other way but fearlessly, trusting fully in His ways as we "follow His directions."

Whom shall I trust more than Him? Myself?  That would be the most foolish thing of all.

God, in light of all this, "we will tell the next generation about Your praiseworthy deeds, Your power, and the wonders You have done...then they too will put their trust in You" (Ps 78:4, 7)  and will long to "follow Your directions."  Open our eyes and stir our hearts to trust every one of your promises so that we can live IN the peace You have for all who know You. And so, with confidence, we can live OUT this peace for all to see. Amen.

[thankful for these entries in Timothy Keller's "Songs of Jesus" based on Psalm 77 & 78 they fit together beautifully as I pondered the idea of "following God's direction."]