The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Exodus 39

The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them. v42-43

As they constructed the Tabernacle and Tent of Meeting, Moses and the Israelites did everything "just as the Lord commanded".  This phrase appears over 15 times in the books of Exodus and Numbers. 

These words offer both encouragement and a warning.

Encouragement in the sense that God blesses those who follow Him and His commandments.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Warning in the sense that we should avoid our own way of life but instead follow God alone.

"For if [Jesus' disciples] purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39

 

See more here and here.

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love and compassion for me - thank You Jesus for giving me many second chances and for all the compassion and forgiveness You pour out for me.  Forgive me for my anger and impatience for others.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. v14-15

I have previously posted on these verses here.  A corollary to this post is that we cannot expect to have what is not God's will.  While we have free will, it is God's will we should be seeking.   If we don't have what we want we should examine both what we DO have and our wants.  

 May [the Lord] give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You know what is best for me.  You have corrected me, trained me, and You are full of compassion and mercy for me even when I fail to please You - which I know is often.  Thank You Jesus but please forgive me and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of her chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Jonah 1

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. v3

Running away from the Lord is never a good idea - it's not like You can hide from God.

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. Psalm 69:5

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

 

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

 

Yet what Jonah does is far from uncommon.  We all have something we want to hide (at least from others) and there are times when we feel led to do something but at the same time resist God because we may feel that the task assigned to us by God is not something we want to do for whatever reason.

 

We may not feel equipped.  We may also feel that those to whom we are being sent do not deserve our time.  We may feel overqualified.  There are other reasons I am sure.  But we must obey God if for nothing else because He is sovereign and again it's not like He won't know we are disobeying Him and it's not like we're going to be able to stop Him from achieving His plan.

 

God will equip us...He loves us, He knows what is good for us and He has a plan.

 

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 

 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  I know You love me, You equip me, encourage me...and so much more.  You rescued me and continue to save me from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such love and blessings.  I continue to worry...too much.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal her of her cancer and from the side effects from chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

Proverbs 28

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. v26

I am confident of many things and often my confidence rests in myself and this leads to arrogance and hubris. Yet our confidence must rest in God alone for without Him we can do nothing:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God, full of love, compassion, mercies, etc. for me.  I recognize this morning that apart from You I can do nothing.  You created me and You call me to live for You and others.  Yet I often don't.  Thank You for how You bless me beyond what I deserve but I need Your mercies. Please forgive me for falling short of Your desire for me - I am lazy, impatient, arrogant, and worried about the world.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Give myself and Lisa wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Help me lead and serve my family, You, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.    

Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Proverbs 24

Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. v19-20

I often look at the world has to offer and I long for and desire what others have - a better job than me, more money, etc.   Yet when I do this, I fail to recognize how God HAS blessed me and that I have a God who loves me more than I can ever comprehend and recognize.

Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
    and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13

This morning when I feel stressed about work, this verse provides a measure of comfort:

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

 

God is great and He will never leave or forsake me.

 

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5”

 

Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God that has blessed me beyond what I deserve and You will never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus as I am not worth such love and blessings!  I need You desperately to cleanse me of my sins - for my lack of being content and for my envy of others.  Please forgive me!  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

Proverbs 21

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. v30

Having worked my entire career in technology, I see many around me that place their trust and faith in themselves.  While it is important to be thoughtful and desire wisdom, it is more important to seek God's wisdom and then align our lives with God's wisdom (Romans 12:2).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 (see also Psalm 110:10, Proverbs 1:7).

Check out other posts on the futility of human plans or our own plans vs those of God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, abounding in love, compassion, mercy, patience, etc.  I know You have blessed me with an abundance of second, third chances, etc. Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such blessings!  I am lazy...a sluggard!  Please forgive me for my neglect of my time with You Jesus and help me turn towards You...daily and throughout the day!  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?

Proverbs 20

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? v24

God is in control (Colossians 1:16-17) and it is futile and full of folly to pursue our own desires and plans.  We exist to glorify God, so our efforts should be on renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2) and understanding of God's will for our lives.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have brought me up to incredible highs and dreadful lows.  You never leave me and I know You are for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am lazy and I worry too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. v21

I have posted many times on the subject of my own plans and of human plans - vs those of God.  The bottom line is that we exist to glorify God and although God may allow us to pursue our selfish desires, it is His plan that always prevails.  We must know and submit to God's plan for our lives (Romans 12:2).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  You have blessed me well beyond what I deserve and You have saved me from wretched places and even from the ultimate consequences of my own sin!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such efforts.  I am lazy.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal her from her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for You to be their Lord and Savior by choice.  Help me lead and serve my family and You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. v9

As I posted yesterday (and previously), God is in control, has ordained all of my days (Psalm 139) and does not plan to harm me but to prosper me (Jeremiah 29).  I know God loves me and I desire to honor him and to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him (Romans 12).  If I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me (James 4).  When I draw near to Him and focus on renewing of the mind, my hope and prayer is that I "may discern what is the will of God" (Romans 12).  

Lord, PLEASE direct my steps!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  I know I experience all good and perfect gifts because of You.  You bless me beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus but please forgive me for my laziness and desire for comfort.   Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength. Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin..and lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. v3

I have often posted about the folly of our own plans, which put ourselves first - contradicting what God commands us to do (Exodus 20, Matthew 22:37-40).  

Gamaliel, according to this commentary was Paul's teacher, made this statement about the folly of human (vs those of God) plans:

"For if [Jesus' disciples] purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39

See also this post.

As I posted a couple of days ago, humility (Matthew 5:3) is core to our journey with Christ.

When we focus on renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2) we can better understand God's will for our lives.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  You are wisdom, truth and light in a world that is full of lies and darkness.  Apart from You I can do no good things and You are a lamp unto my feet!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of Your compassion and mercy!  Please forgive me for my sloth and laziness.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. v1

It is natural for people to have selfish desires.  While we were made in God's image, we are not Him and we easily fall prey to temptation.  It is only through God that we can defeat temptation and sin.  

Today's scripture is a reminder that it is a sin to build a life based on our own desires - for we are told to "[l]ove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37), and to "deny [our]selves and take up [our] cross daily and follow [Jesus]" (Luke 9:23).  

We must build our lives on Jesus - He is The Cornerstone. 

My Prayer: Lord, You are Lord of All, THE Cornerstone - without You my life would be based on nothing and it would fall apart.  Thank You Jesus for being a lamp unto my path and for keeping my feet on Your path.  I know that apart from You I can do no good thing.  I continue to create far too many of my own plans - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength. Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

May [the Lord] give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

Psalm 20

May [the Lord] give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. v4

Two things of note for me in this verse - that we should pray that God give us the desires of our heart AND that from that a prayer that, assuming we have God's desires in our heart, all our plans succeed.  The latter prayer should not and cannot work without the former prayer.

It starts with us knowing we need God that we are nothing without God.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

See also posts here and here. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God full of love, patience, grace, compassion, etc. for me even though I sin and I fail to be Jesus to others.  Thank You Jesus for Your love but please forgive me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You Jesus.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

The Games We Play
Romans 8

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[ because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. v5-11

It is amazing how I listening to David Platt's series "Abide" and today's devotion focuses on governing the mind through the Spirit.

I am reminded of Pastor Scott's sermon how we find happiness.   He used the Sermon on the Mount for the series and specifically for this sermon he focused on Matthew 5:6:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You designed us to crave and You alone can fulfill our desires and cravings...You provide for all our needs and You bless us when we come to You.  I have experienced this in my own life - what an awesome God You are. I am not worth all the ways You have blessed me...I continue to battle with fits of rage...please forgive me Jesus.  Thank You for Your grace and patience that You have dispensed already but I need more!  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You instead.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Strengthen her bone density.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

His Will Be Done
Haggai 1

You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”  v9-11

The prophet Haggai's message from the Lord is quite appropriate for today's devotion because in the book of Haggai, although the Jews are allowed to return to Jerusalem after being in exile in Babylon, they fail to focus on God's glory and He who rescued them, and instead focus on their own desires. Of course if we fail to focus on the glory of God, He knows how to get our attention! 

See also posts here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are...full of compassion, mercy, patience, etc. for me...yet I am wholly undeserving!  I lack patience for others...please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You - this is why exist!  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3 NIV
Time to Contribute

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. v5-6 (NIV)

As I wrestle with questions about how God wants me to serve Him in ministry, this statement in the devotional cuts to the heart: "Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. ".  

I often feel that I know what my paths should be yet I should focus solely on what God sees as my path.  "Lean not on your own understanding" is key here because I often lean on my own understanding.  "Make your paths straight" is also key because I often feel blocked in my career yet if I view how my career unfolds from God's perspective I am more likely to see how God's path is unblocked.

See also postings here and in particular this post from Acts 5.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus You are an INCREDIBLE God whose wisdom far surpasses that of man.  I am deeply thankful that You provide Your Word, Your Holy Spirit, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ, and of course that I can spend time with You to discern Your words and will for my life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessings...I often lean on my own understanding and I have other sin of selfishness, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer and help her recover from side effects of chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your Message today and every day. 

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. v15-17

John is warning us about how the world will not only not satisfy (will also pass away) but it will not traps us in sin.  Instead we must focus on what God who is and always will be the source of all, the beginning and the end...eternal, and eternally satisfying.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great and I know You love me, knowing everything about me, including my sin, even before it happens.  You came for me, suffering and dying on the cross so that I would not be slave to my sins and so that I would have eternal life with You in Heaven.  How great You are!  Thank You Jesus for giving me the greatest gift of all time.  I am not worth such a gift...I allow my words to include bad language, gossip, harshness, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me focus on just You on and NOT the world or anything in it.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help her so that side effects of radiation are not harsh and so that the side effects of chemo go away quickly and completely.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

James 3

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. v17

James warns us about evil and sin such as envy and selfish ambition.  Scripture elsewhere warns us of similar pursuits:

Proverbs 19:21 > Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

We should instead focus on pursuing and loving God with all of heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

Deuteronomy 6:5 > Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Matthew 22:37 > Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

To reinforce James' claim that wisdom from heaven is pure:  
Luke 1:37 > For no word from God will ever fail. 

Focus on God and His Desires and Word, not on self or earthly pursuits.

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God, capable of all things, creator of all things, all knowing, and You chose me, dying for me a gruesome death so that I would not be slave to my sin and have eternity in heaven with You...how awesome are You!  I am not worthy of what You have done for me and continue to do for me...I am broken and I sin.  I worry far too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me follow Your desires alone!  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength and comfort.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.