Tag: Psalm 118:24

How to Delight in God’s Daily Walk Invitation with a Powerful RSVP

Jeannie Waters30 Comments on How to Delight in God’s Daily Walk Invitation with a Powerful RSVP

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How does your morning begin? After I’ve hit the snooze button once or twice, I glance out a bedroom window. If the sun is up, I admire its light filtering through one of our tree’s big green leaves.

The sight reminds me the Light of the World wants to shine through my life, and He invites me to walk with Him through a new day of adventures.

The thoughts prompt memories of the times my family rounded the last curve in the long country driveway to spend the day with my parents. Daddy, who’d been standing on the porch to wait for us, would wear a broad smile when he hurried to the car to welcome his children and grandchildren.  

Imagine our heavenly Father standing on the porch of heaven before He illuminates the sky with warm light and paints splashes of color in the eastern sky. I imagine God stretching out His arms in anticipation of sharing the day He has made with His beloved child.

He doesn’t reach out to us from obligation or duty. His invitation is born of love, unconditional love. Love that sent His only Son to die for you and me.

Whether we bounce up with gusto in the morning, or roll out slowly, we can proclaim,

“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24 NKJV

Our heavenly Father knows we need Him, and each morning He waits and beckons us to spend the day with Him.  

Our heavenly Father knows we need Him, and each morning He waits and beckons us to spend the day with Him. Share on X

My favorite morning prayer often serves as my RSVP to God’s invitation.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

Psalm 143:8 NKJV

Let’s consider the powerful RSVP strategies below to help us react with joy.

How to RSVP to God’s Daily Walk Invitation

R Respond to His invitation. We can respond to God

with love because He first loved us.

with awe because He is Almighty God.

with our questions which He welcomes.

with thanksgiving for generous blessings. 

in repentance when His Spirit convicts us of sin.

with obedience which demonstrates love for Him.

with the delight of a beloved child placing her hand in her Father’s.

S Spend time with Him at His invitation

in service to others as He leads us.

in worship and praise as we ponder His attributes.

in laughter when the joy of Jesus bubbles up in our hearts.

in prayer, an engaged conversation throughout the day (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

in His Word filled with wise counsel and fresh revelation to apply to our lives.

V Value what He values  

by trusting Him.

by using our spiritual gifts to serve others.

by helping a person in need (Hebrews 13:6).

by living for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

by giving our money, possessions, time, and talents.

by telling someone about our daily walk with Jesus and His grace and mercy.

by remembering to “Do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

P Proclaim truths from His Word.

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23 NLT).

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 NKJV).

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8 NKJV).

“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill. For the Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9 NKJV).

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV).

Like the way my dad delighted in our family spending time with him, God delights in our acceptance of His invitation to walk with Him each day. Our powerful RSVP of “Yes, Lord,” fills our hearts with His peace and joy, helps us enjoy His presence, and honors our Father in heaven.

How does God invite you to join Him and remind you of His presence? Please share the ways you walk with Him through your day.

The Blessings We Forget

Jeannie Waters26 Comments on The Blessings We Forget

Even in the season of Thanksgiving, we can forget precious blessings from God. This week, when I read an email from a friend, I realized my gratitude list needed work.

In the email, our friends, Chip and Susie, requested prayer and shared news of Will, their friend who’d been bedridden since January 2—for ten long months.

One illness had led to another until Will was too weak after hospitalization to make the required progress for admittance into rehab. He believed he’d never walk again.

Hannah, Will’s wife, cared for him the best she could and called for medical transport when appointments were necessary.

Sad to see his friend incapacitated, Chip prayed and studied YouTube videos. He then asked if he could try to help. First, he carefully lifted Will into a wheelchair and pushed him down the sidewalk to visit neighbors.

Hannah, his wife, stood on the grass and watched Will draw in deep breaths of fresh air and throw his head back to gaze into the sky. When she watched neighbors come outside to greet her husband and heard his laughter and lively conversation, joy tears trickled down her cheeks.

The blessings?

  • Fresh air.
  • A change of scenery—from four walls to the crimson reds, fiery oranges, and sunny yellows of fall
  • The sound of birds chirping and a dog barking
  • The welcoming smiles of friends and jovial laughter

I’m quite sure Will and Hannah thanked God for those blessings—the blessings we tend to forget.

Would you like to hear more good news? After continued prayer and study, Chip is helping Will learn to walk again.

Will takes small steps and only a few at a time, but with determination and the hope of acceptance into rehab, he believes he will walk again. As he makes painstaking progress, Hannah observes from across the room where she claps and smiles through teary eyes.

After reading Susie’s email, I walked outside and took deep breaths of crisp fall air, then I thanked God I could walk, breathe fresh air, and hear the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet.

I also thanked Him I could serve as the hands and feet of Jesus as Chip and Susie did.

During this season of Thanksgiving, my gratitude list will be a little longer. What about yours?

Let’s express our thanks to God through His Word for the blessings we remember and the ones we forget to notice. 

Let’s express our thanks to God through His Word for the blessings we remember and the ones we forget to notice. Share on X
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Let’s thank Him and praise Him for who He is.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:1-3 NKJV

 Let’s thank Him …

For His goodness and His mercy.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV

For this day He has made.

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 NKJV

For salvation in Christ, a free gift to all who surrender to Jesus Christ our Lord.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 NKJV

Apples, Leaves, Fall, Still Life, Basket

Please tell us about a blessing you appreciate or a gratitude verse you enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends.

Embrace the New Day with Joy and Prayer

Jeannie Waters24 Comments on Embrace the New Day with Joy and Prayer

I’m a “wannabe” morning person. How about you? Do you bounce up early, eager to get started? Or are you sliding under the comforter after midnight?

By nature I’m a night owl who’s trying hard to convert. I’d like to see more of God’s glorious colors painted across the eastern sky when a new day begins.

Three hundred and sixty-five times per year, God wraps a new day with fresh air and promises. Whether the package includes the sun’s rays streaming through the trees or rumbling thunder in an ominous sky, each twenty-four-hour period represents a gift.

When I wake up, I often repeat, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). The verse sets the tone for joyous gratitude.

Lest you think I spring up like Winnie-the-Pooh’s friend Tigger with extra energy and exuberance, I’ll admit my attitude on occasion is less than cheery.  

When I’m tired or overwhelmed with a long to-do list, my response to the alarm clock sounds more like Pooh’s other friend, Eeyore, the forlorn donkey who sees the glass as half-empty.

On those days, as my hand reaches for the snooze button, my pillow entices me more than the smell of strong coffee. Gratitude hides deep under the covers.

Regardless of our mental state upon awakening, we can embrace each new day with gratitude for God’s gifts.  After all, an additional dawn represents an opportunity to seek our heavenly Father’s will in prayer and to love and serve Him and others throughout the day.  

Some believers spend concentrated time with God in the afternoon or evening. We’re all unique. As long as we engage in prayer and Bible study, we can grow in Christ regardless of the time of day. Some who have extended prayer and reading time later in the day, pray briefly in the morning to acknowledge God’s presence and gain focus.

Praying passages from the book of Psalms often jumpstarts my early moments. Focusing on God’s words pries open my sleepy mind and awakens my heart to converse with the day’s Creator. The verses below are some of my favorites.

Embrace-the-Day-with-Joy Verses to Pray

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalm 143:8

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14

But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

Psalm 59:16

But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Psalm 88:13

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.

Psalm 119:147

You may want to print the verses and add others to include in your conversations with God.

Please share how you turn “Eeyore mornings” into “Tigger days.”

Bouncing like the tiger character in the Winnie-the-Pooh story is optional (whew), but embracing the day with prayer helps us rejoice in the new morning God has made. Filled with joy, we can brighten someone else’s day.

Have a good day, dear reader friend, and enjoy time with God whether you meet with Him in the morning or evening. Thank you for your comments.

Bible verses are from the ESV.

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The “Dailyness” of Life

Jeannie Waters18 Comments on The “Dailyness” of Life

Cicadas are loud, especially when I’m reading on the deck. This morning the shrill notes of their orchestra played fortissimo! Once they distracted me, I heard other sounds—a dog barking in the distance, the hum of the deck ceiling fan, and the songs of two different birds.

Although the cicadas were the smallest of the sound generators in my hearing range, they produced the loudest noise! Isn’t that like the problems we face each day? Do you notice that little challenges can cause big irritation? (Those “first world” problems I mean.)

  • The item you ordered isn’t like the picture.
  • You’re put on hold multiple times for three minutes each time, and you repeat your question three times.
  • Your cell phone won’t stay on WiFi. (Mine today!)
  • You forgot to buy the tuna for tuna salad. (Anybody?)
  • While shopping, you realize the coupon you planned to use is—you guessed it—at home.
  • The washer buzzes three times because the load isn’t balanced.

Those little “cicada” moments can disturb our otherwise peaceful days.    

As I listed my “trials” one day, my wise closer-than-cousin friend said, “Life is so daily.” What? Her statement stopped me in my whining tracks.

Yes, life is so daily, but I’m not quite ready for the alternative, are you? I know because I’ve accepted Jesus as Savior that I will live in Heaven when I leave this earth, but I’m not rushing the Lord’s designated time for that.

Life is so daily. 

The statement changed my attitude that day and still does when I remember in the middle of daily activities to consider the following:

Life is a gift from God. Earthly life offers opportunities to serve the Lord and the Bible promises eternal life with Him for Christ followers.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

John 3:36

I confess that sometimes daily annoyances rob my joy and cloud my awareness of the One who creates each day.

Another challenge can be those chores that feel like déjà vu.

Didn’t I just mop this floor yesterday?

Whether one or six people live in your home, life is daily, isn’t it? You vacuum, and someone tracks in dirt. You buy groceries, and someone eats them. You load the dishwasher, and the sink fills up. You cut the grass, and it grows right back.  

Life is so daily.

My mom, who was a wonderful wife and mother, once said with a chuckle, “If my family didn’t eat and wear clothes, I could get something done!” Ever feel like that?

What is the best way to face the irritations that badger us and the never-ending tasks that thwart plans for a productive day? Consider two suggestions that help me. They are simple, yet profound.

Life is so daily, but there are biblical responses that please God.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Just imagine the change in our countenance and our outlook if we rejoiced during the day that God created!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

How do you maintain a thankful heart and a focus on God during daily challenges? Please leave a comment to BRIGHTEN OUR DAY.   

I researched the origin of the quote “Life is so daily.” I was unable to find proper attribution but read many references to it.