today's meditation (Hos.2) Recognizing Our Need

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Hosea 2:1-23) Say to your brothers, “Ammi,” and to your sisters, “Ruhamah.”

2   “Dispute with your mother, dispute,
     Because she is not my wife, and I am not her husband;
     But she must remove her infidelity from her face 
     And her adultery from between her breasts,
3   Otherwise, I will strip her naked 
     And expose her as on the day she was born.
     I will also make her like a wilderness,
     Make her like desert land,
     And put her to death with thirst.
4   Also, I will take no pity on her children,
     Because they are children of infidelity.
5   For their mother has committed prostitution;
     She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
     For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
     Who give me my bread and my water,
     My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
6   Therefore, behold, I will obstruct her way with thorns,
     And I will build a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.
7   And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them;
     And she will seek them, but will not find them.
     Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband,
     Because it was better for me then than now!’

8   “Yet she does not know that it was I myself who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
      And lavished on her silver and gold,
     Which they used for Baal.
9   Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time 
     And My new wine in its season.
     I will also take away My wool and My flax 
     That I gave to cover her nakedness.
10 So now I will uncover her lewdness 
     Before the eyes of her lovers,
     And no one will rescue her from My hand.
11 I will also put an end to all her joy,
     Her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,
     And all her festivals.
12 And I will destroy her vines and fig trees,
     Of which she said, ‘They are my wages for prostitution 
     Which my lovers have given me.’
     And I will turn them into a forest,
     And the animals of the field will devour them.
13 I will punish her for the days of the Baals
     When she used to offer sacrifices to them 
     And adorn herself with her nose ring and jewelry,
     And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,” declares the Lord.

14 “Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her,
     Bring her into the wilderness,
     And speak kindly to her.
15 Then I will give her her vineyards from there,
     And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.
     And she will respond there as in the days of her youth,
     As in the day when she went up from the land of Egypt.
16 And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
     “That you will call Me my husband 
     And no longer call Me my Baal.
17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
     So that they will no longer be mentioned by their names.
18 On that day I will also make a covenant for them 
     With the animals of the field,
     The birds of the sky,
     And the crawling things of the ground.
     And I will eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land,
     And will let them lie down in safety.
19 I will betroth you to Me forever;
     Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
     In favor and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
     Then you will know the Lord.

21 “And it will come about on that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord.
     “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
22 And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil,
     And they will respond to Jezreel.
23 I will sow her for Myself in the land.
     I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion,
     And I will say to those who were not My people,
     ‘You are My people!’
     And they will say, ‘You are my God!’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God desires to have a personal relationship with everyone, and in order to have that, one must realize their need for Jesus to save them and help them through life. How can we recognize that need if everything always goes our way?  So in verse 6, it says that God will obstruct "her" way with thorns.  And in verse 9, uncovering one's nakedness is to expose one's sin and the false path that they are on.  

When anyone goes to Jesus for His salvation, they are clothed in His righteousness.  And when we choose to walk in God's way, we will be blessed.  God is faithful and protects and keeps us for all eternity.

today's meditation (Hos.1) Seeking a Relationship

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Hosea 1:1-11) The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife inclined to infidelity, and children of infidelity; for the land commits flagrant infidelity, abandoning the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer take pity on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. 7 But I will take pity on the house of Judah and save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”

8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, because you are not My people, and I am not your God.”

10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel 
     Will be like the sand of the sea,
     Which cannot be measured or counted;
     And in the place 
     Where it is said to them,
     “You are not My people,”
     It will be said to them,
     “You are the sons of the living God.”
11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together,
     And they will appoint for themselves one leader,
     And they will go up from the land,
     For the day of Jezreel will be great.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 7 is a prophecy of salvation in Jesus.  When He came to earth in flesh the first time, the Israelites expected Him to physically save them from the Romans; but He was there to accomplish the work on the cross which would spiritually save people from their own sin.  As for Israel, during the Tribulation, they will see the judgments (the "signs") and know that Jesus is coming again.  Then they as a nation will believe and accept Jesus as their Savior, Messiah and King, who will lead them into the Millennial kingdom described here in verses 10-11. 

Now, it is never God's will for us to sin, even if it would accomplish something "good".  So, it's most likely that Hosea's wife became a prostitute after they were married, as it says in verse 2, he was to take "a woman inclined to infidelity".  Here was a living allegory of the relationship between Israel and God.  And even though Israel has committed adultery against God, He desires to forgive.  The Lord forgives all those who humbly go to Him, confess their sins, and seek a personal relationship with Him.

today's meditation (Dan.12) Having Certain Hope

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Daniel 12:1-13) “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the stream and the other on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish smashing the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. 8 But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” 9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and sealed up until the end time. 10 Many will be purged, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. 11 And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who is patient and attains to the 1,335 days! 13 But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will rest and rise for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verses 1-2 briefly describes the judgement of nations which will occur at the end of the Tribulation (which is also the end of the Jewish Age) when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25).  Right after that, all believers still alive will go with Jesus, and He will set up the Millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants with Israel.  But before this can happen, Israel as a nation has to be believe in and accept Jesus as their Messiah.  And this will only happen during the seven years of judgments, which are the signs of Jesus' second coming (Matthew 24). 

For anyone to get into heaven, and for the Israelites to have all their covenants fulfilled - there has to be perfect obedience.  Because we have a sinful nature, it is impossible for us to be perfectly obedient.  This is why we need the Lord Jesus' salvation and help!  He is the only way!  It is His righteousness that covers us and protects us.

Notice in verse 13 that Daniel is basically told not to worry!  Because he was a believer, he would not be part of the desolations of the Tribulation.  Obviously, he wouldn't be, because there were many, many years before this would happen.  And it is still to happen.  But for all Israelites who believed in the Lord and have died already, they will - in their glorified bodies - see and enjoy what God has promised (along with all other believers before the "rapture").  And then those becoming believers in the Tribulation and dying before the seven years are finished, they too will - in their glorified bodies - see and enjoy what God has promised.

This certain hope should give all of us great encouragement. 

today's meditation (Dan.11) Being Encouraged

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Daniel 11:1-45) “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be of assistance and a protection for him. 2 And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will stir up the entire empire against the realm of Greece. 3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, because his sovereignty will be removed and given to others besides them.

5 “Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and rule; his domain will be a great realm indeed. 6 And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to reach an agreement. But she will not keep her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who fathered her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and prevail. 8 And he will also take into captivity to Egypt their gods with their cast metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

10 “And his sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, so that he may again wage war up to his fortress. 11 And the king of the South will be enraged and go out and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be handed over to the former. 12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be haughty, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also raise themselves up to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, pile up an assault ramp, and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 And he will set his mind on coming with the power of his entire kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. 18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his taunting against him; moreover, he will repay him for his taunting. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found.

20 “Then in his place one will arise who will allow an oppressor to pass through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the majesty of kingship has not been conferred; but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 And the overflowing forces will be flooded away from him and smashed, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers did not, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, spoils, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, because schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, because the end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will withdraw in fear and will return and curse the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and pay attention to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. 32 And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33 And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. 35 And some of those who have insight will fall, to refine, purge, and cleanse them until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

36 “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt himself and boast against every god and will speak dreadful things against the God of gods; and he will be successful until the indignation is finished, because that which is determined will be done. 37 And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will boast against them all. 38 But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, precious stones, and treasures. 39 And he will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will make them rulers over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

40 “And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will reach out with his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will go out with great wrath to eliminate and annihilate many. 45 And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Christians have been martyred over the course of history.  And from verse 34, I would say that God gives those believers extra strength and help in those extreme moments of distress.  This can be a testimony to many in order to help them see their need to be saved, as well as to be an encouragement to other believers that God will see us through anything.  When we go through tests and trials, this is an opportunity to see how God will work in our lives and in the lives around us.  

How can we say, "God is always there for us" if we never go through anything?  Now, we certainly do not need evil in our lives in order to see and know God's majesty, but some people choose to learn the hard way.  This is why all believers will be caught up to heaven just before the Tribulation begins.  

God is still sovereign and there is hope.  Always!  There aren't any evil actions or intentions within God's will!  But as He has given everyone a free will, He allows evil to exist and work, allowing them only so much leeway in order to help bring about His will.  When a jeweler shows anyone a diamond, they place it on a black background because this is when the majestic qualities of the diamond are most obvious.  God knows what He is doing, and one day He will put an end to all sin and suffering.  Our faith can be very encouraged by that.

today's meditation (Dan.10) Praying for Guidance and Strength

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Daniel 10:1-21) In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and it concerned great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.

2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man dressed in linen, whose waist had a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like topaz, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great fear fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my complexion turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. 9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

10 Then behold, a hand touched me and shook me on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “Daniel, you who are treasured, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in my way for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, because the vision pertains to the days still future.”

15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And behold, one who resembled a human was touching my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “My lord, due to the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”

18 Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “You who are treasured, do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I felt strengthened and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am leaving, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 21 However, I will tell you what is recorded in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We have to be confident in knowing that God is always there.  Not only that, but we do not have to fear anyone or anything.  We can TAKE courage and BE courageous.  This is a choice.  And this can be accomplished only through the Lord.

If anyone ever wondered why they should only pray to God, and not to people or angels, this passage should give some understanding.  Obviously, people do not have much strength or wisdom to help much.  And angels are not omniscient, omnipresent or omnipotent.  Notice that as a result of Daniel's prayer, the Lord sends some of His angels to help him.  

From this passage, we can also see that when we ask for guidance from the Lord, we should also ask Him for His strength.  What God asks of us, whether it seems daunting or not, requires His strength.  If we truly understand the spiritual warfare that happens all around us and around the world, we would understand the need for God's strength and guidance to be in every detail of our lives.

today's meditation (Dan.9) Knowing and Understanding

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Daniel 9:1-27) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, “Oh, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, we have done wrong, and acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

7 “Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 8 Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, because we have rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Indeed, all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. 12 So He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wrongdoing and giving attention to Your truth. 14 So the Lord has kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

15 “And now, Lord, our God, You who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of taunting to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for Your sake, Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 My God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our pleas before You based on any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

20 While I was still speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain understanding of the vision.

24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Sin impedes prayer, so searching our hearts and confessing them is beneficial to our lives and our relationship with God.  God doesn't go anywhere.  He loves us and is always there for us.  But sinning and not confessing is synonymous to us walking away from God.  Confession is apologizing and walking back to God, so we can continue in our walk with Him.  

Prayer is us talking with God.  In a good relationship, one desires to hold conversations. like with BFFs who share everything that is going on in their lives, because one knows they are safe to just be themselves around the other, knowing that they care.  Well, God cares about us more than any human being, and He already knows everything about us!  His unconditional love allows us to just be ourselves and go to Him with everything.  

No matter how frivolous it seems, or how impossible, when we go to the Lord in prayer for help and guidance, He is faithful.  He actually wants us to gain wisdom, in order to know and understand.  Just like with Daniel who was given these visions which seemed overwhelmingly hopeless.  God didn't just pass along this information to frustrate us; He wants us to know and understand.  Not only will He give us the wisdom, but He will give us the help and guidance in order to apply His wisdom!