N * O * V * E *M * B * E * R

November 1

I glorify you who cannot be glorified more than you are. Your magnificence is far above comprehension. Great in love and power, judgment and mercy. You are all majesty. You are the king of my heart, ruler of my life, power of my soul.  How I adore you.  I fall at your feet in both tears and laughter.  You, oh Great One actually notice me. And smile.

Help me know what to say or do when people mistreat other people. I hate seeing it happen, but do not always know if I said or did the right thing in reaction. Forgive me when I do not and give me wisdom.

It is Sunday morning again, the day you came back to earth from the land of the dead, forever alive ~ proof you’ll do it for me too. Oh, how I love singing my heart out with the rest of the congregation. I do not want other people doing my singing for me and cheat me out of that pleasure. When I sing, I sometimes look around at my friends in the congregation also singing. I cannot hear their individual voices, but I watch their lips move, all synchronized together.  What joy to sing with others, pray with others, take the Lord’s Supper with others. Worship day is so special to me. How could anyone do boring things like shopping or playing ball and miss out on the excitement of worshipping you? I thank you for the privilege of coming into your presence and worshipping.

 

November 2

My Lord God, you made all that is in the universe, even that which is too minute to see and too far away. I cannot begin to comprehend two trillion galaxies. You are greater than the cosmos. It fits into the palm of your hand. I am just a twinkle in your eye. Yet, you notice me!  You notice! You hear my every thought and mourn with me, rejoice with me, and just plod along life’s daily trails with me.  You are too magnificent to understand, but the thought of you crowns my soul.

Father, sometimes I wonder, if Jesus were here, how much he would criticize me when I think I am being good.  Forgive my unseen sins and help me see them as you do. Help me let go of them and change.

Thank you, Lord, for loving me. No matter how sinful I am, you love me.  You did not even withhold Jesus. You insisted a part of you ~ Jesus your Word ~ come in the body of a human, teach, be perfect, then take my place in receiving the punishment for my sins because I would have been too weak to handle it.  All so I could be perfect in your eyes. Thank you for rescuing me from Satan’s clutches.

November 3

My God, I often think of heaven and how there it will always be summer.  There will be no autumn when things begin to die, for I will live on forever in the flower of youth. There will be no winter where death prevails, for I will never become helpless and shiver while in the sunshine of your presence.  There will be no springtime when that which is dead returns to life, for I will never die. Thank you, Lord God, for gracing us with forever summer in heaven.

Father, sometimes I lose faith in other people, especially those who continually hate and insult other people. I know I am supposed to forgive indefinitely and, even though I do not trust them any longer, I am to forgive them over to you and wish them a better life. I know that. But it is hard to do. Give me a softer heart and a stronger determination to keep faith in others. Look what you did to Saul/Paul?  A torturer and murderer turned apostles.  Keep reminding me, Father. Keep reminding me.

Lord, the Old Testament Law of Moses was so bloody. Every day the priests butchered animals. Sticky, smelly, slimy blood.  People had to smear blood on their doorposts and priests smeared blood on the horns of the altar and the Ark of the Covenant. Always blood. Blood everywhere. Thank you for putting a stop to all the bloody worship. Thank you for taking on human blood and spilling it down the cross one last time. Now worship comes forth like pure water. Thank you for taking away the blood.

 

November 4

You have been so good to me ~ more than I ever deserved. What about people living in war-torn countries? Are they spiritually stronger than me? In a way I envy them. Am I being cheated because I have few serious worries and lean on you less? I do not understand all your plans for each country. I must be where you want me to be. I praise you for whatever decisions you make and, no matter what happens around the world.  I will continue to praise you through good and bad, for I know you will always be on your throne.

Father, help me not complain. Help me see the good in everything, even if it means loss of everything material that I own. Forgive me when I complain.

How can I thank you enough for all you did to save me from Satan? Not only me, but the poor and rich, disabled and healthy, ugly and handsome, unlikeable and likable.  We all needed you. We all want to live with you, and you have made it possible. I will spend my allotted days on earth spreading the Good News and bringing children to you. And we will lift our hearts up to you together in gratitude.

November 5

You are so perfect and I am so imperfect. You are so sinless and I am so sinful.  You are so great and I am so small.  You are so powerful and I am so weak. You are all I could ever want to be, but cannot. Yet you love me.  You are crowned with glory and allow me to bask in that glory. The universe is your royal robe sparkling with stars and you allow me to sit at the edge of it and be warmed.  Ah, how I love you, my God.

Father, I love your church, the church you gave your life for, the church that is your betrothed bride.  I try to be an example of reaching out for lost souls, but some resent me for it. Forgive me for not being the right kind of example and help me do it right.

Ah, Jesus. Such an example! You tried to show us our sins so we would repent, but we hated you for it. Still, you never backed down, even when we tortured you acting like you were better than us ~ which you were. We were your enemies, but you willingly let us kill you. Only then could you show us our way was futile. Only then could you show us creating life is more powerful than creating death.  Only then could you show us was true love was. It shocked us.  We, the undeserved, became lost in wonder. I worship at your feet in gratitude.

November 6

Lord, I dread not the day when you call me home. I fear not the day when I hear your voice, “Come now, my child.”  I shrink not back from your wounded hands when you reach out for me. Together we will walk through the divine door that leads me on the golden path of glory to home. How I love the hand that was pierced for me, the hand that bore the bitter spike, the hand through which your precious blood was drained out for me. I shall clutch your wounded hand and you will never let me go. We will walk hand in hand through eternity.

Father, I heard a falsehood about someone. I know it was, but at the time I believed it simply because I wanted to believe it. Forgive me and help me walk away when people speak evil of each other.

My Lord, just when I am tempted to do some evil, you step in my way and hold me back. Just when I am tempted to think some evil, you hold your hand in front of my eyes and stop my wrong contemplations.  Just when I am tempted to run away from a good I should do, you grab hold of me, and rush me back to do what needs to be done. Ah, Lord, you are my rampart, my deliverer, my hero. You make me what I ought to be. I bow at your feet.

 

November 7

My God, you are so noble and trustworthy. If I trust in your judgment, then what is best will happen ~ one more step closer to conquering the world.  Conquering bad with good.  You are life and you work every minute to rescue me from a world of sin to deliver me to a world of sinlessness.  All this despite my self-destructive listening to Satan. You are stronger than Satan, and make me stronger in the process. Such stubborn love.

Forgive me for wanting to run away when things become too hard for me to face. Help me see only the good and leave the judging up to you.

Thank you, Jesus, for your example of strict teaching with kindness intertwined. Your teachings were a tapestry of dark and light tones that wove together into a blanket of safety. Your life was a kaleidoscope of sunny yellows and bloody reds and every color in between to show me the beauty of everything, no matter how dark it may seem. In gratitude, I worship you.

 

November 8

I praise and adore you, God. You are perfect and are willing to see me as perfect even when I am not. I try to be like you but fail in some way every day. You love me in my imperfection. Your love wins over Satan’s hatred. Your forgiveness wins over Satan’s accusations.  Your mercy wins over Satan’s judgmentalisms. I often wonder how you can do it ~ always be forgiving me. Sometimes I am embarrassed to, once again, ask for your forgiveness.  Yet, you are delighted to forgive. You are the God of second chances. And third. And scores. And hundreds. Such patience and love I cannot even begin to comprehend. So, I worship you.

Lord, yesterday I did not do well.  I found fault with people in general. It was me, not then. At least I did not tell them what I thought of them. I was playing the part of Satan, the perpetual accuser. Can you forgive me once more?

It is Sunday morning again. Oh, how I will sing out my praises to you!  They will soar through the roof to the clouds and beyond, echo from star to star, and surround your throne. My song will not be harmonious and lovely or lyrical, but it will be my song and it will be for the God I love. Accept my praise, my song, the offering of my lips.

November 9

Almighty and majestic God of my heart and soul. You are so astonishing. You made all I can see and more.  You even left the spark of life in things so I could re-create with you. You left so much unmade to delight my imagination. You provided all I needed and more.  How I love my garden. I, your child, magnify you in my doings and makings and creatings.

Father, help me struggle alone with my Christian attitudes and activities and not expect others to struggle over the same things. Keep me silent, Lord.

Thank you that people I know are treating the “underdogs” better and accepting them more warmly. And thank you for the people in the newspaper, most going through difficulties and even tragedies, and who could use encouragement. I need to buy some notepaper and envelopes and some stamps. It only takes a moment to jot down a note of encouragement and a prayer for them. Satan will not win. When I am down, I will let others help me. When others and down, I will want to help them. Together, we will march on Satan and win. Thank you for trusting in me to represent you on earth.

November 10

I adore you, Lord God. You have been so good for so long always working to save us from hell. So many do not believe they are bound for hell so insult you by never reading your love letter to the world ~ your Bible ~ and never praying unless they need something. Still, amidst all this, you keep trying to save the world. You want everyone to be your child. You are larger than the universe that you made, but it is tiny humans that capture your heart. You run after us every which way calling, “Come back! You’re headed for danger! I can protect you!” Ah, my Lord God, how you love us. I love you too, Lord. I wish I could love as much as you do. In my frail way, I worship you.

I’ve been complaining again lately, Father. It is not right. Everything is as you desire it. Somehow remind me of that every day and forgive me whenever I slip into that attitude again.

My vegetable garden has been harvested and I have cleared out all that was left behind. And I brought in more fertilizer to give my little seeds a head start next spring. Thank you for allowing me to create with you. I love watching the little green sprigs force their way to the surface and peak at the sun. It makes me think how I am forcing my way up through the darkness of this world and trying to take a peek of heaven. Someday it will happen and the experience will be beautiful.

November 11

I adore you, Lord God, and worship you.  I laugh with you, cry with you. I am unworthy of all the attention you give me, especially among the millions of others who long for you.  You know my name and follow me around. My thoughts, attitudes, and activities are readily open to you.  My sins are among them.  How unworthy I am. You love me still.  How marvelous and magnificent you are in love and mercy. I worship you.

Forgive me, Father, for eating too much. I am eating strictly for the taste and not because my body needs it. When I taste something good, the delight lasts less than a minute. Then I have to take another bite to return the wonderful taste to my mouth. On and on it goes until I have made myself sick. Help me find something else as pleasurable and fulfilling to do so I can forget my gluttony.

Thank you for my being able to live in a country that gives me as much freedom as I need to worship you. Even if I must worship you in hiding, I still will have the freedom to find a hiding place.  Every place has valleys and galleys to hide in, and basements, and abandoned buildings and mountain tops. Thank you for the hiding places. And thank you for the heroes who long to worship you together so much, they will do anything to do so. Thank you for worship. Our prayers are diamonds, our songs are silver, our Lord’s Supper rememberings are rubies, and our reading your love letters are gold.

 

November 12

I praise and magnify you in my heart until it swells with awe and deep veneration. Ah, my Lord, to be able to comprehend you. You must smile when you see me try. I am like an ant trying to understand the mind of a human. You are so large, I only have a fleeting glimpse of you. It is like a mite sitting on my arm trying to see all of me. The mite can only see what its tiny eye can see up close. That is me trying to comprehend you. You are larger than the unmeasurable universe, for you are its Maker. The very thought of you is breathtaking.

Father, I have been rationalizing as a way of not doing some things I should be doing. Making excuses is no excuse. Interrupt my life to get them done. Forgive me, Lord, and help me see myself as you do.

Jesus, I try to thank you every way I can think of and know how.  It’s never enough, for I could never show gratitude even close to the sacrifice you made in my place. You did not have to die. You weren’t the one sinning. But, we had been kidnapped by Satan and you were the only one strong enough to pay the ransom he wanted ~ the death of God. Thank you for tricking him! Oh, how I smile when I think about how you fooled him by coming back to life. The ransom had been paid and he could do nothing about it. You had set us free. How amazing you are. I worship you.

 

November 13

You are the God of my heart, my life, my soul.  I long to be with you someday. I have praised you in the past, I praise you now, I will praise you in the future and as long as forever lasts. You are the originator of all material things and all motion. You set the stars in motion and they have never stopped their movement for all these thousands of years. You are the First Cause of all that is good and right. You have made me in your image so I can have a sense of goodness and right ~ a sense of conscience ~ in my thinking and behavior.  I stand in awe of you.

Father, I need to question myself and see myself as you do. When I compliment someone, is that all, or am I flattering them to get something in return? One of those is good, the other is a sin.

Thank you, Lord, for interruptions in my life. Sometimes people have to get loud and make me stop what I am doing so I will pay attention to them. I get so absorbed in what I am doing day to day, I forget the rest of the world other than a casual hello or goodbye. Keep doing it, Lord.  Keep sending people to my door, to my phone, to my email, all intent on interrupting me. Thank you for sudden changes. They certainly do make life interesting, and you, God, are always interesting.

 

November 14

Lord God, I praise you for the pattern you have set in motion here on earth.  The pattern of birth, life, and death. The pattern of planting, growing, and harvesting. Millenniums ago you set the cycle in motion by putting people on earth. We have been good sometimes and bad sometimes but never perfect.  As for me, I was born, grew up, and now I await my own harvest. When will harvest be when the world ends? I long for harvest time. Then I will be able to praise you day and night without interruptions from Satan and his emissaries.  Then it will be sunset on earth forever and sunrise in heaven for all eternity. Oh, glorious day.

This morning the sun is rising a little later as winter nears. The sky is all reds and yellows. There are dark clouds behind it. That’s okay. I shall prepare for the storms coming behind the sunset. I will turn on all the lights so that “sunshine” is within. Then, when dark  insults come, I shall smile. When delays come, I shall smile. When accidents come, I shall smile. No matter what, I know ~ because of your promises ~ that the storm will be followed by a rainbow. And that will be your smile. Thank you.

November 15

I praise and adore you, God of the universe, for all you do is right and good and just. At the same time, I tremble before your anger when I do wrong, realizing I am doing something that is hurting myself and you are trying to stop me.  I do not and cannot fully understand you, even though you revealed what I can understand in your Word.  I know you are perfect and cannot co-exist with the imperfect. Yet, you love me anyway and continually run after me when I sin, calling for me to stop, turn around, and return to you. You never give up on me. Through everything that life holds, you are my God and I worship you.

Father, I was greedy yesterday. Some would not call it that. Some would call it business sense. A neighbor was selling some of  their furniture and they had a beautiful piece I had long admired. But I did not have enough money. So, I kept trying to get the price down, even though they already had it priced much lower than it was worth. They finally gave in to me, but they were not smiling. I need to find the money to reimburse them, even if it means skipping a meal to do so. I need to make it right. May they forgive me as you do.

Once again, Lord, it is Sunday morning. The sun is starting to rise just as Jesus did after his death and when he returned to his body that morning so long ago. It proved who he was and proved his promise would come true for all Christians:  When we close our eyes and die here on earth, we will open our eyes and come back to life in heaven. How wonderful! How glorious! How amazing. How can I thank you? I do not deserve it. But you love me even more than I love myself. I do not understand such love but I bow before you in gratitude.

November 16

My Lord, you think of everything ~ four seasons and different climates for a serendipity off change. Trees without their leaves show me their shear strength ~ tall and bold, standing strong after storms, holding snow on their shoulders, even when it turns to ice.  Reaching toward a gray sky from a stark earth, undaunted, sometimes for centuries. The trees I see out my window were seen by people before the invention of automobiles and airplanes and pre-prepared food and washing machines.  Standing sentry. Standing strong with a heart to live yet longer. Lord, you are that way and more. Even when you seem stark to some people, you are strong and have a heart to live forever.

Father, I am hoarding my clothes. I have more than I need. Shoes too.  Forgive me and make me go through what I have and give at least half of them to people who have so little. What they do have is torn or stained and without buttons and zippers.  Some are too proud to admit it, but help me figure out a way to learn enough about them. And help me know those who will be embarrassed for anyone to give them something, and figure out a way to leave them at their door without them knowing. Forgive my greed.

It is mid-November, We had a big rain yesterday, and suddenly there are no leaves on the trees. Before the rain they had leaves. So now they are going to sleep as the trees rest a while. I thank you for periods of rest. And for color indoors from paint and dye and the food harvested last month. And the warmth of the indoors to keep me until summer blossoms returns. How interesting and exciting you made our enchanting, delightful, changeable world. Thank you.

November 17

God, you are the friend of the world. No better friend could we have. But so many snub you out of arrogance, Satan telling them they can be their own god. They see you as their enemy, they fight you and twist your motives. Sometimes I do it myself because no one is immune to the influence of Satan. I know how often you must weep as we break your heart.  You are only trying to save us from our enemy, Satan. You are only trying to bring us into the refuge of your home so we will be forever safe. How ungrateful and arrogant we are. Some believe you will have no choice but to take them into your home when they die, forgetting you have a door, a gate into your home and do not allow just anyone into your home for the same reason we have doors into our home.  But you love all of us anyway. You are so patient. None of us deserve you. Despite my sins, I do praise you and magnify you in my heart. Of every being in the world, you are most deserving of my honor, respect, and love.

Father, there are lonely people in nursing homes and prisons, in the military and just confined to home. I forget about them because I do not see them. Forgive my neglect Lord and make me reach out to the ones I can find.

Lord, it is getting really cold outside but I am warm and cozy inside.  Thank you for what I sometimes take for granted. And thank you for the hope of heaven. Sometimes I am tired and want to rest.  Then I think of all the lost souls who think you are their enemy, or who think they can get to heaven ~ your home, not theirs ~ their own way.  Today, may I take a deep breath and keep going.

November 18

Lord, I am like the sheep that walk around afraid to drink from troubled waters, so you lead me to where the waters are calm and peaceful. When I cannot see you, I am afraid to follow a stranger, so you keep me confined so I am safe until your return. Though I walk around with no concern for possible dangers, you are right there with me to make sure I do not fall into that danger. Sometimes I become restless and fearful if I sense a storm is coming close. Then, Lord, I hear your heart singing to my heart, it calms me, and I lie down and rest in you.

Father, forgive the negative thoughts I have had lately ~ especially in the night. Make them go away. Give me laughter and peace again.

The sun is shining, the frost is heavy, it is very cold out there, but I am inside warm, snuggled up, thinking, meditating and watching for the birds to discover the corn I put out for them. I am tired these days and a little depressed. But I thank you for these times when I stop everything, back off, and contemplate. I know it is often at such times that we take a good look at ourselves selves, try to see ourselves as others do, and make changes for the better. So, I thank you for this little bit of unhappy time when I can learn better who I am and how to be more and more like you.

November 19

I searched for you everywhere, Lord God. I flew to the top of a tree, but could not find you. I rocketed to the moon and still could not find you. I soared to the stars and searched in vain for you. Finally, I stopped, stayed still in submission, and I found you. I found you in my yearning heart, the heaviness of my spirit, the aching of my soul.  You had been here all along whispering to me. You waited as long as it took until I found you. Now I rest in you.

Father, I am jealous of people who make the same things I do and get more praise than I do even though I believe what I make is better than theirs. Help me be happy for them. Do they need the praise more than I do?

Thank you for giving us music. Music has been loved by all people throughout all generations. Fast or slow, exciting or gentle, loud or soft, high or low. Music expresses every emotion. You gave us music to help us express those emotions, sometimes those which we do not know how to express in words.  You love music so much, you delight when we sing to you. I wonder if you hum along with us. Ah, such delights in music. Thank you.

November 20

How can you be so patient, God, when we are so set in our ways? You’ve told us over and over what things are sin, but we do them anyway. It doesn’t even occur to us that we are hurting you, our Father, and shaming you. It doesn’t even occur to us that Satan is laughing the whole time because we have believed his lies instead of your truths. Though you agonize for us, you love us still. I cannot begin to comprehend such patient love.

Oh, my Father, I have retreated into myself and don’t care about anyone else. I do not know how to fix it. Satan is ravaging my spirit. I don’t even want to change, so how can I ask you to forgive me? Get Satan away from me. He is too strong. Help me, God, to be my old self again.

Thank you, Lord for a warm house on these cold days, bright lamps on these dark days, colorful furniture on these bleak days, food on these barren days. Thank you for rescuing me from illnesses, moodiness, danger on the street and icy paths. Thank you for allowing me to stop and rest sometimes and holding my spirit in your strong, yet, gentle arms until my soul sees the sunrise.

November 21

I stood on the greatest philosophy I have ever encountered and basked in its brilliance. But I fell.  I stood on patriotism for the best place to live on earth and savored its opportunities. But I fell.  I stood on equal rights around the world, defending the underdog everywhere. But I fell.  I stood on Christ, God in bodily form, and, and, and…  I stood tall and strong. Nothing could interfere or change or destroy. Ah, Lord Jesus, you are my solid rock. Everything else is quicksand. On you I will stand for eternity for you are the majestic wholeness of all that exists now and forever.

Father, I said some words yesterday that I did not believe I was capable of saying. They slipped out before I could catch them. I did not know where they came from, and yet I did know. I have exposed my mind to movies and songs with that kind of language in them. They influenced me more than I thought they would. Lord, make me walk out of or turn off such bad influence. No one is immune.

Thank you for daytime and night. In the night I am forced to stop whatever I am doing and rest. You made my body to need it. It cannot go on indefinitely. And my body influences my mind. Without enough rest, I cannot think clearly. And so, as the sun sets, I slow down until I recognize my tiredness. Nighttime is precious. Then there is morning. I wake up with the sun and hear the birds happily singing outside my window. A new day of starting over fresh. A day of new beginnings and second chances. Thank you, Lord, for daytime and night.

November 22

Ah, my Lord, you love me when I feel unloved and unlovable. You are patient with me when I am not patient with myself or anyone else. You continue to work when I give up and quit. You forgive when I sin. You never stop. You are always working to preserve my soul long enough to join you in heaven. You want your children to be gathered around you. I want that too. Give a strong vision of that to my soul so I can extol your love, your patience, your work, and your mercy forever.

Is it wrong to give up on people? Yes. I know wives who have been married sixty years to a husband who refuses to become a Christian, but these wives never give up on the one they love. Can you forgive me for giving up on some people? I’m not even trying to do better right now.

You came back to life, Jesus. It was on a morning so long ago. You defied nature, confronted Satan, and filled the angels with awe.  You actually returned to your body and proved to this world and all other worlds it was possible. You made it possible for me too.  In the blink of an eye it will happen to me.  Someday. I cannot even begin to thank you for all this and heaven too.

 

November 23

My God, your steadfastness and predictability reassure me every day that you keep your promises. I see it in all you created ~ the repeated path of the stars, the rotation of the planets, the regrowth of hair and fingernails, the germination of a seed to reproduce more seeds, animals and people who reproduce ourselves, the rising and ebbing of the tides, the cycle of the seasons. Everything you set in motion has stayed in motion just like you have. You are the self-existent one and you never change. Therefore, I completely trust you and that you will fulfill all your promises to me.

Father, I used to have such a positive attitude about everything. What has happened since I moved to this new city. Is it me or them or both? Is it growing older? Forgive my part in it and help me laugh again.

Ah, Lord, thank you for the animals large and small that you put here for our delight and to help us in our work.  Big and gruff ones, little and gentle ones.  Tough-skinned ones and fluffy ones.  Once they trust us, they become inseparably close to us and love us better than we do them sometimes. Such loyalty.  They realize they cannot think of the kinds of things we think of or do the kinds of things we do. When they begin to rely on us and love us at the same time, we become gods to them. They are examples of what we should feel for you. Thank you for their innocent trust.

November 24

Ah, my Lord, from the cross that day, drops of grief fell with your blood. From those hands pierced through with nails, drops of shame fell with your blood.  From your feet stabbed through with a rusty spike, drops of sin fell with your blood.  From your side where your exhausted heart burst, drops of disgrace fell with your blood. I can only begin to understand what you went through spiritually on the cross that terrible day. That day of horrors which you turned into a day of victory. That day of degradation on which you were crowned with glory.

Father, forgive me for my greed over food. I snack out of loneliness or boredom or both. Food doesn’t change anything. It is just a temporary fix lasting only minutes. Help me find something fulfilling to do so that I think of eating as an interruption to something better.

You are my bread of life that feeds my hungry soul as it yearns for you. You give drink to my heart that longs to be refreshed in springs of mercy. You provide a path for my wandering spirit as it seeks to join you in that holy of holies, heaven. You keep me alive when I am weak, breathe your love into me, and hold me in your everlasting arms. How can I thank you for loving me this much? I worship you.

 

November 25

Lord God of hosts, you sing with the stars and race with comets. When you weep, the oceans fill, deep and sad.  You step down to the moon, then onto the meadows of earth.  When you laugh, the mountains shake with gaiety and laugh with you. At the end of the day, you ride the sun back to your home and sit on your throne, content to have walked with your children once again for a little while.

Father, I have found some people who are in need and I do not have enough money to help them all. Forgive me for expecting others to help. They are probably helping people with different needs. Forgive me for postponing helping them with what I do have. Make me get out and do what I can.

God, I thank you for my slowing down due to occasional physical problems. I can make some simple things while I rest or write notes to people in the newspaper. These times are thinking times too.  More than anything, I think about heaven. This is not my home. Just as my heart bowed at the foot of your cross those years ago, I long to be at the foot of your throne so I can bow to you there. I will weep tears of happiness and I will sing the song of victory in Jesus.

November 26

I look up to you, Lord God. You are so far above me it is hard to see you. But through the mist of my humanness, I see love, I see hope, I see strength and majesty, I see justice and mercy. And I see Jesus the way he must have looked on earth in his glorious body, still showing the allness of you to human eyes.  Sometimes I feel you reaching down and touching me. How do you have time when there are so many millions of us? How do you find time for me?

Father, I still have some depression after having moved. Or is it just loneliness? Forgive me for not overcoming it.

So far, no one has guessed I’m so tired. And thank you for the depression. At least I am resting. You are so good to me. And, if it’s Satan causing this, you will protect me until I am strong. I know this. And thank you for directing me to live where there are few Christians.  I am growing. Somehow, I am growing, even though it hurts. Thank you for your strength that holds me up and makes me look strong, at least on the outside.

 

November 27

My God, you are so much greater than I. I am only a spec of almost invisible dust compared with you who occupy the universe and beyond. I look at pictures of galaxies and am in awe of you., not only because of your magnitude, but that you know the names of every star, and you know me by name. Ah, Lord God, even as large as you are, you remain only a breath away from me. Even with a whisper and a sigh from me you hear and recognize me. You are life and you are the sunshine of my day.

Lord, I lied to some children recently. They asked me if I ever lied and I was embarrassed, so I told them no. That in itself was a lie!  If I see them again, I must make it right. I must tell them the truth and that grownups do sin and have to work at not sinning.

It is getting close to December and there are already dark snow clouds and blustery winds on some days. But today is sunny. I went out and walked around in a heavy coat, feeling the cool breeze turning my cheeks red, and watching the geese overhead flying to warmer a climate. The instincts in animals are just another reminder of your existence. Who put those instincts in animals? Who put consciences in humans? Who made the planets rotate around the sun, bringing predictable seasons? You are the God of order, stability, and harmony. You are the God of uniformity, tranquility and all that is serene. Thank you for all that you are.

November 28

Ah, no one can love like you do, Jehovah God. My love is as insignificant as a single grain of sand compared with yours which fills the universe with glory. I get sidetracked from what will glorify you on earth but you never get sidetracked from me. Your thoughts are always on protecting me against Satan, the source of everything bad and the liar who declares bad is good and good is bad.  Ah, to love as powerfully as you do. Love is not for the faint of heart. Love is not weak or feeble or fragile.  True love overpowers all, permeates all, and conquers all. You, Jehovah God, are Love.

Father, sometimes I do not recognize the balance of doing good works by myself in peace and quiet and of reaching out to others to join me in doing them. I think sometimes I do too much alone and sometimes too much among others. Help me find the balance.

My life has not always been what it should be. There were times when I spent all my time advancing myself but I overcame and had victory in Jesus. There were times when I gave in to certain ones of my sins that controlled me but I overcame and had victory in Jesus. There was a time when I neglected my family to do things I thought were more important but I overcame and had victory in Jesus. I have more to overcome. Much more. But, you Jesus, promised to help me overcome. Then there will be even more victories in Jesus. Lord, you fill my soul.

 

November 29

You are far above me in power, wisdom, and love.  You made me. I rely on you, not because I must but because I want to.  Amazingly, you take care of those who do not love you even though they are so full of anger toward you. Many even wish you out of existence. They are just pawns of Satan and do not realize it.  You are doing all you can to open their hearts and make their blind spirits see you are just trying to save them from Satan who destroys lives forever.  You are so patient. But someday, you will treat people the way they treated you, though you do not want to.  You are the God of second chances. Lord God, I will praise you until then. I will praise you in front of large groups and small, angry groups and happy, male groups and female. They will not be able to stop me short of killing me. And that will just hasten my joining you in the safety of your home.

Father, I know you have said murder is a sin and I brag to myself that I am not such a person. But I am a potential murderer. Every time I speed on the road, I am going beyond what safety engineers call safe. Then I endanger other people’s lives. My vehicle is a potential weapon. Remind me each time I drive not to turn my car into a weapon.

It is Sunday again. The day of proof.  The day Jesus came back to life. Though alive the whole time his body was in the grave, he showed he could travel between worlds and re-enter his body.  So amazing. And you’ll do the same for me ~ for all who obey you the best we can. Thank you for your invitation to join you in that other world, in heaven.  Thank you for what happened that Sunday so long ago. I will live and die engulfed in gratitude.

 

November 30

I adore and magnify you, my God. You are so loving. Some people are motivated only by threats. You do not want to show it but someday you will show it to everyone who refused your kindness and mercy. I am reminded of your wrath in thunderings and lightnings, in violent winds and volcanos, in earthquakes and stars that burst in pride. Your power will someday destroy all you made and leave only heaven. And so, your patience prevails as you plead with people everywhere, “Come to me. I will keep you safe.” You are so amazing. I worship you.

Father, I talk about doing, but do not do. There are only so many hours in a day. The balance is so hard ~ work alone with my hands, contact others, do for others, learn more about you.

You walked the earth long ago in the Garden of Eden. You walked and talked with our ancient mother and father, laughing and singing with them. But they chased you away. Thousands of years later, you returned and walked the earth again. This time you worked miracles to cure people of sicknesses that did not exist in the garden. This time you showed us the perfect example of not sinning which was not necessary when no one had sinned in the garden. Once again, we chased you away. Today, you walk the habitation of my spirit. You hold me up when I am weak, you laugh when I laugh, weep when I weep, you stand between and danger and me. You love me with love that cannot be controlled.