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Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Lord, Thank You for providing for my every need and for so many of my wants in life. I know that I am guilty of focusing more on the gifts than the Giver, Lord. Forgive me, and help me to focus only on You. Help me to always feel deep gratitude for all of the blessings You lavish on me each day and to use Your blessings in my life to bless others in Your name.
Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
Lord, Thank You for restoring my weary soul. You want to restore me daily, but I often get so caught up in life, in what “has to get done,” that I will run myself into the ground and only seek Your restoration when I can no longer function in my own strength. Forgive me for my stubbornness and my self-reliance. Help me never to forget that You are the true source of my strength.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your fierce love and unending mercy. Thank You for walking beside me through the good times and the bad, for being steadfast and true, even when I am not, for holding me together, always, especially when life feels like it’s falling apart. Draw me closer to You daily, Lord. Restore my weary soul. Amen.
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Have a blessed day.

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Many years ago I had two index cards affixed to my computer monitor at work. The first one defined the word abide: (verb) to remain, to continue, to stay. The second said: My goal for the day: to abide in the Lord. After changes in computers and changes in classrooms, I have no clue where the index cards ended up, but I know abiding in my Savior should still be my goal for each day. I think I’ll have to remake them.
Matt 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 
The older I get, the harder downtime is for me. Abiding seems so passive. Somehow I’ve got it in my head that in order to be of value, I have to DO, not ABIDE. My precious Savior knows my faults, and this morning He sent me a reminder in one of my daily devos: “…Jesus said that it is not our activity that produces fruit, it is our relationship with Him.” Thank You, Jesus.
Matt 10:31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this reminder that all I really need each day is to abide in You. Thank You for understanding how desperately my soul needs that message. Help me to refocus my goal for each day, abiding in You so that my relationship with You can produce much fruit. Help me to shine Your light. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Like plaque on teeth or dust on tabletops, a fine layer of life accumulates on my soul daily. If I am not diligent about wiping it away, it will build up, which is where the trouble always starts. When life piles up, weariness, cynicism, and apathy can creep in. Jesus, Help me.
Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
So how do I restore my soul? The short answer is that I cannot. But my precious Savior can and willingly does, daily. But I must take my cue from Mary and make my priority sitting at His feet and soaking up His presence. Sadly, I’m much more prone to Martha tendencies, rushing around trying to get everything just right, mistakenly thinking I’m focusing on what’s important. Jesus, Help me.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your presence. Thank You for Your fierce love and deep desire to have a closer relationship with me. Thank You for restoring my soul, for mooring me in Your presence each day. Help me to focus on what’s important, Lord. Help me to shine Your light. Draw me closer. Amen.
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul….
Have a blessed day.

1 John 4:10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Lord, Thank You seems so inadequate for all that is on my heart this morning. You created me. You formed me in my mother’s womb. You knew every inch of me before I was born. I am Your handiwork, Your masterpiece. Forgive me for the times, in my thoughts, my words, my actions, when I fail to live, act, and speak as Your beloved child.
Eph 2:4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy….
Lord, Thank You, when You look at me, for always seeing the potential You placed within me. Thank You for loving not only who You know I can become, but for loving, deeply, fiercely, completely, the person I am right at this very moment. Thank You, when I am struggling with doubt and defeat, for grasping me by the chin, refocusing my eyes on You, and reminding me of who I am and Whose I am. I am Yours. Completely. Thank You, Jesus.
Eph 2:5 …made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for these reminders, for Your amazing grace and fierce love. Thank You for knowing me, for loving me, for believing in me, for redeeming me, for allowing me to shine Your light. Help me never to forget who I am and Whose I am. Draw me closer. Amen.
Eph 2:7 …in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Have a blessed day.

Lam 3:21-22 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end….
One of the daily devotionals I read each morning is Experiencing God Day-by-Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby. This morning’s offering was about remaining obedient to the mundane tasks God assigns for us instead of getting caught up in the dramatic. It’s definitely got me thinking. I mean, who doesn’t want to be called to do spectacular and dramatic things for Christ? How amazing, when asked what we did on our Savior’s behalf, to be able to give a litany of stunning feats performed for Him!
Lam 3:23 …they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
As tremendous as that would be, I sense His calling for me is different. When asked what I’ve done on my Savior’s behalf, my answer will be, “I persisted. I persevered. Daily, I tried to be steadfast and faithful to His calling for my life. I continued to encourage, to cajole, to push, to uplift, to point others again and again and again to my precious Savior.” It is not glamorous, but it is vitally important. Lord, Help me never lose sight of the value of what You have called me to do.
Lam 3:24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that whatever You call us to do, no matter how grandiose or prosaic, what is important is that we persevere in Your calling for our lives, giving You all praise and glory. Help us to do even the smallest, most insignificant tasks with great love. Help us to shine Your light. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD.
Have a blessed day.

John 20:2 …”They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, we do not know where they have laid Him.”
I am so grateful on this Easter morning for the gift of understanding. I know where Jesus is. No one has taken Him. He is risen. Death could not hold Him. He has conquered death. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
John 20:11 But Mary stood outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb….
There is still so much I don’t understand about life and death and faith, but I know the tomb was empty on Easter morning. I know that through Christ’s victory over the grave, we are more than conquerors. I know that when I see  Jesus face to face, all those I have loved, those who have gone before will be with Him. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Luke 24:5 …”Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for the empty tomb, for Your victory over the grave. Thank You for Your fierce love and unending mercy for Your beloved children. Thank You for the hope found only in You, for the hope found in an empty tomb on Easter morning. Draw us all closer. Amen.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 41:10a …fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God….
I am eternally thankful for the hope that Easter provides, but I wonder what that first Holy Saturday was like for the disciples. Did they have hope? Did they realize that they were not alone in their darkness and despair? Could they feel God’s presence?
Isaiah 41:10b …I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Lord, You knew that we would travel dark and difficult paths in this life. You knew there would be times when we felt utterly alone and bereft. Thank You for the assurance that You are with us, even when we can’t feel it. Thank You for making a way in our wilderness, even when we can’t perceive it. Thank You for Your presence, Your mercy, Your love. Always.
Isaiah 41:13a For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your eternal salvation, for the hope of Easter. Thank You for walking a dark path for our sake. You sincerely know what it feels like. You can empathize with our pain and sorrow. Thank You for willingly putting Yourself in that position for us, because of Your great love for us. Thank You for being with us always, especially in difficult times. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 41:13b …it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Have a blessed day.

John 5:39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.
Words are safe. They can be analyzed and categorized. They don’t change. Yes, they are open to interpretation, but once you’ve decided how to interpret them, once you’ve justified that interpretation with support from the text, you are good. This is what it says. This is what it means. End of discussion.
John 18:21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’”
Jesus, however, was much more complicated. He was an upstart. He took “the way we’ve always done things” and turned it on its ear. He preached and lived love, compassion, and mercy. His mission was simple: Love God. Love and serve others. Point everyone to God. His message was complicated: Love others, even when they persecute you. Love others, even when they screw up massively. Love others, even when they think and feel, live and love so very differently from you. That’s not so easy much of the time. It’s much easier to argue semantics.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your message of love and compassion. Thank You for being so much more than just words on a page, for living, for dying for our sake, for conquering the grave, for desiring a relationship with each one of us. Give us the strength to live and love boldly for You. Draw us closer, Lord. Help us to point others to You. Amen.
Heb 5:9 …having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him….
Have a blessed day.

John 13:5 Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with a towel that was tied around Him.
On the night He was betrayed, after Jesus ate with His disciples, He washed their feet. Even in today’s time, that can be an unpleasant task, but back then, when you walked everywhere, when indoor plumbing wasn’t a thing, to wash someone’s feet was a dirty, lowly task. His last act, His last interaction with those He dearly loved, was a humble act of service. Lord, Help me to be more like You.
John 13:7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
There is so much we can’t understand on this side of the veil. God’s ways are not like our ways, and we are shackled by our limited human understanding. But we know the fiercely loving, deeply compassionate heart of God. So even when we don’t understand, even when life seems utterly senseless, we can cling to the goodness of God, knowing that somehow, someway, He can use all things for our good and His glory. Thank You, Jesus.
John 13:15 “For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your loving kindness. Thank You for leaving us with an example of humble service even as You knew Your time was drawing near. Thank You for the reminder that we don’t always understand what You are doing but that we always know Your heart. Help us to trust Your love and Your goodness, even when we are afraid and confused. Draw us closer to You as we serve each other. Amen.
John 13:34 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
Have a blessed day. 

Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Lord, Thank You for understanding our human limitations and weaknesses, for praying that our faith will not fail us in trials, for knowing that it will falter because of our humanity, for encouraging us, when we finally get ourselves back on track, to encourage others. 
Luke 22:61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown Me three times.”
Lord, Thank You for the compassion with which You treated Simon Peter. You told him of his denial but assured him he’d get back on track, and when he did, he needed to encourage his brothers. That pointed look at the time of his denial was not Your way of saying “I told you this would happen,” but rather Your way of saying, “Don’t forget what comes next. You WILL turn back to me. I AM going ahead of you. You need to encourage your brothers.”
Luke 22:62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your fierce love for us. Thank You for loving us through our weaknesses, and for the reminder that You are going ahead of us, and when we turn back to You, we need to encourage our brothers and sisters. Help us not to get stuck in our bitter castigations when we mess up. You can’t use us if we’re stuck in pity and shame. Help us turn quickly back to You and to encourage each other on this journey. Draw us all closer. Amen.
Luke 22:32 … “And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Have a blessed day.