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Good morning. I, Mike, read an interesting post on one of the you version daily readings recently. It is a timely reminder of Who is for us. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Psalm 118:6 NLT If only we really believed this, right? We want to believe it. We try to believe it. We will ourselves to believe it. But we can get so frightened about what people, things, and circumstances around us can do to us that we forget Who is for us. • The Maker of Heaven and Earth is for us. (Psalm 146:6) • The King of Glory is for us. (Psalm 24:8) • The Sovereign Lord is for us. (Psalm 68:19-20) • The Most High is for us. (Psalm 91:1) • Our Compassionate Lord is for us. (Psalm 116:5) • The Prince of Peace is for us. (Isaiah 9:6) • The Healer is for us. (Psalm 147:3) • Our Unchanging Father is for us. (James 1:17) When we remember who God is and what He’s done, we’ll be more likely to walk with hope when things are threatening to overwhelm us. Remember, God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. He’s given us love, power, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We’re living in an unprecedented time as we navigate the life-threatening and economy-shaking struggles we’re facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As followers of Jesus, how do we make sense of this? How do we find good news in a continual stream of bad news? We tend to be short-sighted and earthly-minded. But God’s ways are so much higher than what our minds can grasp. Our hope does not need to be laced with doubt, fear and anxiety. We need to eliminate our“hope-so” attitude and replace it with a “know-so” mindset. As followers of Christ, we need to focus on the promises and truths in the Word of God. We can have confidence that God will deposit hope into us no matter what we’re facing. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Trust and faith go hand in hand. The author of Hebrews writes that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” When we walk in faith and choose to trust God despite what every voice around us is declaring, we please God. Corrie ten Boom said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." How do we get to that place of trusting God wholeheartedly? It’s really very simple: by getting to know Him. We can’t trust someone we don’t know. And the way we get to know Him is by spending time with Him, reading His Word, surrounding ourselves with like-minded Christ followers, and immersing ourselves in His Truth. The more we learn of His character, His ways, His plans and His love for us, the easier it is for us to trust Him. The psalmist reminds us that "the Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord , have never forsaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:9‭-‬10) As we go into today, remember to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Has something unexpected ever happened to you that changed the rest of your day? Someone cut in front of you on the road, something didn't work out for you, or you had an argument with someone. Often a single event affects us for the rest of the day. That's because we let the situation control our emotions, and that affects our behavior. Our response hinges on what we confess with our mouths and keep in our hearts. If what we confess throughout the day is gratitude to God, we align our mind and emotions with Him. Gratitude brings joy to our lives. Giving thanks to God, expressing our gratitude daily, serves as a vaccine for those things that don't work out so well. It is a good tool for speaking blessings because by thanking God you give Him glory. "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalm 68:19) "Because of the Lord ’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22‭-‬23) Have a really good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today we get the opportunity to worship God together. Worship is often used to describe the music part of a church meeting. Worship is much more than that. Worship is a heart posture. We worship God because He is worthy of it. He is worthy of our worship, every moment of every single day. The psalmist puts it this way. "Ascribe to the Lord , all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord" (Psalm 96:7‭-‬9‭, ‬11‭-‬13) Let everything that has breath worship God. He is worthy of our adoration and devotion. His character is profound. His actions are remarkable. His sovereignty over the universe is unfathomable. Have a great day worshipping Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning on this chilly Saturday morning. There are things we can control and others that we cannot control. We put those things we cannot control in God's hands and thank Him because we trust that He cares for us. This requires faith. Thanking Him for what He will do requires faith. Faith is the certainty of what is not yet seen. So when we thank God for what He will do, we not only confess our faith in Him, but also remind ourselves that God is in control. Noah built the ark with the confidence that God was in control of his future. When David confronted Goliath, he had faith that the God who had delivered him from the bear and the lion was the same God who would give him the victory over Goliath. Likewise for Daniel when he was thrown to the lions, and for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into a furnace. The widow of Zarephath obeyed Elijah and served him first, without knowing what would happen next. All these people had one thing in common: they had faith that God was in control of their futures. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) Today is a good day to thank God for what He will do in your life. Keep warm and keep safe. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Yesterday while listening to worship music, I (Mike) was reminded of the importance of the name of the Lord. "Our help is in the name of the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 124:8) "No one is like you, Lord ; you are great, and your name is mighty in power." (Jeremiah 10:6) I was once again reminded of the significance of the name of the Lord for the follower of Christ. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) I thought about what this means in relation to our BC (Before Christ) days. Paul has reassuring words for us. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1) He reminds us "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11) "Oh the glory of your name The splendour of your name And none can compare With the power of your name You are Jesus, You are Lord You are God." Thank you, Lord. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Have you ever thanked God for who you are? From childhood we have been exposed to praise and criticism, acceptance and rejection, and this undoubtedly has had an effect on our self-esteem. We've all been through moments that have affected our self-esteem for better or worse. Our self-esteem can't depend on our talents or on people's opinions. As followers of Christ our self-esteem depends in part on how grateful I am for the skills, physical traits, and talents God has entrusted me with. The Bible says God made us in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). God has no self-esteem problems. When we give thanks for who we are we are recognizing how special the God who created us is. God took care in making each of us unique. He knows each of our qualities and flaws and still loves us. If He loves us for who we are, why not thank Him for who we are? Give thanks to God "because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. For the past 27 months I (Mike) have posted a daily #thankfultoday on Facebook. I have done my best not to repeat myself. This practice has helped me to be positive in my approach to each day. I have learned that the gratitude that honors God comes from the heart. Here are some attributes of God that we can thank Him for: • He loves us: 1 John 4:16 • He always listens: John 11:41-43 • He owns everything: Psalm 24: 1 • He is almighty: Revelation 1:8 • He speaks and acts: Numbers 23:19 • He does not change: James 1:17 • He is faithful: 2 Timothy 2:13 As has been said before, there is so much to be thankful for, and focusing on the attributes of God helps us to do that. Have a wonderful Wednesday. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. One of the ways to remain positive is to express gratitude. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation. Gratitude is pausing to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, family. It's taking a moment to reflect on how blessed we are. God is good, God is faithful, God is powerful, God is merciful, God is loving, God is God. Take time to thank God for what He has done in your life. Thank Him because you're alive and because you have something to eat; thank Him for your family; thank Him for the good times because they bring joy to your heart; and thank him for the not-so-good times because they make you stronger and help you be who you are today. Paul tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) So as we go about our lives today let's express our gratitude to God. We have so much to be thankful for. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. It is good to be around folk who are joyful. A life full of joy is delightful. Being joy-filled takes our minds off of our negative circumstances. Joy comes from the presence of God and in worshipping Him both privately and with others. The psalmist says, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24 ESV) This shows us that we have a choice - whether we will rejoice or not, to respond in joy or not. When we stop and take time to remember all that God has done for us, how can we not choose to display joy. Psalm 118:28‭-‬29 reminds us, "You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 92:4 says, "For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord ; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. When our focus shifts from our negative circumstances and we fix our eyes on God, it becomes easier to make the choice for joy. "En-joy" your day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Who in your life brightens up your day? Who brings you joy when you’re around them? Maybe you love being around them because they are funny, kind or encouraging. Regardless of why you enjoy being with them, focus for a second on the feeling you have when you’re in that person’s presence. Spending time with God can bring you an even greater joy than being with this person. Psalms 16:11 says, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." God’s presence gives “abundant joy”. Worship is one of the best ways to experience this type of closeness with God. You can worship God corporately when you gather with other believers. But worshiping God on your own is also important, when it’s just you and God, and no one can see you. It’s necessary for your spiritual health to experience both types of worship in your life. Our joy reaches new heights when we, together with the Psalmist can say, "Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:5‭-‬6‭, ‬11) Enjoy being in His presence today. Blessings, Mike and Daphne