The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

This is just exactly Who the LORD is and what the LORD desires to be in your life today. When life is going well, the bills are paid, the family is healthy, and work is great, it is easy to have a song in the heart. It is when life is not going as we would have planned it and when troubles and difficulties arise that we really discover in new and powerful ways a lot more about the Who and the what concerning the Lord. There are times in life when things are very confusing. In such times, intentionally trust Him. Be confident in Him. At the right time, it will be like He is light, salvation, and strength. I am speaking from experience. Really, I am!  Many who are reading this Daily Prescription can point to various experiences where the Who and the what of our awesome God became very clear and powerful.

For today: While you might have many needs today, your greatest need is still the LORD.

What a powerful verse I have to share with you today. Thanks for stopping by “Dr. Mike’s Daily Prescriptions!”

“Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction” (Proverbs 10:14).

Two young men grew up as next-door neighbors. I’ll call them Richie and Randy. As youngsters they were to be found together nearly every day and every moment that they could be. Though not seriously naughty, they could get into some mischief when not supervised. As the years passed by, the boys started going in different directions.

Rich made a decision that he was going to follow the Lord Jesus and placed his faith in Christ alone for salvation. This decision was deepened throughout his later teenage years, and as a result, Randy started avoiding him more and more. Rich was never pushy or arrogant in his Christian life and walk, but his convictions prevented him from going to the same places that Randy enjoyed.

Randy turned down the invitations to come with Rich to some of the youth activities at his church. Those two lives started heading in two different directions. That’s the way it is with the wise and the foolish. Nearly fifteen years later, police officer Rich was responding to a domestic disturbance. When he arrived, to his horror he saw that it involved his old friend Randy. Placing him in the back seat of his squad car, a sobbing Randy poured out his heart to his old friend. “I’ve ruined my life, the life of my family, and everything I’ve touched,” Randy said earnestly. He was very near despair. But I can also tell you that the grace of God could change his heart and life. It can change your heart as well.

For today: Be wise! Trust Christ. Believe His Word. Let His power transform you.

“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22).

Lois was sitting with a group of friends eating lunch in the park near their workplace. Even though they were a little distance apart from each other, it was quiet in the park that afternoon and conversation was easy to carry on. The friends were talking about their families and their childhood memories, and some were even talking about their experiences with their grandparents.

It came time for Lois to share. Holding her hot cup of coffee, she looked very reflective. “My grandmother grew up in a household where none of the family had any spiritual interest. But she did. As a young child she would look for the nearest church that preached the Bible. As a teenager she grew in her love for the Lord and her life was very different. A young man asked to date her, and she made it quite clear that the only place she could see him was at her church. You guessed it,” Lois said. “It wasn’t long before that young man trusted Christ alone to be his Savior. He would become my grandfather. Over the years I remember coming to my grandmother’s home and seeing her sitting in her favorite chair with her Bible opened on her lap. Her children trusted Christ. Her children’s children trusted Christ, and their children trusted Christ for salvation. I fully believe that my grandparents left an inheritance for us that was far better than any money or real estate. It was an inheritance of knowing Christ and trusting Him alone,” Lois concluded.

What an opportunity for her that day. Several of her co-workers would ask some very good spiritual questions in the days ahead.

For today: First, do you know Christ in a personal, saving way? If you are not sure, please click www.michaelpeck.org and then click the banner “Heaven.” Second, what kind of spiritual inheritance are you creating? These are very probing and powerful questions, aren’t they?

Even though I posted this Daily Prescription many years ago, I am still challenged by the opportunity and blessing of which Isaiah speaks. I pray that this will be an encouragement to you today.

“And in that day shall you say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted” (Isaiah 12:4).

One of the great Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, faithfully proclaimed the Word of the Lord. He warned God’s people of the consequences of their sin and of their turning away from the Lord. He also told them of the great coming blessings when the Lord will rule and reign upon the earth. What a great day that will be when the Lord Jesus sets up his millennial reign and this verse will be wonderfully fulfilled!

Richard, or as his friends would call him, Dick, was the only one in his family who knew the Lord as his Savior. His friends at church encouraged Dick to be an instrument of praise and to declare among his family the great doings of the Lord. Richard took to heart this encouragement and started to put it into practice. Before long his sister came to faith. Then it was his dad. Then his mother and both brothers came to faith. While it does not always work out this way, it surely did for Richard. He was grateful for the opportunity of declaring among his own family the wonderful doings of the Lord. How about you? To whom will you declare the wonderful doings of the Lord?

Here’s what I am thinking: The Lord is doing great things. I need to be telling others about this! How about you?

Paul reminds us to “Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17-18).

The children lined up to leave for school, and as was the custom, mom was standing at the door to make absolutely sure that each of the children had all of their books, their lunches, and a few of them their musical instruments. As mom said every morning to her line of children, “Remember, the Lord Jesus loves you, and your dad and mom do as well.“

This particular morning the mom said to her line of children, “You carry our last name and even more importantly, you carry the Lord’s name. Even if someone tries to get you to do something wrong, you can say no. You have memorized God’s Word, and you are bringing it along in your heart. Don’t forget to talk with the Lord quietly throughout your day.”

With that, each child got a hug and kiss at the door. (A couple of the boys tried to duck past her but never succeeded, even if she had to chase them a little.) Those children grew up remembering their mom’s admonition. It followed them into adulthood.

“You have your Bible in your heart,” and “Talk often with the Lord,” were something they passed on to their children.

For today: Well, friends, do you have God’s Word memorized so that you can carry it in your hearts? Talk often with Him today.