The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes” (Psalm 101:2-3).

“Ken, I really respect your opinion. I’ve got a question I want to ask you,” Andy said. “My wife and I had a pretty significant discussion last night. I want to buy our fifteen-year-old son a laptop for his birthday. He would keep it upstairs in his room. At least that would be my plan. My wife is pleased with the laptop idea but not with keeping it upstairs in his room. What do you think?” Andy asked as he spoke to his friend at work.

Without taking even a moment to think about it, Ken replied, “Absolutely I am on the side of your wife. For your son to have internet capability, not only does he need a strong internet filter, but the laptop has to be in the most heavily trafficked space in the house. The internet is not only a great blessing, it is a great danger. There are too many wicked things to easily set before his eyes,” Ken replied with conviction.

How about you? It is not only computers but anything that the Lord would call wicked that should never be set before your eyes.  I so appreciate what King David said long ago. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.”

A good word of caution today. May the Lord bless and protect you today.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty” (Psalm 104:1).

It was rather embarrassing for the guest speaker who was being introduced by a well-meaning pastor. “Our speaker tonight is a great man. The Lord has used him in great ways. You will really enjoy his great speaking,” the young pastor said with enthusiasm. The guest speaker wisely didn’t want to make the pastor look bad to his church family, so he tactfully said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I told your pastor I’d pay him twenty dollars for every time he used the word ‘great’ in his introduction of me.”

The church family laughed. He then continued, “Seriously, how kind and gracious your pastor has been to me, but to tell you the truth, I know myself a little better than he knows me. I am not great. I am not even good. But I serve a great and majestic Lord.” Aren’t you amazed at the majesty and greatness of our awesome God? Honor Him throughout your day today.

For today think often of this: How majestic You are, blessed Lord.

It breaks my heart to watch and listen to people who genuinely think they are headed to nirvana, or paradise, or a heaven of some kind because they have somehow been good enough. How absolutely sad! The Lord Jesus is the only source of salvation based on what He has done on the cross and the empty tomb. Recently I learned of the death of a person who not only did not believe but also refused to discuss spiritual things. How grateful I am today for the Lord Jesus and His saving grace. What a privilege to know the Lord Jesus. Do you know Him? Think of what the Lord Jesus told us.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou has sent” (John 17:3). That’s what the Lord Jesus said and I am fully trusting Him. How about you? 

I am overwhelmed with this thought: Isn’t it amazing that our great God would come looking for us? What a wonderful Savior!

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:4-5).

Many years ago I served as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Westfield, New York. This was in the very heart of the Concord grape country and the producer of Welch’s grape products. It is a beautiful part of New York State on the shore of Lake Erie. One day I stood in the vineyard of folks named Jim and Olive. With great interest I watched Jim working the vines on a very cold winter’s day. The pruning was deep, and I can still hear him say, “The branches will be full of grapes, Lord willing, next summer because of what I am doing today.”

Six months later the branches were laden with delicious Concord grapes. The vine produced the life as the branches displayed the fruit. What a grand reminder for us today. Our spiritual life comes from Christ. We have the privilege of displaying His fruit. He is the Vine, and we are the branches.

A closing thought for you and me. Trust Him today even in the times of pruning. May the Lord help His fruit to be showing in your life today!

“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

Isaiah writes to the children of Israel and assures them of the Lord’s great love. The Lord cherishes His treasure and knows them personally. In a wider application, think of the believer today! What a wonderful redemption believers in Christ possess.

The idea of redemption is “to buy back, to pay the demands and restore all that has previously been lost, to release the believer from bondage to his evil spiritual master and bring him to the joy of belonging to the Lord Jesus Himself.”

Sandy was so thrilled to share with her friends this blessed spiritual truth. “I knew something was missing from my life. I felt like I was in spiritual bondage. I tried to memorize a prayer. I went to church, sometimes. I even volunteered at a charity event. But I was lost until the Lord Jesus came into my life. You can know Him, too,” she told the few ladies with whom she was eating lunch.

You as well can come to know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, Redeemer. Go to my website www.michaelpeck.org and click “Heaven.” Discover what God’s Word says about redemption and salvation.

Here’s a thought to carry with you today: If you know Christ, aren’t you glad for His redemption?