The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“I will bless the LORD, Who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons” (Psalm 16:7) NKJV.

I have used the NKJV today for our Daily Prescription. The KJV says, “My reins also instruct me in the night seasons.” The word “reins” actually is “kidneys.” The ancients thought that the kidneys were the source of emotion or the seat of affection, the place of the deepest desires of the mind, or heart. David was so thankful that the Lord directed his life and guided him through his decisions. In the evening upon his bed the Lord filled the thoughts of his mind, and he learned the blessings and power of God. It’s incredible what blessings will come to us as believers when we fill our minds with the thoughts of the Lord.

For today: Even in the night seasons I want to be thinking about my awesome God. How about you?

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3).

Pastor Kenward sat down at his desk in the church office. Everything was very quiet at this moment, but two hours earlier there had been much conversation in the doctor’s office. His wife hugged him, and together they agreed that they needed to call their family. Neither had suspected that the diagnosis would turn out to be cancer for the fifty-two year old pastor. Looking at his wife he said softly, “I have always counseled others that when a crisis comes, it would be a good idea to find a verse that would greatly help during the hard time. I think Psalm 56:3 is going to be good for me. I am sure that there will be times that we are going to be afraid, maybe even very afraid. But it is in those times that I want to deliberately, intentionally trust the Lord and lean heavily upon Him.” With that, he and his wife began a journey with the Lord that actually blessed his ministry in ways that he never dreamed. How about you? Are you in a frightening situation? This is a great time to especially trust Him!

For today: Trust is a deliberate choice of placing our confidence in Him. I need to do this today. How about you?

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Yesterday we thought of Shelly and her many difficulties. At times it felt as if everything and everybody were against her. Then the day came when she read Romans 8, and even though she had read it many times before, suddenly this verse seemed to leap from the page of the Scriptures. It was as if the Holy Spirit was showing her something that she had never seen before. Because she knew the Lord Jesus as her own personal Savior, this glorious, awesome, hard-to-describe assurance came to her. According to Romans 8:31, God was for her! Even though her life was still filled with difficulties, she began to view them through a totally different grid. She had the new mindset, “So you have come to make my life difficult, have you? Well, let me tell you, ‘God is for me,’ so you better watch out!” At times she actually smiled as she thought of this expression time after time. How about you? Have you made the same discovery as Shelly?

For today: Watch out, problems! God is for us!

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

What a difficult time Shelly was going through. If something could go wrong, it seemed to for her. She had a difficult childhood. Throughout her teen years she never seemed to fit in with “the popular crowd.” At work she seemed to always answer the phone with the most unpleasant customers. Her dad often berated her for not turning out like her doctor sister. Sometimes Shelly felt like everything and everybody were against her. In a particularly hard time, she picked her Bible up, and in her regular reading she came to Romans 8 and read the full chapter. Suddenly she came to the verse in our Daily Prescriptions. She stopped and read it again. What an impact on her life! We’ll think a little more about this tomorrow. For now, think of the joyous blessing of having God be for us!

For today: No matter what comes along throughout your day, if you know Christ as your Savior, your God is for you!

“And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).

Have you ever wondered what the phrase to “believe on the name of His Son” means? Riley and Mark were talking about this question in the break room at work. “When the Bible speaks about the Lord’s name,” Mark said, “it means everything about the Lord. It has to do with what He says, Who He is, what He does, and what His purpose is.” Riley was quiet for a moment, and then thoughtfully said, “So believing on the name of the Son of God basically means I accept for fact everything the Bible says about the Lord Jesus Christ.” The men had such a good discussion on their fifteen minute break that morning. Riley concluded by saying, “Mark, I know I have a lot to learn about Him, but with all my heart I do believe what the Bible says about my Savior.” With that it was time to get back to work. How about you, friend? Do you “believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ”?

For Today: I want my life to testify to the fact that I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. How about you?