Meditate.
ז[Zayin]
Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it
comforts me in all my troubles. The proud hold me in utter contempt, but I do
not turn away from your instructions. I meditate on your age-old regulations; O
LORD, they comfort me. I become furious with the wicked, because they reject
your instructions. Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have
lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD; therefore, I obey your
instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments. Psalm
119:49-56
Zayin, or ZA/yee-n, is the seventh Hebrew letter listed in Psalm 119. It has all the Z sounds that our letter Z has in words like zoo, zone, zinc, citizen and plaza. What words that you can associated with God begin with Z? Zealous. Zany? (He is imaginative!) Zion. (He chose Jerusalem as His city.) Zoology, zebra, and zirconium. He is the creator of all animals, rocks and minerals. He is the beginning and the end—which we usually hear associated with the Greek alphabet letters of Alpha and Omega. Yes, He is in English terms the A and the Z…the beginning and the end.
Ezra is appealing to God for Him
to remember His promise—to give hope, which can only come from God. Ezra is
confident that that hope refreshes and comforts him because he focuses on God’s
instructions, guidance and commands. Hope. It is what give Ezra the desire to
be obedient to God. Once again obedience is the driving force that keeps him
going. Think about it. Is it hope in God—in an eternal future with Him—that encourages
you to be obedient? What is the motivation that keeps you in a relationship with
the Lord? What is it that comforts you and makes you furious when others reject
God?
Prayer ~ God…Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. You bound yourself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that You would never change Your mind. So You have given both Your promise and Your oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for You to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to You for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. From Hebrews 6:16-18. You are our hope.
Verses of Salvation ~ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5
Friday’s Feasting at the King’s Table
We can’t live on bread alone and we don’t want our children or
grandchildren to live on just chicken nuggets. As Ruth Reichl wrote in regards
to children… “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly
delicious.” From Chapter 24 of her book “Save Me the Plums.” That is it.
Have your kiddos take a taste. Just one bite. Hopefully they will discover how
endlessly delicious food can be. If they like it, OK. If not, it is OK to spit
it out, gracefully, into a paper napkin. Everyone has their own tastes and it
may be a texture quality that is hard to swallow. At every meal offer something…even
if it is a second, third or fourth trial. Sooner or later they may decide they
like it—especially if they see you or others, like their peers, enjoying it. that's what I did with my kids...and they are gourmet cooks and love different foods!
Endlessly delicious.
A friend of mine whose grandson is in kindergarten just shared a continuing saga about her little guy. Life is complicated and he is the pickiest eater ever who was still wanting to just suck applesauce out of the tube. Recently he has finally eaten a real meal because his school, now full-time, serves lunch to all the kids and he didn’t want to not eat in front of his friends. Peas, beans, corn, fruit, mac and cheese. Hurrah! Here’s to school lunches! Now school will be ending soon. Will he continue to eat well? Oh yes. He’ll remember how good that food at school tasted with his friends. He had to chew it up himself, releasing good flavors to his tongue. That tongue, that God created, will continue to rejoice!
Choose some fresh fruit and vegetables today. The season is here for fresh local ripe cherries. They are the best…raw and fresh. Enjoy!
Parenting Day By Day -
Daily Devotional for Building Character
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