Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God];
for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart.]
Psalm 33:1THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE
Praise Me for musical celebration—let your heart sing because of My inspiring symphony. Let the rhythm of Life put a spring in your step. Confessing the name of Jesus, make it a habit to give Me the credit due for life’s blessings—let your speech honor Me. Praise Me for praise.
Praise Me for the message of Christ—let your heart sing because of invaluable salvation. Forgiven by his blood, strengthened by his grace, equipped to do his work by his strength, hopeful by his promises—tell love’s never-ending story to all who will listen. Praise Me for peace.
Praise Me for merciful clemency—let your heart sing because of incredible solace. Time after time, Israel’s high priests carried blood into the Most Holy Place as an offering for sin, and then burned the bodies outside the city limits. The Great High Priest himself became the definitive offering for sin—dying on a cross outside Jerusalem’s gates. His blood is the final evidence of My love. Praise Me for pardon.
Praise Me for magnificent creation—let your heart sing because of the inspiration of nature. First believe, then understand this truth—I made the universe out of nothing! Praise Me for perfection.
Praise Me for My mastery of countries—let your heart sing because of My international supervision. The best country is yet to come. Praise Me for something greater than patriotism.
Praise Me for My mindful concern—let your heart sing because of My intimate solicitude. I made you, understand you, and care for you. I will never orphan you in life’s storms. Praise Me for Providence.
Praise Me for My mighty command—let your heart sing because of My infinite strength. Military forces sometimes deter aggression, but I am the true Superpower. Do not fear mere mortals; they can hurt, but they cannot destroy. Praise Me for My power.
Praise Me for being your Mainstay and Confidence—let your heart sing because of My invariable stability. Praise Me for permanence.
Attitude determines your living. Even in dungeons, I inspire hymns. Other prisoners will be listening—be sure to sing well!
God will redeem me from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead); He will receive me. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 49:15THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE
You cannot stare directly for long at the sun or at death—the first would blind you; the second would overwhelm you. Nevertheless, I encourage you to pause and ponder a moment your human mortality and My promise of immortality.
Trusting in fleeting riches is deceitful. Money cannot buy time. Neither can it compare to spiritual wealth. When you die, you will leave everything behind; but who you are is yours forever. Be careful what you become—invest in heavenly treasures that thieves cannot steal, rust cannot corrupt, and moths cannot destroy. Set your heart on eternity. Make Me your highest joy.
Triumph in My faithful redemption and deliverance from death. What I promised Israel I promise you—I will ransom you from death, and redeem you from the power of the grave.
By faith, you can look death squarely in the face, and exultantly proclaim Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Thanks be to God, who gives me victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. The philosopher Heidegger spoke of the inevitability of nonbeing, implying people eventually cease to exist. Do not believe such gibberish. You are a creation of the Immortal One—sculpted in My image, you will continue to exist as long as I do! You can overcome fear of the awful enemy of death by trusting My Son who rose triumphantly.
Travel optimistically toward the future of rejoicing I have planned. I am leading you toward a glorious destiny—immortality and heaven! Each step you take brings you one step closer to home. Chardin conceptualized an Omega Point— a singularity in time of infinite density and temperature, toward which the universe will collapse in a backward Big Bang he called the Big Crunch, an implosion with enough energy to bring back to virtual life all creatures that ever lived. Jesus does not just philosophize—He promises that all the dead in their graves will hear his voice and will rise again, some to enjoy eternal life, others to endure agonizing separation from good. The Alpha and Omega is the ultimate answer to a grave situation—I show you the path of life, bless you with pleasure of My company, and will greet and embrace you in heaven. You are not in a funeral procession to oblivion, but a victory parade to glory!
This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past,but now it has been revealed to his own holy people. This is the secret: Christ lives in you, your assurance you will share in his glory. Colossians 1:26-27NLT
Christ’s promise in your mind is your hope of an eternal destiny of joy.
Christ’s love in your heart is your guarantee of a heavenly home.
Christ’s Spirit in your soul is your security you are bound for glory.
Christ’s presence in your life is your foretaste of glory divine.
The universe with its innumerable galaxies cannot contain Me—
yet I have taken up residence in hearts of all who welcome Me.
Because I live in you—
you can count on inheriting the blessing of sharing in My glorious reign;
you have been rescued from the dark side, and live as a child of the Light;
you have been made a privileged citizen of My eternal Kingdom;
you have been freed from sin’s addiction and destructiveness;
you have been forgiven of sin’s guilt, and can face eternity fearlessly.
Certainty of eternal life is not based on doubtful faith, but trusting reliance.
Promised glory is not mere wishful thinking—My promises will materialize.
Your ultimate destination is a land beyond time, change and decay.
Heaven on earth will be a deathless, tearless, painless, sinless place.
Looking forward to the ecstasy of infinite glory,
you are motivated by a changed purpose—Christ, not yourself;
you anticipate a changed destiny—heaven, not hell;
you demonstrate a changed lifestyle—holiness, not wickedness.
Identified with Christ, you are victorious over sin and death now;
and you are destined for unimaginable glory someday—
more beautiful than any painting can picture,
more joyous than any symphony can convey,
more magnificent than any literature can describe.
Roman generals returning from victory were greeted by a great procession
lining streets and cheering, vanquished troops marching in chains,
strange animals brought from subjugated lands, musicians and singers
celebrating conquests, his children robed in white riding trace horses,
a slave riding with him in his chariot holding a crown for him
and whispering in his ear, “All glory is fleeting.” And so it is.
The one exception is Christ’s glory awaiting you—it is not too good to last.
An eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison will reward your faith.
I am the Most High God—Ruler of the universe, God above all, King of kings and Lord of lords. No judge is greater than Me— when you rest your case in heaven’s supreme court, no lesser court can overturn My ruling. When you sin, My Son pleads your case as your Defense Counsel. My not guilty verdict is irreversible.
No commander outranks Me— when you follow My orders, you are following the best strategy to win life’s battles. When dark forces attack, they cannot extinguish the Light.
No force can overpower Me—so when you depend on My strength, you are energized and encouraged to tackle life’s challenges. Faith transforms impossible situations. Nothing is beyond My power— receive My help and you can do whatever I ask of you.
Lifting up your soul to Me is your most uplifting experience. In My Presence, you are as high as you can be. When you lift up your soul to Me, I lift you up. Finding Me is an uplifting experience. I am your Vindication—the Beginning of the journey.
Leaning on Me guarantees your triumph. Faith in Me is an uplifting experience. Trust Me and enjoy peace of mind. I am your Victory— the Beauty of the journey.
Learning from Me educates you in truth. Familiarity with Me is an uplifting experience. Obey Me and I will make Myself real to you. I am your Vision—the Best of the journey.
Loved by Me, you are changed. Forgiveness is an uplifting experience. I am the Secret of invulnerable joy. Unfailing Love sustains you every heartbeat. Mercy holds you together. I am your Vitality—the Blessing of the journey.
Lift up your soul to Me—loving God, ruling King, merciful Sacrifice. Then you will experience life’s highest possible joy!
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5:3NLT
Good morning! This is a good time for you to praise Me. I watched over you and kept you safe through night’s refreshing sleep. My Spirit sang a lullaby to your heart—now I am your wake-up call. My compassions are new every morning. My faithfulness never fails. My mercy is infinite. In the morning—first thing when you awake—as the last thing you did before you closed your eyes in sleep, celebrate My love. Let prayer be the key to lock the night, and the key to open the morning. Morning is good—worship Me.
Good morning! This is a good time for you to petition My throne. Let Me know what troubles your heart, thank Me for answers to prayer, and I will bless you with peace beyond description or analysis or comprehension. Anxiety and doubt melt away on the holy ground beneath your knees. Morning is good—at My throne make all your wants and wishes known.
Good morning! This is a good time for you to exercise patience. Wait for Me—hope in My promises. Yearn for My Presence more than security guards long for the morning shift to relieve their tiring watch. Count on My Word. Morning is good—it is My waiting room.
Good morning! This is a good time for you to celebrate the sunrise of faith driving away fear’s night. Delightful daybreak drives away scary nightmares and dark depression. Though you weep through a long, dark night of the soul, joy will dawn. You may trudge through shadows of pain now, but you will dance in the glory of paradise in My good time. The return of the King will transform earth’s mourning into eternity’s morning. Morning is good—redefining the word wonderful.
Good morning! This is a good time for you to mark the beginning of a new day of your life. Recognize My guiding voice, renew your vow to be loyal to Me, and reshape your vision. In the dewy morning hours, rediscover Me as your Savior, Hiding Place, Song, and Center of Gravity. Morning is good—opening the windows of My love.
At daybreak lay your case before Me as your Defense Counsel. Resolve to keep your eyes on Me through every hour of this day. At sunset, you will have no cause to hang your head in shame—instead, you can celebrate the victories that began early in the morning.
Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:1-2 NIV
The experience classroom is where you learn profound wisdom. The school of hard knocks presents a tough curriculum, but what you learn experientially alters you more than what you learn academically.
The first lesson you need to learn is that My power is unlimited. If you treat Me as Lord of your life, nothing I ask will be too hard for you to do. Humanly speaking, some challenges are outside the realm of possibility— but within My realm of grace everything is possible.
Another reality you need to grasp is I have a plan for your life. I orchestrate a master plan for your good. Death’s terror, life’s problems, demon’s distractions, and the future’s worries cannot kill My love. Pain sculpts you into Christ’s image, if you submit to the Sculptor. Through difficult circumstances, I teach you the principle of trust. In the valley, you learn lessons you would never learn on the mountain.
The truth you most need to know is the reality of My Presence. Hearing about Me secondhand is interesting; seeing Me for yourself is transforming. I am your Travel Companion on the journey of life. My Spirit shines brightly in your darkest night. Follow My lead, and you cannot go wrong. Trust Me, and you will forever be glad you did.
You need to learn the value of intercessory prayer. Even after Job’s friends misjudged and harshly criticized him, he prayed for them. When people hurl accusations at you or question your motives, you may not feel like praying for them; but faith demands that you do. Jesus intercedes for you. Follow His example—be thoughtful of others’ needs.
Learn day-by-day the riches of My provision. I blessed Job in the autumn of his life more than in the spring. I will do the same for you. Everything you need—in every season of life—I will lavishly provide. Whatever happens, count on Me—everything will be fine.
Finally, you will learn the reward of My peace. Like the wine at Cana’s feast, I saved the best for last for Job. Double blessings after his ordeal confirmed My love. He persevered, so I caused a joyful outcome. Endure hard times, and I will bless you with lasting joy. Learn My lessons well— then graduate from Adversity University with highest honors.
