Today’s Thought “In the Still of the Night” G. Ward Psalm 63:1-3 “God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and exhausted land where there is no water. So have I seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and glory. Because Your favor is better than life, my lips will praise You.” Our limited mindsets experience a weariness at times that creates an even higher demand on the presence of the Lord and although it’s not unreasonable to require more Shelter, assessment in how a greater, consistent intimacy that depends totally on the Almighty experienced lapse, causing my despair, teaches me the essence in never thinking of myself too highly. HE is Faithful.

Today’s Thought “Lessons Soon Forgotten” G. Ward Matthew 11 20 Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Our educational systems seek to establish a discipline that promotes proficiency towards the many endeavors of man and while testing remains the gauge to determine our aptitude for lessons presented and whereas that process ends, it rarely asks the commoner for a report card (particularly before a service is rendered); yet trusts they’ll complete the task. Few, however will trust a Surgeon who recently graduated magna cum laude with their own personal demand, even when HE’S notably done the miraculous none other could do and would rather place their lives in the hands of some other practitioner (cf. Ac.4:12).

Today’s Thought “The Road Unto Correction” G. Ward Galatians 2 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of some men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, fearing those from the circumcision. When what’s supposed to be stalwart character found in us as believers more becomes personal accommodation, it can backfire into a humiliation undesired. Instead, Heaven’s Shelter makes Himself entirely available to our spiritual re-route that addresses sorrow for wrongful steps, to then be restored onto usefulness (1 John 1:9).

Today’s Thought “Memorizing Scripture” G. Ward Matthew 26 66 What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!” 67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?” What is belief without compliance? It’s living a lie. Celebration is given this day (Good Friday), as our biggest struggle on today will be where we’ll eat seafood on tonight, rarely to think about the Savior’s innocent road to death. Was He hungry in what was the most tortuous death humanity witnessed, and why did He give His life so freely? It wasn’t so you’d go shopping for a new outfit because you decided to attend worship services Sunday. He rescued us, pardoning our natural disposition towards sin. Therefore, our celebration need become more meditation on that reality and whereas the struggle/debate within talks hypocrisy in choosing this Sunday’s visitation, we’ve then violated His Supper/Invitation that demanded we’d receive daily bread from Heaven and many remain malnourished, supping on fast food, while experiencing incessant health problems (*1 Cor.11:24-30).

Today’s Thought “The Cougar” G. Ward Titus 2 4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. American culture understood buffoonery found in older men as particularly insensible as they would purchase small convertibles to signify it (life) wasn’t over for them, along with their seeking wives with age equivalency of their children, but to now witness older women pursuing frivolous affairs in the same competes with an order intended to which our Creator ordained (for every generation). Violation of basic order that brought many of us thus far, is responsible for collapse in family and while there remains segments in stalwart allegiance in exemplary behavior, believers must never surmise a “no hope” posture unto those without compliance, but more prepare to share where our Lord has brought us (*1 Cor.6:9-11)…

Today’s Thought “The Gift of Preference” G. Ward Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” How many more times will be afforded us in seeing error to our many choices to rarely think re-routing as failure to meet the mark and while we’ll play the game of semantics (i.e. potato-potah-ta, tomato-tomah-ta, both illustrations have the same meaning, yet are pliable in pronunciation)? Contrary to popular belief, failures remain common to man. Things of eternality won’t disappoint and we’d do well (all of us) to re-route unto the original plan our Creator designed for us and unmistakably found in the Word of God. It’s befitting, along with practical for every generation; so let’s not forget life’s qualifier – implicit trust of the Only One familiar with the road ahead, along with sole ability to reconcile our yesterday, to then present us blameless onto HIS today.

Today’s Thought “The House Is Beautiful?” G. Ward Titus 1:8 “But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” I know of an exercise taught me from childhood that’s now found me partially responsible in the same as my parents were then; readying the house for company and whereas those arriving are with kindly considerations, expressive of how wonderful everything appears, thereafter, the host’s heart is evaluated to see if his inner beauty matches home aesthetics. If we’re not careful to weigh our words, particularly that to which yields perspectives that lack eternal merit, along with immediate pardon of another if their insistence is opposite, the beautiful house is remembered as a shack.