For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. Father God, Thank You for Hearing Our Prayers In Jesus Name Amen

A good husband is a jewel. A woman is blessed if her husband not only loves her and provides for her, but also treats her well and protects her. A good husband treasures his wife. He makes sure that her needs are met. He is her friend and her confidante. He makes her feel safe and he makes her feel confident. Through his eyes, she sees her own beauty and worth. This passage compares God to a husband. He cares for his Bride in the same way that an early husband cares for his wife. We can take comfort in the fact that we are safe in the arms of our husband who is our Maker and Redeemer. We have nothing to fear. We are loved and cherished by a kind and loving God.

Lord, Thank you for caring for me, for providing for my needs, for making me feel safe and protected. In You I see my true worth. I am treasured by You and Your love gives me confidence. In You, I am everything. Amen.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

God did not appoint us to wrath but to obatin his salvation in Christ, through faith. Therefore, whether we be alive physically or not, we are still alive spiritually. We are always with Christ, for wherever we are, we are in spiritual union with him.

We were all once the children of wrath as all others (Ephesians 2:3), O Lord, for in that state we were born. But you appointed us to escape that wrath and obatin salvation through your Son. We know we are not deserving of anything good and can make no demands upon you. Help us, therefore, to ever present our prayers to you in true humility as those seeking mercy and grace.

The first thing I think of on this date is that 9 months from today it will be Christmas! But this is not what we should be reflecting upon. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary. Here she was, a simple girl in a small town, betrothed and getting ready to be married and now she is told that she has been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. What must have gone through her mind! What will Joseph say? Will he still want to marry her? What does it mean to be a mother to a Savior? Joseph will answer the first two questions, but the rest she will have to learn, as most mothers do, day by day.

God has a plan for each of us as well. His plans are not made known in quite the same kind of grand announcement, but he does tell us. What do you enjoy doing? What gifts do you see in yourself? God doesn’t ask us to do or be anything other than what he has prepared us to do. He doesn’t ask one who gets F in science to be a doctor, for example. And since Jesus tells us that he has come to bring us joy, he’s not going to lead us to a vocation that will make us miserable. But the one vocation all the baptized have is to bring the message of Jesus to others. We do this by example as well as by word. He has planted the seed of faith in our hearts; all we have to do is live it.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Solomon instructs his son to establish his paths ahead of time (verse 26) and then to not turn aside one way or the other, “to the right hand or to the left. ” We should be people of purpose who ponder our path of life, not people who wander aimlessly and are drawn ultimately into evil deeds.

Lord, help us to consider our ways and to ponder the path of our feet. Give us a clear vision of what we should do and where we should go and then keep us focused on doing your will, not distracted by the allurements of the world. The world’s “Vanity Fair” offers the pleasures of sin for a season, but lies in the heart of the “City of Destruction. ” Let us seek the pleasures of God instead and hunger and thirst after His righteousness.

A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

You may have heard the old Yiddish saying “Man plans, God laughs.” This saying is intended to illustrate the futility of man-made plans. The Bible doesn’t say that God laughs at our attempts to plan our own way, but it does say that He directs our steps. Goal setting is desirable. It is important to have a plan for our lives. We all need to “devise our own way” to an extent. More important than having a plan, however, is understanding that without God, no plan we devise will come to fruition. Without His direction, any plan we make will fail. It is imperative that we understand that every gift, every good thing that allows us to succeed, comes from God. Until we understand that and accept that fact, our plans will be fruitless.

Father, I know that every good thing comes from You. You have blessed every gift and skill I possess. Any success I have is because of You. I need You in every aspect of my life. I need Your strength and Your guidance. I need You to guide my steps in every facet of my life. As I make goals, I ask You to direct me in the way I should go. I trust Your plan for my life and I put myself into Your hands. Amen.