How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O G.o.d! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.

PSALM 139:17-18.

WHEN A GOOD FRIEND SAYS, "I've been thinking of you," we realize how much that person cares for us. When G.o.d says it, we're amazed we're that important to Him. David tells us that G.o.d doesn't have just a pa.s.sing thought about us from time to time-His thoughts of us are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seash.o.r.e! He's always thinking about us.

"Yeah," we might respond, "but what's He thinking?" Earlier in this psalm, David describes the awesome greatness of G.o.d and His complete knowledge of everything all the time. G.o.d knows literally every thought we have, which means He sees us at our best, and He sees us at our worst. Yet David says that G.o.d's thoughts are "precious" to him. How can that be? When we trust G.o.d with boldness and courage, G.o.d celebrates with us, and when we are selfish, G.o.d's grace and forgiveness shine through. His celebration of and grace for what we're thinking are precious thoughts by the One who knows everything-absolutely everything-about us.

How much do you think about G.o.d? He thinks about you all day every day, and His purposes for you are really good!

Does the fact that G.o.d constantly thinks about you encourage you or terrify you? Explain your answer.

What do you imagine that He's been thinking about you today?

"Too often we attempt to work for G.o.d to the limit of our competency, rather than to the limit of G.o.d's omnipotency."-HUDSON TAYLOR

MAY 8.

AN INVITATION.

Search me, O G.o.d, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 139:23-24.

PSALM 139 BEGINS with David's p.r.o.nouncement that nothing in our lives escapes G.o.d's sight, and to be honest, the thought terrifies him! He wants to run away and hide, but he realizes there is nowhere he could go to get away from G.o.d's piercing vision. By the end of this poem, though, David's trust in G.o.d has been strengthened. He is convinced that G.o.d's blazing eyes are tempered by His amazing grace. Now, in the final lines, David actually invites G.o.d to search his heart, to show him any sin, and to change his life.

The transformation is remarkable-from wanting to run from G.o.d to inviting Him to look into every crevice and dark spot in David's heart. What could cause such a change? David became convinced that G.o.d loved him and wanted the best for him, and in fact, G.o.d had called him to be His partner in taking His message to the whole world! G.o.d's love and the honor of representing Him gave David a fresh desire for G.o.d to purify his life so that nothing would get in the way.

What are some att.i.tudes and beliefs about G.o.d that make us want to stay away from Him?

Do you, like David, want to be sure that nothing gets in the way of your relationship with G.o.d? If so, pray these verses to G.o.d-and then listen.

"Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of G.o.d and His will for us."-BILLY GRAHAM

MAY 9.

A WORK IN PROGRESS.

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 1:6.

THE MOMENT WE TRUST in Christ, some amazing transformations take place. All our sins are forgiven, we join G.o.d's family, we receive eternal life, and G.o.d's Spirit takes up residence inside us (to name just a few). These things are wonderful truths of our new life in Christ, but we've only begun to let those things sink deep into the crevices of our lives to change our motivations, thoughts, and habits. We are very much works in progress, and we'll remain unfinished until we see Jesus face-to-face.

As we consider this fact, two important principles emerge. First, we shouldn't expect perfection. We are on a long, long journey, and many of us have just learned to walk! We have much to learn, and we need to unpack the distortions, bad habits, and selfish att.i.tudes we carry in our backpacks. If we think we should be perfect, we may deny that we are drifting off course from time to time, so we will fail to make corrections. Denial can lead to calamity.

And second, we aren't on this journey alone. G.o.d has committed Himself to be our guide all along the way. He is helping us unload some of the excess baggage we carry, and He gives us directions when we come to a crossroads. Sometimes we listen well, but sometimes we think we know the way without His help. We'll do a lot better if we pay attention to Him!

The trail is long, and we won't arrive at our destination in this life. Still, we're on the journey with Jesus for the greatest thrill of our lives.

How does it help you to know that you're a "work in progress"?

What do you need to do to walk more closely with G.o.d on the journey?

"There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering."-THEODORE ROOSEVELT "A promise like that from a person would be impossible, but that promise from the G.o.d who cannot lie is exciting!"-ZIG ZIGLAR

MAY 10.

A GIFT FROM G.o.d.

Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

PROVERBS 19:14.

IT'S SO EASY to take a spouse for granted. We are self-centered, and somehow we expect a wife to be like June Cleaver or a husband to be as attentive and wise as Ward. Unrealistic expectations always lead to deep disappointments. Instead of demanding more from our spouse, we need to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. Amazing things happen when we're thankful for the person who sits across the table from us!

People thrive on affirmation, and in fact, they often become what we say about them. If we say they are lazy and selfish, they often become even lazier and more self-absorbed, but if we focus on their good traits and express appreciation, fledgling positive character traits often blossom into great strengths!

One unkind word uttered when we're tired or distressed may not cause irreparable harm, but the absence of praise and the presence of constant criticism erode a relationship as surely as the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon. When we see one another as gifts from G.o.d, we can take it up with Him when we're unhappy, but we can choose to speak words of affirmation and kindness to our spouse. He or she is a gift from G.o.d, and all of us treasure good gifts, don't we?

How would you describe the warmth/coldness factor in your marriage?

Make a list of the top five things you appreciate about your spouse, and share one of them today.

"Ruth is my soul mate and best friend, and I cannot imagine living a single day without her by my side."-BILLY GRAHAM

MAY 11.

WEIGH YOUR WORDS.

[Jesus said,] "I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

MATTHEW 12:36-37.

OUR WORDS HAVE THE POWER to heal or to destroy. Our choices in using them make a difference in people's lives, and G.o.d will judge those choices when we stand before Him to give an account of our lives. On that day, we can't say, "Oh, that's not what I meant," or "She didn't understand," or "I was just joking."

In this warning, Jesus tells us that even our "idle" words will pa.s.s through the fires of judgment. We can understand that really important statements will receive G.o.d's attention: defending a friend with courage, lovingly affirming our spouse at a critical moment of self-doubt, confronting the Little League coach for not playing a son enough, or lying to a parent. But even our most off-the-cuff remarks undergo G.o.d's scrutiny because they, too, have the power to heal or to destroy. A spontaneous word of praise can make someone's day, or a careless whisper of gossip can ruin a reputation.

The gravity of Jesus' statement makes us stop short and ask, "Whoa, this must be pretty important. What do I say that needs more attention?" What, indeed.

How have you seen seemingly insignificant remarks heal or destroy someone?

What do you need to do to speak more words of encouragement and avoid criticisms and condemnation-even in the most casual conversations?

"Words are the visible clothes that our invisible thoughts wear."-IKE REIGHARD

MAY 12.

100X.

He who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

MATTHEW 13:23.

JESUS TOLD A STORY using four types of soil to ill.u.s.trate different responses to G.o.d (see Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23). A farmer scatters seed. Some of it falls on the road and is eaten by birds. Some falls on rocky soil. It sprouts up quickly but wilts in the hot sun because it doesn't have a good root system. Other seed falls among weeds and is choked out as it grows, but the last grains of seed fall on fertile soil where they grow, mature, and multiply tremendously.

In every community, church, and Christian group, we see these four responses to Christ. Some people hear G.o.d's truth; however, it doesn't seem to make the slightest dent. Others receive it gladly, but when difficulties surface, their joy quickly fades into despair. Many others grow for a while, then worries erode their faith and competing attractions of pleasure and possessions steal their hearts. But a few resist these temptations, grow strong in their faith, and touch the lives of tens or hundreds of others. Those whom G.o.d uses to mend broken families and guide wayward lives say there's nothing so thrilling or fulfilling in the world.

Each of us has the opportunity to choose the type of soil we want to be. Jesus' story explains the options, but He leaves the decision up to us.

What type of soil have you been for most of your Christian life? What are you now?

What are some changes you'd need to make to be a fourth-type-of-soil person?

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."-THEODORE ROOSEVELT

MAY 13.

KEEPING FOCUSED.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day.

PROVERBS 23:17.

COMPARISON CONSUMES OUR GAZES and steals our souls. When we look at what others have and what they have achieved, it's easy for us to see how we stack up. If we've got more and done more than others, we feel great about ourselves, but if we're coming up short, we get discouraged or we're driven to get ahead. Either way, we've lost our focus.