1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Just as God does not look simply at how much we give, but rather at whether we give out of our plenty or our necessity, neither does He look simply at what we do, but rather at why we do it. Each comes from the heart, and will either make the gift acceptable, or unacceptable, to God.

So many people have the same questions about prayer. It makes one start to think there might be a common source for all these doubts and concerns. "If God knows everything, He already knows what I am going to pray." "I can't find the time to." "I can't stay awake when I try." "I'm just talking to the walls." "It just bounces off the ceiling and doesn't go anywhere." "Things are going to happen the way they should anyway." They all boil down to asking, "Why bother to pray?"

Exodus 34:10  Then the Lord said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation  in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you."

Lord, help me to live each day as though it was my last, but to live my life as though it were everlasting.

We have no promise of what will happen in this world. There is no guarantee of what tomorrow will bring, or if there will even be a tomorrow. If there is, there will be evil expressing itself in places, and God's grace and mercy will continue to be expressed through His love to all who are seeking with hungry hearts, but the details of what will come our way will not be known until after they happen. We only know that if we are part of God's family, He will be with us all the way, leading us, empowering us, providing for us.