1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You;
The best way to get the day started is with the Lord. There is no better way to start your day! David acknowledges God as his God. This is a very significant statement. For you see, so many people have God in their lives but He is not their God. There is a big difference. Jesus, the Bible tells us, is to be both, Savior and Lord! The truth is, He is both whether we acknowledge it or not in our lives. However, when He becomes both Savior and Lord in our lives, God is glorified and we are blessed beyond measure!
When God is able to be God in a person's life, his life is rearranged! Early David said he would seek the Lord. It is virtually impossible to find God in the middle of the day when you have not started your day off with Him! It is not that it is difficult for God to find us; it is difficult however for us to find Him! When we begin our day with the Word of God on our mind and the Spirit of God in our hearts, He is able to guide us in the direction that He wants us to go and give us all that He wants us to have for that hour in our lives. As we continue to walk in the path that God has laid out for us, He continues to bless us and make us a blessing to those around us.
As we seek Him early in the morning, He is able to have a hand in the direction that we head off in that morning. As we begin our day, He is able to make a difference in the attitudes that we have which has a lot to do with how our day gets started, which has something to do with how it ends! If your day gets off to a great start, there is a greater chance that it will end up on a good note. If God is given the opportunity to make a difference in your life, there will be a visible difference in your life that others will see and respond to.
Start your day off with the King of King and Lord of Lords. Allow Him to be Lord and Master of your life. Allow him to be God in your life. Seek Him early in the morning. You might just be surprised at how smooth your day goes!
A Pastor's thoughts about the Scripture and it's influence in our lives.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Broken Heart Psalm 51:17
16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Sometimes we get in a mode where we think the things that we give to God and the things that we do for God ought to be enough for Him. Sometimes we get to the point where we are satisfied with all that we are doing and we think that God must be satisfied as well. God is not as interested in most of the things we do as we might think. God is interested in is the condition of our hearts.
It does not matter what we do if the condition of our hearts is not what it should be. What God is looking for is a "broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart." The New Century Bible translates this passage this way, "17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin."
Here is a contrast in attitudes. On the one hand, we find arrogance and pride in the sacrifices that are offered to God. On the other, there is a heart that is broken because of the sin that has been committed on our part and forgiven on God's part. The heart that is broken is a heart that has been touched by God and is able to be molded and shaped in a way that He is able to use it. God created our hearts so that He could mold and shape them so that our lives would reflect the work of His hands. As the rest of the world looks our lives, they will see what God can do in a life that has a contrite and broken heart. He is then able to do something in their lives as well.
Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that he greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. He said the second is like unto it, that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The reason the second is as important as the first, is God works in us so that He can work through us. As we look up to Him, He is able to look down on us making our lives worth living. As He blesses us, we are to look around so that others will be able to see Jesus in us. God is then able to do something in their hearts and in their lives as well.
What is the attitude of your heart today? Perhaps our prayer ought to be as David's was, "10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. " When God cleanses our heart, it becomes a heart that He can use!
Sometimes we get in a mode where we think the things that we give to God and the things that we do for God ought to be enough for Him. Sometimes we get to the point where we are satisfied with all that we are doing and we think that God must be satisfied as well. God is not as interested in most of the things we do as we might think. God is interested in is the condition of our hearts.
It does not matter what we do if the condition of our hearts is not what it should be. What God is looking for is a "broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart." The New Century Bible translates this passage this way, "17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin."
Here is a contrast in attitudes. On the one hand, we find arrogance and pride in the sacrifices that are offered to God. On the other, there is a heart that is broken because of the sin that has been committed on our part and forgiven on God's part. The heart that is broken is a heart that has been touched by God and is able to be molded and shaped in a way that He is able to use it. God created our hearts so that He could mold and shape them so that our lives would reflect the work of His hands. As the rest of the world looks our lives, they will see what God can do in a life that has a contrite and broken heart. He is then able to do something in their lives as well.
Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that he greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. He said the second is like unto it, that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The reason the second is as important as the first, is God works in us so that He can work through us. As we look up to Him, He is able to look down on us making our lives worth living. As He blesses us, we are to look around so that others will be able to see Jesus in us. God is then able to do something in their hearts and in their lives as well.
What is the attitude of your heart today? Perhaps our prayer ought to be as David's was, "10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. " When God cleanses our heart, it becomes a heart that He can use!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Return to God Psalms 51:13
13 Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you.
David says "then I will teach Your ways to sinners and they WILL return to you." Those words jumped out at me and screamed to be heard! David was saying when he allowed God to create in Him a pure heart that would allow God to be God in his life. The focus of his whole life would then change. David knew that this new relationship with God would become the focus of his life and that focus would give him the initiative he needed to make decisions that would honor God and allow God to be God in his life.
As God made a difference in David's life, people would see that difference and they would learn from what they saw in him. When David said, "then I will teach Your ways to sinners," he was not talking about teaching them with words, but rather teaching them as they watched the hand of God at work in his life! As these people saw God's hand at work in David's life, they would return to God!
The message that screams to be heard today is this; the lost are not turning to God because they are not seeing God in us! We have not surrendered ourselves to God to the point that He is able to do all that He so much wants to do in us and with us and through us. As a result, too many of us live defeated lives. We act like the rest of the world. We talk like the rest of the world. We live like the rest of the world and God's power and His provisions are nowhere to be found! Our churches are suffering as result of a lack of personal commitment and relationship to the Lord Jesus.
When God's people allow God to cleanse their hearts and restore the joy of His salvation in us, our walk will change. Our talk will change. Our lives will change. People will see that change. They will return to God and allow Him to make those changes in their lives! When Jesus made the promise that He would build His church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it, He had in the back of His mind the principles of this prayer that David is praying. As people saw the church and the hand of God at work in the lives of His people, they would respond and they would come to Him as well!
Let's be the church that Jesus said He would build; let's watch the world respond!
David says "then I will teach Your ways to sinners and they WILL return to you." Those words jumped out at me and screamed to be heard! David was saying when he allowed God to create in Him a pure heart that would allow God to be God in his life. The focus of his whole life would then change. David knew that this new relationship with God would become the focus of his life and that focus would give him the initiative he needed to make decisions that would honor God and allow God to be God in his life.
As God made a difference in David's life, people would see that difference and they would learn from what they saw in him. When David said, "then I will teach Your ways to sinners," he was not talking about teaching them with words, but rather teaching them as they watched the hand of God at work in his life! As these people saw God's hand at work in David's life, they would return to God!
The message that screams to be heard today is this; the lost are not turning to God because they are not seeing God in us! We have not surrendered ourselves to God to the point that He is able to do all that He so much wants to do in us and with us and through us. As a result, too many of us live defeated lives. We act like the rest of the world. We talk like the rest of the world. We live like the rest of the world and God's power and His provisions are nowhere to be found! Our churches are suffering as result of a lack of personal commitment and relationship to the Lord Jesus.
When God's people allow God to cleanse their hearts and restore the joy of His salvation in us, our walk will change. Our talk will change. Our lives will change. People will see that change. They will return to God and allow Him to make those changes in their lives! When Jesus made the promise that He would build His church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it, He had in the back of His mind the principles of this prayer that David is praying. As people saw the church and the hand of God at work in the lives of His people, they would respond and they would come to Him as well!
Let's be the church that Jesus said He would build; let's watch the world respond!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Willing to Obey Psalms 51:12
12 Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you.
David says something here that is worthy of our understanding. Davis prays that God would me make him "willing to obey God". What is he asking of God? His response of obedience is the result of the joy of God's salvation. David prays, "restore Your joy in me and make me wiling to obey You." When God restores us, it makes a profound difference in our relationship with Him. God's restoration is relationship oriented. His whole desire and purpose is to establish and maintain a relationship with us. This is what David is seeking from God in the restoration of the joy of God's salvation.
Here is what happens when God restores the joy of His salvation in us. We come to know God in a more intimate and personal way and as a result of that relationship that He has initiated, we respond in an obedient spirit to His will and His way for our life. We do not surrender control of our life to Him out of obligation because He is God; we surrender control of our life to Him because He is God and He has given us His mercy and His grace in spite of our many mistakes. We surrender control of our life to Him because we want this relationship with Him to continue. We want God to be able to bless us; we want Him to be pleased with our life. We want Him to be blessed Himself as He is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves!
David knows when his relationship is right with God, he will teach others God's ways and they will return to God. Why is this true? When we live our lives in complete surrender to God and in absolute obedience to His instruction and leadership, He is able to bless us and use us in ways that others will see and respond to! We teach others as we live our lives and allow God to order our steps and make a way for us! God's glory shines in us when He is given the opportunity to do for us. Others will see that glory and will want to surrender themselves so that God's glory and His presence and His provisions will be evident in their lives!
Ask God to create in you a clean heart and restore in you the joy of His salvation so that those who are around you everyday will start to see God at work in your life and they will want Him to work in their lives as well! That was David's prayer. It can and should be our prayer as well!
David says something here that is worthy of our understanding. Davis prays that God would me make him "willing to obey God". What is he asking of God? His response of obedience is the result of the joy of God's salvation. David prays, "restore Your joy in me and make me wiling to obey You." When God restores us, it makes a profound difference in our relationship with Him. God's restoration is relationship oriented. His whole desire and purpose is to establish and maintain a relationship with us. This is what David is seeking from God in the restoration of the joy of God's salvation.
Here is what happens when God restores the joy of His salvation in us. We come to know God in a more intimate and personal way and as a result of that relationship that He has initiated, we respond in an obedient spirit to His will and His way for our life. We do not surrender control of our life to Him out of obligation because He is God; we surrender control of our life to Him because He is God and He has given us His mercy and His grace in spite of our many mistakes. We surrender control of our life to Him because we want this relationship with Him to continue. We want God to be able to bless us; we want Him to be pleased with our life. We want Him to be blessed Himself as He is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves!
David knows when his relationship is right with God, he will teach others God's ways and they will return to God. Why is this true? When we live our lives in complete surrender to God and in absolute obedience to His instruction and leadership, He is able to bless us and use us in ways that others will see and respond to! We teach others as we live our lives and allow God to order our steps and make a way for us! God's glory shines in us when He is given the opportunity to do for us. Others will see that glory and will want to surrender themselves so that God's glory and His presence and His provisions will be evident in their lives!
Ask God to create in you a clean heart and restore in you the joy of His salvation so that those who are around you everyday will start to see God at work in your life and they will want Him to work in their lives as well! That was David's prayer. It can and should be our prayer as well!
Monday, October 25, 2010
A Clean Heart Psalms 51:10
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you.
Here is a prayer that we ought to pray each and every day of our lives. We need a clean heart to be able to make decisions that will allow God to be God in our lives. We need a clean heart and a right spirit in us to Glorify God. What is this "right spirit?" A right spirit is a willingness to surrender full control of our will to God's will.
When we are willing to do that, God is able to give us the joy of "His salvation" not our salvation. As we learn to walk with Him, our joy actually grows in Him! His joy truly gets sweeter as the days go by as we walk with Him with a clean heart and a right spirit! The idea that God wants us to see is this, as He blesses us and meets our needs our joy is made full. As God is able to bless us, He is blessed as well. This causes us to want to be more obedient, which allows Him to do even more for us! God's plan is that this would become an endless cycle of Him blessing us and our being obedient to Him both because He has blessed us already and so that He can continue to bless us even more!
David goes on to say, he will be able to teach God's ways to sinners and they will turn to Him! Are you walking in obedience with a right spirit? Is God blessing your life and making it easier to obey Him because of all that He has already done for you and for all that He wants to do for you? A prayer to Him as simple as "Lord, create in me a clean heart; renew a right spirit in me." This is all it will take to give God the opportunity to be God in your life today!
He will bless you as you become a blessing to Him and He will make you a blessing to others around you. That is why God created you in the first place and has given you life. Let's fulfill our purpose today!
Give Me Joy Again Psalms 51:8
7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
Nathan the prophet has just had his visit with King David. He has told him of God's judgment concerning his sin with Bathsheba. Perhaps David thought that he had gotten away with his sin. After all, he was king! David made some crucial mistakes, which cost him dearly. First of all, kings were to go to war with their troops. David was not supposed to have been at his palace when he first saw Bathsheba bathing. When we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing, we run the additional risk of complicating our lives! Such was the case for David. His lust turned to lies. His mischief turned to murder.
God sent Nathan to make David face his sin. The truth is, David already knew what he had done. David's mistake was he thought that he had gotten away with his sin. Listen to his prayer, "give me back my joy again." David had lost the joy that was his because he walked with God. He may have been king but he did not have fellowship with God, which cost him his joy. God sent Nathan to restore that fellowship between Him and David. Not only did David lose his joy, God lost His. When David fell to his knees before God and prayed,"purify me from my sins and wash me" God was ready to cleanse David and make him whiter than snow.
God wanted fellowship with David more than David wanted fellowship with God. God missed His joy more than David missed his! When we sin against God, we rob Him of the opportunity to get the joy He so much wants to experience as He is able to do for us as His children. That is the reason He sends His Spirit to us to convict us of our sin and help us get headed in the right direction! He wants His joy to be full, as our joy is made full!
When your joy needs a boost, know that it is God Himself tugging at your heart strings letting you know that He needs a shot of joy Himself as He is able to bring joy into your heart!
Nathan the prophet has just had his visit with King David. He has told him of God's judgment concerning his sin with Bathsheba. Perhaps David thought that he had gotten away with his sin. After all, he was king! David made some crucial mistakes, which cost him dearly. First of all, kings were to go to war with their troops. David was not supposed to have been at his palace when he first saw Bathsheba bathing. When we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing, we run the additional risk of complicating our lives! Such was the case for David. His lust turned to lies. His mischief turned to murder.
God sent Nathan to make David face his sin. The truth is, David already knew what he had done. David's mistake was he thought that he had gotten away with his sin. Listen to his prayer, "give me back my joy again." David had lost the joy that was his because he walked with God. He may have been king but he did not have fellowship with God, which cost him his joy. God sent Nathan to restore that fellowship between Him and David. Not only did David lose his joy, God lost His. When David fell to his knees before God and prayed,"purify me from my sins and wash me" God was ready to cleanse David and make him whiter than snow.
God wanted fellowship with David more than David wanted fellowship with God. God missed His joy more than David missed his! When we sin against God, we rob Him of the opportunity to get the joy He so much wants to experience as He is able to do for us as His children. That is the reason He sends His Spirit to us to convict us of our sin and help us get headed in the right direction! He wants His joy to be full, as our joy is made full!
When your joy needs a boost, know that it is God Himself tugging at your heart strings letting you know that He needs a shot of joy Himself as He is able to bring joy into your heart!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
God Is Great Psalm 48:1
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
God is indeed great! He has done so much for us and His plans for us are even greater still. God deserves our praises. He deserves our devotion. He deserves our affection. God deserves our all.
Why is it that God is "greatly to be praised?" He does deserve our praise but that is not the reason He wants our praise. God wants our praise so He can bless us even more. He has done so much for us and because of all that He has done we ought to willingly give Him our praise. However, as we give God our praise, He is able to give more of Himself to us. God desires our praise so He can bless us even more.
When we think about praising God it is so easy to see our praise as something that we do for or give to God as an end in and of itself. That is not the case at all. The devotion and praise that we give to God is not something that He delights in because we have given them to Him; His real delight comes when He is able to do even more for us because of our praise and our devotion to Him. We have to remember that it is for this purpose that God created us in the first place. He loves us so much; He wants to shower us with His blessings and His plans for our lives. He wants our lives to be filled to overflowing and the key that unlocks the windows of heaven is our praise to Him and devotion for Him!
God delights in every opportunity we give Him to be God in our lives. That is why we were created. That is why the earth and the entire universe were created. God wants give us His love as He gives us life. Life is the outpouring of His love that is given to us as we stop to praise Him! When we take time to praise Him for all that He has already done for us, we open our lives to more of His blessings, which makes us want to praise Him even more, which allows Him to bless us even more.
How majestic is Your Name O Lord in all the earth for God is indeed great and greatly to be praised!
God is indeed great! He has done so much for us and His plans for us are even greater still. God deserves our praises. He deserves our devotion. He deserves our affection. God deserves our all.
Why is it that God is "greatly to be praised?" He does deserve our praise but that is not the reason He wants our praise. God wants our praise so He can bless us even more. He has done so much for us and because of all that He has done we ought to willingly give Him our praise. However, as we give God our praise, He is able to give more of Himself to us. God desires our praise so He can bless us even more.
When we think about praising God it is so easy to see our praise as something that we do for or give to God as an end in and of itself. That is not the case at all. The devotion and praise that we give to God is not something that He delights in because we have given them to Him; His real delight comes when He is able to do even more for us because of our praise and our devotion to Him. We have to remember that it is for this purpose that God created us in the first place. He loves us so much; He wants to shower us with His blessings and His plans for our lives. He wants our lives to be filled to overflowing and the key that unlocks the windows of heaven is our praise to Him and devotion for Him!
God delights in every opportunity we give Him to be God in our lives. That is why we were created. That is why the earth and the entire universe were created. God wants give us His love as He gives us life. Life is the outpouring of His love that is given to us as we stop to praise Him! When we take time to praise Him for all that He has already done for us, we open our lives to more of His blessings, which makes us want to praise Him even more, which allows Him to bless us even more.
How majestic is Your Name O Lord in all the earth for God is indeed great and greatly to be praised!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Be Still Know I am God Psalm 46:10
10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
When difficulty comes we want to get up and do something. It is very difficult for most of us to sit down and wait for someone else to do something to make things better. God wants us to learn to depend on Him in all things and at all times. His instruction to David and to us is to "Be still and know that I am God." He did not say, "Be still and do not do anything." However, God wants us to learn to wait upon Him, trusting Him and depending on Him to be God in our lives. God wants us to learn to depend on Him in every situation we will ever face.
When we still ourselves and "know that He is God" what we do is allow our faith to take over in our lives. David could have written, "Be still and know that I am everything that I say that I am and I will do everything that I say I will do." The real key to the meaning of this verse is in knowing God, which is to allow Him to be who He says He is and do what only He can do.
When we allow Him to be God in our lives, He is exalted among the heathen and He is exalted on the earth. People will see His mighty hand in our lives because we have been still and allowed Him to do things in us and with us that only He could do.
We need churches today that are willing to "be still and know that He is God." We need individuals who are willing to be still and know that He is God in their lives. For the Lord of Hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our refuge. He will do all that He has planned to do for us if we will just allow Him the opportunity to do so. God is looking for men, women, boys and girls who will be still and know that He is God. He is looking for individuals who are willing to stand up and step out allowing Him to direct their lives and make a difference in the lives that they live. Then and only then will He be exalted before the rest of the world.
Will you today "Be still and know that He is God?" He will lift you up and He will bless your life and He will make you a blessing to Him and to those that you love and those who love you. He will be exalted if you will just give Him the opportunity that He so much desires and deserves.
When difficulty comes we want to get up and do something. It is very difficult for most of us to sit down and wait for someone else to do something to make things better. God wants us to learn to depend on Him in all things and at all times. His instruction to David and to us is to "Be still and know that I am God." He did not say, "Be still and do not do anything." However, God wants us to learn to wait upon Him, trusting Him and depending on Him to be God in our lives. God wants us to learn to depend on Him in every situation we will ever face.
When we still ourselves and "know that He is God" what we do is allow our faith to take over in our lives. David could have written, "Be still and know that I am everything that I say that I am and I will do everything that I say I will do." The real key to the meaning of this verse is in knowing God, which is to allow Him to be who He says He is and do what only He can do.
When we allow Him to be God in our lives, He is exalted among the heathen and He is exalted on the earth. People will see His mighty hand in our lives because we have been still and allowed Him to do things in us and with us that only He could do.
We need churches today that are willing to "be still and know that He is God." We need individuals who are willing to be still and know that He is God in their lives. For the Lord of Hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our refuge. He will do all that He has planned to do for us if we will just allow Him the opportunity to do so. God is looking for men, women, boys and girls who will be still and know that He is God. He is looking for individuals who are willing to stand up and step out allowing Him to direct their lives and make a difference in the lives that they live. Then and only then will He be exalted before the rest of the world.
Will you today "Be still and know that He is God?" He will lift you up and He will bless your life and He will make you a blessing to Him and to those that you love and those who love you. He will be exalted if you will just give Him the opportunity that He so much desires and deserves.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Then I Thought I Samuel 13:12
12 Then I thought, 'The Philistines will come against me at Gilgal, and I haven't asked for the Lord's approval.' So I forced myself to offer the whole burnt offering."
Saul was about to be attacked by the Philistines. The children of Israel were severely out numbered and Saul's men were leaving their ranks. Saul sent for Samuel to offer a sacrifice to God for His protection. Samuel had not yet arrived. Saul the Bible says, decided to offer the sacrifice to God himself. He told Samuel when he arrived, "Then I thought and I forced myself to offer the sacrifice myself."
Samuel gives Saul a word of judgment that we all need to remember. 13 Samuel said, "You acted foolishly! You haven't obeyed the command of the Lord your God. If you had obeyed him, the Lord would have made your kingdom continue in Israel always, 14 but now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has looked for the kind of man He wants. He has appointed him to rule his people, because you haven't obeyed his command."
You and I need to learn to be obedient to God. Period. When it comes to the Word of God, we do not need to "think for ourselves" or do what we want to do. We simply need to follow the Lord's guidance and be obedient to His leadership. Some might say, well this is different. "Saul was King and God expected more of him than He does from me." God did expect Saul to listen to Him and be obedient to Him as king. He expects the same of you and me as well!
God will bless those who follow Him. He doesn't bless those who do not follow His leadership and direction. God cannot do what He wants to do for an individual who refuses to hear Him and then heed His instruction. God wants to bless you. He can bless you and make you a blessing as you determine to walk with Him.
Let God have His way in your life.
Saul was about to be attacked by the Philistines. The children of Israel were severely out numbered and Saul's men were leaving their ranks. Saul sent for Samuel to offer a sacrifice to God for His protection. Samuel had not yet arrived. Saul the Bible says, decided to offer the sacrifice to God himself. He told Samuel when he arrived, "Then I thought and I forced myself to offer the sacrifice myself."
Samuel gives Saul a word of judgment that we all need to remember. 13 Samuel said, "You acted foolishly! You haven't obeyed the command of the Lord your God. If you had obeyed him, the Lord would have made your kingdom continue in Israel always, 14 but now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has looked for the kind of man He wants. He has appointed him to rule his people, because you haven't obeyed his command."
You and I need to learn to be obedient to God. Period. When it comes to the Word of God, we do not need to "think for ourselves" or do what we want to do. We simply need to follow the Lord's guidance and be obedient to His leadership. Some might say, well this is different. "Saul was King and God expected more of him than He does from me." God did expect Saul to listen to Him and be obedient to Him as king. He expects the same of you and me as well!
God will bless those who follow Him. He doesn't bless those who do not follow His leadership and direction. God cannot do what He wants to do for an individual who refuses to hear Him and then heed His instruction. God wants to bless you. He can bless you and make you a blessing as you determine to walk with Him.
Let God have His way in your life.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Trust God Psalm 44:6
6For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. 8In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
David knew the rich history of God's hand with the children of Israel. He knew how God delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh, which was no small feat. He knew the stories of how God kept the children of Israel in the wilderness until all but two men who left Egypt had died and then He led them into the Promised Land. He knew the stories of the battles that the children of Israel fought to possess the land and the stories of the battles that they fought to keep the land.
"3For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them."
The Bible is so important because it is His Story and it is a record of who God is and what He has done in the lives of His people. For if God is indeed everything that He says He is and if He will do everything that He says He will do, then it is our responsibility to listen to Him and follow His direction and His leadership so He can do for us all that He so much wants to do in our lives and in the lives of those that we love.
That is why Paul wrote in Hebrews 11:6, "without faith it is impossible to please God." God wants us to know who He is and He wants to know what He wants to do for us. God wants us to walk with Him so He can do everything that He wants to do for us and with us. Life really is that simple. If we will surrender our lives to His will and follow His direction, He will meet our every need and He will take care of our battles and He will supply the desires of our heart and our lives will be filled to overflowing!
David understood that. He knew the rich heritage that the children of Israel had enjoyed. He knew all that things that God had done in the lives of His people. He knew that God wanted to do the same thing in his life as well and so he determined in his heart that he would"8boast all the day long, and praise God's name for ever. Selah."
Let us determine in our hearts to " 8boast all the day long, and praise God's name for ever. Selah." God will do for us as He has done for His own throughout the annuls of history as He continues to write His Story in our lives.
David knew the rich history of God's hand with the children of Israel. He knew how God delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh, which was no small feat. He knew the stories of how God kept the children of Israel in the wilderness until all but two men who left Egypt had died and then He led them into the Promised Land. He knew the stories of the battles that the children of Israel fought to possess the land and the stories of the battles that they fought to keep the land.
"3For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them."
The Bible is so important because it is His Story and it is a record of who God is and what He has done in the lives of His people. For if God is indeed everything that He says He is and if He will do everything that He says He will do, then it is our responsibility to listen to Him and follow His direction and His leadership so He can do for us all that He so much wants to do in our lives and in the lives of those that we love.
That is why Paul wrote in Hebrews 11:6, "without faith it is impossible to please God." God wants us to know who He is and He wants to know what He wants to do for us. God wants us to walk with Him so He can do everything that He wants to do for us and with us. Life really is that simple. If we will surrender our lives to His will and follow His direction, He will meet our every need and He will take care of our battles and He will supply the desires of our heart and our lives will be filled to overflowing!
David understood that. He knew the rich heritage that the children of Israel had enjoyed. He knew all that things that God had done in the lives of His people. He knew that God wanted to do the same thing in his life as well and so he determined in his heart that he would"8boast all the day long, and praise God's name for ever. Selah."
Let us determine in our hearts to " 8boast all the day long, and praise God's name for ever. Selah." God will do for us as He has done for His own throughout the annuls of history as He continues to write His Story in our lives.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Longing For God Psalms 42:1
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him?
David is in one of the dark valleys of his life. His enemies are mocking him. He is running for his life. There is no peace in his life. Yet listen to his prayer, "God as the deer pants for water, so do I long for You! I thirst for You, the Living God in my life!"
When we come to know God as He would have us know Him, something wonderful begins to happen in our lives. We hunger and thirst for more of Him! David is running for his life. King Saul's army is hunting him like a deer in the woods. Their orders are to shoot first and ask questions later. There is a bounty for his head. Yet, David says, "I long for You, God!"
He is not complaining about his circumstances. He is not crying out to God, " I am supposed to be king; You had me anointed to be king; why am I out here on the back side of nowhere, the laughing stock of all Israel. People are thinking, 'he said he was supposed to be king! Look at him now'."
David wanted to be closer to God! He knew the joy of God's presence in his life. He knew the refreshing blessings that God would provide and he wanted to make sure that he was in the place that God wanted him to be in so he could receive all that God had planned for him. More important to David than being king was his personal relationship to The King of Kings and Lord of Lords! As long as that was right, then come what may, everything else would be right!
Do you "pant for God?" Is there a thirst for him in your life? Is there this burning desire in your heart that come what may you want to know Him and the power of his resurrection in your life? If you will let your faith direct your life that thirst will develop. If you will simply start to believe that God is everything that He says He is and he will do everything that He says He will do, you will develop this thirst to know Him that only He can satisfy!
Let's drink freely from the river of life and the waters of the fountain that never run dry! God will satisfy the desires of your heart and make your life worth the living!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wait on the Lord Psalms 40:1
1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
We all have trials in our lives. David cried out to the Lord, waiting for His help. The desire of God's heart is for us to wait for His help. The primary purpose for our lives is to allow God to help us through life. He wants to help us in every single situation that we will ever face in our lives. There is no situation that God cannot solve. There is no problem that He cannot prevent if we will learn to wait for His help.
David said, "He lifted me up out of the pit of despair and set my feet on the solid rock." God hears our cries and He sees our situations and He knows the solution. God's provisions are sure. His plans are certain. He can place us on the solid rock in a moment's notice if we will just learn to wait on Him.
Faith is believing that God is everything that He says He is and He will do everything that He says He will do. Our faith is often tested by waiting. If I truly believe that God is the answer to whatever is wrong in my life and that His way is the only way, then I will wait on Him to lead me from where I am to where He would have me be! It is virtually impossible for Him to set my feet on the solid rock if I am not stepping in the footsteps that He would have me walk. God does not move the rock in the direction that I want to go; He moves me to where the rock is!
When we wait to walk with the Lord, others will see what the Lord has done and as David says, "they will be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord." As God is allowed to be God in our lives, our families and our friends will see Jesus at wok in us and they will want to learn to wait on the Lord as well. God so much wants to be God in our lives! Wait on Him and allow him to do all that He so much wants to do in you and with you and through you!
We all have trials in our lives. David cried out to the Lord, waiting for His help. The desire of God's heart is for us to wait for His help. The primary purpose for our lives is to allow God to help us through life. He wants to help us in every single situation that we will ever face in our lives. There is no situation that God cannot solve. There is no problem that He cannot prevent if we will learn to wait for His help.
David said, "He lifted me up out of the pit of despair and set my feet on the solid rock." God hears our cries and He sees our situations and He knows the solution. God's provisions are sure. His plans are certain. He can place us on the solid rock in a moment's notice if we will just learn to wait on Him.
Faith is believing that God is everything that He says He is and He will do everything that He says He will do. Our faith is often tested by waiting. If I truly believe that God is the answer to whatever is wrong in my life and that His way is the only way, then I will wait on Him to lead me from where I am to where He would have me be! It is virtually impossible for Him to set my feet on the solid rock if I am not stepping in the footsteps that He would have me walk. God does not move the rock in the direction that I want to go; He moves me to where the rock is!
When we wait to walk with the Lord, others will see what the Lord has done and as David says, "they will be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord." As God is allowed to be God in our lives, our families and our friends will see Jesus at wok in us and they will want to learn to wait on the Lord as well. God so much wants to be God in our lives! Wait on Him and allow him to do all that He so much wants to do in you and with you and through you!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Fools Mock Us Psalms 39:8
8 Rescue me from my rebellion, for even fools mock me when I rebel.
Listen to David's comment "even the fools mock me when I rebel!" What a revelation. How many times have we changed our tune because someone from on the outside came in and we decided that it was not cool to be a Christian? What did we do? We compromised our stand for God to appease someone that we in all likelihood do not even know and for someone who could care less about what we stood for. In a lot of cases people who take no thought for God still respect those who do take a stand for God!
David knew the truth; he knew that even fools, those who say in their hearts that there is no God, even fools mock those who refuse to be steadfast in their faith. Here is a true statement. People may not agree with your Christian commitment, but they will respect you for it and when something happens in their lives and they need someone to lean on, you may well be the first person that they turn to. Even fools know that it is foolish to fail to stand on one's principles, especially when those principles are faith based.
Perhaps one of the reasons God is not able to do more with us as a nation is because we are too careful not to offend someone or make them feel uncomfortable with talk about sin and salvation and heaven and hell and mercy and. We have become so self-conscious that we are no spiritual good. We are so afraid that we are going to say something or do something that will either offend someone else or embarrass us. Either way, we have refused to be the people that God wants us to be in this God forsaken land that we are now living in.
The fools are laughing tonight because they are winning the battle for the minds and lives of our children and our adults who so much want to be politically correct. Because we stand for nothing, we are falling for anything and everything. Because we refuse to stand for some things, we are falling for so much more. We are living in a world that is running out of control and it looks like any hope for much of a future is dim at best. If America continues down this road of moral and spiritual degradation that it is on, and we experience as much change in the next 10 years as we have in the past 10 years, this land will not be fit for man nor beast!
We need to take a stand and stand with God and stand for God and let the fool laugh in his own folly or better yet smile at his discovery that there really is a God who does love Him with an everlasting love!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Righteous Forsaken Psalm 37:25
25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
A man who loves the Lord is a man who is a delight to the Lord. A man who loves the Lord is a man who delights in his life and his life is a delight to those around him. Even though we may love the Lord with all our heart, we are still going to fail Him. David knows the agony of failing God and he knows it well. He also knows that God is merciful and forgiving to those who love Him. David is a man who is described as a man after God's own heart. Even though he did things that were contrary to God's will and God's way, God's hand was still upon him and His hand still protected him and provided for him in due time. David is living testimony to the mercy of God to those that love Him.
David goes on to say, "25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." In all of David's life, he never saw God fail to provide for His own. "God has always been faithful" David would say to us today. "I have seen a lot. I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor His children begging for bread."
26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his children are blessed. 27Depart from evil, and do good; and live for evermore. Who are the righteous? The righteous are those who depart from evil and do good. They are those whose steps are ordered by God one decision at a time. The righteous are those who are obedient to His will and His instruction and His direction for their lives. The righteous are those who do not choose when to be obedient and when to ignore God's instructions. The righteous are those who do not accept partial obedience as a mark of acceptance where God is concerned.
The righteous are those who are blessed by God and are never forsaken. It is not difficult to be included in that group. All we have to do is determine to walk with God one decision at a time, giving Him His way in our lives without compromise or exception and He will honor that kind of commitment to Him without exception.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Rest in the Lord Psalm 37:7
7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Isn't it easy to get impatient with life? We go along and we want happiness and peace and contentment and we are willing to do almost anything to get it. It is so tempting to watch the people around us as they are following the way of the world and it looks like they are prospering just fine. David watched those kinds of people go through life taking no real regard for God or His ways and their lives seemed to be so good compared to his. He walked with God and he loved God with all his heart and his life was filled with strife and danger and for a long time there was very little peace and contentment in his life at all.
Yet David's advice is, "rest in the Lord and wait patiently on Him." Why should we wait? Why shouldn't we reach out and grab all the gusto that life has to offer just like everybody else does? Does God want us to suffer? Does He not want our lives to be filled with happiness and prosperity and blessings? Yes, God does want our lives to be filled to overflowing. He has a path picked out for us to walk where those blessings and those provisions can be found. The path is accessible through obedience to His instructions. When we circumvent those instructions and those directions that He has given to us for a reason, then we may delay His ability to bless us the way that He wants to bless us.
We can follow the way of the world and indulge in it as it may seem right to do in our own minds, but that way will catch up to us. We may choose to do things our way instead of His way and we may even seem to prosper for a season but the day will come when that season will end and we will find ourselves empty and our lives headed in the wrong direction.
We need to learn to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. We need to determine in our hearts and in our minds that we are going to stand with Him no matter what. It is that kind of determination and commitment that God is looking for and it is that kind of life God will bless exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or hope for!
Isn't it easy to get impatient with life? We go along and we want happiness and peace and contentment and we are willing to do almost anything to get it. It is so tempting to watch the people around us as they are following the way of the world and it looks like they are prospering just fine. David watched those kinds of people go through life taking no real regard for God or His ways and their lives seemed to be so good compared to his. He walked with God and he loved God with all his heart and his life was filled with strife and danger and for a long time there was very little peace and contentment in his life at all.
Yet David's advice is, "rest in the Lord and wait patiently on Him." Why should we wait? Why shouldn't we reach out and grab all the gusto that life has to offer just like everybody else does? Does God want us to suffer? Does He not want our lives to be filled with happiness and prosperity and blessings? Yes, God does want our lives to be filled to overflowing. He has a path picked out for us to walk where those blessings and those provisions can be found. The path is accessible through obedience to His instructions. When we circumvent those instructions and those directions that He has given to us for a reason, then we may delay His ability to bless us the way that He wants to bless us.
We can follow the way of the world and indulge in it as it may seem right to do in our own minds, but that way will catch up to us. We may choose to do things our way instead of His way and we may even seem to prosper for a season but the day will come when that season will end and we will find ourselves empty and our lives headed in the wrong direction.
We need to learn to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. We need to determine in our hearts and in our minds that we are going to stand with Him no matter what. It is that kind of determination and commitment that God is looking for and it is that kind of life God will bless exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or hope for!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Desires of Your Heart Psalm 37:4
4Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Our scripture passage for today is a promise from the word of God that we can build and base our lives upon. Trust in God brings us the desires of our heart. When we place our trust in Him, He is able to do for us what He wants to do. As He is able to meet our needs and supply our joy, our desires will be met.
The desires of our heart are really joy, peace and contentment. How we achieve those things is a matter of choice that we must make. Our lives are the result of the choices that we make. Trusting God makes life really simple. We trust God and we walk where He tells us to walk and He is able to meet our needs and fight our battles and give us life that is everything that He intended for it to be. When we make the right choices and look to the real source of life, joy, peace and happiness permeate our lives.
When we choose to disobey God and we do things our way instead of His way, He is limited in His ability to do what He really wants to do for us. We end up working so hard trying to have the things that we think will give us this peace, joy and happiness. So often, we find ourselves in this endless cycle trying to work harder to have more to be happy and the more we get the more we want and the cycle never seems to bring us the satisfaction that we so much want.
The reason this is true is simple. God created us with the desire for peace, joy and happiness. He made us that way so He could fill that need. He is the only One who can efficiently and effectively fill that void. When we fail to trust Him, we lose the ability to have those needs met.
Commit your way to the Lord and trust Him and He shall bring this to pass. He is the only one who can bring it to pass. We can try on our own but we will not be able to find the desires of our heart. The world cannot supply it. Many men have tried to find answers to questions of life in the world but the answer always comes back the same conclusion that Solomon made, "All that the world has to offer is vanity or emptiness." The only thing that can satisfy is that which the Lord is able to do in us and for us. What He does is always satisfying for sure!
Our scripture passage for today is a promise from the word of God that we can build and base our lives upon. Trust in God brings us the desires of our heart. When we place our trust in Him, He is able to do for us what He wants to do. As He is able to meet our needs and supply our joy, our desires will be met.
The desires of our heart are really joy, peace and contentment. How we achieve those things is a matter of choice that we must make. Our lives are the result of the choices that we make. Trusting God makes life really simple. We trust God and we walk where He tells us to walk and He is able to meet our needs and fight our battles and give us life that is everything that He intended for it to be. When we make the right choices and look to the real source of life, joy, peace and happiness permeate our lives.
When we choose to disobey God and we do things our way instead of His way, He is limited in His ability to do what He really wants to do for us. We end up working so hard trying to have the things that we think will give us this peace, joy and happiness. So often, we find ourselves in this endless cycle trying to work harder to have more to be happy and the more we get the more we want and the cycle never seems to bring us the satisfaction that we so much want.
The reason this is true is simple. God created us with the desire for peace, joy and happiness. He made us that way so He could fill that need. He is the only One who can efficiently and effectively fill that void. When we fail to trust Him, we lose the ability to have those needs met.
Commit your way to the Lord and trust Him and He shall bring this to pass. He is the only one who can bring it to pass. We can try on our own but we will not be able to find the desires of our heart. The world cannot supply it. Many men have tried to find answers to questions of life in the world but the answer always comes back the same conclusion that Solomon made, "All that the world has to offer is vanity or emptiness." The only thing that can satisfy is that which the Lord is able to do in us and for us. What He does is always satisfying for sure!
Friday, October 8, 2010
A Blessed Nation Psalm 33:1
12Blessed is the nation who's God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
This is one of the most powerful passages of scriptures in the entire Bible. What we have here is a promise to any nation that chooses to follow the instructions of the Lord. God says, "that nation shall be blessed." America is proof that this passage of scripture has validity. America is one of the youngest nations in the world but she is the most blessed nation in the history of the world. It was not by chance that America became the industrial giant that it became. It was not by mere chance that America became the military power that it became in such a short time. It was not mere chance that America became the financial leader in the free world that it has become. America has prospered and she has protected her borders because God said some 2500 years ago, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
Was America perfect? No. Did America create a perfect place where religious freedom was practiced and every one got along and this world flourished? "Yes" and "no". America was far from perfect. Religious liberty in the early days was poorly defined partially practiced. The early church in America made some terrible mistakes. Political leaders were corrupt and communities sought every advantage they could get from anyone they thought they could manipulate and conspire with and conspire against.
America was not founded by godly men; America was founded upon Godly principles. America was founded upon the principle, "One Nation Under God". The Constitution of the United States was framed with religious liberty and religious influence in mind. Imperfect as it all has been, it was clear from the very first days of America's existence, that she was destined to greatness. When America was founded upon the principles of the Word of God, and God was given a place of prominence in its foundation, God honored that foundation by keeping His Word found in this passage of scripture.
In all of her mistakes and in all of America's failures to be a Christian nation, she was recognized around the world as such and that is why God has blessed her as He has. God will do the same thing to a church that makes a commitment to walk with the Lord. I believe that He blesses the individual who gives himself totally and completely to the Lord. Commitment begins in an individual. Remember Psalm 1:1, where God's Word says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord." When we choose to walk with the Lord, God is able to bless that individual, which blesses his community. As God moves in that community, He is able to reach out to others and they will want to organize and promote the things of God to other communities and as they choose to follow, their communities will be blessed. As communities are blessed, so are churches and states and the nation.
"12Blessed is the nation who's God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." It all has to start somewhere. It might as well be you and me and the time to start is today!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Consider My Troubles Psalm 31:7
7I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Have you ever gone to bed wondering how you were going to make it though the next day? Have you ever had pressures coming from everywhere and you felt as if life was closed in on you and there was no where to go? David knew that kind of pressure. Even though he was God's chosen, and God's hand was upon his life, he knew the pressures of life and the difficulties that life can throw at us. David spent a number of years running from men who sought to kill him. He spent several years running from King Saul and his army. There was a bounty on his head. He had trouble sleeping at night. His life was far from a storybook experience.
Listen to David as he cries out for God to help him. "I trust You Lord, never let me be ashamed. Deliver me in Your righteousness. Hear me" David cries out! "Deliver me speedily. Pull me out of the net that they have laid for me." David is experiencing the difficulties of life. He needs help and he needs help now. David does what we need to do. He carries his burdens and his troubles to the Lord, who is his strength and his rock and his fortress. Listen to David, "5Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth." David laid his life into his Father's hands. Jesus did the same thing on the cross at Calvary.
It is in the crucible of difficulty that our true character comes out. When we can reach up and take the Lord by the hand in times of difficulty and walk with Him and trust Him to be our rock and our fortress and allow Him to be our protection and our provider no matter what obstacles we may face, then we will find peace that passes all understanding because God will deliver us just as He delivered David and so many others so many times. God wants us to take Him by the hand and walk through life with our hand firmly locked into His. When we are willing to do that, there is nothing that shall ever be able to snatch our hand out of His! Nothing!
David prayed to God, "Consider my troubles" and God did exactly what David asked Him to do. He will do the same for you and for me if we will just ask Him to do so.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Give Unto the Lord Psalm 29:1
1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
How many times do we read words or sing songs without really thinking about what we have just read or sung? Look at the passage above one more time and ask yourself the question, "What does this mean? What does it mean to give glory and strength to the Lord? Who are the 'mighty' that can give strength to the Lord? What does it mean to give God the glory that He is due?"
How did you answer those questions? It is so important that we learn to give God what He wants from us so that He can give us what He wants us to have. God wants our devotion and obedience so that He can bless us and fight our battles and meet our needs and make our lives everything that He so much wants them to be. It is so important for us to understand why this is as important to God as it is.
What does it mean to "give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, glory and strength?" How can we give God strength? How can we give Him glory? We know that He gives us His strength and He gives us His glory and without Him there is neither. How can we give Him these things?
We give God strength and glory as we give Him the opportunity to be those things in our lives. As we are obedient to His directions for our lives, we place ourselves in a position where He can do the things for us that has had planned to do. God has longed for all eternity to have fellowship with us in a way that He could shower us and cover us with His abounding riches and His abundant love.
As we surrender our wills to His will, His strength is made perfect in us. What good is it to be able to do great things for those that we love, if we do not do them? Have you ever asked yourself the question, "Why are the ultra rich so miserable in life?" The answer is really very simple. They have so much to do so much with but because they are not willing to share what they have and willing to do things for others, many times they are absolutely miserable.
In a similar sense, the same could be said of God. We have to understand that the greatest joy that God gets out of our lives, comes when He is able to shower us with His blessings. God is His happiest when He is able to look into our eyes and see into our hearts and know that we are filled to overflowing because of the things that He has been able to do for us. The greatest sorrow that He gets, next to an individual dying without Christ in His heart, is Him watching us pay such a high cost for such low living. It grieves God's heart to watch us labor so hard trying to have the things that we think will bring us happiness when all along all we need to do is look to Jesus!
Give God strength and glory today by allowing His will to be your will and by being obedient to Him with each and every decision that you make and watch and see His strength and His glory permeate your whole being.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Bless Your Inheritance Psalm 28:9
9Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
David knows that God has heard his cries and has given ear to his requests. He knows that God has not only heard his prayers, but He has responded! Because of all that the Lord has done in his life, David can say, "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts Him and I am helped and my heart rejoices and my songs will praise Him." We can say the same thing with David if we will but take a brief inventory of our lives and realize that it is God that has brought us safely to the place where we are in our lives. God has indeed been faithful to us all! He has been merciful to us, undeserving as we all have been.
David's heart is full. David wants the people of Israel to come to know God in all of His majesty and His glory. He wants the people to experience God in all of His splendor and His power. David wants them to know first hand the joy of God's protection and His provisions. He wants their lives to filled with overflowing just as his life has been.
David writes, "Save Your people and bless Your inheritance." What a wonderful thought it is to know that we are God's inheritance. We are His inheritance because of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are His inheritance because of Jesus. This is important for us to remember because this was a conscious and calculated choice that God made long before the first star was placed in the sky. Everything that God created He created for our benefit.
The entire universe is created in such a way that life would be possible on earth. We are God's inheritance. He created us to bless us and to lift us up forever and ever. God has and will continue to do His part. All He asks us to do is to walk with Him and be His people so that He can be our God and bless us exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or hope for.
Like David, we are indeed so wonderfully blessed! With our whole heart we all ought to rejoice and sing songs of praise to our God who has loved us with an everlasting love and has done so much for us that we might have life and have it more abundantly! The real blessing is that the more we give ourselves to Him the more that He is able to give of Himself to us!
God bless your inheritance!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Strength of My Life Psalm 27:1
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
David had been through the trials of life. He knew the feeling of having his life hunted like an animal. He knew the feeling of lying down at night and not being able to sleep because someone was trying to kill him. However, as bad as things got, David knew that the Lord was with him and that the hand of the Lord was there protecting him all along the way. No matter how strong his enemy seemed to be, God always brought David through the storm.
He knew that God was his light and his salvation. David knew that without the Lord he was nothing. He knew that it was God who had protected him and he knew that God would continue to protect him. The only thing David would say that he had to fear was the Lord Himself. As long as David walked with the Lord and walked in His way, then David knew that his life would be safe and secure and filled with all the fullness of God. What more could he really want out of life?
He had seen enough in his life to know that it was only what God did for him that mattered and everything else was either a distraction or a deterrent to life. David's sole desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. He owed God his life. Had it not been for God's guiding hand in his life, he would not have made it. David knew that God still had so much more for his life as well. David wanted to be in God's house for His protection and He wanted to stay in God's house for His provisions.
Just as God had provided for him in the past, so would He continue to do in the future and David knew that there was nothing in life more fulfilling than being where God wanted him to be. So, David's prayer was simple; "4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life."
May this be our prayer as well, that we would dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives as David did. God wants to bless our socks off. He wants our lives to be filled with all the fullness that only He could give. All we have to do is simply walk with God one decision at a time; allowing His truth and His way to be our way. When we do that, He is able to do all that He has planned for us and our lives will be filled with joy and happiness and our cup will indeed run over for days and weeks and even years to come!
God is so good.
David had been through the trials of life. He knew the feeling of having his life hunted like an animal. He knew the feeling of lying down at night and not being able to sleep because someone was trying to kill him. However, as bad as things got, David knew that the Lord was with him and that the hand of the Lord was there protecting him all along the way. No matter how strong his enemy seemed to be, God always brought David through the storm.
He knew that God was his light and his salvation. David knew that without the Lord he was nothing. He knew that it was God who had protected him and he knew that God would continue to protect him. The only thing David would say that he had to fear was the Lord Himself. As long as David walked with the Lord and walked in His way, then David knew that his life would be safe and secure and filled with all the fullness of God. What more could he really want out of life?
He had seen enough in his life to know that it was only what God did for him that mattered and everything else was either a distraction or a deterrent to life. David's sole desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. He owed God his life. Had it not been for God's guiding hand in his life, he would not have made it. David knew that God still had so much more for his life as well. David wanted to be in God's house for His protection and He wanted to stay in God's house for His provisions.
Just as God had provided for him in the past, so would He continue to do in the future and David knew that there was nothing in life more fulfilling than being where God wanted him to be. So, David's prayer was simple; "4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life."
May this be our prayer as well, that we would dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives as David did. God wants to bless our socks off. He wants our lives to be filled with all the fullness that only He could give. All we have to do is simply walk with God one decision at a time; allowing His truth and His way to be our way. When we do that, He is able to do all that He has planned for us and our lives will be filled with joy and happiness and our cup will indeed run over for days and weeks and even years to come!
God is so good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)