Psalm 27: 4
The one thing I ask of the Lord--the one thing I seek most--is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His temple.
David's heart was true to the Lord, he is called, "a man after God's own heart." This verse tells us one of the major reasons God said that of him.
David wanted to concentrate on the Lord with no other considerations to occupy his mind, but, of course, he couldn't. But He wanted to. He couldn't spend all his time in the Tabernacle because he was the king over the nation, and needed to attend to all the matters of state. But I'm sure his mind was on what the Lord wanted him to do, even if he wasn't in the Temple. Most of the time.
I know David wasn't perfect, and didn't consult the Lord for every decision he needed to make every day, because we're told about some of his poor choices, and the consequences.
But he is still a good example of one who we may want as a life model. His heart, for the most part, did belong to the Lord.
O my Father, may my heart belong to You! Let me live in Your house: Your thoughts, Your path for my feet. Let me not turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither trying to control others nor withdrawing into isolation. Allow me to participate, or at least observe, and keep out of Your way in Your workings in others' lives, especially my adult children's.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Nothing Can Compare
Proverbs 8: 10-11
Choose My instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.
O my Father in Heaven, You truly are much more desirable than any form of riches or wealth this World can provide. Your value is far above any precious gem or substance of this Earth.
Knowing You gives my life so much more value than any manner of fame or notoriety this World can offer. You Who made all these things, for our use, are far more; more than more--You are completely and absolutely other than everything You have created.
Knowing You and loving You gives value and purpose to the few days You have seen fit to grant me on this Earth. Your wisdom and understanding enlighten my eyes to perceive Your glory, Your beauty, in all You have made and in how You are working Your great Plan of the Ages. You are using the details of my life and every other individual life, working them all together as threads, strands of color, You are weaving into a great, grand Tapestry to be displayed through all eternity for Your glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Choose My instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.
O my Father in Heaven, You truly are much more desirable than any form of riches or wealth this World can provide. Your value is far above any precious gem or substance of this Earth.
Knowing You gives my life so much more value than any manner of fame or notoriety this World can offer. You Who made all these things, for our use, are far more; more than more--You are completely and absolutely other than everything You have created.
Knowing You and loving You gives value and purpose to the few days You have seen fit to grant me on this Earth. Your wisdom and understanding enlighten my eyes to perceive Your glory, Your beauty, in all You have made and in how You are working Your great Plan of the Ages. You are using the details of my life and every other individual life, working them all together as threads, strands of color, You are weaving into a great, grand Tapestry to be displayed through all eternity for Your glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, October 9, 2017
The Best Pathway
Psalm 32: 8
The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."
God knows the best path of life for each one of us. If only we will submit to His Lordship over us, letting Him love us with His enormous love, and in loving Him in return, following His ways; then He will guide us, advise us, and watch over us.
Repeatedly in the Bible I've seen that we are to "be careful" to recognize God's ways, to "pay attention" to everything He says and what He means by it, scattered all through the whole body of Scripture.
So we will never just "fall into" doing what is right, we need to take care and be aware. Every time I find myself going on "automatic," that's when I have troubles and sorrows and difficulties. Then I need to confess to God what I've done and turn back around to observing His ways, the principles He based all His Laws upon.
I know that it's possible for me to miss the great things God has planned for me to do to further His great Plan of the Ages toward His Kingdom; I read about Israel's first king, King Saul, and how he did what was just little things that were not what God told him to do, and he missed out on tremendous blessing that he was never even aware of while he lived (see I Samuel 13:13-14). God wanted to set up a dynasty for Jesus to come through, but when King Saul listened to his "good sense" and yielded to "the people" instead of fully obeying what God told him to do, he missed this great benefit, and God chose another man for that role.
If I don't do what He wants me to accomplish, then He will just choose someone else to do it. But I will lose out on what He wants for me. Nothing I can do will ever interfere with or deter God's Plan, He will see that it is carried out. But I will miss out on great blessing if I'm not "careful" to "pay attention" to all the little things He is directing me to do as He guides me along the path. All the little things build into the great thing.
O my Father, Your love to me is better than anything I can ask for, think of, or even imagine. Because You love me, You are leading me along Your path set before me; Your plans for me are for my good, so that when others see all the good You do for me, they will be drawn to You, and You will receive all the credit, all the glory and honor for all You are doing in my life.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."
God knows the best path of life for each one of us. If only we will submit to His Lordship over us, letting Him love us with His enormous love, and in loving Him in return, following His ways; then He will guide us, advise us, and watch over us.
Repeatedly in the Bible I've seen that we are to "be careful" to recognize God's ways, to "pay attention" to everything He says and what He means by it, scattered all through the whole body of Scripture.
So we will never just "fall into" doing what is right, we need to take care and be aware. Every time I find myself going on "automatic," that's when I have troubles and sorrows and difficulties. Then I need to confess to God what I've done and turn back around to observing His ways, the principles He based all His Laws upon.
I know that it's possible for me to miss the great things God has planned for me to do to further His great Plan of the Ages toward His Kingdom; I read about Israel's first king, King Saul, and how he did what was just little things that were not what God told him to do, and he missed out on tremendous blessing that he was never even aware of while he lived (see I Samuel 13:13-14). God wanted to set up a dynasty for Jesus to come through, but when King Saul listened to his "good sense" and yielded to "the people" instead of fully obeying what God told him to do, he missed this great benefit, and God chose another man for that role.
If I don't do what He wants me to accomplish, then He will just choose someone else to do it. But I will lose out on what He wants for me. Nothing I can do will ever interfere with or deter God's Plan, He will see that it is carried out. But I will miss out on great blessing if I'm not "careful" to "pay attention" to all the little things He is directing me to do as He guides me along the path. All the little things build into the great thing.
O my Father, Your love to me is better than anything I can ask for, think of, or even imagine. Because You love me, You are leading me along Your path set before me; Your plans for me are for my good, so that when others see all the good You do for me, they will be drawn to You, and You will receive all the credit, all the glory and honor for all You are doing in my life.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, October 8, 2017
The Joy Set Before Him
Matthew 26: 32
But after I have been raised from the dead...
Hebrews 12: 2
... But for the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross. ...
Jesus knew that the only way to win us back to Himself was to sacrifice Himself; to suffer a most gruesome and horrendously painful death; but more--to be actually separated from His Father while He "became sin for us." This anguish of soul is incomprehensible to me!
Yet through it all He was sustained and strengthened by that sure hope that He would be successful, accomplishing the purpose for which He was born, and be "raised from the dead." Even making a date with His disciples to meet with them, at a specific date and time and place. That's confidence.
That "joy set before Him" was the answer to His High Priestly Prayer, that we could be with Him where He is (John 17:24). He came down here to be with us where we are, now He wants us to be with Him where He lives. He knew that, as the Lamb of God He would wash away our sins completely with His Blood.
The blood of all the Old Testament sacrifices could not take away sins, only cover them (Hebrews 10:4). So they could be forgiven, but still could not go to Heaven, but to the Place of the Dead, Sheol. Jesus described this place as having two areas, a Paradise side and a fire side (in Luke 16:19-31, The Rich Man and Lazarus). He told the "good thief" being crucified beside Him that "today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). While His body was in the tomb He went down to this Paradise to gather all those there who had let their sacrifices take their place in death, to bring them to Heaven, as His Blood had now cleansed them (Colossians 2:15).
Jesus has now finished all the work of Salvation for us, available to every single person alive. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross. We all deserve death, by just having been born in the line of Adam (John 3:18).
Having that sin-nature causes us to make the poor choices to do what is convenient, or what we don't think we'll get caught at; or just thinking that we can make our own decisions in life without considering God, leaving Him out of our lives.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9); that every person would realize that they deserve death, and turn around (repent) to recognize that Jesus died in their place. Then they will be cleansed and made suitable to be with Jesus in Heaven. That's the only way.
He's the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But after I have been raised from the dead...
Hebrews 12: 2
... But for the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross. ...
Jesus knew that the only way to win us back to Himself was to sacrifice Himself; to suffer a most gruesome and horrendously painful death; but more--to be actually separated from His Father while He "became sin for us." This anguish of soul is incomprehensible to me!
Yet through it all He was sustained and strengthened by that sure hope that He would be successful, accomplishing the purpose for which He was born, and be "raised from the dead." Even making a date with His disciples to meet with them, at a specific date and time and place. That's confidence.
That "joy set before Him" was the answer to His High Priestly Prayer, that we could be with Him where He is (John 17:24). He came down here to be with us where we are, now He wants us to be with Him where He lives. He knew that, as the Lamb of God He would wash away our sins completely with His Blood.
The blood of all the Old Testament sacrifices could not take away sins, only cover them (Hebrews 10:4). So they could be forgiven, but still could not go to Heaven, but to the Place of the Dead, Sheol. Jesus described this place as having two areas, a Paradise side and a fire side (in Luke 16:19-31, The Rich Man and Lazarus). He told the "good thief" being crucified beside Him that "today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). While His body was in the tomb He went down to this Paradise to gather all those there who had let their sacrifices take their place in death, to bring them to Heaven, as His Blood had now cleansed them (Colossians 2:15).
Jesus has now finished all the work of Salvation for us, available to every single person alive. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross. We all deserve death, by just having been born in the line of Adam (John 3:18).
Having that sin-nature causes us to make the poor choices to do what is convenient, or what we don't think we'll get caught at; or just thinking that we can make our own decisions in life without considering God, leaving Him out of our lives.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (II Peter 3:9); that every person would realize that they deserve death, and turn around (repent) to recognize that Jesus died in their place. Then they will be cleansed and made suitable to be with Jesus in Heaven. That's the only way.
He's the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, October 7, 2017
God's Description Of Himself
Exodus 34: 6-7, 14
The Lord passed by him and proclaimed, "Yahweh, The Lord God, the God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren, the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth generations. ... You must worship no other gods, for the Lord [Yahweh], Whose very Name is Jealous, is a God Who is jealous about His relationship with you."
God will not share with any other any of His worthiness to receive adoration. He must be first, He must be recognized as the Only One Who deserves to be worshiped and adored.
He alone is our Self-Existent One Who has designed and made everything that is by creating it, everything else that exists other than Himself. He is our Owner and Master by Creation. He is also our Owner and Master by purchase, when Jesus bought the whole World by fulfilling the Corporate Sacrifice (Leviticus 4:13-21. I believe He will fulfill the Day of Atonement [Leviticus 16:29-34] at His Return.) As our Owner, He is our rightful Judge.
Jesus also fulfilled the first Sacrifice every person was to bring, the Personal Sacrifice, listed first in the Book of Sacrifices, Leviticus.
So Jesus died for each of us for Salvation, and for all of us for Judgment.
O my Father, You are the very God Who is filled with love and faithfulness to send Your Son to take upon Himself the death each of us deserves, to suffer Your wrath for our sins in our place; and Who is also just and will call the guilty to account to the third and fourth generation of those who refuse to admit their culpability before You in deserving death.
Thank You for calling me to Yourself, granting me the gift of faith to believe You and put my trust in You to accomplish everything You have said You would do. Thank You for forgiving me and cleansing me in the precious Blood that washes away every stain inside and out. Thank you for giving me Your Holy Spirit, placing Him into my spirit to make it alive and teach me everything I need to know from Your Word to live my life following Your will for me.
You are so good, Father, and so generous with Your blessings to us all. I don't understand other people who don't recognize You, who don't see Your goodness and Your greatness and Your authority over them; who choose the darkness over Your wonderful Light (John 3:19-20).
I praise You, Father, for Your justice in judging those who refuse You, those who hate You, and those who want to destroy Your people. You are just, and Your justice will prevail.
Thank You for Your glory, Your love, Your faithfulness, Your power, and Your wisdom. Thank You for Your great Plan of the Ages, which no one is able to defy or deter. Thank You that You are working out Your Plan in this World, upon this Earth that belongs to You. Thank You that Your Plan will give You all the credit, all the glory, as it plays out to the good of Your children here. Thank You.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
The Lord passed by him and proclaimed, "Yahweh, The Lord God, the God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren, the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth generations. ... You must worship no other gods, for the Lord [Yahweh], Whose very Name is Jealous, is a God Who is jealous about His relationship with you."
God will not share with any other any of His worthiness to receive adoration. He must be first, He must be recognized as the Only One Who deserves to be worshiped and adored.
He alone is our Self-Existent One Who has designed and made everything that is by creating it, everything else that exists other than Himself. He is our Owner and Master by Creation. He is also our Owner and Master by purchase, when Jesus bought the whole World by fulfilling the Corporate Sacrifice (Leviticus 4:13-21. I believe He will fulfill the Day of Atonement [Leviticus 16:29-34] at His Return.) As our Owner, He is our rightful Judge.
Jesus also fulfilled the first Sacrifice every person was to bring, the Personal Sacrifice, listed first in the Book of Sacrifices, Leviticus.
So Jesus died for each of us for Salvation, and for all of us for Judgment.
O my Father, You are the very God Who is filled with love and faithfulness to send Your Son to take upon Himself the death each of us deserves, to suffer Your wrath for our sins in our place; and Who is also just and will call the guilty to account to the third and fourth generation of those who refuse to admit their culpability before You in deserving death.
Thank You for calling me to Yourself, granting me the gift of faith to believe You and put my trust in You to accomplish everything You have said You would do. Thank You for forgiving me and cleansing me in the precious Blood that washes away every stain inside and out. Thank you for giving me Your Holy Spirit, placing Him into my spirit to make it alive and teach me everything I need to know from Your Word to live my life following Your will for me.
You are so good, Father, and so generous with Your blessings to us all. I don't understand other people who don't recognize You, who don't see Your goodness and Your greatness and Your authority over them; who choose the darkness over Your wonderful Light (John 3:19-20).
I praise You, Father, for Your justice in judging those who refuse You, those who hate You, and those who want to destroy Your people. You are just, and Your justice will prevail.
Thank You for Your glory, Your love, Your faithfulness, Your power, and Your wisdom. Thank You for Your great Plan of the Ages, which no one is able to defy or deter. Thank You that You are working out Your Plan in this World, upon this Earth that belongs to You. Thank You that Your Plan will give You all the credit, all the glory, as it plays out to the good of Your children here. Thank You.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Friday, October 6, 2017
Radiance Of The Glory Of The Lord
Exodus 33:19-20
The Lord replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out My Name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at My face, for no one may see Me and live."
So God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand (v. 22), and Moses was permitted to hear the grand procession, and see Yahweh from behind, as He passed by. (Our human eyes cannot even look at the Sun without damage--looking directly at Yahweh would probably burn us up!)
And when Moses came down from the mountain, he didn't realize it, but his face glowed with the radiance of the Glory of the Lord (v. 29).
O my Father in Heaven, as Moses' face shone with Your glory, having been in Your very presence, may my life also shine with the radiance of Your glory as I spend time in Your presence each day.
May Your Light shine through my attitudes and thinking processes and the decisions I make to do what needs to be done each day. Let others see Your Light in my life, and be drawn to Your glorious radiance, Your love and compassion, Your mercy and grace.
Make my life a channel of Your blessings and Your light shining through me to draw others to You out of their misery and sorrow.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out My Name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at My face, for no one may see Me and live."
So God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand (v. 22), and Moses was permitted to hear the grand procession, and see Yahweh from behind, as He passed by. (Our human eyes cannot even look at the Sun without damage--looking directly at Yahweh would probably burn us up!)
And when Moses came down from the mountain, he didn't realize it, but his face glowed with the radiance of the Glory of the Lord (v. 29).
O my Father in Heaven, as Moses' face shone with Your glory, having been in Your very presence, may my life also shine with the radiance of Your glory as I spend time in Your presence each day.
May Your Light shine through my attitudes and thinking processes and the decisions I make to do what needs to be done each day. Let others see Your Light in my life, and be drawn to Your glorious radiance, Your love and compassion, Your mercy and grace.
Make my life a channel of Your blessings and Your light shining through me to draw others to You out of their misery and sorrow.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, October 5, 2017
A Clean Heart
Psalm 51: 10, 12
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Renew a right spirit within me.
Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation,
And make me willing to obey You.
I cannot clean my own heart, I can only reform my actions. Only God can reach into my inward parts and cleanse away all the stains on my heart by washing me in the blood of Christ. Only God can renew my human spirit, by giving me His Spirit to live there.
Then when I am clean in and out, that's when God's salvation creates joy in my heart. As I reflect on all God has done for me that I would never be able to do for myself, in His mercy and grace, then His love for me prompts me to love Him back, and to want to do what He wants me to do.
Philippians 2: 13
For it is God Who works in you both to will and to act according to His good purpose.
This is how He works in my life. I think about Who God is, what He has done, and what He has accomplished for me in my life. And my response is, I want to know more about His ways: how I can think like He thinks, to do what I need to do each day in light of how He would have me do it, or say it, or feel it. This is God working in me.
I know that in myself, before God found me, I thought that I could make my own decisions, that I didn't need anyone to tell me what to do; I was smart, I could do it all myself.
Now I know that I know nothing! I only know that God knows, and I trust Him to lead me through this darkness I can't see into, with His light of Truth. It's a narrow path, but as long as I keep my hand in His, He won't let me slip off that path into a ditch on the right hand or on the left. And He shines His Light on all the rocks and potholes to avoid, step by step each day.
It's when I try to go my own way that I always get into trouble. So I just turn around, back to Him, and He forgives me, washes my feet again, and shows me how to get back to His path for me.
O my Father, in spite of all my rebellion, You have had mercy on me to not give me the punishment I deserve, but to pour out Your grace upon me, giving me all the goodness and rightness of Your Son. It is You alone Who is due all the credit for everything that is pleasant or beautiful in me.
Please continue to create in me that clean heart, removing all the stony places that still try to deceive me, so that the wellsprings of my life will flow with Your graciousness and lovingkindness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Renew a right spirit within me.
Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation,
And make me willing to obey You.
I cannot clean my own heart, I can only reform my actions. Only God can reach into my inward parts and cleanse away all the stains on my heart by washing me in the blood of Christ. Only God can renew my human spirit, by giving me His Spirit to live there.
Then when I am clean in and out, that's when God's salvation creates joy in my heart. As I reflect on all God has done for me that I would never be able to do for myself, in His mercy and grace, then His love for me prompts me to love Him back, and to want to do what He wants me to do.
Philippians 2: 13
For it is God Who works in you both to will and to act according to His good purpose.
This is how He works in my life. I think about Who God is, what He has done, and what He has accomplished for me in my life. And my response is, I want to know more about His ways: how I can think like He thinks, to do what I need to do each day in light of how He would have me do it, or say it, or feel it. This is God working in me.
I know that in myself, before God found me, I thought that I could make my own decisions, that I didn't need anyone to tell me what to do; I was smart, I could do it all myself.
Now I know that I know nothing! I only know that God knows, and I trust Him to lead me through this darkness I can't see into, with His light of Truth. It's a narrow path, but as long as I keep my hand in His, He won't let me slip off that path into a ditch on the right hand or on the left. And He shines His Light on all the rocks and potholes to avoid, step by step each day.
It's when I try to go my own way that I always get into trouble. So I just turn around, back to Him, and He forgives me, washes my feet again, and shows me how to get back to His path for me.
O my Father, in spite of all my rebellion, You have had mercy on me to not give me the punishment I deserve, but to pour out Your grace upon me, giving me all the goodness and rightness of Your Son. It is You alone Who is due all the credit for everything that is pleasant or beautiful in me.
Please continue to create in me that clean heart, removing all the stony places that still try to deceive me, so that the wellsprings of my life will flow with Your graciousness and lovingkindness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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