Proverbs 22: 11
He who loves purity of heart and whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
O my Father, You are so pure and clean and holy and righteous, I desire to be of pure heart like You, I want my every motive to be clean of any corruption; then my speech, my every word will be gracious and edifying, not selfish or defensive or self-seeking, but powerful to the building up of the hearer to draw him or her to You, my Lord.
Teach me Your ways, that my end-all and be-all will be only Your glory, that Your fragrance emanating from me will draw others to You, that all Your lost sheep will be found, and that there will be one fold and one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Take Diligent Heed
Joshua 23: 11
So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.
All through Scripture, over and over and over again we are warned to pay attention, and take heed and diligent heed, and watch out how we live our lives, that we consider the ways and lifestyles of following His rules, letting nothing get in the way between us and our God. We must focus.
It's way too easy for us to slide, whenever we relax and take our gaze off of the goal. And when we slide, we're losing ground. Backsliding. Sliding backward.
Then we need to turn around (repent) and struggle up the upward slope again.
Joshua knew that the people needed strong leadership to keep them faithful to God; And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel (24:31). So the account of Joshua ends with the people still faithful to the Lord.
But there was no more need for a strong military leader, and the people quickly fell away from serving the Lord. It seems that we as people are so weak that we do not teach our children and grandchildren sufficiently to convey to them the urgency of loving and serving only our Lord God--they have not experienced for themselves His greatness in deliverance and so are prone to going their own way, apart from God.
O my Father, show me how to convey to my own children and grandchildren their desperate need to take diligent heed to themselves to love You, our Lord and our God! Grant me Your strength, Your compassion toward them, and great pursuasion to impress their minds and hearts with the urgency of turning to You, loving You with their whole heart, and serving only You.
That You would draw them to Yourself with the understanding of how much You love them to send Your only Son to be their Sacrifice for sin, and pull them into Your own family, dear Father. Please shower upon them Your mercies and grace, that they will then worship You, the only One Who deserves our worship.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.
All through Scripture, over and over and over again we are warned to pay attention, and take heed and diligent heed, and watch out how we live our lives, that we consider the ways and lifestyles of following His rules, letting nothing get in the way between us and our God. We must focus.
It's way too easy for us to slide, whenever we relax and take our gaze off of the goal. And when we slide, we're losing ground. Backsliding. Sliding backward.
Then we need to turn around (repent) and struggle up the upward slope again.
Joshua knew that the people needed strong leadership to keep them faithful to God; And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel (24:31). So the account of Joshua ends with the people still faithful to the Lord.
But there was no more need for a strong military leader, and the people quickly fell away from serving the Lord. It seems that we as people are so weak that we do not teach our children and grandchildren sufficiently to convey to them the urgency of loving and serving only our Lord God--they have not experienced for themselves His greatness in deliverance and so are prone to going their own way, apart from God.
O my Father, show me how to convey to my own children and grandchildren their desperate need to take diligent heed to themselves to love You, our Lord and our God! Grant me Your strength, Your compassion toward them, and great pursuasion to impress their minds and hearts with the urgency of turning to You, loving You with their whole heart, and serving only You.
That You would draw them to Yourself with the understanding of how much You love them to send Your only Son to be their Sacrifice for sin, and pull them into Your own family, dear Father. Please shower upon them Your mercies and grace, that they will then worship You, the only One Who deserves our worship.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
In The Shadow Of The Almighty
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in Whom I trust!"
For it is He Who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night.
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand.
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My Name.
"He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
"With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation."
Who is it that will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty? The one who moves into the shelter of the Most High God as his home to live there.
Our God is El Elyon, the Most High; El Shaddai, God Almighty; YHWH, the Lord God Who Hates Sin and Provides Salvation; Elohim, God the Originator, Creator of All and Sustainer of All, Over All, In and Through All.
He is everything that ever has and ever will be worshipped (even though those who hate Him ascribe His attributes to demons).
Those who have taken shelter in our Good, Good Father will have His protection, His deliverance, His peace and rest. We can safely trust our all to Him.
O my Father, I seek to dwell in the shelter and shadow of Your wings. I seek Your peace and love to vanquish all fear as I behold with my own eyes a thousand falling at my side, ten thousand at my right hand; to see with my own eyes the recompense of the wicked, knowing it will not touch me. I trust You that no evil will befall me, no plague come near my tent; and I will behold Your salvation!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in Whom I trust!"
For it is He Who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night.
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand.
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My Name.
"He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
"With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation."
Who is it that will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty? The one who moves into the shelter of the Most High God as his home to live there.
Our God is El Elyon, the Most High; El Shaddai, God Almighty; YHWH, the Lord God Who Hates Sin and Provides Salvation; Elohim, God the Originator, Creator of All and Sustainer of All, Over All, In and Through All.
He is everything that ever has and ever will be worshipped (even though those who hate Him ascribe His attributes to demons).
Those who have taken shelter in our Good, Good Father will have His protection, His deliverance, His peace and rest. We can safely trust our all to Him.
O my Father, I seek to dwell in the shelter and shadow of Your wings. I seek Your peace and love to vanquish all fear as I behold with my own eyes a thousand falling at my side, ten thousand at my right hand; to see with my own eyes the recompense of the wicked, knowing it will not touch me. I trust You that no evil will befall me, no plague come near my tent; and I will behold Your salvation!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, September 10, 2018
Number Our Days
Psalm 90: 12
So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
O my Father, teach me to number my days. Teach me to understand that even though You have given me excellent physical health and my days are being directed by You as I submit my hours to Your leading; that though I have already lived an abundance of years to have attained a high number, I will not live forever in this body on this Earth.
I must get and maintain all my affairs in order in the view of leaving them behind for others, as I do not know how many more days and years You have alotted me; whether several more decades or just hours.
My husband was in most excellent health and the prognosis for his life was that he had many more years, decades to live and serve You. But You took him home to Glory very suddenly and unexpectedly from our earthly standpoint.
So I do not know Your plans for me; only that I trust You to have so much better planned for me than I could be able to plan for myself.
So please grant me a heart of Your wisdom to prepare for my end, whether it come sooner or later. And let me serve You with the love of all my heart and soul and strength all the days of my life.
Let the thoughts of my mind and the attitudes of my heart and the words of my mouth be pleasing to You, my Lord God. Continue to mold me and shape me into the very image of the character of Your dear Son, my Lord Jesus, so that You may thrill my heart with Your smile.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
O my Father, teach me to number my days. Teach me to understand that even though You have given me excellent physical health and my days are being directed by You as I submit my hours to Your leading; that though I have already lived an abundance of years to have attained a high number, I will not live forever in this body on this Earth.
I must get and maintain all my affairs in order in the view of leaving them behind for others, as I do not know how many more days and years You have alotted me; whether several more decades or just hours.
My husband was in most excellent health and the prognosis for his life was that he had many more years, decades to live and serve You. But You took him home to Glory very suddenly and unexpectedly from our earthly standpoint.
So I do not know Your plans for me; only that I trust You to have so much better planned for me than I could be able to plan for myself.
So please grant me a heart of Your wisdom to prepare for my end, whether it come sooner or later. And let me serve You with the love of all my heart and soul and strength all the days of my life.
Let the thoughts of my mind and the attitudes of my heart and the words of my mouth be pleasing to You, my Lord God. Continue to mold me and shape me into the very image of the character of Your dear Son, my Lord Jesus, so that You may thrill my heart with Your smile.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Sovereign Over Kings
Ezra Chapter 3
It is remarkable that the people who returned gathered on the first day of the seventh month and built the altar for burnt sacrifices, even before the foundation of the Temple was laid. This is the time of the last 3 Feasts: Tumpets (on the first day), then the Atonement (on the 10th), and the Booths or Tabernacles (on the 15th of the seventh month).
So they could immediately begin to offer all the burnt offerings that the Law proscribed for every day, as well as, I assume, these Feasts.
Then when the foundation was laid, there was a concert.
Chapter 4
Here comes the opposition to the Jews' building. The residents of the area (the Samaritans) wanted to help with the building of the Temple, but the leadership recognized the danger of allowing their help, as their religion wasn't pure, but a mixture with Paganism. So they incited Artaxerxes (Xerxes) to stop the work.
It was stopped for 15 years.
Chapter 5
This chapter introduces Haggai and Zechariah, God's prophets, who encouraged the people to resume building God's Temple. This prompts the local big-wigs to question them, and complain to King Darius.
Chapter 6
So Darius makes a search and finds Cyrus' decree, and he tells these big-wigs to lay off and leave them alone. And to even help them! All the costs of this building, along with the sacrifices to be done there, were to be paid by them, out of their taxes due to the Crown.
So God had the enemies to "bow down" financially to the Lord God, as ordered by King Darius, a ruler who didn't even know the Lord, but is being used by Him to further His Plan of the Ages among the Nations.
Our God is still sovereign over all the governments of this World.
So I know that I can trust Him to have us all in His hand. He is still sovereign, His Plan has never changed, and all the heads of the Nations will not be able to deter Him from His purposes for us.
He instead uses all their decisions that they "freely" make to carry us all forward in His Plan toward that final culmination when Christ returns.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
It is remarkable that the people who returned gathered on the first day of the seventh month and built the altar for burnt sacrifices, even before the foundation of the Temple was laid. This is the time of the last 3 Feasts: Tumpets (on the first day), then the Atonement (on the 10th), and the Booths or Tabernacles (on the 15th of the seventh month).
So they could immediately begin to offer all the burnt offerings that the Law proscribed for every day, as well as, I assume, these Feasts.
Then when the foundation was laid, there was a concert.
Chapter 4
Here comes the opposition to the Jews' building. The residents of the area (the Samaritans) wanted to help with the building of the Temple, but the leadership recognized the danger of allowing their help, as their religion wasn't pure, but a mixture with Paganism. So they incited Artaxerxes (Xerxes) to stop the work.
It was stopped for 15 years.
Chapter 5
This chapter introduces Haggai and Zechariah, God's prophets, who encouraged the people to resume building God's Temple. This prompts the local big-wigs to question them, and complain to King Darius.
Chapter 6
So Darius makes a search and finds Cyrus' decree, and he tells these big-wigs to lay off and leave them alone. And to even help them! All the costs of this building, along with the sacrifices to be done there, were to be paid by them, out of their taxes due to the Crown.
So God had the enemies to "bow down" financially to the Lord God, as ordered by King Darius, a ruler who didn't even know the Lord, but is being used by Him to further His Plan of the Ages among the Nations.
Our God is still sovereign over all the governments of this World.
So I know that I can trust Him to have us all in His hand. He is still sovereign, His Plan has never changed, and all the heads of the Nations will not be able to deter Him from His purposes for us.
He instead uses all their decisions that they "freely" make to carry us all forward in His Plan toward that final culmination when Christ returns.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 8, 2018
God's Program For Israel
Ezekiel 36: 21-23
God is concerned for His holy Name being profaned by Israel, so He will vindicate the holiness of My great Name ... when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.
36: 24-38
Now He tells them how he will regather them from all the Nations into which they had been scattered, into their own land. Then (at some later time?) He will regenerate them, cleansing them, giving them a new heart, and His own Spirit; then they will obey Him and God will again bless them and multiply their numbers. And everyone will know that He is Lord (Boss).
Chapter 37
The "Valley of the Dry Bones;" the reuniting of the two kingdoms, northern Israel and southern Judah, under one King, David('s successor--Jesus).
God shared with Ezekiel His plan for His people Israel, all 12 Tribes, not just the two or the ten. He had this prophet write down for us to read today, what He will do with this People that He chose so long ago.
When God gets tired of His great Name being profaned because of the state of His "chosen people," He says that He will vindicate His reputation as God by bringing all of Israel from all the Nations where they have been scattered back to their own Land.
We see this today, that Hebrew people from all over the World are coming back to that tiny piece of real estate they originally had, and they are even recognized by the other Nations as Israel.
So the first part of this prophesy has been fulfilled in our day. Now we look for God to draw these Israelis to Himself for Salvation in their promised Messiah, and for this Messiah to return to this Earth to reign over them as their King.
Jesus was born of Mary, who traced her lineage back to King David through his son Nathan; and His legal father, Joseph, the husband of Mary, traced his lineage back to King David through the regal line of kings. Impressive.
Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. when all the genealogical records were burned, only God knows the identities of the members of the 12 Tribes of Israel today.
I am constantly amazed by the accuracy of God's Word when speaking of events and happenings that would not take place until hundreds of years later, down to tiniest details! God really is God, knowing all things because He is the One doing them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
God is concerned for His holy Name being profaned by Israel, so He will vindicate the holiness of My great Name ... when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.
36: 24-38
Now He tells them how he will regather them from all the Nations into which they had been scattered, into their own land. Then (at some later time?) He will regenerate them, cleansing them, giving them a new heart, and His own Spirit; then they will obey Him and God will again bless them and multiply their numbers. And everyone will know that He is Lord (Boss).
Chapter 37
The "Valley of the Dry Bones;" the reuniting of the two kingdoms, northern Israel and southern Judah, under one King, David('s successor--Jesus).
God shared with Ezekiel His plan for His people Israel, all 12 Tribes, not just the two or the ten. He had this prophet write down for us to read today, what He will do with this People that He chose so long ago.
When God gets tired of His great Name being profaned because of the state of His "chosen people," He says that He will vindicate His reputation as God by bringing all of Israel from all the Nations where they have been scattered back to their own Land.
We see this today, that Hebrew people from all over the World are coming back to that tiny piece of real estate they originally had, and they are even recognized by the other Nations as Israel.
So the first part of this prophesy has been fulfilled in our day. Now we look for God to draw these Israelis to Himself for Salvation in their promised Messiah, and for this Messiah to return to this Earth to reign over them as their King.
Jesus was born of Mary, who traced her lineage back to King David through his son Nathan; and His legal father, Joseph, the husband of Mary, traced his lineage back to King David through the regal line of kings. Impressive.
Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. when all the genealogical records were burned, only God knows the identities of the members of the 12 Tribes of Israel today.
I am constantly amazed by the accuracy of God's Word when speaking of events and happenings that would not take place until hundreds of years later, down to tiniest details! God really is God, knowing all things because He is the One doing them.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 7, 2018
Do I Ponder Or Pour Out?
Proverbs 15: 28
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
I can't count how many times I have let my mouth run off without thinking! If only I can learn to stop, pause to think, then reply in a more appropriate way.
O my Father, please teach me Your wisdom, that I may ponder how to answer, and not just open my mouth to pour out what will not be helpful.
Put Your guard on my mouth and my tongue, that I may pause to consider my words, my answer, before I speak it.
Grant me Your discretion in my thoughts, the ideas and concepts I share and how to present them with words that are acceptable to the hearers and encouraging to their hearts.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
I can't count how many times I have let my mouth run off without thinking! If only I can learn to stop, pause to think, then reply in a more appropriate way.
O my Father, please teach me Your wisdom, that I may ponder how to answer, and not just open my mouth to pour out what will not be helpful.
Put Your guard on my mouth and my tongue, that I may pause to consider my words, my answer, before I speak it.
Grant me Your discretion in my thoughts, the ideas and concepts I share and how to present them with words that are acceptable to the hearers and encouraging to their hearts.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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