PSALMS 19
October 25, 2005
(Psa 19:1)
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Hear the words of the shepherd boy. These are the words of a man who spent the early years of his youth as a shepherd keeping his father’s flocks. Like the patriarch Abraham, he studied the night sky and found it to bear witness of God’s greatness.
Who can look at the sky and ignore the majesty of God; it is God’s handwriting and signature. The book of Genesis tells us that on the second day of creation, God made a firmament that divided the waters, and that on the fourth day, He placed lights in that firmament to give us light and give us seasons and times.
Puny man in his pride can do and say what he wants; he can write great so-called educated books in order to deny the author of these beautiful handiworks; he can attempt to change the times and seasons that God has appointed in order to confuse God’s chronology; he can crawl on the ground of the earth in his man-made environments where he does not have to look up and see the great testimony of a power that is greater than he, but all along, from the beginning of times, all around the world, whether he likes if or not, man has to follow the basic divisions of day and nigh, of the days of the weeks, months and years as God has appointed them in the beginning. He has to work his field according to the seasons that God has established; he has no power whatsoever to change any of it. While man in his arrogance boasts of his own personal power to establish his destiny, he is every day forced to obey the Maker and Planner of this great universe.
No matter how much we try to ignore God’s leading and influence in our lives, we are bound by his design. We breath by the breath that He has given us, and our heart beats at His tempo. How much happier then would we be if our lives were led in harmony with His will.
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
(Jer 10:23)
October 26, 2005
(Psa 19:2) Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
In the Beatitudes, the Lord Jesus tells us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Mat 5:8). Without the purity of the heart, all one can tend to see or hear in this world is cynicism, doubt, fear, ill motivations and evil. For us to hear the “speech” that God communicates to us daily, and to see the knowledge that He is trying to teach us in the visions of the night, we need to clean and purify our heart from its worldly content. We need to tune in to God’s station and obliterate the thoughts and concepts brought by the enemy’s static in our heart and lives.
How blessed are those people whose heart is pure, and who can see God in the events that come their way. When one’s heart is pure and cleansed, the negative elements of the day turn into opportunities and lessons learned. He can see the positive reasons why God brought them in the first place! In spite of difficulties, he can see bread in what looked like a stone. Even the visions of the night become elements of warning or instruction rather than mere empty dreams or nightmares.
Let us therefore purify ourselves of former thoughts, behaviors and attitudes and discover the purity that God has for us—His interpretation of the daily and nightly events.
(Phi 4:8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
October 27, 2005
(Psa 19:3)
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
In the beginning God put light in the firmament between the waters. He said that these lights were “to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: (Gen 1:14,15)
In their speech, language and voice, these lights of the firmament teach us of God’s great wisdom. The light of the sun is itself invisible--we only see it by the objects that reflect it. The sun’s heat also can only be felt when it is absorbed by objects in its path. In the same way, God’s love, warmth and care is manifest in those who reflect Him.
In this dark and desperate world, we can be the light and warmth of God for men everywhere if we only let Him use us as reflectors of His Love and Wisdom.
The moon itself has no light of its own, but its rocks act as reflectors. These reflectors give us the light that brightens our night sky.
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan 12:3)
Let the wisdom of God enter you so you can shine as a light in the midst of the spiritual darkness of this world. Be one of God’s reflectors. Just remember, the Light doesn’t come from you!
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
(Num 6:25-26)
October 28, 2005
Psa 19:4,5 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
From its beginning, this psalm tells us about the glory of God as shown through His handiworks. From the beginning this psalm tells us of the words uttered by the voices in the heavens and the firmament. From the beginning God created the heavens and the earth as His signature to us, and placed the heavenly bodies in the firmament of the heavens in order to tell us of his love. He placed the sun in the midst of the firmament as if it were its home, it’s tabernacle.
In the wee hours of the morning, the sun appears on the eastern horizon as the battle royal against darkness and frost. At a single glimpse of sunlight darkness flees and frigidity melts away. None can help it; none can change it--no never. All throughout the day the sun gives its warmth to all on Earth. As a strong valiant knight of light and warmth, he fights the demons of darkness and cold, forever rejoicing and feasting of his uncompromising and ever gallant victories.
How like the Sun, Jesus-Christ the Sun of Righteousness Himself lives and shines daily through the “eastern gate” of our hearts to be revered as the Son of God-- marking His unalterable victory over the demons that would keep us in the cold darkness of night !
Let Him rise each morning in the eastern sky of your soul! Let Him fight your battles as the valiant knight to whom you, his fair lady, have given your colors of devotion.
2Ch 20:17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
October 29, 2005
(Psa 19:6) His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Is anything hid from the sun? Does it withold its heat from anyone?
In its course, the sun covers the whole earth in every country.
Everyone in every country feels its warmth and reaps the food that it causes to grow.
In this psalm, the Lord is represented as the sun.
What a majestic picture! What a majestic analogy--a self-renewing and all-conquering power faithfully returning every day to give its blessings. Its mercies are new every morning .
It dries up whole countries and yet brings life to others. None control it and it answers to no one. It shines where it shines, yet we can borrow its properties.
It is exactly at the right distance and position so that the whole earth can feel it as a planet, but also every one of us as individuals.
Without it there would be no food, no heat and no color in our lives.
How much like Jesus and His Holy Spirit, the Sun is.
Just like His mercies, He is renewed to us every morning (Lam 3:22,23) regardless of our track record.
He is the King of King, answers to no one and is not bound by anyone or anything, but yet tells us to command Him (Is 45:11).
He is available for the whole earth but yet can answer our prayers on an individual basis (Jer 3:33), and He brings food, warmth and color in our lives.
Knowing all this child, be not afraid to go to him in prayers!
(Heb 4:16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
October 30, 2005
(Psa 19:7) The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The Hebrew word, “Torah”, translated to us as “Law”, actually means “Instruction”. It is therefore the instruction of the Lord that is perfect. I dare to assume every one who is a believer would agree with me that if anyone’s instruction in our lives is perfect, it is the Lord’s, and therefore it is good counsel to follow. But do we? Maybe we agree to it in words, in worship songs, in prayers; but what about in the actions of every day life?
What if the Lord would give you right now specific instructions on how to dress and not to dress in order to reflect Him better?
Or what if He told you that certain things in your diet were unhealthy or that some of your friends were detrimental to you?
What if He started to give you instructions of what you should do with your free time?
Don’t you think that these instructions would be for your best interest, and for the converting of your soul from unhealthy appetites to healthier ones?
Would you feel that the Lord is “meddling” in your “personal affairs”?
Would you follow His directives?
Do you follow those He has already given in His Word?
When one has agreed to the Instruction of the Lord in his heart and life, he doesn’t need to proclaim it with jewelry, bumper stickers or advertising tee shirts. It is evident to all who see him, because of the conversion of his lifestyle to new healthier appetites. It is a sure testimony of the Lord for the “simple” who will pass by and be advised to learn from what he sees.
“Lord, help to truly believe in your words, not with my mouth only but with my heart, soul and body.”
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
(Jam 1:22)
October 31, 2005
(Psa 19:8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Many today proclaim themselves to be teachers of the Truth of the Word of God, and maybe they are but the litmus test is that the statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart. The statutes of the Lord rejoice our heart because of their rightness. Their rightness calms the confusion of the world with their safe boundaries, soothes the hurt and pain of our heart with their balm, directs in the right way with their light, comfort our sorrow with their love, enable our weakness with their strength. If the word that you hear in an “honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15) does not bring these to you, but brings confusion, doubt, fear and a perverted sense of freedom, if they do not rejoice your heart with their rightness, they are not the statutes f the Lord.
When one has been fed by the Word of Truth, be it written or oral, he goes away full, satisfied, purified, enlightened. He can see his way better, understand his life better, his spiritual life progresses and is on the “up-swing”. He may not understand everything in his mind, but he does in his faith, so he grows!
Every once in a while one needs to ask himself, “Am I getting fed? Am I getting fed good healthy food of the spirit that promotes growth, or am I feeding on “junk-food” that only makes me fat? Am I feeding on the pure Word of God, or am I listening to flattering fables? The answer is simple, are you rejoicing and enlightened about your life, or are you confused and in the dark?
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
(1Pe 2:1-3)
November 1, 2005
(Psa 19:9) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
How different are the Lord’s judgments from the temporary corrupt reverences and loyalties that are given to the “lords” of man’s kingdom. Like the old adage says, “fame is fickle”. On the one day they acclaimed Him as a King,crying “Hosanna” in the streets of Jerusalem, only to cry “crucify Him”, and “let His blood be upon us and our children” a few days later.
By comparison, the reverence, respect and honor that we give to the Lord comes with no strings attached, neither brownie points for good behavior or flatteries. Not only it is “clean” from the impure motives of this world, but it is also cleansing.
By their truth and righteousness, God’s judgments cleanse us from our iniquity; as we revere Him, He teaches us His eternal truths that never change, and that have the power to renew our hearts.
Oh, that we may trust His judgments; that we may lean on Him as onto the strong unmovable Rock that quenched the thirst of the Children of Israel with Its Truth while they were in the dry desert! Oh, that the dry desert of our soul may be filled with the Truth, righteousness, purity and eternity of God’s judgments! Let’s open our hearts and yield our lives, our souls to Him. Allow Him to judge and assess them without fear, without reservation. Isn’t He wiser and greater than any psychologist this world could offer? Then let Him give them back to us all clean and pure.
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
(Psa 22:3-5)
November 2, 2005
(Psa 19:10) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
People have forsaken much for the prospect of wealth. During the gold rush, men left loved ones and traveled long distances to follow the potential of fortune. They invested their health, their principles, their scruples and even sometimes their faith (1 Tim 6;10), for the “precious” metal. Day after day and in all seasons, they sifted the metal from amidst the rocks for long hours. Every time they found a nugget, they got excited, shouted and rejoiced.
People continue the same trend for financial opportunities, higher paying jobs, or a more lucrative position in the company
The Law, the testimony, the Statute, the Commandment, the fear and judgment of the Lord are worth more than any riches and any gold this world can offer. They are “more precious than gold, yea than much fine gold” (Psa 19:10)
If one is serious about understanding God’s will, God’s Spirit, God’s principles, God’s love and all that pertains to Him, it will take him a lifetime of exciting and enjoyable research, just like with the one who invests his life in the pursuit of material wealth. The one who appreciates the “gold” of the spirit finds it not a sacrifice to dedicate the time and energy to sift for it amidst the “rocks” of man’s doctrines. He finds a vein of precious truth and follows it, though he may lose it for a time. In earnest faith he keeps digging until he finds it again or discovers a new one that will take him in a new and different direction. Every time he finds a nugget, or a new vein, he rejoices as one who has found a great treasure, and indeed he has found a treasure that not only makes him rich, but brings with it sweetness to his soul rather that the bitterness and emptiness left by the pursuit of the riches of this world.
(Hag 1:6) Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
(Rom 11:29)
November 3, 2005
(Psa 19:11) Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Parents have the responsibility of foreseeing danger that lies ahead due to bad decisions our children and teenagers make at times. Our children in turn often view our wise restrictions as unreasonable and untrusting. They don’t like them, they scream abuse and “bloody murder” and try every trick in the bag, lash out at us a flood of accusation used as emotional blackmail all in an attempt to make us change our mind about dating or curfew hours, music or clothing. Hopefully though, we as parents have matured from having already gone through these dangerous paths, and we are therefore meant to “share the wisdom”, and stand stoic until the storm is over.
In turn, God also gave His Laws and commandments on how we should and should not live. These go beyond obedience to the do’s and don’ts of the letter of the law, but rather try to curb attitudes such as selfishness, anger, indulgence, pride, revenge, unhealthy appetites, deceit and the likes. God warns us about these things, but oh, how we fight and try to absolve ourselves from guilt in our wise subtle and “excuse-making” ways, by acting no better than the unreasonable teenager mentioned above. It’s all so sad!
“Lord, help me to look at your Word of commandment as the light that I need to direct my path, my hands and my thoughts. In Jesus’ Name!”
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
(Psa 119:105)
November 4, 2005
(Psa 19:12) Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Hopefully, with growth and age, comes maturation and learning. The foolish dreams of childhood give way to more rational thinking; the thoughtless actions of youth are replaced by wiser conduct.
It is a sign of maturation when one can look at his past and see his errors, and it is all the more commendable when one has, learned from these errors. By contrast, it is woefully pathetic when one continues making the same mistakes time and again, not learning the lessons that life has in store for him.
The rolling of time is needed for us to be able to reflect on ourselves and reap the harvest of wisdom that life has to offer. At the very moment of our actions, when are our own judges we become like a blind man leading the blind. At that moment, we truly do not understand our errors, and what we think is “right” at the time, could be a “secret fault” that will be understood as a fault later.
Along with the passage of life, the daily feeding on the Word of God brings that light to our spirit that shines brighter every day, so that every time we look back at the walls of our soul, we can see new “spots” to clean.
(Pro 4:18) But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
November 5, 2005
(Psa 19:13) Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
To ask God for His help identifying error and sin in our lives in order to stay pure from transgressing His loving Laws is an absolute act of humility. It’s an acknowledgment and recognition of weakness, which provokes a need for God, which in turn, God is more than willing to succor.
Let this be our prayer daily, and let this prayer be a perpetual sacrifice on the brazen altar of God. Only God in His Word can help us identify sin in our lives, and only He can help us not to be overcome by it. From the Garden of Eden, the sole reason for sin was a failure to call on God for His protection, and this was something King David had obviously learned. Even in the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, this very notion is evident when He says, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:4).
Little do we know that the little compromises of today may very possibly lead us in the great apostasy of tomorrow. It is the little foxes that spoil the vine! (Song 2:15)
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
(Luk 16:10)
November 6, 2005
(Psa 19:14) Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
What are the key words in this sentence? What is the emphasis of this statement? The author could have easily made it, “THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH”, thus putting the emphasis on the careful uttering of speech. He could have also put it on “THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART” showing concern for his inner conversations. Or could it be, “BE ACCEPTABLE” thus drawing our attention toward our own sense of righteousness? No, the most important words here are “IN THY SIGHT”, thus bringing us to evaluate our speech and inner conversation by the Lord’s rule of acceptance!
The Lord in His Word is the standard, the bureau of measure by which everything is deemed acceptable or non-acceptable, good or bad, right or wrong. There is no other standard by which to measure anything.
Oddly enough, mankind seems too often to forget the Words of the manufacturer or our lives to follow its own set of beliefs and standards. Jesus asked the religious leaders of His days, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” (Mat 15:3)
Lord Jesus, help me to have the courage to bring every area of my life to You for Your evaluation. Help me to keep back nothing and have the assurance that in Your love You only want what is right for me, and that because of Your wisdom, You are aware of the pitfall laying ahead of my foolish thinking. In Jesus Name, I pray!”
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
(Pro 3:5-6)
'Be strong, be strong and be strengthened!'
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Daily Surrender PSALMS 5
PSALMS 5
October 6, 2005
Psa 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
The Lord encouraged the prophet Isaiah to be bold in prayer by telling him, “…concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” (Isa 45:11) The God of the universe has put himself at the command of mortal men and is flattered by our requests for His attention. Don’t we like it when our children enjoy our company, when we feel that we are their closest friends and that they are not fearful to confide in us? But a child only does that when he has in his heart the utter confidence that when he shares his most private emotions and feelings, there is a sensitive soul at the other end who will handle his heart with care.
In his hour of trial the psalmist has this confidence in the God who created Him, that He will lend him His ears, and that He will be a faithful, diligent and sensitive handler of his deepest heart cry.
Therefore neither should anyone of us fear to enter in the temple of His presence. Whatever the fear, the doubt, the sorrow, the pain, the frustration, the emotion, He will handle your heart with the care, sensitivity, love and warmth of a mother with her newborn child.
How many of us pray “Our father…” but then, by failing to go to Him in our time of need to fulfill His fatherly role in our lives, act as if we were orphans?
“Lord, help us to have faith in your love, care, concern and dedication to us, knowing that you have said, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
1Ti 5:8
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
(Heb 4:16)
October 8, 2005
(Psa 5:2)
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
In a time when there are so many types and means of “help”, when faced with trouble, we have to make a conscious effort to say, “unto thee will I pray”, and not turn to these other “helps”.
Israel constantly received rebukes from the Lord for leaning on the arm of the “flesh”—Egypt--for its protection, and for praying to idols while giving them thanks for its sustenance. It was not enough for them to be regimented and sustained by the Lord alone through His judges. They wanted a king--a physical, visible and tangible person to rely on, and mostly to blame, when things go wrong.
These days, it is an act of great faith to make the Lord our first call for help and to put aside all the “self-help” books and videos, the teachings of all the specialized “gurus” to help us fight the war against all the ailments that plague us today such as addiction, depression, financial instability, psychological and physical disorders, problems with our marriage, problems with our children, and the list goes on and on. It is not that we can’t gain some helpful information from these other sources, but shouldn’t we as Christians give the Lord our first place? When we ask the Lord first, not only does He help us, but He will show us what we may have done wrong in disobedience to His word, that may have gotten us into such a mess in the first place, and then teach us how to fix it by amending our ways.
Lord, help me, teach me, train me to make You my first call for help in the day of need and of trouble, and give me a receptive heart so that I can learn to amend my ways and live closer to Your will and Your Word.
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
(Jer 17:5)
October 9, 2005
(Psa 5:3)
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
The Lord is always there for us wanting to help, waiting for us to make the connection, waiting for us to call upon Him.
Should He have to wait till the whole day is done when our ships have come home with broken sails and we finally come to Him to get soothing for our souls--when our frustrated hearts and minds wonder what went wrong?
Why should He be expected to do the function of “repairman” in our lives, when He should be the “Chief Executive”--the “Jacob” and the “Joseph” on whom Laban and Potiphar leaned because everything in their hands prospered when they did? Even these, not even knowing the Lord, were able to recognize the value of leaning on the Lord, in this case, through His people! Why should we carry the burden of trying to direct our own steps when we have the Lord who is eagerly waiting to help show us the way throughout the day?
Let us make the Lord, the Creator of the universe and of our hearts, minds and souls be the focus of our attention when we wake up in the morning; let us receive our first instructions from Him, let us “direct” direct our prayer to him and “look up” when we wake up in the morning.
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
(Jer 10:23)
October 10, 2005
(Psa 5:4)
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
In the Gospels, Satan reminds Jesus (as if He’d forgotten) that the world had been given to him. (Luke 4:6) Today, we don’t need to be reminded of this. All we have to do is look around us and watch the nightly news, and it is easy to see what power dominates lifestyles, politics and economics. In light of such, it is such a comfort to know that our God has no pleasure in wickedness. What security there is in knowing that whatever wrong or wicked thing that there are in the world or in our lives, He will not tolerate it!
For the disobedient, this Scripture should serve as a fearful reminder of future judgment, but for the obedient, there is no fear to be had, only the warm fuzzy feeling that God cares for him, and will not allow anything wicked to happen to him.
“Lord, I know that one of these days, at your appointed season, all that is not of you will vanish, all swords will be turned into plowshares, all instrument of destruction will be destroyed, and most of all, Satan will be stripped of his power to kill. Help me, your child, not to dishonor you by having pleasure in wickedness, or allow evil to dwell with me.”
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
(Pro 4:23)
October 11 2005
(Psa 5:5)
The* foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
This prophetic statement is one of the building blocks of our faith. No matter what foolish puny man invents, no matter what he does or says in order to justify his actions to man or God, we have the assurance that none of his card castles and illusions of truth will stand.
The world has now a little time more before the great judgment appears and everyone’s work is put to the great test. We know that at that time, foolish unrepentant and arrogant hearts will not be able to stand before the brightness of the Spirit of God.
This statement stands today like John the Baptist by the waters of baptism telling us to check our hearts, and make straight our paths; to rid ourselves of froth, vanity, pride, unyieldedness, arrogance and the time-wasters in our lives, so that when He comes, he will find us doing the work of the Father. And He will say…
… Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
(Mat 25:34-36)
*Foolish:KJV: Void of understanding or sound judgment; weak in intellect; applied to general character, uwise; imprudent; acting without judgment or discretion in particular things, proceeding from folly, or marked with folly; silly; vain; trifling.
October 12, 2005
(Psa 5:6)
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
This is the cry of a man who put the total sum of his trust in the Lord. This type of man does not try to exert vengeance; neither does he attempt to vindicate his own cause.
This is the beauty of having the certainty in your cause and fight. You do not have to justify yourself, you do not have to even fight because any time that the righteous and his cause are attacked, the battle of vengeance belongs to the Lord (Is 63:4).
In all of our battles, let us therefore have the assurance that God is the One who upholds the righteous and His cause, and that He Himself will show His power against those who malign His children. Let us not be guilty of the same sins of leasing and blood as are practiced by the enemies of righteousness. But rather let us in the time of trouble find refuge in God and the knowledge that He will repay evil.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
(Isa 29:18)
King James dictionary”LEASING”: Falsehood; lies. Obsolete or nearly so.
October 13, 2005
(Psa 5:7)
But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
Hear the heart cry of the king who has been humiliated in front of friend and foe! Hear the assurance of the one who, when everything, even his own self, has failed, has so much trust in the mercy (Mercy: Undeserved forgiveness) of his God.
So many in this world today live a life of misery while our God waits with patient and moist eyes for the slightest inclination of our cry to Him for help. What a mistake we make when we measure the mercy and love of God by our poor failing and selfish standards.
Heaven can seem so far away to those who don’t know where it is, and God is crying for them to find Him. If they would only unite their heart with Him, they would find that, just like two heart cells start pulsating in unison when put together, Heaven is just one heartbeat away.
Oh, that we would learn to make a temple of our heart to house the love and mercy of the Almighty God for the world to see, His righteousness would then begin to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.
One 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, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
(Psa 27:4)
October 14, 2005
(Psa 5:8)
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
Do you have enemies? Have people hurt you and caused you rancor? Is there bitterness in your heart because of evil deeds done unto you unjustly? Seek not to straighten your own right cause; seek not revenge. The Lord is the”lifter-upper” of the righteous, the one who vindicate all those who seek righteousness. Only ask Him to lead you into His righteousness; this is the greatest vindication that you can obtain.
Ask the Lord to show his ways to you, unperverted by the desire to return evil for evil. This desire is exactly where the enemy of all good wants you because when your way is led by any other emotion and stimulation than the will of your Lord and King, it is led of the destroyer, and when he sees that he cannot sway you, he will give up.
Pray to the Lord, and He will help you be perfect, as His Father in Heaven is perfect!
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
(Mat 5:38-48)
October 15, 2005
Psa 5:9
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
What a feeling of utter disgust with the accepted things of his generation David had!
Reflect here on the things that David felt repulsed by:
- Unfaithfulness to God in one’s speech
These, friend, could be considered the sources of the evil of today’s world, but the thing that one should ask is:
-Do I, like the author of this sentence, feel utterly disgusted with the ideas of unfaithfulness, wickedness, lies and deceit? Do I allow my heart, mind and spirit to be day in and day out filled with things that are opposite to the spirit of God?
Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Mat 5:8)
Let us consider carefully the content of what we see and hear, and ask God to give us repugnance against ungodly so that we can keep our hearts pure, and…see God!
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
(Psa 19:13)
October 16, 2005
(Psa 5:10)
Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
God’s people do not have to worry about anything, especially about their enemies. They have the assurance that the very counsel of those who would want to hurt them will swallow them. The only time when this does not happen is when God gives permission to, or even uses their enemies as a form of chastisement against His people’s disobediences and evil deeds; at that time, He even fights against them, very often by using their opponents.
If our heart is right, if we have obeyed His commandments and lived the way we know He wants us to; if we have stayed within the parameters of the pavilion of His protection, then we do not have to worry about the fall of the ungodly and of the wicked; we do not have to worry about the demise of the devil. Their fall has been predicted from the Garden of Eden, and we can live with the assurance that we are more than conquerors.
Lies, deceit, rebellion and transgressions cannot stand before God, therefore anyone who practices these things seals his own fate. We do not have to fight them, all we have to do is stand, stand against it! Here is the picture of the true soldier of the cross, standing adamantly in defiance against the fiery darts of the enemy, not budging an inch from his position, knowing that his God is on his side and has already destroyed the enemy of his soul
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(Eph 6:11-18)
October 17, 2005
(Psa 5:11)
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Joy--pure joy from the Spirit--is the trademark of Christian faith. The child of God who truly puts his trust in his God rejoices because he has the assurance that God has answered his prayers even if he doesn’t presently see it. The faith of the Child of God doesn’t hope, it doesn’t wish that his Heavenly Father will answer his prayers, it knows because “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1) The Greek word used for “substance” in this text is “huposthasis”, meaning “title-deed”. So the verse could also be translated as: “faith is the TITLE-DEED of things hope for”. You know that you possess it just because it is written on a piece of paper called a contract.
Each child of God has this contract with God signed in the blood of Jesus-Christ. The promises in His Word are the terms and they cannot be altered. We have His assurance of supply (Phil 4:19), of protection (Psa 91), and of His love (Heb 13:5b).
Lord, open my eyes that I may see and behold that there are more with me than there are against me (2 Kings 6:15-17). Help me to throw myself completely at Your feet in total trust and confidence, not only that You will take care of me and defend me, but that you already have taken care of me and vindicated me. Help my countenance to reflect this inner peace and joy of this assurance and trust in You--that all those I meet would know that you are my Lord, My God, my Savior and my defender!
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
(Phi 4:4)
October 19, 2005
Psa 5:12
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
In the book of Job, Satan challenges God by saying, “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land”. Job 1:9,10
If God could only open our eyes, we would see how much He protects us from evil. And the shield that He protects us with is His favor, as though we were His favorites. God does have favorites! He is bound to be closer to those who stay close to Him by their own choice. If He is our “favorite”, and we give Him our “favor”, then we are His favorite and we are protected by His favors.
Before asking God for the protection of His “favor”, let’s ask ourselves: ”Is God my favorite”? Is He my favorite hobby, pastime, counselor, presence, and friend?
As a reflection on 9-11, Ann Graham, the daughter of the famous evangelist by the same last name answered the question, ”How could God let something like this happen?" By giving this extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?"
Looking at all the areas in our lives where we wish that God would somehow intervene, let us check to see if perhaps He is perhaps not there because we either have not invited Him, or have even escorted Him out of the issue!
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
(Psa 24:3-5)
October 6, 2005
Psa 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
The Lord encouraged the prophet Isaiah to be bold in prayer by telling him, “…concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” (Isa 45:11) The God of the universe has put himself at the command of mortal men and is flattered by our requests for His attention. Don’t we like it when our children enjoy our company, when we feel that we are their closest friends and that they are not fearful to confide in us? But a child only does that when he has in his heart the utter confidence that when he shares his most private emotions and feelings, there is a sensitive soul at the other end who will handle his heart with care.
In his hour of trial the psalmist has this confidence in the God who created Him, that He will lend him His ears, and that He will be a faithful, diligent and sensitive handler of his deepest heart cry.
Therefore neither should anyone of us fear to enter in the temple of His presence. Whatever the fear, the doubt, the sorrow, the pain, the frustration, the emotion, He will handle your heart with the care, sensitivity, love and warmth of a mother with her newborn child.
How many of us pray “Our father…” but then, by failing to go to Him in our time of need to fulfill His fatherly role in our lives, act as if we were orphans?
“Lord, help us to have faith in your love, care, concern and dedication to us, knowing that you have said, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
1Ti 5:8
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
(Heb 4:16)
October 8, 2005
(Psa 5:2)
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
In a time when there are so many types and means of “help”, when faced with trouble, we have to make a conscious effort to say, “unto thee will I pray”, and not turn to these other “helps”.
Israel constantly received rebukes from the Lord for leaning on the arm of the “flesh”—Egypt--for its protection, and for praying to idols while giving them thanks for its sustenance. It was not enough for them to be regimented and sustained by the Lord alone through His judges. They wanted a king--a physical, visible and tangible person to rely on, and mostly to blame, when things go wrong.
These days, it is an act of great faith to make the Lord our first call for help and to put aside all the “self-help” books and videos, the teachings of all the specialized “gurus” to help us fight the war against all the ailments that plague us today such as addiction, depression, financial instability, psychological and physical disorders, problems with our marriage, problems with our children, and the list goes on and on. It is not that we can’t gain some helpful information from these other sources, but shouldn’t we as Christians give the Lord our first place? When we ask the Lord first, not only does He help us, but He will show us what we may have done wrong in disobedience to His word, that may have gotten us into such a mess in the first place, and then teach us how to fix it by amending our ways.
Lord, help me, teach me, train me to make You my first call for help in the day of need and of trouble, and give me a receptive heart so that I can learn to amend my ways and live closer to Your will and Your Word.
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
(Jer 17:5)
October 9, 2005
(Psa 5:3)
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
The Lord is always there for us wanting to help, waiting for us to make the connection, waiting for us to call upon Him.
Should He have to wait till the whole day is done when our ships have come home with broken sails and we finally come to Him to get soothing for our souls--when our frustrated hearts and minds wonder what went wrong?
Why should He be expected to do the function of “repairman” in our lives, when He should be the “Chief Executive”--the “Jacob” and the “Joseph” on whom Laban and Potiphar leaned because everything in their hands prospered when they did? Even these, not even knowing the Lord, were able to recognize the value of leaning on the Lord, in this case, through His people! Why should we carry the burden of trying to direct our own steps when we have the Lord who is eagerly waiting to help show us the way throughout the day?
Let us make the Lord, the Creator of the universe and of our hearts, minds and souls be the focus of our attention when we wake up in the morning; let us receive our first instructions from Him, let us “direct” direct our prayer to him and “look up” when we wake up in the morning.
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
(Jer 10:23)
October 10, 2005
(Psa 5:4)
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
In the Gospels, Satan reminds Jesus (as if He’d forgotten) that the world had been given to him. (Luke 4:6) Today, we don’t need to be reminded of this. All we have to do is look around us and watch the nightly news, and it is easy to see what power dominates lifestyles, politics and economics. In light of such, it is such a comfort to know that our God has no pleasure in wickedness. What security there is in knowing that whatever wrong or wicked thing that there are in the world or in our lives, He will not tolerate it!
For the disobedient, this Scripture should serve as a fearful reminder of future judgment, but for the obedient, there is no fear to be had, only the warm fuzzy feeling that God cares for him, and will not allow anything wicked to happen to him.
“Lord, I know that one of these days, at your appointed season, all that is not of you will vanish, all swords will be turned into plowshares, all instrument of destruction will be destroyed, and most of all, Satan will be stripped of his power to kill. Help me, your child, not to dishonor you by having pleasure in wickedness, or allow evil to dwell with me.”
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
(Pro 4:23)
October 11 2005
(Psa 5:5)
The* foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
This prophetic statement is one of the building blocks of our faith. No matter what foolish puny man invents, no matter what he does or says in order to justify his actions to man or God, we have the assurance that none of his card castles and illusions of truth will stand.
The world has now a little time more before the great judgment appears and everyone’s work is put to the great test. We know that at that time, foolish unrepentant and arrogant hearts will not be able to stand before the brightness of the Spirit of God.
This statement stands today like John the Baptist by the waters of baptism telling us to check our hearts, and make straight our paths; to rid ourselves of froth, vanity, pride, unyieldedness, arrogance and the time-wasters in our lives, so that when He comes, he will find us doing the work of the Father. And He will say…
… Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
(Mat 25:34-36)
*Foolish:KJV: Void of understanding or sound judgment; weak in intellect; applied to general character, uwise; imprudent; acting without judgment or discretion in particular things, proceeding from folly, or marked with folly; silly; vain; trifling.
October 12, 2005
(Psa 5:6)
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
This is the cry of a man who put the total sum of his trust in the Lord. This type of man does not try to exert vengeance; neither does he attempt to vindicate his own cause.
This is the beauty of having the certainty in your cause and fight. You do not have to justify yourself, you do not have to even fight because any time that the righteous and his cause are attacked, the battle of vengeance belongs to the Lord (Is 63:4).
In all of our battles, let us therefore have the assurance that God is the One who upholds the righteous and His cause, and that He Himself will show His power against those who malign His children. Let us not be guilty of the same sins of leasing and blood as are practiced by the enemies of righteousness. But rather let us in the time of trouble find refuge in God and the knowledge that He will repay evil.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
(Isa 29:18)
King James dictionary”LEASING”: Falsehood; lies. Obsolete or nearly so.
October 13, 2005
(Psa 5:7)
But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
Hear the heart cry of the king who has been humiliated in front of friend and foe! Hear the assurance of the one who, when everything, even his own self, has failed, has so much trust in the mercy (Mercy: Undeserved forgiveness) of his God.
So many in this world today live a life of misery while our God waits with patient and moist eyes for the slightest inclination of our cry to Him for help. What a mistake we make when we measure the mercy and love of God by our poor failing and selfish standards.
Heaven can seem so far away to those who don’t know where it is, and God is crying for them to find Him. If they would only unite their heart with Him, they would find that, just like two heart cells start pulsating in unison when put together, Heaven is just one heartbeat away.
Oh, that we would learn to make a temple of our heart to house the love and mercy of the Almighty God for the world to see, His righteousness would then begin to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.
One 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, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
(Psa 27:4)
October 14, 2005
(Psa 5:8)
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
Do you have enemies? Have people hurt you and caused you rancor? Is there bitterness in your heart because of evil deeds done unto you unjustly? Seek not to straighten your own right cause; seek not revenge. The Lord is the”lifter-upper” of the righteous, the one who vindicate all those who seek righteousness. Only ask Him to lead you into His righteousness; this is the greatest vindication that you can obtain.
Ask the Lord to show his ways to you, unperverted by the desire to return evil for evil. This desire is exactly where the enemy of all good wants you because when your way is led by any other emotion and stimulation than the will of your Lord and King, it is led of the destroyer, and when he sees that he cannot sway you, he will give up.
Pray to the Lord, and He will help you be perfect, as His Father in Heaven is perfect!
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
(Mat 5:38-48)
October 15, 2005
Psa 5:9
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
What a feeling of utter disgust with the accepted things of his generation David had!
Reflect here on the things that David felt repulsed by:
- Unfaithfulness to God in one’s speech
- “Wickedness” of heart (The definition of wicked is actually “twisted”)
- The flattering lies of the tongue that swallow up the righteous
These, friend, could be considered the sources of the evil of today’s world, but the thing that one should ask is:
-Do I, like the author of this sentence, feel utterly disgusted with the ideas of unfaithfulness, wickedness, lies and deceit? Do I allow my heart, mind and spirit to be day in and day out filled with things that are opposite to the spirit of God?
Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Mat 5:8)
Let us consider carefully the content of what we see and hear, and ask God to give us repugnance against ungodly so that we can keep our hearts pure, and…see God!
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
(Psa 19:13)
October 16, 2005
(Psa 5:10)
Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
God’s people do not have to worry about anything, especially about their enemies. They have the assurance that the very counsel of those who would want to hurt them will swallow them. The only time when this does not happen is when God gives permission to, or even uses their enemies as a form of chastisement against His people’s disobediences and evil deeds; at that time, He even fights against them, very often by using their opponents.
If our heart is right, if we have obeyed His commandments and lived the way we know He wants us to; if we have stayed within the parameters of the pavilion of His protection, then we do not have to worry about the fall of the ungodly and of the wicked; we do not have to worry about the demise of the devil. Their fall has been predicted from the Garden of Eden, and we can live with the assurance that we are more than conquerors.
Lies, deceit, rebellion and transgressions cannot stand before God, therefore anyone who practices these things seals his own fate. We do not have to fight them, all we have to do is stand, stand against it! Here is the picture of the true soldier of the cross, standing adamantly in defiance against the fiery darts of the enemy, not budging an inch from his position, knowing that his God is on his side and has already destroyed the enemy of his soul
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(Eph 6:11-18)
October 17, 2005
(Psa 5:11)
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Joy--pure joy from the Spirit--is the trademark of Christian faith. The child of God who truly puts his trust in his God rejoices because he has the assurance that God has answered his prayers even if he doesn’t presently see it. The faith of the Child of God doesn’t hope, it doesn’t wish that his Heavenly Father will answer his prayers, it knows because “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1) The Greek word used for “substance” in this text is “huposthasis”, meaning “title-deed”. So the verse could also be translated as: “faith is the TITLE-DEED of things hope for”. You know that you possess it just because it is written on a piece of paper called a contract.
Each child of God has this contract with God signed in the blood of Jesus-Christ. The promises in His Word are the terms and they cannot be altered. We have His assurance of supply (Phil 4:19), of protection (Psa 91), and of His love (Heb 13:5b).
Lord, open my eyes that I may see and behold that there are more with me than there are against me (2 Kings 6:15-17). Help me to throw myself completely at Your feet in total trust and confidence, not only that You will take care of me and defend me, but that you already have taken care of me and vindicated me. Help my countenance to reflect this inner peace and joy of this assurance and trust in You--that all those I meet would know that you are my Lord, My God, my Savior and my defender!
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
(Phi 4:4)
October 19, 2005
Psa 5:12
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
In the book of Job, Satan challenges God by saying, “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land”. Job 1:9,10
If God could only open our eyes, we would see how much He protects us from evil. And the shield that He protects us with is His favor, as though we were His favorites. God does have favorites! He is bound to be closer to those who stay close to Him by their own choice. If He is our “favorite”, and we give Him our “favor”, then we are His favorite and we are protected by His favors.
Before asking God for the protection of His “favor”, let’s ask ourselves: ”Is God my favorite”? Is He my favorite hobby, pastime, counselor, presence, and friend?
As a reflection on 9-11, Ann Graham, the daughter of the famous evangelist by the same last name answered the question, ”How could God let something like this happen?" By giving this extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?"
Looking at all the areas in our lives where we wish that God would somehow intervene, let us check to see if perhaps He is perhaps not there because we either have not invited Him, or have even escorted Him out of the issue!
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
(Psa 24:3-5)
Daily Surrender PSALMS 4
PSALMS 4
Taken from daily Devotions
September 29 2005
(Psa 4:1) Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
“Hear me when I call” This may sound like a strange statement, but how many of us expect to be heard when we don’t even call? Of course God does know what we need before we even ask Him, so this “calling out” to God is more for our benefit and for that of those around us. For our benefit, it is a confession of our need for our wondrous God, which provokes growth in humility. For others, it is a demonstration of power in time of need so that they may also learn to call upon God.
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities”.(Psa 103:10), God does not deal with us according to our sins, or we would be lost, but He deals with us according to the righteousness given according to the mercies found in the blood of Jesus-Christ shed for us. (Mercy= Undeserved forgiveness)
In Old Testament times, in order to make a request from God, people had to go to a Rabbi, bring a sacrificial offering and make their request in fear and trembling. What a privilege it is today that we can simply pray offering only the sacrifice of praise. This privilege is something that we have not earned, but received freely, paid for by the death of Jesus-Christ on the cross.
Oh that we would call unto God as unto a loving Father. So many of us who call Him “Our Father” act like orphans! Call Him today, in the righteousness of Jesus-Christ, and yes, He will enlarge you when you are in distress; He will have mercy and hear your prayer.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
(Jer 33:3)
September 30th 2005
(Psa 4:2) O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
In his flight from Absalom, David continues praying to God. His fight is fully borne in the Spirit world. As he cries unto God against the foolish vanity of the men who are taking the kingdom from him that God has given him, we can hear the cry of God against what Jesus called our “perverse and adulterated generation”.
We, the people—humanity--are the glory of God. We are wonderfully and fearfully made in His powerful and likeness, and yet our attitude and conduct brings to shame the image of the glorious God who created us. Can you hear Him cry from the Heavens begging us to change our behavior? From the winds of the skies and the waters of the seas He cries to get our attention away from our proud vain thoughts and ways, and teach us that all of our puny inventions cannot protect us from the mighty God ruler of all and that we are extremely vulnerable and at the hand and mercy of the Great one who created us.
“How long?” He screams, “How long will you seek after “leasing” ”, after the lies, falsehood and pretense of the carnal man; in these words can you feel the soul of the weeping prophet:
Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
(Jer 9:1)
October 1st 2005
Psa 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Child of God, does following Him causes loneliness to your heart? Do you feel that you have to forsake the past again and again? Do you feel that at times, He takes you on a limb and requires you to saw it off? Do you feel Him right now taking you to a lonely desert for a decision that can influence the rest of your life?
Fear not little one! He honors those who are willing to take new paths that He hath set for them. He honors those who desire to follow His name and His name only, unafraid of flame or foe. This is the way of the Bridegroom calling, wooing His Bride away from the cares, distractions and dependences on this world, in order to get her full service, attention and dedication. He likes to take her out of Egypt, away from her comfort zone and let her feel His love, basking in her total dependence on Him.
The winds of His Holy Spirit blow here today, and there tomorrow. May I be a Bride who knows how to follow the changing and purging winds of the Spirit of my Bridegroom, hearing and obeying when He takes me and sets me apart, knowing that wherever He chooses to takes me, is the best place for me regardless of how the outward conditions look.
Help me to walk with you unreserved on the new path that you set for me daily, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”(Phi 3:13)
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
(Gen 5:24)
(Psa 4:4) Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Now that you have been set aside, separated and sanctified for His purpose, now that He has drawn you out and away from your own purposes to bring you unto Him, and now that He has called you to a new purpose in your life, make Him the object of your focus. Do not look to the left or to the right in doubt and questioning of His ways for you.
Now is a time for sweet communion with Him within the Holy of Holies, the chambers of your own heart where He lives. Now is the time for quietness, reflection and listening to His voice; the time of the taking off of the shoes to approach the Mount and hear the voice of God giving His instructions.
It is there that in the silence of your own purposes and in the surrendering of your will that he will give you the peace that passes all understanding, that He will reveal Himself as well as His purpose to you just as He did with Moses (Ex 19-20), and with Paul when they went to Mt. Sinai in Arabia (Gal 1;17; 4:25).
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
(Heb 10:19-24)
October 3rd 2005
(Psa 4:5)
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
There are several sacrifices which God refused in the Bible. Cain’s fruit of the ground, Saul’s spoil of war, and the Pharisee’s proud and self-righteous gifts. The sacrifices of righteousness require trust in the Lord. When Araunah insisted on giving to David everything he needed to make an offering, the King answered, “I will not give onto the Lord of that which has cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24); if it doesn’t cost, it makes an oxymoron of the word “sacrifice”.
A sacrifice of righteousness is mixed with obedience, an obedience that cost deep down in the soul. If it doesn’t cost, it is not a sacrifice of righteousness, just a ritual. Often, the Lord wants that very thing which hurts to give, our Isaac, the last handful of meal in the barrel, and the last little oil in the cruse (1 Kings 17:12) because when that happens, we have to trust Him again for our inheritance and daily sustenance.
Dear one, be not afraid to give what the Lord asks of you; be not afraid to lay at His feet the thing that you want. Wake up each morning and have an “exchange of wills”, exchange what you want for what He wants, and you will see that, and see God accept your sacrifice as an acceptable sweet odor. As the old preacher said, “Put your hand into the hand of God, and He shall be more to you than a light and better than a known way.”
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
(Psa 50:5)
October 4th 2005
(Psa 4:6)
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Does it seem that this skeptic world’s screaming is getting so loud that it is difficult to hear the voice of God? Does it also seem that, even among brethren, the voice of certainty towards God’s care is fading, giving way to doubt and self-reliance? Would this be a sign of the great apostasy spoken of by the Apostle Paul?
Such times, when many mock and ridicule the person of faith, are not times to listen to their criticisms. Such times are rather for coming closer to God and letting His countenance shine upon us.
It is as we look upon Him that our countenance is lifted. It is as we meditate upon His gracious love and abundant care that our faith in Him grows. It is as we focus our face on His that that the sun can rise on our world of darkness and worry. It is as we hear His songs of comforting reassurance that the voice of the world is drowned out and made insignificant.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom 10:17)
October 5, 2005
Psa 4:7
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
God’s blessings are not measured in dollars and cents; riches do make themselves wings! (Prov23: 5) The truly happy individual is one who has learned to love, cherish and value the blessings that come from the heart, the spiritual blessings that no robber can steal and no rust can corrupt. It is in that sole ability that lies the virtue and pure happiness of the person who is not affected by gold nor silver.
Oh, to feel the joy of the Lord, the joy that makes their rejoicing a mournful dirge, that compares their wealth to a famine, and the brightness which makes their freedom an illusion. It is the pure in heart that will see and feel these things of the Lord.
Jesus, please clean my heart from all the world’s delusions so that I can see, feel, and experience the true, pure and undefiled gladness of your spirit in my heart.
Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.
(Joh 15:3)
The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
(Psa 119:72)
October 5, 2005
(Psa 4:8) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Let us not forget the context of this statement. Oh, it is so easy to be at peace and tranquility when life flows like soft sweet song, but is it right that this peace seems to wane with the mounting staccatos that life offers?
David was leaving Jerusalem in disgrace, fleeing from his own son Absalom, who had mounted a mutiny against him. He knew also that this misfortune was only a result of his own sinful actions that as a king, he needed to atone for, as a reference point to his people.
We are supposed keep our focus on the Lord to at all times. When a woman is in labor in natural childbirth, it is strongly suggested that she have choose a focal point, such as a pleasant picture, to concentrate on during her breathing. What a wonderful time for her, when doing the hardest work that she’ll ever do, to make Jesus her focal point, either in her mind or via a picture in front of her. And what else, what a wonderful illustration of the Church, the bride of Christ, all the more intently concentrating on her Lord in her time of labor. It is then and only then that she can have that inner peace and comforting faith in the midst of the hard labor of life, that also bring forth life.
May we, in the times of life-giving hard labor that we encounter in the school of God, also make our focus the Promises that the Lord has given us in His Word so that we, like King David can both lay ourselves down in peace and sleep.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…
(2Pe 1:4)
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
(Psa 57:7)
Taken from daily Devotions
September 29 2005
(Psa 4:1) Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
“Hear me when I call” This may sound like a strange statement, but how many of us expect to be heard when we don’t even call? Of course God does know what we need before we even ask Him, so this “calling out” to God is more for our benefit and for that of those around us. For our benefit, it is a confession of our need for our wondrous God, which provokes growth in humility. For others, it is a demonstration of power in time of need so that they may also learn to call upon God.
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities”.(Psa 103:10), God does not deal with us according to our sins, or we would be lost, but He deals with us according to the righteousness given according to the mercies found in the blood of Jesus-Christ shed for us. (Mercy= Undeserved forgiveness)
In Old Testament times, in order to make a request from God, people had to go to a Rabbi, bring a sacrificial offering and make their request in fear and trembling. What a privilege it is today that we can simply pray offering only the sacrifice of praise. This privilege is something that we have not earned, but received freely, paid for by the death of Jesus-Christ on the cross.
Oh that we would call unto God as unto a loving Father. So many of us who call Him “Our Father” act like orphans! Call Him today, in the righteousness of Jesus-Christ, and yes, He will enlarge you when you are in distress; He will have mercy and hear your prayer.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
(Jer 33:3)
September 30th 2005
(Psa 4:2) O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
In his flight from Absalom, David continues praying to God. His fight is fully borne in the Spirit world. As he cries unto God against the foolish vanity of the men who are taking the kingdom from him that God has given him, we can hear the cry of God against what Jesus called our “perverse and adulterated generation”.
We, the people—humanity--are the glory of God. We are wonderfully and fearfully made in His powerful and likeness, and yet our attitude and conduct brings to shame the image of the glorious God who created us. Can you hear Him cry from the Heavens begging us to change our behavior? From the winds of the skies and the waters of the seas He cries to get our attention away from our proud vain thoughts and ways, and teach us that all of our puny inventions cannot protect us from the mighty God ruler of all and that we are extremely vulnerable and at the hand and mercy of the Great one who created us.
“How long?” He screams, “How long will you seek after “leasing” ”, after the lies, falsehood and pretense of the carnal man; in these words can you feel the soul of the weeping prophet:
Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
(Jer 9:1)
October 1st 2005
Psa 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Child of God, does following Him causes loneliness to your heart? Do you feel that you have to forsake the past again and again? Do you feel that at times, He takes you on a limb and requires you to saw it off? Do you feel Him right now taking you to a lonely desert for a decision that can influence the rest of your life?
Fear not little one! He honors those who are willing to take new paths that He hath set for them. He honors those who desire to follow His name and His name only, unafraid of flame or foe. This is the way of the Bridegroom calling, wooing His Bride away from the cares, distractions and dependences on this world, in order to get her full service, attention and dedication. He likes to take her out of Egypt, away from her comfort zone and let her feel His love, basking in her total dependence on Him.
The winds of His Holy Spirit blow here today, and there tomorrow. May I be a Bride who knows how to follow the changing and purging winds of the Spirit of my Bridegroom, hearing and obeying when He takes me and sets me apart, knowing that wherever He chooses to takes me, is the best place for me regardless of how the outward conditions look.
Help me to walk with you unreserved on the new path that you set for me daily, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”(Phi 3:13)
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
(Gen 5:24)
(Psa 4:4) Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Now that you have been set aside, separated and sanctified for His purpose, now that He has drawn you out and away from your own purposes to bring you unto Him, and now that He has called you to a new purpose in your life, make Him the object of your focus. Do not look to the left or to the right in doubt and questioning of His ways for you.
Now is a time for sweet communion with Him within the Holy of Holies, the chambers of your own heart where He lives. Now is the time for quietness, reflection and listening to His voice; the time of the taking off of the shoes to approach the Mount and hear the voice of God giving His instructions.
It is there that in the silence of your own purposes and in the surrendering of your will that he will give you the peace that passes all understanding, that He will reveal Himself as well as His purpose to you just as He did with Moses (Ex 19-20), and with Paul when they went to Mt. Sinai in Arabia (Gal 1;17; 4:25).
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
(Heb 10:19-24)
October 3rd 2005
(Psa 4:5)
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
There are several sacrifices which God refused in the Bible. Cain’s fruit of the ground, Saul’s spoil of war, and the Pharisee’s proud and self-righteous gifts. The sacrifices of righteousness require trust in the Lord. When Araunah insisted on giving to David everything he needed to make an offering, the King answered, “I will not give onto the Lord of that which has cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24); if it doesn’t cost, it makes an oxymoron of the word “sacrifice”.
A sacrifice of righteousness is mixed with obedience, an obedience that cost deep down in the soul. If it doesn’t cost, it is not a sacrifice of righteousness, just a ritual. Often, the Lord wants that very thing which hurts to give, our Isaac, the last handful of meal in the barrel, and the last little oil in the cruse (1 Kings 17:12) because when that happens, we have to trust Him again for our inheritance and daily sustenance.
Dear one, be not afraid to give what the Lord asks of you; be not afraid to lay at His feet the thing that you want. Wake up each morning and have an “exchange of wills”, exchange what you want for what He wants, and you will see that, and see God accept your sacrifice as an acceptable sweet odor. As the old preacher said, “Put your hand into the hand of God, and He shall be more to you than a light and better than a known way.”
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
(Psa 50:5)
October 4th 2005
(Psa 4:6)
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Does it seem that this skeptic world’s screaming is getting so loud that it is difficult to hear the voice of God? Does it also seem that, even among brethren, the voice of certainty towards God’s care is fading, giving way to doubt and self-reliance? Would this be a sign of the great apostasy spoken of by the Apostle Paul?
Such times, when many mock and ridicule the person of faith, are not times to listen to their criticisms. Such times are rather for coming closer to God and letting His countenance shine upon us.
It is as we look upon Him that our countenance is lifted. It is as we meditate upon His gracious love and abundant care that our faith in Him grows. It is as we focus our face on His that that the sun can rise on our world of darkness and worry. It is as we hear His songs of comforting reassurance that the voice of the world is drowned out and made insignificant.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom 10:17)
October 5, 2005
Psa 4:7
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
God’s blessings are not measured in dollars and cents; riches do make themselves wings! (Prov23: 5) The truly happy individual is one who has learned to love, cherish and value the blessings that come from the heart, the spiritual blessings that no robber can steal and no rust can corrupt. It is in that sole ability that lies the virtue and pure happiness of the person who is not affected by gold nor silver.
Oh, to feel the joy of the Lord, the joy that makes their rejoicing a mournful dirge, that compares their wealth to a famine, and the brightness which makes their freedom an illusion. It is the pure in heart that will see and feel these things of the Lord.
Jesus, please clean my heart from all the world’s delusions so that I can see, feel, and experience the true, pure and undefiled gladness of your spirit in my heart.
Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.
(Joh 15:3)
The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
(Psa 119:72)
October 5, 2005
(Psa 4:8) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Let us not forget the context of this statement. Oh, it is so easy to be at peace and tranquility when life flows like soft sweet song, but is it right that this peace seems to wane with the mounting staccatos that life offers?
David was leaving Jerusalem in disgrace, fleeing from his own son Absalom, who had mounted a mutiny against him. He knew also that this misfortune was only a result of his own sinful actions that as a king, he needed to atone for, as a reference point to his people.
We are supposed keep our focus on the Lord to at all times. When a woman is in labor in natural childbirth, it is strongly suggested that she have choose a focal point, such as a pleasant picture, to concentrate on during her breathing. What a wonderful time for her, when doing the hardest work that she’ll ever do, to make Jesus her focal point, either in her mind or via a picture in front of her. And what else, what a wonderful illustration of the Church, the bride of Christ, all the more intently concentrating on her Lord in her time of labor. It is then and only then that she can have that inner peace and comforting faith in the midst of the hard labor of life, that also bring forth life.
May we, in the times of life-giving hard labor that we encounter in the school of God, also make our focus the Promises that the Lord has given us in His Word so that we, like King David can both lay ourselves down in peace and sleep.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…
(2Pe 1:4)
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
(Psa 57:7)
Daily Surrender PSALM 3
PSALM 3
September, 21 2005
Psa 3:1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
Hear the heart cry of a great and mighty soldier unto his God! Hear the cry of one who after having won many battles still does not trust in his own arm and power to save him, but utterly relies on God’s power.
Because of his sin with Bath-Sheba, King David was told that violence would not depart from his family. This song is the psalm that he wrote when he fled from his own son who slyly took the throne away from him. Couldn’t he have him killed? Couldn’t this great military hero have done away with him? The people would have understood, his generals would have stood by him, and would have glorified him for being a king which was no respect of persons, not even for his own blood. But no, for David, this was not God’s way. Absalom had turned many people against his father and to stand against him in military action could have involved civil war and the destruction of the city of the beloved Jerusalem which he worked so hard to build. But the most wonderful thing in David’s flight from Absalom is that David knew that this was the result of his own sins, and therefore he was willing to eat humble pie in front of his God and in front of his people. No, he will not fight against God’s reckonings in his life!
Lord Jesus, help us understand when things happen in our lives that are simply reflections of the fruits of our disobedience to You. Help us not fight your chastening. Help us to eat humble pie and take your chastening bravely just as we expect our children to do.
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
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September, 22 2005
Psalms 3:2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
These are the foreshadow of those who sneered at the Messiah when He was dying on the cross saying, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (Mat 27:43).
In his hour of distress, the child of God appears so lonesome, seemingly abandoned even by God Himself. Satan is master at playing this distress in our mind so that we may even start believing that no one stands with us, not even God.
Jesus felt it on the cross when He exclaimed, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Psa 27:46).” The prophet Elijah also felt like he was all alone against the multitude of the ungodly when he said, "and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." But God reassured him and said "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." (1Ki 19:10,18). Elijah's servant was also duly rebuked when one morning he awoke to the sounds of the Syrian army on the lookout for him and his master. He thought they were alone until God opened his eyes. He said, “Alas, my master! How shall we do?” And he (Elijah) answered, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.2Ki 6:15-17
Dear Jesus, open my eyes that I may see that I am not alone in my fight for you, and that they which are with me are more than they which are against me; stay away from me the lies of the enemy telling me that there is no help in You for me.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (all the ones mentioned, and not mentioned, as per the previous chapter), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1,2)
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September, 23 2005
Psa 3:3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
In the midst of betrayal from his blood relatives and from his people, here is a man, Kind David, who did not go to the Lord in a spirit of grumbling.
How many of us, when faced with even lesser predicaments indulge in a spirit of complaint, and even “righteous” indignation against God. “How could He after all be so cruel to us who have confessed His name publicly, and are devout Christians? He should be careful; His reputation could be smeared if he treats His people so!”
Oh, beloved, you have mentioned His Name, but have forgotten the injunction of the apostle that, “all they that will live godly in Christ-Jesus shall suffer persecution”(I Tim 3;13). Even Jesus Himself said, “The servant is not greater than His Lord, if they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you also”. Remember, that He was “afflicted, a man of sorrow” (Isaiah 53).
In spite of it all, He still is better to us than He was to himself when He was on the earth.
Instead of complaining, King David looked to the Lord with the assurance of forgiveness, strength, support, love, and vindication from his enemies. He rested upon Him perfectly with the perfect Peace that owns those who believe by faith, not by sight because…
Heb 11:1 …faith is the substance* of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
* “The Greek word for “substance” is huposthasis” meaning title deed. When we have the title deed for something, we know that we own it even when we haven’t seen it; “the substance of things hoped for” ”
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September, 25 2005
Psa 3:4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
Our Lord Jesus told us that in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven we needed to become as little children. what baby cries and does not expect to be heard? And yet in our "growing up"our assurance of getting answered to when we cry seems to decrease; the most simple act practiced by a baby requires of us "adults" the understanding of a great educated theological principle which I fear less and less people understand as the world goes on. Alas, the knowledge of the simple abundant forgiving grace of God seems to be "out of style' and replaced by religious educated fables based on a system of bartering virtues.
But God hasn't changed; the most wicked of sinner can call unto Him in his hour of need (notice I didn't say "repentance" because calling unto God implies that the person has put itself in the position of repentance) and He will be right there, actually waiting at the door or his heart with great anticipation for that blessed moment. Even during the time of purging, Jesus is ther with us all the way through it; he is like the father of the story who after he sent his son to sleep in the attic for constantly disobeying, went and spent the night in the attic using his arm as a pillow under the head of the punished boy! Isn't it why he died for us?
Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me..
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September, 25 2005
Psa 3:5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
Roll over, go to sleep, let the Lord do the worrying!
How sad must the Lord feel when after all He does for us, we still sit there and worry.
But how elated must He be when, in full trust and confidence, we cease from our own fretting and trust Him to do the work of caring for us. When even in the face of the fiercest of hurricanes, in full faith we can know that no matter what, we still need to trust Him because in spite of all, He takes care of us in the hollow of His hands.
It is in the midst of trouble that our faith is tested. When we allow something to worry us, we have put limitations to God's omnipotence in our hearts. How offensive would that be if anyone did that to us!
Two painters each painted a picture to illustrate his concept of peace. The first chose for his scene a still, lone lake among far-off mountains. The second painted on his canvas a thundering waterfall during a raging storm with a fragile birch tree bending over the foam. At the fork of a branch, wet with the cataract's spray, a small bird sat on its nest, cheerfully singing. That is real peace!
Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mar 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
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September, 26 2005
Psa 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Is this being denial? If this statement is merely the result of positive or wishful thinking, or the results of a strong faith in the Lord, the end results will show for “faith” without the works to vindicate is “ (James 2:26)
When Elishah’s servant asked the Shunamite about her son who had just died of a stroke, “Is it well with the child, she responded, “it is well”; was she in denial, or acting in full faith, with supernatural assurance that God will give her back her child, which he did!
For the armies of Israel, Goliath was too big to fight, but for young full of faith David, he was too big to miss! Its all a question of perspective, but mostly its all a question of what we look at.
The man who has his eyes firmly focused on not only the Lord’s face, but His will sees no fear, no worries, no large armies of enemies, no storms, no famines, because all he sees is Jesus who calms the storm, comforts the heart, “put to flight the armies of the aliens” (Heb 11), calms the sea, feeds the hungry.
It was when Peter stopped looking at Jesus and looked at the waves around him that he started drowning! (Mat 14:30), and it was through the fearful report of “giants in the land” that the children of Israel continued wondering in the desert for 40 years instead of going into the Promised land (Num 13:33).
Lord, help me to look at you instead of to the “giants” in my life, and give me the same peace in my heart that you gave King David in front of Goliath. Help me have the peace and assurance of faith that nothing, absolutely nothing happens to one of your children without it being within your absolute control.
Psa 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
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(Psa 3:7) Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Still fleeing from his enemies, David forgot not the true means of his Salvation. Speaking faith, and not trying to bring this deliverance by his own power, he trusted God to bring His will to pass. In the same way that he did not want to be guilty of killing King Saul when he was the anointed king, David did not want to kill his heir (the wayward Absalom) who, for all he knew could be the next king. In this situation, God was the only one who could bring justice. David encourages himself here by remembering all the times when God had vindicated him by reproachfully defeating his enemies, and breaking their weaponry.
Are you in a corner at this very moment? Do you feel that there is nothing that you can do, and that whatever way you turn to, you loose? Commit your cause onto the Lord; He brought you into that place for this very reason--for you to turn to Him. Know that God will smite the enemies of your soul with a contemptuous slap that will shame them without remedy; He will break their devices of war! Remember His deeds of old, and be encouraged knowing that God has never forgotten you, and that in His perfect time, he will vindicate you and your cause.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
(Psa 27:12-14)
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(Psa 3:8) Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
I heard someone say one day, “Worry does pay after all, the things I fret about never happen!”
This is the “conclusion of the whole matter”, the end of all cares: the knowledge and the assurance that when all is said and done, the Lord is in control of our lives. ‘His hand is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!”
One may feel that a lot of things happen that don’t seem within the Lord’s control, but this is not true. Whatever the Lord allows to happen to us is within His perfect control and we can call upon Him with total assurance to remind Him of His promises that He “…is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
(1Co 10:13)
Oh, think of how excited you get when a child is in dire need of your help cries out with desperate expectancy and faith that you are able to rescue him! Even so, the Lord must get excited when, in the midst of impossibility, we hold Him to His Word and in a voice of excited anticipation, we shout with King David, “Salvation is of the Lord!”
He, “… is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.”
(Psa 19:5)
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(Mat 10:29-31)
September, 21 2005
Psa 3:1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
Hear the heart cry of a great and mighty soldier unto his God! Hear the cry of one who after having won many battles still does not trust in his own arm and power to save him, but utterly relies on God’s power.
Because of his sin with Bath-Sheba, King David was told that violence would not depart from his family. This song is the psalm that he wrote when he fled from his own son who slyly took the throne away from him. Couldn’t he have him killed? Couldn’t this great military hero have done away with him? The people would have understood, his generals would have stood by him, and would have glorified him for being a king which was no respect of persons, not even for his own blood. But no, for David, this was not God’s way. Absalom had turned many people against his father and to stand against him in military action could have involved civil war and the destruction of the city of the beloved Jerusalem which he worked so hard to build. But the most wonderful thing in David’s flight from Absalom is that David knew that this was the result of his own sins, and therefore he was willing to eat humble pie in front of his God and in front of his people. No, he will not fight against God’s reckonings in his life!
Lord Jesus, help us understand when things happen in our lives that are simply reflections of the fruits of our disobedience to You. Help us not fight your chastening. Help us to eat humble pie and take your chastening bravely just as we expect our children to do.
Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
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September, 22 2005
Psalms 3:2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
These are the foreshadow of those who sneered at the Messiah when He was dying on the cross saying, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (Mat 27:43).
In his hour of distress, the child of God appears so lonesome, seemingly abandoned even by God Himself. Satan is master at playing this distress in our mind so that we may even start believing that no one stands with us, not even God.
Jesus felt it on the cross when He exclaimed, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Psa 27:46).” The prophet Elijah also felt like he was all alone against the multitude of the ungodly when he said, "and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." But God reassured him and said "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." (1Ki 19:10,18). Elijah's servant was also duly rebuked when one morning he awoke to the sounds of the Syrian army on the lookout for him and his master. He thought they were alone until God opened his eyes. He said, “Alas, my master! How shall we do?” And he (Elijah) answered, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.2Ki 6:15-17
Dear Jesus, open my eyes that I may see that I am not alone in my fight for you, and that they which are with me are more than they which are against me; stay away from me the lies of the enemy telling me that there is no help in You for me.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (all the ones mentioned, and not mentioned, as per the previous chapter), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1,2)
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September, 23 2005
Psa 3:3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
In the midst of betrayal from his blood relatives and from his people, here is a man, Kind David, who did not go to the Lord in a spirit of grumbling.
How many of us, when faced with even lesser predicaments indulge in a spirit of complaint, and even “righteous” indignation against God. “How could He after all be so cruel to us who have confessed His name publicly, and are devout Christians? He should be careful; His reputation could be smeared if he treats His people so!”
Oh, beloved, you have mentioned His Name, but have forgotten the injunction of the apostle that, “all they that will live godly in Christ-Jesus shall suffer persecution”(I Tim 3;13). Even Jesus Himself said, “The servant is not greater than His Lord, if they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you also”. Remember, that He was “afflicted, a man of sorrow” (Isaiah 53).
In spite of it all, He still is better to us than He was to himself when He was on the earth.
Instead of complaining, King David looked to the Lord with the assurance of forgiveness, strength, support, love, and vindication from his enemies. He rested upon Him perfectly with the perfect Peace that owns those who believe by faith, not by sight because…
Heb 11:1 …faith is the substance* of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
* “The Greek word for “substance” is huposthasis” meaning title deed. When we have the title deed for something, we know that we own it even when we haven’t seen it; “the substance of things hoped for” ”
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September, 25 2005
Psa 3:4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
Our Lord Jesus told us that in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven we needed to become as little children. what baby cries and does not expect to be heard? And yet in our "growing up"our assurance of getting answered to when we cry seems to decrease; the most simple act practiced by a baby requires of us "adults" the understanding of a great educated theological principle which I fear less and less people understand as the world goes on. Alas, the knowledge of the simple abundant forgiving grace of God seems to be "out of style' and replaced by religious educated fables based on a system of bartering virtues.
But God hasn't changed; the most wicked of sinner can call unto Him in his hour of need (notice I didn't say "repentance" because calling unto God implies that the person has put itself in the position of repentance) and He will be right there, actually waiting at the door or his heart with great anticipation for that blessed moment. Even during the time of purging, Jesus is ther with us all the way through it; he is like the father of the story who after he sent his son to sleep in the attic for constantly disobeying, went and spent the night in the attic using his arm as a pillow under the head of the punished boy! Isn't it why he died for us?
Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me..
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September, 25 2005
Psa 3:5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
Roll over, go to sleep, let the Lord do the worrying!
How sad must the Lord feel when after all He does for us, we still sit there and worry.
But how elated must He be when, in full trust and confidence, we cease from our own fretting and trust Him to do the work of caring for us. When even in the face of the fiercest of hurricanes, in full faith we can know that no matter what, we still need to trust Him because in spite of all, He takes care of us in the hollow of His hands.
It is in the midst of trouble that our faith is tested. When we allow something to worry us, we have put limitations to God's omnipotence in our hearts. How offensive would that be if anyone did that to us!
Two painters each painted a picture to illustrate his concept of peace. The first chose for his scene a still, lone lake among far-off mountains. The second painted on his canvas a thundering waterfall during a raging storm with a fragile birch tree bending over the foam. At the fork of a branch, wet with the cataract's spray, a small bird sat on its nest, cheerfully singing. That is real peace!
Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mar 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
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September, 26 2005
Psa 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Is this being denial? If this statement is merely the result of positive or wishful thinking, or the results of a strong faith in the Lord, the end results will show for “faith” without the works to vindicate is “ (James 2:26)
When Elishah’s servant asked the Shunamite about her son who had just died of a stroke, “Is it well with the child, she responded, “it is well”; was she in denial, or acting in full faith, with supernatural assurance that God will give her back her child, which he did!
For the armies of Israel, Goliath was too big to fight, but for young full of faith David, he was too big to miss! Its all a question of perspective, but mostly its all a question of what we look at.
The man who has his eyes firmly focused on not only the Lord’s face, but His will sees no fear, no worries, no large armies of enemies, no storms, no famines, because all he sees is Jesus who calms the storm, comforts the heart, “put to flight the armies of the aliens” (Heb 11), calms the sea, feeds the hungry.
It was when Peter stopped looking at Jesus and looked at the waves around him that he started drowning! (Mat 14:30), and it was through the fearful report of “giants in the land” that the children of Israel continued wondering in the desert for 40 years instead of going into the Promised land (Num 13:33).
Lord, help me to look at you instead of to the “giants” in my life, and give me the same peace in my heart that you gave King David in front of Goliath. Help me have the peace and assurance of faith that nothing, absolutely nothing happens to one of your children without it being within your absolute control.
Psa 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
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(Psa 3:7) Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Still fleeing from his enemies, David forgot not the true means of his Salvation. Speaking faith, and not trying to bring this deliverance by his own power, he trusted God to bring His will to pass. In the same way that he did not want to be guilty of killing King Saul when he was the anointed king, David did not want to kill his heir (the wayward Absalom) who, for all he knew could be the next king. In this situation, God was the only one who could bring justice. David encourages himself here by remembering all the times when God had vindicated him by reproachfully defeating his enemies, and breaking their weaponry.
Are you in a corner at this very moment? Do you feel that there is nothing that you can do, and that whatever way you turn to, you loose? Commit your cause onto the Lord; He brought you into that place for this very reason--for you to turn to Him. Know that God will smite the enemies of your soul with a contemptuous slap that will shame them without remedy; He will break their devices of war! Remember His deeds of old, and be encouraged knowing that God has never forgotten you, and that in His perfect time, he will vindicate you and your cause.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
(Psa 27:12-14)
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(Psa 3:8) Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
I heard someone say one day, “Worry does pay after all, the things I fret about never happen!”
This is the “conclusion of the whole matter”, the end of all cares: the knowledge and the assurance that when all is said and done, the Lord is in control of our lives. ‘His hand is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!”
One may feel that a lot of things happen that don’t seem within the Lord’s control, but this is not true. Whatever the Lord allows to happen to us is within His perfect control and we can call upon Him with total assurance to remind Him of His promises that He “…is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
(1Co 10:13)
Oh, think of how excited you get when a child is in dire need of your help cries out with desperate expectancy and faith that you are able to rescue him! Even so, the Lord must get excited when, in the midst of impossibility, we hold Him to His Word and in a voice of excited anticipation, we shout with King David, “Salvation is of the Lord!”
He, “… is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.”
(Psa 19:5)
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(Mat 10:29-31)
Daily Surrender PSALMS 1
PSALMS 1
September, 15 2005
Psa 1:1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
What a challenging statement! In today's world, so much is about conformity; it may not be bad, but does this conformity to the attitudes adopted by the "majority" around us lead us to be the creatures God has fashionned to be? Even the concept of individuality has become an alibi used of people who only want to have the freedom to choose who they will conform to.
The freedom of the wind lies in its ability to yield to God in all ways, unobstructed by those who would wish to make it blow this or that way, and so is the freedom of our soul:
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
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Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
It is no sacrifice for the child of God to “not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful” as was stated in the preceding verse. He does it willingly because his “delight” had a higher calling. It is not that he “has” to dedicate time to the study of the Word as by obligation, but rather he “gets” to, as a reward from the Almighty.
Today the world offers us so many distractions that compete for our attention. Most are bad; some are good and some are less good, but whatever comes in conflict with our interest in the treasures of the Lord should be considered a negative influence in our lives. Settling for the “good” is often the worst enemy of the “best”!
It takes a total change of mind and spirit--a regeneration of the soul to be able to be sincere in saying, “Yes, my delight is in the law of the Lord, and I love to meditate on His words day and night, and I consider it my highest privilege!”
“Dear Jesus, let my appetite and desires be rewired so that I can say with David that truly my delight is in your Word and that I find it an incomparable treasure, reward and honor to meditate on your Word.”
Psa 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
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September, 17 2005
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Oh what a picture! What a picture of the perfect harmony of the child of God with His creator, the roots of his soul fully nurtured in the Spirit of his creator: divine serenity, love of purpose, lush abundance, perpetual fruitfulness, true happiness, the life of the Garden of Eden itself returned in your heart.
Here is the fruit of this “not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners, nor sitting in the seat of the scornful”; here is the perfect harmony created in the heart of the child of God having “his delight is in the law of the LORD.”
People of the world run to and fro the distance of the planet in order to find peace. Like the woman that had the issue of blood, they spend all their substance on physicians, doctors and psychologist, hoping for the peace of mind and spirit that can be obtained simply by touching the hem of His garment; do they only know that the treasure they are looking for is within the pages of their Bible? Do they know that if they daily grab a hold of Jesus’ garment, peace will encompass and even pursue them? Have they ignored it? Have they rejected in exchange for the fleeting pleasures of this world?
Have you told them of it?
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
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September, 18 2005
Psa 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
A young woman told me that she believed in God, was close to Him, and that she believed that He was leading her life, even though she also did not believe that Jesus was the son, and that God is only approached through him. Curious to know more about the effects of this belief system her and I continued talking.
She proceeded to tell me about her life and how she was so confused, how she did not understand the things that were happening to her, she did not have a clue of where she was at and even less of where she was going. After this discussion,
I concluded that no matter how much she liked to believe that she was close to God and that He was leading her life, her own testimony proved otherwise.
God is not a spirit of confusion; a life led by the Spirit of the Lord is not confused. One who is truly led by God knows and understands by sight or faith where he is at and even where he is going. It is the ungodly and the one without God who is like the chaff driven away by every wind of doctrine, new thought, idea, with no order beginning nor end, the anti-thesis of one who is led by the spirit of the “wind” of the God (John 3:8) who flies upon the wings of the wind” (Ps 18:10).
You who boast that your life is ordered by the Lord, it is truly so, its light, spiritual harmony and order will be its own silent screaming testimony and witness of the beauty of God.
Joh 1:4 In Him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men.
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September, 19 2005
Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
This is the day we will all face--the day when the books are opened and a true account is given for everything. No more hiding, no more games, no more pretending, no more bribing, no more begging, whining, or cajoling. The time for working things out and using our favorite excuses is over in this great day of accounting! What’s truly dreadful is that the game can stop at any time for any of us and we cannot count on tomorrow!
In that day, the ungodly who has not meditated on the Word, or soaked his roots deeply in the moisture brought to him by the river of life will not have the spiritual conviction to stand in the brightness of God’s presence. But the one who has faithfully fed from the River of Life, regularly sitting at Jesus’ feet like Mary, will be able to stand with Moses on the Mount of the congregation and hear the voice of God. He will enter without fear, with Jesus, through the veil into the Holy of Holies to enjoy the presence of his God whom he knows has been with him day by day. What a day that will be!
Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Exo 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Exo 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
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September, 20 2005
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
We may often feel that no one sees nor appreciate us for our true value; we may also feel that this cynical world misunderstands in our motives. By comparison, we may at times also feel that those with ill-motives and evil intentions are succeeding in their endeavors, and that this world rewards them with credit and glory
What a comfort to know that the Lord Himself knows the way of the righteous, that nothing escapes His eyes. He is the ultimate Judge whom we have to please first and foremost, and none can fool Him with pretense and false works. S fear not child of God for even if the world never appreciates and values and your participation in this day, another day is coming when the books will be opened and all things all will be revealed.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46 KJV)
September, 15 2005
Psa 1:1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
What a challenging statement! In today's world, so much is about conformity; it may not be bad, but does this conformity to the attitudes adopted by the "majority" around us lead us to be the creatures God has fashionned to be? Even the concept of individuality has become an alibi used of people who only want to have the freedom to choose who they will conform to.
The freedom of the wind lies in its ability to yield to God in all ways, unobstructed by those who would wish to make it blow this or that way, and so is the freedom of our soul:
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
***************************
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
It is no sacrifice for the child of God to “not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful” as was stated in the preceding verse. He does it willingly because his “delight” had a higher calling. It is not that he “has” to dedicate time to the study of the Word as by obligation, but rather he “gets” to, as a reward from the Almighty.
Today the world offers us so many distractions that compete for our attention. Most are bad; some are good and some are less good, but whatever comes in conflict with our interest in the treasures of the Lord should be considered a negative influence in our lives. Settling for the “good” is often the worst enemy of the “best”!
It takes a total change of mind and spirit--a regeneration of the soul to be able to be sincere in saying, “Yes, my delight is in the law of the Lord, and I love to meditate on His words day and night, and I consider it my highest privilege!”
“Dear Jesus, let my appetite and desires be rewired so that I can say with David that truly my delight is in your Word and that I find it an incomparable treasure, reward and honor to meditate on your Word.”
Psa 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
************************
September, 17 2005
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Oh what a picture! What a picture of the perfect harmony of the child of God with His creator, the roots of his soul fully nurtured in the Spirit of his creator: divine serenity, love of purpose, lush abundance, perpetual fruitfulness, true happiness, the life of the Garden of Eden itself returned in your heart.
Here is the fruit of this “not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners, nor sitting in the seat of the scornful”; here is the perfect harmony created in the heart of the child of God having “his delight is in the law of the LORD.”
People of the world run to and fro the distance of the planet in order to find peace. Like the woman that had the issue of blood, they spend all their substance on physicians, doctors and psychologist, hoping for the peace of mind and spirit that can be obtained simply by touching the hem of His garment; do they only know that the treasure they are looking for is within the pages of their Bible? Do they know that if they daily grab a hold of Jesus’ garment, peace will encompass and even pursue them? Have they ignored it? Have they rejected in exchange for the fleeting pleasures of this world?
Have you told them of it?
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
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September, 18 2005
Psa 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
A young woman told me that she believed in God, was close to Him, and that she believed that He was leading her life, even though she also did not believe that Jesus was the son, and that God is only approached through him. Curious to know more about the effects of this belief system her and I continued talking.
She proceeded to tell me about her life and how she was so confused, how she did not understand the things that were happening to her, she did not have a clue of where she was at and even less of where she was going. After this discussion,
I concluded that no matter how much she liked to believe that she was close to God and that He was leading her life, her own testimony proved otherwise.
God is not a spirit of confusion; a life led by the Spirit of the Lord is not confused. One who is truly led by God knows and understands by sight or faith where he is at and even where he is going. It is the ungodly and the one without God who is like the chaff driven away by every wind of doctrine, new thought, idea, with no order beginning nor end, the anti-thesis of one who is led by the spirit of the “wind” of the God (John 3:8) who flies upon the wings of the wind” (Ps 18:10).
You who boast that your life is ordered by the Lord, it is truly so, its light, spiritual harmony and order will be its own silent screaming testimony and witness of the beauty of God.
Joh 1:4 In Him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men.
****************************
September, 19 2005
Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
This is the day we will all face--the day when the books are opened and a true account is given for everything. No more hiding, no more games, no more pretending, no more bribing, no more begging, whining, or cajoling. The time for working things out and using our favorite excuses is over in this great day of accounting! What’s truly dreadful is that the game can stop at any time for any of us and we cannot count on tomorrow!
In that day, the ungodly who has not meditated on the Word, or soaked his roots deeply in the moisture brought to him by the river of life will not have the spiritual conviction to stand in the brightness of God’s presence. But the one who has faithfully fed from the River of Life, regularly sitting at Jesus’ feet like Mary, will be able to stand with Moses on the Mount of the congregation and hear the voice of God. He will enter without fear, with Jesus, through the veil into the Holy of Holies to enjoy the presence of his God whom he knows has been with him day by day. What a day that will be!
Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Exo 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Exo 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
************************
September, 20 2005
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
We may often feel that no one sees nor appreciate us for our true value; we may also feel that this cynical world misunderstands in our motives. By comparison, we may at times also feel that those with ill-motives and evil intentions are succeeding in their endeavors, and that this world rewards them with credit and glory
What a comfort to know that the Lord Himself knows the way of the righteous, that nothing escapes His eyes. He is the ultimate Judge whom we have to please first and foremost, and none can fool Him with pretense and false works. S fear not child of God for even if the world never appreciates and values and your participation in this day, another day is coming when the books will be opened and all things all will be revealed.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46 KJV)
Daily Devotion
February 2, 2006
(Psa 119:38 KJV) Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Some of us are prone to doubt God’s Word. Some of us have a tendency to doubt His precious Promises. It is true that in this present time, we are constantly bombarded with alternative concepts. If we are not on-guard against them, they erode at our faith and trust in the Lord. Sad to say, the most likely scenario is that we don’t even realize it. We live in a hum-drum fashion until something wrong happens in our lives or those close to us that serves as a catalyst to expose our waning spiritual condition, and renew in us the fear of the Lord.
The good news is that if we have an inner devotion to the fear of the Lord, we will be able to see it, unlike the one whose soul is “seared” by a self-justifying spirit of rebellion and is not able to even notice that something is wrong.
May God help establish His Word, His Promises and all of His spiritual principles in our hearts, so anchored and unmovable against the influences that would try to make us doubt the fulfilling of His Promises obtained through our faith and obedience. May His Word be the “fact” and the “amen” to each and every situation that comes our way so that the peace that passes all understanding reigns in us as a testimony of the “hope that is in us” to all around us.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(2Pe 1:4 KJV)
(Psa 119:38 KJV) Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Some of us are prone to doubt God’s Word. Some of us have a tendency to doubt His precious Promises. It is true that in this present time, we are constantly bombarded with alternative concepts. If we are not on-guard against them, they erode at our faith and trust in the Lord. Sad to say, the most likely scenario is that we don’t even realize it. We live in a hum-drum fashion until something wrong happens in our lives or those close to us that serves as a catalyst to expose our waning spiritual condition, and renew in us the fear of the Lord.
The good news is that if we have an inner devotion to the fear of the Lord, we will be able to see it, unlike the one whose soul is “seared” by a self-justifying spirit of rebellion and is not able to even notice that something is wrong.
May God help establish His Word, His Promises and all of His spiritual principles in our hearts, so anchored and unmovable against the influences that would try to make us doubt the fulfilling of His Promises obtained through our faith and obedience. May His Word be the “fact” and the “amen” to each and every situation that comes our way so that the peace that passes all understanding reigns in us as a testimony of the “hope that is in us” to all around us.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(2Pe 1:4 KJV)
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Daily Devotion
January 31, 2006
(Psa 119:37) Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
It seems factual that the continual watching of ungodly sights and sounds numbs our senses to their evil. Its almost like we train ourselves to be comfortable with these things, fighting against the God-given Holy Spirit in us, Who through our conscience, would normally reject them.
How sad, how pitiful, how pathetic it is when we vex, defile, abuse and torture the Spirit of God in us through the deliberate subjection to sights and sounds of worldly vanities. It must add to the LORD’s sorrow when He sees our senses eventually so numb that not only we cannot recognized good from bad and right from wrong anymore, but our conscience is so seared (1 Tim 4:2), so numb, that we cannot recognize the voice of His Spirit anymore. Ultimately, we do not even feel Him when he is grieved within us.
Let us, like King David in this Word, honestly, sincerely and without reservations, ask the LORD to “turn away” our eyes (as it seems we cannot do it ourselves) from beholding and loathing at the prideful and vain sights and sounds of the world, so He can “quicken” us (Quicken: to make alive.) O how those worldly vanities sap the strength and spirit out of us so we become soul-less, spirit-less humanoids, living-dead zombies, easily reachable to be used by Satan”!
Psa 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Psa 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
(Psa 119:37) Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
It seems factual that the continual watching of ungodly sights and sounds numbs our senses to their evil. Its almost like we train ourselves to be comfortable with these things, fighting against the God-given Holy Spirit in us, Who through our conscience, would normally reject them.
How sad, how pitiful, how pathetic it is when we vex, defile, abuse and torture the Spirit of God in us through the deliberate subjection to sights and sounds of worldly vanities. It must add to the LORD’s sorrow when He sees our senses eventually so numb that not only we cannot recognized good from bad and right from wrong anymore, but our conscience is so seared (1 Tim 4:2), so numb, that we cannot recognize the voice of His Spirit anymore. Ultimately, we do not even feel Him when he is grieved within us.
Let us, like King David in this Word, honestly, sincerely and without reservations, ask the LORD to “turn away” our eyes (as it seems we cannot do it ourselves) from beholding and loathing at the prideful and vain sights and sounds of the world, so He can “quicken” us (Quicken: to make alive.) O how those worldly vanities sap the strength and spirit out of us so we become soul-less, spirit-less humanoids, living-dead zombies, easily reachable to be used by Satan”!
Psa 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Psa 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
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