YESHUA, OUR JUSTICE

Psalms 5:8 Lead me, O Adonai, 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 unjustly received evil?

Let us not seek revenge. Let us resist the desire to straighten our own righteous cause. Yeshua is the ”lifter-upper” of the righteous. He is the one who vindicates and fills all those who seek and hunger after His righteousness (Matthew 5:6). We only need to ask Him to help us to stay in His way in spite of all that tries to trip us off. To stay in His way is our greatest vindication. When unjustly buffeted, let us ask the Master, our King of Righteousness to show us how to not be perverted by the desire to return evil for evil.

This desire to exact vengeance is where the devil, who is the enemy of all virtue, wants us. He knows that there is no end to the vicious cycle of vengeance and retribution for evil between men. He also uses these injustices to get us to be led by self-righteous emotions. He knows that whenever we are led by our own emotions, he is the one at the helm of our life instead of the Lord’s spirit. The only way the devil gives up, is if we don’t give in, so don’t give up. Let us pray therefore, and the Master will help us be perfect, as His Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:38-48).

ONE HEARTBEAT AWAY

Psalms 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 cry of King David, a king who has been harshly humiliated in the face of friend and foe. Hear the assurance of one who, when everything including his own self has failed, has unshakable trust in the multitudes of the mercies of his God.

So many of us live a constant life of misery while all the time the Father 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 grace of the eternal God by our poor limited failing and selfish standards of love.. In doing so we separate ourselves from His forgiveness and grace. In doing so, we become as the prodigal son, but afraid to come home.

The Kingdom of Heaven can seem so far away to those who don’t know how to find the Father and His grace and yet, God cries daily for everyone to find it. If they would only for a moment unite their heart with Him, they would find that, just as two heart cells pulsate in unison when in contact, the heart of the Father is just one heartbeat away.

Oh, that we would learn to make a temple of our heart to house the love and the multitudes of the mercies of the Almighty God.

Oh, that our hearts would shine so with His love for the world to see and give Him glory; then, His righteousness would begin to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.

May our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify the Father which is in Heaven.

NOTE: The word used for mercy in the Hebrew text is: chen: meaning: covenant faithfulness.

MESSIAH MARRIAGE PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

Proverbs 18:19

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Brother are essentially meant to be close. The irony is that we often hurt most those who are closest to us. This phenomenon is probably due to the dynamics of higher expectancies imbedded in more intimate relationships. The solution is to be an island and be close to no one (sarcasm intended!).

Because of this higher expectancy, a brother who has been offended is stronger to win back that a strong city. God seems to agree with this principle: of all the enemies of Israel, of all those whom sought its destruction in ancient times, because he sought the annihilation of his brother Israel, Edom who is Esau gets the strongest ‘ax’ from God in the fact that God annihilated its civilization (Obadiah). Because he was Israel’s brother, Esau was held to higher standards.

Married people are not biologically related, (even though the Song of Salomon merges the two relationships (S.O.S. 4)), but the same phenomenon seems to happen between couples. Because of the higher expectancies in marriage, offenses are more sensitive, and the wounds harder to heal. It is more difficult to forgive and restore a broken trust. The Messiah knows something about that. He also has His marriage problems with His wife’s unfaithfulness! What’s His solution?

The example of Messiah solving his ‘marriage’ issues with His Bride is very beautiful: He pays the price. After evil has been revealed, after confession has been made, He offers the option repentance and return. It is then that, as undeserving as we may be, He pays the price and takes upon Himself to do whatever He can to promote the restoration of trust and unity. He swallows His right to be eternally offended.

The apostle Paul teaches us that nothing can separate us from Messiah’s love (Romans 8). We are not Messiah, but as followers, can we still take sample of Him and be like Him?

IT’S HIS FIGHT

Psalms 5:6

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: Adonai will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Here is the cry of David, a man who has put the total sum of his trust in the Lord of his salvation. As a result of this trust, this man who does not indulge in exerting vengeance. He does not yield to the temptation to vindicate his own cause by his own means.

This is the beauty of being certain of the righteousness of your cause; of knowing that you are with God and that most of all, God is with you. You do not have to justify yourself to yourself nor to others; you do not even have to argue with the adversary. Any time the righteous and his cause are attacked, the avenging battle belongs to the Lord, and to Him only (Isaiah 63:4).

In all of our battles for Him, let us have the assurance that our heavenly Father God is the One who upholds our cause. May we have the assurance that He Himself will show His power against those who malign His children. Let us not be guilty of the sins of leasing and bloodshed practiced by the enemies of righteousness. In our time of trouble, let us find refuge in God and in the surety that He repays. Moses wisely advised the armies of Israel Adonai shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

Note from the King James dictionary:
”LEASING”: Falsehood; lies; obsolete or nearly so.

LET’S STRAIGHTEN OUR PATHS

Psalms 5:5

The *foolish shall not stand in Thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of *iniquity.

This prophetic statement is a good follow up of the preceding verse, and one of the building blocks of our faith. No matter what foolish puny man invents, no matter what he does or says in his attempts to justify his actions, we have the assurance of the outcome in ‘grand finale’. In the day when God will be ready to shake the earth and audit the ‘accounts’ of man (Matthew 25:19), none of his card castles will stand, his digital illusions of truth wealth will vanish.

The world has been given a little more time before the day of the great judgment when everyone’s work is put to the great test. We know that on that great day, the darkness of foolish, unrepentant and arrogant hearts will be unable to stand before the brightness of the Spirit of God.

Our verse today stands like John the Baptist by the waters of Jordan as a warning to check our hearts, to repent and make straight our paths. We need to rid ourselves of froth, vanity, pride, unyieldedness, arrogance and of the time-wasters in our lives. We do this so that when He comes, He finds us doing the work of the Father, and He can say: Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, 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.Matthew 25:34-35

*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.

*Iniquity: KJV: From the Greek: Anomia: without Law, as in, without the Law of God.

THIS IS OUR HOPE

Psalms 5:4

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

In the Gospels, Satan reminds Yeshua (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, watch the nightly news, and read the newspaper. Any intelligent person can discern what powers both East and West dominates lifestyles, politics and economics in. In light of such, it is a great comfort for us to know that God has no pleasure in the wickedness that pervades our times. What comfort we have is in the knowledge that whatever devilish powers raises to show its ugly head, whether in the world of politics or in our personal lives, God will not tolerate it.

For those prone to disobedience, for those taking pleasure in the purposes of Satan, the enemy of God, our verse today serves as a dreadful reminder of future judgment. For the obedient, there is no fear to be had, only the warm fuzzy feeling that we are in the care of the Almighty creator of heaven and earth, and that eventually, He does not allow wickedness to prevail.

Abba Father, one of these days, in Your Appointed Time and Season, in the Day that You have set aside for purging, every purpose and every tool that does not come from you will be eliminated and vanish away.

Swords will be turned into plowshares; instrument of illusions and vanity will be destroyed.

Most of all, Satan will be stripped of his power to kill.

You will do all this because You do not take pleasure in wickedness.

Help me therefore, me, your child, not to dishonor you by taking pleasure in the wickedness around us, or allow it to dwell with us.

TRUST GOD’S MAN

Psalms 5:3

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Adonai; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.

The Master is always there for us, waiting to help us. He waits for us to make the connection; He waits for us to call ‘home’ for help. Sad to say, much like our grown up children, we don’t call home until we need that help.

Should He have to wait till the day is done, till our ships come home with broken sails for us to come to Him to sooth our souls? And in turn, should we wait till we have tried all our keys in the lock, failed to find any solutions, the time when our frustrated and vexed hearts and minds desperately want to know what went wrong?

Why should the Master be expected to be the ‘Repairman’ of our lives? Shouldn’t He be the ‘Chief Executive’ Isn’t our Lord the Master, the ‘Jacob’ and the ’Joseph’ on whom even Laban and Potiphar leaned? Laban and Potiphar, these worldly people put their households in the hands of God’s man for the hour, and everything flourished and came to fruition. These secular rulers didn’t know the Lord, but they recognized His power through His people, through His ‘agent’ in their lives. Why don’t we recognize as much? Why do we carry the burden? Why do we insist on directing our own steps, when we have Yeshua, God’s ‘Man’, God’s ‘Agent’ in our lives who eagerly waits to help show us the way throughout the day? Sometimes His presence in our lives is even through someone we know that He planted there for that purpose.

Let us acknowledge that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23). While we acknowledge that you are the Creator of the universe, may we make You O Adonai the Director and manager of our hearts, minds and souls; be the focus of our attention. When we wake up in the morning, as King David did, let us receive our first instructions from You.

MAKE HIM YOUR FIRST CALL

Psalms 5:2

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto Thee will I pray.

We live in a time when we are at a loss simply raising a family, keeping a marriage, making enough money, or staying minimally healthy. Smart merchants market and peddle self ‘helps’ of all sorts in a supermarket fashion. Maybe that's why the prophet said, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Adonai.

Jeremiah 17:5
When faced with trouble, we have to make a conscious effort to not turn to these tempting empty schemes and focus on: unto Thee will I pray.

God constantly rebuked Israel for leaning on the ‘arm of the ‘flesh’—Egypt--for its protection. God was not enough for them. When things went wrong, they went to idols for their care and sustenance. Eventually. it wasn’t even enough for them to be ruled and sustained by the God of the universe alone through His judges. They wanted a king--a physical, visible and tangible person to rely on, and then eventually also to blame when things went wrong. They did not want to be solely dependant on God.

Today, it is an act of great faith to make the Lord our first call when in need, It takes faith to put aside all the ‘self-help’ books and videos, the teachings of specialized ‘gurus’ that vie to help us fight against the ailments that plague us . Addiction, depression, financial instability, psychological and physical disorders, problems with our marriage, problems with our children; the list goes on and on. It is not that we can’t gain some helpful information from these other sources, but as believers, shouldn’t God be our first shot?

When we ask the Lord first, not only does He help us, but He shows us what we may have done wrong, where we may have disobeyed His Word, either in thought or action. If we call on the Lord first, we will understand how we got into such a mess in the first place by leaning on our own arm of flesh and putting trust in man, and we will learn to amend our ways. Maybe that’s what we fear.

Lord, help us and make us helpable. Teach us and make us teachable. Train us to make You our first call for help in our day of trouble. Give us receptive hearts so that we can learn to amend our ways and live closer to Your will and Your Word.

BOLD CONFIDENCE

Psalms 5:1

Give ear to my words, O Adonai, consider my meditation.

When the Lord encouraged the prophet Isaiah to be bold in prayer he was told, . . . . . concerning the work of my hands command ye me (Isaiah 45:11).

The God that created the universe and everything therein has put himself at the command of mortal men and women. He is flattered when we request His attention. Don’t we like it when our children want and 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 acts that way when he knows in his heart 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.

We see this principle at work in our verse today. In his hour of trial, the psalmist keeps his confidence in the God who created Him. David has the utter confidence The Father will ‘lend him His ears’; that He will be a faithful, diligent, responsible and sensitive handler of his deepest heart cry.

None of us who own the atoning blood of Messiah should fear to enter in the temple of His presence. Whatever the fear, whatever the doubt, whatever the sorrow, the pain, the frustration or the emotion, He will handle our 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, act as if we were orphans?

Adonai, may we believe in your love, care, concern and dedication for us. You have said of Yourself, But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1Timothy 5:8). Lord, you are not an infidel.

PEACE IN THE MIDST OF LABOR

Psalms 4:8

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Adonai, only makest me dwell in safety.

Oh, it is so easy to be tranquil and at peace when life flows like soft sweet song; but should this peace wane at the sound of mounting staccatos?

As we reflect on David’s statement, let us not forget its context. David was leaving Jerusalem in disgrace, fleeing the mutiny mounted by his own son Absalom. David also well aware that his misfortune was a result of his own sinful actions. He realized that as a King, he was a reference point to his people. He needed to be punished.

We are supposed keep our focus on our God at all times. When a woman is in labor of natural childbirth, she is doing the hardest work she’ll ever do. To concentrate her attention on a pleasant picture or photo, or even looking at her husband helps her focus on her breathing techniques. As a movement in labor of the new millennial world doing the hardest work we’ll ever do, it is most important that during the intense pains of labor, we make our Master our main focal point. What a wonderful illustration of the Church, the bride of Christ, focusing and finding strength in her heavenly Husband in her time of tribulation. Then and only then will she have inner peace and comforting faith in the midst of her hard labor.

Peter, the follower of the Master spoke of exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

May we all, in our the times of life-giving hard labor, focus on these Promises Adonai gave us in His Word, that we also, like King David, may both lay ourselves down in peace and sleep.

OH, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Psalms 4:7

Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

God’s blessing of happiness is not measured in dollars and cents. Riches do make themselves wings (Proverbs 23:5). 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. In that sole ability lies the virtue of pure unadulterated happiness, of a joy that can never be altered by silver or gold, of a peace independent of outside politics and economics.

Oh, to know the joy of our God; to know the completeness that makes the rejoicings of this present world a mournful dirge; to experience the feasting that dwarfs their wealth into meals of famine; the brightness that reveals their freedom as an devilish illusion. Only the pure and regenerated in heart can ever see and experience these blessings from Adonai (Matthew 5:8).

Abba Father; please clean our hearts from the illusions that surround us. Help us not to settle for the cyber-virtual happiness of this present world. Grant us the knowledge of your love that is true; the experience of the pure and undefiled gladness only your Spirit can put in our hearts. This we ask, in the Name and merit of Yeshua the Messiah.

NO DOUBTS IN THE LIGHT OF HIS FACE

Psalms 4:6

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Adonai, lift thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us.

Does the screaming of our skeptic world seem to be getting so loud that it covers the voice of God? Does the voice of certainty of God’s care also seem to be fading among believers, thus giving way to doubt and self-reliance? Could these be signs of the great apostasy spoken of by the Apostle Paul?

Such times when public opinion mocks and ridicules the person of faith are not times for us to heed their criticisms. Such times are rather for us draw even closer to God, to let His countenance shine upon us. This darkness will only make His Light shine brighter.

As we look upon Him, our countenance is lifted. As we meditate upon His gracious love and abundant care, our faith in Him grows. As we focus our face on His, the sun rises on our world of darkness and worry. As we hear His songs of comforting reassurance, the voice of the world is drowns to insignificance. His countenance is always lifted upon us; it is His promise. We are the ones who need to turn ours towards His.

ON THIS VETERAN’S DAY…

Proverbs 18:18

The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

What a ‘coincidence’ for this verse to fall on this American Veteran’s Day!. Let us today honor all those who died in wars. But how do we honor them? In the grave, what are the somber thoughts of those who died horrible deaths, of those who died blown up and mutilated? What are the thoughts of their wives and of their children? What conversation took place as they faced the Almighty God Who Himself is called the God of Hosts (armies). What do those who are on the other side think as they watch us continuing to immaturely solve our problems through such degradation of humanity, us who are supposed to be made in the Image (nature, character) of God?

How should we honor them?

Could we honor them by learning to find other ways to solve our issues, our requirements for space and resources? Could we honor them by learning to keep dreams alive that do not require us to shatter those of other’s? What dream requires such atrocities? War is the unraveling of civilization. In wars all virtues disappear and we become animals living by the sole instinct of self-preservation. Wars between humans only prove that somewhere something failed.

In the past, God has declared wars, and the future seems to indicate a repeat. In the end, the Messiah will come, and He Himself will fight the ‘War to End all Wars’. He will fight a righteous war, not motivated by selfish ambitions. He will fight for righteousness to vindicate all the victims of man’s inhumanity to man, and for the reality of the establishment of the only righteous and peaceful kingdom on earth:

His Father’s Kingdom.

The Messiah is the ‘Lot’ that causes contentions to cease. This verse tells us how people used to solve their unsolvable differences by including God in the discussion. They simply cast a lot in front of ‘God’ in the presence of witnesses and agreed to abide by its outcome. Thus they avoided a physical conflict.

Can we trust God’s decisions that much?

THE SACRIFICE OF A YIELDED HEART

Psalms 4:5

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in Adonai.

God in the Bible refused several sacrifices. Cain’s jealous angry heart (Genesis 4:4), Saul’s disobedient spirit (1 Samuel 15:22), and the Pharisee’s proud and self-righteous gifts (Luke 18:11).

Sacrifices of righteousness require trust in Adonai. When Araunah insisted on giving to David everything he needed to make an offering, the King insisted, “I will not give onto Adonai of that which has cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24); if it doesn’t cost, emotionally or financially, if it doesn’t hurt, it is not a sacrifice.

A sacrifice of righteousness has to be mixed with obedience, obedience that’s invested deep down in the soul. Often, God asks for the very thing which hurts to give, that which requires an investment of faith, our ‘Isaac’, the last handful of meal in the barrel, the last drop of oil in the cruse (1 Kings 17:12); because when that happens, we have to trust Him again for our inheritance and our daily sustenance.

Let us not be afraid to give that which Adonai asks of us. Let us not fear to lay at His feet the thing which He requires from us. Let’s wake up each morning and make an ‘exchange of wills’, exchange what we want for what He wants. Our sacrifice will then be an acceptable sweet odor in His nostrils; we will be His saints gathered unto Him, those that have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. Psalms 50:5

DRAW NEAR

Psalms 4:4

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

Selah.

Now that we have been redeemed, separated and set aside from Egypt, drawn away from our own purposes, separated and sanctified for God’s purpose,; reborn in the waters of the seabed of the Red Sea; now that He has brought us unto Him near the mountain to hear His Instruction, He has called us to a new purpose: let us therefore make Him the object of our focus. May we not look back, neither to the left or to the right in doubt and questioning of His ways for us.

Now is a time for sweet communion with Him in the Holy of Holies, where He lives in the chambers of our heart. Now is the time for quietness, reflection and listening to His voice; the time to take our shoes off, approach the Holy Mount and hear the voice of God giving His Instruction.

There, in the silencing of our own purposes, in the surrendering of our will, leaving behind our old culture, He gives us the peace that passes all understanding; He reveals Himself, and His purpose to us just as He did Moses (Exodus 19-20), and like Paul, the scales are removed from our eyes and we finally receive the answers to our plaguing questions; we finally understand.

OUR DEFENSE LAWYER

Proverbs 18:17

He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

It is generally understood of judicial affairs, that the first person that opens a cause is very apt to prejudice the judge and court in his favour, The responsibility of a judge is therefore to judge righteous judgments and not to give undue justification to this first complainant for in time, another person will come with a version of events that will cast doubts on the testimony of the first.

Aside from the legal system, there is also what has been coined the ‘court of public opinion’. This is something akin to gossip. It is the opinion people develop on issues and people by listening to the verbal vomit of self-righteous hot-air powered hype-filled arguments of gossipers, self-appointed wise-men, judges, talk-show hosts, etc…. We should never, and this is very important, we should never endorse a judgment against someone if that other person is not present, and given his basic right to defend himself with his side of the picture. We ourselves are dependant on this system, so we should extend to others the same mercy that is granted us.

We are in constant court of Law before the Almighty. The enemy loves to go to the Father in legal terms and constantly accuse us. Satan’s arguments against us are logical and bathed in a sense of incomparably sound justice. Sad to say, since we are guilty of disobedience towards God, these arguments are also right;

But thanks to the Almighty, we have a Defense Lawyer who does not judge by the seeing of the eye nor by the hearing of the ear, but He judges righteous judgments (Isaiah 11). He also remembers that we are but dust and that we need help in fulfilling the best of our endeavors and commitments to obey. He has therefore made an out of court settlement or ‘covenant’ that absolves His people from guilt on the accounts of His own earned merits. The legal fees are also paid in full, and He never ceases to pray/intercede for us in front of the Father/Judge of the universe. His Name is Yeshua Hamashiach, and if you know him, He is your defense lawyer too.

HE SETS US APART FOR HIMSELF

Psalms 4:3

But know that Adonai hath set apart him that is godly for himself: Adonai will hear when I call unto him.

Does following the Master daily cause loneliness to our hearts? Does it provoke us to forsake the past again and again? Does He at times take us on a limb and requires that we saw it off? Do you feel Him right now taking you to a lonely desert place to make a decision that can influence the rest of your life?

This is not a time to fear. Our Master honors those who, imitating Him, are willing to take on the new uncharted paths He sets for them. He honors those who desire to follow His name, His Name only, unafraid of flame or foe. This is the way of the Bridegroom; He calls and woos His Bride away from the cares, distractions and dependencies of this world. He uses situations that require great faith and dependence on Him, all for the purpose of separating His bride for the full service of His house. He likes to take her out of ’Egypt’ and into the desert, away from her comfort zone, to let her feel the strength of His love, as she basks in total dependence on Him.

The winds of His Holy Spirit blow here today, there tomorrow. May we be a Bride who knows how to follow the changing and purging winds of the Spirit of the Bridegroom; a bride who hears and who obeys when He takes and sets her apart; a bride who knows that wherever He chooses to take her, it is for her best regardless of the seeming outward conditions.

DO WE HEAR HIS CRY?

Psalms 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 his traitorous son Absalom, David never ceases praying to God. His fight is fully borne in a spiritual manner. His cry unto God against the foolish vanity of the men who are stealing the kingdom away from him echoes Yeshua’s against this wicked and adulterated generation

(Matthew 16:4).

We, the people—humanity--are the glory of God. We are wonderfully and fearfully made in His powerful and likeness, nature and character. Yet our actions, attitudes and conduct blot the image of the glorious God who created us with their shame. Do we even hear Him cry from the Heavens begging us to reform? In the winds of the skies, and in the noise of high waters, He cries to stir our attention away from proud and vain thoughts, from our wicked ways; do we hear His cry? Do we listen?

How long, He screams, How long will you seek after ‘leasing’ , after lies, falsehood and pretenses in the carnal man. In these words we can hear the soul of the weeping prophet crying,

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!

Jeremiah 9:1

THE BEST GIFTS

Proverbs 18:16
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

It is fascinating how each realm has its own dynamics. Worldly business dynamics run by selfish interests and the solvency of numbers, but spiritual, godly business dynamics run by unselfish giving, obedience and trust in God’s plans.

A believer in the world has to, in some level, deal with business, but the way he deals with it will reveal who he is. We cannot say that we are believers and yet act like worldlings. We only deceive ourselves, sometimes we deceive others, but we certainly do not deceive God Who discern between matter and matter in our hearts.

This proverb could be translated as: ‘The ‘giving’ of a man makes room for him, and brings him before the great’. The wealth of a man is not defined by what he can hoard, as it is the financially uncertain pauper who hoards, but by what he gives, as only a rich man has the ability to give liberally. By doing so, a man naturally joins the ranks of the ‘great’, of those who have the ability to give.

Let us also remember that giving is not solely confined to the realm of money. Many would rather give their money than their precious time. Yeshua had no money, but He constantly gave of Himself. The apostles also said: ‘silver and gold have I not, but such as I have give I thee. Time, virtue, knowledge, sympathy, friendship, fellowship and sometimes, just a listening ear can constitute some of the best gifts ever given.

PRAY; HE ANSWERS.

Psalms 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 may sound like a strange statement, but many of us expect to be heard when we don’t even call. Of course the Father does know what we need even before we ask Him, so this ‘calling” to God is more for our benefit and for that of those around us. For our benefit because it is a conscious confession of our need which provokes humility; and for that of others, because it is a witness and a demonstration of God’s ability to helps His children in their time of distress.

In ancient times, to make a request from God, people had to go to a Levite, a Nazarite, or a Rabbi. They needed to bring a sacrificial offering and make their request in fear and trembling, whose blood would approach God in our behalf. These things teach us the parameters of prayers even for today. Yes, things have not changed. We go to Yeshua, our Nazarite priest and Rabbi and make our request with fear and trembling, and He presents His Own shed blood to the Father as our sacrifice to pay the price of approaching the Father for us. What a priviledge that we can call upon Him at any time and invoke His sacrifice as leverage for our request. May we not use it unworthily.

Oh that we would call unto God as unto a loving Father. So many of us who call Him “Our Father” act like orphans. Let’s call upon Him today, in the righteousness and mercy of Yeshua, the Messiah, and know that He will “enlarge” us when we are in distress; that He will have mercy and hear our prayers. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities (Psalms 103:10). His gentleness has made us great, and He deals with us according to the righteousness and the mercies found in the blood of Yeshua the Messiah shed for us.

HE IS AT THE HELM

Psalms 3:8

Salvation belongeth unto Adonai: thy blessing is upon thy people.

Selah.

After trying to convince her that worry doesn’t pay, a woman jokingly exclaimed, “Oh yes, worry does pay; the things I worry about usually don’t happen!”

Here is the conclusion of the whole matter (Ecclesiastes 1;13). The end of all cares is the knowledge and the assurance that when all is said and done, the Father is in full control of our lives. “His hand is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me,” the old song goes.

Many things happen to us that don’t appear to be within God’s perfect control. It is easy to feel that life is composed of random events coming at us without rhyme nor reason. Looking at it, one could easily conclude that we as individual are a ship left adrift given to its own care and caprices of the wind; that no one is at the helm. But a careful analysis of a life dedicated to faith, prayer and serving God easily proves the contrary. It testifies that whatever happens to us is within God’s perfect control. Therefore, we can always call upon Him with the total assurance of the promise 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.

1 Corinthians 10:13.

Oh, think of how excited we get when a child in dire need of our help cries out with desperate expectancy and faith that we will rescue him! Even so, the Master is excited when, going head front to an inevitable catastrophe, we let go of control through the sails and wheel, lift up our hands and scream, “Master please save us”. He is elated when in the midst of seeming impossibility, we hold Him to His Word and in a voice of excited anticipation, we proclaim with King David, Salvation belongeth to Adonai. Beloved, that could be the highest illustration of the word: ‘worship’.

ADONAI; OUR JUSTICE.

Psalms 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.

Absalom, David’s son had successfully led a coup against his father’s government. David could have led a civil war against his own son and win, but he followed the integrity that brought him the kingdom: in the same way that when David was anointed king by the prophet Samuel, he refused to kill king Saul who pursued him, and now David did not want to kill his own rebellious son who could be the possible next heir to the throne.

David also did not want to bring civil war and division in the people of Jerusalem, but the most beautiful part of his integrity was that he did not want to rely on the arm of his own strength for salvation. He wanted the Lord to be the one to vindicate him, to fulfill all justice and righteousness, so now he fled Jerusalem with Bath-Sheba his wife, and just a handful of loyal followers.

When we are pushed in a corner; when it seems that there is nothing we can do; that whatever way we turn, we loose, let us commit our cause onto the Lord. He brings us to these places for that very reason —for us to turn to Him.

God smites the enemies of our soul with a contemptuous slap that shames them without remedy; He breaks their devices of war! Let us remember His deeds of old, and be encouraged in the assurance that God never forgets us, and that in His perfect time, he always vindicates His people.
Psalms 27:12-14 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. (14) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

HE IS BIGGER THAN GOLIATH

Psalms 3:6

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

Does this statement by King David reflect willingly purposed ignorance of danger, boasting, or mere denial of reality based on therapeutic positive thinking? Is it the fruit of a strong faith in God based on the Word of truth? Boast ,or true faith? The answer to these questions lies in the end result. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Unless faith is in the end ‘mated’ with some sort of tangible manifestation, our declaration and profession of faith remains be a boast.

When Elishah’s servant asked the Shunamite about her son, Is it well with the child? She responded it is well. Was she in denial that her son had just died of a stroke? Or was she acting in full faith and supernatural assurance that God will give her her child back, which He did (2 Kings 4:26)!

. Was David acting in youthful immature ignorance of danger when he went to challenge the giant Goliath with nothing but a sling and 5 smooth stones? For the armies of Israel, Goliath was too big to fight; for young full of faith David, Goliath was too big to miss (1 Samuel 17:45)! It is all a question of perspective, of what we are focusing on.

The man who has his eyes firmly focused on God still feels fear, experiences worries, sees large armies of enemies, anticipates storms and famines . But he also sees Yeshua who calms the storm, comforts the heart, puts ther sea at rest, feeds the hungry, and turns to flight the armies of the aliens (Hebrews 11:34). When Peter stopped looking at the Master he started drowning (Matthew 14:30). When the Children of Israel looked at the giants, they were discouraged and refused to conquer the Land.

May we learn to look straight in the face of the Master instead of at the “giants” in our lives.

May He then fill our hearts with the same faith He gave King David in front of Goliath.

May we learn in these uncertain days to possess an unwavering assurance of faith and an unshakeable peace in the midst of the coming storm.

THE GREAT HERDSMAN

Psalms 3:5

I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for Adonai sustained me.


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.

How sad must The Father be when after all He does for us, we still sit there and worry. On the opposite, 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 faced with the fiercest of hurricanes, we can still trust Him, because we know that no matter what the situation looks like, He keeps us In the hollow of His hands.

It is in the midst of trouble that faith is tested. When we allow something to worry or fret us, we have put limitations to God's omnipotence in our hearts. How offensive would that be if anyone did that to us. The Hebrew word for ‘herdsman’ is ‘Do’eg’, meaning: ‘worry-er’. He is our great ’Herdsman’; may we let Him do the worry of caring for us.

On another level of etymology, the Hebraic biblical concept of ‘sleep’ can also refer to death. As we can trust Him with the worries of our lives, we can also trust Him that as we lay ourselves to ‘sleep’, He will also sustain and revive us. Though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil' the psalmist affirmed.

Resurrection is His promise to us.

CALL UNTO HIM

Psalms 3:4

I cried unto Adonai with my voice, and he heard me out of His Holy hill. Selah.

Our Master Yeshua told us that in order to see His Kingdom 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 when we ‘cry’ seems to decrease. The most simple act practiced by babies requires us ‘adults’ to own the understanding of great educated theological principles. And as the world goes on, we seem to become more and more ignorant of the basic principles of faith.

God hasn't changed. Whereas in our short-sightedness we think Him lenient or even absent, He is near, and not willing that any should perish.

In his repentant hour, even the most wicked Torah-breaking sinner can call unto His Creator, just like the baby does. The Father will be right there, even waiting at the top of the road where He has for years hoped for his return. Here he is, teary-eyed with great anticipation of that blessed moment, with His great desire to answer our prayer. During our time of purging, we can call on Him, Yeshua is right there with us all the way through it, a High-Priest able to empathize with us, ready to pour the atonement blood shed for our redemption and reconciliation.

What father enjoys seeing His children suffer? Yes, the Father takes responsibility for sometimes allowing us to reap the results of our foolishness but when we go through the fire, He is with us, and even through the waters, they do not overflow us. Even in exile, He has been with His people ready to answer their call of repentance and return to Him.

THE ASSURANCE OF FAITH

Psalms 3:3

But thou, O Adonai, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

Even In the midst of betrayal from his blood relatives and from his people, this man, Kind David, went to His Lord in a spirit of victory.

How many of us, when faced with the daily problems and inconveniences of life allow ourselves to indulge, sometimes subconsciously, in a spirit of complaint, even of ‘righteous’ indignation against God saying, “How could You, after all be so cruel to me. I have confessed your name publicly; I am a devout believer. Afeter all, You should be careful; Your reputation could be smeared if You treat Your people so.” What a pity!

We mention His Name, and then forget the injunction of the apostle that says, all they that will live godly in Messiah-Yeshua shall suffer persecution (I Timothy 3:13). The Master Himself reminded us of the rabbinic injunction, The servant is not greater than his master, if they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). We need to remember, that even though He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7). In spite of all that may befall us, He seems to still be better to us than He was to Himself when He was on the earth.

Instead of complaining, may we look to our Master with the assurance of forgiveness, strength, support, love, vindication from enemies, and victory over our trials. May we rest upon Him. May our hearts own the perfect peace of those who believe by faith in His blessed Words, unmoved by the not by the sight of trouble around them. May we partake of the substance of things hoped for, of the evidence of things on t seen. Hebrews 11:1

NOTE:* “The Greek word for “substance” is huposthasis” meaning title deed. When we have the title deed for something, we Know we own it because of the deed on paper even though we haven’t seen it and do yet enjoy the full benefits of its use. In the same way, we are redeemed as the ‘contract’ says, but not yet restored.

WE ARE NOT ALONE

Psalms 3:2

Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God. Selah.

These lamentations of King David about those who sought his life foreshadow those of the people who indifferently watched their Messiah dying on the tree saying, He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God (Matthew 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. We listen to him and start believing that no one stands with us to support us, not even God.

Yeshua exemplified these sentiments when on the cross He exclaimed, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? . . . My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). The prophet Elijah also thought he was 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. At that moment 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." (1Kings 19:10,18). Elijah's servant was duly rebuked when one morning he awoke to the haunting sounds of the Syrian army on the lookout for his master. He thought they were alone to fight this great battle 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 (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Dear Master, you may have been alone as no other could stand with you in your station, but we are not alone. In our hour of trouble dear Yeshua, help us to resist the enemy who tells us otherwise. Open our eyes that we may see that they which are with us, those of today, and those of yester-years, are more than they which are against us.

A BALANCED BALANCE

Proverbs 18:15

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

The English text lacks the subtlety of the Hebrew. A narration from the Hebrew version explains, ‘Understanding (prudence) will unable someone to derive knowledge on his own, but someone who lacks understanding (but who still has an ear for wisdom) , must rely on the wisdom he gathers from (prudent) others’. The idea taught here is that: to desire wisdom is a great thing, but without a prudent heart we must acquire this wisdom through the wise tutoring of others.

Knowledge can be a blessing or a curse. The universe’s laws of physics can be used to build or to destroy.. That is why our same wise author also advises us to not only get wisdom, but to also get understanding: Proverbs 4:7.

Because of our wicked hearts, even the knowledge of the liberating Word of God is often used to enslave and oppress. This is so sad. I think it is the highest form of blasphemy: to use the Word of God for despotic purposes. It is done by country leaders, by religious leaders and it is even done within the confines of people’s own homes, with over bearing parents imposing a somber legalistic view of religion.

Moses said that obedience to Torah, who calls Itself ‘Wisdom’ in Proverbs 8, is our Life. I would therefore advance the idea that any application of obedience to the Torah which does not produce life in its hearers, but instead produces oppression and bondage is erroneous. Within these parameters, we need to also acknowledge that either an over conservative or over liberal view of our obedience to Torah leads to oppression and bondage. The over conservative view leads to the bondage to man, the over liberal view leads to bondage to self or the devil. Within these parameters we therefore obtain the blessed wisdom of a ‘balanced balance’, which God loves since: A false balance is an abomination to God.

May we love to learn; may we desire wisdom; but Abba, grant us not to be so arrogant as to think we have to learn everything on our own. Give us the wisdom toe learn from those who ‘blazed the trail’ before us, that all our wisdom and learnings bring us life and freedom, not death and boundage.

ACCEPT GOD’S RECKONINGS

Psalms 3:1

LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.

Hear the heart cry of King David, a great and mighty soldier unto his God! Hear the cry of a meek one who; one who after winning numerous battles still, does not rely on his own arm of flesh to save him and to get him out of trouble. Hear the prayer of one who utterly leans on his God and who learns from Him.

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 his adversary, even with his own son? The people would have understood, his generals would have stood by him, and would have glorified him for being a king which was no respectful of persons in judgment, not even of his own blood. No. For David, this was not God’s way of doing things. 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 God, of the beloved Jerusalem which David worked so hard to build. The most wonderful thing in David’s flight from Absalom is that David knew that what was happening to him this was the result of his own sins; therefore he was willing to eat humble pie in front of his God and in front of his people. The great lesson we can glean from these events is to not fight against God’s reckonings in our life!

Abba Father; help us to admit it when things happen to us that are simply the fruits and results of our disobediences to You and your Torah. Help us not fight your chastening for it. Help us to be able to eat humble pie and take your discipline bravely, just as we expect our children to do.

Hebrews 3 and 4 audio by Patrick Lumbroso

HE SEES YOU

Psalms 1:6

For the Adonai knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

We may sometimes feel that no one sees nor appreciates us for our true value. It may look to us that this cynical world misunderstands even the purest of our motives. By comparison, it may appear to us that those with ill motives and evil intentions succeed in their endeavors and that this world rewards them with credit and glory

What a comfort to know that Adonai Himself knows the way of the righteous, that nothing escapes His eyes. He is the ultimate Judge; ultimately, He is the only One we have to please and His reward lasts forever (Romans 11:29).

None can fool Him with pretense and false works. His spirit discerns between the sincere gift of our person to Him in pure and simple obedience, and egocentric self-glorifying, self-righteous religious works done in pride and dissenssion.

So let us not fear if today, the world doesn’t appreciates and values and our participation. Very soon another day is coming when the books will be opened and all things all will be revealed. In that day, every secret of every heart will be opened, every motivation revealed, and just recompense will be given to all.

May it come soon, even in our days!

Hebrews 2 audio by Patrick Lumbroso

Hebrews 1 audio by Patrick Lumbroso

STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF ADONAI

Psalms 1:5

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

This is a day we will all face--the day when the books are opened and a true account is given for everything we’ve done and said. No more hiding; playing games is done and over with. No more pretending, bribing, begging, whining, or cajoling. The time for justifying ourselves using our favorite rationalizations, excuses and alibis is over. This is the day of the great accounting when the borrowed and stolen is returned, when only what’s truly ours remains. And what’s more, is that for any of us the game can stop at any time; we cannot count on tomorrow.

In that day, those of us who have not had our priorities straight, who have not meditated on the Word, soaked our roots deeply in the moisture brought us by the River (Psalms 1:3), will not stand in the brightness of God’s presence.

Whereas those of us who have faithfully lived off the spiritual nutrients offered by the River of Life, those of us who regularly sat at Yeshua’s feet like Mary, we will be able to stand with Moses on the Mount of the congregation and hear the voice of the Master say, well done , thou good and faithful servant;. . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord (Matthew 25:21) .

We will enter without fear, with Yeshua through the veil, and into the Holy of Holies of the Presence.

We will enjoy the God whom we know has been with us day by day.

What a day that will be!

‘THE RAILWAY OF DEATH’

Proverbs 18:14

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

During W.W.2, 61,000 allied prisoners were forced to build a railroad from Thailand to Burma. Their Japanese captors were ruthless. They kept these POW’s living in abject conditions with every right of the Geneva convention denied. Hungry, beaten sick, humiliated, these prisoners had every reason to turn to the savage beast in each of them in order to survive. The price of that though, it is that if they did, they would reflect the image of the very devil that oppressed them.

One young Scottish officer who previous to the war was preparing to be a teacher recognized the issue at hand and determined to keep his dignity and pride as a human created by God, This officer started teaching and educating the other soldiers of his company away from the ‘beast’ in each of them that that demanded murderous vengeance. Using Greek classics, Shakespeare and the Bible, he revived hope and reason in the heart of those around him. He kept the ‘human’ from being overcome by the ‘beast’ in each of them. This victorious encounter of virtue against senseless brutality created ripples and waves that taught even their heathen captors about the power of God.

In the same way that the germs part of our biological structure wait for a moment of physical weakness to do their dirty work and make us sick, sin also permeates our personality. Lust, vengeance, anger, arrogance, pride, gluttony and senseless polemic are all waiting for our moment of spiritual weakness, a moment when the enemy has succeeded to break our spirit, in order to take us over and show their ugly head.

Thank God, that even though our spirit may be broken, we have His unbroken victorious Spirit to sustain us. His Spirit is the One of the Lamb Who voluntarily and meekly laid down His life, while praying for His enemies. He opened not His mouth in vengeful curses; He did not return hurt for hurt. His Spirit was stronger than the evil that oppressed Him, and therewith He conquered even death. This is the Spirit that we also own from God.

Let us who claim to be anointed by Him; let us who claim to know and hear the Voice of His Spirit; let us who declare that we have the Light of the knowledge of God, never blaspheme His Name by misrepresenting Him on earth no matter what are the conditions. Tall order? Yes. But better to die fighting to reflect His image to the world, than to submit d to the blasphemy of reflecting the image of His and our-arch-enemy: the devil.

THE LIGHT AND ORDER IN A GOD-LED LIFE.

Psalms 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, that He was close to her and leading her life. She proclaimed though that she did not believe that Yeshua was the Messiah the Son of God, and that only through Him could God be addressed or approached. Curious to know more about the effects of this belief system on her life, I continued the conversation with this woman.

She then proceeded to tell me about her life; how she was so confused and did not understand the things that were happening to her. She also didn’t seem to 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 also where he is going. It is the ungodly and the one without God who is like the chaff driven away by every wind, thought, doctrine, or idea, with no order, beginning nor end.

The ungodly is the anti-thesis of one who is led by the spirit of the “wind” of God (John 3:8)’’ of the one who flies ‘upon the wings of the wind’ (Psalms 18:10).
For those of us who boast that our life is ordered and lead by the Lord of the universe, if it is truly so, Light, spiritual harmony and order emanates the silent, but screaming testimony and witness of the beauty of God.

THE RIVER

Psalms 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 child of God’s perfect harmony of with His creator, the roots of his soul fully nurtured in the Spirit of his Maker. Near his God, he finds divine serenity, love of purpose, lush abundance, perpetual fruitfulness, true happiness: Eden returned in his heart. This is the reward of “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.” (Psalms 1:1-2)

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 fringes of Yeshua’s garment; do they only know that this treasure they are looking for is not in heaven nor beyond the sea, but it is very close to them, in their mouth and n their heart. (Deuteronomy: 30:13-14).

When someone comes sharing their hearts and their problems, spare them the empty psychology and wisdom of man; rather bring them to the ‘river’. There is no other therapy, no other solution, and no other medicine. All the wisdom in the world will fail; only the ‘River’ will do.

DID YOU HEAR ME?

Proverbs 18:13

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

How many problems would be solved with proper communication ethics. How many wars would be avoided, how maybe households would find peace, how many marriages would be redeemed and work relationship saved. Maybe it would even help our politicians to bring back ‘civility’ in their debates on hot issues.

I had a conflict with my teenage son the other night. I gave him a command which he wanted to argue. I had to let him know with no uncertain terms that whatever he had to say, disobedience was not acceptable. When he later complained later to his Mom that I was not listening, she explained to him that the best way for one in authority over you to listen to you, is to first indulge them in their command; they will then be more willing to hear your position.

What does it mean to answer a matter before we hear it? The Hebrew verb for ‘hear’, is ‘shamah’, from where we get the word ‘Shema’ in the staple prayer of Judaism. Shema means more than to passively listen. It means to listen, accept, obey and act upon what was spoken. When God tells Israel to ‘shema’, He in fact tells us to hear, listen, subject our spirit to His command and do what He says.

Jewish sages actually taught that the best time to lay your requests at God’s altar is when in the midst or performing an act of obedience. The idea is that when we obey God doing His will, He is happy with us, and it is then a good time to say, “By the way, God, could You please…?” That is why Jewish people always pray for their children during the Sabbath prayer on Friday night. They know that God is pleased to see them obey in sanctifying the Sabbath, so they use that time of favor to pray for their most precious possessions: their kids.

Effective communications require humility, and the apostolic Scriptures do advise us to ‘subject one to another’. May we subject ourselves to each other, by indulging each other’s reasonable request. By listening more, we may find ourselves more heard.

SACRIFICE OR PRIVILEDGE?

Psalms 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 (Psalms 1:1). The child of God does it willingly because his delight is of a higher calling. The child of God doesn’t feel that he ‘has’ to dedicate himself to the study of the Word; he rather feels that he ’gets ’ to; for him, it is a blessing and a reward from the Almighty.

Today the world offers us many distractions that compete for our attention. Some seem, good, most are bad and even dangerous. We need to realize though that whatever comes in conflict with our dedication to the treasures of the Kingdom should be considered negative influences in our lives. Sometimes, even the ’good’; the ‘good’ that we settle for, is 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 Adonai, and I love to meditate on His words day and night, I consider it my highest blessing, reward and privilege!”

“Dear Yeshua, let our appetites and desires be rewired. Let us be able to truly concur with David, ‘My delight is in the Law of the LORD’, and truly estimate meditation on your Word an incomparable treasure, an immeasurable reward, and the greatest of all honors and priviledges.”

FREE THE BOUND

Psalms 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.

In today's world, so much is about conformity; it may not be bad, but does this conformity to accepted attitudes lead us to becoming the creatures God has ordained us to be? Even the concept of individuality has become an alibi that we use when we only claim to exercise the freedom to choose to which bondage we will conform to.

Satan, the enemy of our soul uses the grip of the vice of conformity to the world and its ways to keep our soul prisoner to his ways. He wants us to stand for him, walk in his counsel, and seat in fellowship with his people. He, terrorizes us into submission to his concepts with stories of gloom that cause us to fear lest we escape; lest we become free again, living under the sole dependence of God. What lies does he not concoct to keep us from escaping. His hope is for us to form bounds of affinity with him, so like an abused woman, we get familiar with him and accept the situation as ‘normal’.

But like the wind, the freedom of our soul solely lies in its ability to yield to God in all His ways, without controls, without the obstructions of those who would wish it to conform to their ungodly ways. Our spirit only finds fullness of freedom when we give it permission to follow God, its Creator as He leads. One word of consent on our part towards Yeshua The Redeemer, and we can free ourselves from the terrorizing grip of our abuser, the devil.

May we never be fooled by the enemy’s lies into conforming to the ways of the world. May we never listen to him to the detriment and freedom of our soul. While it is called ‘Today’, let us call on Yeshua The Messiah; let us stand with Him; let us walk in His ways and be blessed with His freedom from bondage as we seat in fellowship with the people of God.

WHAT GOES UP . . ..

Proverbs 18:12 KJV
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
And before honour is humility.

This proverb also link with the previous one. It is haughtiness and pride that makes a man trust in his own wealth for refuge. Self-sufficiency provides for and feeds our inner wicked need for control and independence.

Evidence abounds that testifies to the building of man’s character while in time of need. The present recession has caused many to change their lifestyle. People pool resources together, barter, save, learn to repair, humble themselves by asking for help, rearrange priorities and have to be nicer to each other simply because they need each other more. Need has a strange way of bringing out the human being in us.

On the other hand, one who is self-sufficient feels that he can afford to be proud arrogant, haughty, judgmental and independent. Little does he know that like gravity, which ordains that whatever goes up must come down, his attitude has a natural bent for destruction. It is like the old saying about the whale: it is when she ‘blows’ that she harpooned!

We as humans are people of community. We need each other. May we learn to recognize when we have come to a point in our life when we’ve attained such s level of independence and self-sufficiency that we feel we can afford to be proud and arrogant with others.

By the way, these same principles that define godliness as people individually, also apply corporately for nations.

THE COMPASSIONATE INTERCESSOR

Proverbs 18:11 KJV
The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

This proverb works in contrast with the preceding one thus we have the following statement: The Name of Adonai is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

When God wanted to destroy Israel His people because of the sin of the golden calf, Moses relied on God’s Name for mercy. God’s Name is defined by His merciful and compassionate nature and character as read in Exodus 34:5-7:

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

This passage is commonly referred to as the Thirteen Attributes of God. Later, when God is again wroth against his people, Moses reminds God of these attributes and thus again averts catastrophe. As we see, the Name of Adonai is certainly a strong tower of mercy and compassion where the righteous can run into The ‘righteous’ spoken of here is Moses pleading and interceding for his people, and upon whose merits God repented from the evil He wanted to do to Israel. What a marvelous foreshadow picture of the Messiah Himself upon whose merit and Name we obtain mercy.

By contrast, a man who is rich not of God’s Name, but of his own natural doings, sees his personal wealth and abilities as his refuge. He trusts in his own personal merit to protect him from the wrath to come upon the entire world. What a sad sight!

No matter how far we have gone, let us trust in The Righteous, the Son of God Himself Who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25.

THE NAME OF ADONAI

Proverbs 18:10 KJV
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Much is made about the ‘Name’ of the Lord and again our western Greek philosophical mind lures our understanding to erroneous fields of interpretation. The Greek mind is concerned about things, about definitions, nouns, and descriptions. The Hebrew mind looks for actions, verbs and functions. Some study groups are intent on a Greek literal interpretation of the ‘Name’ referring to a particular ‘sound bite’ to which someone responds. They proclaim that God does not respond if we don’t say it the right way, and that He may even mistake us for calling unto idols if we say it wrong.

The Hebrew word ‘shem’ refers to someone’s personal nature and character. It can even speak of ‘authority’ as when we speak in the name of someone. That is why we pray to the Father in the Name of Yeshua, because Yeshua’s sinless nature and atoning character is the sole authority whereby we may approach the Father. He is the sacrifice that allows us to interact with the Almighty God. The author of the Book of Hebrews defines the nature of Yeshua as being the brightness of His (God’s) glory, and the express image of His (God’s) person; Hebrews 1:3.

Jews have long contemplated about this notion of the ‘Name’ of Adonai as is written in our Proverb, and an ancient writing called the Midrash Tillim refers to the ‘Name of Adonai as the very Messiah Himself. This notion is pervasive throughout talmudic studies.

Let us thereby follow David the psalmist, his injunction and example and proclaim the Name of Adonai by making mention of the works Messiah. And let us not proclaim His Name in words only, but in works and deeds, in the Manner of a Godly lifestyle powered by His Spirit.

TO BE FAITHFUL

Proverbs 18:9 KJV
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

‘Slothful’ has the connotation of ‘lax’, ‘negligent’.

If our life belongs to Yeshua, He is our master and our work is to do His commandments. The Commandments are spiritual, including charity works, but they also include the mundane such as good stewardship over our families and households. A Mom running after the kids all day long works for God as much as the priest in the temple. A man fighting traffic to get to his work or having his hands in the dirt of his fields works for God as much as the missionary in a far-flung field, or he who volunteers at the local orphanage. All these things being parts of God’s Commandments become God’s work as we, His people, do them.

In this passage, the Hebrew word for ‘work’ is the same as the one used for the word ‘creation’ in the beginning of the Bible. In the same way that God’s creation is His witness to us of His glory and majesty, our ‘works’ in His Name (since we carry His Name in us) are the witness of His greatness to those who don’t know Him. We need to realize though that His ‘work’ through us is reflected in several ways. It is reflected in our diligence to properly manage every aspect our households; to faithfully execute His Commandments to the best of our abilities; and also in our general attitude, especially in times of crisis. People who see the “work” of Yeshua’s people are supposed to see Yeshua. If instead these people see hypocrisy, selfishness, laziness and pride, our witness will be flawed; we will be responsible for their lost soul and become brother to Satan (cursed be his name), the faith-destroyer.

This is a tall order as all of us fail in many ways; that is why we need His atonement. Let us try to take sample though from a man who received a great commendation from the Father: Moses, of whom it was said that he was faithful in all His house.

CRITICISM CONTROL

June 18

Proverbs 18:8
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

A very sharp warning reiterated in Proverbs 26:22. Also, Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. Proverbs 26:20.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘talebearer’ has imbedded in itself the idea of whispering, of whispering complaints and slander about someone to third party. As a result, some translations use the word ‘complainer’. This slandering of others usually makes both talebearer and hearer feel better about themselves so some translations also use the word flatterer. The truth is that all these translations are right. We are talking about a person who elevates him or herself in their own eyes by telling negative stories about a third party to others, thus elevating them in their own eyes also, while at the same time hypocritically portraying an image of true concern about the people they are slandering. Ugh!

It is very hard to resist hitting back those who displease us with negative publicity; and to think that this is the principle behind political campaigns.

A sergeant was asked for his opinion about a certain soldier considered for a promotion. The sergeant gave a glowing report to which another soldier replied, ‘Are you aware that the private you just honored with such a positive report constantly criticises your leadership to others?’ To which the sergeant answered, ‘I was not asked his opinion of me as a sergeant, but my opinion of him as a soldier’.

THE FOOL AND HIS MOUTH

Proverbs 18:7 KJV
A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Proverbs 18:1-7 seem to weave on a similar theme: The Fool and his Mouth.

In verse one, lusting after ungodly concepts, the fool is a meddlesome separatist. In verse two he desperately wants to be acknowledged at his true value. In verse three, his unbridled mouth bring ignominy and reproach wherever he goes, and the whole thing is contrasted with verse four in the difference with the quiet un-meddlesome mouth of the wise. In verse five we are warned not to favor the fool over the wise while verses six and seven, as if to instruct us, reveal the self-destructive nature of the fool’s mouth. Like the old saying, ‘Give the devil enough rope and he’ll hang himself’.

May God grant us not let our mouth be our own destruction.

LETS MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS

Proverbs 18:6 KJV
A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

The Bible teaches to be active members of society. It expects us to be involved, to be concerned by the events we witness. The problem is that today, we can become aware of so many situations, both near and far, that we can end up involved in too many things. Somehow, our sense of indispensability makes us feel that we need to oversee every needy situation. The result becomes a very stressful life where we have our hands in so many pies that eventually all burn for lack of proper oversight. The worst, is that while we are busy with the good, we often neglect the best. We save the world somewhere else, while we leave our own household in dysfunction.

It can also happens that as we get involved in battles that are not our own, we become the recipients of hurtful blows. We may console ourselves with the idea that we are victims of our own goodness, martyrs for righteousness sake, but maybe we were just fools entering into other people’s business. Our lips entered a contention and as a result, our mouth called for strokes.

May we learn to actively stay away from fights that are not our own. It could be that by getting involved, we keep God from doing His work in people’s lives. It could be that the reason we witness things is only to get actively involved in prayer, in prayer leaving people in God’s perfect will (as opposed to those prayers that portend to tell God what to do).

Here is a good verse about this:
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

Proverbs 26:17

THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

Proverbs 18:5 KJV
It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

I hate to be political on these daily devotionals, but this proverb today is loaded with significance.

Many of us today can attest that we live in important times, even possibly the times described by Yeshua in these terms, Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Matthew 13:17. The expression of this statement belongs to the followers of Yeshua of then as much as to those of today.

Sin, wickedness, righteousness and holiness are not defined by our quantum of virtues; they are solely defined by our level of harmony with God and His will. In all of history, the fate of nations has always been determined by their reaction towards God’s will. It is the same today.

As we watch and assess the culmination of world events, it is important that we react intelligently looking to our prophetic blue prints in order to determine the ‘righteous’, (what is according to God’s will) and the wicked (what is against God’s will).

The Word clearly makes mention of the rebirth of the displaced country of Israel in the endtimes. It tells us of the return of the Jewish people in their homeland, where they will live peacefully. This return is key to our future millennial reality. This prophecy has been fulfilled in troublous times and even now as we speak the issues are culminating. Many, in Israel and out of Israel, have different ideas on how this should be achieved. Some believe in the virtue of sacrificing land for peace, others believe that it is wrong. Time and history will tell (or maybe it has already ‘told’?). One thing is sure though, it is that God seems to always have a way to surprise us on how He fulfills His will.

With our understanding of the ‘righteous’ and of the ‘wicked’, may we remember In all of our dealings and opinionating, that,: It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. In the wise words of Rabbi Gamaliel:… lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. Acts 5:39.

OF SPEAKERS AND TEACHERS

Proverbs 18:4 KJV
The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

There are two kinds of speakers and teachers: the emotional motivator and the one who speaks as the oracles of God. The first is moved by his internal emotional charisma, the second by the external substantial power of God.

The first uses all the psychological tricks in his Carnegie arsenal. He is everywhere on the stage, emotional, agitated and agitating. He is tiring just to look at. He relies on the energy and the emotional factor to touch and move people with his message. They are all excited and moved while he is around, but only very small substantial fruits remain of the event after the speaker/teacher is gone. The people have remained speaker dependant.

The second seems usually quiet and unemotional, but he draws his strength from an external pool connected to his heart. He is quiet on the surface, but his heart is connected to God’s Springs and it bubbles inside of him like there is no tomorrow. As result, this speaker reaches people in the deepest place of their heart. They are not only moved but they are changed; not only in his presence but also after he is gone. The people have become God dependant.

We can only reach people’s heart if we speak from our heart. When we have failed to reach their heart, it is because we do not speak from ours.

Here is true story I found in an anecdote book:
"Some years ago a great actor was asked at a drawing-room function to recite for the pleasure of his fellow-guests. He consented and asked if there was anything they specially wanted to hear. After a minute's pause an old minister of the Gospel asked for Psalm 23. A strange look came over the actor's face; he paused for a moment, then said, 'I will, on one condition--that after I have recited it, you, my friend, will do the same.'
'I!' said the preacher, in surprise, 'I am not an elocutionist, but, if you wish it, I shall do so.'
Impressively the actor began the Psalm. His voice and intonation were perfect. He held his audience spellbound, and, as he finished, a great burst of applause broke from his guests. As it died away, the old man rose and began to declaim the same Psalm. His voice was not remarkable: his tone was not faultless; but, when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The actor rose and his voice quivered as he said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears: he has reached your hearts. The difference is just this: I know the Psalm but he knows the Shepherd.'"

EXPOSE THE WICKED

Proverbs 18:3 KJV
When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

Is there contempt? Is there scorn? Their source lie with the ignominy of the wicked. Remove the wicked and his ignominy, contempt and scorn will vanish away.

Who is the wicked? The Hebrew word used by our kingly author here is ‘rashah’, a word meaning ‘evildoer, condemned, guilty, ungodly, that did wrong’.

If we are to find peace and unity with our Father, we must resist, refute and rid ourselves of iniquity and sin in our hearts. The apostolic Scriptures teach us that after we have recognized and accepted our Messiah, we must ‘work our Salvation with fear and trembling’. By the same token, if we are to be and stay united together as congregational units, we cannot accept fellowship with the ungodly, at least not from within our congregations. If we do not know how to resist these within the realm of our own persona and congregations, how will we find the guts to resist that wicked man of sin, the evildoer, the guilty, the condemned and ungodly one who will one day come on the world’s scene to test all mankind, especially the ‘very elect’, those of the House of God.

It is imperative that we recognize these devious works within us. If anyone through inflammatory words or deeds is the source of contempt, reproach, and disunity within the Assembly of the people of God, he must be exposed and shunned. May we learn to recognize such wolves in sheep’s clothing who like Satan, know how to use even the Word of Father in order to bring confusion.

THE ARROGANCE OF THE FOOL

Proverbs 18:2 KJV
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Our kingly author reveals to us here is another property of the ‘fool’; of the person who, according to the definition of the Master, knowing the Word of Instruction does not obey it.

A more contemporary literal translation of this proverb may say: ‘The heart of the fool is not inclined to understanding; only that the understanding which he thinks he possesses may be revealed. Ralbag, the 14th century Rabbi, talmudist, mathematician and astronomer comments on this verse saying, ‘Only when he is shown up publicly does he wish he were a wise man, but then he reverts to his former way of life.’

‘Empty pots make the most noise’ the old adage says. It is true that while also making noise, full pots resound less; they are more discreet. The person who is wise has the intelligence which consists in the knowledge of one’s own deficiency, and of that which necessary to meet it. This acknowledgment keeps him humble and free from arrogance. The ‘noisy’ arrogance of the fool causes him to also always be full of advice for other people; it makes him feel important and needed. It gives him the appearance of intelligence, but without the wisdom thereof.

Let us learn from watching the ‘fool’. Let us learn to assess ourselves and leave others to God. Let us learn to first realize how little we know, how little we understand. It keeps us more discreet, humble, and easier to live with.

LUST EXPOSED

Proverbs 18:1 KJV
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

The proverbs continue their exposition of foolish behavior by presenting the position of the separatist. What is inferred in the Hebrew word used here for ‘separatist’ is the idea of one who separates himself from his Torah congregation, the Word study group that provides him accountability in order to pursue his own lusts.

We are all individualists. There is nothing wrong with that as long we are not that way with God and His program in our lives. The apostle Paul puts it in very good words. He says that we not to be conformed to this world, but that we are to be conformed to God’s will. This seemingly generic wording leaves of course a door wide open for each one of us to yield, and eventually become slaves and subjects to our own prideful independence.

We are told here about the person who leaves the safe accountable environment of his Word study group in order to follow his own lust. These ‘lusts can either be carnal, emotional or spiritual. One may want to ‘play’ with the world for awhile; he may have an overcoming desire for independence, or feels that he knows everything better than everyone else. We are taught in this proverb that one yields to such behavior to separate himself seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. The Hebrew actually says that he, ‘will be exposed’ as in ‘his folly will eventually be exposed to all his congregant friends’.

The idea is not of a person who leaves because their study group because their path takes them to a deeper place and they need to associate themselves with another study group that reflects that deepening of faith in their lives. The idea is of someone who leaves because they have yielded to their lusts. Of course, when we leave, we never say, ‘I am tired of the Word; it convicts and confines my spirit too much. I now want to go do my own thing’. We usually find an excuse through faultfinding or spiritualize issues in order to justify ourselves.

In the end though, like the proverb says, we are exposed.

OUR HEART: THE BANK OF OUR MOUTH.

Proverbs 17:28 KJV
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise:
And he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

This is the second proverb in row that relates to wisdom incurred through careful use of the mouth. In Hebraism, a word or a repeated sentence denotes of extra emphasis. It seems that this King had much to say about the mouth, as was concurred by his apostolic successors such as Paul and James. Yeshua also gave much advice on right and wrong speech.

In his rendition of the Gospels, Matthew relates the following words from Yeshua as addressed to the religious leaders who opposed Him,

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 12:34.

In essence, the treasury of the heart funds the currency that comes out of our mouth.

It is good to properly prepare what we have to say; to assess our choice of words, the tone and spirit in which we are. The heart though, is filled through the conduits of the eyes and the ears, through what we watch and listen to.

So, since the only currency that can come out of the bank of our heart through our mouth is the one that we have put in, it is logical to deduct that f the bank of our heart is filled with a good and godly treasure, through what we watch and listen to, we don’t have to worry so much about the currency that comes out of our mouth.