May 22, 2013

Psalms 7:1 O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me.

:2 Lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

:3 O Lord my God, if I have done this: if there is iniquity in my hands,

:4 if I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, or have plundered my enemy without cause,

:5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me: Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah.

:6 Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!

:7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; for their sakes, therefore, return on high.

:8 The Lord shall judge the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me.

:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.

:10 My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart.

:11 God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

:12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.

:13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.

:14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.

:15 He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made.

:16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.

:17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the Name of the Lord Most High.

Cush was going around spreading gossip about David. David knew the gossip wasn’t true, but had no way to prove it.

Have you ever been the target of a lie? Usually you are the last to hear it. The one spreading it knows just whose ear to whisper it in to have it travel far and wide. When it finally reaches you, you can hardly believe what is being said. The more you defend yourself, the deeper the suspicion.

What can we do when our integrity is attacked? Do what David did. Ask God to defend us. Let the consequences come on the people who are speaking lies about us. Verses 15-16 say he fell in the ditch he was digging. David stopped trying to defend himself and let God do it. God must have silenced Cush cause we don’t read of him again. God doesn’t do things half way. He’s the Most High God, even over our enemies. We can have peace when we let God protect us.

Chuck Swindoll said, “Each morning this week, as you look at yourself in the bathroom mirror, don’t forget to look at your tongue. Hold your mouth open long enough to realize that slab of skin, membranes, and muscles has the power to injure.. to stab .. to kill. Pray for control.

Ps 107:7 And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

By honor and dishonor, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way.

Song of Solomon 1:16 Behold, You are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green.

No matter what is going on in our life, Jesus is always beautiful to us!

Ps 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Even when we fail His mercy is there.

Duet 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.

Only God is perfect, but each day if we allow Him to, He makes us a little bit more like Him.

Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

2 Sam 22:33 God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect.

:34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.

:35 He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

:36 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.

God can only by your refuge if you choose to retreat to His presence.

Judges 7:2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, “My own hand has saved me’.

:3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying,”Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.

How come it is so hard for us to comprehend if God is on our side, we don’t need anyone else.

Is 25:8 He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.

1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Ps 18:30 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

In the midst of disasters it is a challenge sometimes to believe that God is both good and sovereign. But disasters, etc don’t change Who or What God is. We must cling to Him in those times also believing His way though not always understood is perfect.

1 Pet 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exhalt you in due time.

Jn 14:6 Jesus said to him, “ I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

In Jesus is everything we need both for this life and the one yet to come. Fix your eyes upon Him, no matter what is going on around you.

1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Rev 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “ Now salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Whenever your heart condemns you, call out to Jesus. Your heart and mind are battlefields. We must use faith to stop the attacks.

Jn 17:21 That they all may be one, as You, Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Since you became a believer you are no longer independent , you belong to Christ.

Are we as close to Christ as He is to God?

The things we go through either make us sweeter, better, or they make us fault finding, more insistent on going our own way. It all depends on our relationship with Christ.

May 21, 2013

Ps 6:1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

:2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

:3 My soul is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord, - how long?

:4 Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

:5 For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?

:6 I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with all my tears.

:7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies.

:8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

:9 The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

:10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

Serious illness has a way of focusing our attention on God. Sometimes it is difficult for us to even pray.

At first David thought maybe sin had caused his problem, however that isn’t always the case. He asked for God’s grace and mercy.

Most of the time sickness is a reminder we live in a world corrupted by decay and diseases.

Sickness should have us examining our lives though to see if anything displeases God. Ask for forgiveness if so. Then we can confidently ask God to heal us. We don’t demand healing, we ask for it.

The only thing worse than being ill, is being attacked by your enemies while ill. David’s enemies used his sickness to attack his kingdom. The devil will use sickness to get us to doubt God’s love for us.

Ps 139:1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

:2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

:3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

No one knows us as well as God does. He loves us completely. Human love is conditional and that makes it difficult to understand how God loves us in spite of our short comings. We can hide things about ourselves from each other, fearing people won’t love us if they know the real us. But God knows the good, the bad and the ugly. He loves us enough to want to fill the bad and the ugly parts with His light.

1 Pet 2:3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The if here means there are some who haven’t tasted that the Lord is gracious. Have you tasted that the Lord is gracious? If no, my prayer for you is that you will.

Gen 42:2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.

It appeared that everything was against Jacob. Yet God had a plan set in place all along to take care of him and his family. God will provide for us the same way if we live according to His will.

Ex 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.

Do you have a false god? It can be a person, a thing, or even an imagination. What takes the place God should have in your life? An emotion? It might not be all the time, but any time something or someone comes before God in your life, even for a moment, it / they are an idol.

Mt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Don’t make the ruling factor of your life what you will eat or drink or wear. Concentrate first on God. You can’t be careless about what you eat and drink or your health will suffer. You can’t be careless about what you wear, you represent God. You can’t be careless about your finances, they belong to God and you need to spend them wisely. But if you seek God first in all things, it will make you careful in all things.

Pr 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

:6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Ps 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Do you continue to struggle with complete and utter confidence in God even though you have tried for years? The main problem is your desire for understanding, along with a strong desire to feel in control of your life.

Our life experiences train us to do this. It takes a supernatural work in our heart.

Ask the Holy Spirit to control your mind.

Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Micah 7:7 Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

We think we have to figure out everything, we need to turn control over to Him and let Him take us where He wants us to go.

Pr 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

Gen 3:13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “ What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Jn 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jn 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Whenever you start to feel insecure, turn to God. The devil has been deceiving people since the garden of Eden. But if you trust God He will reveal the truth of the situation to you.

Jn 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

God is the God of second chances. Accept Jesus as Savior and you can be born again.

Eph 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

:17 therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Accomplishing what needs to be done today instead of putting it off until tomorrow or indefinitely helps your life run more smoothly.

Jn 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “ I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Vonette Z. Bright said: Decisions that are made in the light of God’s word are stake and show wisdom.

Gladys Aylward said: Let nothing deter you… remember it is God who has called you and it is the same as when He called Moses or Samuel.

May 20, 2013

Psalms 5:1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.

:2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.

:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

:4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You.

:5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.

:6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 

:7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

:8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.

:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. 

:10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.

:11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name joyful in You.

:12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Discouragement is a deep, dark hole. We've all been there. That is where David was when he wrote this. The critics are always there too, not to lend us a hand to pull us out, but to push us further down. When we get to that point, the only thing to do is look up.

In verses 1-3 David looked up and called on the Lord for help.

Verses 4-6 he starts thinking about his enemies.

Verses 7-8 he looks up again and remembers God's grace in his life.

Verses 9-10 the enemies keep coming back to mind, pushing him deeper into the hole.

Verses 11-12 Finally he focuses fully on the Lord for deliverance. 

We, just like David, are like a yo-yo when discouragement comes. Up, down, trusting, trampled, hopeful, hopeless.  It can feel like a roller coaster.

Charles Spurgeon said: "Sometimes we cannot put our prayers into words. They are nothing but a cry. But the Lord can comprehend the meaning, for He hears a voice in our cry. To a loving Father, His children's cries are like music and they have an influence which His heart cannot resist".

God doesn't find pleasure in evil people. 

If you try to fight your battles without the Lord, you will become bitter and cranky, and your face will reflect those things instead of joy.

David calls the Lord "my King and my God". We don't make God King, He is King. We either live as His faithful followers or we live in rebellion.

Some days I just have a short time to do bible study and don’t get through all that I would like. That is why I don’t always post. But I decided that I would start posting all my studies and some will be quite long and some very short. I will try and post the psalms study first for those who are only interested in that (assuming anyone but me reads any of my posts lol).

Pr 18:3 When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, and with dishonor comes reproach.

If we do what God expects of us, despite the pull of sin, we gain strength of character. Negotiating with evil wins us zero every time.

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He did.

Rebecca Manley Pippert said: “ We cannot separate His demands from His love. We cannot dissect Jesus and relate only to the parts we like.”

Corrie ten Boom said: “Don’t worry about what you do not understand.. worry about what you do understand (in the bible) but do not do.

Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Lam 3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Is 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Rom 8:28 And we  know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

When you are suffering and God makes you wait, His care may seem imperfect and inadequate. It is neither. There are many different ways to wait, and some are better than others. Trust and love Him. Believe He has only the best planned for you but sometimes we have to walk through the fire to get the best.

Is 29:13 Therefore the Lord said:”Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.

Has your faith been a lifeless ritual rather than a vital love relationship with Jesus?

1 Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,” He catches the wise men in their own craftiness”.

Ps 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

:4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater then he who is in the world.

:5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

:6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us, he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Is 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Jn 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “ I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Our tendency is to hide from our sin, or at least we try to. We seek refuge in the dark thinking no one, including God, can see. He sees everything. He will bring your sin to the light.

Ps 17:7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand. O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them.

Sometimes when we give to the Lord it is not from our heart. He always gives to us from His love.

Hosea 11:4 I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.

God calls us in to eat at His table, yet most of the time we hesitate to go in wondering what it will cost us. His table is not a restaurant, and even if it was, He has already paid the cost.

Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

We become like those we spend time with. How much time today did you spend with Jesus? Would you have said some of the things you said if He were right there with you? He is always with you, and he hears every word you speak.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on our behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

Acts 2:28 You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me fullof joy in Your presence.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Ps 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

If you keep God first in your life, His good gifts won’t become idols to you.

Lk 21:19 By your patience possess your souls.

Patience is never an easy thing. But it is a choice, just like joy.

Ps 147:5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.

If there were a point where God stopped being powerful or His understanding ended, He wouldn’t be God.

Kumquat tree and blueberry tree

Here is a picture of the kumquat tree. Hubby is probably taking it out so we can plant an avocado tree.

Here is a picture of the blueberry tree. Lots of blueberries this year!

Psalm 4

Ps 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
:2 How long, O you sons of men, will you turn My glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah
:3 But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.
:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
:6 There are many who say, "who will show us any good?" Lord, lift up the light of Your countenanace upon us.
:7 You have put gladness in my heart, more then in the season that their grain and wine increased.
:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Sacrifices of righteousness are those offered with the right attitude.

Verse 4 tells us to be angry and sin not. Are you ever angry with God because you feel you know exactly how He should handle something you are praying about and yet that is not what He does? Do you think if during that time you offered what you think is sacrifices of righteousness He would accept them? We must be willing to accept God's answer to our prayers even when we don't agree with the answer He has.

Psalm 3

Psalm 3 was written while David was fleeing from his son Absalom.
Ps 3:1 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
:2 Many are they who say of me,
"There is no help for him in God." Selah
:3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
:4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
:5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

David had days just like we do. Some even worse then our worse day. His own son wanted to kill him. Not that he was angry with David, he literally wanted David dead! How horrible and heart breaking that must have been. And then we see here that people were telling him even God wouldn't help him. Sound familiar?
Ever been in a situation that even if people didn't voice God wouldn't help you, you know that was what they were thinking? We must NEVER lose sight of the fact that God is always with us. And like David if we follow God with our whole heart, He will be with us to help us and we can cry out to Him in confidence as David did, knowing He hears us and will help us if we are in His will.
God doesn't promise to change our situations, but He does promise to change us.
What type of enemies are you facing today? Personal ones trying to take over your life? Spiritual ones trying to attack your faith and confidence in God? Psalm 3 was written for you.
Just as God protected David from his attackers, He has promised to protect you and I.

Psalm 2

Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
:3 Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Yheir cords from us.
:4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
:5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:
:6 Yet I have set My king on My holy hill of Zion.
:7 I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to me, you are My son, today I have begotten you.
:8 Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.
:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.
:10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth.
:11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
:12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way. When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
See verse 12? Kiss the Son? That is a show of submission to authority. We can't physically kiss Jesus right now, but we can by bowing our hearts and will to Him.