June 11, 2013

Ps 16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
:2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord," You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from you."
:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."
:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips.
:5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.
:6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.
:7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.
:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
:11 You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

David ran from Saul for 10 years. Many times he was almost caught and killed. Possibly it was during one of these times he wrote this psalm. There wasn't anything he could do but cry to God for help. That's what we need to do during hard situations.

David was so confident of the Lord's protection that even the grave would not rob him of life in God's presence.

Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Pr 23:18 There is surely a future hope in you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Be joyful in hope. Sometimes circumstances of our life make it difficult to be joyful. When you are searching for joy the best place to look is in hope.

Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

The Lord's peace is such an all-encompassing gift that it is independent of circumstances. Though you lose everything else, if we gain His peace we are rich indeed. That should comfort us especially going through things we have no control over. Sometimes during those times we feel unable to receive that peace. Maybe we are clinging to other things - people, possessions, our reputation, or what we feel are our rights.

June 10, 2013

Ps 15:1 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

:2 He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;

:3 he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

:4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

:5 he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

In this psalm David answers the question in verse one as though God were speaking. Here are a few key points to live a God-honoring life.

1.       Integrity – a blameless walk (upright or blameless don’t mean sinless; it means we handle sin correctly and quickly.

2.       Doing right – on our job, in our relationships, on the internet.

3.       Truthfulness – in all areas, including our income tax.

4.       Guarded words – we aren’t gossips or slanderers.

5.       Kindness – our neighbors speak well of us, so does our husband and children. After all, they see us as we really are.

6.       No put downs – of people we don’t like, of drivers who cut us off in traffic, of people of different opinions then us, even people with different political views.

7.       Discernment – we don’t hang out with evil people but keep close to people who honor God.

8.       Faithfulness – we keep our promises to others, to the bank, and to our spouses, even when it hurts.

9.       No greed – we lend and give generously.

10.   No corruption – our boss, spouse, pastor could watch us throughout the day and find nothing displeasing to them or to God.

Pretty heavy list isn’t it? Especially number 10. But think about it – Jesus is with us every moment. He sees and hears EVERYTHING all the time. How some of the things we say do, see must grieve Him.

I am not saying and neither was David that we are saved by doing good. I fail sometimes in those areas and so did David. But if we want to draw near to God, and stay there, we need to continually strive to live this way. We are not called to happiness first as Christians, but to holiness. How we act at church on Sunday, should be how we act wherever we are all week. When we live that way, we won’t be shaken.

James Boice said: “ No one has much trouble keeping his or her word when to do so is to the person’s own advantage. You would have to be unbalanced not to. But how about when the conditions have changed and the promise, agreement, or contract is no longer to your advantage? Do you honor your promise then? Do you fulfill the contract? Or do you try to find some way to get out of what you have committed yourself to? The psalmist says that God approves people who keep their promises even when it hurts them to do so.”

1 Thess 5:`17 Pray continually.

Ps 62:5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.

Rest in God. Give your mind a break from trying to figure out what will happen. Ask God to take charge of your day. When we try to figure out what lays ahead we ignore God. He  knows what’s coming. He is preparing you for whatever is ahead. Trust Him that whether it is good or bad, He will bring you through.

I really needed this reminder today. Lord, help me to rest in You. Knowing no matter what, You are in control.

June 8, 2013

Ps 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.

:2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

:3 They have all tuned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.

:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord?

:5 There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous.

:6 You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge.

:7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Ask most people you come across, both in and out of church, if they believe in God and they will answer of course! But watch how they live. You will find a lot of people, even those who faithfully attend church, live as if there is no God, or that God has no significant place in their lives. Listen to their speech. Do they curse? Do they gossip? Where is God in that? We give Him an hour here and there, maybe even every day, but unless we are in the middle of reading about Him, or hearing about Him, we forget He is there. Left to ourselves we are all lost. But if we are saved, God is with us every moment of every day. How sad He must be at some of our words and actions. We all fall short of the glory of God. But we must be careful that when we repent of our actions, we truly mean it and strive hard to not repeat those actions. Sometimes that means cutting off friendships or at least distancing ourselves from people. It is difficult but sometimes necessary.

June 5, 2013

Ps 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?

:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

:3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

:4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”’ lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

:5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

:6 I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

David had been dealing with the same thing over and over with King Saul. He was getting tired, frustrated and weary. Sound familiar? Have you been dealing with the same situation for a long time with no end in sight?

John Phillips said, “ When we are at our wit’s end, without resources, at a loss for a way, perplexed and desperate – that is usually where we see God begin to work. But before He does anything about our situation, He wants to do something about ourselves, and that is where we begin to hedge. We want God to deal with our complications; He wants to develop our character. We want Him to change our circumstances; He wants to change us first. That is why He allowed the circumstances. We cry: “Hurry up Lord!” He says, “It’s your move. I won’t move till you do.”

Is 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.

Mt 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

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

It’s easy to trust God for a little while. But we have to learn to trust in Him all the time. Not only when the answer comes quickly. Or when we agree with the answer. He can bear our problems no matter how heavy. 

June 4, 2013

Ps 12:1 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

:2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

:3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, 

:4 who have said, "with our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"

:5 "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise," says the Lord; "I will set him in the safety for which he years."

:6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

:7 You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

:8 The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Verse 2 says speak idly. This is empty talk, empty of truth. Flattering lips is smooth talk, insincere praise. Double heart is deceptive talk, words meant to lead us on the wrong path.

Verse 3 says tongue that speaks proud things. This is big talk, showing off.

Verse 6 says the Lord is known for pure words, words purified seven times. Can we say that about all of our words?

Mother Teresa said, " All our words will be useless unless they come from within - words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.

Which are we doing?

Is 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

:3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for you ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 

:4 Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life.

During emergencies or stressful times the best thing we can do is turn to God and remember He has this! Even though things look bad, He is in control. Seek His face. Find His peace.

Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2 Cor 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Gaze at Jesus, glance at problems. Our tendency is to gaze at problems and glance at Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you when your focus becomes the problem instead of Jesus.

June 3, 2013

Acts 11:1 In the Lord I will put my trust; how can you say to my soul, "flee as a bird to your mountain"?
:2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
:3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
:4 The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
:5 The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
:6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
:7 For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.

How do you react in a crisis? Do you panic? Do you run? Do you grit your teeth and stand firm? It isn't clear exactly what type of crisis David was facing. It could have been real arrows or it could have been threats and accusations.

However, he was given bad advice when he was told to flee. I am sure, especially if it were real arrows he thought it sounded good at first. Until he looked up. Once he saw the Lord seated on the throne, everything from his point of view changed. God wasn't in a panic. God wasn't confused. He knew exactly what was happening to David and God wasn't running or telling David to run. The Lord was his only refuge. David couldn'/t outrun his problems and neither can we. We have to stop looking at our circumstances and look at our God. When life falls apart all around you, the only safe place to be is in the arms of God.

Phil 2:8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Pride can't live beneath the cross.

Ps 149:3 Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

Don't be afraid to praise God with everything you have in you.

Rom 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Faith is made up of two kinds: nominal and real.  Nominal accepts what it's told and can quote text after text to prove it. But there is another kind of faith that depends on the character of God. It doesn't say Abraham believed the text, it says he believed God. It's not what he believed, it's who he believed that mattered.

Is 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the lord has annointed Me, to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 Sam 22:29 For You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness.

2 Cor 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Pr 4:18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

When you are going through a tough time, it is easy to think it will always be that way. The longer you struggle through that trial the harder it is to believe things will ever be different. It is easy to give in and let misery have its way with you. That is when we need to remember Jesus is our constant companion. He can turn our darkness into light.

Turn to Jesus. Look through the eyes of faith. Cling to Him. Don't focus on the circumstances. Praise Jesus for bringing you through them.

2 Thess 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

When you focus fully on Jesus, His peace replaces fears and worries. That doesn't mean they won't come knocking on your door. But you don't have to answer.

Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, "all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ps 143:8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindess in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

Sometimes we confuse loving others with rescuing them. It's not our job to fix people. That is Jesus' role. He brings about change in us and others as He chooses. Sometimes we are part of the process. Sometimes we get in the way. God can rescue or control people at will. Yet He created us with free will to choose good or evil. He wanted us to be free to love Him, or not. Love that has no choice is not real. Pray for your loved ones, listen to them. But leave the changes to God.

June 1, 2013

Ps 10:1 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?

:2 The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

:3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.

:4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

:5 His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; as far all his enemies, he sneers at them.

:6 He has said in his heart, “ I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.”

:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

:8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.

:9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the poor; he catches the poor when he draws him into his net.

:10 So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength.

:11 He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.”

:12 Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.

:13 Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “ You will not require an account.”

:14 But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief. To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

:15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until You find none.

:16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations have perished out of His land.

:`17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,

:18 to do justice to the fatherliess and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more.

When bad things happen, people often ask why does God let them happen.

I have to remind myself on those days that:

1.       God sees the wickedness (verse 14)

2.       God listens to the cry of the afflicted (verse 17)

3.       God reigns for ever and ever  (verse 16)

Cruel people may think God doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, but eventually they will answer to Him. Eternity is a very long time.

Judges 11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah.

:2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”

God chose Jephthah to be judge even though he was born of a harlot. It’s what you become that matters not how you start out when God calls you.

Pr 11:25 The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

True generosity is not determined by the size of a gift. Your gift is not meant to be compared to the gift of another. They are between you and God.

Jn 16:26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you,

:27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

Praying in the Name of Jesus is not like using a magic word. It means we should be praying in the will of Him.

Jer 33:3 Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Eph 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Ps 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Rev 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lam is its light.

Only the eyes of your heart can see spiritual realities. God wants us to have a teachable attitude.

Mt 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”

Find God in every situation.

Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Neh 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Jn 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

The Lord wants to fill us with His joy and peace. His joy is my strength.

Ps 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; you have know my soul in adversities,

Even when your cries are faint, God is so merciful He hears.