“Justice Reigns”
Scripture:
Psalm 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation
of Your throne.
Mercy and truth go before Your face. (NKJ)
Observation:
As God’s created people it only makes sense that we would belong to Him. And for all of those who believe in this, we are able rejoice in the fact that He is not only a righteous and just Lord, but He is also filled with mercy and truth as well. Since the Lord our God is both Holy and Sovereign we can trust in His divine governorship, for He is far too holy to have any unrighteousness in Him and far too wise to make any mistakes (Deuteronomy 32:4). What better reason is there for believers to be filled with the kind of peace that brings comfort and joy to our grieving souls, whatever the appearance of His providence may be? The Lord foreshadows the message of who He is and how He deals with us—His guilty and sinful people.
Application:
The LORD makes His perfect attributes known through His Son, Jesus Christ, and it is in Christ Jesus that all repentant guilty sinners can stand blameless in the presence of the Almighty, Holy, and Righteous LORD. There are those unfortunate souls who believe there is no place as hell, nor any punishment from God for the disobedience and evil done in this life. But Scripture tells a different story, my friends. The Word tells us in truth; that there will be terrible consequences in Hell for the unrepentant sinner and glorious rewards in Heaven for those who seek forgiveness and repentance (Jeremiah 23:5). Everyone borne of this world is sinful in nature and no person can ever work hard enough or be good enough to stand blameless before God. And so it can be said; that on our own accord we all deserve God’s final wrath. But because we have been created by a righteous and just and mercy filled God who chose to share His Truth with us, only those who refuse His Truth and His righteous redemptive plan will justly end up were they belong.
Prayer:
How great You are, O God; how merciful and just You are. Even though we deserve Your condemnation, You have shown Your mercy and truth by shinning Your Face upon those who repent of their sins and put their trust in You. What greater God is there; One who is both righteous and just? Your goodness, O God, is beyond all our knowledge and Your blessings are out of this world.
Amen
Sunday, July 31, 2011
“A Saving Face”
Scripture:
Psalm 80:3
Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved! (NKJ)
Observation:
Only our Shepherd is able to heal the brokenness and restore our sin filled lifestyles in ways that will make us both acceptable and blameless before the LORD our God. All is well when we are well, for the most important area in His restoration is to our character, not our circumstances, for when the Lord restores the person; their circumstances will surely follow suit.
Application:
This divine restoration and conversion can only come from One Source, my friends, and this powerful Source is our Creator Savior, Christ Jesus. And it is during His restoration that His face will shine favorably upon you, blessing your life in ways you could never have imagined without Him. The Lord’s favor is what brings all people to salvation (Psalm 30:5) no matter how fierce the Enemy fights for your soul, or how far you have fallen from God’s plan for your life. God’s shinning face ensures both victory and liberty from the snares the world sets for you. Satan wants to trap you in your sin so you will believe that God will never forgive you. Do not be fooled by this soul killer. He has been and always will be a murdering liar (John 8: 44) and in order for us to defeat Satan’s sin and death we must rely on the Truth that sets us free. Aside from the Holy Spirit Himself, God’s Word is the most powerful and life changing tool we have if we are to learn how and why we need God’s favor shinning upon us. God’s Word is like nothing else in this troubled world and has the incredible wisdom and power to transform any life (Hebrew 4:12) no matter who you are or what you have done or what you may believe in. When you have the face of Jesus shinning His favor upon your life it will be one life-saving experience you will never regret.
Prayer:
Thank You, dear Lord, for Your Word and the Truth it proclaims, for without You and Your Word this world and its people would have no Hope. You give us Hope when we need it the most, and You give us joy in our times of grief. Thank You for the restoration You offer us, and the redemption plan that shines in the Glory of who You are.
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 80:3
Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved! (NKJ)
Observation:
Only our Shepherd is able to heal the brokenness and restore our sin filled lifestyles in ways that will make us both acceptable and blameless before the LORD our God. All is well when we are well, for the most important area in His restoration is to our character, not our circumstances, for when the Lord restores the person; their circumstances will surely follow suit.
Application:
This divine restoration and conversion can only come from One Source, my friends, and this powerful Source is our Creator Savior, Christ Jesus. And it is during His restoration that His face will shine favorably upon you, blessing your life in ways you could never have imagined without Him. The Lord’s favor is what brings all people to salvation (Psalm 30:5) no matter how fierce the Enemy fights for your soul, or how far you have fallen from God’s plan for your life. God’s shinning face ensures both victory and liberty from the snares the world sets for you. Satan wants to trap you in your sin so you will believe that God will never forgive you. Do not be fooled by this soul killer. He has been and always will be a murdering liar (John 8: 44) and in order for us to defeat Satan’s sin and death we must rely on the Truth that sets us free. Aside from the Holy Spirit Himself, God’s Word is the most powerful and life changing tool we have if we are to learn how and why we need God’s favor shinning upon us. God’s Word is like nothing else in this troubled world and has the incredible wisdom and power to transform any life (Hebrew 4:12) no matter who you are or what you have done or what you may believe in. When you have the face of Jesus shinning His favor upon your life it will be one life-saving experience you will never regret.
Prayer:
Thank You, dear Lord, for Your Word and the Truth it proclaims, for without You and Your Word this world and its people would have no Hope. You give us Hope when we need it the most, and You give us joy in our times of grief. Thank You for the restoration You offer us, and the redemption plan that shines in the Glory of who You are.
Amen
“Our Guiding Light”
Scripture:
Psalm 73:22-24
I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to You.
Yet I still belong to You; You are holding my right hand.
You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. (NLT)
Observation:
Prior to my new life in Christ Jesus I lived much like the animals do—driven by my fallen nature and desperately trying to satisfy my hungry needs in order to survive. Even though I had (as everyone has) the God given sense of right and wrong and good and bad (Genesis 1:26), the difference was confusing at best, for much of what the world saw as right and good was in fact, in God’s sight, both wrong and bad. And the longer I lived my life abiding in the world’s ways, the more confused and hopeless I became. Finally, after many years of groping in confusion, I gave up trying to understand the purpose of this cruel and unfair life. And in my hopelessness and self-pity, I set my sights on death and whatever came after that, for I believed there were no other options for me. What I find so amazing about our God and Savior is that He never gave up on me, no matter how far I strayed from His Truth. Because of His incredible and incomprehensible mercy and grace He never fully stopped trying to draw me out of the darkness of this dying world and into His life-giving Light. And once the Lord had my full attention and I humbly and gratefully surrender my broken life to His will.
Application:
When we give up our sin filled life for one of righteousness, the Lord will never stop guiding our journey Home (Psalm 48:14) where we will live with Him; forever freed from sin and suffering. Whatever it may be that is keeping you from trading your guilt and shame for His forgiveness, let it go and surrender your brokenness to the LORD. Do not be duped into believing there is no hell, because the enemy of your soul wants to take as many of us as He can into the Lake of Fire when Jesus descends from Heaven to sit on the Great White Throne to judge all those who have refused to follow and obey Him (Revelation 20:11,15). There is no time to waste, my friends, for the last day is quickly approaching. We know neither the day nor the hour, but God’s warnings are clear and concise with many signs that have already come and gone throughout the ages.
Prayer:
I pray in Your Glorious Name, O Lord, that You continue to give us both Your wisdom and strength to hold steadfast in the Truth of Your Word. Comfort us in the coming days that You have so graciously warned us about. Help us rely on You for all that is good in a world gone bad.
Amen
Friday, July 22, 2011
Just Listen to Him
Scripture
(Proverbs 22:13) The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside, I shall be killed in the streets.”
Observation
This is a humerous view of fear's paralyzing influence. We avoid actions because so many things "could" go wrong! We call it caution. God dismisses it as laziness. Then He encourages us directly (verses 17-21): "Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. Have I not written for you excellent things of counsel and knowledge, to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?"
Application
Dare I be a confident person? Dare I trust that His words have specific meaning to me? Dare I believe that God's Spirit can "fit" His words to my lips? Yes, I believe God is that good, that able, that willing.
Prayer
Lord, You have encouraged me to keep moving forward boldly and with faith. My confidence doesn't rest on me, but on Your love and Your ability to redirect my steps according to Your designs. So, what do You have planned for today? I can hardly wait....I'm diving in.
(Proverbs 22:13) The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside, I shall be killed in the streets.”
Observation
This is a humerous view of fear's paralyzing influence. We avoid actions because so many things "could" go wrong! We call it caution. God dismisses it as laziness. Then He encourages us directly (verses 17-21): "Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. Have I not written for you excellent things of counsel and knowledge, to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?"
Application
Dare I be a confident person? Dare I trust that His words have specific meaning to me? Dare I believe that God's Spirit can "fit" His words to my lips? Yes, I believe God is that good, that able, that willing.
Prayer
Lord, You have encouraged me to keep moving forward boldly and with faith. My confidence doesn't rest on me, but on Your love and Your ability to redirect my steps according to Your designs. So, what do You have planned for today? I can hardly wait....I'm diving in.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
“Heaven Bound”
Scripture:
Psalm 71:19-21
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with You, O God?
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. (NLT)
Observation:
There is none in all of existence that can compare to God’s flawless holy character. His glorious plan for our righteousness and redemption has literally snatched us from the hands of Satan and the darkness of hell and set us gently down in God’s Light at Heaven’s gate. The greatest achievements of mankind are a mere drop in the ocean compared to the Lord’s act of creation, His providence, and His incredible plan for redeeming all that He created
(1 Corinthians 1:22-25).
Application:
In the light of all God’s omnipotent attributes and His abundant mercy and grace it is hard for us to understand the suffering and pain that we all attribute to living in a world that holds us hostage to God’s goodness and love. As for myself, there have been times when I have really disliked God for the hand of life that was dealt to me. I could never really pinpoint why this life was so hard on so many, and why so many turned to medicating their pain of living with so many joy robbing addictions; or why so many delusional people lashed out to violently destroy other lives. The human flesh is both weak and vulnerable and God’s ways are so far above ours that we will never fully understand His reasoning for allowing what He allows to happen while we are living in the age of time. I have tried to reason with both my own personal circumstances and the evilness that grips our world and all it brought me was the darkness of depression and a hopeless existence. But thankfully, the sorrow and uncertainty I came to live by literally drove me into the arms of our God and Savior, Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 7:10). He planted the seed of salvation into my soul; carefully nurturing it along, giving me the faith to confidently trust in the promises of His Word—that He would rescue me from death and hell, and restore my life as it was meant to be—giving me a hope and a future even while living in a world that is out to destroy me. God’s plan has given me and will give anyone (no matter what this world has dished out to them) a true peace of heart and mind and an indescribable inner joy that is securely implanted in our hearts and Heaven bound.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, my God, help me hold steadfast to the Hope I have found in You alone—the only Hope that gives us life—for all other hope is both foolish and futile. Please lead me away from the manmade wisdom which leads only to death.
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 71:19-21
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with You, O God?
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. (NLT)
Observation:
There is none in all of existence that can compare to God’s flawless holy character. His glorious plan for our righteousness and redemption has literally snatched us from the hands of Satan and the darkness of hell and set us gently down in God’s Light at Heaven’s gate. The greatest achievements of mankind are a mere drop in the ocean compared to the Lord’s act of creation, His providence, and His incredible plan for redeeming all that He created
(1 Corinthians 1:22-25).
Application:
In the light of all God’s omnipotent attributes and His abundant mercy and grace it is hard for us to understand the suffering and pain that we all attribute to living in a world that holds us hostage to God’s goodness and love. As for myself, there have been times when I have really disliked God for the hand of life that was dealt to me. I could never really pinpoint why this life was so hard on so many, and why so many turned to medicating their pain of living with so many joy robbing addictions; or why so many delusional people lashed out to violently destroy other lives. The human flesh is both weak and vulnerable and God’s ways are so far above ours that we will never fully understand His reasoning for allowing what He allows to happen while we are living in the age of time. I have tried to reason with both my own personal circumstances and the evilness that grips our world and all it brought me was the darkness of depression and a hopeless existence. But thankfully, the sorrow and uncertainty I came to live by literally drove me into the arms of our God and Savior, Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 7:10). He planted the seed of salvation into my soul; carefully nurturing it along, giving me the faith to confidently trust in the promises of His Word—that He would rescue me from death and hell, and restore my life as it was meant to be—giving me a hope and a future even while living in a world that is out to destroy me. God’s plan has given me and will give anyone (no matter what this world has dished out to them) a true peace of heart and mind and an indescribable inner joy that is securely implanted in our hearts and Heaven bound.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, my God, help me hold steadfast to the Hope I have found in You alone—the only Hope that gives us life—for all other hope is both foolish and futile. Please lead me away from the manmade wisdom which leads only to death.
Amen
“Only One Savior”
Scripture:
Psalm 68:19-20
Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior!
For each day He carries us in His arms.
Our God is a God who saves!
The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death. (NLT)
Observation:
Those of us who have humbly accepted God’s saving grace of salvation will never be able to praise and thank the Lord our God enough for saving us from the bottomless pit of hell (Colossians 1:13-14). If you feel as undeserving of God’s incredible mercy and grace as I do, you will understand how inadequate human praise can seem in the scope of what Jesus Christ has given us poor and helpless sinners.
Application:
The power that sin has over everyone’s life is the same evil power that had once separated us from the Holiest of Holies—our Almighty God and Creator. But because our Sovereign God knew that it was only He who had the power to defeat sin and death and again bring us into His Holy Presence, He gladly did what He had to do in order to save His people—the very people He created for His eternal pleasure. We will never be able to comprehend the magnitude of God’s amazing grace this side of heaven, but as we grow in our sanctification God will help us understand as much as He wants us to know and can handle. I adamantly believe that no matter what this fallen world may put you through, the one thing you should never do is underestimate God’s love for you. Since the fall of mankind into sin our Creator has pursued us no-stop to return to Him and be holy (Ephesians 1:4-5). He paid dearly for our freedom from sin and death; not because He had to, but because this is who He is; perfect and holy in every way. It must give Him great joy whenever one of His redeemed children instinctively praises and honors Him from the grateful depths of their worshiping hearts. Considering who God is and what He did to save us from our foolishness and death, I think it is just plain wrong to only praise and honor Him when He is blessing our lives, for He deserves much more than that. His undying love and compassion for you, my dear friend, is reason alone to praise and honor Him even in your darkest hour, because without your Savior, Jesus Christ, you would be forever dead in your sin with absolutely no hope of ever escaping its consequences.
Prayer:
All praise and honor is Yours, O LORD. For without Your life-saving Light we would be lost forever in the darkness that death brings; never again to be in the Light of Your Presence. I am completely overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that You choose me, a weak and helpless sinner, to be a part of Your Mighty Kingdom, for the praise of my thankfulness seems so small in light of what you have so graciously given to those who simply believe in You.
Amen
Monday, July 11, 2011
“Glorious Master”
Scripture:
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord God. “I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One.” (NLT)
Observation:
This brief proclamation from the Lord our God tells us that He Himself is the beginning and the end of all things; that Jesus Christ is both our Creator and Redeemer; that nothing exists that He did not make (John 1:3). From this one verse we find the absolute truth about who God is, with nothing added, nor anything taken away.
Application:
But with that said; who are we in relationship with the Creator? Although I have pondered this question many moments during my life-journey, it has only been recently that God has reveled what I believe the truth to be. For those who believe existence is nothing more than random chance—no explanation is needed. But for those of us who believe in something greater than ourselves it is vital that we understand where we came from and who we are if we are to have any true purpose and value other than ourselves. And this is where the relationship with our Creator is so important to understand. Believers in God have been classified as many things; creatures, human beings, mankind, children, but what sets the Christian believer apart from all others is that the Lord God bought us for the price of His blood, making us His very own possessions (Ephesians 1:13-14). If we are to fully understand how to relate to our Lord and Savior we must voluntarily take the position of a slave to Christ Jesus—one who has no rights or will aside from the Glorious Master. Being Jesus’ slave means obedience and loyalty and as a Master, Jesus loves and takes care of all our needs. We own nothing, for all we have belongs to Him who has given us everything (Psalm 50:12). We do what He commands us to do and we do our best with what He has given us. We rely on His Truth and trust Him in all things. We cannot survive and maintain life without Him. We can do nothing good apart from Him. This is, my dear friends and fellow saints, the Truth that sets us free. As mere humans we all find ourselves in bondage to something—bondage to worldly things (good or bad) or bondage to the Lord our God. The first leads nowhere but to emptiness, the latter leads to the Glory of the Son and the fullness of the life He has so abundantly given.
Prayer:
Thank You, dear Lord, for giving us the gift of life and the freedom to choose our master. For when we choose You as our Master you give our life meaning and purpose. To be lead under Your control is a life-journey worth living. For Your Way is gentle, and our load is light. How I praise Your Mighty Name, both now and forever!
Amen
“Silent Salvation”
Scripture:
Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation. (NKJ)
Observation:
A truly silent soul is one that confidently puts its faith in God alone, for it is only God who provides all the essentials for life (Proverbs 8:35). It is only the presence of our merciful and gracious Almighty God that can awe our hearts into quiet submission, for there is no better place to find a much needed rest and the true peace that brings comfort to our eternal souls.
Application:
There is an old proverb that has stood the test of time which tells us, “Speech is silver but silence is gold”. What a profound and simple truth this is, for there is nothing more meaningful in this hectic world that waits for no one, than the silent patience of God’s children. Charles Spurgeon; one of the world’s greatest Christian theologians, explained it this way: “It is an eminent work of grace to bring down the will and subdue the affections so that the mind lies before the Lord like the sea beneath the wind, ready to be moved by every breath of His mouth.” It is when you quiet your heart and wait patiently for God that you will hear His small still voice leading you in the only direction that will bring you close to Him, where He can protect and provide for you during your entire life-journey (Revelation 3:20). There is absolutely nothing of this world that is able to offer you the lasting salvation that your soul longs for. Only our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, has that ability. When your faith in God is both true and silent you can actually feel the gift of salvation in your entire being; that is, the promise of God that you are so eagerly waiting for. Salvation can only come from one source, my friends, and that is from our omnipotent Creator. The world has created an onslaught of temporary solutions to sustain your earthly life—ones that will ease your fear for a while and carry you through, but in the end this world cannot save you from an eternity of darkness, forever separated from the Light that brings forth eternal life—the King of kings, the Lord of lords; your personal Creator and Savior, Christ Jesus. No manmade god or anything else in all of creation has a better offer for salvation, and when you receive your silent salvation from the Lord you can hold it tightly in your heart every moment of the day and sleep peacefully through the night because of its heavenly protection!
Prayer:
Only in You, O Lord, can I quiet my troubled heart and hear the sound of Your soothing voice, bringing me the rest and comfort I need in order to persevere in faith during this difficult life-journey Home. Thank You for showing me the Way. Help us, dear Lord, to stay obedient and true to You, for it is only through Your mercy and grace that we find peace for our weary souls.
Amen
Monday, July 4, 2011
“Light Living”
Scripture:
1 John 1:5-6
God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all.
So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God
But go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. (NLT)
Observation:
When we surrender our lives over to the care and control of the LORD and invite His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts, He sheds His Light upon the world around us so we can truly see the darkness it embraces and the utter hopelessness it offers (John 12:46). Just as light and darkness cannot share the same time and place, neither can we live in God’s Light while embracing the darkness of this world.
Application:
The apostle John goes on to tell us this: “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves” (1 John 2:13-17). It is certainly not sinful to enjoy the good things that God has given us to enjoy, but where we go wrong is when we begin to lust after those things and make them a priority over our Lord and Creator. Our sinful nature craves after the sensuous pleasures that are a result of Satan’s clever handy work throughout the ages and many unsuspecting souls are sucked into believing that if it feels good it is okay to do it. Whenever we deny the holiness of God and all that He stands for we are living in spiritual darkness, and will easily fall prey to the kind of worldly pleasures that will not only wreak havoc in our lives but the darkness it brings will, one day, consume us forever. But when we strive for God’s light living we become better equipped and are able to see the Truth, so we can escape the consequences that living in darkness brings. But we must be on guard, my dear friends, for it can be so easy (thanks to Satan) to be convinced that we are living in God’s light when, in fact, we are really living to satisfy our selfish desires first rather than pleasing God. It is so important in our sanctification process that we do not compromise our commitment to God by taking pleasure in the worldly things that pull us into darkness and away from God. We cannot expect God’s approval or help it we continue living in sin and darkness (Romans 8:7-8). Our Living God must come first in our lives, for He will not accept being anything less. It is either God’s Way or the highway. You are either with Him or against Him. There can be no grey area when it comes to living in the Light! You are either in or you are not!
Prayer:
Please help us, O LORD, to remain alert so that we can discern Your Truth from that of this dark and wicked world. Help us remain strong in You, so that You can keep us from being sucked into the dark and evil lies of Your enemies that bring dire consequences. Thank You for loving us enough to save us from ourselves and certain banishment from Your Holy Presence.
Amen
Scripture:
1 John 1:5-6
God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all.
So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God
But go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. (NLT)
Observation:
When we surrender our lives over to the care and control of the LORD and invite His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts, He sheds His Light upon the world around us so we can truly see the darkness it embraces and the utter hopelessness it offers (John 12:46). Just as light and darkness cannot share the same time and place, neither can we live in God’s Light while embracing the darkness of this world.
Application:
The apostle John goes on to tell us this: “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves” (1 John 2:13-17). It is certainly not sinful to enjoy the good things that God has given us to enjoy, but where we go wrong is when we begin to lust after those things and make them a priority over our Lord and Creator. Our sinful nature craves after the sensuous pleasures that are a result of Satan’s clever handy work throughout the ages and many unsuspecting souls are sucked into believing that if it feels good it is okay to do it. Whenever we deny the holiness of God and all that He stands for we are living in spiritual darkness, and will easily fall prey to the kind of worldly pleasures that will not only wreak havoc in our lives but the darkness it brings will, one day, consume us forever. But when we strive for God’s light living we become better equipped and are able to see the Truth, so we can escape the consequences that living in darkness brings. But we must be on guard, my dear friends, for it can be so easy (thanks to Satan) to be convinced that we are living in God’s light when, in fact, we are really living to satisfy our selfish desires first rather than pleasing God. It is so important in our sanctification process that we do not compromise our commitment to God by taking pleasure in the worldly things that pull us into darkness and away from God. We cannot expect God’s approval or help it we continue living in sin and darkness (Romans 8:7-8). Our Living God must come first in our lives, for He will not accept being anything less. It is either God’s Way or the highway. You are either with Him or against Him. There can be no grey area when it comes to living in the Light! You are either in or you are not!
Prayer:
Please help us, O LORD, to remain alert so that we can discern Your Truth from that of this dark and wicked world. Help us remain strong in You, so that You can keep us from being sucked into the dark and evil lies of Your enemies that bring dire consequences. Thank You for loving us enough to save us from ourselves and certain banishment from Your Holy Presence.
Amen
“Soul Thirst”
Scripture:
Psalm 42:1, 2
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (NKJV)
Observation:
Amidst every human life, in spite of any circumstance, and no matter what religion or belief, there will come seasons of drought in everyone’s life; times when we feel as if our lives are being scorched and drying up as we live in dire need of divine intervention; desperate for that one drop of living water that will give us hope. Every living soul has times when everything done only brings forth fruitless efforts and we long for some kind of relief. Even seasoned Christians who rely on God and His redemptive plan have found themselves in times of hardship, feeling abandoned by God. My dear friends, whether we depend on God or not, the world has many ways of making life tough and difficult to handle; when all things seem to work against us and we long for something good to happen. This longing, my dear friends, is really the soul thirsting for a miracle from God that not only saves, but also refreshes and strengthens us for the days ahead (John 16:33).
Application:
Whenever we experience God’s saving grace it is only natural to eagerly praise Him with songs of thanksgiving in our gratefulness. And in our excitement we often want to share with others what God has done, so that they, too, will know where to find the only living water that not only brings relief but gives us life as well (Psalm 66:1-2). God honors us when we call out to Him in our times of need (Psalm 91:15), but even better, our praise brings Him glory. Do you long for the Living God in both times of distress and in times of plenty? Do you miss hearing His Word and gathering with His people when you isolate in your misery? Do you long to see His face and feel His healing touch at any cost? Do you long to hear His calming voice that will bring some peace to your troubled life? Is the deepest desire of your heart to be fully quenched with the living water that brings relief and gives eternal life? If you can answer yes to these simple questions then you will understand what the psalmist is expressing in this song proclaiming the glory of God. You know you are experiencing soul thirst when you cannot get enough of the Savior of our soul, because the more you know about who He is and what He does, the more you will realize just how in need you are of His saving grace.
Prayer:
How awesome You are, O LORD; that you pour out Your mercy and grace on those who cry out to You in desperation. What other god is like You; the Living God who provides His people with help in times of trouble. What an honor it is to be able to sing songs of praise that give you thanks and declare Your glory. Thank You, dear Lord, for being who You are and for doing all that You do.
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 42:1, 2
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (NKJV)
Observation:
Amidst every human life, in spite of any circumstance, and no matter what religion or belief, there will come seasons of drought in everyone’s life; times when we feel as if our lives are being scorched and drying up as we live in dire need of divine intervention; desperate for that one drop of living water that will give us hope. Every living soul has times when everything done only brings forth fruitless efforts and we long for some kind of relief. Even seasoned Christians who rely on God and His redemptive plan have found themselves in times of hardship, feeling abandoned by God. My dear friends, whether we depend on God or not, the world has many ways of making life tough and difficult to handle; when all things seem to work against us and we long for something good to happen. This longing, my dear friends, is really the soul thirsting for a miracle from God that not only saves, but also refreshes and strengthens us for the days ahead (John 16:33).
Application:
Whenever we experience God’s saving grace it is only natural to eagerly praise Him with songs of thanksgiving in our gratefulness. And in our excitement we often want to share with others what God has done, so that they, too, will know where to find the only living water that not only brings relief but gives us life as well (Psalm 66:1-2). God honors us when we call out to Him in our times of need (Psalm 91:15), but even better, our praise brings Him glory. Do you long for the Living God in both times of distress and in times of plenty? Do you miss hearing His Word and gathering with His people when you isolate in your misery? Do you long to see His face and feel His healing touch at any cost? Do you long to hear His calming voice that will bring some peace to your troubled life? Is the deepest desire of your heart to be fully quenched with the living water that brings relief and gives eternal life? If you can answer yes to these simple questions then you will understand what the psalmist is expressing in this song proclaiming the glory of God. You know you are experiencing soul thirst when you cannot get enough of the Savior of our soul, because the more you know about who He is and what He does, the more you will realize just how in need you are of His saving grace.
Prayer:
How awesome You are, O LORD; that you pour out Your mercy and grace on those who cry out to You in desperation. What other god is like You; the Living God who provides His people with help in times of trouble. What an honor it is to be able to sing songs of praise that give you thanks and declare Your glory. Thank You, dear Lord, for being who You are and for doing all that You do.
Amen
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