“Gracious Mercy”
Scripture:
Psalm 6:1-2
O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. (NKJ)
Observation:
It is never an easy task to break the old habits of sinfulness, for it is simply our nature to oppose God (Romans 8:7). Nor is it easy to admit our weakness to resist the nature to sin by our own power alone. I find that the closer I am drawn to the Lord, the more I learn about my own inherent weakness to restrain from sin and how easy it is to fall prey to its temptations without much thought or struggle. And when I, once again, mindlessly fall short of God’s standard, I am made even more aware of my weaknesses and how desperate I am for God’s mercy and grace.
Application:
It is obvious that without God’s gracious mercy I would justly receive the condemnation I deserve. What a blessing it is that we can seek God’s forgiveness and gain yet, another chance to do it right. It is never easy living a righteous life in this ungodly world that demands our conformity to its ways. We cannot escape the temptations to find pleasure in the things that God despises, for it surrounds us from every side, beating on the door of our frail human weakness; relentless to gain entrance and get a foothold on our lives. If we are to win the battles for our minds and souls, we need God’s Power and Wisdom, for without them, we are no match for the powers of darkness that rule this world. No matter how good or godly we aspire to be, we will always sin and deserve God’s rebuke; not so much for condemnation, but for conviction and sanctification (Jeremiah 10:24) to keep us from being crushed and defeated. When we humble ourselves before God, sincerely seeking His incredible transforming Power, God’s amazing grace will always be sufficient for all our needs. When your heart is right with God, my friends, He gives abundantly the mercy and grace you do not deserve and cannot earn (Titus 3:4-6), for Jehovah our God is both a loving and faithful God… even when you are not.
Prayer:
How thankful I am, dear LORD, for the mercy and grace You so freely give. Because without You in any life, there is absolutely no hope for true joy; for the the salvation you offer us is something that we can never earn or deserve.
Amen
Saturday, October 1, 2011
“Wisdom for Life”
Scripture:
Psalm 1:1-2
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night. (NKJ)
Observation:
There is no doubt that God blesses those who are faithful to Him. There is also no doubt that those who follow the sinfulness of this wicked world will, one day, regret their choices (Proverbs 28:20). When our life-journey is under God’s gracious direction—when we follow His commands—our lives are, indeed, filled with blessings that bring joy.
Application:
While walking in obedience to the only true and Holy God, we learn to avoid the crafty and sin-filled devices of this wicked world, which if unabated, will trap us in the abyss of darkness that it so boldly embraces. God’s Word teaches us and His Holy Spirit empowers us to not only be gracious with those who have chosen to follow the world’s ungodly ways, but to also be a witness to God’s goodness and healing touch, rather than conforming to the ways of the world in order to be accepted among them. Even though we, too, are sinners by nature and continue to sin, we have been set apart from the wicked by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). And by the power of His Spirit we are able to discern the company we keep so that we can remain justified by God’s grace and continue growing in our sanctification to live and love like Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). God’s people find no rest, nor pleasure in the company of the atheist and his scornful mocking of God and Christianity, of Heaven and Hell, and of sin and eternity, because God’s people have learned a much better philosophy that brings life to the fullest. Take heed, my friends, for the seat in which the scoffer sits is dangerously close to the gate that leads into eternal Hell. You must stay clear and flee from its grasp, because this seat of evil, that seems comfortable enough, will eventually swallow up those who wallow in it. Our gracious and loving God knows the way of the righteous even though it is often engulfed in fog and darkness. He knows that we all live under the cloud of storms and affliction, but still—He knows the hearts of those who truly love Him and seek to follow His Way. Embrace your Savior, dear ones, and He will surely embrace you in return, blessing greatly your life-journey with Him. This… is His never ending and never changing Promise!
Prayer:
Please empower me, O LORD, to listen only to your voice, for You are the Shepherd who knows us each by name. Help me embrace Your Truth as the way of life so you can bless my life-journey in ways that bring everlasting joy.
Amen
Monday, September 5, 2011
“In God We Hope”
Scripture:
Psalm 146:5
Happy are those who have the God of Israel for their helper,
whose hope is in the LORD their God. (NLT)
Observation:
Putting your hope in anyone else but the LORD—the Almighty Sovereign God, is not only foolish, but is very dangerous as well. For when we put our hope in other human beings who could die at any moment, what we get most is a false sense of security that will inevitably lead us to disappointment and discouragement, which eventually weakens our spirits and leaves us prey to the Enemy of our souls; the Devil. And likewise, whenever we put our hope in this fallen world, we are again putting our hope in something dying; a world that is not only reliably unstable, but whose god is Satan himself; the destroyer of all that is good. Your best hope, my friends, is your only Hope—the God who always was and always will be (Revelation 1:8); the only true and living God (Daniel 6:26).
Application:
When we put our hope in the living God of all creation, we are able to find rest from the heavy burdens of living in this dying world—allowing us to find a peace that brings true and lasting joy to our lives. Our loving and compassionate God has graciously given us His prophetic Word so that we would know what lies ahead in the future, for both a warning and an encouragement. When you have God as your Helper, your Provider, and your Redeemer, how can you not be happy (Psalm 144:15)? And when you are truly happy in the LORD, how can you not share this phenomenal news of our Great Helper with those who either rely on the false hope of a dying world, or have absolutely no hope at all? When you have the One who defeated sin and death as your only God, His Hope will give you a peace so unlike the world’s peace. For when you have the peace of God, my friends, you can walk fearlessly, day by day, towards a glorious future with the Lord your God (John 14:27). He has great plans indeed, for all those who call on Him for help and hope.
Prayer:
You, O God, are indeed our Great Helper; not only in our times of desperate need, but also in our times of plenty. Thank You for loving us enough to care and provide our every need. You are an awesome God, dear Lord, and there is none as great as You!
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 146:5
Happy are those who have the God of Israel for their helper,
whose hope is in the LORD their God. (NLT)
Observation:
Putting your hope in anyone else but the LORD—the Almighty Sovereign God, is not only foolish, but is very dangerous as well. For when we put our hope in other human beings who could die at any moment, what we get most is a false sense of security that will inevitably lead us to disappointment and discouragement, which eventually weakens our spirits and leaves us prey to the Enemy of our souls; the Devil. And likewise, whenever we put our hope in this fallen world, we are again putting our hope in something dying; a world that is not only reliably unstable, but whose god is Satan himself; the destroyer of all that is good. Your best hope, my friends, is your only Hope—the God who always was and always will be (Revelation 1:8); the only true and living God (Daniel 6:26).
Application:
When we put our hope in the living God of all creation, we are able to find rest from the heavy burdens of living in this dying world—allowing us to find a peace that brings true and lasting joy to our lives. Our loving and compassionate God has graciously given us His prophetic Word so that we would know what lies ahead in the future, for both a warning and an encouragement. When you have God as your Helper, your Provider, and your Redeemer, how can you not be happy (Psalm 144:15)? And when you are truly happy in the LORD, how can you not share this phenomenal news of our Great Helper with those who either rely on the false hope of a dying world, or have absolutely no hope at all? When you have the One who defeated sin and death as your only God, His Hope will give you a peace so unlike the world’s peace. For when you have the peace of God, my friends, you can walk fearlessly, day by day, towards a glorious future with the Lord your God (John 14:27). He has great plans indeed, for all those who call on Him for help and hope.
Prayer:
You, O God, are indeed our Great Helper; not only in our times of desperate need, but also in our times of plenty. Thank You for loving us enough to care and provide our every need. You are an awesome God, dear Lord, and there is none as great as You!
Amen
“The Face of God”
Scripture:
Psalm 143:7
Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like
those who go down into the pit. (NKJ)
Observation:
For all Christian people who live their life knowing and believing that they truly belong to God, there will always be those times when we need to humbly and prayerfully cry out for God’s help. There will always be times in this life when our circumstances are beyond our control to fix—when we feel as if our life is ebbing away; where each moment is critical and it feels like we may soon succumb. And when we come to the end of ourselves our spirits will soon follow suit and become distraught. It is during these moments that our fellowship with God is not only of the utmost importance for our very survival, but the personal relationship it creates with our Creator becomes very precious indeed. For we know that God’s withdrawal from our life not only brings much despair to our hearts and souls, but it also zaps our strength for living.
Application:
We know when God is absent in our lives that His absence enables our enemy’s to gain entrance with little or no restraint what so ever. Therefore, it is wise for God’s people to remain in His presence so that He can defend us and reveal the way of His will, for when we have God’s countenance, we live! If He turns His back on us, we will surely die! When God’s favor looks upon anyone’s life, they will, undoubtedly, be blessed! But if He refuses to shine His Face upon our lives, then we labor in vain! My dear friends; your prayerful plea to God should be the faith in which you live by. Although God may not always give you what you ask for when you ask for it, you can be sure that when you remain faithful, always looking to Him for your rescue, our awesome God (who never fails) will hold you steady (Psalm 18:18) and comfort you until that time when His will for your life is accomplished (Psalm 145:13). For God’s people can always be sure that His mercy has wings when misery is extreme (Psalm 18:10) !
Prayer
Thank You, My dear sweet Lord, for shinning Your Face upon my life and for directing my path to peace. Even though there will be times of doubt and discouragement, I know that I can count on you to pull me through and set my feet firmly back on the right path to peace and everlasting life.
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 143:7
Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like
those who go down into the pit. (NKJ)
Observation:
For all Christian people who live their life knowing and believing that they truly belong to God, there will always be those times when we need to humbly and prayerfully cry out for God’s help. There will always be times in this life when our circumstances are beyond our control to fix—when we feel as if our life is ebbing away; where each moment is critical and it feels like we may soon succumb. And when we come to the end of ourselves our spirits will soon follow suit and become distraught. It is during these moments that our fellowship with God is not only of the utmost importance for our very survival, but the personal relationship it creates with our Creator becomes very precious indeed. For we know that God’s withdrawal from our life not only brings much despair to our hearts and souls, but it also zaps our strength for living.
Application:
We know when God is absent in our lives that His absence enables our enemy’s to gain entrance with little or no restraint what so ever. Therefore, it is wise for God’s people to remain in His presence so that He can defend us and reveal the way of His will, for when we have God’s countenance, we live! If He turns His back on us, we will surely die! When God’s favor looks upon anyone’s life, they will, undoubtedly, be blessed! But if He refuses to shine His Face upon our lives, then we labor in vain! My dear friends; your prayerful plea to God should be the faith in which you live by. Although God may not always give you what you ask for when you ask for it, you can be sure that when you remain faithful, always looking to Him for your rescue, our awesome God (who never fails) will hold you steady (Psalm 18:18) and comfort you until that time when His will for your life is accomplished (Psalm 145:13). For God’s people can always be sure that His mercy has wings when misery is extreme (Psalm 18:10) !
Prayer
Thank You, My dear sweet Lord, for shinning Your Face upon my life and for directing my path to peace. Even though there will be times of doubt and discouragement, I know that I can count on you to pull me through and set my feet firmly back on the right path to peace and everlasting life.
Amen
“God and You”
Scripture:
Psalm 139:1
O LORD, You have examined my heart
And know everything about me. (NLT)
Observation:
The Almighty God, Jehovah, is not only an all knowing God, but He is also ever present in our lives; it is simply His nature (Jeremiah 23:23-24). The LORD knows each and every living being personally and completely, just as if He probed into the deepest depth of who we are (Hebrews 4:13). He knows exactly the kind of persons we are; He knows both our nature and our character to the fullest.
Application:
Never doubt God’s divine knowledge, which is extremely thorough and searching, for He could not be otherwise and be God. Although God’s omniscience and omnipresence and omnipotence puts Him so far above us, He still remains an up-close and personal God, which means He perfectly watches over His creation and is deeply involved in the most minute area’s of our existence. When we come to understand and believe these incredible attributes about our Creator, it only makes sense that we have a personal relationship with Him, rather than trying to alienate ourselves from His Presence and live as if He is not there. When we finally admit and understand that it is impossible to hide anything from the LORD, is it not quite frivolous that we even try? When we know that God is always present and always watching, it becomes quite essential to confide in Him, because He understands us completely. And you need not feel embarrassed about sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings with Him, because He already knows the things that are good about us and the things that are not so good. We need not be afraid of how God may feel or react towards us (as we do with other people), because His love and compassion is holy and complete and He never changes (Malachi 3:6). Our gracious and merciful Lord not only knows, but will tell you exactly what is needed in order to live a righteous life that will bring you joy and peace. He also knows and will tell you about the things you need to stay away from, for they are not only deadly, but will bring much sorrow and hopelessness to your life. Our God is always with you, my friend, to be your everything for all eternity. He is a complete Provider and your personal Life Giver; the only One who will never, ever let you down.
Prayer:
How thankful we should be that You are God. For without You we would be nothing at all. Without Your protection we would surely die a horrible death. Without Your everlasting mercy and grace, we would be at the beck and call of Satan; doing his dirty work against You. Thank You, dear Lord, for who You are and all that You do for Your people. You are truly an awesome God!
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 139:1
O LORD, You have examined my heart
And know everything about me. (NLT)
Observation:
The Almighty God, Jehovah, is not only an all knowing God, but He is also ever present in our lives; it is simply His nature (Jeremiah 23:23-24). The LORD knows each and every living being personally and completely, just as if He probed into the deepest depth of who we are (Hebrews 4:13). He knows exactly the kind of persons we are; He knows both our nature and our character to the fullest.
Application:
Never doubt God’s divine knowledge, which is extremely thorough and searching, for He could not be otherwise and be God. Although God’s omniscience and omnipresence and omnipotence puts Him so far above us, He still remains an up-close and personal God, which means He perfectly watches over His creation and is deeply involved in the most minute area’s of our existence. When we come to understand and believe these incredible attributes about our Creator, it only makes sense that we have a personal relationship with Him, rather than trying to alienate ourselves from His Presence and live as if He is not there. When we finally admit and understand that it is impossible to hide anything from the LORD, is it not quite frivolous that we even try? When we know that God is always present and always watching, it becomes quite essential to confide in Him, because He understands us completely. And you need not feel embarrassed about sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings with Him, because He already knows the things that are good about us and the things that are not so good. We need not be afraid of how God may feel or react towards us (as we do with other people), because His love and compassion is holy and complete and He never changes (Malachi 3:6). Our gracious and merciful Lord not only knows, but will tell you exactly what is needed in order to live a righteous life that will bring you joy and peace. He also knows and will tell you about the things you need to stay away from, for they are not only deadly, but will bring much sorrow and hopelessness to your life. Our God is always with you, my friend, to be your everything for all eternity. He is a complete Provider and your personal Life Giver; the only One who will never, ever let you down.
Prayer:
How thankful we should be that You are God. For without You we would be nothing at all. Without Your protection we would surely die a horrible death. Without Your everlasting mercy and grace, we would be at the beck and call of Satan; doing his dirty work against You. Thank You, dear Lord, for who You are and all that You do for Your people. You are truly an awesome God!
Amen
“Choice Wisdom”
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 30:19, 20
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey Him and commit yourself to Him, for He is your life. (NLT)
Observation:
Although this message from God (spoken through Moses) is directed to His people Israel, it is also, I believe, a message for everyone, including those who believe in the One and only true God; the sovereign One who created everything that exists. The choice that stands before God’s created people of today involves our God in the flesh, Christ Jesus. We must choose either Jesus or the world as our pathway for life; a choice that is not easily made for many of us.
Application:
Just like the people of Israel, our sinful natures tend to point us first to the world for both our needs and to fulfill our desires; until that is, the day when we discover that the world only leaves us empty and desperate for something better—something that it can never give us—Hope and Peace! As far as I can tell, our gracious and mighty God desires nothing more than to give all His children the gift of eternal life (1 Timothy 2:3-4). For just as God desired to give His people Israel the land of milk and honey, so too, does God want all His created people to enjoy our true Home in Heaven with Him. And just as Jehovah choose Abram to father the nation of Israel to be His chosen people (Genesis 12:1-2, Deuteronomy 14:2), Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, has come on our behalf and made it possible, through His sacrificial death on the cross, for many peoples of all nations to become God’s chosen people as well (Ephesians 2:12-13).
Prayer:
Thank You, O LORD, for the grace and mercy you have shown me by bringing me into Your holy and eternal family. Help me to never forget that it is by Your grace only that I have been saved from Your final and eternal wrath. How blessed we are to have a God has gracious and merciful as You.
Amen
“Eyes That See”
Scripture:
Psalm 123:1
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens. (NKJ)
Observation:
As finite human beings we naturally look beyond ourselves for something or someone we can look up to—something or someone that can give us hope while living in these uncertain times that are undoubtedly getting more difficult by the day. Those of us who have been blessed with spiritual eyes should be utterly grateful to the Lord (Colossians 2:7), because there are billions of spiritually blind people in this world that cannot see our God (Ephesians 4:17, 18). There are so many lost souls in this darkened world who, because of ignorance or pride, are more inclined to look downward at the hopelessness of it all, or inward for some hidden inner strength to survive, or anywhere else they can rather than looking to the LORD our God; the only One who knows the Way out of the darkness that consumes our world.
Application:
You may not see God the Savior at first glance (much like I and many others have done), but with persistent gazing into the heavenly realms, searching for that one piece of hope that can make sense of it all and bring you comfort and peace, God will allow your spiritual eyes to begin to focus more clearly so that you can see the Creator of the universe, our God and Savior, Christ Jesus —the only One who is able to rescue you from the hopelessness we all face without God in our lives. Our God is very real, my friends, and He resides in one place, and that place is in Heaven. How blessed we are that our God is always Home with His door opened wide. The One that is never out on a journey, but always close at hand. He is forever there where you can find Him, always looking your way and longing for your glance—
Prayer, my dear friends, is but the burden of a sigh,
And the upward glance of a searchful eye.
The shedding of a desperate tear,
When no one else but our loving God is near.
He is your Sovereign Keeper, the One who never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121: 3, 5); the forever Watchful One, who has eyes that see all and a heart for you.
Prayer:
O Lord, please help me remain steadfast in my faith no matter what my circumstances may be. Develop in my character the wisdom to know when to look upward and when to look inward in order to do Your will. And I pray that I will never take for granted what You have so graciously given for me, because I deserve so much less.
Amen
Scripture:
Psalm 123:1
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens. (NKJ)
Observation:
As finite human beings we naturally look beyond ourselves for something or someone we can look up to—something or someone that can give us hope while living in these uncertain times that are undoubtedly getting more difficult by the day. Those of us who have been blessed with spiritual eyes should be utterly grateful to the Lord (Colossians 2:7), because there are billions of spiritually blind people in this world that cannot see our God (Ephesians 4:17, 18). There are so many lost souls in this darkened world who, because of ignorance or pride, are more inclined to look downward at the hopelessness of it all, or inward for some hidden inner strength to survive, or anywhere else they can rather than looking to the LORD our God; the only One who knows the Way out of the darkness that consumes our world.
Application:
You may not see God the Savior at first glance (much like I and many others have done), but with persistent gazing into the heavenly realms, searching for that one piece of hope that can make sense of it all and bring you comfort and peace, God will allow your spiritual eyes to begin to focus more clearly so that you can see the Creator of the universe, our God and Savior, Christ Jesus —the only One who is able to rescue you from the hopelessness we all face without God in our lives. Our God is very real, my friends, and He resides in one place, and that place is in Heaven. How blessed we are that our God is always Home with His door opened wide. The One that is never out on a journey, but always close at hand. He is forever there where you can find Him, always looking your way and longing for your glance—
Prayer, my dear friends, is but the burden of a sigh,
And the upward glance of a searchful eye.
The shedding of a desperate tear,
When no one else but our loving God is near.
He is your Sovereign Keeper, the One who never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121: 3, 5); the forever Watchful One, who has eyes that see all and a heart for you.
Prayer:
O Lord, please help me remain steadfast in my faith no matter what my circumstances may be. Develop in my character the wisdom to know when to look upward and when to look inward in order to do Your will. And I pray that I will never take for granted what You have so graciously given for me, because I deserve so much less.
Amen
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