"Given Over to God"

"My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times." (Psalms 119:20)

 Whether we agree with this or not, there is something to be said for having God on our side and not against us. At some point, we all need to come to terms with this reality: You are not going to win by doing it your own way! Here we go again with the basic law of resistance, that it is going to hurt! When Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you," it was not so that we could try and do anything on our own. Just as oxen are yoked together in order to not go separate ways, so are we to be yoked together with Christ. Without Him leading and guiding us, we are surely going to get off track. That said, even if we do get off track, we are never are able to get too far away that the Lord can't grab us back. It is the law of grace! I heard someone say the other day, grace always comes before mercy. I had to think about that long and hard, because I have always thought it was the other way around, that first we receive mercy, and then He gives us grace. But if you stop and think about what has taken place, God gives us what we do not deserve, before He takes away what we deserve. I did not deserve for Jesus to die for my sins; as a matter of fact, before I even knew any better, I did even want or ask for His mercy. God had to give me something I did not deserve before I could ask Him for mercy: He had to give me knowledge and grace. Only then could I even realize my need for mercy! In that line of thinking, I can actually realize that it was God, not I, that changed my heart in the first place. My heart would have never changed on its own; my heart needed God to show me what I could not see on my own. This is the hunger David is trying to get across here, that hunger we must have to be enlightened to the "judgments" of God. Simply put, it was God that chose us, not us that chose Him; so why on earth would I ever want my own judgments to be in control any time or any place! Here his why his soul breaks, because it hurts every single time it goes against God's judgments...

"I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: "Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." But I responded, "I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?" My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls. Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem -If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love." (SONG OF SONGS 5:2-8) NLT

"Heaven is My Home"

"I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me." (Psalms 119:19)

 As to the vertical living, this is one of those verses that speaks powerfully into that direction. In this, we are merely here for a very short season; regardless of what your circumstances might be, you are not going through them for a very long time. It might seem like it is forever, but as time will tell, your life is like a vapor: "It appears for a little time, and then vanishes away." (James 4:14) Even still, this life can be overwhelming at times. The simple life we might have hoped for, it is not as simple as we thought. Between family matters and the struggle to pay the bills, things can distract us from the way we should be living and make us focus more on the horizontal living than on the vertical life we should be focused on. Storing out treasure up in heaven is not the same as putting money into a retirement account; we must be passionate about our home! This is not our home, this is only a temporary place where we can be used of God and be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. I really do not have much authority here to talk, because my life is surely not one to model after if you are looking for a witness of being focused upon heaven. As a matter of fact, my life is pretty busy with just keeping up; between working on my business about at 64 hours a week, taking care of Marianne for at least 120 hours, and spending at least 17 hours a week doing this blog, 168 hours a week gets stretched to at least 200; so who has time focus upon heaven? I'm just glad the radio station has been restored, so that I can listen to CSN while driving from appointment to appointment. By the way, I heard Dr. Chuck speaking about Mark yesterday, and he was saying exactly the same thing I said a few years back; that Mark was most likely the Rich Young Ruler, and that he was also the young man wrapped in the sheet from Mark 14:51-52. So, even though I might be a stranger in the earth, God's word is not a stranger in me; even if I might sometimes seem strange...

"While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing." (2 Corinthians 5:4-7) NLT

"Oh How Wonderful"

"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." (Psalms 119:18)

  Of all the articles that God instructed Moses to make for the Tabernacle, everything had been given measurement and size except one article, the ceremonial water basin. There is absolutely no limit to God's Word; we can read His word over and over again, and there will still be things reveled that have never been reveled before. I heard a message the other day about dealing with verses that you simply do not understand; it was more about instruction to allow God to show you something that was right there in front of you all along. The message was really quite simple: If you come across a portion of Scripture that you don't understand, write it down in a journal or on a piece of paper; write the verse or verses, and the reason you are having difficulty, place it aside, and then pray for God to show you what it means. As if God has removed blinders from your eyes, when you come back to it, it will appear so obvious you will wonder why you couldn't see it before. Sometimes it is just one simple word, a "and" or a "then"; something you would have never even imagined, it will just appear as if it is a revelation. This can work both ways, as strange as that might sound. I have been so moved by Scriptures, and so overwhelmed, I have needed to show off what God has revealed in my heart; but nobody quite gets the same impact from the verses that I have; and on top of that, if I go back later to revisit the exact same Scripture, the message I received before has lost the movement it had on me previously. I could relate it to Moses and the veil: his wearing of the veil was not to hide the glory that was on his face from the people, it was so the people wouldn't notice when it faded away. This is something I believe we should all be interested in, whether we are reading our Bible everyday, or reading it only on Sunday, we should always be ready for God to speak into our hearts. Any time I am going to listen to a message, either during a Bible Study or during a Sunday Service, I always have a pen and paper in hand, waiting to take notes. I don't care how many times you have read the Bible, it should never get old or boring. We can never run out of things to learn about God...

"Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:12-17) NLT

"GIMEL"

"Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word." (Psalms 119:17)

  Given the likelihood of the church growing stronger, those that keep the word of God first and foremost in their hearts, they need to become bolder and more dedicated to His word. I know the time is at hand, because Jesus has told us what it would be like, but most of all, He told us to watch! The closer we get to His coming, the more distractions will be at hand to keep us from watching. Not that anyone knows the day or the hour, but it only stands to reason the season is upon us. In this section of,  "The Law of the Lord," I believe we get to witness what it means to actually live for Jesus. Not that I have anything special about my life to contribute; besides the circumstances I have been forced to live in, my life is no different than anyone else. This is more about laws of gravity in relation to our bodies being gravitated towards the grave; we all are dying, last days or not, these are the facts of life here on this earth. What I believe this is speaking about is a life that is committed to keeping God's word as not only a compass, but as a barometer. We don't just keep God's word for the direction of our lives in the horizontal living, but in the vertical side of life and death also. A easy way to understand this line of thinking is to take a little glimpse at Paul statement in Philippians 1:21, where he says, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." The way Paul was looking at this life, was his ability to share the gospel; as long as he was living here, he was committed to being a servant of the Lord. If the Lord were to choose to take him home, he considered that to be a bonus; but even then, he greatest wish was for those he leaves behind to draw closer in his absence. I think it comes down to the perspective of the closer we get to the end, the closer we must adhere to the Word...

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bring salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14) NLT

"Light of Life"

"I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." (Psalms 119:16)

  I wish to say I am sorry to anyone that might have felt I was off base these last few days, but I have been wrestling with an issue, and needed to share something that I felt God was showing me through the process. For anyone who might be listening that is dealing with the same thing, let me assure you that God will honor your commitment to do the right thing. Even though there might be some who will try to convince you that there is an easier way, if God has given you the ability and the means to do what is right, do what is right! Even if He hasn't shown you a way, His ways will never seem easy, they just turn out to be in the long run. Isn't that the point that David is putting across here? When we get right down to it, there are two basic principles that make for a happy life: To delight ourselves in the statutes of the Lord, and along the way, never forget His word; especially those words that speak of the benefits of walking in His ways! Anything else is like walking in darkness; not knowing how or why anything works, and not feeling any purpose in your life. I feel that might life has purpose; even if it requires I suffer through some discomfort, the joy in my heart will be evident and there will be light that gets revealed. Statutes are not just a law, they are customs or the manner in which we live. John puts it into another light, as he says: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3) God loves me more than I love myself! The things that He tells me not to do, are not because He wants to hinder me from doing what I feel like doing, He does so because He loves me and knows what is best for my life; not just the life that I think I have, but the life that He has for me...

"My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying." (Proverbs 3:1-2) NLT

"Abundant Life"

"I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways." (Psalms 119:15)

 O how I long for heaven! In the meantime, this life is meant to be used to proclaim God's great love and mercy, in any way that God allows me to proclaim it. When it comes to living an abundant life, it must be a life that is determined to walk in the ways the God would have us to walk. What that means for those of us that are blessed with abilities to contribute, is that we do so freely and joyfully, without asking for anything in return. After all, it is all God's resources, not our own; He allows us to be a conduit for all that comes into our lives. This is what the Lord has put upon my heart this morning, that I push that notion of shutting down out of my mind, and I press on by doing everything He leads me to do. There are some things that require us to stay in the game; let's just say that my life is not well suited for pulling out at this particular moment. I still have some things to do; some of which require some serious resources, like about $200K plus in debt I need to settle. Those of you who might know my situation, know what I have been doing for the last eight and half years; now it is time for phase two of the process; and with God's help, this debt will be settled also. I refuse to try and get out of paying what I owe; I do not believe that is what God wants us to do, because if we commit our way to Him, He will allow us the ability to do what is right. Here is the thing about having respect for God's ways: His ways are aways right; they might not appear easy, but they are always right! That was the message from last Sunday, the difference between during the good thing and the right thing; just because it might seem good, does not mean that it is the right thing to do. I actually heard another message along the same lines last night, it was about making promises to God. That might not seem to resemble the good and right topic, but when it comes to promising God with a vow, we had better be careful what we say; saying the thing that seems good, could cause us some serious issues. The right thing to do is to admit how miserably we failed, ask His forgiveness, and then commit to allowing Him to help us from failing again. If we do fail again, it is not because God allowed us to fail, but that we stopped allowing Him to help us. The worst thing we can do is to try and make God a promise that we will never do it again; because in doing so, we make it about some kind of ability we might have within us. We have no such power in this body to do any such thing on our own; as soon as we think we might, we are sitting ourselves up for a very big fall. If you need any proof of that, Peter is a really good example. Peter was so sure of himself, saying, "Lord, I would die for you!" Jesus, knowing the human heart, said, "Will you lay down your life for me? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till you have denied me three times." When we make that vow to God, I believe He knows right then and there that we will fail; but it is not God that will take us down over our failure, it will be our own failure to keep the vow that will cause us to fall. That is where meditating on God's precepts comes into play; the law of God shows us what we are and how much we need a Savior. We are unable to do anything on our own...

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25) NLT

"Abundant Riches"

"I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches." (Psalms 119:14)

 When it comes to weighing the difference between having God in my life and not, there is absolutely no comparison between the two. It's like that poem, "Let me count the ways," how can I even begin to compare the two, because the scale is instantly tilted, right off the bat. This is what I have received from this verse this morning, that there is no comparison, even if I consider all the riches this world has to offer, none of that holds a candle to the greatness of knowing and being loved by God. Does it not make sense? Trust me, nothing here is worth holding onto, because in a single moment it can all be swept away! I was listing to the list of structures that have been damaged or destroyed in the Camp Fire, as of yesterday there were hundreds that have been damaged, but there have been over 10,000 that have been destroyed! Besides that, there have been at least 60 people killed; and there are still over a hundred people still reported missing. This next week's celebration of Thanksgiving is going to be pretty tuff for a whole lot of people; and that's just talking about one fire, there has been so many fires this year, I have lost count. I have been weighing the notion of closing my business, selling the house, and just living in the RV. It is possible that I can make it happen, I just haven't heard the Lord speak loud enough yet as to whether I should try. We seriously don't need all of this stuff; most of this house goes unused and even my entertainment system gets used by other people more than it has by me. One thing is for sure, I really don't feel comfortable living here through another fire season. But, then again, where is my faith in that line of thinking? Much as it is with my health, I am trusting God to keep me around long enough to take care of my wife; but the worst thing that could happen is to get caught in a fire; not when there has been something placed on my heart to move. I live up a mountain, with trees all around, and one road up or down; so if a fire starts below me, it's either fight the fire or try and drive through it. After what I have witnessed this last year, I think it's best to just find another place to live; one that has more than one road in or out. Besides all of that, it is only Marianne that I am worried about. When we evacuated for the Carr Fire, it took me over an hour to load up all that was needed to take care of her on the road, and to get her loaded. Anywho, this is not meant to be about me. This verse speaks to the greatness of God's love for me, and how there is nothing, not even all the riches in this world, that can even compare to what I know about Him; and more importantly, what He knows about me...

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16) KJV

"Abundance of the Heart"

"With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth." (Psalms 119:13)

 If we are speaking about laws, there is another law, if we are willing to accept it, that deals with what we put into our minds. The law, or principle, if that works better for you, is commonly know as, "Garbage in, garbage out." In other words, what comes out of our mouths is closely related to what we put into our minds. In the context of all that is being said, if we practice to hide His word in our hearts and continually seek after His guidance and direction, we are bound to be putting the right things into our minds. Paul gives us this instruction in Philippians 4:8, saying we should be dwelling on all the things that are good and pure and true and worthy. In other words, we don't even waste our time thinking about those things that are not going to edify and build up the body of Christ, we only focus upon the things that do. I know all too well what this is talking about, because this is one of my issues that cause me so much pain in my heart. Here is how I see it working in my own heart. If I dwell upon an issue that is negative about someone else, I am bound to speak out about that person to someone else. It is not my intention to do that, but because the issue becomes more and more powerful in my own mind, I can't let it go unmentioned. Even though the issue might not even be real, in my mind I make it so, and it is by only sharing it that I try to find confirmation. I know what you might be thinking, you might be thinking how I have some serious issues. I am just giving you me honest evaluation of what takes place in my own heart; it might be different for you. The point of what I am saying, is that we need to stop thinking negatively about others and only think good thoughts about them. Easy to say, not that easy to do. Another way we might look at this, is to consider how we might want God to judge us, and use that principle as the way we might judge others. Do I want God to focus upon all the bad things that I might do, or do I want Him to overlook the bad, and only see the good? What did God have to say about David? Did He ever declare him a murderer and a fornicator? What God declared about David, He said, "He was a man after His own heart." We have such a loving God, who not only cares for us and watches over us, but He also does not see our sin when He looks at us, He sees His Son...

"I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me." (Psalms 71:15-18) NLT

"Hungry Hearts"

"Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes." (Psalms 119:12)

 This verse is one that speaks to the wisdom of knowing what is best for our lives; not wisdom as the world believes, but the wisdom that comes from knowing God is for us and His ways are best for our eternity. I guess if I was going to challenge this notion, my objection would be the idea of life after death; if you don't believe in a life after death, then what is the point? Well, let me see: Do I want to feel any sense of hope in this current life? Currently, I would say my entire life is based on hope; so, you bet I am holding on with everything within me! Exactly what causes those to fall away? A lack of faith? Being overcome by sinful desires? Maybe it is the fear that they are wrong? If we stop and think about all that is good and pleasant in putting our faith in God, then anything else just does not compare; everything else is useless compared to the blessing of knowing God! You know that old song, "Take the world but give me Jesus," well that's the way I want my heart to feel, and that's the direction I want to be headed. The question of if, that is no longer something I need to ponder; and neither should anyone else! You take a look at this world, not the junk and the crime, but the whole creation; the very thought that this is something that developed from nothing on its own, is absolutely impossible! No one can ever convince me otherwise; I have never believed it, and I never will. So, if we have settled that in our hearts, then the next question is, Where do we go from here? That is what I am talking about. Face to face with our loving Creator, we have nothing else to say but what is being said in this verse...

"No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God. Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death." (Psalms 86:8-13) NLT

"Hidden Treasure"

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalms 119:11)

 To put this verse into practice, I believe it is something that can help us defend our minds from being tempted into sin; if, that is, we actually put it into practice. There is a really good example of this being put into practice, with Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) There is great power available to us, but that power must be used in order to be affective in overcoming temptation and sin. These are the subtle truths of how the battle is fought and won! But, like I said, it must be put to use in order to be affective! If we were to put to memory those Scriptures that help to overcome those temptation that keep causing us to sin, and then use those Scriptures when we are tempted, we might find that the Tempter, and even our own flesh, really does not yield all that much power against the word of God. We, on are own, not so much; but with the word of God stored up in our hearts, we have the weapon needed to overcome. You know, there is something I learned during a fight I had with Marianne; which I really kind of miss, the fighting and yelling; we just don't do that anymore. Anywho, my fault in the fight was that I did not want to loose the argument; when I should have surrendered my pride and given her my full attention. The things we say to each other in our heated moments, some of which are very hard to take back. I think we keep the wrong things stored up in our hearts. Instead of storing up the word of God, to be used in times of temptation, we store up bad thoughts and feelings; things that cause us to use our flesh any time we feel challenged or even tempted. A really good example of what this means, is our failures. The whole point that we failed, it lets us continue to be a failure. Instead of determining why we failed, we can't get past the fact that we failed, so it is too much to even think about, and we move on, thinking that it will all somehow work itself out. Peter had felt this after he denied Jesus, not one, but three times, just as Jesus said that he would. He tried to move on, but Jesus did not let it happen. Three times Jesus asked him, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" If we are going to hid something away, it needs to be hidden in love...

"One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?" The man answered, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!"" (Luke 10:25-28) NLT

"Firmness of Purpose"

"With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me wander from thy commandments." (Psalms 119:10)

 As with every one of us, especially those that feel a particular calling, there are times in our lives when we get distracted from what it is we have been called for, whether that be full on ministry, or just simply following Jesus, even if that might be from a distance. Here is a basic request David is making, that God not let him wander from the precepts that He has shown him. This is more about a personal relationship than it is about keeping the law or what the commandments of God might put forth; this is about what David was seeking after, that kind of relationship with God where he knows what is expected of himself and he knows what he can expect of God. I cannot imagine what my life would be if I were to stop seeking God for guidance and stopped looking to Him for help; not now that I know how much I depend upon Him for life, how could I stop? This is pretty much the heart of David in this verse, that he not wander away from all that he has been shown. We hear about people all the time that have left the ministry. Even those who seemed to be strong in their faith, out of the blue, they just pack up and go. Personally, I believe it has something to do with their purpose. If they no longer feel as though God is using them, or they no longer feel effective in their calling, they get discouraged and start looking for a way out. Not every day, week, month, or even year, can be what we expect it to be; our lives are subject to be disappointed now and again, especially by our own ability to disappoint. That was Paul's whole point in Romans 7:14-25, we really can be a huge disappointment to ourselves. But God, somehow, God is never disappointed by us! I find that the more I understand this, the more I feel the need to stay focused upon Him and not myself. If I have been chosen by God, and God already knows all that is in my heart, all that I have ever done, and all that I ever will do, yet He chose me still, why should I not seek after Him even more? He has all the answers to every question, especially that of purpose...

"Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with a purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) NLT

"BETH"

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psalms 119:9)

 I was thinking about something that has to do with practice, that it is said that it takes 21 days to establish a habit; not sure how that thought measures up in all of this, because there are 22 letters of this alphabet. Anywho, this deals with the Word of God; a law within itself, in that His word does not change. There is a very strange movement going on here in this nation; it is raising up quickly, but it has taken over forty or fifty years to make it happen. When our country was founded, there was a set of laws that were established to ensure that the people would all have an equal voice, no matter where you lived or how many might live in your particular area. It seems that the previous couple of generations have been given a new way of looking at things. Not that it matters all that much, but we are becoming undone, and no longer giving much attention to the rule of law. If you haven't watched that recent movie called, "Small Foot," it is set up in a way the mocks laws, as if laws are man's way of protecting the next generation; each new kink in the armor creates a new law, which the movies refers to a stones. There was obviously a lot of thought put into what the writers were trying to get across, but when it comes to God's laws, they cannot be overturned by man, they cannot by taken away from or added to, because they are written by God. If I were going to put this verse into a simple illustration for practical use, I would take two very similar verses; one is from the old testament writings, and one from the new. Matthew Henry speaks about man needing to cleanse his way, because his way has been polluted; in other words, there is all kinds of junk in his way of thinking and in his view of God. No matter what we are told, how we are raised, or who teaches us, if we want to truth and nothing but the truth, we need to go to the Word of God...

""You must not have any other god but me."" (Exodus 20:3) NLT
"Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts." (1 John 5:21) NLT

"This Too Will Pass"

"I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly." (Psalms 119:8)

 What a utterly weird day yesterday was; talk about feeling forsaken, almost everything was not right about everything! To tell whether or not God was speaking through all of that, I harding felt anything else but confusion and apathy on almost every aspect of my life. And to make matters worse, my wife was have difficulty which congestion; no sooner did I suction her, and she would need to be suctioned again. I was really starting to feel as though that day would never end. As crazy as this might seem, it did! You know that old saying, "What goes up must come down," well here is a little different angle to that theory or law: nothing goes up, without first going down! It is all about humility and surrender! We must surrender to the mighty hand of God, in every single area of our lives. Thinking that we can do anything, in any area differently, is not going to work out very well for us. This verse is pretty much all about that. We can work towards turning everything over to the Lord, and yet, we still will need to dig deeper, discovering that the hidden things are more difficult than those that are out in the open. Jesus gave an illustration of this in a parable about of the kernel of wheat; how that new life is never experienced without death happening first. We cannot serve two masters, one will win out over the other, but one requires surrender...

"Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels -a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. "Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again."" (John 12:23-28) NLT

"Uprightness of Heart"

"I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I have learned thy righteous judgments." (Psalms 119:7)

 If you were wondering how being ashamed is such a big factor in the road to redemption, it has much to do about humility and surrender. It is not until I see my need to be helped, that I will actually ask for help. If people don't think that they need to be saved, they will not cry out for a Savior. Here is the other point about any sort of law, whether it is a law of nature or it is God's law: If tested, there is going to be a result. I know what you might be thinking, that is nothing new, everyone knows that. Yes, but do you know that it is both for good and the bad? When it comes to our relationship with God, there are things we need to be tested in, just as there are things God will want us to test Him in. In Psalms 34:8, David uses a challenge to express how trust is realized, saying, "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." When we are learning how to trust God, there is absolutely nothing we can learn about trust unless we have a reason to trust Him. If I pray for patience, especially with dealing in matters of my heart, God will bring issues into my life that cause me to loose my patience. If I pray for the ability to love, God will give me an adversary to bring out my hate, so that I see more the love I lack in my life. I seriously believe that nothing comes easy; it might be simple, but nothing simple does not mean it isn't hard. God simply says, "Love your enemies," but it is hard to love those that hate you and want to despitefully use you. This word "uprightness" is a word that speaks of evenness and integrity; two words that require a conscious thought, where someone needs to think about what is the right thing to do. That is where we learn how to trust God, by learning what it is that He wants us to do! There was a little footnote in the NLT for John 3:21, it was regarding Jesus' statement, "But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants." The footnote said, "Or can see God at work in what he is doing." It is really all about Him, not us...

"But Jesus replied, "Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.) "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I offer so the world may live, is my flesh."" (John 6:43-51) NLT

"Not Ashamed"

"Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments." (Psalms 119:6)

 You do know we are going to be in this Psalm for a little while, don't you? I thought about taking on several verses at a time, but what's the fun in that? I have determined in my heart to continue this as long as Marianne is still with us; but even then, that might not be what causes me to stop. As Paul was speaking about there being no condemnation for those who belong to Christ, his point was based upon the fulfillment of the law; Jesus fulfilled the law and the condition we all were in for breaking it. Sin had been taken care of, including the penalty of sin, which was death! When we come to the cross, repenting for our sins, we are cleansed! This is something the lost cannot understand; they can't understand it, one because they cannot see the weight of sin in their lives, and two, because they don't know what it feels like to be free from it. You can try to explain it till you are blue in the face, but until they see their need and get free, they are totally unable to know what it is like. This is what that word, "respect," is talking about, that ability to consider; 'to look that ye may see!' How can we know anything without paying attention and considering what and why it is there? Paul uses the example of the law being a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, because it teaches how broken we really are and that we are in need to be fixed. We cannot fix ourselves! If we could, then Jesus would not have had to come and die on that cross for us. There is really such a shape contrast between the two ways for us to be; we are either in Christ and free from sin and death, or we are not in Christ and condemned! What is the thing stopping people from seeing that? Believe it or not, it is being ashamed...

""God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgement against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. All the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:17-21) NLT  

"Oh, Happy Day!"

"O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!" (Psalms 119:5)

 Yes, that's right, today I choose to be happy! No matter what, this is  glorious day, because I have peace in my heart and trust God is doing something amazing in me and everyone that I know. Looking at this verse, I must tell you how I came upon the title; because it was not based upon this verse, but based upon God's love and grace in my life. I know full well how miserable I fail at being all that God has made me to be; but God, He is still there, arms wide open, to express His love and to pour out His grace in my life. And yes, it is a little about today being election day here in the United States, because I know that God is still on the Throne and that He is ultimately in control. Sure the devil gets to create all kinds of mischief and plays a very big role in all that is wrong, not only here in this country, but everywhere around this world; but ultimately, God has the last word on all that goes on here, whether it seems right or wrong, nothing happens without His knowledge and mighty will to complete His work in His church. Isn't that really the bottom line in all of this, that His church be complete? That's all that we are waiting for; at least that is the way I have come to understand it. Jesus is the Bridegroom, who is waiting for that glorious day when the Father has prepared His glorious Bride, which is we the church; and on that day, however soon that might come, the door will close and the heavens will open! This is what we must be focused upon in our daily lives, to be ready! It is more than a way of living, it is a direction! It is having a focus in the direction of Heaven, knowing how important it is to keep His statutes, because that is where you are headed. If I were that rock, then this rock defies the laws of gravity, because there is nowhere else that I am going than up...

"I have discovered this principle of life -that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." (Romans 7:21-8:2) NLT

"Believe It or Not"

"Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently." (Psalms 119:4)

 There is a question that must be answered in our hearts, one that requires us to make a choice: Do I truly believe what God says I must do? It is really not a question of if, because if takes everything to a level of debate. There is no debate when it comes to keeping God's precepts; we either do them and live, or don't do them and die. Back to the rock and the law of gravity. We all know full well that if we throw ourselves off a thirty story building, the results are not going to look very pretty when we hit the ground. It is only common sense that tells us that we won't hit the ground softly. To put it in a little different light, precepts are considered to be a general rule to regulate behavior or thoughts, for example: If you jump off that building, you are most likely going to die! This is pretty much the kind of question presented to Eve, as the serpent said, "Hath God said, Thou shalt not eat?" Better yet, if God says, "Thou shalt not," to pretty much anything, you can bet it stands to reason that we should not even consider it as a choice. So then, what possibly can make it appear that we are given a choice? Obviously we must not be afraid of death, because if we were, we wouldn't even get close to that edge of the building. So, in the case of a serious misunderstanding, somehow the devil is able to convince us that death is not the option; as if God really isn't all that serious about what He says we should and should not do. Notice that the verse above does not say, "Thou hast suggested," because if it did, then it would bring forth a varied result. I can recall my mom saying that one or twice, as I started to reach into that cookie jar, just as she told me not to, she would say, "I suggest you would not do that." You know, once upon at time I thought I could place a cardboard box in a tree, get inside that box, push the box out of that tree, with me in it, and that the box would protect my fall. Boy, was I mistaken; it really did not turn out the way I thought it would turn out. God's commands are not suggestions, they are the way things work: His precepts are laws of good and bad! Just as God told Cain, good leads to good, bad leads to bad; it's just the way things are: Believe it or not...

""But this one thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."" (Jeremiah 7:23) KJV

"Heart to Heart"

"They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways." (Psalms 119:3)

 As I was saying, By any means possible; which is what we should be asking God to do in us, at all cost! When Jesus spoke of following Him, what kind of road was He talking about? I think it had more to do with sacrifice of our own lives, more than anything else. It was not so much about death, as in being crucified as He was; but it was about dying to ourselves and giving up all those things that cause us have iniquity in our hearts. There are three levels of sinning against God; there is plain old sin, which is missing the mark, there is trespass, which is crossing the line, and then there is iniquity, which is saying no to what God says, and intentionally, almost gleefully, doing what you want to do. If I say that I have not done iniquity, I would be lying! I might have committed iniquity every single day of my life, in one form or another. Iniquity is really not that hard to commit, but it sure is hard to admit. Nobody likes to admit when they have committed iniquity, because iniquity is by intention; everyone would rather have say they made a mistake or that they had no intention of doing what they did, it just happened. I recall reading a book back in the late eighties, "Counter Attack," where the author spoke about how we set ourselves up to do iniquity, by making it seem like it is a mistake or a coincidence; by saying in our heart, I know this is wrong, but if this happens or that door opens, then I will count it as right for me right now. To make matters worse, if that does not happen or the door does not open, then we will force the thing to happen or we will pick the lock on the door. That is what iniquity looks like; where we know God is giving us a way out, but we do it anyway, and by any means possible. There is another way to practice, By any means possible...

"We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts." (1 John 5:18-21)

"Happy Hearts"

"Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart." (Psalms 119:2)

 To put it in another light, the way can also be explained by His "testimonies." Isn't that what we hold in our hands, turning from page to page, seeking instruction, guidance, and comfort from, His Testimonies? We might not have everything figured out, but if we trust in God, believe in His word, and pray earnestly, knowing that He cares, we will surely have a happy heart. This is what I would like to call, the law of happiness. For me, happiness is something that is generated within my own heart by how I might feel; happiness and joy are not the same, because joy is something that I get to have regardless of how I might feel; joy is based upon what I know, that no matter what, I am a child of God, a son of the King, and a member of the Body of Christ. What we are talking about here is a characteristic of someone that keeps believing and trusting God, they are just plain happy! How else can I say it; you are either happy or you're not! Like that silly Sunday School song, "If Your Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands!" What are His testimonies? By definition, they are something that testifies or gives witness to who God is and what He might think of us, His creation. At least that is what it means in the context of what I am talking about; because it also means His law, a law which does not change, because it is a law; meaning that it is what it is, and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. My heart gets really really happy knowing how much He loves me; especially when I read the Testimony of why He loves me. That is what makes us seek Him with our whole hearts, to draw closer and closer to His love; a love that we all need so much more of in our lives. Can I love Him as I should? Can I love my brothers and sisters as I should? If He tells me I should, then there must be a way! By any means possible, Jesus is the way...

""I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me."" (John 15:1-4) NLT

"ALEPH"

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD." (Psalms 119:1)

  As many of you should know by now, my life is not all that perfect; depending upon your point of view, it might appear to some to be downright pathetic. I understand why that might be assumed to be the case; but it could not be further from the truth. Although my life may not have the average relationship happening between my wife and myself, there is no lack of love felt in my heart for her; in fact, I have never felt love like this before. When you commit your life to loving someone, regardless of how they are capable of loving you back, you have tasted unconditional love. In this first section of this Psalm, David expresses the happiness experienced by those who walk in the law of the LORD. The law of the LORD might be something that none of us are capable of keeping; although there might be some who say that they have; it is the "way" by which we experience the love of God in our own hearts, no mater how incapable we are to keep it. The word above, "undefiled," is a word that means 'whole.' It also speaks of those who are without spot, without blemish; and best of all, those that are entirely in accord with truth and fact. As with the illustration I presented yesterday, according to the law of God, on my own, I can do nothing else but drop like a rock. That is the state I find myself to be without Jesus; there is simply no other way that I can explain it, because without Christ, I have no chance whatsoever! You want to talk about pathetic, that is our state without the blood of Jesus washing away our inabilities and inadequacies to walk in the 'law' of the LORD. Besides, the law also includes His mercy and grace. One thing is sure, the 'way' is more about direction than it is about manner; although manner might also mean the means...

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to the wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14) NLT

"The Law of the Lord"

PSALMS 119

 As with almost everything we see and know, there are laws associated with everything. Nothing that is made by God consist on its own and without His governance. Take gravity, which is something to easily test; there is a law associated with gravity known as "gravitational force." If I drop a rock and a feather from the same height, which one should I expect to hit the ground first? Yes, there is no doubt; the one with the greatest mass will be attracted to the ground much quicker. These basic laws are no different in our walk with the Lord; everything is in Him, and through Him, and for Him, so there is nothing that we can ever do without His knowledge or out of His sight. With that basic understanding, our next instruction we must give ourselves, is that of "gravitational force." Seriously, this is what it means to fear the Lord! Without Christ, I am the rock that is plunging to the ground, ready to hit the ground by the laws of attraction. In Christ, He is my Rock! He took the fall for me, and I get to glide effortlessly towards the ground, landing safely and without even causing a dent. It gets a little more interesting as we go on, but I think you get the general idea. Matthew Henry refers to this as a chest of golden rings, compared to that of golden chains; the similarity the verses have to one another are a little more random, but they all come from the same beautiful chest, and they all point towards the same beautiful Creator. More than that, they are all about "The Law of the Lord." My mother would always tell me that thing that would happen to if I played with fire, saying, "If you play with fire, you will get burnt." I learned quick enough, burnt did not always mean that the fire would burn me, it also meant that my butt would get burnt...

"So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:16-18) NLT

"Linked Together"

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:29)

 If there was a way to illustrate it clearly, I surely would; buy there is no way to describe the way God takes everything, both good and bad, and He somehow presses it into a perfect mold. I guess the best way that I have heard it explained would be the process of making the perfect cake. Most of all those ingredients by themselves are not very pleasant and some are even bitter; but all mixed together they form something wonderful and very tasty. Between the first verse and this last, there were several very interesting things God revealed to me about who I am and why He loves me; the most important thing of all, is that He loves me regardless! There is the thing that makes it all beautifully perfect, because it surely isn't me! I don't have what it takes to make something wonderful in me, but He does! If you look at the first verse and this verse, they are very similar, with the exception of one word; the first verse say, "because his mercy endureth for ever," while this verse says, "for his mercy endreth for ever." One speaks of anticipation while the other of authentication. In other words, we need to anticipate God is going to work all things out towards the good, because His mercy surely endures for ever; and we live out what we believe by authenticating whatever it is we are going through is God working all things out towards the good, for His mercy is still enduring for ever. No matter what things may appear, He is always right here! Thank goodness, He is always good...

"I will tell of the LORD'S unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love. He said, "They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again." And he became their Savior. In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years." (Isaiah 63:7-9) NLT

"Apprehended"

"Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee." (Psalms 118:28)

 While having sushi with a friend of mine yesterday, he reminded me of how it was that God saved me, by sharing how God saved him. As he put it, he had no desire to be saved, especially at the time he was saved; his life was free and fun, or so he believed. The plans that he had for his life were filled with all the excitement the world has to offer, but God apprehended him, putting a stop to his plans and giving him a new ambition, to be a pastor. I remember not wanting anything to do with church; sitting outside the church, way out in the field used for sports, and feeling sorry for those men that were in that building and taken into some kind of religion. I remember crying in the dark, thinking that my tears were for them, and not realizing it was my soul that was lost, not their's. I had no intention of going to that church, and went out of my way to not go near it. Then I was sent to another place that did not have a church; one that was closer to downtown and did not have everything that the ranch had. I ended up getting a couple really good jobs; in the early morning I was a waiter in the Officer's dining room, and midday I was taken to another location to wash and detail Officer's cars. Both of those jobs provided me with money and tips; as in those days, we were allowed to have money in jail. And then it happen! One nontypical morning, as I laid there thinking of what I might do till my wife was coming to visit later that Sunday afternoon, there came the call: the Chaplin was speaking over the intercom announcing the morning service to be held in the cafeteria. He did this every Sunday morning, but previous to this, none of those announcements mattered; not like this one, this one was specific to me. That was my God apprehending me and grabbing hold of my heart! That is what I see in the verse above, because each and everyone of us would be lost in our sins, if God had not apprehended us by His love...

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12) KJV

"Be a Living Sacrifice"

"God is the LORD, which hath shown us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." (Psalms 118:27)

 Whether or not you have seen the light, is not really something that can be hidden in our hearts; when we are in the light, we become light, it cannot be hidden. I know that I have shared this before, but within a month or so after I was saved, I had an experience with what I believe was a demon possessed inmate. As I waited in the hallway for an early release hearing, two large officers were bringing a bound man down the hallway towards me, and he was bound with chains around his hands and feet. As they started to reach the area where I was seated, I gazed down at the ground, to try to not get his attention; and all of the sudden the chains quit rattling and I realized that they had stopped right in front of me. As I looked up from the ground, the bound man was staring down at me, and when our eyes made contact, he spoke to me saying, "I know Jesus too," and then off he went, continuing down the hallway. I know it was something that can only be explained as light, and if there is one thing the darkness cannot stand, it is light. Matthew Henry gives a little illustration about the sacrifice being bound to the horns of the altar, as if it were bound there with a rope tied around the neck and waiting to be slain. It might not be the way things were done, or maybe it was; but regardless, the picture that is put forth is one of preparation. The sacrifice was bound in preparation to be sacrificed as an offering. Maybe you don't quite see it the way I do, but the altar represents the salvation that we have been given. In this regard, we are the sacrifice that is bound in preparation; we are bound to this salvation as a living sacrifice, and there is no escaping it. Because of what God has done for us, we must be that living sacrifice, bound to the altar...

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2) NLT

"Esteem Him Highly"

"Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD." (Psalms 118:26)

 Behind each and every reason for God to be praised, there is something that needs to be esteemed or pointed to for His handiwork. Paul mentions this is Ephesians 2, as he shows how God demonstrated not only His great love for us, but He has been working on getting us to a place where we can live in His presence, free from everything that is not of Him. This was God's plan all along; that we would be able to sit in together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He that cometh in the name of the LORD, is none other than Jesus Christ; the One who came from Heaven once to save it, and will come again to judge it. All that He does, He does in the name of the Father; and yet, the Father has placed all things under His feet. I truly cannot explain precisely the Triune nature of God, but the Bible portrays Him as such: One God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all equal One! Those that take issue with this expression of who God is, they do so because it just does not add up. But, if we have an issue with one thing, what's to say we don't have an issue with another? We either take God at His word or we don't; there really is no room for any doubt, whatsoever. Just because I can't explain it or understand it, does not mean it is not so. I can't explain to you how God created the heavens and the earth from nothing, except to say that He is God, and that God can do anything. But one thing can easily be proven, and that is how Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for you and me. God demonstrated His great love for us by proving how much He loves us. That alone is enough to get my attention! We must bless His name! We must have churches that continue to bless His name! With expectant hearts, we must look at all that He has done, anticipating with blessing, all that He is yet to do. As Matthew Henry puts it: "We must pray for the enlargement and edification of his church, for the ripening of things for his second coming, and then that he who has said, 'Surely I come quickly,' would even so come." Come Lord Jesus, come...

"God's purpose in all of this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Ephesians 3:10-12) NLT

"Walk the Walk"

"Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." (Psalms 118:25)

 It is really not just a matter of counting it all His, we must give Him all of our lives also; even the parts that we seem to think are our own. This word "Prosperity," might seem to be speaking of prospering and such, as if we are asking God to bless us in our daily lives; but take a closer look, and you will see it is speaking about His will and direction over us, not what we want, but what He wants for us. Sure, the word might give those who are engaged in something profitable a chance to hold it up as some sort of slogan, but in the context of what is being said, it is speaking about spiritual things, not material or worldly prosperity. This is God's way of showing us that we cannot do this on our own; not only does God save us from our sins and eternal destruction, but He saves us from ourselves by pouring out His Spirit into our lives. The prosperity we are looking at is what might take place from an attack or conquest from bad to good; where the Spirit of God overwhelms a man to such a degree, that he no longer has the same passions and desires he once had. That is the kind of prosperity we are talking about, the kind that count towards the Kingdom of God, not the kind that count for man's worldly benefit. Matthew Henry relates it to being a request to be overtaken and made to love those things the God loves, and to hate the things that He hates; that is real prosperity! There is really only one way that we are going to have this kind of success, and that is by God's Spirit! It is not by power or by might, but by His Spirit that the prosperity of the Gospel is realized in the life of the believer. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the peace and righteousness to represent the Kingdom of God; without walking in the Spirit, we cannot represent Jesus as we should; we fail miserably at walking as we should walk...

"For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen on me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was my reproach. I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation."
(Psalms 69:9-13) KJV

"His Day"

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalms 118:24)

 You probably did not realize how many famous verses were tucked away in this Psalm; besides being about Thanksgiving, it has a lot to say about God's will. At least that is what I feel God tugging on my heart about this morning; this is about God's will for our lives and what He will do in this day. More than just that, it is us taking this opportunity to thank Him beforehand. It is us saying in our hearts, 'Lord, this day is all about you, and no matter what happens today, I will rejoice and be glad to experience your goodness!' It is like that first "God's Not Dead" movie, how those two pastors kept reminding each other about how good God was, saying, "God is good all the time," and, "All the time God is good." Even when things did not go the way they expected or hoped for, God was still good and was still doing something in their midst. It really does not matter what day we are talking about, they are all His, each and every one of them! There are few ways to look at this, because all things are in Christ, so there really is nothing that we can claim for ourselves, especially when it comes to time and money. Those are the two things we seem to get govern so much of what we do or don't do; at least that is the way I see things happening. We either have enough time and not enough money, or we have enough money and not enough time. God would have us give it all up to Him, if for nothing else, that we no longer feel the pressure of trying to manage it. I have no management skills over money, absolutely none. I have never been able to save money; the more I get, the more I spend or give away. Time, on the other hand, is something I have always felt I could never get enough of; and the more time I get, the more time I waste. I always work better when I feel as though there is not enough time. We all have the same amount of time in each waking hour; none of us are privilege to more seconds in every minute God gives us in this life; money on the other hand varies from person to person. May I not be caught saying anything about this being my time, because every second of my life belongs to the Lord...

"The Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God." For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"" (Nehemiah 8:9-10) NLT

"Get In Line" -Too

"This is the LORD'S doing: it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalms 118:23)

 If, is a pretty strange word, if we are talking about belief. I hope you got that? Not only is it not well to use it in the same sentence with anything associated with what I believe, it absolutely should never be used with God's salvation of our souls. I was thinking of those three young men that were about to be thrown in the fiery furnace, as they so happened to use that word also, saying, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:17-18) It was never a question of if God would or could; God does and can do anything; but even if He did not or would not, there is more at stake for us then anything that man can do to us! If He does not heal you, will you still worship Him? If He does not take care of your situation, will you still serve Him? Whatever the issue is, have you made your salvation sure? This is something that is not up for debate; this is solely between you and God. I have nothing based upon anyone else or what someone I know has made known to me; this is an issue between me and my God, you and your God; there is no other besides Jesus who gets us into the Throne of God and who breaks down that curtain wall. If someone can talk you into believing, then someone can talk you out of it also. It must be settled in our hearts, whether or not anything else, it is so; so there...

"Bothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God -something the law of Moses could never do. Be careful! Don't let the prophets' words apply to you. For they said, 'Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.'"" (Acts 13:38-41) NLT

"Get In Line"

"This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalms 118:23)

 If you want to get technical about it, there is nothing that goes on without God's authority and outside of His knowledge; even the stuff that hurts! Even that which hurts His heart! If it is happening anywhere, He already knows the outcome of all our trials and circumstances; and in the end, we all win! Imagine for a moment if you were living during the crucifixion of Christ, and if you were one of those that were following Him. What would be your reaction to what was done to Him? What would you have thought about God's role in that, as you tried to go to sleep that night? I can remember the first night I tried to go to sleep, after I was forced to go home from the hospital. I was a mess! I cried myself to sleep, and after about two hours of sleep, I was back down to the hospital to check on my wife. But something changed in me that day, as I was reminded of a very popular song that was playing in my mind: "It is Well." Over and over again it played, making me realize that God was in control and that His plan for me was not for destruction, but to give me hope for a future. We might not always feel so secure, but we can always lean on the everlasting arms! If we believe in God, and if we believe that His Word is true; and if we believe that He sent His Son to die for our sins, and that Jesus rose from the grave on that third day, just as He said that He would; then we can count on God to get us through whatever it is that might be happening in our lives. When it is all over, will you be able to say that you believed He loved you? Can there be anything that hurts enough to take believing that away? There is something more than this, and it is marvelous...

"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else -not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." (Ephesians 1:19-23) NLT

"The Head Stone"

"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." (Psalms 118:22)

 Of all the mysteries of God, the one that goes deeper than any other, is the mystery of Christ. Jesus said it Himself: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) When John concluded his Gospel, he left off saying, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21:25) There is such power in His name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow! The division that is caused by simply mentioning His name; you can bring up God as a topic, or even as Deity, but you start to mention the name of Jesus, and people react differently. It is really funny how that works, because Jesus said, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." As hard as it is to understand, the who idea of man's need to be saved offends people and causes them to feel dirty and uncomfortable. It leaves a stain, a stain of guilt and shame; even the most hardened heart cannot ignore that stain forever. The only thing that helps to blot it out is more sinfulness and wickedness; thus, the whole explanation of the fury displayed by the Jews against Jesus. They really didn't have a choice, it was either go all out, or give in; and giving in was not the plan, as spoken in the verse above. There are so many places in the Scriptures that speak of Christ, I believe that we can find the Gospel message on every single page, in every single chapter of every single Book, because they all speak of Jesus Christ...

"Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" "Don't you know?" the angel asked. "No, my lord," I replied. Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: 'May God bless it! May God bless it!'"" (Zechariah 4:4-7) NLT

"Amazing Testimony"

"I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation." (Psalms 118:21)

 Now is the time when we must get this right; not tomorrow, not after we sort out the things we don't quite understand. Tomorrow will never come for those who wait; especially if they are waiting for answers to spiritual questions. This is something that is totally between you and God, there is no other counselor to speak to, other than Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Counselor! I can remember the very first real Bible Study that I had after being born again. It was in a cafeteria setting, and the topic was about the Bridge that was built between us and the Father; that Jesus bridged the gap between sinful man and a Holy God. I remember the instructor showing us how our sins were separated from us, and how the blood of Jesus takes those sins away, never to be looked upon or judged, ever again. When we ask God to forgive us of our sins, He forgives us of our sins! That is what He does, He is in the mercy giving business! The Bible clearly shows us how merciful He is, to those that love mercy. There is the key to getting right with God: knowing that you need mercy, knowing where it is at, and asking for it to be given to you. I don't even think we need to wait until we understand what we are asking; we just need to know that we need it, and that we need it right now! To all of the brothers and sisters out there that might think that they have it, and that it no longer needs to be given; it is never a matter of whether we need God's mercy or not, it is always a matter of how much and how soon can I get it! He never runs out of mercy; and we can never get enough...

"I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. For the LORD hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people." (Psalms 69:29-33) NLT

"Amazing Redirection" -2

"Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: this gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter." (Psalms 118:19-20)

  Just in case you might not know, that word, "constraineth," is word that speaks of being held captive, or being a prisoner. Whether you buy into the whole idea of predestination, it is pretty much something that is based upon God's knowledge and love, not upon what we know or can imagine on our own. Those that have been chosen by God have no idea who they are, until they are chosen; and just because we are called, does not necessarily result in being chosen for His Kingdom. Take the case of Judas, the one the betrayed Jesus; he was called and chosen for a specific task, but he was never fit for the Kingdom. All throughout his time with Jesus, he continually had his heart fixed upon this world; guarding the money was well suited for him, because money was important, just as was the Messiah's role in overturning the Roman's rule over Israel. I know that I am speaking of some things that leave room for debate; but there is something that must take place in our lives when we are on the right road, or path, or entering through the right gate; how ever you which to explain it, it requires a new direction, one that is fixed upon Heaven and not on this earth. Does that mean we no longer are concerned over this place? Not in the least! We have been chosen as messengers also; each and every one of us that are saved, we have been saved to share the Good News we have been given. So, yes, we most certainly are concerned over this place; there are people here that need direction! That is our ministry, however God chooses to use you or me, our ministry is redirection; or as Paul so gracefully says, "reconciliation." To be reconciled to God is not a temporary action, it is forever! It is a lot like marriage between a man and woman, at least the way God intended it to be: "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Mark 10:9) Imagine how that works in the Kingdom of God; the place where no man can touch or alter anything that God has performed...

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us to the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19) KJV

"Amazing Redirection"

"Open up to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: this gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter." (Psalms 118:19-20)

  As hard as it might be for us to know the magnitude of God's great love for us, it is incredibly easy to receive it; we only need to ask, and He is more than willing to receive us! I don't fully understand it, but He loves us so much, He is waiting for us to cry out to Him for His salvation and His mercy. Yes, that is what we are talking about: Redirection! If there is one thing I know, it is God's love is the same, before and after. He loved us as much before we received His offer of salvation as He loves us now; He does not change, the same love that has drawn us to Him is the same love that will carry us through to the other side. Anyone who might think God's love is different for those who have been saved and for those that have not, does not know the heart of God. The Bible clearly says that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". (2 Peter 3:9) Not that it makes any difference, but the same love that saved us is the same love that keeps us. In other words, we constantly need His unconditional love! We should never think otherwise, as if, the love we needed then is not the same as the love we need now; as if we are now somehow able to love Him as we should, so we have evened the playing field. We are what we are because Christ lives in us! We are in Christ, and He lives in us; without Christ, we are the same broken and selfish person that we were before. The love of Christ constrains us...

"And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness." (Isaiah 35:8-10) NLT

"A Slight Correction"

"The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death." (Psalms 118:18)

 Going back to the title over the beginning of this Psalm, Thanksgiving is our way of expressing how thankful we are that God loves us. I was thinking about something that I said yesterday, and I should revisit my statement about why we are here in the first place; because eternal life is not the only reason we are here, it is important, yes, but it is not the only, and maybe not even the first and foremost. There was something that God needed to prove to us, something that cannot be denied: He proved how much He loves us! Of all the things that might matter, just knowing that God loves me, enough to give of Himself for me, that is enough to win my heart forever. If you have ever ran a race, or participated in anything that might test your endurance, then you know that there are levels to the pain and energy within the human body; all of which manipulate the mind and are amplified by the mind. But there is something else that takes place during the moments of discouragement and extreme fatigue, something that comes from the heart and center of our will and determination. It is described my some as some kind of an inner core, or something that comes over us; something that is triggered within us that causes us to look past the pain and to focus upon the goal. Sure, eternal life is something great to look forward to; but there is nothing that compares to the love of God! What would eternal life be without it? Isn't that why God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, so that they could live forever in their fallen state? No, if am pretty sure that love makes us more thankful than anything else, especially being loved by such a wonderful and amazing God...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love -not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:9-10) NLT

"I Shall Not Die!"

"I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD." (Psalms 118:17)

 Given all the other things that we could talk about, this is by far the most important, eternal life! Isn't that what we came here for? I know we didn't do it for the happiness and comfortable living; we surely didn't do it for getting rid of issues and freedom from guilt. Although the Bible tells us that we are justified in Christ, there are some times when guilt and shame are more real than they could ever be; they are absolutely more powerful than they were before I knew forgiveness. I hope you can relate to what it is that I am saying, because I have got to know that it is not just me. This is what sin does to me now, like David shared in his beautiful Psalm, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalms 42:11) Sure, it might all be inside of me, but it is in me because the Holy Spirit has convicted me of something that needs to be dealt with. That is the part of this race that makes it more than just a sprint; this is a race towards eternity, that takes on all sorts of obstacles, and there are countless injuries along the way. Yes, it is about eternal life; but more than that, it is about sharing this Good News with as many people as we can along the way! If we try to tell people that Jesus can give you new life, they probably will not understand it; but once they find out for themselves, eternal life changes everything! What a difference a day makes...

"For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose -to be Lord both of the living and of the dead." (Romans 14:7-9) NLT

"Perfect Power"

"The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." (Psalms 118:16)

  It really makes no difference how you might feel about your position, whether you are a leader or someone being led, we are all the same in the body of Christ. This is pretty hard to understand, but the more I focus upon Jesus and His majesty, the more I can see that it is really all about Him. Yes, we all have certain issues, some worse that others; but Christ has dealt with every single one of those issues on the cross; there is nothing here on this earth that has not been taken care of, He settled the deal for each and every sin that we have ever sinned. Paul gives us this proof is Romans 5:12-21, as he expresses the connection between one man's sin resulting in death for all mankind, but by another Man's righteousness, we are all given life. Was this God's plan all along? I believe it that was, and it was God's way of making us into His perfect image. I know that I have said this before, but even before Adam sinned, the garden was not perfect; it was not perfect, because in the midst of the garden there was a forbidden fruit growing on a tree of knowledge of good and evil. I was listening to the professor the other day, I believe he was the one in charge of, or that started, the "Discovery Institute." He had some pretty interesting things to say, mostly being focused upon man's creativity and the difference between knowledge being controlled and left alone to continue to learn. I know I am not doing it any justice, because there was quite a lot that he was saying. But he kept going back to the fact that we are created in the image of a Creator, and so we are meant to be creative and always learning. The big difference between us and our Creator, is that He knows all things and we do not; besides the fact that He creates something from nothing, and we must take something to make something else, our Creator has given us a powerful mind that needs to be put to work. We can see this illustration given in the beginning, as God instructed Adam to name all of the animals. Oddly enough, it was this task of naming the animals that caused Adam to desire the woman that God was planning to make for him. God does not learn, He knows all things, and He knows beforehand every single thing that we need, including what we need to dwell with Him eternally...

"Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God -his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."" (1 Corinthians 2:6-9) NLT

"Place of Protection" -2

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." (Psalms 118:15)

 To get a little more personal, these "tabernacles" being spoken of, they are you and I; we are the ones that God has accounted righteous, those of us that have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. If there was an easy way to illustrate what is being said, it would be for the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, who is in fact God, to be regarded as the "Tabernacle," or His dwelling place. We are those that have the Holy Spirt dwelling within us, therefore, we are the "tabernacles." So, it is easy for us to understand why "rejoicing and salvation" are what we should be speaking about; for our conversation is in heaven, as the Holy Spirit moves us and places these things upon our hearts. There is really no other hiding place that we have, but in the righteousness of Jesus Christ! If I could put into a single sentence, I would say exactly what Paul declares in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." If we are those that walk after the Spirit, then we are constantly in check; the Holy Spirit keeps us in check, constantly at war with the flesh, and always pressing forward to allow His perfect work in our lives. We might not be perfect, only Jesus Christ was perfect; but by the righteousness of Christ Jesus, we are made perfect in Him; Him who sits at the Father's right hand...

"Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!" (Psalms 98:1-6) NLT

"Place of Protection"

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." (Psalms 118:15)

 It never fails, the more I feel God speaking into my life, the more I feel like giving up and quitting this daily post. I can't tell up how many times I have woke up and just wanted to skip posting; but I have made it my challenge to keep doing this, at least as long as Marianne is with us; or until the powers to be shut me down. This morning I woke up and turned on Fox & Friends at 4:00; then I laid there next to Marianne and watched it for about 45 minutes. We are living in some pretty interesting time. I truly believe that our county is at a crossroad; and whatever happens, it is ultimately in God's hand, because He is on the Throne! As I was reading this verse, I couldn't help but think of Paul's command in Philippians 4:4, where he admonishes those serving in the church to, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." It was not really a suggestion, but as an elder and a pastor, it was given as a command. As he works up to that commend, he speaks about how our hearts and minds are to be fixed upon Heaven, saying, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." There are a whole lot of disputes and divisions among believers that would be eliminated, if we all had our "conversation in heaven." That word "conversation," is a word that actually means 'commonwealth,' 'a state of, or a form of government.' It is might be best to associate it to the Constitution; whereas we are governed by a set of laws that make our rights and responsibilities fit the place where we call home, which is Heaven. It might be better illustrated by the, "What Would Jesus Do," way of thinking, where we base each decision upon the question of how the Lord would choose to do this or that. With regards to our choice to rejoice or not, it is taken to a whole new level of consideration if we base that choice on Heaven. There is really nothing that can take away from rejoicing if we have the reason to rejoice out of reach. If I can't reach, no one else can either! That is why Paul continues to press the point of why we must rejoice...

"Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all that he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:5-7) NLT

"Choose The LORD!"

"The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation." (Psalms 118:14)

 Having walked with the Lord for all these years, I think I know what is required of me in this very unique relationship. Not withstanding, I must believe that God loves me and that His live for me is unconditional; which pretty much means that He loves me the same today as He did yesterday, and that no matter what I do, or don't do, He will love me the same tomorrow as He does today. This is not based upon anything that I could ever do, but it is based upon Him and His love for me. Crazy, yes! I have become a fool for Christ, because I am lost in the amazing love of God! Obviously, it takes a little faith and trust to declare this kind of a relationship is real; but better than just blindly choosing that it is real, we have been given the proof; and we are more than able to test it and prove that it is real. Even with that said, if it somehow be any different, what have I to loose! Seriously, what kind of life is there to live on this messed up place called earth, without having the hope in a glorious life waiting on the other side? The whole notion of putting all of your faith in Christ, it is all based upon hope in the life that is waiting on the other side of this life; it is not to receive blessings, it is not for good health, it is not even for happiness; it is for the salvation of our souls! I hope you have come to realize that, because if you are looking for any of those other things to be the reason, you are not going to feel very satisfied in your faith. The NLT has given the second part of this verse a little more clarity, saying, "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory." Whether you choose to accept it or not, the victory that we have been given is not based upon happiness, wealth, good health, or even in protection from prosecution; it is based upon something for more everlasting! Not one single thing we can be blessed with from this earth will we take with us; it is all going to be burnt up and tested in the fire. Only the hope of everlasting life in heaven is where real joy and peace is found; there is where our victory is realized, there is where victory is found. It surely will not be found in what I can or cannot do for the Lord; it is found in what He has done for me...

""Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me."" (Isaiah 45:22-23) NLT

"Watch and Stand"

"Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall: but the LORD helped me." (Psalms 118:13)

 I don't think that there are many people that have the ability to share this testimony as well as David, because he lived it several different times in his life. He lived it from the time Samuel anointed him to be king, until he was ruling the nation of Israel; he lived it when he sinned with Bathsheba; and he lived when Absalom tried to remove him from the throne. Each time there was a different kind of threat, a different tactic from the enemy; but each time David recovered by remembering who's he was and the hand that was upon his life. The first was a case of mistaken identity, the second was just a big mistake, and the third was the consequences for that big mistake; but each and every one of them was something the enemy was behind, but that God allowed. Yes, God allowed it all! Just like God allowed Eve to eat that forbidden fruit, and then He allowed her to share it with her husband. In a perfect world, everyone would just do what is right and good, because there would not be any choices; but God gave man the ability to make a choice, a choice between doing what is good and doing what is evil. There's that word again, evil; as if all things that are bad and wrong fall into the category of being evil. The truth to the matter is, God made everything good; it is the wickedness of this fallen world that takes what is good and makes it evil. It was evil for Adam and Eve to disobey God in the first place; so everything that is wrong and bad falls into that same category because it is all based upon disobedience. In Isaiah 55:3, God says, "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make a everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." It really does not matter how far you might slip, you can never slip so far that God cannot catch you. But, what is the important thing to remember, is that you belong to Him! What are we watching for? We are watching for the enemy at work; keeping a close eye out for every trick and every trap that might be placed before us, because evil is real and alive, but we always have a choice...

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. I his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-11) NLT