Pure Promises

The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.

Psalm 12:6-8 NLT

Several truths pierced my heart while reading this psalm. The first is that no matter the lies and deception going on in the world around us, the Lord's promises are pure. They have always been and will always be. God's Word will surround us and protect us and lead us in the way we should go. Psalm 119:105 assures us His Word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path even in this dark world with its seemingly overwhelming obstacles.

The second revelation was how this particular psalm (written sometime around 3,000 years ago) could just as easily have been written about the world's situation today. Lying neighbors, how fast the godly are disappearing, people say or post whatever lies they want to with no repercussions, the wicked strut about like they've earned the right, and evil is praised throughout the land... And yet, in the middle of it all, we are reminded that the Lord's promises are pure. The evil of mankind does not and cannot defile His promises.

Peter reminds us in 1st Peter 1:24-25 of the truth in Isaiah 40:8,  As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. Pure...

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You that Your Word is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Give us a fresh anointing to embrace Your Word, to keep our thoughts and intents pure before You, and to shine Your Light until You return to take us Home with You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Come Unto Me, I Will Give You Rest

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 NLT

 The explanation from the Lucado Encouraging Word Bible:

When we try to carry our burdens alone, we crumble. Only when we give our troubles to God can we truly rest and enjoy all that comes with God’s grace.

We find it easier to trust the miracle of resurrection than the miracle of grace. We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection, lest heaven be even more disappointed in us than we are. The result? The weariest people on earth.

Attempts at self-salvation guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments. Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders.

Stop it! Once and for all, enough of this frenzy. “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules” (Heb 13:9 NCV). Jesus does not say, “Come to me, all you who are perfect and sinless.” Just the opposite. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

There is no fine print. A second shoe is not going to drop. God’s promise has no hidden language. Let grace happen, for heaven’s sake. No more performing for God, no more clamoring after God. Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.

You can rest now. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for Your promise of rest. Thank You for Your Grace which seems to escape our ability to fully comprehend. Help us to understand and to learn how to rest in Your rhythms of Grace. Unearned. Without performing. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Stick with It

But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

Luke 8:15 The Message

In the parable of the sower, the seed is sown everywhere. Everyone has the opportunity to reap a harvest from the seed given to them. In The Message Bible, Luke 8:11-14, Jesus explains, The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved. The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone. And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.

And then today's text, But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

Okay, let's think about one more thing. Our lives without Christ. Most of us were one hard, dry life - and useless - until the Living Water (Jesus) was added to it. Then slowly, but surely, we began to grow. He plants us where He wants us, where we're gonna get the most growth, the right temperature, the right light, the best environment. Sometimes, there's cultivating, pruning, and fertilizer - none of which is fun, but all are necessary for growth. If we seize the Word and hold on - No Matter What - and stick with it, there will be a harvest.

Let's stick with it.

Prayer:

Father,
             We don't always understand the process of growing, but we know that You are in control. You are the Creator of life and the Author and Finisher of our faith. You are the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and the End. Your Word assures us that You've got it covered and we choose to trust You. Help us to stick with it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What We Know

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1a  NLT

Our fears come in waves - mostly of the unknown, if you think about it. What you don't know, can and often does hurt us because we give in to the fear of not knowing. We don't know if we'll get sick and die. We don't know if we'll lose our jobs. We don't know if someone will hurt our children. We don't know...

Let's focus on what we do know. The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? If He is our light, there is nothing hiding in the shadows. If He is our salvation, then we are saved from whatever would try to keep us from His way. 

The whole chapter is rich with the assurance of rescue from whatever the world throws at us. There is no need to fear, no reason to doubt. This is what we DO know - I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Prayer:

Father,

           Help us to hold Your Truths next to our hearts.  Let us be quick to grasp Your Truths and overcome the fears of the world. Thank You for Your Word, rich in Truth and salvation and light. Help us to share and shine Your light of truth and salvation to a lost and fearful world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Going My Way

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

We get a little bit of wisdom and think we know where we're going and how we should get there. 

The catch is to NOT lean on our own understanding of it. Proverbs 14 tells us there is a way that seems right, but the end leads to death. Whatever understanding of life we grasp, we must keep it connected to God. We must acknowledge Him in every step we take, every plan we make, so that we stay on His chosen path for our lives. 

Going my way is only the right way when we keep our way aligned with Him. 

Prayer:

Father,

          We choose to trust You, Lord, with our whole heart, undivided, not distracted or pulled aside by the ways of the world. Keep our hearts and minds focused only on Your way, so that we arrive safely to our eternal destination with You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Making Do

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV

I have often been forced to make do with whatever's on hand to complete a project and by the Grace of God, have succeeded. However, it is MUCH easier if I have the tools required or best suited for the job. There's much less stress in getting the job done in a safe and timely manner when you are properly equipped.

It's like living your Christian walk. You can guess at some things or try to rely solely on your ability to self-help or second-guess and thus be able to get by, but that is NOT God's plan. Nowhere in the Word does it say that Jesus came to give us just enough life to get by or to make do with less than His abundance. In John 10:10, He states that He came to give us life abundantly. MORE than enough. How will we know that unless we know His Word? How will we be thoroughly equipped for every good work, unless we meditate in His Word and find the answers that we need? 

Read it again. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Prayer:

Father, 

           Thank You for Your Word that we are made complete in You, completely equipped for every good work that You have planned for us to do. Help us to continue to grow in wisdom and to remain teachable - that according to Your promises in Proverbs 9:9, we will become ever wiser and learn even more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

His Glory

Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such wonderful things.
Praise his glorious name forever!
Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
(This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)

Psalm 72:18-20 NLT

No matter what goes on before. No matter what goes on afterward. No matter what trial or temptation you are in the middle of at the time of this writing - Praise his glorious name forever!

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!