Monthly Archives: March 2016

sustained through temptation & trials

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Meditation Journey Day 33                            

Hi Friend,

I am so blessed that we are together on this meditative journey though Psalm 139. I know that the truth in this psalm is foundational knowledge for every follower of Jesus Christ. It must be establish in us to walk in assurance and joy with the Savior. Here are the verses we have traveled in the last ten days. 

1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it  altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

These first six verses revealed to us how God values us. As we internalize this message, of our worth, through memorization and tend the truth through meditation, peace and joy will begin to grow in abundance. Having this deep sense of worth, based on a relationship with the Great I AM, will sustain you through temptation and trials.

Deep KeelKnowing our worth in the eyes of God is like having a deep keel on a sail boat in a storm. In this world, we will get hit by waves of doubt and winds of rejection. Temptation from this world, Satan and our own self will always buffet us with pressure to given in and give up! The more we know, really know about, how Father God cherishes and treasures us, the more we will trust Him. This trust provides us sustaining strength to stand tall with humble grace. Sin, Satan and the world’s influences on our soul are loosened as we grow in our faith and confidence towards God. As we receive God’s grace, released through His Word by the Spirit, we can keep sailing!

The Word is called a “hammer and a fire” by God in Jeremiah. The Apostle Paul describes it as a “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6). These metaphors of the word reveal that in the hands of the Holy Spirit, the word we engraft into our hearts becomes a powerful weapon to destroy Satan’s strongholds. We must remember that the Word that accomplishes God’s purposes in us is the one that the Spirit can weld as a sword in our hearts. It is the truth that you have personally embraced and received as God speaking to you. The LORD reveals this clearly in Isaiah 55. “As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and MAKING it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is MY WORD that goes out from MY Mouth. It will not return to me empty, BUT WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I DESIRE AND ACHIEVE THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH I SENT IT.”

Friend, my deep desire is not just to give insight into the meaning of the word, but to instruct you in hearing God’s word in your heart. I know that when we humble our hearts to hear God personally, we will receive transforming life and release the Spirit to put to death our sinful natures (Col.3). I pray you are reading Psalm 139 throughout your day. That you have begun to ponder the truth of this Psalm allowing it to challenge the lies you may believe about yourself. Please pray this for me too as I know His thoughts are higher than mine.  Only He gives grace to the humble!

 Observation: The first six verses reveal our great value and worth to God. He loves and treasures us more than we can imagine!

Interpretation: The truth we are given by God is given to transform us in to Christ-likeness, but that only happens as we engraft it into our hearts and minds. When we do, the Spirit is able to use the Word we engraft/plant as a weapon to destroy the lies that reject God’s love and truth.

Application Prayer: Father God, You are the Great Gardener of the True Vine. I so need your help in tending your word in my heart. Teach me to “chew” on it every day to give the Holy Spirit the weapons He needs to defeat Satan’s lies in my mind. I know without You I can do nothing! I love Your Word. …in Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

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Meditation Journey Day 31

“You hem me in–behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5

Hi Friend,

You know between a rock and a hard place? I suggest your Father in Heaven knows all about it. In His Sovereignty and wisdom He is guiding your path just as He did Jesus. Remember when The Son of God was lead by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan? Or He may have allowed you to wander out of His Way to reveal His grace to you. Either case you are in-between. You feel hemmed in behind and before and it appears you have no way out.

We really all are restricted in some way. We are all hemmed in by time and space. The human existence of birth and death hem us in. You may feel like your age, family, job or even a marriage hems you in. It may be a health issues or a money problem. You name it, we all have limits placed around us.

What we tend to focus on are the barriers that appear to be stopping us from getting what we want. We can easily allow anger or bitterness to arise in us as we battle our perceived foe. We all sometimes we feel like we are making progress, other times we feel like we being left behind, but in all cases His hand of blessing is upon us. Therefore, it is foolish to compare our circumstances with anyone. What we must do to is to pause and realize His hand is laid upon us….for a reason!His Hand

The psalmist has told us God is deeply interested in us. He searches and knows us in every way; so to think that He is not involved in our present circumstances is ludicrous. Paul wrote in Romans 8, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” If we are hemmed in by anything God is in the middle of our lives working the circumstances together for our good and His glory.

My Father whispers into my ears to remind me that He has hemmed me in to bless me. I am not alone. I am chosen.

I have immense value to Him and He will never remove His hand of blessing from me. Armed with this truth I can be confident that in every situation I will ever face, He is working in it to create in me the character of Christ. Rejoice in the fact that His hand is upon you!

 

Observation: We all are limited by circumstances. We all find ourselves in better circumstances than some people and poorer circumstances than other people. This is life on planet earth. The focus of our lives should not be on our circumstance, but on Him and His hand upon us!

Interpretation: We can compare ourselves by ourselves and feel we are doing well or doing poorly. The reality is that neither the good nor the bad controls us because in all circumstances His hand of blessing is upon us. Knowing that we are chosen and loved by God should give us confidence that He is using the limits in our lives to create Christ’s character in us

Application Prayer: Father I am so appreciative Your Hand is upon me. It gives me confidence in the day of adversity and humility in the days of prosperity. I rest in your love in the grace that you give to me as I receive your word and trust in your Truth. …in Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

EUREKA!

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Meditation Journey Day 32

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain unto it.” Psalm 139:6

Hi Friend,

We now have journeyed through the first five verses of Psalm 139. It is a gold mine of God’s wisdom and truth about us. I am praying for each of us to have the EUREKA moment that King David did as he considered how God thinks of him and cares for him. David was transformed by the truth that the Great I AM valued him so highly. He was overwhelmed and amazed, probably on his knees, with a mixture of joy and holy reverence towards God.

2planting seedsFather God deeply desires that we will realize the depth of His love and how highly He values us too!!!  My Friend, the process to know God this way is revealed in Proverbs 2:1-5.  As we receive His Living Word, Christ Jesus, continually eating the Bread of Life and surrendering to The Holy Spirit, the reality of His grace will bloom in your heart! We can receive the eternal life of Christ and be born again in a moment, but the growth and transformation process to be formed into the image of Christ is like growing a garden. It takes time and patience.

Note how David responds to this gracious knowledge of God’s love. To him it is “too VLUU L200 / Samsung L200wonderful”, “it is high” and David acknowledges its comprehension is beyond him. He is humbled by the treasure he has found in Christ; over joyed by the realization that Father God, The Great I AM, is so close, so concerned and ever caring of him. At the same time he understands that there is much more, and he is only touching the very bottom, not the top, of God’s mountain of love! His cries are full of profound humility as he recognizes the greatness of God’s mercy and love. David is blessed by the assurance of God’s love, but he is also humbled that he has just beginning to comprehend how highly God values him. 

God also tells us this in Isaiah 55.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not My ways”, declares the LORD! “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than you ways and My thoughts than your thoughts”

For us to believe what God says about us begins in a moment of faith, but the reality of that belief only grows and blossoms as we tend the garden of our hearts. I urge you to read Proverbs 2:1-5 today and humble yourself to God asking Him to lead you deeper into His heart.

                                   

Observation: David is overwhelmed by God’s gracious loving kindness and how he is valued by Him. He has just beginning to see himself as God sees him.  

Interpretation: What David experienced we too can experience. God has revealed the truths of Psalm 139:1-5 because He loves us each just as He loved David. The real question is will we plant the seeds of truth, God’s Word, in our hearts and tend it with humility and obedience so that it can yield the fruit of the Spirit in us? Then we can cry out with joyful praise: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain unto it.”

Application Prayer: Father I want to know you and receive Your eternal life and grace. Today I choose to accept The Living Word into my heart. Forgive me of all my sin and fill me with your Holy Spirit. I need to know your great love for me and to live in the peace and joy of your Presence. Give me grace to walk in your truth. …in Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

 

Got Hope?

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Got Hope?

The Bible says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”…but faith cannot work without hope!

Without hope, faith fades because it has nothing to focus on. Got Hope? If you do it shows by what you do and don’t do. Hope is the target, goal and future destination. Faith is the actions steps to get us to our goal and destination.

The Hope God offers is described as a gift given to us, as an anchor that holds us, as alive and able to keep us, and has transforming power to make us Christ-like. Add to all this God’s hope is stronger than death!

What is your hope in? Is it in a person, place or thing? Or does it reside in a movement, cause or relationship. Is your hope eternal or tied to this fading world?

You will not live long without hope. It is the sight to the soul. Without hope we are vision-less and blind…alone and walking in the darkness of a meaningless life.

Real hope comes from God, it is a gift. The God of hope has to give it to you. Romans 15:13 says “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Got Hope? Come to the God of hope and receive His gracious gift of love revealed in Christ. When He is your focus you receive an eternal hope that cannot fade away.