Tag Archives: love

Deadly Poison in Your Mouth

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Meditation Journey Day 30                             

“Even before a word is on my tongue, BEHOLD, O LORD, you know it altogether.” Psalm 139:4

Hi Friend,

This verse says our LORD knows what we are going to say before we even think it! The LORD God not only observes all we do and examines everything we experience; He also knows what we are thinking! David responds to this revelation with “O LORD!”  I am not sure if his response was grief or joy! Our first response to this truth could be either too. Your reaction to this may be uncomfortable because you like me probably think and sayMouth many words we know are wrong and destructive. Our malicious and hurtful words can cause great damage to others and ourselves. How many times have words passed my lips that I regretted saying.

The Apostle James wrote: For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. …So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

So being aware that God knows what I say can cause me to feel very defensive towards Him. The fact is we need to totally rethink any negative reaction we may have to this truth! We who are loved of God are able to thank Him for knowing everything! His knowing my personal individual confidential thoughts, dreams and fantasies means that He is able to lead me out of the sinfulness of my life into the joy and peace of His. That means My Savior can help me get rid of all the wicked, hurtful and negative stuff I can easily ponder over. We can trust God to help us to “get rid of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips and do not lie to each other…” Colossians 3

Now, thank God, I have a great ally in the control of the nasty mean spirited thing in my mouth!!! Now, I can trust Him to live, love and even speak through me to bless, encourage and inspire others!

We can, like David, pause and behold the joyful wonder that our God can help us with the uncontrollable tongue!

Our embracing of this Psalm’s revelation about God is essential, yet it is incomplete unless we engraft its truth into our lives. We must participate in the process of controlling our tongues by yielding to the Holy Spirit’s rule of peace and letting the word lavishly live in our minds. (Colossians 3) We must receive His word and reflect on it, yield to its truth and allow the Holy Spirit to speak life through us!

I like David’s prayer about my words from Psalm 19:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

 Observation: Knowing that God knows what we think before we say a word can be uncomfortable. David’s response can be of extreme embarrassment for his shameful words or excited joy from realizing God’s care is so complete.

Interpretation: David calls out “Behold, O LORD” because he is realizing he is loved and forgiven. He is realizing that this intervention of God is a gift of grace and love that is transforming his character.

Application Prayer: Father God you know me! You know how mean spirited my words can be if I do not submit my mind and heart to feed on Your word and think Your thoughts. I am so grateful that you see me so worthy that you want to help me evaluate my thoughts and words before I speak them. O LORD I need You. I want the words of my mouth to bless not curse others and for Your Spirit to love others through me.  …in Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

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an amazing view of your life

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Meditation Journey Day 29        

Hi Friend,

Psalm 139:2-3 reveal an amazing view of your life through God’s eyes….

“You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 139:2-3

These two verses emphasize the depth of The LORD’s knowledge of our mood swings.Anxiety 1 Sitting down, rising up and lying down can be literal too, but when we perform each of these actions our attitude is most important. Sitting down and lying down is figurative of giving up and quitting! Rising up symbolizes the times of hope and faith in our lives. What sweet assurance to know Our Shepherd is able to discern and detect our thoughts, emotions and moods even when we think He is far away! We may feel like He is “a far off”, but remember He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Heb.13) He is NEVER far off from you! No matter what it may seem like to you!

The word “search” used in this Psalm implies a personal examination and a close scrutiny of our lives. The Examiner is looking clearly into every part of our being. The King James Version translates “You search out my path” with the words “You compass my path”. I like how the word “compass” conveys the picture of Him encircling my entire life from the womb to the tomb! He is all around us knowing us from every angle and protecting us. The next phrase “and acquainted with all my ways.” makes my eyes tear when I think of Him being that familiar with me and loving me. It does not shield me from the consequences of my bad behavior, but it does assure me that my worth does not diminish in His eyes. His being “acquainted with ALL my ways” means nothing I do will surprise Him. NOTHING! Nothing in my past shocked Him. Nothing in my present astonishes Him and nothing in my future will be unknown to Him. He knows me in EVERY way and He loves me in every way! This is how your Savior and Shepherd, The Great I AM, loves you and is ever present in your life.

His knowing us to this depth and loving us to this extent adds great impact when we think of God’s forgiveness. When we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior we believed He had paid the full price for all our sins; past, present and future. Therefore, when we do make sinful choices and grieve the Holy Spirit, it is critical for us to keep in mind He has already paid our debt in full. He may allow us to experience the consequence of our choices, but He is still with us. He is not angry with us for He knows what we will say and do in advance of our actions! We do not surprise or shock Him with our bad behavior. We should not allow the shame and guilt of sinfulness to produce fear in our minds leading us to think He is against us or wants to punish us. He is for us; He is with us. This knowledge should encourage us to not hide or run from God. You and I are extremely valuable to Him! As His richesbeloved Children, we may come to Him quickly with our pain and shame. Remember He exchanged His Son’s life to purchase ours. Christ died for us so we can be free of sin and guilt. He loves us and is leading us out of the darkness into His glorious light.

Therefore, when we do make sinful choices and grieve the Holy Spirit, it is critical for us to keep in mind He has already paid our debt in full. He may allow us to experience the consequence of our choices, but He is still with us. He is not angry with us for He knows what we will say and do in advance of our actions!

Observation: The LORD who is ever present and knows all has personally examined each of us individually. He is never far away and there is nothing about us that has been or will be a surprise to Him!

Interpretation: His knowledge of us should enable us to trust Him more and empower us to quickly turn to Him when we sin. His knowledge is complete and His forgiveness is absolute! He never chooses to punish us. He is not against us, but He may allow us to experience the consequences of our choices. Rest in His love as He values us more highly than we can ever imagine!

Application Prayer: LORD Jesus Thank you. I choose to rest in Your loving kindness and not hide in my shame and guilt. I am so blessed to know My Savior is always for me and never against me. I am humbled by knowing You sent You son to die in my place. That thought, Father, helps me understand my worth to You! …in Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

Let’s Get Personal…………..

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Meditation Journey Day 27

Hi Friend,

When David addresses God in Psalm 139 the name by which he identifies God is very important. David cry’s out “O LORD you have searched me and known me” The name LORD is a personal name of God. The English Standard Version translates the name Jehovah or Yahweh as “LORD” with capital letters. Jehovah means the “God who is” or the “I AM that I AM”. In the Old Testament this name is the most personal name of God. Jehovah was the name God used to identify Himself when Moses was at the burning bush. Here is the exchange between Moses and God from Exodus 3:

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”

 Jehovah/Yahweh means: I AM that I AM; I am the Self-Existent, Uncreated One.

When David cries out “O LORD you have searched me and known me” he is saying, Yahweh the GREAT I AM is with me. Yahweh knows me. He has chosen me. He has taken the time and interest in my life to dwell with me.

David’s joy comes from the fact that God in a very personal way is with him and truly God breathing into Adam the breath of lifeknows Him. David realizes he is not alone, nor is he unknown. The searching of David by God was an intimate, personal examination of David’s life. It was not David who sought out God. It was God who sought out David! David is realizing the wonder and joy that the GREAT I AM would take such interest and care to want to know Him! It is amazing that Yahweh would value David so highly as to personally know Him.

Friend, David was not a super saint. The LORD loves you in the same way as He loved David. When God choose us it was to be with Him and Him with us. Each person called by God is chosen and known in a personal special way. I hope that you come to the realization that your Heavenly Father has sought you.

It was not your choosing of Him. It was His choosing of you.

He loves you, really loves you! He wants to be with you. You are a treasure to Him! I pray your heart can cry out with joy… “O LORD, you know me.”

Observation: The name David identifies God as is Jehovah/Yahweh. Jehovah/Yahweh means: I AM that I AM; I am the Self-Existent, Uncreated One. God loves us in the same way He loved David.

Interpretation: David’s amazement is that the Great I AM is interested in him personally enough to seek David and take the time to know him. We too should be amazed that God choose us and calls us to be with Him.

Application Prayer: Father God, open my eyes to the gift your Presence is in my life. Your closeness to me is amazing. Your desire to know me is beyond my comprehension! Your choosing of me surprises me with joy!  Thank You for knowing me. …in Jesus Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

As we begin to journey through Psalm 139 please continue to pray for the people receiving these daily instructions. Let me know of anyone you want to add to the list to receive the emails. Also, please tell me if you want to take a break from the process and not receive the emails.

Becoming Perfect in Love?

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Meditation Journey Day 20

Hi Friend,

…then (and only then) you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:5 promises us the understanding of the Fear of the Lord if we Perfect loveactually do what verses 1-4 instructs us to do. We have learned from many passages that living in the Fear of the Lord is a blessed state for a believer.
Yet, the term “Fear of the Lord” is confusing to many because they do not like the idea of fear and God being associated together. In 1 John 4 we read,
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Let me defuse this confusion quickly. The fear John is writing about in this verse is the fear of rejection at judgment. When we understand whatCross of Christ great love Jesus demonstrated at the Cross and all that He accomplished for us there, fear is replaced with confidence. The Bible tells us that Jesus’ death pays for all the debt I owe, satisfied all the righteous requirements of God’s Law and removed God’s wrath from me. This love casts out all fear of God ever rejecting us.

The Fear of the Lord is different. It is a reverential honor of God. It is the attitude of awe/honor and reverence that should emerge in me as I realize the great love, mercy, sacrifice and grace He lavishly pours on me. Fearing God gives me a deep sense of peace knowing His Sovereignty is working everything together for my good and His Glory (Romans 8). It is the attitude of humble joy that erupts after I realize the depth of His forgiveness for my sins.

The “fear of the Lord” is the proper “anxious concern” we should have of ever violating such love and grace.

There is a place for fear when thinking about God. To reject God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ results in eternal damnation. Even Jesus said in Matthew 10, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him (God) who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

So how does one understand the proper kind of fearing God? Do you remember what “understanding” means? “Understanding” is the practical doing of what God’s wisdom says. When we actually do what we are instructed in verses 1-4 we will be walking in the “Fear of the Lord”!

If I actually reverence God in holy fear then, I will be receiving His word and memorizing His commandments. I will be turning/applying/tuning my inner ear to be attentive to His wisdom and inclining my heart to doing His will. Yes, I will be crying over my sin. Hungering and thirsting after His righteousness.  My continual attitude would be to search for Him and His wisdom as the greatest possession of my life. I would be setting my focus on the Lord to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and body.

The more I walk in this disposition, attitude and behavior the more I “Fear the Lord”. The less I think, live and act this way the less I fear Him.

Simply put we understand the proper fear of the Lord as we humbly follow His Word and do His will. We end here with the words of King Solomon as written in Ecclesiastes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”

And this is how you become perfect in love!

Observation: The Fear of the Lord is part of the reward for seeking God. It is an attitude of awe/honor and reverence and a proper “fear” of violating His gracious love for me.

Interpretation: Understanding the Fear of the Lord comes as we do His will by living out His wisdom in humble faith. The more we do this the more we actually “fear/reverence God”.

Application Prayer: Father God, I humble myself before you knowing howFreedom inadequate I am to do Your will. My faith and confidence is in Your grace to work in me to will and the do Your good pleasure. (Philippians 2) Teach me to properly fear You as I walk in Your truth.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What is your take away?

I hope you will pray for me and all the others that are on this journey. You may also want to send me comments, suggestions or questions. I promise I will respond to each inquiry.

Got Guilt?

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forgiveness

The Bible says we can be forgiven through Jesus Christ. He redeemed us to love us and to love through us. All the guilt and shame of our past is removed it is over and gone.

Psalm 103 declares: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

 Your past has past. Let it go. God has forgiven you and you need to forgive yourself. Yet even though we know we have been forgiven guilt can keep us focused on past mistakes, poor choices and wrong decisions.

In his book Devotions for a Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas tells this story:

“A relationship from my teen years still makes me wince -whenever the girl’s name comes to mind and I think about the hurt I caused her. One day recently I was wondering and praying about looking her up to tell her how sorry I felt for how I acted twenty-five years ago. One of my best friends — a marriage and family therapist from San Diego — adamantly opposed the idea.

“Gary,” Steve said, “I’m thinking this is more about you than it is about her.”

In his counseling experience, Steve has discovered that looking up someone after two and a half decades can be dangerous; you don’t know where he or she is coming from or what’s happening in his or her life.The potential for hurt is just as great as the potential for healing. But the clincher came when he said, “Look, why don’t you take all the energy you’re using thinking about this and spend it on planning how you can love your wife today.” That’s when it dawned on me: Guilt attacks us by using a dead relationship to distract us from a living one. Some things in our past can’t be “fixed.” 

You can repent, you can ask for forgiveness; but you can’t always go back — nor should you try. Some of us are more introspective and hold on to our guilt in such a way that we become blinded to our present obligations. When guilt comes knocking on your door about a failed relationship from the past, start praying about how to love your spouse today.”

And I will add not only your spouse, but everyone in your life. Don’t let a dead relationship pollute or weigh down a living one. Forgive as you have been forgiven; love as you have been loved. Christ has set you free from the past so live and love in the present.

I’m so glad my wife likes coffee.

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Coffee cupI’m so glad my wife likes coffee. Not just because there are some healthy reasons to drink the brew, but because it is an easy simple gift I can give her every morning, every day. I have a routine of making the coffee either the night before, or as soon as I awake, and then I bring it to her while she is still in bed.

It’s the perfect time to tell her she is beautiful, I love her and thank God for her.

Yes, everyday if I can. When she is away on a trip, I send her a morning text with “here is your coffee, I love you” just to remind her.

Why? ….. because she so insecure that she needs that reassurance each day? Not at all! She is a very confident and competent woman. I just happen to enjoy loving my wife, and this is a simple easy way to let her know I cherish her each day. I also know I need opportunities to express the truth about her and our relationship. This is a simple and easy way to serve her and keep my heart focused in God’s direction towards my wife and our marriage.Coffee together

So what are the little rituals you have practiced in your relationship? You need them. Look for the routine moments of your life and turn them into rituals of grace to nurture your love for each other. How do the two of you say hello or good-bye? What do your children observe in how you cherish each other?

Keep it simple and easy to do each day. The impact will be little each day, but great over the years.