Isolationism Not Sound Judgment

Reading:  Proverbs 16 -   19
My Verse:  "Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire,
                        he breaks out against all sound judgement" (Proverbs 18:1).

LORD God, You did not create us to be hermits!  You created us to be in fellowship with You and with each other.  You stated that when You created us.  "It is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18).

Many studies have been done that show the importance of friendship, companionship to our health.  They show that married people tend to live longer.  A Leonard Syme, of the University of California did a study on the importance of social ties.    His study found that the more isolated a person the poorer the health and the shorter the lifespan, while those with more social ties had better health and longer life.

"A friend loves at all times . . ."(Proverbs 17:17
". . . a true friend is closer than your own family" (Proverbs 18:24).
"You can trust a friend even when he corrects you . . ." (Proverbs 27:6)
"Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other" (Proverbs 27:17).

Philippians 2:4 tells us how we are to watch out for others, ""Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."  Galatians 6:2 tells us, "Bear one another's burdens." Paul expressed in Philippians 2 his gratitude for friends like Timothy and Epaphroditus who looked out for him while he was in prison.

Hebrews 10:13 tells us we are to "be encouraging one another."

Christian Wiman in "My Bright Abyss" speaks of how spirituality is a truly personal business and yet if a Christian remains alone and isolated this only and inevitably leads to despair.

Of course, there is need for special quiet times with You, LORD God - personal retreats.  You took Paul off to  study for three years after his conversion before he was fit to serve You.  You tell us to "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

And yet, we need to be careful here.  As Calvin Miller in "Into The Depths of God" teaches, we are to avoid a "sterile fascination with God."  The key word here being "sterile."  You teach us, LORD God that we are to produce fruits in our Christian walk.  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22).  All these fruits or attributes can not be done in isolation - they need relationships!

Thank You, LORD God, for teaching us how to be!   John Donne's famous quote is a biblical truth!

     "No man is an island."

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!


   
   

A Soft Answer

Reading:  Proverbs 12 - 15
My Verse:  "A soft answer turns away wrath,
                         but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).

This simple little verse brims with immensity!  LORD God, Your word is so amazingly packed with wisdom and instruction - all with this powerful backdrop of a redeeming, complete and unconditional love!  Oh, that my lips would reflect You and have a "soft answer!"

As a child I often wondered at the nursery rhyme;

     Sticks and stone may break my bones,
         but names will never hurt me.

I truly felt that mean things  people said were very hurtful.  And once said they cannot be taken back, they enter into the permanent background of one's life and experience.  They help to color the way one goes forward, how one thinks.  Many would often laugh it off and say, "Oh, it's nothing!"  But, I would silently protest - it is!  It is something!  Or, someone may say, "I was only kidding!"  That never quite cut it for me either.

Words can create great havoc as James 3:5 says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark."

The ESV study bible states, "a 'harsh word' is literally a 'word of pain', that is hurtful."

You, LORD God know the value of words.  You know how deeply they can wound.  You teach us, in Your Word,  to be mindful of all that we say, when we say it and how we say it.

"The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly" (Proverbs 15:2a)
"A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4).
"The lips of the wise disperse knowledge" (Proverbs 15:7).
"The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer" (Proverbs 15:28).

James 1:26 has a most amazing warning.  "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."  Only the other day I was speaking with someone and in response to something I said, she swore!  I was like, umm . . don't we go to the same church?  I have heard others who claim to be Christians speak of how they hate someone, particularly in politics.  I can't help but wonder - where is Your LOVE here, LORD God?

"Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

Help me to be ever mindful of how I speak.  "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29).

Thank You, LORD God, for this powerful little verse!  Thank You for the power of Your Word!

The spoken word has a huge impact on its hearers - I pray for wisdom and discretion to speak wisely and softly.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Secrets Should Be That - Secret!

Reading:  Proverbs 9 -11
My Verse:  "Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
                   but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered" (Proverbs 11:13).

A secret - "something that is or is kept secret, hidden, or concealed."  This is an intriguing verse!  It implies that a secret should be kept - "he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered."

I know in my own experience I have found there are few people that can keep a confidence.  It is most disconcerting to hear someone blithely relaying loudly to others, something that I thought I spoke to them in confidence!  As a result I have learned to be very careful of whom I trust with my confidences!  This is really a sad thing, that so few are "trustworthy in spirit."

Of late there has been this whole thing about "letting it all out."  People speak of their most intimate issues publicly - because supposedly it is "healing."  It has become especially popular with celebrities or those in positions of power.  I can't help but question this, the motives behind this kind of revealing.

I understand that one may need to talk about some deep hurts or trauma.  I understand about "talk therapy."  Yes, there is a kind of release and relief by having someone else share the burden of knowledge one is weighed down with. There is knowledge too heavy to bear alone, and these need an airing.  However, it needs be done in a way that is safe and considerate of all concerned.

Some secrets are to be secret for a time.  This may be because one is not ready for the revealing or are not capable of understanding the truth.  You, LORD God often spoke in parables for this very reason. (Matthew 13:11) Even today, You only reveal things to us when You know we are ready to deal with the truth.

Of course, there are those dark, evil secrets that desperately need the light of day!  They need Your revealing and healing light, LORD God.  (2 Corinthians 5:10) Yet, even in these You do not reveal until the acceptable time as You see best.  I am so glad that we who believe in You can rest in that, that assurance of Your love and wisdom.

You will provide us the wisdom and discretion to know what secrets we are to keep and when they are to be revealed!

"The LORD gives wisdom . . ." (Proverbs 2:6).
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5).,

 Yes, there are secrets that we, in the wisdom and discretion given by You, LORD God, need to be "he who is trustworthy" and keep "a thing covered." 

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God's Wisdom Is Straight & Right!

Reading:  Proverbs 7,8
My Verse:  "They are all straight to him who understands,
                         and right to those who find knowledge" (Proverbs 8:9).

As a young child I was curious about the world around me.  I did not grow up in a Christian home.  I saw things, as I am sure many children do, that I knew weren't right. I sensed that there had to be more to my world than what I perceived through my eyes and ears.  I just felt there had to be more to me!  Then I started going to a Bible class after school.  Upon hearing the Bible stories I was drawn in by them, I sensed goodness and truth in them!  The stories and lessons I heard from the Bible I recognized to be "straight" and "right."

I didn't understand it then but now, many years later, I realize that it was You, LORD God, revealing Yourself to me!  You prepared my heart and mind to be open and ready for Your truths.  You placed within me a yearning for You!  Thank you for that!

"Does not wisdom call?
     Does not understanding raise her voice?" (Proverbs 8:1).

I know that without You preparing me LORD God, I would not have recognized Your Word as truth.  Without You enlightening me I am lost to Your wonderful truth and wisdom! Paul prayed this very thing for those he taught and pastored.  "that the God of our LORD Jesus, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18).

Jesus himself said, "No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws them" (John 6:44).

I am ever so grateful that You, LORD God were not content to leave me in the darkness.  You brought me Your wonderful revealing light!

"For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness" (Psalm 18:28).

Thank You for the constant correcting of my wrong thoughts.  I know at times You do battle with me, as I try to hang onto things that only drag me down, that distance me from You!  Thank You for Your Word - for the healing and correcting it brings me!

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Thank You for enabling me, through Your Word and the Holy Spirit, to discern whether a thing is "straight" and "right."

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Things The LORD Hates!

Reading:  Proverbs 6
My Verses:  "There are six things that the LORD hates,
                         seven that are an abomination to him:
                    haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
                        and hands that shed innocent blood,
                   a heart that devises wicked plans,
                        feet that make haste to run to evil,
                   a false witness who breathes out lies,
                        and  one who sows discord among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Oh, how I need to be reminded of this fact.  This fact that You, LORD God, are a holy God.  You do not and will not turn Your eye away from those that indulge in the things that You hate!  For You do hate that which tears us apart and destroys us.

Pride,  proudness is setting oneself above others.  Doing this is to make oneself a little god - how truly sad and despicable!  I Corinthians 8:1 says, "Knowledge puffs up. . ."  Use of the word "puff" indicates that it will quickly be blown away - it does not last!  Proverbs 16:18 sums up the fate of the prideful. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

A lying tongue confounds the liar.  Jesus said, "You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and of all that is false" (John 8:44).  How perfectly dreadful to lie so much that it becomes natural!  LORD God guard over my tongue!

The news is most depressing -  so much shedding of innocent blood.  How   to deal with this?  How to put into proper perspective?  LORD God, You hate it more than we -  You are the creator of all life. Help me to trust this to You, knowing You will deal with those "that shed innocent blood."

"A heart that devises wicked plans" is truly hateful.  To purposely plan evil has to mean one is so very far from You, LORD God.  I tried to watch this TV show, finally giving up because that was all it was - constant manipulating of one another, it was awfully depressing.  I fear for and  pity those who live this way.

This is a sad one - when we are far from You we tend to "run to evil."  Our desires are for all the wrong things - things that drain away our very life!  LORD God, only You can save me from myself and place within me proper desires. "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

The news has highlighted several individuals who spent numerous years in jail for crimes they did not commit, because of false witnesses.   False witnesses were used to condemn You, LORD Jesus to the cross.  The ninth commandment states, "Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Anarchy is such a strange and evil thing.  I was visiting my niece and her boyfriend in Seattle and they spoke of how a group that call themselves "Anarchists" have a day of, well, of anarchy.  They simply go about the city creating as much havoc as they can.  It is now a tactic used by what we call terrorists.  You, LORD God, are a god of order. "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace - as in all the congregations of the LORD's people" (I Corinthians 14:33).

Thank You, for this LORD God.  The news can be so depressing, but You bring me comfort by reminding me of all that You meant for us.  Thank You for reminding me of Your goodness, Your holiness!

"And one called to another and said; "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3)!

"No one is good - except God alone" (Mark 10:18).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Our Ways Are Ever Before the Eyes of God

Reading:  Proverbs 5
My Verse:  "For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD.
                        and he ponders all his paths" (Proverbs 5:21).

Oh, if only all men lived with this truth ever before them!  What a different world we would live in!  LORD God, help me to keep this ever before me - not as an admonition to behave but as an assurance of Your great, unconditional love for me.

I know that when I remind myself of Your constant presence I am calmed.  My soul is quieted within me. I breathe easier.  Life takes on a totally different feel - a good feel.  My anxieties seem to flutter away.  The problem for me is to keep that thought ever before me!

It is the tyranny of the present world with all its urgencies crying out at me, demanding my attention, my worry - dragging me down into  a miasma of fretting and anxiety; that place where many of us spend far too much time!

We want to complicate things, but really it is self that demands this.  Complicating things allows us to rationalize our excuses for not submitting to Your desire for us to leave it all at Your feet.  (Psalm 55:22)  We rationalize our way into misery, into anguish of our souls!  Is this why LORD God, You tell us to have the faith of a child - completely and totally without guile?

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4).

"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein" (Luke 18:17).

This Proverb starts of with a wonderful direction to us.

"My son, be attentive to my Wisdom [godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience], and incline your ear to my understanding [of what is becoming and prudent for you].

That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation]"  (Proverbs 5:1,2).


This proverb is an incredible warning, it spells out what happens if we follow You and if we don't!

"The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
     and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
 He dies for lack of discipline,
     and because of his great folly he is led astray" (Proverbs 5:22,23).

This does not need to be!  You will, You want to free us from such a tragic, misery - a life of constant seeking for something to appease the soul.   You want us to have that goodness that is You in us.  You want us to live with that ease that can come only when Your goodness washes over us, cleansing away the bitterness of unbelief!

Thank You for this reminder of Your constant presence in my life!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God's Word = Life & Healing!

Reading:  Proverbs 4
My Verse:  "My son, be attentive to my words;
                        incline your ear to my sayings,
                    Let them not escape from your sight;
                         keep them within your heart.
                    For they are life to those who find them,
                          and healing to all their flesh" (Proverbs 4:20 - 22)

 So much is said here!  The main idea for me is that Your Word, Oh LORD God brings healing!

I heard this most amazing sermon some time ago.  The thought that has stayed with me was the idea of how sin attacks us immediately upon birth.  The birthing process is not a shock only to our physical being but also to our spiritual being!  This is because we, upon birth, enter a most unwelcome environment spiritually!  It is an environment populated with spiritual enemies, enemies that want to basically destroy us and start working on that immediately!

"Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8).

"The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?"  Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it"  (Job 1:7).

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).

Many think they do not "need" healing because they haven't had any obvious trauma.  But, truth be told everyone needs healing.  We are all of us damaged to some degree because we live in a fallen world.  But, praise God this is only for a time!  There is coming a time when "the prince of this world will be driven out!" (John 12:31)

Sadly, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

But this does not have to be!  You, LORD God, preserved this Your word, the Bible, for us.  In it are Your words of healing.  It is alive and applies to all peoples in all ages!  The last verses of this Psalm illustrate this truth most wonderfully!

"Put away from you crooked speech,
     and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
     and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
     then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
     turn your foot away from evil" (Psalm 4:24-27)

My heart overflows with thankfulness!  I serve a most wonderful God!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!






       

Healing & Refreshment

Reading:  Proverbs 2,3
My Verse:  "Be not wise in your own eyes;
                         fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
                     It will be healing to your flesh
                         and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:7,8).

The statement here is pretty clear and definitive.  If we turn away from evil,  we will have "healing to (our) flesh" and "refreshment to (our) bones!"

Living for You LORD God is good for us - physically, emotionally, and mentally!

People that focus on living a clean life are healthier!   Studies keep coming out that confirm this biblical truth! One such did an extensive survey of studies done from 1872 to 2010 and concluded:

"There is rapidly growing evidence that stress and negative emotions (depression, anxiety) have (1) adverse effects on physiological systems vital for maintenance of physical health and healing [344–346], (2) increase susceptibility to or worse outcomes from a wide range of physical illnesses [347–351], and (3) may shorten the lifespan prematurely [352, 353]."

The study went into detail as to the things that cause "stress and negative emotions."  It is so interesting that they could have just quoted scripture!  They refer to all the things You, LORD God tell us not to allow into our lives!  

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. . . . Now the works of the flesh are  evident; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:18-24).

Why are we always so surprised at these things?  Why do we always think we will "get away" with sin?  It really is only logical that any sin will  drag us down and damage all that we are.  You created us to be like You.  When we rejected You, Your beloved and only begotten son Jesus stepped in to make it possible for us to be saved from ourselves!  All of scripture is for the purpose of bringing us back to wholesomeness - back to You, LORD God! (John 20:31)  And most wonderful is the fact that when we do turn to You, You help us to live a life of truth and purity.  

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:25).

Thank You, LORD God for the "healing" and "refreshment to (our) bones!"

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

We Ambush Our Own Lives!

Reading:  Proverbs 1
My Verse:  "But these men lie in wait for their own blood;
                         they set an ambush for their own lives.
                    Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
                         it takes away the life of its possessors" (Proverbs 1:18,19).

This is such a constant in our lives, we see it all the time.  We often engage in it ourselves!  And that is self destructive behavior!  We greedily go after things that are really bad for us and end up hurting not only ourselves but our loved ones!   We  "ambush" our "own lives."

Attended a candle light vigil for homeless youth last evening.  It was a very nice, albeit sad event and also such an eye opener!  It seems that most youth end up homeless not because of their own behavior but the self destructive behavior of their parents - mostly through substance abuse, but also bad decision making - poor choices.

Many think the grass is greener on the other side so to speak and go after something that isn't really there - be it drugs for a high, money, comfort, power, fame, pleasure, etc.  Even if the immediate goal is reached - the high or thrill from the drugs, the comfort, the power, the fame, the pleasure - it doesn't satisfy or last!  And so off they go for more of the same - ending up in this constant chasing after the wind lifestyle.

Sadly, the thing that everyone wants, what they are striving for is peace.  There is so much in this world that is offered or masked as peace.  

"They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, "Peace, peace."  But there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14).

Only You, LORD God can give us true and deep abiding peace.  "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

Dear LORD God, help me in this.  Help me to examine my life constantly for this very thing.  Free me from the tyranny of my own selfish desires.  It is easy to become so bogged down I can't see clearly.

Today in my run I came around a corner and there was the sun just coming up!  It was so beautiful and refreshing.  It felt like I was lifted up above the mire of this sinful world for but a moment.  I was able to behold the beauty and freshness of Your light and all that it offers - freedom from dread, deep inner peace.

Love how this Proverb ends:

"But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster." 

Thank You, LORD God for this.  Thank You for Your cleansing light!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches! 

    

EvenThe Moon and Stars Praise the LORD!

Reading:  Psalms 148 - 150
My Verse:  "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
                         Praise the LORD!" (150:6)

Wow!  Leaves me breathless!  According to these last Psalms basically all that exists will praise You, LORD God!

Psalm 148:2 speaks of all the angels praising You, LORD God.
     "Praise him, all his angels;
            praise him, all his hosts!"

Psalm 148:3 speaks of the sun, moon and stars praising You!
      "Praise him, sun and moon,
           praise him, all you shining stars"

Then Verse 7 speak of the sea creatures.
        "Praise the LORD from the earth
             you great sea creatures and all deeps"

The elements are to praise You!
          "fire and hail, snow and mist,
               stormy wind fulfilling His word!"

Even those things one does not think of as offering praise are to praise You!
          "Mountains and all hills." 
          "fruit trees and all cedars"
          "beasts and all livestock"
          "creeping things and flying birds!"

We humans are to praise You:
          "in the assembly"
          "with dancing"
          "with tamborine and lyre" and with our voices - "Let the praises of God be in their throats."

Luis Giglio has a wonderful sermon series called "How Great is our God."  This is available on god tube.com, click on ministry, then sermons, and scroll through to Giglio. He has this wonderful lesson on Psalm 148 using the praise sounds of the stars and whales!  So fun!

This morning the sunrise was breathtaking! Thank you, LORD God for reminding me how incredible You are, how all things do praise You!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Put Not Your Trust In Princes!

Reading:  Psalms 146 - 147
My Verse:  "Put not your trust in princes,
                        in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
                    When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
                         on that very day his plans perish" (Psalm 146:3,4).

This Psalm is so appropriate for today!  Our election has just been completed - what a relief!  It is always amazing how people give themselves over so completely to putting all their trust and hope in a candidate.  That candidate becomes almost like a little god for a time.  Such that it becomes impossible for such candidate to fulfill not only all that he or she promises but also all that is expected from their supporters.  "Put not your trust in princes!"

We so need this reminder;  "in whom there is no salvation."  Salvation does not come from any man.  We do need leaders, and we are to pray for and support these leaders (I Timothy 2:2), but we must always remember that You, LORD God only can truly save us.  We need to also remember that it is You that places men and women into positions of authority and it is You that removes them. "For there is no authority except from God . . ."  (Romans 13:1).

We must also remember man is but a breath and "when his breath departs, he returns to the earth!"
All of us will die - there is no getting around that.  When we die, like it or not - believe it or not, we will face You LORD God!  We will be required to answer to You for how we lived this life with which You have gifted us.  We will be required (there is no choice!) to acknowledge You at that time!

"For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God; for it is written.

     As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to me,

        and every tongue shall confess to God."

 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:11,12)

Finally, when a man dies so do his plans - "on that very day his plans perish."  This may seem a sad thing but it is also a good thing.  Unfortunately, many of man's plans are gone awry.  Leaders start off with good intentions but their ego leads them astray as they lust after more power, more wealth, more fame.  They end up placing themselves at the center of their plans and compromise away their ideals. Instead of seeking You for guidance - You, LORD God are pushed aside.  They forget that without You nothing can be accomplished.

          "Except the LORD build the house, 

they labor in vain that build it; 

except the LORD keep the city, 

the watchman wakes but in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

I will pray for my leaders but I will remember it is You, LORD God that keeps me.

"The LORD will keep you from all evil;

He will keep your life.

the LORD will keep 

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore" (Psalm 121:7,8).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Falling and Bowed Down!

Reading:  Psalms 143 - 145
My Verse:  "The LORD upholds all who are falling
                        and raises up all who are bowed down" (Psalm 145:14).

What a paradox!  Somehow it doesn't seem that I should be falling and bowed down if I am a child of You, LORD God.  And yet You do address this issue often in Your word.  Being a Christian or follower of You does not mean we are exempt from trials even to the point of feeling like we are "falling" or being "bowed down!"

We watched a movie, The Railway Man,  that depicted the true story of a British soldier who suffered incredible torture while a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II.  The mental and emotional anguish this man suffered throughout his life way after the war was intense.  It wasn't until he fell in love and married(late in his life) , that he was able, with the help and love of his wife, to address and deal with the deep anger.  The result being that he confronted his Japanese torturer with the intent of killing him, ended up forgiving the man and becoming great friends with him.  The movie for me depicted not only the deep depravity of man but also the amazing healing power of love.  You, LORD God, are the author of this love.

I run and work out.  I am learning the more I push myself, the better the results.  My body feels stronger and healthier after the stress of being pushed!  The stress and strain isn't easy and yet seems necessary to maintain my health.  You, LORD God, do this for me spiritually - You push me so that I will grow stronger and healthier spiritually.

Paul, the man who learned first hand what it was to suffer, stated what suffering brings about in our character if we keep our eyes on You, LORD God through our trials.

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been burned into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:3,4,5).

This is so important!  When the verse says "all who are falling"  and "all who are bowed down" the author is speaking of followers of You, LORD God.  Suffering without You, without love simply distorts us even further as it did the British soldier.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
     and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
 when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
     and the flame shall not consume you" (Isaiah 43:2).

This is an amazing promise that we, as followers of You, LORD God, can hang onto!  We can hang onto this because nothing can separate us from Your love!

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death  nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,  nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37 - 39).

Thank You for this reminder to me!  I may feel I am "falling" or "bowed down"  but that is only temporary.  You, LORD God, will bring me through all things if I keep my eyes on You!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Let Not My Heart Incline To Evil!

Reading:  Psalms 140 - 141
My Verse:  "Do not let me heart incline to any evil,
                        to busy myself with wicked deeds
                    in company with men who work iniquity,
                         and let me not eat of their delicacies" (141:4)!

I cannot lie here.  There are times when the things of this world, things that are not quite kosher (if I may use that word); things that do not quite fit into Your precepts, LORD God; things that would not fall under the "whatevers . . ." of Philippians 4:8, have a certain draw to them.  They have an allure that piques one's interest and can easily lead one down that slippery path!  They have that appearance of a "delicacy" - something that would be so delicious!

One always knows in one's heart of hearts that this "delicacy" is wrong.  It does not seem to matter the culture or religious beliefs - we each of us know when something isn't right.  It is like we have a built in radar that senses sin.  Is this the conscience that You, LORD God placed in us?  And yet, the draw is there.  We want so much to indulge ourselves - "busy myself with wicked deeds."

This is addressed often  in the Psalms.

"But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.  For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (Psalm 73:2,3).

"Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me . . ." (Psalm 19:13).

The third thought in this verse seems to indicate a reason for this danger - "in company with men who work iniquity."  Isn't that a common maxim?  "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them" -W. Clement Stone.  That is a biblical truth!

I Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived; "Bad company ruins good morals."
Proverbs 13:20 "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
Psalm 1:1  "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers . . ."
Proverbs 22:24-25  "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare."

Thank you for this, LORD God.  Thank You for all the guidance You provide me in Your word.  Thank You for the radar You have placed within me.  You know how very dangerous sin can be for me.  You know how it destroys us from within and damages and can even destroy all that we have - including our loved ones.

I cry out along with David "Do not let my heart incline to any evil."

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Darkness is as Light!

Reading:  Psalm 139
My Verse:  "Even the darkness is not dark to you;
                        the night is bright as the day,
                        for darkness is as light with you" (Psalm 139:12).

 I love this verse because when read in its context of Psalm 139 the focus is positive.  I am reminded of Your omnipresence and omniscience.  For You there is no such thing as darkness.  I can never get into a place so dark that You cannot see me!  You are always there to lead and guide me when I cannot see what is before me.  To You, darkness is as light!

"Even the darkness is not dark to you" seems a contradiction.  But we are speaking here of the contrast between man's vision and that of You, LORD God.  We are limited, You are not!  I like how the Amplified Bible states this phrase, "Even the darkness hides nothing from You."

"The night is bright as the day." This makes me think of those beautiful moonlit winter nights when the snow and moonlight combine to make everything just sparkle!  It is truly magical!  It is night, and you know it is night, yet all is so very bright!  This must be something of what it is like for You, LORD God.  You sense the night(darkness) but Your light simply dispels the darkness as the moon and snow do on a winter night. And so as the Amplified Bible states it "the night shines as the day."

"For darkness is as light with you."  You, LORD God know instantly and effortlessly all that there is to know.  Nothing is hidden from You, LORD God! All man's deeds lay exposed to Your eyes! (Hebrews 4:13)  This should be a most comforting knowledge!  We need not fear the unknown for there is no such thing for You!  In the phrasing of the Amplified Bible, "the darkness and the light are both alike to You."

Daniel, a great wise man living in exile in Babylon served in the courts of the kings.  When called on to interpret a dream he praised You, LORD God with this.

     Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
          to whom belong wisdom and might.
     He changes times and seasons;
          He removes kings and sets up kings;
     He gives wisdom to the wise
          and knowledge to those who have understanding;
     He reveals deep and hidden things;
          He knows what is in the darkness,
          and the light dwells with him.

     To you, O God of my fathers,
          I give thanks and praise,
     for you have given me wisdom and might,
          and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
          for you have made known to us the king's matter" (Daniel 2:20-23).

Yes, for You, LORD God, darkness is as light!  Thank You, for this!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Strength of Soul

Reading: Psalms 132 - 138
My Verse:  "On the day I called, you answered me;
                        my strength of soul you increased" (138:3).

I am so constantly amazed, LORD God, at the little treasures I find in Your Word.  Those special little bits that grab me, intrigue and pique my curiosity and wonder.  Here the little phrase "my strength of soul" catches my attention.

This tells me I need help not only physically. mentally and emotionally but also spiritually.  I must cry out to You to strengthen my soul!   It is a very important part of me!  You tell us to "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).  I am not to neglect any part of my being - my spirituality is actually most important as it has to do with my very eternity! (Matthew 16:26)

I think of all those that refuse to acknowledge their souls. They push aside that part of themselves and carry on with their lives as if they do not face eternity.  That is until death looms large in front of them!  Blaise Pascal in Pascal's Pensees says of those that refuse to acknowledge their souls:

     "I find it necessary to point out the sinfulness of those men who live in indifference to the search for truth in a matter which is so important to them, and which touches them so nearly.  

     Of all their errors, this doubtless is the one which most convicts them of foolishness and blindness . . .

     For it is not to be doubted that the duration of this life is but a moment . . .

     At this point, therefore, we condemn those who live without thought of the ultimate end of life, who let themselves be guided by their own inclinations, and their own pleasures without reflection and without concern, and , as if they could annihilate eternity by turning away their thought from it, think, only of making themselves happy for the moment."

Oh, LORD God, I pray for loved ones the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-19:

     "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

I thank You, LORD God for this lovely phrase, "my strength of soul you increased!"  I am so grateful for the wonderful truths you reveal to me.  Help me to have that simple, strong faith Emily Dickenson portrayed in her lovely poem.

     I never saw a moor,
     I never saw the sea;
     Yet know I how the heather looks,
     And what a wave must be.

     I never spoke with God,
     Nor visited in heaven;
     Yet certain am I of the spot 
     As if the chart were given.

My soul is strengthened!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!


   

Calm & Quiet My Soul!

Reading:  Psalms 128 - 131
My Verse:  "But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
                        like a weaned child with its mother;
                        like a weaned child is my soul within me" (131:2).

I love this verse!  It speaks to that great need we have for a quiet soul - peace!  How the world clammers and yammers at us!  Way too often we succumb to whatever it is that is crying out at us!  Oh, LORD God, help me to calm and quiet my soul.

Because this verse says "But I have . . .", I realize that I am able to calm myself.  I must use the abilities You, LORD God give me to be proactive and do what is needed to calm and quiet my soul.  Too many want to say, "Well, that is just the way I am."  This is a poor excuse for indulging oneself and giving into those many temptations that You, LORD God, warn us against.

You mean for us to live full abundant lives! (John 10:10)

You mean for us to live purposeful lives!  "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)" (Ephesians 5:15).  We must purpose in our hearts to live for You, LORD God.  As Paul told us, "But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit" (Galatians 5:16).

 You do not want us to live in fear but to be disciplined and strong. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7).  To be like a "weaned child" I need to exert self-control!  This is not an easy thing to learn!   How I admire those great spiritual giants that lived before me!  And yet, when I read their stuff I realize that they too struggled with self-discipline.  I need to remind myself (over and over!) that this is a process that I will get better at but never completely master as long as I live on this earth.  I also need to be reminded that I cannot do this on my own power.  Calvin Miller gleaned some great truths and strategies from Terese of Avila's writings.

The first is to realize that Satan is behind all the clamoring at our souls!  We must defeat him by praising other's achievements; anticipating when we are vulnerable and avoid situations that tempt us; realize that You, LORD God are vital to our true happiness not worldly gain;  and avoid falling into the "what if" cycle that spirals into a "poor me" pity party!

Then we need to realize that You, LORD God are LOVE!  You love us more that we can ever realize and You allow things to happen to us for our good.  Plus, You will never push us beyond what we can endure - how I need to remember this! (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Thirdly, we need to take time to meditate or focus on You, LORD God!  I like how Miller explains this. "The essence of focusing is the quietening of the heart and stopping the busyness of the mind."  He then says what it does.  "Focusing is a way of breaking the thrall that the world has over us."

We are to use what Miller calls "selective listening."  Teresa says in her writings that we are "not to listen to everyone who brings their opinion against us."  Even You LORD Jesus addressed this in Luke 8:18.  "Therefore consider carefully how you listen."  It is so easy to allow what someone says to spiral one down into an anguish of the soul!

Finally, we are to remember that You, LORD God, are our Father in heaven!  You love us as a father would.  Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:11-12 make this very clear.

Thank you for this.  Help me today to use these strategies to calm and quiet my soul!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Striving In Vain!

Reading:  Psalms 123 - 127
My Verse:  "Unless the LORD builds the house,
                        those who build it labor in vain.
                     Unless the LORD watches over the city,
                          the watchman stays awake in vain" (Psalm 127:1)

I just watched a science video on what would happen or what is thought might happen if two stars hit each other.  The narrator said they would both go into oblivion!  I question that, how can they know what is happening so very far away?  And what exactly is oblivion?  I was fascinated with the final words of the narrator, "a pair of stars say farewell to eternity."  What does that mean?

Can something go into oblivion?  Can something become nothing?  Fascinating questions!  LORD God, You spoke into being all that is. "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3).  Did You speak into being all that is, from nothing?

It is interesting how even great scientists who claim to be atheists struggle with explaining themselves without inserting God into their explanations.  Stephen Hawkins, an acclaimed scientist and atheist did this when he said, "I believe the universe is governed by the laws of science.   The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws."  There is now even a theory call "Intelligent Design" for those that realize the universe is too orderly to have come into being by some random big bang.  But they do not want to acknowledge that You, LORD God are the intelligence behind all that is!

They do not want, as Hawkins stated here, to believe that You do intervene in our existence.  Your word, the Bible tells us how You have intervened throughout time as we know it.  Yet, man strives to live their lives without You.  They go about building their houses, fighting their wars but without You - it is only a striving after the wind! - a chasing after wisps of dreams that are never realized.

As Solomon, considered the wisest man to have ever lived,  said in Ecclesiastes.

"For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.  This also is vanity and a striving after wind" (2:26).

"For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow?  (6:12)

  Oh, LORD God, I truly believe what You say in Ecclesiastes 3:11 "Also He has put eternity into man's heart."  I remember as a very young child having this sense of there being so much more to my world than what I perceived through my senses.  I know too that this is the source of man's discontent and lack of peace.  All men know in the depths of their hearts that they are eternal beings created by You!

Thank You, LORD God, that we do not need to live empty lives, striving after something that is unattainable.  You gave us a purpose - "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  You gave Your Word to guide me, teach me and encourage me - to reveal Your purposes for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

I Lift Up My Eyes!

Reading:  Psalms 120 - 122
My Verse:  "I lift up my eyes to the hills.
                        From where does my help come?
                    My help comes from the LORD,
                        Who made heaven and earth" (121:1,2).

Again, David is crying out to You, LORD God!  But today I note that this is not mere blubbering!  It is mindful, worshipful and particular.  David first gives You his focus and attention - "I lift my eyes to the hills."

David then states Who You, LORD God are.  You are the God Who "made heaven and earth."  Tozer, in his wonderful little book, The Knowledge of the Holy, states how very important it is that we think rightly about You, LORD God.

     "Without doubt, the mightiest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God . . . I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God. . . . 
      Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character.  The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is - in itself a monstrous sin - and substitutes for the true god one made after its own likeness.  Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges.
     The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.
     So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and her moral standards declines along with it."

In essence we shortchange ourselves by not thinking rightly about Who You are LORD God.  Forgive me for I do this often.  I start to doubt and question.  Help me to stop and turn my eyes to You!

David then recounts how You, LORD God will save and keep him.

     "He will not let your foot be moved,
           He who keeps you will not slumber.

     The LORD is your keeper;
           The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
      The sun shall not strike you by day,
           nor the moon by night.

       The LORD will keep you from all evil;
           He will keep your life (121:3 - 6)

Thank You, LORD God!  Thank You for Who You are!

"I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14)!
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending (Revelation 1:8)
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ (I Timothy 2:5)
"I Am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me (John 14:6)
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8)

Thank You that I can lift my eyes to You knowing who it is I am trusting.    I have but to look into Your word and into my heart to know You.  I thank You for this Psalm and the promises within it!

"The LORD will keep 
      your going out and your coming in
      from this time forth and forevermore" (Psalm 121:8)!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

It is OK To Pray For Myself!

Reading:  Psalm 119
My Verses:  "Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
                          and I will keep it to the end.
                     Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
                          and observe it with my whole heart.
                      Lead me in the path of your commandments,
                           for I delight in it.
                      Incline my heart to your testimonies,
                           and not to selfish gain!
                      Turn  my eyes from looking at worthless things;
                           and give me life in your ways" (Psalm 119:32 - 37).

I am struck by how frequently David prays for himself!  I keep thinking that I am being selfish by crying out to You, LORD God to get me through my day!  But that seems to be what the Psalms are!  A constant cry to You to teach us, guide us, lead us, turn our thoughts to You, keep us away from all that distracts!  If David is any example, and I believe he is one of the best, then I am to unabashedly cry out to You, to pray for myself!

I remember reading of a man who happened to listen in on the prayer of a fellow believer.  The listener was amazed to hear how much of the fellow believer's prayer was for himself - seeking guidance and wisdom.  The listener greatly admired this praying man.  He said it was a great encouragement for him to spend time in prayer for himself!

I need to take a lesson here.  So often I spend much time praying for everyone but myself.  I think I need to power through, that I should not be so needy!  But here in this Psalm David is constantly praying for himself!

"May my heart be blameless in your statutes" (119:80).

"I am yours, save me" (119:94).

"I am your servant, give me understanding" (119:125).

"give me understanding, that I may live" (119:144).

"With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD" (119:145)!

"I rise before dawn and cry for help" (119:146).

"Look on my affliction and deliver me" (119:153).

I truly believe that not only is all of scripture "God breathed", it is also for my edification, for my instruction. (2 Timothy 3:16)  So many spend much time seeking out the world's wisdom but that will pass away!  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:25).  "Forever, O LORD, your Word is firmly fixed in the heavens" (119:89).

Your Word is also alive and sharper than any two-edged sword! (Hebrews 4:12)  It is refreshing and healing to me each time I read it.  It helps me to think rightly.

Thank You, LORD God, for this permission to pray for myself.  Help me today to look to You constantly, gladly and without hesitation!  Help me to pray fervently and earnestly as did Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10.

"Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me!  And God granted his request."

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Trust God Not Man!

Reading:  Psalm 118
My Verse:  "It is better to take refuge in the LORD
                         than to trust in man" (Psalm 118:8).

 At my last Bible study we were to reflect on what it is that gives us the greatest sense of security.  There were all these choices: money in the bank, a job, parents, friends, one's own abilities and skills, promises of God, awareness of God's presence, assurance of God's guidance, a good investment, children, social acceptance, spouse - i.e. family,  etc.  When I looked over this list, at first I thought well they all do.  But then I started to really examine each item and began to realize that anything that was of "man" was really not reliable when you come right down to it.  Truly only, You, LORD God can give us that steadfast sense of security - "for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!"  So, yes, in the final analysis, it is better to trust in You than in man!

The next verse says to especially not put my "confidence in princes."  I thought this interesting, as You, LORD God place those "princes" in power.  Yet, so often they fall away from following Your precepts. So while I am to obey and pray for my leaders, all those in authority over me - I cannot trust them to be steadfast.  Only You, LORD God are true and steadfast.  "His steadfast love endures forever" (Psalm 18:1,2,3).

I am reminded of Blaise Pascal's admonition to mankind.  He speaks of the uncertainty of life itself and how all the activities that we engage in are so very uncertain.  Yet, so many refuse to act on the most important thing of all - the destiny of our souls.

"If we must not act save on a certainty, we ought not to act on religion, for it is not certain.  but how many things we do on an uncertainty, sea voyages, battles!  I say then we must do nothing at all, for nothing is certain, and that  there is more certainty in religion than there is as to whether we may see tomorrow; . . . 

According to the doctrine of chance, you ought to put yourself to the trouble of searching for the truth; for if you die without worshipping the True Cause, you are lost. - - "But," say you, "if He had wished me to worship Him, He would have left me signs of His will." - - He has done so; but you neglect them.  Seek them, therefore; it is well worth it." (Pascal's Pensees)

Oh, LORD God, thank You for enlightening my heart that I am able to entrust myself in Your care! "The LORD is God, Who has shown and given us light [He has illuminated us with grace, freedom, and joy]." (Psalm 118:27 Amplified).  Thank You for relentlessly pursuing me!

"You are my God, and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You; You are my God, I will extol You. O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever"(Psalm 11828,30)!

Thank You for that deep, steadfast sense of security that comes only from You.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

From the Rising Of the Sun To Its Setting!

Reading:  Psalms 113 - 117
My Verse:  "Blessed be the name of the LORD,,
                        from this time forth and forevermore!
                    From the rising of the sun to its setting,
                         the name of the LORD is to be praised" (Psalm 113:2,3)!

What a wonderful collection of Psalms!  Oh, LORD God, thank You for these songs.  Thank You for ever reminding me that I need to devote my day to praising You!  Praising You, LORD God throughout my day is uplifting, healing and strengthening!  Help me to look to You "from the rising of the sun to its setting!"

By praising You I am uplifted!  By praising You, I take my eyes off myself, my cares and worries.  "Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith and is also the Finisher" (Hebrews 12:2).  Oh, to be in the wonderful light of Your gaze, LORD God!  "For You light my lamp;  The LORD my God illumines my darkness" (Psalm 18:28).

You and You only are the healer of my soul!  You, LORD God, are the only one able to free us from the terrible chains that bind us and drag us down to the pit.
             "Bless the LORD, Oh my soul,
             and forget not all his benefits,
             Who forgives all your iniquity,
             Who heals all your diseases" (Psalm 103:2,3).

You and You only strengthen me and enable me to have the courage to live as You would have me to live while here on this earth.  I so often have a hard time visualizing myself as victorious but You tell me in Your word often that I am victorious in You!

     "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 15:57).
     No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
     "I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
     "What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)?

So, yes!  From the "rising of the sun to its setting"  I will turn my eyes upon You, LORD God and praise You!  "To You lift I up my eye, O You that dwell in the heavens" (Psalm 123:1).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

With God We Shall Do Valiantly!

Reading:  Psalms 108 - 112
My Verse:  "With God we shall do valiantly;
                         it is He who will tread down our foes" (108:13).

My dictionary.com app states this about the word valiant.  "boldly courageous, brave, stouthearted, worthy, excellent."  What a most wonderful word!  It brings to mind those who do wonderfully heroic acts!  This verse tells me that "with God" I can and "shall do valiantly!"

The key to this verse is "with God."  I can not be valiant on my own.  David makes this very clear, LORD God,  in Psalms 109.

          "But you, O GOD my Lord,
                deal on  my behalf for your name's sake;
                because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
            For I am poor and needy,
                and my heart is stricken within me.
            I am gone like a shadow at evening;
                 I am shaken off like a locust" (109:21-23).

But how, oh how, do I get there?  How does one become valiant, LORD God?  I know I need to do it through You.  I know that it is You that enables me to walk this path that You put me on.  But more often than not I just feel so timid and afraid.  I know that is not of You! (2 Timothy 1:7)

First, I know that I must be thankful to You for saving me, for counting me worthy.

"I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart" (Psalm 111:1).

Second, I know that I need to praise You, LORD God.

"Great are the works of the LORD.
     studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is His work,
     and his righteousness endures forever" (Psalm 111:2,3).

If I do these things, and hold onto You steadfastly You, LORD God will bring me along. You will even help me to be steadfast during those moments when I am too weak to hang on in my own power. Thank You for that!
 
"Praise the LORD!
 Blessed is the man who fears the LORD.
     who greatly delights in his commandments" (Psalm 112:1)!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Need To Be Thankful

Reading Psalms 103 -107
My Verse:  "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
                        for his steadfast love endures forever" (107:1)!

It is so much easier to complain, to see all that is wrong in one's life.  Oh, LORD God, I pray for help in this area.  I pray that You will help me to count my blessings!  Help me each day to start off thanking You for all that You have done for me and will do for me!

I heard a wonderful sermon on thankfulness some time ago.  I entered this note in the back of my Bible.  "A thankful heart is a guard against deception."  I believe this.  I was always so fearful of being deceived!  If I started to doubt I would remember this admonition and start recalling all that I had to thank You, LORD God for.  Thank you for that.  Thank You for that sermon and this reminder of how to guard against deception.

Being thankful keeps me from being overwhelmed by anxiety.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).  It is so wonderful how You take my eyes off myself, off my immediate problems and the anxiety lessens and melts away.

You, LORD God, tell us throughout Scripture to be thankful.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (I Thessalonians 5:18).

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!  Give thanks to him; bless his name" (Psalm 100:4)!

You desire for me to be thankful to You for all things, at all times!   You desire this because You know that is what is best for me.  Being thankful makes me a better person!

It is pretty wonderful that we have a holiday - Thanksgiving.  It is a time when families gather together to remember and be thankful.  Yes, there are many things not right in our society today but we also have so very much to be thankful for!  I pray for the citizens of our country today to look at all that is good and to realize that all that is good is because of You!  That kind of focus changes us as a country!

How we need to daily pause in our very busy lives to meditate on what we have to be thankful for!  Help me do that today!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Bless the LORD, Oh My Soul!

Reading:  Psalms 101 - 103
My Verse:  "Bless the LORD, O my soul,
                        and all that is within me,
                        bless his holy name" (Psalm 103:1)!

Oh, LORD God, sometimes it is just so good to praise You!  This morning I watched a wonderful video on youtube.com of troops exuberantly singing "There Is No God Like Jehovah!"  It is wonderful! So uplifting!  I do enjoy the song service at church.  I love singing Your praises.  I also find solace listening to hymns when I am feeling a bit out of sorts.  LORD God, it is good for my soul to bless You!  "Bless the LORD, O my soul!"

Yes, there is something pretty wonderful about  worship.  I love this quote.

     "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God."  -William Temple


Richard J Foster says this of corporate worship or group worship.

     "To worship is to experience Reality, to touch life.  It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community.  It is a breaking into the Shekinah of God, or better yet, being invaded by the Shekinah of God."


Yesterday my verse was about Your goodness, LORD God.  Oh, how I need to dwell on that goodness!  My very being needs it!  That is what worship is - dwelling on You, melding for a very brief time my spirit with Yours!  Worship is a faint glimpse of what it is going to be like when we are in Your very presence!

Worship is not something "worked up."  It is not a ritual.  It must be real and genuine.  You, Jesus, tell us.  "The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him" (John 4:23).

Oh, LORD God, there is so much to worship and praise You for!
You . . .
           "forgive" all my iniquities
           "heal" me        
           "redeem" me from an empty life and the awful pit
           "crown" me with Your love and mercy
           "satisfiy" me with Your goodness
           "do not deal with me according to my sins"
           "as far as the east is from the west,
                   so far does He remove (my) transgressions from (me)" (Psalm 103:3-5,12).

Thank You, LORD God for David's psalms always reminding me of Your wonder and my need to praise and worship You!  Help me this day to - "Bless the LORD, Oh my soul!"

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!


   
   
     

God's Goodness Rings True!

Reading:  Psalms 95 - 100
My Verse:  "For the LORD is good;
                        his steadfast love endures forever,
                        and his faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5).


You alone are truly good, LORD God.  All that You created is good. "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).  To behold Your handiwork is to behold all that is good - a starry night, fall leaves, a hillside filled with a riot of colorful wildflowers, a bird's song, a child's laughter.  All these wonderful things make one feel good.  They ring true because there is truth in them, truth and goodness!

"No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18).

"Thou are good and doest good" (Psalm 119:68).

"Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good" (Psalm 135:3).


You created us in Your image and so created us to be good. (Genesis 1:27)  When we walk in Your precepts we feel a rightness in all that we do even as we see so much that is wrong around us.  When we stay in Your word it is somehow reflected in our very countenance!  I once had an elder person comment on how I looked compared to another person much younger than myself.  He said I looked younger and happier!  I was rather amazed because I did not see that.  But it was a time when I was very much into Your Word LORD God!  This elder person perceived that!  He saw past me and saw only Your goodness shining through me!

When I do something wrong I feel it!  Suddenly things are not good!  I am out of sorts!  LORD God, thank You for that!  Thank You for  creating us in Your own image so that when we do wrong we immediately know it!  Instead of our world ringing true, everything starts to clang!  My conscience frets at me.  My very body becomes ill.  I become stressed!   One need only to go to the webmd.com site to see all the physical symptoms suffered by those in stress - stress caused by guilt.  We make ourselves miserable by trying to make ourselves happy through wrong behavior, behavior that  is selfish and against Your precepts LORD God!  David said it so incredibly well!

"For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
     through my groaning all day long.
 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
     my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer" (Psalm 32:3,4).

Thank You, LORD God that You do not let us get off so easily with sin. Thank You also for making it possible to be free of that guilt.  You only ask that we repent and You will forgive us and put aside the wrongs we did. (I John 1:9)  Admitting one is wrong can be hard but the relief it brings is so worth it!  Only through this can we again feel Your goodness.  Again David tells best of the wonderful relief and freedom when we seek and find forgiveness.

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
     whose sin is covered,
Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
     and in whose spirit there is no deceit" (Psalm 32:1,2).

Thank You, LORD God, for Your goodness!  That sense of things in one's life "ringing true" is so very wonderful!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Cares Of My Heart!

Reading:  Psalms 89 - 94
My Verse:    "When the cares of my heart are many,
                          your consolations cheer my soul" (Psalm 94:18,19).

The theme of my blog has been, LORD God, that You enrich me.  You, and You only can truly cheer my soul for You are the one that saves, the only one that can save! (John 14:6)
When the "cares of my heart" drag me down, You will lift me up into Your loving arms and carry me through!

Reading the Psalms has been a constant reminder of how we as humans cannot escape despondency, feeling low or being anxious about one thing or another.  A common saying, "There is always something"  refers to the constant fact of things going awry.  The truth is that we live in a fallen world.  Mankind is sinful - all humans commit sin! (Isaiah 53:6)  Sin, my own sin and that of others will cause distress.  It is how I deal with this distress that is important.

The cares of our heart can wear us down if we let them.  It is often too easy to let oneself dwell on those cares and worry over them.  I catch myself at that often.  I realize I need to stop it!  I need to look to You, LORD God and be reminded of all that You have saved me from.  Yes, I may be struggling with something but I am not to dwell on it and worry over it - it is a total waste of time.

You love me and care about my concerns.  You tell me to bring those concerns to You. (1 Peter 5:7)

We need only ask and You will keep us!
     "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 17:8).

As a Christian, a follower of You, LORD God, You allow many things into my life to grow me, to teach me to draw nearer to You.  (James 1:1-13)

I love the image this verse gives me!
    " And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.(2 Corinthians 3:18).

Yes, I will have many cares while here on this earth!  But, You LORD God will, if I allow You, use those cares to enrich and transform me beyond what I can even imagine!  Thank You for helping me deal with the "cares of my heart."

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!