They Refused To Pay Attention

Reading:  Zechariah 5, 6, 7
My Verse:  "But they refused to pay attention and turned
                       a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears
                       that they might not hear.
  
                    They made their hearts diamond-hard 
                       lest they should hear the law
                       and the words that the LORD of hosts
                       had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets.

                    Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts"
                                                                        (Zechariah 7:11-12).

This is so very clear, LORD God.  We do make that decision to refuse to pay attention to the things that You teach us through Your Word -  the Bible. You attempt to reach us through our own experiences, through other people and through events occurring around us.  You do so many things to get our attention but if we do not like what You are saying we simply stop up our ears and turn away. We refuse to pay attention.

What a vivid image - "turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears."  It is what we see children doing all the time.  And yet this is exactly what we as adults do, too.

 Then we harden our hearts, allowing our very ability to see and understand truth to become blurred. This is sad because it is progressive - the more we harden our heart the harder it becomes until it is"diamond-hard."  We use blame and rationalization to justify ourselves when we know we are in the wrong.  We lie to ourselves until we believe our very lies and become unable to see the reality of what we are doing.  We become unable to see the consequences of our behavior.  It is an awful downward spiral - like when Pharaoh kept refusing to listen to You, LORD God.

But we do not need to let ourselves go there!  Many often say  "Well, that is just the way I am."  "That is just where I am right now."  You tell us to cry out to You, LORD God!  We cannot get there ourselves - we need you to bring us along.

"When the righteous cry for help,
     the LORD hears and delivers
     them out of all their troubles" (Psalm 35:17).

"And Jesus said to him. 'If you can!  
   All things are possible for one who believes.

 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said,
   I believe; help my unbelief!  (Mark 9:24).

"Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
     you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' (Isaiah 58:9).

Thank You, LORD God for drawing me to You  (John 6:44).  Thank you for enabling me to see You and Your truth.  Help me to pay attention when You need to correct me, when you need to keep me on the right path.  Help me to not turn a stubborn shoulder or stop up my ears to You!

Help Me God - Kathy Broccoli

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Not By Might Nor By Power

Reading:  Zechariah 3, 4
My Verse:  "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
                          Not by might,
                          Nor by power,
                          But by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6)

Zerubbabel, the then governor, and Joshua, the High Priest of Jerusalem were charged with the immense task of rebuilding the temple.  It has been 20 plus years since their return from exile in Babylonia and they have made little progress.  The obstacles appear immense both practically, politically and spiritually.  The people have become discouraged and decided it best to focus on their own personal needs as they struggle to reconstruct their lives.  They have taken their eyes off You, LORD God, and only see the "mountain" of problems they face.

Here,You, LORD God tell Zerubbabel that he is not to despair.  He is not to look to human capabilities of strength and power to get the job done.  He is to rely on You only, on Your Spiritual power.

You tell Zerubbabel that no matter how insignificant or "a little thing" each task appears  each will lead to the completing of the huge job before them.  They must persevere.

Many things happen to us that appear random and senseless to our way of thinking.  And yet, nothing is random with You is it LORD God?

Such as when You spoke to Mary through an angel. Mary was a small, seemingly insignificant Israeli girl and yet You told her that she, a virgin, was to bring forth Your son, Jesus Christ.  This was not a random thing.  You spoke of this from the very beginning in Your word. (Genesis 3:15)  And this event did come to pass!

"And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the LORD;
                              let it be to me according to your word."
                             And the angel departed from her" (Luke 1:38).

You spoke the very world into existence!   What You speak will indeed come to be!
   
"For I am the LORD'
 I will speak the word that I will speak,
 and it will be performed" (Ezekiel 12:25).

"The LORD of hosts has sworn:
     'As I have planned,
       so shall it be,
     and as I have purposed,
       so shall it stand" (Isaiah 14:24).

I love how you care for us and reassure us in so many small ways.  Zerubbabel is discouraged.  He did start the reconstruction but it lags.  And so you encourage him by telling him that he will get to finish it and his finishing it will be additional proof of how You keep your word, of how what You speak does come to be!

"Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
     The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house;
     his hands shall also complete it. 
  Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you"  (Zachariah 4:9).

Thank you for this reminder that human might and human power are nothing in comparison to You and the working of Your spirit in our lives.

Oh How He Loves Us - Crowder Band

Ditat Deus - God enriches!

Angels Patrolling the Earth!

Reading:  Zachariah 1,2
My Verse:  "Then I said, 'What are these my lord?'
                     The angel who talked with me said to me,
                          I will show you what they are.

                          So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees 
                              answered,
                             'These are they whom the LORD has sent 
                                 to patrol the earth.'

                          And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing
                             among the myrtle trees, and said,
                             'We have patrolled the earth, 
                              and behold, all the earth remains at rest.'" 
                                                             (Zachariah 1:9-11)


                     
Wow, how fascinating is this!

I sometimes find myself questioning why I need to pray.  Sometimes I want to just say or think "What does it matter, when God already has all things in hand?"  And yet here is a passage like this speaking of how You, LORD God, use angels to actually patrol the earth.  The physicality of this is fascinating to me!  These angels are riding regular horses and they are traveling about the earth "engaged in secret observation of the world to provide up-to-date and accurate intelligence" for You, LORD God.

The angels in this passage all have different roles to play, different jobs.  There is the angel on the red horse who was speaking to Zachariah, explaining things.  There are the three angels on the "red, sorrel, and white horses" who did the actual patrolling and reporting.  Then there is the "angel of the LORD" who seemed the be the one to intercede for the people.

And then there is the angel with a measuring line in his hand measuring Jerusalem "to see what is its width and what is its length."

LORD God, You do have Your purposes.  You do have an ultimate plan.  But You have chosen to use your angels and your believers to bring that plan about.  You want us to be a part of your grand scheme for this world You created!

There is this quote which I do not remember the source of, but it says and I am paraphrasing . .

"We all will take part in God's master plan, but we decide whether our part is that of a Judas the traitor or that of a John the Baptist."

LORD God, thank You for Your word the Bible.  Thank You for all the wisdom, truth and peeks into all this wide realm that YOU have created!

Thank you for reminding me that I do play a part, an important part.  And more importantly, thank You for reminding me that You are the LORD God, creator of all and yes, You do have a master plan.  You have so very many things in play.  It is truly comforting to know, nothing is random.

"Sing and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion; for behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the LORD" (Zechariah 2:10).

We simply need to rest in Your truth!

"Be still, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused and risen from His holy habitation." (Zachariah 2:13).

Love this quote by Corrie Ten Boom.

“There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety - let us pray that we may always know it!” 
― Corrie ten Boom

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Consider Your Ways

Reading:  Haggai
My Verse:  "Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:
                    Consider your ways.  
                    You have sown much but harvested little.
                    You eat, but you never have enough;
                       you drink, but you never have your fill.
                    You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm.
                    And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes" (Haggai 1:5,6).

In this book You, LORD God, point out how the people are busy about their own personal enrichment while totally neglecting You.  They have let Your house of worship lie in ruins.

"Consider your ways."  The ESV clarifies this phrase as - ponder your actions and the resulting experiences.

My dictionary defines "consider" in this way:  to think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on.

Oh, LORD God, You constantly remind us to live intentionally, to live for the purpose you created us for - to live a rich and fulfilling life.  But we squander the gift You give us.

Why was it that the people here sowed but "harvested little?"  Because they were striving for their own enrichment.  They were striving for #1 - themselves!

Why did they eat and drink but "never have enough?"  Literally, we are doing this, today!  It is said the overweight population has grown tremendously.  The National Institute of Kidney and Diabetes Association states that over 70 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese.  More that a third are extremely obese.  And it is growing with children.  How sad is this?  Do we eat to fill that void in our souls?

Why do we clothe ourselves, "but no one is warm?"

Why does one who earns wages, put those wages into a "bag with holes?"  There are many myths that speak to this.  The Greek myth "The Daughters of Danaids" is about these daughters who were forced to marry and killed their husbands, all but one did this.  Those daughters were condemned to fill a tub with jars that had holes in them.  Then there is the "Myth of Sisyphus" where a god is condemned to roll a rock up a mountain but the rock keeps rolling back down and is compelled to redo the same thing over and over.  He was condemned to this because he defied the gods by chaining up death so humans wouldn't die.

It really is so very fascinating how we as humans know in our heart of hearts how to get out of these repetitive behaviorial cycles that only spiral downwards; but we choose to continue in this awful state because we don't want to "give in."  We don't want to admit we need You, LORD God!

Thank You for this.  Thank You for reminding me of how we need to "consider our ways."  Help me, LORD God, to be constant in prayer for loved ones who continue in this kind of cycle.  Thank You for the Hope you are!

Crowder's - All My Hope

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The LORD God In Our Midst

Reading:  Zephaniah 2,3
My Verse:  "The LORD God is in your midst,
                        a mighty one who will save;
                        He will rejoice over you with gladness;
                        He will quiet you by his love;
                        He will exult over you with loud singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

Love this bright gem within these books of such doom!  Here I am reminded of God's true purpose for his creation.  He created us that we might know and enjoy Him and He us!

Zephaniah speaks here of the "day of the anger of the LORD" - that day LORD God when you will return to this earth.  That day we, your followers, look forward to with great anticipation.  That day unbelievers dread as they will be compelled to answer for their unbelief.

The idea of You, LORD God within our very midst is both scary and exciting.  I cannot even begin to imagine what it will be like, only that I will be all too aware of my shortcomings, my weakness and unworthiness.

Love the phrase "a mighty one who will save."  How I need reminding of that, of how You and You only can save us from the dreadful bonds of sin.  John 14:6.

I have a hard time visualizing how You "will rejoice over [me] with gladness."  But this does cause me to look forward to that day of Your return for I know I will be filled with gladness, Your gladness.
It is such a pleasant feeling when one is complemented.  One feels a warm inner glow - I know this will be ten fold to be "rejoiced over" by You, LORD God.


This phrase is especially wonderful.  "He will quiet you by his love."  Amidst all the rejoicing and gladness there will be a quiet inner peace and safeness within my heart and mind.  We will know You LORD God.  Psalm 23 will become so very real.

   "He makes me lie down in green pastures.
     He leads me beside still waters.
     He restores my soul.
     He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

    "Be still, and know that I am God . . ." (Psalm 46:10).

The final thought here that "He will exult over you with loud singing."  How does one even begin to imagine what it will sound like to hear You sing, LORD God?  To have You exult over me is too wonderful.

Thank you for this.  Yes, there will be much sadness for those who refuse You and yet You are coming.  You will have that final judgement.  And,  oh the rejoicing and gladness spoken here is most wonderful to anticipate!

A Prayer for the World: Psalm 23

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Complacency - Smug Self Satisfaction

Reading:  Zephaniah 1
My Verse:  ". . . I will punish the men
                       who are complacent,
                       those who say in their hearts,
                          The LORD will not do good,
                          nor will he do ill"  (Zephaniah 1:12).

Complacency is an interesting concept.

     1.  My online dictionary:  a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like.  Self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.
                                              
     2.  Oxford dictionary:  a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievement.
                                       
     3.  Merriam-Webster:  self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.  An instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction

     4.  Cambridge Dictionary:  a feeling of calm satisfaction with your own abilities or situation that prevents you from trying harder
                                                
Some synonyms for complacency:
        conceit, license, indulgence, presumptuousness, licentiousness . . .

Some interesting quotes re complacency:
     "You will never be entirely comfortable.  This is the truth behind the champion - he is always fighting something.  To do otherwise is to settle." -Julien Smith, The Finch

    "You all know," said the Guide, "that security is mortals' greatest enemy."  -CSLewis, The Pilgrim's Regress

     "It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us."
        -Isaac Disraeli
   
You, LORD God, warn us throughout scripture of the deadliness of this kind of attitude.  It is false, a false sense of security.

"And I'll say to myself, 
   "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years.  
   Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry" (Luke 12:19).

"This is the way of an adulterous woman; 
   She eats and wipes her mouth and says,
    "I've done nothing wrong" (Proverbs 30:20).

"And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them 
   will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand" (Matthew 7:26).

"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, 
   and the complacency of fools will destroy them . . . (Proverbs 1:32).

"So, if you think you are standing firm,
   be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Finally, what You say to those who choose to be complacent should awaken one out of this state of smug self satisfaction.

"But God said to him, 'You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded of you.
   Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (Luke 12:20).

Thank You, LORD God for this reminder about complacency.  To be complacent about anything is to be lazy, careless.  I am afraid I am often guilty of this - help me today to keep my eyes focused on You and on that person You would have me to be.

Awareness That Sets You Up To Win

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Habakkuk Finds Confidence in His LORD

Reading:  Habakkuk 3
My Verse:  "Though the fig tree should not blossom,
                         nor fruit be on the vines,
                         the produce of the olive fail
                         and the fields yield no food,
                         the flock be cut off from the fold
                         and there is no herd in the stalls,

                        yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
                        I will take joy in the God of my salvation" ( Habakkuk 3:17, 18).


How I love this prayer of Habakkuk's.  He has so changed in his cry out to You, LORD God!  First he was telling You what needed to be done, now he realizes that You will do what is needed and what is best.  Such a hard lesson for us; to have full confidence in Your great wisdom and love.

That is the crux of it isn't it?  We carry on and cry out when our circumstances become difficult.  We forget who we are, who You are.  We forget that You are a God of love and all that you do is out of love.

Pastor in church today spoke to an important truth.  Too often as Christians we trust You, LORD God for personal spiritual and moral guidance but we forget to trust You for the Big Things - for what You are doing in the world at large and how we play a part in it.  Pastor based his sermon on Jonah and spoke how this was Jonah's problem.  He, Jonah, only wanted what You, LORD God could do in his own personal life, not what You could do for others - like the pagan Ninevites!

LORD God, You are God of everything and everyone.  Help me to not focus on just myself, but on the World for You are God of all of it.  You want everyone to come to You.  You care about even the little sparrows. (Luke 12:6)

Help me in my prayer time to push beyond my own immediate world, to pray for the many out there who need you and your help.  Help me to cast my mind out beyond my own immediate circumstances.

Your grace and love saved me! Of this I am thankful.  I pray that I will have this kind of confidence in You that Habakkuk has in his prayer.

Love this song we sang in church.  It is so beautiful and speaks such truth.  


"Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling

Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling"

Come To The Altar by Chris Brown

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

It Will Surely Come . . .

Reading:  Habakkuk 2
My Verse:  "For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
                       it hastens to the end - it will  not lie.
                   If it seems slow, wait for it;
                       it will surely come; it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3).

How often, LORD God, do You remind us of this all important event - Your return and eventual punishment of all those who refuse to acknowledge You as the sovereign LORD God?

It is so easy to become careless about Your timing.  We think, we can get away with things when we aren't immediately punished - how wrong we are to think that way.  Your timing is always right.  It is an appointed time - a time that You have chosen and set.

There are times when we feel the wait is overlong - we weary of the pain and misery we see around us and long for You, for Your return.  Yet, You tell us here we are to "wait for it; it will surely come."

I like the phrase "it will not delay."  The Amplified says it this way "it will not be behindhand on its appointed day."  Basically, there is no stopping this event from happening because You, the sovereign LORD God  have set the time of punishment for those who stay in their rebellion and the redemption of those who claim You as their LORD.

Hebrews 10:37 (AMP) says it this way.

"For still a little while (a very little while),
     and the Coming One will come
     and He will not delay."

Later in the chapter, after very specifically spelling out all the terrible crimes of the wicked You say this to Habakkuk.

But [the time is coming when]
     the earth shall be filled with the knowledge 
     of the glory
     of the LORD
     as the waters cover the sea"  (Habakkuk 2:14 AMP).

Isaiah 11:9(ESV) says this very thing.

"They shall not hurt or destroy 
     in all my holy mountain;
     for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
        as the waters cover the sea."

Your knowledge changes everything!  It is transforming!  It removes the scales from our eyes and we (all) will see that You are indeed, the LORD God!

"Turn to me and be saved,
     all the ends of the earth!
     For I am God, and there is no other.

 By myself I have sworn;
     from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
     a word that shall not return:

     To me every knee shall bow,
        and every tongue shall swear allegiance" (Isaiah 45:22,23).

Paul repeated these very words in Romans 14:11,12.

"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."

The Bible starts off with Genesis 1:1 saying "In the beginning . . ."
The last book, Revelation 22:20 says,
     "He who testifies to this things says,
          Surely, I am coming soon."
      Amen. 
      Come, LORD Jesus!"

This day You speak of, LORD God, "will surely come . . ."

Our God is Coming

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Wonder and Be Astounded!

Reading:  Habakkuk 1
My Verse:  "Look among the nations, and see;
                       wonder and be astounded.
                   For I am doing a work in your days
                       that you would not believe if told" (Habakkuk 1:4).

You, LORD God, spoke this to Habakkuk but Your Word was recorded for all of us,

    "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
        the Son of God,
        and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31)

and

     "All Scripture is breathed out by God
         and profitable for teaching,
         for reproof,
         for correction,
         and for training in righteousness . . ." (2 Timothy 3:17).

so you speak these words to us as well.

I read an article that spoke of how there is a whole swirl of spiritual activity going on about us that we are totally unaware of - activity that we "would not believe."  We cannot even imagine it!  And yet You do give us glimpses of this activity in the Bible.

We are told of this interaction between man and the spiritual world in Genesis 3 when Lucifer takes the form of a serpent to tempt Eve.

We are told of angels interacting with man  in the Old Testament.  (Genesis 19, Daniel 10)

Paul speaks in the New Testament of the spiritual realm as factual and very real.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
     but against principalities, against powers,
     against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
     against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

John speaks extensively of this in 1 John and Revelation.   These final books of the Bible state that the physical world as we know it will "pass away" and we will all be in the spiritual realm.

"For all that is in the world 
   -the desires of the flesh,
    the desires of the eyes,
    and the pride life
   - is not from the Father but from the world.

The world is passing away along with its desires,
   but whoever does the will of God remains forever" (1 John 2:16,17).

Thank You, LORD God for this reminder that You are working behind the scenes, so to speak.  You are a loving God and are looking out for those that belong to You.  You are also patient, giving more time to those many that still need You.

There is much I do not understand.  I know there is much I would not believe even if told,  but I do know You love me and watch over me.

"The LORD will protect you from all evil;
   He will keep you soul.

 The LORD will guard your going out 
   and your coming in
   From this time forth and forevermore" (Psalm 121:8).

Yes, You are a sovereign God!  We have no idea of all the amazing things You are doing to preserve your own, bring more to You and carry out Your most wonderful and divine purposes.

"The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
     and his kingdom rules over all" (Psalm 103:19).

Thank You, LORD God for all that You do for me!
Thank You, for Who You are - the Almighty Sovereign God!

He Reigns

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God Knows HIs Own & Avenges the Wrongs Done To Them!

Reading:  Nahum 1 - 3
My Verse:  "The LORD is good, 
                       a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble;
                       He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands)
                       those who take refuge and trust in Him" (Nahum 1:7 AMP).

Love this, how You, LORD God, know those who belong to You.  Amongst all the millions of people here on this earth, You know each one that belongs to You!

Here Nahum speaks of the vastness of Your wrath against those who refuse to acknowledge You, as LORD God.  You are a God of love and forgiveness.  You are patient.  But You will not allow the guilty to get away with their unrepentant sin.

My devotional today spoke of how we are all of us wronged at some time or other, often seriously wronged by someone who has never apologized or done reparation.  Sometimes the wrong feels so very wrong we don't want to forgive, we want the person wronging us to suffer in some way.  But this is not our place.  While our LORD God is a God of love He is also a God of vengeful wrath when it comes to dealing with unrepentant sinners.

"The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
   the LORD is avenging and wrathful;
   the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries
   and keeps wrath for his enemies.

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
   and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty." (Nahum 1:2,3)

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
     but leave it to the wrath of God,
     for it is written,
   'Vengeance is mine,
    I will repay,
    says the LORD." (Romans 12:19)

Yes, You, LORD God, do know those who belong to You!  You know when we are hurt and wronged.  You will not let that go unpunished.  We need to give that hurt and wrong to You and allow You to do what You deem to be best.  And woe to anyone who hurts Yours and refuses to repent.

"His way is in the whirlwind and storm,
   and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
   he dries up all the rivers . . . 

The mountains quake before Him;
   the hills melt;
   the earth heaves before him,
   the world and all who dwell in it.

Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of His anger?"  (Nahum 1:3-6).

I, for one, would not want to stand before Your wrath, LORD God!  Thank you for this reminder that even though it is You who created us, and it is only because of You that we are able to love because You are the author of love, You are also a God of wrath - wrath that we cannot even imagine.  And You will avenge all the wrongs done to those who belong to You!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

What Shall I Bring to God?

Reading:  Micah 3 - 7
My Verse:  "With what shall I come before the LORD,
                          and bow myself before God on high?
                     . . .
                     He has told you, O man, what is good;
                          and what does the LORD require of you
                          but to do justice, and to love kindness,
                          and to walk humbly with your God?"  (Micah 6:6, 8).

What can I bring to You, LORD God?

I like how John Piper addressed this question.

"When the psalmist cried out, "What shall I render to the Lord for all of his benefits to me?" the reply was, "I will lift the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord" (Psalm 116:12-13). So, translating that into Christmas: Jesus gives us the gift of himself and we ask, "Now what can I render to Jesus for all the benefits of his fellowship?" Answer: Ask him for his help. That's the gift he wants. . . .

. . . the only gifts that we can bring Jesus are gifts of praise, thanks, longing, and neediness."

We live in such a crazy time - at least it seems so as we keep waking up to yet another great tragedy.  The hurt and confusion we live in seems insurmountable.  It is easy to allow ourselves to become overwhelmed by all the sin in the world, all the pain and sadness.

But You promise us, LORD God that You, ". . .will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5).

David, that great king and warrior, believed this promise.  I love spending time in the Psalms because David speaks to our pain and  despair because he suffered that as well.  Yet through it all he was able to say;

 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

We live in a fallen world that seems to keep spiraling into further darkness.  You, LORD God, cannot spare us from pain, You never promised that but You did promise to keep us through the pain.  

Thank you, for this reminder.  This reminder that I need to keep Your promises in mind always.  I need to praise You for Who You are - the LORD God Almighty, creator of all that is.  I need to give you my thanks for the gift of salvation.   I need to long for you, for Your love, Your fellowship, Your goodness.  I need to allow that I am poor and needy, and only You can meet me in my neediness!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Woe To Those Who Scheme!

Reading:  Micah 1, 2
My Verse:  "Woe to those who devise wickedness
                        and work evil on their beds!
                    When the morning dawns, they perform it,
                       because it is in the power of their hand" (Micah 2:1).

This is a amazing indictment on those who "plan" their sins.  They think about a thing, decide they want to do that and then do it because they have the wherewithal to carry out their scheme.  This brings to mind Psalm 1 where the progression of sinful acts is alluded to in verse 1.  "Blessed is the man who walks not . ..nor stands . . . nor sits . . ." in the way of sinners.

Planning can be a good thing, but here Micah is speaking to that which is not good or right.

Here Micah is speaking to the powerful and wealthy who abuse their wealth and power to become even more wealthy and powerful.  Those who have acquired much wealth and power have much to answer for as to how they use what You, LORD God have allowed them to have.

This speaks to all of us.  We are all capable of doing many things.  We are all selfish and often scheme up plans to acquire things we have no business desiring and that is why we scheme and plan on our beds at night.  Some get very good at this.  And the more often we find that we are able to "perform" our selfish plans, the more we want to attempt, carrying us further and further into our selfish hedonism. We are carried further and further away from the reality of Who You LORD God are.  We are carried further and further away from the goodness and rightness that You, LORD God are.

A story came out on a senator who now works in the White House Administration.  As a senator he spoke out against corruption, against those abusing their status to overspend on themselves.  But now as a White House Administrator he is doing the very thing he was against.  As he grew in power he apparently has lost sight of that which is good and right.

"We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).   None of us are immune to sin.  It is easy to become entangled in sinful acts.  This speaks to how very important it is to keep our eyes on You, LORD God, to stay in the light of Your goodness and rightness!

Our sinful desires -if we dwell on them overlong will blot out the cleansing light of You LORD God. They become a fog over us, blurring our vision and our conscience.

"Lead me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all the day long"  (Psalm 25:5).

"Send out your light and your truth;
   let them lead me;
   let them bring me to your holy hill 
   and to your dwelling! (Psalm 43:3)

"Teach me your way, O LORD,
   that I may walk in your truth;
   unite my heart to fear your name (Psalm 86:11).

Scheming and planning out  selfish desires takes my eyes off You, LORD God.
This activity brings a fog over my understanding and conscience.  It will drag me down into an abyss of darkness out of which it becomes harder and harder to get out of.

Oh, LORD God, help me to keep my eyes on You and Your truth.  It is cleansing, purifying, uplifting.

Marvelous Light by Ellie Holcomb

You alone can bring about  that which is truly best for me.

Didat Deus - God Enriches!

God Is Patient

Reading:  Jonah 4
My Verse:  "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me,
                          for it is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:3).

This little chapter is so very telling!  It speaks to me of how often we despair and decide we no longer want to live!  We think it would be better to just die.  Sometimes we do this lightly and other times we are truly serious.  But You, LORD God are ever so loving and patient with us.  You show this when Jonah complains because the Ninevites repented and turned to You.

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
   And he prayed to the LORD and said,
   O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country?
   That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish;
   for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,
   and relenting from disaster" (4:1,2).

 I am amazed here at how You deal with Jonah, LORD God.  First You try comfort by providing him some shade.  That does not change his attitude so you bring him physical misery.  This does not work with him either.  You are like a loving parent, trying to bring Jonah around.  And this is what You do with me, with all of us.  Always You want us to come to You, that is Your end goal.

Even though Jonah was so very reluctant, You used him to bring the sailors to You and then the whole city of the Nineties!  This speaks to me of how You will use us for Your purposes regardless if we participate fully or not.  Jonah could have made this a most wonderful experience for himself. But he did not and yet You used what he meant for bad and turned it into good because You wanted the sailors and the Ninevites to be saved from their lost, unhappy lives.

That is a reassuring thought - that You, LORD God, want always that which is best for me.  I do not understand everything as You do.  I am so very limited and yet I want to control things, often fighting against You in the process!  Help me, LORD God, to lean into You when I do not understand the whys of various events; when I feel at a loss as to how to handle a situation; when I want so very much for something to go a certain way and it doesn't!  I need to hang onto Proverbs 3:5-6.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
     and do not lean on our own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
     and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 I do not want to be like Jonah and wallow in self pity because things did not go as I thought they should.  Thank You for being so loving and patient with us!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God Relents When People Repent!

Reading:  Jonah 3,4
My Verse:   "And the people of Nineveh believed God" (Jonah 3:5).

What an amazing thing!  The people of Nineveh seemed to be waiting for someone to tell them they needed to repent of their ways, that they needed to do a one-eighty in their behavior, that they needed You, LORD God!

Reluctantly, Jonah does as You request of him, go to Nineveh.  I can't imagine that he spoke to the people with compassion or tenderness.  It seems he focused on what You, LORD God were going to do to them - destroy their city if they did not repent.  Apparently this is all the people needed to hear.

One has to wonder how You, LORD God prepared the Ninevites for this message.  Were they growing weary of their sinful lives?  Were they beginning to wonder if there was not more to life than simply fulfilling all their selfish desires?  Was life becoming pointless to them?

I like how it was not just a few that responded to Your Word, LORD God.  They all did - "from the greatest of them to the least of them."

Then the king himself responded.  "he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes."  This is so wonderful.  But I think it even more wonderful that he did not just think of himself but of his entire city and all the people in it.  He called out to everyone to repent of their sin.

"And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything.  Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God.  

Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands."  (Jonah 3:7-8)

The Nineties as well as the sailors were not steeped in Biblical truths.  But they are Your creatures, LORD God, as are we all!  You are stamped upon our hearts.  Each and everyone knows in their heart of hearts that there is more to life than what we see with our eyes, hear with our ears and touch with our hands!

You are as Jonah woefully cried, "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting form disaster" (Jonah 4:2).  You want all peoples to come to You!

If we repent of our sin You will hear us and forgive and heal us.

How Can It Be by Daigle



Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Acknowledging God's Sovereignty

Reading:  Jonah 2
My Verse:  "For You cast me into the deep,
                       into the heart of the seas,
                       and the floods surrounded me;
                       all Your waves and Your billows passed over me" (Jonah 2:3)

This story of Jonah is fascinating in so many ways.  Jonah appears so stubborn, single minded, and well - selfish!  The one thing he seems to have done right in this prayer of his, this cry out to You, LORD God is to acknowledge You for Who You are and Your sovereignty over all of creation.

He did not blame the sailors for casting him overboard.  He in fact stated, "For You cast me into the deep . . ."   He knew that You have power and authority over all.

In his prayer he even acknowledged that You were LORD over the natural elements.  ". . .all your waves and your billows passed over me."

Most importantly he acknowledged that You and only You can save.  "Salvation belongs to the LORD!"  This wonderful truth was restated byJesus in John 14:6 when he said "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father but by Me."  

So the fish "vomited Jonah out upon the dry land."  It is curious that the word "vomited" was used here as the word indicates disgust.  In other passages where it is used, this seems to be the general meaning of the word. (Job 20:15, Proverbs 23:8, Proverbs 25:16).  LORD God, You saved Jonah but were You still unhappy with his lack of compassion for people who were not like him?

Jonah was a most imperfect human and yet You chose to use him for this very important job of saving an entire city.  So much to learn from this.

1.  Your willingness to use a person with wrong ideas - in particular here Jonah's thinking that only those like himself deserved Your salvation.
2.  Your patience with such a stubborn man as Jonah.
3.  Your persistence as You did not give up on Jonah even though he tried so hard to get away from doing what You asked of him.
4.  Mostly Your great compassion for the unsaved Nineties, the sailors and even stubborn Jonah.

I am so grateful for your compassion, LORD God.  For You saved me from a life that simply would not be worth living.  You saved and transformed me.  You enable me to see the beauty You created. You enable me to know love and to love others.   And You have given me that great Hope that lies in store for those of us who acknowledge You as our LORD and sovereign God.

Sovereign by Chris Tomlin

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Ethnocentrism of Jonah

Reading: Jonah 1
My Verse:  "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
                         and call out against it,
                         for their evil has come up before me" (Jonah 1:2)

So this word or concept is much in our news of late - ethnocentrism.
Here in the wonderful and amazing story of Jonah is this very concept.  Jonah decided to run away from You, LORD.  He does not want to go to the pagan city You tell him to go to.  He is a believer of You, LORD God, yet he does not believe that the Ninevites deserve Your warning, to hear from You, to get the opportunity to turn from their evil ways.  He thinks that only the Israelites deserve You!

Love how this story illustrates Your compassion for all of mankind.  You care about the Israelis yes, but you also care about the Ninevites who were pagans.  You cared about the sailors, who were also pagans - and it is so cool that they came to know You!

"Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly,
   and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows" (Jonah 1:16).

There is so much in this story of Your compassion for us.  I like how You also show how the sailors, though pagans, still cared about the sanctity of human life - they did not want to throw Jonah overboard to save theirs.  It was only when they saw no other way that they did as Jonah told them to do.  And in doing that they saw the seas calm and they did not chalk that up to coincidence but believed that it could only be You, LORD God and so they believed!  How wonderful is that!

This brings to mind a quote from CS Lewis.

"For you will certainly carry out God's purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John."

You allow us to play a part in Your great plan as You did with the sailors and with Jonah.  We do have to choice as to how we play that part.  And, oh how important to our own end how we go about it! 

You are our creator, each and every human being is important to You.  

"For God so loved the world, 

   that he gave his only begotten Son, 

   that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 

   but have everlasting life." - John 3:16  

The "world" includes everyone.  You want each and every person to come to You and know Your great love, forgiveness, healing and peace.

Not only do you love us but You want us to love one another.

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

   There is none other commandment greater than these. -Mark 12:31

You, LORD God are not an ethnocentrist.  By commanding us to love one another as much as we love ourselves You are telling us we are not to be ethnocentric either.  It is wrong.  Jonah was wrong to think this way.

Help our country, LORD God not to let ourselves fall into this wrong way of thinking.  Correct our wrong thinking, LORD God.  Draw us constantly back to You and Your correct precepts.

"Whoever does not love does not know God,

     because God is love" (1 John 4:8).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The "Pride of Our Heart" Deceives!

Reading:  Obadiah
Verse:  "The pride of your heart has deceived you,
                   you who live in the clefts of the rock,
                   in your lofty dwelling,
                 who say in your hearts,
                   "Who will bring me down to the ground?""(Obadiah 1:3).

As I have been reading through these past couple books of the Old Testament there has been this theme running through.  This theme of our tendency to try to go it on our own.  We try so hard to be self sufficient - we don't want to depend on You, LORD God.  We allow pride to cloud our ideas of who You are, and of our need for You in our lives.

Pride is a most devious thing, creeping in, establishing itself in our lives and growing and growing until we are totally blinded by its presence.

It is only the piercing light of Your truth LORD God that can reveal and root out that awful thing - pride - that has lodged itself so comfortably within us.  And even once it is rooted out we cannot be lax, because it wants back in and will find a way if we allow it.

"Humility is a discipline.  It is the daily exercise of standing next to Christ, whose wonderful light illumines our sin and all our humanity." (The Unchained Soul by Calvin Miller)

LORD God, help me to be faithful in prayer for those who allow pride to cloud their understanding of the truth of You.  Help me to be ever constant in the discipline of humility.  I want to be ever closer to You so that Your wonderful light will illuminate any pride that may creep into my heart, clouding my view of You and deceiving my heart.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

  

But They Shall Not Find It . . .

Reading:  Amos 5 - 9
My Verse:  "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD God,
                         when I will send a famine on the land-
                         not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
                            but of hearing the words of the LORD.

                     They shall wander from sea to sea,
                          and from north to east;

                     they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD,
                          but they shall not find it"  (Amos 8:11-12).

Oh, LORD God, how awful is this!  Throughout scripture there are stories of a person or a people who refuse to listen to You, hardening their hearts against You until You give in to that and they become forever lost in their denial of You.  These Israelites who denied you realize that they have lost Your word, but at this point,  even though they seek it they cannot find it!

The NIV study bible notes state that once the Israelites went into exile where Your Word was missing they finally understood how truly precious Your word was.  And now it was forever lost to them!

To know that you have lost something most important but cannot find it - to be totally unable to get at that truth that you denied has to be an awful state of mind!

I grow concerned for our country as each day brings something else to light that should not be.  Confusion, disorganization and hostility seems to reign at the very center of our government.

You, LORD God, are a God of order.  You are a God of civility.  You are a God of truth.  Our country seems to be straying further and further from Your precepts.  The fear is that a day is coming when You will send a famine of truth - Your truth.  ". . . they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it . . ."

I read of a tribe found that was incredibly destitute - and yet they were surrounded by incredible resources.  They had strayed so far from Your truth and precepts that they didn't even know how to harvest the riches that surrounded them!  This is what happens when we stray away from You, when we keep going in the wrong direction.  We become totally lost to all that is right, to Your order, to Your goodness!

Last Sunday the pastor taught on 1 Peter 4: 12-19.  He spoke of how we can let pain,  brokenness and confusion blind us.  When we suffer our emotions become clouded - our ability to see clearly is obscured.  We end up in a fog of unclear thinking, poor decision making.  If we do not make a course correction we will slowly but surely lose our way entirely.  The longer we stay in that fog of pain, suffering and confusion it becomes harder and harder to get out of it.

Reading Amos shows a pattern of how we can deny You to the point where we cannot find our way to You and Your truth, LORD God.  This is truly frightening.

Help me to be faithful in praying for those who deny You, LORD God; who keep saying maybe tomorrow.  They may not get that tomorrow for You may send a famine into their hearts and they will search but not find . . .

That is not what You want.  You want fellowship with us.

"Here I am!
 I stand at the door and knock.
 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
 I will come in and eat with him,
 and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Yet, You Did Not Return To Me . . .

Reading:  Amos 3,4
My Verse:  "For behold, He who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
                         and declares to man what is his thought,
                         Who makes the morning darkness,
                         and treads on the heights of the earth--
                         the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!" (Amos 4:13).

Tragic and seeringly sad words those are, "yet, you did not return to me . . ."  They are repeated five times in chapter 4.

The lyrics of a song I heard echoes this thought.  I am paraphrasing - "some people never realize what it is they really want until they lose everything."

Amos goes through all the things You, LORD God do to try to bring Israel back to You - many terrible things.

   -famine, verse 6
   -drought, verses 7-8
   -blight, mildew, locusts, verse 9
   -pestilence, verse 10
   -overthrown cities as when Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, verse 11

   - and yet in each case, they (Israel) would not return to you, LORD God.
   "yet you did not return to me."

You did many of these same things to Pharaoh but he also did not relent and so met a tragic end, lost for eternity.

I am reminded of King Nebuchadnezzar who lost his sanity before he turned to You, LORD God.

Why is it so hard for us to give up our waywardness to turn back to You, LORD God?  Why do we prefer those things that only bring us misery to the freedom You offer?

I once read a devotional that made the point that the basis of all sin is pride.  As in Lucifer, who became so proud of his beauty and talents that You, bestowed upon him.  That is just it - all that we have, that we are is only because You in Your love and graciousness gave these things to us.

All that exists - exists because of You, LORD God.

". . . the God in whose hand is your breath. . . "  (Daniel 5:23)
"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Romans 11:36).
"God works all things according to the counsel of His will"  (Ephesians 1:11).
"So then it depends not on human will or exertion, 
   but on God, who has mercy" (Romans 9:16).
"The lot is cast into the lap,
   but its every decision is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33).

John Piper has an excellent sermon on the web that speaks to this.  He makes a most important point that yes, all things come from You, LORD God but not all evil things. (1 John 2:15-16)

This passage in Amos just makes me so incredibly grateful, LORD God, that You drew me to You so relentlessly, and that You have kept me.  I am so aware of the awesomeness of this for I would be as those Israelites - "yet you did not return to me."

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and the knowledge of God!
 How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
 For who has known the mind of the LORD,
   or who has been his counselor?
   Or who has given a gift to him
     that he might be repaid?
 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
 To him be glory forever.  Amen" (Romans 11:33-36)

Thank You, LORD God for saving me.

Beloved One by Jenny and Tyler

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Their Lies Have Led Them Astray . . .

Reading:  Amos 1 - 2
My Verse:  "Thus says the LORD:
                    For three transgressions of Judah,
                       and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
                       because they have rejected the law of the LORD,
                       and have not kept his statutes,
                       but their lies have led them astray,
                          those after which their fathers walked" (Amos 2:4).

Oh those telling words "their lies have led them astray."  How often You tell us this, LORD God!  How often you plead with us to put aside lying. (Ephesians 4:25).  If we do not then You, because You are a holy God must punish us.  Lying can only lead to eternal separation from YOU.

It is interesting here that the lies are those of "their fathers."  This reminds me that we each are responsible to respond to Your truth.  We cannot say "well that is what I was taught by my parents or culture."  That does not fly.  It is simply placing the blame for our misconceptions elsewhere.

When we lie or believe lies we delude ourselves.  And when we are deluded we cannot find our way back to truth without the help of You, LORD God.   Isaiah states it so eloquently.

"He feeds on ashes;
 a deluded heart has led him astray,
 and he cannot deliver himself or say,
     "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"  (Isaiah 44:20).

So many live cavalier lives, thinking that they will deal with truth tomorrow.  The sad and dreadful thing is when we allow lies to be a part of our lives we come to believe those lies.  And even sadder and more dreadful there comes a day when You, LORD God give us up to those very lies.

"Therefore,God sends them a strong delusion,
    so that they may believe what is false,
    in order that all may be condemned 
      who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 11,12).

You warn us in Matthew 24:4.

"Let no one deceive you."

Unfortunately, too often it is our own selves that we deceive because we want something bad enough that we are willing to compromise truth and right.  Slowly we keep compromising until we are so deceived that we become lost in delusion unable to see the light of truth.

One only needs to look around at all those that get caught up in cults or some cause.  One does not plan to live in delusion but as we allow ourselves to get caught up in things that are not of you we become lost in that delusion.

Paul warns us in Romans 1:24, 25.

"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity,
     to dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
     because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie
     and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
       who is blessed forever! Amen."

Thank You for this, LORD God.  Thank you for reminding me how dreadful it is to lie and how lies can drag me into a world of delusional living.   I must purposefully and persistently seek truth for only Your truth, LORD God can set me free and keep me free.

"If you abide in  my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

"Oh that my ways may be steadfast
   in keeping your statutes!"  (Psalm 119:5)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

It Is Unfathomable! Our God Relents!

Reading: Joel
My Verse:  "Yet even now," declares the LORD,
                         return to me with all your heart,
                         with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

                    Return to the LORD your God,
                         for He is gracious and merciful,
                         slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
                         and he relents over disaster"  (Joel 2:12-13).

Love this about You, LORD God.  Even when things seem beyond redeemable, when our lives seem too far gone You remind us of Your great patience and love.  Yes, You will require us to answer for our sins but, You are ever willing to forgive and wipe out, cleanse away all the stains for those sins.  You are ever willing to forgive us and heal and love on us!  "Yet even now" are such beautiful and wonderful words.

There are so many wonderful examples of when You, LORD God do this, relent from Your punishment when we ask You to forgive us.

The book of Jonah is great.  Despite Jonah's reluctance to help the people of Ninevah, You LORD God save a most wayward people.  You go to great incomprehensible lengths to do this!  I mean, having Jonah, thrown overboard in a storm, then having him swallowed by a great fish?  I can't wait to hear to full story behind this one.  But You do what is needed and the people of Nineveh do repent.

"When God saw what they did, 
   how they turned from their evil way,
   God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them,
   and he did not do it" (Jonah 3:10).

Another passage in the Bible that illustrates this truth about You, LORD God is in Exodus 32:9-10.
You had grown weary of the Israelites wayward hearts, especially when they went and built a golden calf to worship in place of You.  You told Moses.  "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."  Yet Moses interceded and begged You to not destroy them.  You, LORD God relented.  "And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people" (Exodus32:14).

You, LORD God are a God that relents because You want to forgive us when we repent of our sins.  You want to forgive us, to heal us and renew our hearts and minds.  This is Who You are!

I love the verse in Jonah 3:9

"Who knows? 
   God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, 
   so that we may not perish."  

This gives us such hope!

The key is of course that we repent.  We need to call upon You, LORD God.  We need to admit that we are poor and needy.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" ( Romans 3:23).  And only You can save us.  "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6).

This scripture gives me hope for those loved ones that are still lost.  It also reminds me that I need to, like Moses, intercede for them in prayer.

Thank You, LORD God, that You do not give up on us!  You and only You can save us!

LORD, I Need YOU by Lauren Daigle



Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Feed On the LORD God, Not The Wind!

Reading:  Hosea 11 - 14
My Verse:  "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
                          whoever is discerning, let him know them;
                          for the ways of the LORD are right,
                          and the upright walk in them,
                          but transgressors stumble in them" (Hosea 14:9).

This book of Hosea speaks to the corporate body, in this particular case the Israelites, and in our case to us the church.  And yet, this very last verse of Hosea speaks to me, the individual; reminding me that I am responsible for how I respond to You, LORD God.  I need to feed on You, not the wind for You only can satisfy.

The ESV study guide points out how the language in this verse changes and becomes personal.  We each have a moral responsibility as to how we respond to Your covenant grace, LORD God.  It is not for me to blame others, the church and leaders, for my own failures; for my lack of faith.  I make that decision - no one can do that for me.

How I believe and trust in You, LORD God should guide me in all that I do, every decision that I make.  Even though things seem to be falling apart around me that is no excuse for me to turn from You.  Daniel was such a wonderful example of this - his country was overtaken, he was taken into exile, turned into a eunuch, and basically became a slave.  Yet he kept his eyes ever on You and served as You would have him to and You blessed him for that.  Oh to be a Daniel!

It is just so sad that we too often choose to chase after anything that looks like it might be more fun or satisfying or exciting.  Like the Israelites we choose to chase after the wind.

"Ephraim feeds on the wind
   and pursues the east wind all day long . . .' (Hosea 12:1).

Solomon, considered to be the wisest man to have ever lived, learned this the hard way by indulging himself and basically losing himself in every possible pleasure available to him; bringing him to the only conclusion possible.

"I have seen everything that is done under the sun,
   and behold,
   all is vanity and 
   a striving after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

You, LORD God are good and right.
I can be wise in Your ways by trusting in Your precepts.
I can understand what I need to because You enable my mind to grasp what is necessary.
I can be discerning by leaning into You, and crying out to You for help whenever I feel lost.

"The upright see it and are glad,
     and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
   let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD" (Psalm 107:43).

"You keep him in perfect peace 
     whose mind is stayed on You,
     because he trusts in You"  (Isaiah 26:3).

Help me, LORD God, to seek You out each morning.  Help me to remember who I am, Your child and follower.  Help me to remember Your goodness and rightness.

"Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love,
   that we may rejoice and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90:14).

I do not need to be wasting my life chasing after things that do not satisfy.  I can choose to feed on You and not the wind.

Chasing After the Wind by Alan Powell
Hallejah

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Trusting In Lies

Reading:  Hosea 4 - 10
My Verse:  "You have plowed iniquity;
                     you have reaped injustice;
                     you have eaten the fruit of lies.

                     Because you have trusted in your own way
                        and in the multitude of your warriors . . .

                     therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people,
                        and all your fortresses shall be destroyed . . ."  (Hosea 10:12).

This is something I struggle with continually, LORD God, our propensity for trusting in the wrong things.

It is so easy to be lead astray  by wrong perceptions.  This whole business of "fake news" is  confusing for so many.  I find myself being amazed when various people are interviewed on the media and these individuals so assuredly and unabashedly state that they believe things that are simply not true - things that are basically lies!

My son and I like to discuss the political state of our country.  And we often come to this - why are so many willing to believe that which isn't true?  And why when they are confronted do they not question their sources of information?

We watched a bit of the Sally Yates testimony.  I found it disturbing the line of questioning some of the senators took.  One senator in particular was questioning her very ability to decide whether something is deemed simply wrong according to our constitution and legislative laws.  One got the feeling that he was not interested in finding out the truth but was trying to put a question on her ability to ascertain what is truth.

I saw this saying that I liked because I believe it takes us back to You, LORD God.  The saying was this "False beliefs collide with physical reality."  I believe this saying is an echo of Numbers 32:23 which states, "and be sure your sin will find you out."

Lying is a terrible thing.  You tell us in Your Word who is the source of all lies.

"You belong to your father, the devil, 
     and you want to carry out your father's desires.
 He was a murderer from the beginning,
     not holding to the truth,
     for there is no truth in him.

 When he lies, 
     he speaks his native language,
     for he is a liar and the father of lies"  (John 8:44).

Right from the beginning, our propensity for believing lies shows up when Eve chose to believe Satan because she wanted something she had no business wanting.  By Eve believing that one lie of Satan's  all of creation to went into a downward spiral.  Every time we lie we add to that downward spiral not only worldwide but in our own personal life and that of our loved ones.

The senator questioning Sally Yates seemed to question our very ability to know what truth is.  I do not believe  that we are incapable of knowing truth.   You, LORD God, created us in Your own image.  And because of that we do have the ability to seek out and find truth.  In fact You tell us to do this very thing!

"And you will seek Me and find Me,
   when you search for Me with all your heart"  (Jeremiah 29:13).

"Ask, and it shall be given to you,
   seek and you shall find;
   knock, and it shall be opened to you"  (Matthew 7:7).

These verses tell us to seek You, LORD God, if we want to know truth because You are truth.

"I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

By seeking You we find truth and freedom.

"Then you will know the truth,
   and the truth will set you free"  (John 8:32).

"I will walk about in freedom,
   for I have sought Your precepts"  (Psalm 119:45).

Lies eats away at the fabric of our lives, our society.  Each lie nibbles away at our very soul, slowly but inevitably destroying it. You, LORD God detest all manner of falsehood. (Proverbs 6:16-19).

What a sad sad place to be - living in a web of lies!  To be living in the midst of lies and lying for so long that one becomes unable to know what is truth.  One becomes unable to even recognize their very own lying.  But, You LORD God want so much more for us and offer us forgiveness, cleansing and healing.

Thank you, LORD God, for creating me in Your own image.  Thank you, that I can know truth.
Help me to be ever vigilant to keep my gaze directed toward You, Who are Truth!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!