Did You Want Me To Answer?

Qoph (Psalm 119:145-152)

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD!
I will keep your statutes.
I call to you; save me,
that I may observe your testimonies.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O LORD, according to your justice give me life.
They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
But you are near, O LORD,
and all your commandments are true.
Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have founded them forever.

When I read the first line of this section, I thought of all those times I cried out to the LORD/Lord…not really wanting the answer. This is because I already knew it. I didn’t want to hear that I had to take responsibility. I thought about the man at the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus found out he’d been lying there for 38 years, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?!” And the man, looking at the Healer, ran down his list of excuses. I’d have been crawling, rolling, screaming until somebody picked me up and threw me into that pool! Jesus is always near; and knows our deepest fears. And, His grace and mercy are always so awesome! We can trust His answers!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

So Much Better To Trust Him

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 118. It’s a long psalm, and I hope you’ll read the entire thing for yourselves, but I want to focus on just a few verses.

Psalm 118:5-9 (ESV) “Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”

it truly is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man, or princes. When I read that, I think about our ways of doing things, of handling things, even of processing things internally. Jesus always judged rightly. He was always right on target. Jairus and his daughter come to mind here. First, Jesus assured Jairus that his daughter would be alright. Then, when they got to Jairus’ house, Jesus put all those unbelievers/doubters out of the room where the little girl lay dead. There’s one key for us. We have a tendency to run to family or friends, to seek their opinions, approval, support, etc., and all too often, right when we need to be turning to the LORD/Lord instead. Then, you get fifty different opinions, a whole bunch of weird looks, and confusion…LOL. That’s exactly what the LORD sets us free from when we’re dealing with adversity. He sets us free from all that confusion that causes chaos within us.

Sometimes it’s very hard to just hang in there and walk it out with Him, but believe me, it’s worth every effort. And, you shall look in triumph on those who hate you-which would be those powers, principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness. Yes, I know; sometimes it is other people too. Turning to the LORD in those situations, we truly can find a refuge. In prayer and praise, peace and power are released to us. These two are critical when we’re dealing with any adversity; any crisis. And, when we’re working out a life recovery, (addiction, abuse, weight struggles, etc.) they are equally as important to have on a daily basis. Peace empowers clear thinking and strength to follow through. Therein lies our victory.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Praise Is Due To Him, Indeed

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 65, and I think this is one of my favorite psalms. I just love it every time I read it. Verse 1 tells us that Praise is due to Him; and our vows to Him shall be performed…in Zion. That tells me I can go up and praise Him on His Holy mountain! And that’s in verse 2: “O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.” Remember where John went in the Spirit?

Here’s what we have when we do come before Him; thanks to Jesus! This is verse 3: “When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.” Jesus did that for once and for all time on Calvary! Now, we can overcome the darkness in this world, and be in Heaven *both eternally and here on Earth, in our living. That’s where verse 4 comes in: “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!” We can dwell in His courts, and his house can be our house.

There are a couple of things to take away from the holiness of His temple. First, It takes me to the Commandment: “Worship the LORD your God and serve him only.” (Luke 4:8) (Deut. 6:13) I also think about being the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. In light of that, we must respect ourselves, and others when we can. A wise person once told me that if you can’t respect someone, you can still be respectful toward them. It also tells me that we should do nothing to debase, defile, degrade, demean, and destroy another’s dignity and self respect. *Notice, those words all begin with the first letter of the word “devil.”

Verse 5 tell us that God answers us by awesome deeds and with righteousness. That makes me think of when I’ve heard kids talking about how awesome someone’s parents are. God’s love is awesomely empowering, calming; inspiring love, courage, . In and through it, we are empowered to realize, accept, and respect our own authority over our lives. That reminds me of what Jesus said. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The rest of the psalm outlines God’s working in the world we live in; in His creation. It gives us a picture of the effects and results of His steadfast loving-kindness toward His creation.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Satan Found Your Suitcase

Psalm 56 brings us today’s message. King David wrote it when the Philistines captured him at Gath. As I read the psalm, I couldn’t help thinking it sounds like the devil found your suitcase. You know…all that old baggage from back in the day…hmm. When you’re going through recovery-be it from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other manifestations of generational curses, you can bet Satan’s got a bloodhound tracking you. And, every opportunity he see, he’ll open that suitcase you left by the way, and start hurling that old stuff at you!

Rest assured. God sees, hears, knows, and answers! Verse 12 gives us they key again, to activating that power of God. It’s is praise and thanksgiving. And, Verse 13 is your promise: “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.“(ESV) You don’t have to hide, don’t have to hang your head, etc. Just keep walking, head held up, in the light of life; real life!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Silence Can Be Deadly

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms 28. Psalm 28:1-2 are so powerful! “To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.” (your innermost sanctuary) This tells me that when I lift my hands up, I’m appealing to my Daddy’s heart for me. Hear me, Mom, Dad! And, answer me; answer my need for reassurance, admonition, correction, instruction, encouragement, etc. Remember Job? Yeah, God answered him, didn’t He? LOL My favorite line from that whole book is when Job says, “I’ll just shut up now.” I giggle every time I read it. And, yes, I’ve said that same thing myself; more times than I care to disclose. God walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Your silence can be lethal. Interaction stimulates even infants in the womb. Admonition, encouragement, instruction, empower us with knowledge, wisdom, and courage. Correction reveals error and makes way for instruction and encouragement. It also reinforces standards and boundaries; helping to realign us with truth and integrity. All of theses empower bonding in love, and cement relationships. Relationship empowers boldness. Verse 2 Begins “Hear the the voice of my please for mercy.” You can tell by the way that voice sounds what’s going on inside that person. (fear, desperation, frustration, overwhelmed, etc.) Those pleas for mercy. Mercy is defined as: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. (definition from Oxford Languages) We need to stop the onslaught dead in its tracks and make it manageable. My oldest daughter was just overwhelmed by a Math lesson dealing with decimal places. I drew a chart for her, like the one I’d learned decimal places on, and showed her how to use it. She aced that section in her math class. She hadn’t been shown that in class.

Psalm 28:3 is a powerful revelation about inappropriate places, people, and things. Some I thought of were bars, parties, gossip sessions, adult conversation, and age inappropriateness. That stuff comes back on us; we’re sowing seeds, and we will reap. That 9 year old that acts and sounds like a 37 year old comes to mind. Jesus did not take us to Hell; He went there for us. Psalm 27:7 is the next powerful one here. It gives us a revelation of two things. First, you must trust God to be helped by Him. (How can you believe and obey Him if you don’t trust Him?) Secondly, you must be trustworthy in order for your children, mate, friends, and others to feel they can be helped by you. (Why would, or should they turn to you if they can’t trust you?)

Proverbs 28 tomorrow.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes…

“You have ordained praise.” (Psalm 22:3, Psalm 8:2, Matt. 21:16) Psalm 22:3 reads: “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22 begins with, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”

When I think about my own life, I have to take the comma out of there. “Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning?” There; that’s the truth. That all makes me think of Jesus’ words: “Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:17) The groaning only feeds the devil. The praises hurt his ears! Every time; praise God every time! And, yes, there have been times when I had to ask God to help me stop groaning and just grow me up!

Psalm 22 is actually a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross at Calvary. It’s also a picture of us in this world. Don’t expect friendship from the world. Jesus told us that the world will hate us because it hates him. However, God has us from the moment of conception, in our mother’s womb. Verses 22-31, again, is that recounting of God’s love, His power, His peace, His purpose, and His plan for us. I had a friend who had a bumper sticker that read: “Question reality.” Children don’t really question us, do they? They trust that we’ve got their best interests at heart; and they’re almost always so eager to learn from us. -until they’re 13 and know everything, and we now know nothing…LOL We need to do the same when it comes to the LORD/Lord. We need to trust Him. When you’re being assaulted by evil, losing your strength, and feel as if you’re unable to answer back, it becomes painful to walk uprightly, or to stand firm. Believe me, it’s designed that way by the forces of evil. They want you to lose your conviction, your courage, compassion, commitment, your course, and your control -because they want to destroy your divine character. Hold on to those truths in verses 22-31. This is how Jesus got from Gethsemane to Calvary, and on to the tomb and His resurrection. He stayed focused on God’s Word and God’s Will. He held fast to every truth He knew about God. He’s the one who said the truth will make you free. It freed Him from all that the forces of evil were trying to do to stop Him from destroying that curse, and saving mankind from eternal damnation. We deal with tiny ordeals compared to Jesus. But we have the same promises. We have to do it the same way He did. You can bet on the fact that evil will assault you like nobody’s business as soon as you get to doing something for God. We can win against evil by learning to recognize their tactics, and by standing firmly on God’s Word, His Will for us, and His Love for us. This is so important in a world that’s getting darker and darker.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Only You Know The Answer

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 13. In this one, King David is asking some questions. Psalms 13:1 asks the question: “How long, O, LORD? Will you forget me forever? (Isaiah 49:16) God tells us: “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. *When you think about your soul being a city, this applies; God’s speaking of Zion. The next question is “How long will you hide your face from me? God says, “How long will you keep your eyes closed and your back turned to me?” (Ezekiel 12:22) Now we’re getting into that pity party…”How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” God’s answer: “How long do you want to?” (John 5:6) And, here comes the finger-pointing, blame game, excuses, excuses…”How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” God’s answer: “How long will you bow to him?” He’s been condemned (John 16:11), and He can, and will be driven out (John 12:31) You know the answer to that one, because you have, in Jesus’ Name, authority over him. The above answers are all TRUTH.

Now, King David prays, “Consider and answer me, O LORD, my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘”I have prevailed over him.”‘ We know the answer to that one too, don’t we? Yes! Read (Luke 6:46-49) and (Isaiah 61) This is the WAY.

Oh, wait! What’s the last verse in this Psalm? “But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” That’s right; it’s a done deal! Sing to the LORD a new song. We don’t sing dirges, we sing Praises! And, Hallelujah! This is LIFE!
Proverbs 13:4 tells us that the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. So seek God and delve into His Word. Proverbs 13:9 tells us that the wicked will lose their light and be left in darkness. So, don’t fret yourself over them. Seek God and praise Him because you know who wins in the end. Proverbs 13:17 tells us the faithful messenger brings healing. Is God’s Word a faithful messenger? Finally, Proverbs 13:24 tell us that the rod of reproof is crucial. God’s rod of reproof, corrects us, showing us our error, and how to do it right. We are disciplined, or discipled to seek God and learn from Him, the truth, the way, and the life.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Our Father; Full Of Mercy & Grace

First, let me apologize for this being delayed today. I needed to take some time off yesterday due to a foot problem, and didn’t get to do my posts as I wanted to.

Today’s message comes from Psalms and Proverbs 6. Psalm 6 gives us a picture of how detrimental to our soul, that sin can be. It also gives us an assurance that God sees, and hears-even when we’re besieged by sin-ours or that of others. When we cry out to the LORD/Lord, be it in fear, in dismay, at the end of our rope, etc., He answers us according to His steadfast love, with mercy and grace. When we fall into sin, or our heart gets a little hardened, and we finally come to the end of ourselves, God does not rebuke us or chastise us, in anger. God hates sin; but He loves the sinner. Verses 8-10 show us that just the knowledge that you are heard and cared for by God, gives hope and strength. That’s a good reason to stir your spirit up in the knowledge of God’s love for you every day!

Proverbs 6 gives us an idea of how much God hates sin and sinfulness. Verses 16-19 outline seven things, specifically, that God hates. Thus, going back to verses 1-11 admonish us to be careful of getting entrapped in sin, especially with our own words. (Words have power) We encouraged to bolster ourselves timely with God’s Word, to ensure a good harvest, or good fruit. We need to turn back immediately when we find ourselves in temptation, or in sin. The earlier we turn back, the more adversity and soul anguish we can avoid.

Proverbs 6: 20-25 let us know that the Commandment (standard and boundaries) is a lamp and the teachings of the LORD/Lord, a light to preserve us. Reproofs are admonitions, or warnings that we need to correct our actions. Correction is a way of life; we are not infallible. Correction empowers life, and life (truth, way, life) empowers self-correction. God’s admonition protects our soul, and empowers us with clarity, and strength to turn away from sin. If you look at verses 27 & 28, and think in terms of things that go against God’s standards and boundaries, you can see the danger of seduction by sin. The longer you dwell on something, the more apt you are to be swayed by it, to take it to heart, and to be ensnared by it, if it’s sin. Wherever you mind wanders, your heart is sure to follow, and then, there you’ll be. Wander into God’s Word, His Love, Peace, and Joy.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Wise Enough To Seek Him Still

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we need to make time to seek the Lord. The message tells us that all men seek Jesus; but not all know that it’s Him they seek.

He is the answer to all their hurting, sorrowing, confusion, and troubles. It’s our mission, and great privilege, to show them God’s love for them by our living, and our testimonies. But, if we want to live powerful lives for the Lord, we, ourselves, must not forget to seek Him. This is why we have the privilege of prayer; and remember that God walked with Adam and Eve daily in the garden of Eden. We also have the privilege and power of praise to bring us into God’s Presence. Jesus sought time alone with the Father often. We should follow His example until we are conscious of His Presence with us, and around us every minute. I found this wonderful old song, done by the Soweto Gospel Choir. The song often comes to mind when I think of where Jesus found me, and brought me from. I hope you are as blessed by it as I am.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

One Accord, Accordingly

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that when two or more are gathered together in Jesus’ Name, nothing shall be impossible for us.

We are, however, admonished to ask wisely. Being of one accord is not just unity of our love for the Lord. Being of one accord is being united in the decision(s) regarding the wisdom of what we’re asking, united in the decision about whether or not it is according to God’s Word, and united in the desire(s), results, goals we have in regard to what we’re asking.

I can, from my own experience, recall a few times a group of people just went gung-ho for something, only to have it go completely wrong. This happens when we’re not all on the same page in regard to the things listed above. Even when we pray alone for things, we’re not really alone, because we have the Holy Spirit and the Lord both helping us. But, it’s always best to look further down the road and try to picture what results we might get then, before we pray and get going full tilt on anything.

I’ve found, over the years, that my strongest prayers and best results come when I just ask God to work His will in me and in my life. He always reveals Himself and His Will. We just need to be more attuned to His answers.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu