Ah, The Ascents

We begin with Psalm 119 today. It is also called the Psalm, or Song of Ascents. It is quite a long one, and each different part brings us a revelation of God and His love for us, and affirmation or confirmation of what His Word does for our lives. Reading from the ESV.

Aleph (Verses 1-8)

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!

Why are we blessed when we walk in God’s law? God decreed it in Deuteronomy. We’re blessed because His testimonies are seed that is implanted in our hearts. God’s Word is alive and active, filled with power, and never returns void to Him. It accomplishes that for which He sends it. That one statement there taught me to actually pray the psalms.

When we keep His Word/His Precepts diligently, we are surrounded by them; protected by them. Praising God with an upright heart is actually a lot easier than some folks realize. Your heart is upright when it does not fear (be afraid) Him. Don’t fear (be afraid of) God, fear (respect) Him. It is a bold heart, that knows God’s love is unconditional, and His every intention toward us is love. Your heart, when you learn about God’s love for you, gets bolder and bolder as you grow closer to Him. When you have that kind of relationship with Him, you, in your spirit, will gladly run and throw yourself into His waiting arms.

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Simply Put

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 116. It’s one that reminds us to just stand up and tell the truth. Simply put, “Get real,” it says. LOL I want to focus on verses 5-7, but I hope you’ll read the entire psalm for yourselves. It’s a good check point.

“Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.”

Did you get that part about God being righteous and merciful? The one reason we’re afraid to get real with Him, I think, is because we don’t get that. God always judges rightly. He sees our hearts. God is always merciful. It may not seem like it when the stuff hits the fan in your life. but God is always merciful. All that stuff is what you’re reaping from something you’ve sown. Even then, God is merciful to us and deals bountifully with us. He gives us the strength to get through it, and the wisdom to learn from it, if we allow Him to. That’s where that “get real,” thing comes in. You can’t play games with God; He knows everything! So, if you’re not fooling Jesus, who are you fooling? That’s right; you’re fooling yourself. I’m speaking from personal experience. It works so much better and so much faster when you just get real; with Him, and with yourself. Then, your soul can be at rest (peace) to learn, correct, and overcome that thing that got you. Before you know it, the mess is cleaned up, God loves you and has you loving yourself even more than you did back then, and it’s all good. LOL

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Be Poor & Needy In Spirit

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 113. When I read it, I thought of the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt. 5:3) My focus is on verses 7-9, but the whole psalm is an awesome praise.

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!”

Isn’t it interesting how, when we’ve burned ourselves out, and all that’s left of what we thought was so wonderful is ashes, that we can find the strength to cry and cry out to God? That’s when we realize that we’re poor and needy. Thank you. Lord, for helping me to learn that I’m no less poor and needy when I’m riding high…because I wouldn’t even have the horse if it weren’t for you. Oh, how much time and joy was lost because I didn’t know that much sooner. The flip side is that you are no less than those who have learned that, and have lived it for however long. You’re brought right in to the table and seated among the princes and princesses! And, yes, God will make you a mama, or a daddy, to countless children (spiritual); because that’s why we are blessed. Our descendants are as numerous as the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. He decreed it when He made His covenant with Abraham.

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Increasing Your Days

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 61. it’s a psalm of King David’s, and a short one, so I’ll post the whole thing for you.

(Psalm 61 -ESV) “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.

The NIV reads: Increase the days of the king’s life. I like that word better than “prolong.” Here’s the reason: Increase also means to make greater in size, intensity, or degree. This tells me that I don’t have to live an ordinary, or humdrum life. When we allow God to lead us to that rock that is higher than we are, we can increase in every way. -Dear Jesus, I do not need to increase an;y more in size, by the way. Jesus said, “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)

King David prayed that he might be enthroned before God forever. This is what Paul meant when he said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24) In this way, we are truly enthroned before the LORD, because He sees our striving and serving.

When we allow steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over us, and to guide us, we learn to go the extra mile; we learn to give that extra whatever it is that makes for excellence. An example would be not only doing the dishes, but drying them and putting them away, cleaning the sink, sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, etc. for Mom or Dad, or for your mate. That’s an increase in your thoughtfulness, in the quality of your work, and in your sense of self-worth-because you’re striving to do an excellent job. This is growth on your part. Can you see the increase? When we make a habit of following the path of love and faithfulness, we increase our days with so much love, peace, and joy. And in a family, we actually increase everyone’s days.

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Making Straight The Path

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 50. It is God calling us out; God calling us to account. There’s a good checklist within, from verses 14-20.

We’re told to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform our vows to the Most High. This brings Jesus’ words home so powerfully to me. “Go first, and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” I learned something about blessing my enemies, and especially those who bait, curse, and persecute us. That thanksgiving sacrifice helps me refocus on my Savior, and what’s important to Him. I believe when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, all the Words in the Bible become “law” to us; or they should, anyway. 2Timothy 3:16 tells us this. I’m thinking of my dad whenever he would say, “What your mom says is law.” So, when we set out to do the will of God in all things, we’re essentially, taking, or making, a vow. We’ve made a vow to obey His Word.

As I read the psalm, I am convicted. There’s hope, though. Praise God! Verse 23 tells us: “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” As we thank God, we’re glorifying Him, which brings us closer to Him, creating a stronger desire to please Him. This really pleases Him, and sets that salvation in motion. We’re shown the error, the thorn, whatever it may be. We’re guided by the Spirit to correct ourselves and remedy the problem. The path is once again made straight.

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Maybe He’s Doin’ You A Favor

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 30. Psalm 30 is King David singing to the LORD. The whole thing is beautiful! (Psalm 30:6-7)”As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.” (ESV) This one really caught my attention. I’ve had three or four of those mountains in my life. There’s a twofold revelation here. First, we can get so caught up in our success(es) that we forget who got us there. “King/Queen of the hill, I am.” You’re already in trouble the minute you think it. I know; you think God would say, “Oh, yeah?” He doesn’t. God says, “Oh, no!” He knows what you’re in for. The devil loves to knock you down. That’s where the second revelation comes in. “By your favor,” O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong.” Oh, oh; what happened to my mountain? My high place just turned into a desert wilderness! It’s a mountain of sand! And here comes the storm! “God, why did you let that happen? God, can you hear me down here?! GOD, ARE YOU LISTENING?!! GOD, HELP ME!” “Yes, my child, I am listening. Now you’ve got it right.” (Matthew 5:1-14) (ESV)

Proverbs 30:1-9 reinforce Psalm 30. It’s almost like a small recap of Job. “I’ve learned my lesson, and I’ll just shut up and praise you now, LORD/Lord.” LOL Proverbs 30:7-9 go on with a short request by Agur, of the LORD. Then the rest of the proverb gives us some observations Agur has made. He ends with a bit of wise advice.

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Advice For The Royals

Today’s message comes to us from Proverbs 29; and since you are a king or queen in the earth, it’s for you.

Proverbs 29: 2 tells us “when the righteous flourish, people rejoice, but when the wicked rule people groan.” Proverbs 29:14 “If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.” That tells me that there is joy in the admonition, encouragement, instruction, and discipline of the Lord. It also tells me that my children will benefit much more if I raise them under the admonition of the Lord. Just as people groan under wicked rulers (parents, boss, supervisor, mate, leader), all of creation is apt to suffer because of wicked rulers. The reason for that is found in Proverbs 29:7-“A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.” This why we have things like pollution, affecting air, water, earth, and the ozone layer that protects us from the sun. Proverbs 29:4 tells us that a king builds up his land by justice, but one who exacts gifts, or *taxes heavily, tears it down. Justice is not only the aim in a court of law; it includes weighing all things out correctly, looking at a thing from all sides, in order to achieve what’s best for all. Exacting a gift is forcing someone to give something to you. This is the cause of most rebellion; even in our children. Force, or duress, is not conducive of peace, which is necessary for learning. Proverbs 29:15 tells us that the rod and reproof give wisdom. The rod, in this case, is used to measure growth, progress, correctness of action. Reproof is instruction meant to correct thinking and action. Isn’t it much easier to learn something when you are made aware of your error(s) and helped to understand the correct way? Proverbs 29: 19 addresses that. “By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.” But, by instruction, and with help, correction can come about. The spilt milk example fits well here. We help the child to clean up the mess, and then figure out how to avoid spilling the milk again. Punishment needs to fit the crime. {You broke the window, and must pay to replace it.} Proverbs 29:12 is an admonition to be careful who you surround yourself with; and to check facts. “If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.” Proverbs 29:22 shows us the value of peace. “A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. Ever wonder why your children seem to go from being in trouble to being in more trouble, to being in even more trouble? There’s a difference between loving discipline and harsh punishment. Proverbs 29:23 tells us that “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” I think of (Matt. 20:28) when I read this one. Jesus came to serve; not to be served. He gave His life to ransom all who believe and receive Him. Proverbs 29:25-26 “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.” This is a warning against falling into “people pleasing,” or even expecting people to be pleased with you, actually. Trust in the LORD because He teaches us justice. (Right understanding, correctly weighing things out).

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It’s The Still Small Voice

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 23. Psalms 23 is one of the absolute very best affirmations and assurance of God’s love and protection over us, that you can speak into your spirit. Just try it every morning for a week; you’ll see. The revelations of the power of that still small voice, and a quiet, peaceful atmosphere are awesome. They really empower progress when we’re dealing with our children, mates, and ourselves when we’re overcoming generational curses and their dysfunctional mindsets. Really, this is awesome when we’re dealing with others; period.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. –I have nothing lacking within. He makes me lie down in green pastures. – Hi mercies are new each morning. So are His peace, joy, protection, and power; His love. He leads me beside still waters. – Here’s that still, small voice. No distractions, no fear, no overwhelming amounts of information; it’s tailored to your readiness and ability to understand. He restores my soul. – All fear is gone; I am still loved -honored and precious in His sight. My spirit is strengthened and empowered to desire to grow and progress. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. – He deals with me, teaches me, and admonishes me according to the standard(s) and boundaries set to empower my life. Is that awesome?! When we deal with ourselves and our children, other loved ones, etc. in this way, there is less confusion, more peace, and much more joy. Verses 4 & 5 tell us that we can let go of all fear, because God prepares a table for us in the very presence of our enemies, and anoints our heads with oil until our cup overflows. That table is filled with the choicest morsels; God’s Word. That Word is our weapon. We have the mind of Christ. And, remember those rivers of living water Jesus promised us? And the oil is the Holy Spirit, Himself. He is our counselor, comforter, guide, and then some! Verse 6 sums up the whole psalm. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. God’s goodness and God’s mercy is at work in our daily lives. Just pay attention; you’ll realize those moments He stepped in and saved the day. And, if you look around, even just as you’re leaving your house, open the eyes of your heart, you’ll see His goodness everywhere.

Proverbs 23 is filled with wisdom for living. Verses 10-12 send a powerful message. Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. -Don’t mess with the standards and boundaries! Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. This is an admonition to check yourself when you’re tempted to “relax the rules.” Many a generational curse came on because the next generation defied the standards and boundaries set by the previous one. We need to make sure that we make informed choices. Remember Paul’s words: All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. God put those things in place to protect us. And, so did our parents, and their parents, and theirs before them. The rest of the Proverb is an admonition encouraging us to respect parents, and to learn from them and from God. This is what empowers us to live better lives.

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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.

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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.

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