Your Freewill Offering

Psalm 54 brings us today’s message. As I read the psalm, I thought about my mother and father. They often said, “I don’t care what everybody else is doing; that’s the rule here.” They also asked, “If they all jumped in the lake and drowned, would you jump in too?”

This psalm actually begins with King David entreating the LORD for help. Verse 6 of the psalm is a key one, though. “With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.” It brought me to this scripture in Colossians: “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.” (Col. 3:23-24 -NIV) Your obedience, your “keeping on keeping on,” and your thanks and praise (honoring God and His standard(s), is exactly what puts those enemies to shame. The Bible tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. It’s impossible to activate God’s power without faith. You wouldn’t flip the light switch if you didn’t believe it can turn the light on or off. When we obey and keep on keeping on, with gratitude and honor for the LORD, we activate the power of God within and round about us. This ties in with yesterday’s message, and psalm 53. This is God encamping round about us. You may not see it working the way you expect it to, but it is working. You will see the results manifest. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times in my life I’ve seen it do exactly that. And, I lost count some time ago, of how many times I messed it all up by not keeping on keeping on in obedience to the LORD; and by complaining instead.

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Take A Deep Breath Tuesday

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 52. It’s a rebuke to evil and evil doers, and a reassurance to us, that God does see and hear, and He is on the throne! I hope you’ll read the psalm for yourselves. This song comes to mind as I’m struggling my way through some things. I hope it blesses you as much as it does me. Thank you, again, Tasha Cobbs and friends, for a wonderful, wonderful inspiraton!

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Let Him Encamp Around You

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 53. It was written by King David. I have to wonder if it didn’t come to him the way it comes to all of us; after the fact. You know, you’re going through the storm, waves coming over the edge of the boat, wind tearing the sails apart…JESUS where are you?!!!!! All of a sudden, it’s over, and you don’t know how. And, here you are, still in one piece, still breathing, and the enemy is seen in the distance…limping away with his tail tucked between his legs. Praise God! That’s when it hits you: “O you of little faith…” And you realize just how awesome God is; how fiercely protective of you He is, and how swiftly and silently He can get the job done. He’s the original stealth bomber. LOL

As I read the psalm, I couldn’t help but look to time ahead, when there will be only a remnant left to deal with the evil. That remnant will be those who perhaps heard the gospel and came to believe when the church disappeared into thin air. As I think about that time to come, and the present darkness we live in now, I’m inclined to bow my head and pray even harder for those who will be left here. I’m also finding myself so very grateful for those who taught me about Jesus; from my grandmother, to the Sunday school teachers, Summer Bible Camp teachers, pastors, etc., and most of all, Jesus, Himself. Just think, if He hadn’t come and talked to us…If He’d only come and died for us…what we would be missing in terms of love, peace, power, and joy.

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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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Yes, Over ALL The Earth!

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 47. It is a praise offering to the LORD, by the sons of Korah. The psalm is a short one, so I’ll post the whole thing here.

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah God has gone up with a shout,
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

Does that stir you up? It fills me with a deep and awesome joy; and I can’t help but praise Him! Verse 1 tells us God is a great king over all the earth. That means there is nothing outside of His control; nothing. Verse 4 confirms that God chose us! Not only that, but He chose us to be His children! Is that awesome?! Hallelujah! In verse 8 we are assured that He reigns over all the nations, and that He is definitely on the throne! In verse nine our royal status is confirmed. But, when Jesus died and rose again, He raised that status. We are kings and queens in the earth. We are, in Christ Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father. That’s both awesome and more than a bit scary, isn’t it? It lets us know though, that we have a responsibility to the earth and its inhabitants. Remember Jesus’ words? He came to serve; not to be served. There’s a reference in this verse to the shields of the earth. When I researched it, I found that Jupiter, the magnetosphere, and the atmosphere are called shields of the earth. Here, actually on Earth, “a large area of exposed Precambrian crystalline igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks that form tectonically stable areas. These rocks are older than 570 million years and sometimes date back 2 to 3.5 billion years.” These are also called shields. They have to do with the earth’s crust, and plates that shift or don’t shift. Can you imagine God’s workload? These things are changed every time there’s a fire, flood, earthquake, or tornado and hurricane. (volume and weight) He has to adjust for all the depletion of the forests, the strip-mining, etc. WOWWWWW!!!!! Just think, if the weight of the earth was thrown all to one side? We could be careening through outerspace at breakneck speed and on a collision course with another planet. We might even be shot straight into the sun. No God? I beg to differ with you! This made me think of Psalm 104-a must read! That one will leave you awestruck and breathless.

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Forget Your Father’s House

Today’s message comes from Psalm 45, and it is inspiring and empowering. It fills me with new energy every time I read it. The psalm makes me think of Jesus.

Verse 10 of the psalm changed my life. “Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. That king will bestow on you a beauty that is desirable. It’s the Proverbs 31 kind of beauty. *I’ve said this before; it works for you guys too. Moving on to verse 12: This is not so much people seeking your favor with gifts, I believe, as it is people realizing that we have something different, something special. Verse 13 speaks about white robes interwoven with gold. Jesus takes our filthy rags and gives us bright white robes…and that gold?…well, once again, He takes your past and uses it to pave the road ahead of you. Those many colored robes in verse 14 are all those great things inside you, that you never even dreamed were there! Jesus reveals those to you. *I think of the word, multifaceted; like a prism. Those virgin companions are your new attitudes, thoughts, your new horizons, and new joys. Finally, the last two verses-16&17: “In place of your fathers will be your sons…” Your parents may have dropped the ball…but your generation leads the next generation in overcoming the mistakes and iniquities of the past generations. Your legacy will live on and on.

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As Strong As Jesus Is

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 43. This is perfect for Holy Week. When I read this psalm, I thought about Jesus steadfastness from the beginning of His ministry, right to the last moments before His ascension.

“Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!” When I read this line, the word “cause” speaks to me of Isaiah 61. Jesus read this one in the synagogue. I also think of Isaiah 58:5-7 “For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me?” God doesn’t reject us, but the enemy sure would love for you to believe that; and goes to great lengths to get you to. If you’re feeling like God has rejected you, check your attitude and your thoughts. Then, praise, praise, praise Him, and seek His face. David, in spite of some of the stuff he did, was a man after God’s own heart. “Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Why indeed? God ordained that the enemy might bruise your heel, but you will crush his head! The oppressor’s power is an illusion. Your life is hid in Christ Jesus! Stop mourning and start dancing!“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Jesus had to fight the same battles we did-with fatigue, frustration, even anger. Still, He kept right on walking out God’s plan for redemption for the world, refusing to be daunted. When I read the gospel accounts of His ministry, arrest, trial, suffering and death…and finally, His triumph over even death, I can only fall to my knees and say “Thank You, Lord, Jesus! -and please give me your strength.” God’s light and truth will led you and bring you up over your enemy, and to your next level of strength; and, always, always, back to glory and praise!

This song’s been playing as I was working on this. Casting Crowns with Here’s My Heart. It fits; because it’s when my heart is in His Hands that I’m the strongest!

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Which One Will You Be?

Today’s message is Part Two of Yesterday’s message from Psalm 35. We’re picking up at Verse 10, and I’m reading from the ESV. “All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

I want to focus on the words, “poor,” and “needy.” I also want to focus on that “from him who robs him,” part of the statement. Do you know that being poor and needy in this psalm means you are lacking something spiritually? King David was not a poor man materially. In (3 John 1:2) we read, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you (you may prosper) and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul (as your soul prospers). ” That lets me know that I might be, (actually, I am) either my own best friend, or my own worst enemy. My soul is my responsibility. Remember the parable of the sower and the seed in (Mark 4)

How do you deal with the relapse, the slip, the stumble, etc.? (Matthew 9:5) “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” Yes, rise and walk you must. But when you take on guilt, shame, fear, embarrassment, you are taking on so much weight spiritually, that you cannot get up. That’s what the pierced head, hands, and feet of Jesus freed you from. When your mind/spirit/heart/soul is hedged in (crown of thorns), your hands and feet are pretty much powerless. You’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Take responsibility instead. Acknowledge the truth of the situation, but do what you must do to correct it.

When we mess up, we have to speak salvation to our soul. When we speak God’s Word, we are sowing seeds of life giving power into our spirit and soul. Do you remember Jesus’ words on the cross just before He died? “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” God’s Word is God, Himself, coming to your rescue! Be your own best friend, and find every scripture that tells you what you are in God’s Sight! Precious, honored, the head and not the tail, etc. Write them down, and read them out loud’ every day, all day long throughout the day if you have to. Do not take the embarrassment, guilt, or shame! Jesus took that to Hell when He died for you!

This song never ceases to fill my heart with gratitude to the LORD/Lord. I get teary-eyed when I think of Jesus’ love for us. It’s the very same love the Heavenly Father, Himself has for us! Love yourself like they do; you’re worthy! Jesus did that for you! Thank you, Gather Vocal Band! I don’t know where I’d be without you.

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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.

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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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