This Is Good and Pleasant

Psalms 133:1-2 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments.

Behold! The psalmist begins this Psalm drawing our attention to something that needs to be observed. Why? Because it was, and is, something that is often a rare sight. This rare sight is the one thing that today gives great evidence that we belong to the Lord Jesus. It is a sight that displays love for one another, and is something that was commanded by the Lord Himself. God describes this rare sight as both good and pleasant, or beautiful and delightful. This rare sight is called unity. How wonderful it would be, and how much we could accomplish for the glory of the Lord, if God's people would only live in unity. In John 13:35 Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In other words, by this strange thing called unity, as we love one another, the world will know that we belong to Jesus. The Lord expressed His desire for the church in John 17:22-23, "And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are One, I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world would know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me." Can we see why unity amongst God's people is such a good and pleasant thing? It is a reflection of the unity that exists in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The psalmist compares this unity to the anointing oil of the high priest who is consecrated and set aside for God's use. It is a fragrant oil that was not to be reproduced for personal use, but for use only in the service of God Almighty. How can we effectively serve God, as the church, when rather than becoming a sweet fragrance in unity, we choose instead to exude the stench of worldly and devilish division? James 4 clearly tells us that strife within the body comes from pride; from desires for pleasure, lust, covetousness, and friendship with the world. Oh that God's people would realize how much more could be accomplished if we would only put our pride aside, see others as being better than ourselves, and exist with one another in humble unity, loving one another as Jesus commanded. Sadly, the one thing that God's people have the ability to do, by the Spirit's leading, is the one thing Satan and his devils do very well themselves. It is no wonder they have such an easy time keeping us divided. Today, if we truly want to live in unity within the church, we will need to start with self. Yes, we need to begin, individually, with the Lord's command from Romans 12:18, "If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men." My brothers and sisters, this applies one hundred-fold to each of us as the children of God; because in the eyes of our Lord, this is truly good and pleasant.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

We Can Rest On His Promises

Psalms 132:1-2 Lord, remember David and all his afflictions; how he swore to the Lord, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.

In this Psalm we read a plea to God that He remember the afflictions that David suffered as God's anointed king; and his desire to build the Temple and restore worship to what it should have been, for the glory of God. But more importantly, it was also a plea that God would remember His promise, His covenant, with David. Today, we too can make a plea to God that He restore true worship in His Temple, which God tells us in His Word that it is our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We can also make a plea that He remember the afflictions of, and promises by, our Lord and Savior. During David's life and reign he suffered many trials and challenges for different reasons. However, through it all, the desire that He had for God's glory made him a man after God's own heart. God's promise to David was that his throne would be established forever, through his lineage; but the throne would only be eternally established through Jesus Christ our Savior, and Israel's Messiah. So when trials and persecutions came, the plea would be that God would fulfill His promise to Israel by way of the Lord's covenant with David. Today, as we walk with the Lord through life's trials, tests, and persecutions, we can plea for the Lord to remember the afflictions that Jesus suffered in order to bring us eternal life and have life more abundantly (John 10:10). We can pray the Word of God and remind the Lord (not that He is a forgetful God) of what He has promised us in Christ Jesus. When afflictions come, we can praise the Lord that Jesus suffered the ultimate afflictions for us, so that we would not suffer the ultimate punishment...eternity without Him. Instead we can find comfort, peace, and joy, knowing that we can hold on to the promises we have in Jesus; because no matter what we suffer in this life, it cannot compare to what has been promised to us, who are God's children, in the life to come (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). The bottom line is that we can rest on God's promises.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

What Do We Seek?

Psalms 131:1-2 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6) We know from God's Word that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Today we are reminded that God desires humility from His children. The psalmist proclaims something that is very difficult for many of us to also proclaim; that there is no pride in our hearts, and that we do not look down on others. It is pride infecting our heart that drives us to think that we are somehow better than others. Yet the Word of God warns us that those who think they are something, when they are nothing, deceive themselves (Galatians 6:3). How easily the devils convince us that we are more important than we really are. Jesus teaches us in Luke 14:8-11 that it is best to always accept the lower place of humility and wait on the Lord to lift us up and promote us. The psalmist refused to involve himself in things that were not his to handle. He refused to promote himself to a position that was not his to occupy. This is something that we must be very careful to avoid in our lives in general, especially in our service to God. We must be willing first to take on the most humble of tasks, and let God open the door and promote us to a place where He desires for us to serve; whatever that might be. How do we accomplish arriving at this place of contentment? The psalmist tells us that we must be like a child that is weaned and resting on the bosom of its mother. The weaning process seems terrible to the child, as it perceives that it is being denied the one thing it desires, to be fed and have its needs and desires met. However, once the battle is over, it realizes that it can trust that its mother will still meet those needs; but now can simply enjoy being quiet in its mother's presence. So it is with us, when we truly learn that God is always present, and we can simply sit and enjoy being in His presence; knowing that He will take care of our every need. So my question for us today is this, "What are we seeking?" Are we allowing the world to set the standard of what we need to achieve in this life, or are we resting in Christ, and allowing God to guide our steps? Are we seeking that which is not ours to have, making ourselves more important than we really are, and trampling over others in the process? Are we humbly serving God in all we do, and allowing Him to promote us in His time? So I ask again, "What are we seeking?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Who Could Stand?

Psalms 130:3-4 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

How wonderful it is to know that our sins have been washed away by the Blood of Jesus! As the psalmist cries out to the Lord for help, he also acknowledges his inability to stand before Him, in his own righteousness. "Who could stand?" That was his question. The answer is a simple one...no one could stand. If God, who sees all things, were to keep a record of our sins and judge us based on our own righteousness, how tragic would it be for each and every one of us? There would be absolutely no hope, and we would all perish. Praise be to God that in Christ Jesus we have forgiveness for our sins. As we ponder just how much we were forgiven, and continue to be forgiven, how can we not, in humility, show reverence for our God and Savior? Who can be more deserving of praise than the One who died for us, paid the price for our sins, and freely saved us; when we believed and called on His Name, by faith? Today we lift our voices in praise to the just God, who has every right to punish us, but instead chooses to forgive and deliver us from our sins; imputing His own righteousness on us, so that we can stand.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Persecuted, But Not Forsaken

Psalms 129:1-2 "Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth," let Israel now say— "Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me."

It is very easy to see that Israel has suffered much persecution throughout its history as a people and a nation. Much of its suffering was caused by their own choice to turn their back on God, and worship other gods. Nonetheless, even in times of peace, their enemies always lurked in waiting, and were always looking for the right time to strike at them. The church today is no different. My brothers and sisters, can I remind us all today that we are in a war? Have we forgotten that we have enemies that do not sleep? Satan and his army are always working and waiting for just the right opportunity to strike. 1 Peter 5 reminds us that Satan goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The lion hunts and attacks the weak and the sickly. So it is when we become weak and sickly, as individuals, because of a lack of prayer and study of God's Word, that we become targets for the devils. What we fail to see is that when we, as individuals are weak, we also weaken the local church. Yes, when we become the weakest link, the devils use us to cause discord and division amongst the brethren. Sadly, we do not even realize it because we are often too busy misusing God's Word (just as the devils do) to prove our false positions. However we, as the church, should not be surprised when the enemy launches attacks against us. Like Israel, we are constantly surrounded, and always potentially vulnerable, as not everyone in God's army is ever diligently studying, praying, and walking in the Spirit. Nonetheless, there is hope. I love that the psalmist, even in remembering the affliction, quickly turns the corner and says, "Yet..." We too can quickly turn the corner, when we experience persecution, as individuals or as the church, and say, "Yet, they have not prevailed..." The fact of the matter is that Jesus said that He will build His church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Even the Apostle Peter tells us not to think of fiery trials as some strange thing that happens to us; but instead we are to rejoice to the extent that we partake of Christ's sufferings, because one day we will rejoice when His glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12-13). So I want to remind us today that if we are suffering or feeling discouraged because of a fiery trial, individually or as the church, rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Jesus; and know that the Lord will fulfill His promise to continue building His church. Like the Apostle Paul, we can look back at all the times we, or the church, have been in the heat of the battle and been carried through by the Lord. When it is all said and done we can truly stand on the words of 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-".

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Blessed Is The One...

Psalms 128:1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.

God's promise in this Psalm is not a universal promise, but one that is specific to Israel. Nonetheless, there is a portion that is a universal promise, and it is contained in the very first verse. That promise is that we have the ability to be blessed. The awesome thing about such a promise is that it is not limited to any one person or group of people. This promise is given to those who first, and foremost,  fear the Lord. In other words, those who have true reverence for God. The psalmist is not speaking of a reverence that is just lip service. He is talking about reverence that makes a difference in the way we live, and is plainly reflected, and evidenced, by the way we walk with Jesus. Please keep in mimd that being blessed comes in every shape and size. What I am saying is that blessings do not always come in the form of material things. Sadly, we often miss the blessings because they do not come packaged the way we expect them to. Israel was promised a blessed home life, if they truly feared God and walked in His ways. Is this a blessing that the Lord can bestow on us today? Yes, it most certainly is. However, we must also acknowledge that this may not always be the case for any one of us and our families; as we are never immune from experiencing trials in this lifetime. The comfort we have in this promise is that regardless of what the Lord allows, there are many other blessings that God will bestow upon us as we walk with Him, even in the trials. The bottom line is that the greatest blessing that comes from fearing the Lord and walking in His ways is that we will have an intimacy that will enable us to continually sense His presence and see His Hand at work in our lives.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

If God Is In It...

Psalms 127:1-2 Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.

Vanity of vanities. A good reminder today that a life built without God being in it is a life without purpose. A life built without a personal relationship with Jesus is a life built in vain. When we seek to build the things that the world tells us will bring happiness and satisfaction, what we really get is worry, anxiety, and exhaustion. We may climb the ladder of success, but what we find at the top is loneliness, and missed opportunities to truly enjoy life. In the process of chasing success and riches, we lose family, friends, and in the end maybe even our health; the result of many sleepless nights and lack of nutrition. After all, who has time to eat or sleep when there is so much to accomplish. Sadly, those who build their lives, by their own strength, accomplishing what the world promises will bring them fame, fortune, and satisfaction, usually end up addicted to alcohol, drugs, and often end up commiting suicide. It is vanity to build anything, whether a physical building, a successful career, or a large family, or even a ministry, if it is all built on our own pride and strength. The bottom line is that none of it is safe and can be lost in the blink of an eye. On the contrary, the man or woman who builds their life on a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus, though they be poor in the things of the world, will be a man or woman who is rich and blessed. When we build our lives on the Rock, who is Jesus, then we build our lives on the most solid foundation we can build upon. If we build our homes, our careers, our families, and the ministry, with Jesus at the center of it all, we will build a life that is guided by the Spirit, with real purpose...God's purpose. We will realize that all we have belongs to God, and that He will be the One to decide what we will have or not have, based on our needs, and His plan for our lives. It may not be a life that looks like a success to the world, and may not produce the of riches the world says we need to have in order to be deemed a success; but it will be a life that produces the kind of riches and rewards that cannot be lost or taken from us...heavenly rewards. A life built on Jesus is a life that enables us to wake up, give thanks, go labor, toil, give, save, and serve; and at the end of the day be able to go home, sit down, give thanks, have a meal, give praise and thanks again, turn off the lights, and find peaceful rest. Why? Because when we prayerfully build our lives with Christ at the center, trusting Him and His Word as we go along, we realize that He is always in control. He is the One who is our Provider and Protector. The bottom line is that if God is in it, then it is not a life built in vain, but a life built for the glory of God. There is no greater success or reward than this.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Renewed Laughter and Singing

Psalms 126:1-2 When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

The joy and celebration that must have taken place whenever God delivered Israel from those who enslaved them; the taste of freedom, after so many years in captivity. Yet, there were occasions when they quickly forgot the joy of their freedom, when they faced adversity. When God delivered them from slavery in Egypt, it did not take long for them to murmur against God and Moses. Oh how fickle man can be. I have to ask of us today, "Have we lost the joy of the freedom we have in Jesus?" Have we allowed life and it's circumstances to cause us to lose sight of the blessed freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus? Have we forgotten that before Jesus, we were captive to sin and the fear of death? Have we forgotten that we were being held captive by Satan's lies? Have we allowed our laughter and our joy to be replaced by worry, stress, and depression? Have we allowed sin and the trials of life to rob us of the song we once had in our heart for the Lord? Today...right now...let us say, like King David, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit." (Psalms 51:2) Is there something we are holding on to today that we need to give over to the Lord, so that we can once again celebrate our wonderful gift of salvation? I pray that we will be reminded today that the Lord has done great things for us, and that we have all the reason in the world to enjoy laughter once again. In Christ, we have the ability to renew the songs of praise and thanks we once had in our hearts for the Lord God our Savior.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

A Picture and A Promise

Psalms 125:1-2 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.

A picture and a promise. That is what we see in today's verses. A beautiful picture of the Lord's presence in our lives. As born again believers the Holy Spirit indwells us and seals us. This is something we know, and are secure in, if we are in God's Word as we should be. However, here we have a wonderful picture of how God not only dwells within us, but He also surrounds us, like immoveable mountains. The Word of God reassures us that God is constantly surrounding us with His love, from which we can never be separated (Romans 8:38-39). He surrounds us with His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Every moment of every day, the Lord is with us, surrounding us, protecting us, providing for us, and seeking an intimate relationship with us. Not only is there this beautiful picture for us in these verses, but there is also a promise. That promise tells us that if we trust the Lord, we will be like a mountain that will not be moved. If we are trusting in, and standing on, the Rock who is Jesus, then no matter what comes our way, we will stand. When the trying circumstances come, we must remember that as the Lord surrounds us, nothing, absolutely nothing, can touch us unless it is first allowed passage by the Lord. If it is allowed to pass, it will pass with a purpose; a purpose that God will use for our good and His glory. So today we can be encouraged that our God is the Filter in our lives who determines what will pass and what will be halted; and when He allows something to pass, if we trust Him we will be able to stand and be immovable, come what may. In Christ we already have victory over death and the grave, so let us march on as commanded in 1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." Today, let us soak in the beauty of the picture and stand strong on the promise; for He who made the promise is always faithful.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

If It Had Not Been For The Lord

Psalms 124:2-3 "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us;"

Today's verses immediately reminded me of Romans 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" What things were the Apostle Paul speaking of? He was speaking of the "sufferings of this present time" and how they were "not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us". (Romans 8:18) The psalmist was making the clear point that if it were not for Jehovah, Israel would be overtaken and swallowed up by their enemies. The fact of the matter is that when we have Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives, no one, absolutely no one, can stand against us. Please hear me. This does not mean that the Lord will not allow others to come against us. Man's wrath will rise up against God, the things of God, and God's people. However, the promise of victory over those attacks is guaranteed to be in our favor. Suffering, trials, tribulations, and persecutions will come, and are unavoidable; if we are truly living for Jesus. The comfort and strength we find in all of this is knowing that God promised that He will work all things out for our good, for those of us who love Him, and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) When those moments come, we can be certain that God is with us. We can be certain that God is fighting for us. We can be certain that God is allowing it to mold us, shape us, and conform us to the image of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). As we fight through the battles, with prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, we will be able to worship Him, praise Him, and thank Him for counting us worthy to suffer for Him. When He has walked with us, and carried us through the attacks of the ungodly and those who were supposed to stand with us, we will always be able to look back and say, "If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side..." Praise be to the Lord who is always faithful to His children, regardless of the circumstances!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Eyes Toward Heaven

Psalms 123:1 Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.

A wonderful reminder today that the best place to put our focus on, in times of trouble, is on the Lord. Although we know that the Spirit of God indwells us, the best place to set our eyes is heavenward, where God sits on His throne. Interestingly, the psalmist uses the examples of a servant keeping watch on his master's hand, and a maiden keeping watch on her mistress's hand. Why is that? It is said that in the East, the master is a man of little words and directs with his hands, and Eastern women were very strict about training their maidens to watch for commands given to them using hand gestures. Neither the servant nor the maiden dared to miss a command that was being given, so they focused on their master's and mistress's hands. What an appropriate reminder it is for us to keep our eyes on God and His Word. For it is during times of trials and tribulations that we have the greatest tendency to take our eyes off of God, and put them on what we think are the best solutions to our troubles. We have no desire to spend more time in the midst of trials than we have to; and "since God does not seem to want to move this along or even care that we are hurting so much", we decide that it is best that we seek our own solutions. We go to planning and scheming, and seeking the help of others, and inevitably put way too much faith in everything and everyone, except the One who already has the answer and is waiting for us to put our eyes on Him. He patiently waits for us so that He can direct us. Where is our focus today? Why wait until trouble comes, before we start looking up? Let us lift our eyes up toward Heaven, the place where our Heavenly Father sits. Jesus will quietly remind us that we have a Comforter who is with us; that we are never alone, and that He is patiently waiting to guide us. So...look up! Eyes toward Heaven!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Will We Let Him In?

Psalms 122:6-7 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.”

It is no secret that we, as born again children of God, should be praying for God's people, Israel. Contrary to what some are teaching, God has neither forsaken Israel, nor has He withdrawn His promises to them. The church has not replaced, and never will replace, Israel. With that said, we should be, and must be, praying for Israel's peace. However, I am not talking about the peace that everyone talks about where her enemies no longer attack her. I am not talking about a peace where they no longer have to build walls to keep their enemies out. I am talking about true peace. The only peace that comes from acknowledging, knowing, and calling upon Jesus as their Messiah. That is the only way there will be true peace in Jerusalem. The fact of the matter is that there is a reason that this will not change until Jesus returns. God has allowed a partial blindness to come upon the Jews, because of their unbelief, until "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." But, the Bible also tells us that, "All Israel will be saved." (Romans 11:19-27) Praise God that this unbelief on their behalf has been beneficial to us who now know Jesus as Savior, and have now been grafted in with the Jews. What the Jews need more than ever today is that we pray for as many of them as possible to call upon Jesus as their Messiah, before the time of the Tribulation when many will lose their lives. At the end of that seven year period, when the Antichrist will come against them with all fierceness, and they are essentially cornered; it will be at Jesus' reappearance, at His Second Coming, that all of Israel will finally acknowledge Jesus as their Savior and King, their Messiah. Zechariah 12:10 clearly tells us that on that day God will pour "the Spirit of grace and supplication" on them, and they will look upon Jesus, the One they pierced, and mourn. Zechariah 13:7-9 tells us that two-thirds of Israel will be cut off and die, but one-third will be saved. So when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem today, we need to pray that as many as possible receive their Messiah, the Prince of Peace. Before I close today's devotional, it would be negligent of me if I did not ask..."Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord?" If not, what are you waiting for? The One who offers true peace in a world of trials and tribulations is knocking on the door of our hearts. Will we let Him in?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Our God Never Ever Sleeps

Psalms 121:4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Today's Psalm is the Psalm of the traveler. A wonderful reminder that God not only accompanies us in life's journey, but continually has a watchful eye on us. Even when the path He leads us on brings us through difficult and dangerous circumstances, He stays close, protecting us, and providing for us what He knows we need. Note that I did not say, "What we think we need." Whether we walk day or night; whether we are walking in the light of joyful times, or the darkness of sorrowful times, Jesus walks with us. He is never asleep when we are sleepless, so we always have someone to talk to. When no one else is around and we feel lonely, we can turn and have conversation with Him, as we pray and read His Word. When we are hurting, and no one else understands our pain, we have One who know exactly how we feel, because He too has experienced great pain. When we feel forsaken and unloved, we have a Savior who was forsaken on the cross, for our sake, in order to show us how much we truly are loved. No matter where life's journey takes us, or what we experience while walking the path of life, know this...the same God who keeps Israel is the same God who keeps our soul, who walks with us, watches over us, and takes care of us every step of the way. We have a God who never takes His eyes off of us, because our God never ever sleeps.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

As Much As Depends On You

Psalms 120:1-2 In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.

Here is a truth that many of us do not like or desire to experience. That truth is that all of us who proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior will, at some point, be in distress. If we are alive, breathing, and living on earth, it is unavoidable. Jonah used these words to cry out to God when he found himself in the belly of the great fish. Interestingly, the great fish Jonah found himself in was prepared for him by God Himself. In Jonah's case it was because Jonah disobeyed God, and refused to go to Nineveh to preach to the people there. Nonetheless, think about the condition Jonah found himself in. He was in complete darkness. I cannot imagine that the belly of a fish smells very pretty. I am talking about "gagging and throwing up" kind of smelly. On top of all that, imagine what the digestive enzymes of that fish's belly did to Jonah's skin. This is what our distress may feel like when we are falsely accused, and lied about. Yet, this is the very thing that God may allow someone to do, as He uses the occasion to teach us how to respond in a godly manner. So how do we respond to someone who just outright lies about us? Do we lash out? Do we immediately defend ourselves? The psalmist shows us that the first thing we need to do is go to the One who knows the truth. We cry out to the Lord who knows our heart, and knows the truth. As difficult as it may be, sometimes the best course of action is to remain silent, and only speak when the Holy Spirit prompts us to speak. Then when we do, we do it with love, from a calm and peaceful heart, knowing that God will reveal the truth and take vengeance against the liars in His time and His way. The bottom line is that we cannot control what others say about us. What we can do is choose to live life doing what is right before God. In this way, when the liars speak their false accusations and lies, they will eventually be put to shame (1 Peter 3:13-17). The psalmist desired peace, but those around him wanted war. So it is today that no matter how much we desire peace, there will be those around us who will prefer division, and seem to thrive on causing trouble and lying about others. Yes...sadly...even amongst the brethren. So how are we to respond? Well, we go to God and His Word, and seek from Him the response that would honor Him most and bring Him the most glory. Romans 12:17-18 "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." The rest of that portion of Scripture is God's promise that He will take vengeance, if we move aside and give room to His wrath by being kind and showing love toward the offender(s).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Let Him Be Our Helper

Psalms 119:169-170, 173 Let my cry come before You, O Lord; give me understanding according to Your word. Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word. Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts.

In the midst of troubles, trials, and persecutions is the most dangerous and vulnerable time for us to make decisions and choices. They can be very emotional and confusing times. We get exhausted emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. That is when the devils make their move; just as Satan did when he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). However, the psalmist gives us a great example of what is needed in times of trouble. What is needed first and foremost is prayer. The psalmist cries out to the Lord with prayer and supplication, just as we are told to do in Philippians 4:6-7. We cry out to God knowing that He hears us. The same God who heard the cries of His people while they were enslaved in Egypt is the same God who hears the cries of His children today. I was even reminded today that when we do not know how to pray, when we do not have the words to utter, the Holy Spirit knows, helps us in our weaknesses, and intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26). It is because of the Spirit's intercession that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28); and why it ultimately works out to help us be more like Jesus in our response to those who persecute us (Romans 8:29). But how do we get to this place in the midst of despairing times? It begins with the choices we make while walking through the stormy times. First by choosing prayer, but also by choosing to allow God to be our helper, by choosing to follow His Word, with the help of the Spirit. This is the only way that we will get through those times when we are hurt and confused by the actions of others toward us. This is the only way that we will find peace, joy, and strength, when life seems to take a turn down a path we did not ask to be put on, or one that we were put on because we chose to do what the Lord led us to do. The bottom line is that we will always survive the most trying of times when we make the wise choice of letting Jesus be our Helper.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Recipe for Great Peace

Psalms 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Note that the verse says nothing about keeping the Law perfectly. It makes reference to one who loves God's Law. In other words, we are to love the Word of God, and out of that love strive to obey it; because there is no one who can keep it perfectly. When we love God's Word, we quickly discover how much God showed His love for us through Christ. That should surely motivate us, and give us the desire to study it, so that we know how to correctly apply it. As we seek to be doers, and not just hearers, we will stop and search the Word, in response to those who persecute us. What we will find is that many will even take God's Word out of context in order to persecute us, by rebuking us and judging us out of selfish motives, and make false assumptions and accusations. As we go to the Lord in prayer, and prayerfully search the Bible, we will realize that we do not have to respond to every accusation or insult that comes our way. Especially if we give God room to come to our defense, and take vengeance on our behalf (Romans 12). There is no greater peace than knowing that God is our High Tower and our Shield. When we have peace to that extent, the psalmist says that we will not be offended (emotionally or spiritually injured) by our persecutors. Beloved, let us never feed into the accusations, judgments, and lies, of those who persecute us. When we do, we simply feed into the schemes of Satan, who loves to use whoever is willing to be used by him, whether unsaved or saved, to cause us grief; and even attempt to cause division and break up the local church. Let us instead keep our eyes on Jesus, stay in His Word, do our best to live a life of obedience to God, and bring every single solitary concern before His throne. That, my dear brothers and sisters, is a true recipe for great peace!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Don't Let Them Rob Us

Psalms 119:164 Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.

In spite of all the psalmist suffered, he did not allow his persecutors to rob him of the one thing that is of utmost importance in the life of a believer...praise. Hebrews 13:15 says, "By Him, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name." Note that the writer of Hebrews does not just say, "offer praise", but instead calls praise a sacrifice. As born again believers, we are a royal priesthood, and a priest offers up sacrifices on the altar. We not only offer ourselves on the altar as living sacrifices, but we offer up our praises as sacrifices. In other words, we offer God praise, not just when times are good, but we are to offer praise when life goes sideways and the bottom falls out. No matter what the circumstances, and no matter who persecutes us or betrays us, our God is still good; that never changes. Therefore, we are to offer the sacrifice of praise in the worst of times, as if it were the best of times. We may offer them up in tears, but we offer them nonetheless. We must never let our circumstances or trials rob us of the opportunity to praise God; and even more importantly we must not let others, their lies, and their wicked behavior, rob God of the praise He deserves and is due Him. When we truly worship God with our lives, it becomes a life that will continually offer both the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. This all may seem impossible, but note how the writer of Hebrews began that verse, "By Him". Our ability to praise God and give Him thanks does not come from our strength. No, it comes from the power we find, and have, in Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul put it best when he expressed that regardless of what state he was in, he could be content, because he could do all things through Christ who strengthened Him. (Philippians 4:11-13) So it is with the child of God, that in Jesus we can offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, no matter what the Lord allows. So let us not allow others to rob us of the great joy of offering up praise to God, even seven times a day.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

From Any Direction

Psalms 119:157 Many are my persecutors and my enemies, yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.

"I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." These are the Words of Jesus in John 16:33. They serve as a reminder that in this world the born again believer will not escape persecution. The reality of persecution and suffering is that it can come from any direction. It will come when we choose to do those things that are right before God, and contrary to the world's view and ways, and the opinions of others. Not only could it come from an enemy, but it could also come from family, friends, and even brothers and sisters in Christ. In Psalms 41:9 and 55:12-13, David agonized over the persecution that came from those he called friends. The persecution that comes from an enemy can be difficult enough to deal with, but when it comes from someone who is supposed to be a person who loves you, the pain can be far too much to bear. Sadly, it is this kind of betrayal that causes some people to push away from Christ and the church. When others see this, especially if they are not saved, it causes them to repel from the Gospel, and use "hypocrisy" as an excuse to reject God's truth. For us who are the persecuted, we must remain faithful to the Word of God and to God Himself. It is our duty to pray for those who betray us, and even love them. We must not move away from the Word, but instead we should draw nearer to God and His Word. Regardless of the source of our persecution, we must remember that if we suffer persecution unjustly, for Jesus' sake, then our reward in Heaven will be great. Matthew 5:11-12 tells us, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Have We Opened the Door?

Psalms 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

We love both the home that we live in now and the one the Lord blessed us with previously. However, one big difference with both homes is the amount of light that comes in during the day. Our current home has plenty of light, even though the sun does not shine directly into any of the windows for long at any particular time of the day. Even on cloudy days, there is plenty of light. In our previous home, in order for us to really enjoy the daylight, we had to open the front door wide so that the light would shine through the glassdoor. The Word of God is no different. We can casually read it, and even hear it read; but if we never open our minds and hearts so that it gets in and gets rooted, we will never have the understanding we need in order to live out the plan God has for our lives. That is why it is of utmost importance that we prayerfully read and study the Bible. As born again believers we have the Holy Spirit in us who will illuminate the Word of God in the very depths of our understanding; so that even the most simple-minded person can have the kind of wisdom and understanding that will leave others marveling. This was the case with the disciples, as was recorded for us in Acts 4:13, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." So, I guess the question I have to ask each of us today is, "Have we opened the door?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Do We Love It Enough?

Psalms 119:127-128 Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

How much do we love the Word of God? Enough to turn down a large amount of gold, if we were told that by accepting it we would agree never to touch another Bible? Would it be something we would have to think about or would we be able to answer immediately? I believe many of us would probably take the spiritual route and claim that we would turn down the gold instantly. Well, if that is the case, why is it that many of us have forsaken time in the Scriptures, chasing riches that we do not have, nor have been guaranteed to ever possess? Why have we forsaken quiet time with the Lord, in prayer and His Word, to indulge in what the world deems valuable yet can be lost in the blink of an eye? There are so many things that we gain from God's Word and a relationship with Jesus, that gold cannot buy. Such as eternal life, hope, peace, joy, forgiveness, real grace and mercy (the kind that keeps us out of that literal place called Hell), just to name a few. But now let us say that we do love the Word of God more than gold, even fine gold. Do we love it enough to hate falsehood, evil ways, and wickedness? If we say we do, is it reflected in the way we are living for Jesus? Can it be said of us what was said of Job, a man who was upright, feared God, and hated evil? Yes, those were the words that God used to describe Job to Satan. Do any of us value God's Word so much that its value dwarfs that of gold? Do any of us love the Word of God so much that it causes us to hate evil? But not just everyone else's evil, our own as well? Do we really love it enough?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).