Therefore will I hope in Him

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. – Lamentations 3:21-26 KJV

Wonderful song: Tenth Avenue North – Times.

God’s Prescription

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. – (John 15:4-5 KJV)

Just something that hit me between last night and this morning:

Sin is the cancer upon which our flesh – our fleshly desires – feed. Jesus is the cure with His Word being our daily dosage of medicine. Reading, studying and meditating on the Word of God provide regular injections of Jesus into our lives which fight against the infestation of sin in our lives. This is an on-going battle where there is a direct relation between how much we are in the Word – in Jesus – and how much ground is gained or lost in our battle against sin in our lives and our parasitic flesh which desires those things of this world. Therefore, each day we need to get an infusion of the Word & the Spirit in order to beat back the infestations of our flesh and sin.

This is God’s prescription through Jesus. It is a daily requirement for proper spiritual nourishment.

Put on your glasses…

Ever since my doctor told me that I needed to keep the blood flowing in my legs, I’ve regularly taken a walk at lunch time. I’ve found a little walkway which is shaded by trees on both sides and goes in a square which gives me the shade from the sun that I prefer when I am walking.

I will often take off my glasses and hang them on my shirt durning my walk to give my eyes a rest since I stare at a computer screen for the majority of my work day. Today was no exception. So, as I walked around I started to think about how amazing our eyes are. I can only focus fully on things no further than three feet in front of me without my glasses. Yet, I could still tell what I was seeing even though they were well beyond my focus length.

Psalm 96:1-9

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. – (Psalm 96:1-9 KJV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. – (Romans 1:16 KJV)

So simple. Just believe. No strings attached. The rest happens by itself.

Psalm 29 – A Snapshot of God

Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
(Psalms 29 KJV)

What wonderful snapshot of God – who He is, where He lives, what He does. It is so very much more than I find myself thinking about God. He is so much more than an ear to whom we confess, confide and beg. He is the omnipotent Creator. He is so very much more than we could ever comprehend.

I Am…

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. – (John 8:58 KJV)

“I am…” The eternally existing one. Jesus is the I AM. The burning bush. The still small voice.

He is.

The Angel of the LORD. Emmanuel. Wonderful.

He is.

The Living Word. Counselor. The Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.

He is.

Jesus is God.

Judging for the Lord

And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. – (2 Chronicles 19:6-7 KJV)

I find it a shame that many laws writen today were not nearly as necessary 20 to 30 years ago. It was unsaid that you don’t throw out trash as you drive, you pickup what you lost, you don’t take what isn’t yours, you love your wife and your wife alone. It was unsaid because it was taught by partents to their children from the Bible. There was a minority who didn’t follow this practice and belief but now it is coming more and more the majority. The heart of mankind has proven to be more and more lost to itself. It is no wonder:

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. – (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? – (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)

We are living in a world which demonstrates entropy. This world is and we are diminishing. For as many things which we see as good, there seems to be many more thing which are going the way of evil. More and more, we find people calling that which is evil “good” and that which is good “evil”. Woefully, this is also occuring our our courts. Despite all of this, the Lord is watching our hearts to see if we are in the world or not of this world as it is winding down.

I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. – (Jeremiah 17:10 KJV)

So many times the Living Word reaches out and encourages us to hold on to the very end. If we endure, if we persever, if we run the course then will we receive that crown of righteousness He desires to give us. And we will joyfully throw it back to the King of Glory.

We can take heart. Despite all which goes on around us, we can obey. We can sit at the Master’s feet. We can submit ourselves and offer our lives to our Father in Heaven for His good purpose. He promises that He will complete that good work which He has begun in those who believe Him. Jesus our source of Light, the Living Word of God is our living hope of eternal life with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are highly favored because of the cleansing, covering blood of the Lamb of God. We produce fruit from the Vine. We are yoked with our load bearing Lover of our soul. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Sit at the feet of the Master

I must have been born in Ephesus. Do the good works. Watch out for that nastiness which wants to creep in. Oh, by the way, you forgot your first love… (Revelation 2:1-7)

How often I am a busybody. Often I find that I’m working hard at what I ‘think’ God wants me to do when in fact all He really wants is for me to sit and be with Him.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. – (Luke 10:41-42 KJV)

I must sit at the feet of the Father and read the Word – the Son. I must talk with Him. Most of all I must listen. He will guide my steps. He will take care of the miscellaneous. I need only rest in Him.

Draw Near To God

As I was walking to the bus this morning on the way to work, I was thinking about the book of Titus which our men’s bible study is focus on right now. In particular, I’ve focusing on part of Titus 1

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. – (Titus 1:5-9 KJV)