Blog: “Discovering His Living Hope”

When God’s Voice Calls for far more than vain and empty performances? The path of obedience? God desires our entire hearts. 1 Samuel 15:22-23

1 Samuel 15:22-23 Christian Standard Bible

22 Then Samuel said:

Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

God gave instructions to attack the Amalekites because they had ruthlessly attacked his people coming out of slavery from Egypt (Deuteronomy 25:17-19).

Setting up an ambush, Saul attacked Amalek with great speed and force.

Saul’s army gobbled up territory without much pushback.

They destroyed the Amalekites and took their King Agag alive.

Saul looked at the Amalekites’ good livestock and decided to keep them alive too. What could be wrong with that? Saul simply believed he could make better decisions based on his knowledge of war than on God’s knowledge of obedience.

When Samuel came, he was shocked to see two things: alive animals and an alive King Agag.

And because of this, God had said he was greatly disappointed with Saul.

Israel’s first king had chosen his world over God’s world. The Amalekites were not the only ones who dishonored God as he worked to lead his people.

Saul too had worked against God and tried to take advantage for his own gain.

God gave King Saul a clear command—to destroy the Amalekites completely.

Saul won the battle, but chose to spare their king and keep the best animals.

When confronted, he insisted he had obeyed the Lord.

But the bleating of sheep told another story.

Saul justified his disobedience by claiming he saved the animals for sacrifice.

Samuel’s response still echoes through the centuries: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” God wasn’t impressed with Saul’s offering; He wanted Saul’s heart.

Obedience is not about our checking religious boxes—it’s about surrendering our entire hearts, our souls, our wills.

It’s about our saying, “Yes, Lord,” even when it’s rock hard, inconvenient, or uncomfortable.

The people of Israel suffered while Saul was their leader.

Saul did not obey God’s commands.

Saul also set up a monument to honor himself for his victory in a war, raising himself above God.

When Samuel asked Saul, “Why did you not obey the Lord?”

Saul lied, saying that everything he did was for God. Of course, Samuel already knew what Saul had done, and this was an opportunity for Saul to ­repent.

But Saul’s answer was ridiculous.

He tried to cover up his greed with religious excuses.

Saul claimed that he had saved out the best sheep and cattle in order to sacrifice them to God.

But that was a lie.

He also shifted blame to others, saying it was the soldiers who had saved out the best sheep and cattle.

So Samuel said, “Enough!” Samuel cried out to the Lord.

And he told Saul that because he had rejected the word of the Lord, God had now rejected him as king over Israel.

How about us today?

Do we live our lives as we please?

Do we lift ourselves up and ignore God’s words?

Do we make up religious excuses when we have done wrong?

Do we blame, criminalize, condemn, imprison, scapegoat, ruinate the lives of others for failing to acknowledge, confess, what is our own act of wrong­doing?

When Obedience Costs You Something Irreplaceable …

Hebrews 11:8 tells us that “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out…not knowing where he was going.”

If we do these things, we need to repent and appeal to God for his mercy and grace. We do not want to face the sting of suffering of being rejected by God.

Abraham’s obedience was costly—it required trust.

He left everything familiar, and later, when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, obedience demanded he implicitly trust God, sacrifice his own first born son.

The journey up Mount Moriah wasn’t just about the test—it was about trust.

Abraham could say to Isaac that, “God Himself will provide,” because obedience had taught him God’s faithfulness.

Walking with God means we’ll face similar tests.

Maybe he’s asking you to forgive the unforgivable, to give, and to step into something uncertain, the enemy whispering, “If God loves you, why this trial?”

But every test of obedience is meant to strengthen your faith, not to crush it.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5

When Blessing Follows Surrender and obedience ….

In Luke 5, Peter and his crew had fished all night with nothing to show for it.

Then Jesus told him, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

It made no sense—but Peter obeyed.

The result?

So many fish that the nets began to break.

That’s what happens when obedience meets faith and trust.

The blessing was waiting beyond the “nevertheless.”

Peter’s reluctant obedience became the moment of divine overflow—and a turning point in his calling.

“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” — Isaiah 1:19

Obedience doesn’t always lead to material blessing, but it will always lead us to spiritual fruit.

Proverbs 3:6-12 Christian Standard Bible

6 in all your ways know him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 This will be healing for your body[b]
and strengthening for your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions
and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
10 then your barns will be completely filled,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son,
and do not loathe his discipline;
12 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

God honors the heart that places trust in Him first and acts on faith!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 119:25-40 Complete Jewish Bible

ד (Dalet)

25 I lie prostrate in the dust;
revive me, in keeping with your word.
26 I told you of my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your laws.
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wonders.
28 I am melting away from anxiety and grief;
renew my strength, in keeping with your word.
29 Keep deceitful ways far from me,
and favor me with your Torah.
30 I choose the way of trust;
I set your rulings [before me].
31 I cling to your instruction;
Adonai, don’t let me be put to shame!
32 I will run the way of your mitzvot,
for you have broadened my understanding.

ה (Heh)

33 Teach me, Adonai, the way of your laws;
keeping them will be its own reward for me.
34 Give me understanding; then I will keep your Torah;
I will observe it with all my heart.
35 Guide me on the path of your mitzvot,
for I take pleasure in it.
36 Bend my heart toward your instructions
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
with your ways, give me life.
38 Fulfill your promise, which you made to your servant,
which you made to those who fear you.
39 Avert the disgrace which I dread,
for your rulings are good.
40 See how I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness, give me life!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A voice said to, “Proclaim!” And so I answer, “What should I proclaim?” “All humanity is merely grass, all its kindness is like a field of wildflowers. Psalm 90:1-6, Isaiah 40:6-8

Isaiah 40:6-8 English Standard Version

The Word of God Stands Forever

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said,[a] “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty[b] is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

Psalm 90:1-6 New American Standard Bible

BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.

90 Lord, You have been our [b]dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
[c]Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like a watch in the night.
5 You have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f]fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it wilts and withers away.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The Fragility of Life ….

Our text today emphasizes two solemn truths that point to the same fact.

There is no room for human vanity.

Human pride is nothing but utter foolishness.

Our bodies are as fragile as grass.

We have physical weaknesses that cannot be disguised.

Time carves wrinkles into our faces, and make-up cannot cover it. Our legs too become weak, our knees wobble, our hands droop, our eyes blur, and every gray silver hair that sprouts on our heads is a reminder of the shortness of our lives.

We also have emotional weaknesses.

There are times when we despair of life itself.

We cry, we moan, we sob, assailed by anguish.

We have moral and spiritual weaknesses as well.

We promise to walk in righteousness, and yet our feet often stray down winding paths taking us to all points of a compass and all of them take us into big circles.

We are ambiguous and contradictory people.

The good we want to do, we do not do; and the evil we hate, we practice.

Besides being fragile like grass, all the glory we achieve has a fleeting beauty like that of the flowers of the field.

The heat of the sun makes the delicate flower wither and dry.

Our glory is fleeting, and our accomplishments pass away.

Our achievements are lost in the dust of time.

We are too small, too fragile, too young!

But, thankfully, that doesn’t have to be our end.

In the Lord we can trust that our destiny is safe with him.

No Place for God?

Psalm 90:7-10 New American Standard Bible

7 For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [a]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [b]life, [c]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is only trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we disappear.

11 Who [d]understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear [e]that is due You?

Some time ago a chaplain at a public university heard one of the administrators saying, “No offense, but I think anyone who believes in God has a mental health problem. God has no place in a scientific institution such as a university.”

That administrator is not alone.

An article in a church magazine reported that a small group of students who were studying theology at a German university were convinced by their DMin. professor that “neither God nor the church were of much relevance today.”

Even though they were baptized members of Lutheran and Reformed churches, they felt that God had become irrelevant.

Some of the people I know have come to the same conclusion: If there is a God, he is far away and no longer matters.

About 2,700 years ago God’s people in Jerusalem and Judah felt the same way.

Many of their people had been taken into exile, and it seemed that the Lord had abandoned them.

But God told his ­prophet Isaiah to remind them that he was with them every step of the way.

Regardless of what anyone might think, God is here, and he is at work in our world still today.

Some 700 years after Isaiah spoke, God proved his presence through the birth of his Son, the Lord Jesus.

He “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message).

Don’t think for a moment that God has become irrele­vant. Our God is here!

Each of us needs a healthy dose of comfort from time to time.

The child at play who trips and scrapes her knee badly needs comfort from a parent or other caregiver.

The young man or woman at college with its unfamiliar surroundings needs someone to talk to.

Consider also the young couple whose first child was stillborn, the middle-aged couple whose son died in an accident, and that elderly man whose wife of 60 years is slipping away because of Alzheimer’s. Who will dare to comfort them?

Thank God that there is good news in Isaiah’s song.

God himself says, “Comfort, comfort my people. . . . Speak tenderly. . . .”

When we need comfort, we must remember, first, that God is the Sovereign Lord. He will meet us in every situation with his powerful arm.

As an old hymn puts it, “Oh, let me not forget that, though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.”

Never forget it!

1 This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
His hand the wonders wrought.

Second, our Father is a loving, compassionate God.

No matter what adversities you may be going through today, you can take comfort.

Like a shepherd with his sheep, God carries us close to his heart.

Remember Jesus’ parting words:

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have nothing good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are on the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.
4 [f]The pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has advised me;
Indeed, my [g]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [h]Sheol;
You will not [i]allow Your [j]Holy One to [k]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the way of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Can you start to see new possibilities when you do remember who God is? Jeremiah 32:9-20

Jeremiah 32:9-20 New American Standard Bible

9 “So I bought the field which was in Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I [a] signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.  11 Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy; 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, in the sight of all the Jews who were sitting in the courtyard of the guard. 13 And I commanded Baruch in their sight, saying, 14 ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, so that they may [b]last a long time.” 15 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be purchased in this land.”’

Jeremiah Prays and God Explains

16 “After giving the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying, 17 ‘Oh, Lord [c]God! Behold, You Yourself have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You, 18 who shows mercy to thousands, but repays the wrongdoing of fathers into the laps of their children after them, great and mighty God. The Lord of armies is His name; 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of mankind, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; 20 who has accomplished signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Are you going through a time right now where you feel stuck?

Maybe you’ve been searching for a solution to a problem for a long time, but you still can’t solve it.

You may be trying to change a relationship or your circumstances for the better, but nothing seems to change.

Or, maybe you’re hoping for a new opportunity or a fresh idea, but you’re still waiting.

When you feel stuck, it’s easy to believe that you’ve reached the end of what’s possible. 

Jeremiah 32:17 has good news for you. God – the powerful Creator of heaven and earth – can do anything!

Nothing is too hard for God.

Since God spoke, made everything in creation, he can help you in your current situation, no matter how complicated or overwhelming it feels. 

You can start to see new possibilities when you remember who God is.

The same God who designed stars, oceans, and human minds is still at work today. He’s not intimidated by obstacles, and his power is stronger than the obstacles you face. There are no limits to God’s love or to his power.

God loves you fully, completely and unconditionally, and he’s willing to use his unlimited power to help you get unstuck and move forward well. 

New possibilities don’t always come into your life as dramatic breakthroughs.

Sometimes they come in subtle yet still significant ways, like a fresh new perspective or a nudge to try something different.

God sometimes works in ways that will stretch your thinking by challenging you to trust him far beyond what feels comfortable, feasible or even logical. 

Our Scripture for today describes a real-estate transaction.

Money is transferred from buyer to seller; witnesses and officials sign and seal the transfer papers; there are multiple copies of documents and arrangements for preserving the documents.

This is not unlike what would still happen today in a land sale, except for a few things:

  • Jeremiah, the buyer, cannot take possession of the land because it’s behind enemy lines.
  • This real-estate closing is taking place in a Jerusalem prison, and Jeremiah is the prisoner.
  • Jeremiah knows (because God has revealed it to him) that his nation will not win against the enemy.

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will destroy Jerusalem and exile the Israelites to a place a thousand miles away.

Indeed, Jeremiah the prophet is in prison because he has preached what God has revealed to him.

But God has also revealed through Jeremiah that after 70 years the people will return to build homes and farms in the land. Truly a long-term investment!

Still today, God calls us to live our lives and to devote ourselves and the gifts he has given us to long-term things—things that will last.

And the number-one example of a long-term investment that fits God’s plan is to make sure we give of our resources and time and energy to help bring others into God’s kingdom.

When you face uncertainty, your first instinct may be to focus on what you can’t do or don’t have.

But Jeremiah’s prayer turns your attention back to God’s unlimited power instead of your limited human power.

When you focus first on God’s greatness, you can see your problems from a proper perspective.

They’re still real, but they’re no longer too big to solve, because they’re much smaller than God’s power to help you. 

Trusting God with new possibilities also involves asking for God’s guidance along the way.

God doesn’t expect you to figure everything out on your own.

He invites you to come to him with all of your questions.

You can ask God to help you make the best decisions for every step of the process of moving forward.

You can also ask God for encouragement.

The more you pray to see new possibilities, the more faith will overcome fear in your life. 

It’s also important to remember that God’s timing may look different from yours.

Even though you may want answers right now, God may be shaping your character, patience, or faith while you wait.

Even then, new possibilities are forming beneath the surface of what you can see.

God is always at work, even when you can’t yet see the results. 

Creativity is another way God brings new possibilities into your life.

A new idea, a different approach, or a fresh solution to a problem can be God’s way of opening a door.

When you invite God into your thinking, he can help you imagine what’s next.

That can lead you to solve a problem at work, find a new way to heal a soured relationship, discover a call to serve as a volunteer that you hadn’t considered before, or another wonderful breakthrough. 

What’s most important for you to see new possibilities is hope.

Stay hopeful that God will help you get unstuck and move forward in the best ways, at the best time.

When you trust God to handle what seems impossible, you make room for God to move in ways that may surprise you. 

God can do what you can’t do. 

So, if you’re feeling stuck, ask the God who made the heavens and the earth to help you see what you can’t see yet.

New possibilities are always going to be so much closer than you think!

In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …

Praying …

Psalm 29 New American Standard Bible

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due His name;
Worship the Lord in holy attire.

3 The voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over [c]many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord divides [d]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [e]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
11 [f]The Lord will give strength to His people;
[g]The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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My letting Jesus meet me in my need. believing the idea of a good God gets perpetually challenged while we must encounter such hardships and pains. Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:1-11 New King James Version

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

5 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they [a]forsook all and followed Him.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Sometimes a desperate need comes upon our lives. Inevitably these times of overwhelming lack make us feel stuck; we don’t have the resources or ability to overcome such need. In these moments, we often retreat, feel far from God.

The idea of a good God gets mightily challenged while we must encounter such hardship and pain. This proves tragic because God has repeatedly promised, and proven time and again exactly how his heart is with the poor and needy.

God, by his nature, sees emptiness and tries to fill it with goodness. Looking upon our broken world and the lives within it, God didn’t stay distant. Despite our sin, he entered the story through Jesus, also called Immanuel, God with us.

He became a man to reach us where we were. John 10:10

Here in Luke 5 we see how Jesus’s closeness transformed lives, performed miracles. With the man dropped through the roof, Christ forgave his sin and healed his body, acknowledged affirmed meeting both spiritual and physical.

Pointedly, he dealt with the spiritual first, the physical coming after. We also have to let him just meet us, invite us into the story.

First, we must realize he’s already near us, and then we must cry out to him, pleading with him to do what he must to do—love us and join, to fill us with his light and life, both redeeming and transforming us and our story with his own.

James 1:2-8 New Living Translation

Faith and Endurance

2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. 

Sometimes our responses to a demand or request depends on who is ­asking.

Simon had worked hard all night without catching anything, so going out again and expecting a different result would not have been a likely plan for success.

By the time Jesus asked, Simon’s boat was moored, the nets had been washed.

It was time to call it quits.

So it is easy to imagine Simon brushing Jesus’ request aside.

What could a builder’s son possibly tell a fisherman about fishing?

But this was Jesus asking.

Jesus had been teaching people from the boat while Simon was cleaning his nets. Perhaps Simon had heard something that made him pay full attention.

So when Jesus asked him to put out into deep water and “let down the nets for a catch,” Simon said, “Because you say so, I will.”

As the clock continues to tick away, it can be easy to feel as if we have worked hard all night without catching anything.

For all our efforts we still struggle with the same problems and temptations.

Our boss demands a greater sacrifice of our time, our wife and children give us the same worries, and our neighbors seem no more open to Jesus than when we first befriended them. Even so, we will act right, keep on pushing out our nets.

Jesus has asked us for perseverance.

Sometimes our responses depend on who is doing the asking.

In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ….

Praying ….

Psalm 27
My Stronghold

Of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart will not be afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
I will still be confident.

4 I have asked one thing from the Lord;
it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
gazing on the beauty of the Lord
and seeking him in his temple.
5 For he will conceal me in his shelter
in the day of adversity;
he will hide me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
6 Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;
I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.
8 My heart says this about you:
“Seek[a] his face.”
Lord, I will seek your face.
9 Do not hide your face from me;
do not turn your servant away in anger.
You have been my helper;
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.

11 Because of my adversaries,
show me your way, Lord,
and lead me on a level path.
12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing violence.

13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart be courageous.
Wait for the Lord.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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The Ways of Revival and Loneliness are complicated concepts in today’s increasingly self-connected world. Luke 5:12-16

Luke 5:12-16 The Message

Invitation to a Changed Life

12 One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”

13 Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.

14-16 Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” But the man couldn’t keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their sicknesses. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

During the time of Jesus leprosy was seen as a condemnable sickness.

To be sick with leprosy was perceived by many as a punishment from God.

That is why those who were sick with leprosy kept their distance from the people because they were labeled to be shameful and sinful.

In Jesus’ day, lepers were considered untouchables.

Leprosy was a highly infectious skin disease.

God had given strict instructions for anyone with leprosy:

“When anyone has a swelling or a rash or shiny spot on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease . . . the priest . . . shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean. . . . As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:2-3, 46).

In our Scripture reading today, Jesus reaches out to touch a leper.

It was something unheard of.

A leper was unclean and was not allowed to live with his family or in society.

He was destitute, homeless, lonely for human contact and interaction, a smile, a simple wave of a hand communicating to him “hello or God bless you, sir.”

To touch a leprous person was to become unclean and untouchable yourself.

But that’s why Jesus came and acted as he did—where others will observe, be horrified by, his daring to reach out to people who were labeled untouchable.

In our reading for today, the leper didn’t want to be an outcast anymore.

Hoping against hope, He took a risk that Jesus might take a risk on him.

From the dusty ground, the leper uttered his prayer to the visiting Rabbi:

“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

This was the trusting prayer of a desperate man looking for restoration. 

Jesus didn’t react as so many had done before—he moved toward the man rather than away.

He reached out and touched the man.

Jesus’ words;

“I am willing. . . . Be clean!” set into motion a transformation from the Savior who was not repelled by the man’s instinctive response: “I am untouchable.”

But how did the man in our gospel who was sick with leprosy behave?

Upon seeing Jesus he did not run away from Him, he instead went towards Jesus.

Pleaded with Jesus to cure him with his dreaded disease.

And as we read, Jesus did not refuse the sick man, he cured him immediately.

We are called to have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8

We are called to act and respond with the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 9:20-22, Matthew 25:31-46, Acts 10:20-26, Philippians 4:8-9, Galatians 6:7-10, 2 Timothy 2:1-7.

In what ways have you been, do you need to become more inspired, empowered to reach out in prayer to God, to be a light on that path, through which the Lord can reach out his hands to touch a lonely, destitute shoulder and reveal himself?

Psalm 119:105-112 The Message

105-112 By your words I can see where I’m going;
    they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back
    from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, God;
    put me together again with your Word.
Adorn me with your finest sayings, God;
    teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
    but I don’t forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
    but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—
    what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
    I always have and always will.

Do you need a touch from the Master?

Do you need his cleansing?

He is walking in your direction.

Let him touch you.

Become that Leprous individual,

Jesus’ amazing touch of love heals the very thing keeping each of us in hiding.

In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …

Praying ….

Psalm 119:25-40 The Message

25-32 I’m feeling terrible—I couldn’t feel worse!
    Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember?
When I told my story, you responded;
    train me well in your deep wisdom.
Help me understand these things inside and out
    so I can ponder your miracle-wonders.
My sad life’s dilapidated, a falling-down barn;
    build me up again by your Word.
Barricade the road that goes Nowhere;
    grace me with your clear revelation.
I choose the true road to Somewhere,
    I post your road signs at every curve and corner.
I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me;
    God, don’t let me down!
I’ll run the course you lay out for me
    if you’ll just show me how.

33-40 God, teach me lessons for living
    so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
    my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
    I love traveling this freeway!
Give me an appetite for your words of wisdom,
    and not for piling up loot.
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
    invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
Affirm your promises to me—
    promises made to all who fear you.
Deflect the harsh words of my critics—
    but what you say is always so good.
See how hungry I am for your counsel;
    preserve my life through your righteous ways!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Cast all your doubts aside! the god of this age has most assuredly darkened and blinded the minds of unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 New International Version

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In context, Paul is talking about the glories of the New Covenant of God.

Paul is rejoicing in the wonderful promises founded on the blood of Christ – the gospel which removes all who confess with their whole hearts, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ from the condemnation of the Law, for the free gift of God is eternal life to all who believe on Christ. (Romans 10:9-13)

Because of the incalculable glories of the wonderful gospel of Christ, where the life and light of salvation flows to all who believe, a determined Paul rejoices to teach the good news of God’s saving grace and to set out the truth of Scripture because he knew that it was only by God’s grace that he himself had been saved.

Because of the indelible glories contained in the gospel of Christ, Paul does not get discouraged, even when those that he is teaching choose not to listen to the message of the good news, but flatly reject the truth of God’s amazing grace.

Paul knew that there was a host of reasons that many refused to listen to the gospel of God’s grace.

He knew that although they had heard the truth, they had renounced it.

Although they had heard the gospel, they chose not to believe it.

Although they had been given an opportunity to accept it, they had chosen to reject the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ.

When people hear the gospel and then willingly reject it, they unwittingly give the god of this world a strong foothold in their mind – as a result their unbelief becomes more and more firmly established in their hearts, until their minds are twisted, blinded, darkened to the glorious truth of the gospel of God’s grace.

It is not God’s will that anyone should perish, but that all come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus – and yet, God still gives every single man and woman a choice to ether believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved or to reject the gospel of grace and be condemned.

Men and women who choose to steadfastly close off their minds to the gospel of God’s grace are those that are perishing.

Mark 15:24-32 New Living Translation

24 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice[a] to decide who would get each piece. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 Two revolutionaries[b] were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.[c]

29 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

Jesus was ridiculed by everyone present during his Passion – the crowds cried “Crucify him!” before Pilate.

The soldiers beat and mocked him, spit in his face.

People who passed by him hanging on the cross hurled their insults at Jesus.

The religious leaders mocked him.

Even one of the criminals who were dying beside the Lord threw in his own ridicule and scorn his way.

Jesus’ own closest followers had betrayed, denied, and abandoned him.

Our Savior faced the cruelty and the humiliation of the cross alone.

Don’t we know someone who still scoffs at Jesus like this?

Have we ever been that someone who scoffs at Jesus like this?

For the most part, Jesus impaled on the cross didn’t move either the crowd or the religious people, and for the most part, Jesus suffering, dying on the cross, doesn’t move a vast number of people today.

WHY?

Maybe because we cannot comprehend the sacrifice don’t understand how real, how graphic, how horrific, and how required the cross was for our eternal life.

He did it so you and I can have the confidence that he will never abandon us – even if everyone we hold dear abandons us, those hating us hurl insults at us.

Doesn’t it seem clear that the two crosses with the two thieves represent the required choice that each of us must make? We all begin the same with Jesus.

Jesus indelibly demonstrated he would pay any price to love us and redeem us.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to allow us to live in him.

Does the cross move you toward rejection of the gospel?

Does the cross move you toward proclaiming Acts 4:8-12 of the gospel?

8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to [d] how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”

The cross reveals the unconditional love of God for you like nothing else in all the universe does.

The horror and the intensity of the cross scream out to us that God loves us.

Has seeing God-in-the-Flesh on the cross, dying in our place, ever moved you?

Are we moved toward rejection or acceptance by the truth that the Lord of all Creation submit himself to the ugliness of dying on the cross out of his love?

In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Praying ….

Psalm 22

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.
For the music director; upon [a]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

22 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my [b]help are the words of my [c]groaning.
2 My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but [d]I have no rest.
3 Yet You are holy,
You who [e]are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You rescued them.
5 To You they cried out and they fled to safety;
In You they trusted and were not [f]disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a person,
A disgrace of mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me deride me;
They [g]sneer, they shake their heads, saying,
8 “[h]Turn [i]him over to the Lord; let Him save him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from [j]birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

11 Do not be far from me, for [k]trouble is near;
For there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open their mouths wide at me,
As a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within [l]me.
15 My strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,
And my tongue clings to my jaws;
And You lay me [m]in the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me;
[n]A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
[o]They pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
18 They divide my garments among them,
And they cast lots for my clothing.

19 But You, Lord, do not be far away;
You who are my help, hurry to my assistance.
20 Save my [p]soul from the sword,
My only life from the [q]power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you [r]descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you [s]descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor scorned the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

25 From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The [t]afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
May your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before [u]You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the [v]prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him,
Even he who [w]cannot keep his soul alive.
30 A [x]posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
31 They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Wrestling with ourselves, it’s our all-night fighting to live side by side with the Lord, fight the good mental fight. Genesis 32:22-26

Genesis 32:22-32 English Standard Version

Jacob Wrestles with God

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[a] and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[b] for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[c] saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Genesis 32:24 is a Bible verse from the Old Testament where Jacob was faced with a great trial and wrestles with a man who turned out to be God.

Wow, that sounds almost too wild to be true.

Can we envision or imagine ourselves in 2026 wrestling with someone intent on causing harm to us and then discovering that someone turned out to be God?

God has a way of keeping the true shock value of a trial tucked away from our consciousness until after we’ve come out of it.

Thankfully, many times He hides the most severe part of what we are going through until it’s passed.

He knows all too well the fragility of our human nature, but He also sees the streaks of determination and resolve within us.

He created us with this miraculous blend of gifts, and He delights in growing them within us, causing them to emerge, mature, be revealed, brightly shining before Him and too before others, like the brilliant bloom of a fragrant flower.

Jacob had been through a lot of deception, wondering what trick was coming.

He worked twenty years of hard labor for his Uncle Laban, who deceived him when he promised he could wed Rachel his daughter, but instead he gave him Leah. He made him work another seven years before he could wed Rachel, and intentionally cheated him of his wages 10 different times (Genesis 31:38-42).

In all this, God blessed Jacob, and when Jacob left Laban and headed back to his home country, he was accompanied by his wives, children, flocks and herds in abundance.

Jacob didn’t just wrestle with God for a night.

He wrestled with him 20 years during Laban’s authority and oppression over him. But God was subtly growing something better in Jacob through this time.

As a young man, Jacob along with his mother, had deceived his father into giving him his brother Esau’s birthright blessing.

Esau was furious and vowed to kill Jacob, and so Jacob fled for his life.

But after 20 years of working for someone who had successfully deceived and oppressed him, and at the exact right moment God said it was time to go home.

Now Jacob was hemmed in by an oppressive and angry boss behind him, and a brother before him, who twenty years earlier wanted him dead , and now God in the form of a man was brought into the light and observed wrestling with him!

Do not we feel like that sometimes, like there are crafty deceptive forces all around, closing in on us, surrounding us, squishing, with no escape in sight?

Jacob had a lot at stake.

He didn’t give up.

Hung onto Him as if his whole life and his future would just vanish.

He knew God had been with him and had blessed him with family and wealth, despite Laban’s efforts to keep him down.

We all will endure diverse and various trials and tribulations of all sizes and strengths, in all forms and manners possible.

Be resolute in your belief and lay claim to it.

In Genesis 32:24, Jacob was left alone as he sent his family and flocks across the stream keeping them safe from the possibility of an impending attack coming from his brother.

Matthew 4:1-10 Christian Standard Bible

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”[a]

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:

He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”[b]

7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”[c]

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”[d]

10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away,[e] Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”[f]

He was all alone,

There was no person, to cling to or connive, for help or comfort or protection.

Isn’t that usually when we become aware of God’s Presence, when no one else is around, and most especially when we are in between a boulder and a hard place?

We wrestle, struggling and striving for victory, for relief, for peace, for freedom and for safety, security, enduring love, for joy and sometimes for our very life.

Do we actually have that authentic, immovable unshakable resolve to hang on?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

35 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of [a]buckler and shield
And rise up as my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my [c]life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 For they hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very destruction.

9 So my soul shall rejoice in the Lord;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”

Psalm 15 English Standard Version
Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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What Do You Want Now? Get Serious! What is causing all of these quarrels and fights among you? Is it not your desires battling inside you? Do You desire things and do not have them? James 4:1-10 

James 4:1-10 New Living Translation

Drawing Close to God

4 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.[b] 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”[c]

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Today I would like to share with you James 4:1-4,

“Where do wars and fights come from among you?

Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

You lust and do not have.

You murder and covet and cannot obtain.

You fight and war.

Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your worldly impulses and pleasures.

Adulterers and adulteresses!

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

I share this today because these 4 verses have extreme depth to our personal life, family, the church, all the way up to the highest levels of a city, state, country.

First, it starts in our own hearts.

Jesus said, “Out of the mouth the heart speaks.”

Check your heart and see, are you asking for things because you want it just for your glory and pleasure?

Second, look at those who destroy property, who destroyed nations, who also destroy people.

They do so, because they lust and do not have.

They refused to humble themselves and ask the Lord for direction.

It comes down to a person having hate inside them.

Jesus said that “hate is the same as murder.”

Finally know, that we can not want nor value to be a friend to the spirit of this world and follow the Lord.

You can not be a friend to the adversarial spirit and the Holy Spirit at the same time.

You will either follow Jesus or follow the Adversary.

Would you be able to identify, know, recognize, the difference between them?

What Do You so desperately Want you would risk cheating God?

“You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

2-3 You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

4-6 You’re cheating on God.

Desires are thoughts.

Sadly, they often begin with the words of our two-year-old selves: “I want that!”

We can easily think, for example, “I want a car (or a house) like that.”

Or, “I wanted the job he got.”

I want, I want, I want.

Not all of our desires are bad, but many are.

If we want something that belongs to others or if we want something at the expense of others, that is typically wrong.

Pleasure and enjoyment are great blessings, but if we seek such things only for selfish reasons, that can be wrong too.

We can easily deceive ourselves into thinking, “I should have that . . . and why shouldn’t I?”

Our desires can cause battles within us.

How do we know if what we want is right or wrong?

We can take it to God in prayer.

And if we think, “I can’t possibly ask God for that,” it is probably a wrongful desire.

We can also have lots of good desires, though.

We may want our children to do well in school.

We may want our friend’s marriage to be saved.

We may want our church to grow.

God is pleased when we ask for good things like these with the right motives.

As we pray about our desires, let’s focus on those which can bring about glory to God, good for our neighbors, family, and friends.

Let’s pray about what can bring growth and maturity and Shalom in God’s kingdom throughout the world.

Things like these are always in line with the desires of God’s heart.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Do not be envious of wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And decay like the green plants.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
Live in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring out your righteousness as the light,
And your judgment as the noonday.

7 [b]Rest in the Lord and wait [c]patiently for Him;
Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way,
Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To take down the afflicted and the needy,
To kill off those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their bows will be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the [d]blameless,
And their inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [e]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.
22 For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be eliminated.

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because the Lord is the One [f]who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his [g]descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his [h]descendants are a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good,
So that you will dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves [i]justice
And does not abandon His godly ones;
They are protected forever,
But the [j]descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
And dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.
31 The Law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.
32 The wicked spies upon the righteous
And seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked, violent person
Spreading himself like a luxuriant [k]tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the [l]blameless person, and look at the upright;
For the person of peace will have a future.
38 But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be eliminated.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Sleeping, Walking or Sleep Walking, Immobilized or Standing Still in the Spirit in Dark Times. Psalm 22:1-8

Psalm 22:1-8 Complete Jewish Bible

22 (0) For the leader. Set to “Sunrise.” A psalm of David:

2 (1) My God! My God!
Why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from helping me,
so far from my anguished cries?

3 (2) My God, by day I call to you,
but you don’t answer;
likewise at night,
but I get no relief.
4 (3) Nevertheless, you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Isra’el.
5 (4) In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted, and you rescued them.
6 (5) They cried to you and escaped;
they trusted in you and were not disappointed.

7 (6) But I am a worm, not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
8 (7) All who see me jeer at me;
they sneer and shake their heads:

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Every day, we face a host of crises that try and shake our faith and character.

Confusion denies truth.

Political division ends relationships.

Wars and conflicts stir up fear.

Moral compromise and corruption grows louder, we get a constant pressure to conform to the things of this world.

Our phones and media bombard us with these constant issues.

It becomes easy to give in, react in anger, give up, and lose sight of the eternal reality.

But God doesn’t call us to deal with this darkness alone.

And we’ve been born again for such a time as this.

The Holy Spirit equips us to face the current darkness with both truth and love.

He gives a firm foundation in himself and truth, leading with ways to respond in love, wisdom, bravery, and grace.

He doesn’t lead us to fear but faith in Christ.

We don’t overcome darkness by responding with more darkness.

We overcome it by walking in the Spirit, clinging to God’s presence.

Walking in the Spirit in dark times means refusing fear, staying rooted in God’s love, renewing your mind with truth, depending on His power instead of ours.

This will help us think rightly, show compassion, stand firm in what is good.

What Does It Mean to Walk in the Spirit in Dark Times?

To walk in the Spirit in dark times also means to let God’s presence, truth, and power shape your response instead of fear, anger, or compromise.

It does not mean ignoring darkness.

It means facing it with a Spirit-led life marked by love, surrender, wisdom, courage, and trust in Christ. 

Suggested ways to walk in the Spirit in our dark days.
Live from Freedom, not Fear

The Spirit doesn’t drive us through coercion or control.

He leads us into the freedom Christ has already secured for us. 

Galatians 5:1 tells us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

Fear shuts down our minds, allows lies into our hearts.

It causes us to react without thinking, hide from our responsibilities and opportunities, or just conform. 

When we walk by the Spirit, we act from an identity, who we are in Christ and his work for us.

We must renew our minds to the reality that Christ has already overcome sin, death, and the world.

That truth frees us from needing to please anyone.

We don’t need to fear loss or compromise biblical standards.

Often, our anxiety says, “What if everything falls apart?”

But with faith in Christ, says, “What has Christ already secured for us?”

Such a shift changes how we respond to temptation and suffering.

Freedom doesn’t mean we do what we want or live carelessly.

It means living Spirit-led, choosing righteousness because of freedom in Jesus, not because we feel forced.

As a practical step, choose one fear that shapes your decisions this week (rejection, fear, failure, etc.).

Write it down, then write down a Scripture that directly counters that fear, and speak it out every day.

Then pray to God to show you an action you can do to align with your Christ-identity.

Be Anchored in God’s Love

God’s love exists at the heart of all his work.

He is love.

Therefore, his actions and salvation flow from his love.

God’s love remains constant and unshaken.

The Spirit reminds us we aren’t defined by the chaos around us but by the love of God poured into us through Christ. 

Romans 8:38-39 says, “nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This truth grounds our hearts while everything else is unstable. 

Anchoring ourselves in his love, we don’t seek to earn what he’s already given.

We don’t react out of fear or anger, but with confidence and peace.

The Spirit of God places his love within our hearts.

Instead of allowing the world to make us hate or lie, we carry his presence to respond in love. We can forgive, stand firm, and love with courage and tenacity.

This doesn’t mean we ignore the darkness.

It means we don’t let the darkness define us or what we do.

We respond and fight with love, to save others, and God’s love shows us how to live by this motivation, walking in grace without compromise.

As a practical step, take 5 minutes every day to meditate on one passage about God’s love.

Read it, speak it aloud, and thank God for how he has shown his love in your life.

Renew Your Mind with Truth

The Devil is a liar and murderer, from the beginning, and into today’s darkness, spreads lies and delusions to feed fear, pride, and worldly philosophy.

However, the Spirit works on our hearts and minds to transform our beliefs and thinking according to truth, fixing our eyes on things of heaven, what lasts. 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

Transformation begins with what you allow with our thoughts. 

Renewing our mind means replacing lies with truth.

We begin to see life through the lens of the eternal perspective and God’s kingdom.

The kingdom contains what will last, what matters, what will express Christ.

The Spirit uses Scripture to correct our thinking, strengthen our faith.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 Amplified Bible

3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine and teaching which is in agreement with godliness (personal integrity, upright behavior), 4 he is conceited and woefully ignorant [understanding nothing]. He has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, which produces envy, quarrels, verbal abuse, evil suspicions, 5 and perpetual friction between men who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who think that godliness is a source of profit [a lucrative, money-making business—withdraw from them].

1 Timothy 6:20-21 Amplified Bible

20 O Timothy, guard and keep safe the deposit [of godly truth] entrusted to you, turn away from worldly and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and by doing so have erred (missed the mark) and strayed from the faith.

2 Timothy 2:14-18 Amplified Bible

An Unashamed Workman

14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some.

We compare our thoughts with God’s truth in the Bible and reject them quickly, casting them down.

We aren’t in bondage to our thoughts or the lies the Devil brings to us.

We are free, and the Spirit empowers us to live free in our thoughts, keeping us from compromise.

A renewed mind leads to renewed actions and true peace.

This brings heavenly living to earth.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 Amplified Bible

14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15  and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As a practical step, choose a single verse or passage each week that focuses on an eternal reality.

Write it down and revisit it each day.

Memorize it through the week.

When negative or despairing thoughts arise, replace them with that verse.

Speak it aloud.

Pray over it louder.

Depend on the Spirit’s Power, Not Your Own

We must reject any reliance upon our own ability.

Too often, we come to God to save us, then try to live a divine life on our own.

Just like we need his power to save us from sin and death, we require his strength and grace to continue in walking out that salvation. 

The world celebrates personal strength, hustle, achievement, and talent.

But these things always fail.

God never intended us to resist sin or live faithfully in our own strength. 

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit”, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)

When we depend upon the Spirit’s power, we stop trying to prove anything.

We can’t.

It humbles us rightfully when we acknowledge our limitations and invite God to work through us.

The Spirit provides power, love, and a sound mind.

Instead of pushing harder in our own effort, we learn to pause and pray to rely upon God alone.

Such humility brings us grace and power to remain faithful.

Even further, we can bless others.

In our dark culture, any self-reliance leads to burnout, frustration, anger, and compromise.

Spirit-dependence keeps us grounded and reliant upon the One who can save and sustain.

As a practical step, before starting any challenging situation (or when encountering one), take a moment to ask God for his help through the Spirit.

Name your weakness.

Be honest.

Then ask for his strength and trust that he will actively speak to you and work through you.

In this way, you will bring light to the darkness of the world.

How Can You Walk in the Spirit This Week?
  • What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
    Walking in the Spirit means living under the guidance, power, and truth of the Holy Spirit rather than being ruled by fear, flesh, or the patterns of the world.
  • How do you walk in the Spirit in dark times?
    You walk in the Spirit in dark times by choosing freedom over fear, anchoring yourself in God’s love, renewing your mind with Scripture, and depending on God’s power instead of your own. 
  • Why is it hard to walk in the Spirit right now?
    The article rightly points out that constant cultural pressure, fear, division, media overload, and moral confusion can make it difficult to stay spiritually grounded. 
  • What helps Christians stay spiritually strong in dark times?
    Practical surrender, Scripture meditation, kingdom focus, godly character, and Spirit-dependence all help believers remain steady and faithful.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

Book One

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

1 [a]Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of [b]scoffers (ridiculers).
2 
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.
3 
And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].

4 
The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so,
But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away.
5 
Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 
For the Lord knows and fully approves the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked shall perish.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God will keep all your days stable and secure—salvation and wisdom, and knowledge in abundance and surplus. Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15-23Evangelical Heritage Version
A Prayer for Knowledge and Strength

15 This is why, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is, 19 and just how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe. 20 It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. 23 The church is his body, the fullness of him[b]  who fills everything in every way.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

True knowledge is a gift from God.

When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most important and basic truth that anyone can accept.

The apostle Paul prays that God will give his readers the spiritual powers of wisdom and revelation.

Paul knows that God is eager to give Christians these gifts. When we have godly wisdom, we understand how God’s world works, and we understand what to do.

When we receive the spiritual power of revelation (vision), we can see what lies ahead and be confident that the future is in God’s hands.

Wisdom and revelation from God lead us to know God better.

Our increasingly wise thoughts inform us that the power and love and goodness of God are without end.

Through revelation the Spirit shows that no matter how much we meditate on God and his Word, we will never see to the end of his goodness, power, and love.

Increasing knowledge of God sets us on the path toward holiness.

This is not just a matter of accepting facts about God.

We learn and experience that God is good and loving and just.

When we grow in the knowledge of God, we begin to offer him our reverence and obedience, which he truly deserves.

Paul began his prayer for the Ephesian church by asking God to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Paul was not asking God to provide them with the Holy Spirit – they already had him (Eph. 1:13-14).

It would be best to understand this as a spirit of wisdom and revelation. That God would to grant them wisdom. And that he would reveal himself to them.

The goal of this prayer request was for them to know God better. You might understand knowing God better in two different but related ways. First, that they would come to experience more about God. An intellectual knowledge.

And as they learn more about him, they would also grow in their relationship with him.

This is true in most relationships.

The more I learn about a person, the deeper our relationship can grow.

It is important, though, not to be content with just an intellectual knowledge.

That, in itself, has little value for us.

Paul’s prayer here is still appropriate.

That you pray this for yourself.

And that you pray this for other believers.

None of us will ever outgrow the need to know God better.

Let’s step forth, storm the gates of heaven and pray daily, fervently, for wisdom and revelation so our knowledge of, connection to God continuously increases.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

Psalm 90:12-17 Evangelical Heritage Version

Mortal Man Needs God’s Grace

12 Teach us to number our days in such a way
    that we bring a heart of wisdom.
13 Turn, O Lord! How long!
Change your mind toward your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your mercy,
so that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 Let your deeds be seen by your servants
and your majesty by their children.
17 May the kindness of the Lord our God rest upon us.
Establish the work of our hands for us.
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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