For The Spirit Searches All Things, The Spirit Understands All Things! Much More Like Jesus, Less Like Me.

Accepting the Risk! Taking the Risk! Knowing God’s will and having fellowship with God require spiritual understanding. Oh Jehovah, give me understanding according to Your word, and I shall live. Your understanding is unsearchable!

Psalm 119:33-40 Names of God Bible

³³Teach me, O Yahweh, how to live by your laws,
    and I will obey them to the end.
³⁴Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings.
    I will guard them with all my heart.
³⁵Lead me on the path of your commandments,
    because I am happy with them.
³⁶Direct my heart toward your written instructions
    rather than getting rich in underhanded ways.
³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things.
    Give me a new life in your ways.
³⁸Keep your promise to me
    so that I can fear you.
³⁹Take away insults, which I dread,
    because your regulations are good.
⁴⁰I long for your guiding principles.
    Give me a new life in your righteousness.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

THE SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING

The feelings of an understanding heart give us the sweet spirit of assurance of not only knowing but doing what is right, no matter what the circumstances. As we read God’s Word, it’s the Spirit of Understanding that will reveal and expose these things so that we can “deal” with them.

When we do not diligently read, study and pray over the Word, the Spirit of Understanding is not allowed to operate, then we will not be able to see or find our way. Hosea 4:14 says “…people that do not understand shall fall.”

How many times have you and I sat down for devotions and read God’s Word, gotten up and have found ourselves unable to remember a thing we had read?

Well, I believe it can be said, God’s Spirit of Understanding was not operating.

The Spirit of Understanding is God’s supernatural revelation – His secret insights to His Word. The Spirit of God illuminates our hearts and gives us understanding of His Wisdom. In other words, He “turns on the lights for us.” (Nancy Missler – https://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/138/)

It gives us discernment. When you have understanding, you’ll see the following things in your life:

— You’ll understand what’s going on behind the scenes. You’ll be able to piece together what’s really happening.

— You’ll perceive why people act the way they do.

— You’ll find it easier to see people and situations with God’s eyes and maintain His perspective.

— You’ll be able to discern the cause of things that you deal with from day to day and God’s timing more easily.

No matter how good a man or woman believes their understanding is, it is not enough for any of us to know the true and genuine will of God for any of them.

Knowing and living in God’s will for us and having fellowship with God requires spiritual understanding. Only spiritual understanding leads one to the realm of the Spirit and enables one to know and live in God’s will. Fleshly understanding enables one to know some superficial truths, but these surface truths will only briefly remain in one’s mind. Spiritual understanding can transform what it has superficially understood into abundant life because it comes from the Spirit.

God’s Holy Spirit, A spirit of revelation and spiritual understanding go side by side with each other. God has given each and everyone of us a spirit of wisdom and revelation; by His grace, He has also given us spiritual understanding. The wisdom and revelation from Him we receive in our spirit must be realized by the “ah ha” understanding before we can know the real meaning of the revelation.

Revelation is what we receive from God; understanding is comprehending the revelation we have received from God. Spiritual understanding expresses to us the meaning of all the movement within our spirit; it enables us to know some measurable degree and measure God’s will. It gives us permission to: “Risk It!”

Our connection, our fellowship with God relies on our spirit receiving God’s revelation, on the intuition of our spirit sensing this revelation, and on the gift of spiritual understanding to interpret the meaning of this revelation. Our own surface understanding can never resolve anything. When our spirit enlightens our surface understanding, the latter knows the purpose of God’s movement.

Spiritual enlightenment comes through the diligent exercise of daily prayer.

The 5th stanza of Psalm 119 continues a prayer which the psalmist began in stanza 4 and continues uninterrupted into the 6th stanza through verse 49.

As you read and re-read and pray over this 5th stanza of the psalm, notice just what the psalmist prays for. He longs to be taught how to have a heart for God.

33. Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
and I shall keep it to the end.
34. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law;
I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35. Make me to go in the path of your commandments;
for I delight in it.
36. Incline my heart unto your testimonies,
and not to covetousness.
37. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life according to your way.
38. Establish your word to your servant,
as it produces reverence for Thee.
39. Turn away my reproach which I fear:
for your judgments are good.
40. Behold, I have longed after your precepts:
Revive me through your righteousness.

The psalmist knew that a humble heart before God requires prayer.

To keep his heart right before God, he had to be teachable (119:33), humble (119:34), go forward in God’s power (119:35), incline his heart to the word (119:36), focus his eyes in God’s direction (119:37), be grounded in his faith (119:38-39), and rely on God’s grace.

These are the things he prayed for, and this gives us an example of how to pray for ourselves, those we love as we live our day to day lives. This is also a guide in how to pray for the leaders of our country at this crucial time in our history.

Let’s take a look at these prayer concerns one at a time:

First, to be teachable means not only to be open to learn from God’s Word, but to actively apply what we’ve been taught. It means to be practical and not just ideological. God does not teach us so we can proudly share our learning with others and espouse grand ideas. God teaches us for the purpose of reaching out to others in practical ways to help make life better, not just for ourselves, but for others whom God calls our neighbors, and especially for those in need.

Secondly, the psalmist observed the need for humility. It should humble us that the Creator of the universe reaches down from eternity, not only to teach us through His Word, but to give us a measure of understanding through the power of His Holy Spirit. Does that inspire you to humble yourself and obey?

Thirdly, as we open our hearts and minds to learn, we need to pray for the will and the power to risk doing His work in the sphere where He has placed us. It is God who gives us to power to “go“ to “risk”– to act in His will and in His Name.

Fourthly, as we go forward, we need to go with hearts yielded to God. And we need to go with “all our heart”. Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:28-34

It is God who keeps our hearts from straying into the world and the worlds’ ways. He is the one who protects our hearts from being carried away by worldly philosophies and lusts. It is God who draws our hearts to Himself and reveals the “excellence of obedience” (Charles Spurgeon). Is your heart safe, is my heart safe in the loving hands of God or any safer straying into the clutches of the world?

The mention of covetousness in verse 36 leads the psalmist to pray next (fifth request) for his eyes, asking God to keep them focused in the right direction — upon Him and His ways, turned away from worldly, fleshy, lusty temptation.

Remember that sin entered the world through the “lust of the eye”. That is a warning that we need to be aware of the dangers of the world as they press in upon us. Our eyes need to be open and not shut, but our focus is important. Our focus is to be upon God, His Word, and His ways.

It is clear the psalmist realizes his total dependence upon God, as his sixth request is for his faith to be established. Faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), and it is established as we become firmly grounded in God’s truth and live lives that honor Him. In this way we remain steadfast and persevere in the face of temptation. As God’s children, we have no need to fear the judgments of men, but we must have deep reverence for God’s judgments which are good.

Finally, the prayer closes with a desire for God’s grace to go forward with hope and resolve to live a life of righteousness. And should not we all have that one longing as we read and study, and pray and meditate daily upon God’s Word?

This fifth stanza of Psalm 119 is the Psalmists sure prayer of hope — hope in God and in the power of His life changing Word. Do you and I cling to the effort of trying to place ourselves deep inside the Psalmist’s hope? Is his hope ours?

Beloved Scottish pastor George MacDonald, wrote: “Hope in the God who first breathed into your nostrils the breath of life; that He would at length so fill you with His breath, His mind, His Spirit, that you should think only His thoughts, and live His life, finding therein your own life, only glorified infinitely.”

For The Spirit Searches All Things, The Spirit Understands All Things! My only prayer now is that I become Much More Like Jesus, a Whole Lot Less Like Me.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray;

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!

In Excelsis Deo!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

All That Matters is What God Already Knows of Us! A Living Faith, A Dying Fear. I accept that I’m Risking Failure

How willing are you and I to take a step of faith into the unknown? How willing are we to risk failure? Are we people who like to play it safe, get all our ducks lined up in a row, do our “pro vs con” sheet and then timidly step forward, or are we someone who enjoys the thrill of jumping out into uncharted territory?

Theologian and Protestant Reformer Martin Luther wrote: “God, our Father, has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.”

If you and I see ourselves as someone who likes to play it safe, let me say this: God is not looking for extraordinary daredevils who foolishly take risks for the thrill of it. He is looking for ordinary people who risk praying, prepare, count the cost, and then willingly venture out into the unknown because they have heard the clarion call of God and have confidence that God will hold them up.

It only takes a mustard seed faith, a little faith in a Great God to please God.

Any man or woman who has stood at an altar before God and their friends to take a vow of marriage knows what it means to risk everything, take a leap of faith into the unknown world of matrimony. There was no guarantee of success, and no previous experience to calm the fear, but couples take this leap because they are willing to risk it all, they are in love and they want to be married and raise a family. We will step out in faith when we really risk wanting something.

Anyone who has ever gone out on a job interview, or taken a new position has demonstrated faith despite their fear and uncertainty. You needed and wanted work and so you went through the very scary interview process. That took faith.

I could give many more examples, the point I am trying to make is this: Only those who are willing to take a risk, and take that risk, a step of faith, and move out into uncharted territory enjoy the blessings that this life have to offer. God knows the fullest measure of our heart, how much we’re willing to risk for Him.

However, we also have to be extraordinarily aware of exactly how far we have stretched the bounds of our very fragile hearts and even more fragile souls. It is a very real possibility we take ourselves beyond reasonable limits absent God. It is here where we hear the Psalmists words, become hyper aware of a great need.

Psalm 119:25-32 AKJV

ד Daleth

²⁵My soul cleaveth unto the dust:
quicken thou me according to thy word.
²⁶I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me:
teach me thy statutes.
²⁷Make me to understand the way of thy precepts:
so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
²⁸My soul melteth for heaviness:
strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
²⁹Remove from me the way of lying:
and grant me thy law graciously.
³⁰I have chosen the way of truth:
thy judgments have I laid before me.
³¹I have stuck unto thy testimonies:
O Lord, put me not to shame.
³²I will run the way of thy commandments,
when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

From this deeply heartfelt passage, it appears the Psalmist is experiencing too many difficult trials and troubles in his life but as a believer he is willing to risk it all for a deeper understanding and a greater insight into God’s Word. Even though his difficulties are a result of his own weaknesses he is not driven away from God but risks being drawn closer ever to Him. It seems that this passage is divided into two parts: My ways and God’s ways. It is for certain that we cannot live a committed Christian life and be satisfied living according to our own ways.

This section is structured by the powerful effects of God’s Word. It revives the soul (v. 25); it imparts inner strength (v. 28); it guides into truth (v. 30); and it enlarges the heart (v; 32). When we are down, afflicted, grieving or suffering, we need risk acknowledging, engaging the Word of God. So our psalmist reveals his condition, then risks everything, confessing that God’s Word is the answer

My ways (vv. 25-29).
1. The confession of my ways (v. 25). “My soul cleaveth unto the dust..”
2. The conviction of my ways (vv. 26-27).
  1. “Now teach me your principles” (v. 26). Reading the Bible for information and not for instruction.
  2. “Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,..” (v. 27) A desire to do God’s Word, not just wanting to understand it.
3. The contradiction of my ways (vv. 28-29). “Remove from me the way of lying:..” (v. 29).
  1. Singing and praising the Lord on Sunday and living for the devil the rest of the week.
  2. Claiming we belong to Christ and not demonstrating it the way we live.
Thy ways (vv. 30-32).
1. The choice of God’s ways (v. 30). “I have chosen the way of truth:..”
2. The commitment to God’s ways (v. 31). “I have stuck (cleave) unto thy testimonies:..”
3. The clarity (quickness) of God’s ways (v. 32). “I will run the way of thy commandments.” The psalmist is saying that I have made a choice to run God’s ways; I am committed and now I must respond with swiftness, without delay.

Restoration, Refreshment and Revival comes only when we reach the end of our own resources, repent, and call upon God to intervene. The psalmist is clearly in this condition. He is greatly humbled and broken. His soul is cast into the dust.

What then can he do? The answer is, “Nothing.” Thus, he prays, “Revive me according to Your Word.” This prayer for revival is based upon God’s Word, for God’s promises to give life to those who seek Him. The arousing inspiring Word of the Lord is the surest source of help in all tribulation of body, mind, or soul.

These verses from Psalm 119 testify to the undeniable ministry of God’s divine Word upon a heart filled with sorrow and mourning because of the deadening effects of the world around and the fallenness within. The psalmist prayed for reviving because he was laid low (v. 25). He then asked God for understanding, strengthening, and provision (vv. 26-29). When God gave him understanding, he would surely risk it all to comply because he treasured the Law (v. 30-32).

There are times in my life when I feel that I ought to be more in control of my Christian walk. However as my heart is enlarged with the Word of God (v. 32) my desire as the psalmist is, risk it all, run the way of God’s commandments.

It is my guess that I am not the only one with such a sentiment in my heart. It is my guess that whoever it is who comes across this short devotional is in a place very similar, if not exactly like the Psalmist, is struggling mightily for answers. Such is the nature of those struggles that they are willing to risk everything. I fervently pray that they will literally risk everything, engage the Word of God! Because I know someone quite literally risked everything to tell them of God!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray,

In times and measures of weakness and hour of need,
yours, Father God is the strength by which we carry on,
Your Son Jesus, the shoulder we look to rest our head upon.
When our load, as the Psalmists is heavy and too much to bear,
yours and yours alone are the arms stretched out to help us
the grace, the only mercy, the great Shalom that we depend on.
In times and degrees of greatest weakness and hours of need,
from among the heavens and the stars above your voice is heard,
‘Come unto Me… Risk Unburdening Yourself…Risk finding rest.’
This is the indescribable, immeasurable undeniable grace divine,
the narrow path, through the eye of the needle, we tread to wholeness
of body and mind, soul and spirit, literally everything we are
the sure and certain path we risk treading which leads solely to you,
and for which we now offer our offering of thanksgiving and praise.

In Excelsis Deo!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

What Really Matters in Life is NOT What We NOW Think of Ourselves but What God Already Knows About Us!

Romans 12:1-2 AKJV

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

When we get to the reality of the matter, What really matters to us in life?

What we think of ourselves? What others and everybody else think of us?

Life. It’s a funny thing. Each of us, if we’re reading this little devotional, has been given a life, made up of the breath we breathe, the intellect we use, and the relationships we share. With every spoken word and every decision made, we each play a central role in the purpose our lives hold and legacy our lives leave.

Yet, time moves by so quickly and the resource of life can be used up before we realize. It takes hindsight observation to help us see clearly once again. Perhaps it’s a yearly celebration, a family reunion, or the turn of a new year. But, it’s only when we take that moment to reflect, respond, and re-new our decisions that we can change the course of the life we’ve been given.

Intentionality and pre-determined priorities help ensure we’re sacrificing the resource of our life to the things we value. So, before more life is sacrificed to the wrong things of this world, we must take time to determine what we value in Savior Jesus. Before you read, then reread today’s text, let’s stop to reflect.

What mercies has God offered to you in 2021?

What mercies from God definitely still await you in the days, weeks and months, years ahead of you?

List several ways you’ve seen God show up in obvious or subtle ways this year. Then, read Romans 12:1-2 in its various biblical versions and translations.

Romans 12:1-2 J.B. Phillips New Testament

We have seen God’s mercy and wisdom: how shall we respond?

12 ^1-2With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Romans 12:1-2 The Message

Place Your Life Before God

12 ^1-2So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1-2 Amplified Bible

Dedicated Service

12 ^[a]Therefore I urge you, ^[b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. ²And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be ^[c]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Chapter 12 is the central shift in the book of Romans and today marks a shift in our lives. It’s a fresh start. We look back at what God’s done for us, so we can turn our eyes then toward a renewed way of living with the new year ahead. In view of what God’s done for you, both in the last year and in generations past, what one area in your personal and spiritual life do you want to respond to with priority in the remaining days of Real Thanksgiving ahead in 2021 into 2022?

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us Pray;

God of Grace, you call us to be different from the world, but the world is seductive, and so we come here to be strengthened. God of Vision, you hold before us an alternate way of life, different priorities, different loyalties, different values. But we know that the world is not only seductive but powerful, and so we are drawn in to following its priorities, accepting its values, showing loyalty to its gods. God who blesses the meek, the peacemakers, the merciful, forgive us when we lose sight of these qualities, when we misunderstand their role in the world. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Exalt the Truth of the Lord our God! How Much Are We Appreciating the Reality of Truth and the Word of God?

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
― Lao Tzu

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”
― Soren Kierkegaard

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”
― John Lennon

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” ― Albert Einstein

Now a different question and thought about reality comes to the forefront.

Are we appreciating the reality of reality?

That there is a genuine reality to experience versus our fictionalized worldview brought to us, living color, graphically vibrant, over dramatized by our media? Hyped up by one social media outlet after another? Lied about through politics?

Is there a genuine reality, greater than all other accounts, by which and through which we can communicate, connect and relate with each other in 100% truth? I am not talking about a “politically correct, politically safe” version of reality, of truth. But the genuinely real place where ALL people can go to find real life and truth? Is there one single common ground upon which we can all walk and live?

Yes! The Word of God for the Children of God and the truth contained therein. It is an ageless collection of words and wisdom thousands of years in the writing. For thousands of years, countless people have lived by its truths, its principles, its host of promises offered for our personal meditation, study and application.

Even if we never believed in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, non believers can pick up the Book, read it, ponder it, study it and decide to still not believe it. We can read it as uneducated, can examine it as educated, decide: “Real or No?” However we approach the contents of the Bible, would we appreciate its truth? Would we appreciate the reality that there is Genuine Truth present inside of it?

Psalm 119:17-24 NRSV

¹⁷Deal bountifully with your servant,
    so that I may live and observe your word.
¹⁸Open my eyes, so that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
¹⁹I live as an alien in the land;
    do not hide your commandments from me.
²⁰My soul is consumed with longing
    for your ordinances at all times.
²¹You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments;
²²take away from me their scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your decrees.
²³Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
²⁴Your decrees are my delight,
    they are my counselors.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

One of the biggest problems with many today is that they have a hard time dealing with reality. We have a hard time defining reality. The truth is that as Christians we can not live a life without the truth of God’s Word implanted and demonstrated in our lives. The fact is as a Christian this passage of Scripture makes three very practical suggestions that can assist us in facing reality.

One of the biggest problems with many today is that they have a hard time dealing with reality. The truth is that as Christians we can not live a life without the truth of God’s Word implanted and demonstrated in our lives. The fact is that as a Christian this passage of Scripture makes three very practical suggestions that can assist us in facing reality.

Examine our dependence (vv. 17-19. We desperately need God in our lives.
1. Dependent for life itself (v. 17). Every breath we take we depend on God.
2. Dependent for insight into His Word (v. 18). Illumination, not new revelation. Nehemiah 8:1-12
3. Dependent for guidance through life (v. 19). Not our home, we are just passing through. Psalm 1, Psalm 8, Psalms 22, 23, 24, Psalm 107
Express our desire (vv. 20-21) To know the Word of God and be obedient to it.
1. Motivated by recognition of the humble (v. 20). With a desire to know the mind of God. Philippians 2:5-11
2. Motivated by rebuke of the proud (v. 21). Understanding the God rebukes the proud. Isaiah 1:16-20, Isaiah 2:1-4, Mark 1:1-14
Establish our decision (vv. 22-24). To stop playing Church.
1. In spite of scorn we will remain faithful (v. 22). Even when treated as contemptible. Job 1:20-21, Job 19:23-27, Lamentations 3:16-26
2. In spite of slander we will be strengthened (v. 23), Even when we are lied about. Daniel 6:10-25
3. In spite of sadness we will be joyful (v. 24). Even when we have no one else to delight in. Psalm 32, Psalm 34, Psalm 51, Psalm 84, Psalm 100, Psalm 118

PERSONAL APPLICATION OF APPRECIATING THE WORD AND TRUTH OF GOD

Having my soul and my spirit illuminated, I can testify God never short changes me. He gives me His very best of everything He IS. I must always understand that Christ in my life is enough. The reality is that He is what I need every day. The reality is that I need to be infinitely more appreciative of Him everyday! The reality is that I need to be infinitely more appreciative of His Truth everyday!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray;

O’ my God, give me a greater desire to read and study your word and more joy in doing it each, every day. Give me patience to learn what it says and the wisdom to understand how to use it in my life. Help me know you and Jesus better so I will want be like you in every way possible. Increase my faith so I will trust you in all things and thus willingly follow your will for me. Thank you for those who have helped me in my understanding. In Excelsis Deo! I pray in the name of Jesus. Alleluia! Amen.

Exalt the Name of the Lord our God! Exalt the Truth of the Lord our God! What Can We Learn From Psalm 119?

A verse for the ages, as young men and women battle the influence of sin in this world, especially in our times. The younger generations are encouraged to be free, to experience all that the world has to offer, to find their “own” way, and make decisions that will make them happy whatever it might be. It becomes all about selfishly satisfying one’s desires, wants with an inward-looking focus.

Psalm 119:9-16 Names of God Bible

⁹How can a young person keep his life pure?
    He can do it by holding on to your word.
¹⁰I wholeheartedly searched for you.
    Do not let me wander away from your commandments.
¹¹I have treasured your promise in my heart
    so that I may not sin against you.
¹²Thanks be to you, O Yahweh.
    Teach me your laws.
¹³With my lips I have repeated
    every regulation that comes from your mouth.
¹⁴I find joy in the way shown by your written instructions
    more than I find joy in all kinds of riches.
¹⁵I want to reflect on your guiding principles
    and study your ways.
¹⁶Your laws make me happy.
    I never forget your word.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

How can a young Man keep his heart pure?

How can a young Woman keep her heart pure?

What can we teach our brothers and sisters, whether they are believers or not, to give aide, guidance and support to their day to life choices and decisions?

What can we ourselves learn from the length and breadth of Psalm 119 to give ourselves an answer to these questions when we are the one’s who are asking?

Containing 176 verses, Psalm 119 is the longest single chapter in the Bible.

The author of Psalm 119 is unknown, but most scholars agree that it was written by David, Ezra, or Daniel.

Each of these proposed authors suffered serious difficulties in his life, and the author of Psalm 119 reflects that in descriptions of plots, slanders, and taunts against him (verses 23, 42, 51, 150 ), persecutions (verses 61, 86, 95, 110, 121, 134, 157, 161), and afflictions (verses 67, 71, 143, 153). The persecution and affliction of both the man (and woman) of God is a major theme of Psalm 119.

Another prominent theme in Psalm 119 is the profound truth that the Word of God is all-sufficient.

The full throated expression of Psalm 119 is a natural expansion and extension of Psalm 19:7-9:

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.”

There are eight different terms referring to the Word of God throughout the psalm: law, testimonies, precepts, statues, commandments, judgments, word, and ordinances. In almost every verse, the Word of God is clearly mentioned.

Psalm 119 affirms not only the character of the Scriptures, but it affirms that God’s Word reflects the very character of God Himself.

Notice these attributes of God ascribed to Scripture in Psalm 119:

1. Righteousness (verses 7, 62, 75, 106, 123, 138, 144, 160, 164, 172)
2. Trustworthiness (verse 42)
3. Truthfulness (verses 43, 142, 151, 160)
4. Faithfulness (verse 86)
5. Unchangeableness (verse 89)
6. Eternality (verses 90,152)
7. Light (verse 105)
8. Purity (verse 140)

The format of Psalm 119 is an alphabetic acrostic, meaning that the first letters of each line in Hebrew follow through the alphabet, 8 lines per letter, thus 8 lines x 22 letters in Hebrew = 176 lines. One sure and certain message of this psalm is that we are to first and foremost exalt the Lord our God, live a lifestyle which demonstrates our sure and certain obedience to the truth of the Lord, the Lord who is a God of order (hence the acrostic structure), not of a god of chaos.

The Word of God here begins quickly. Right away we read how the psalm opens with two beatitudes. “Blessed” are those whose ways are blameless, who live according to God’s law, who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.

The author of the psalm is a man who has known great trouble in his life, but also one who has come through it with a deep and passionate understanding of God’s unfailing love and compassion (Psalm 119:75-77).

Throughout his affliction, the author clings to the truths he learns from the Scriptures, which are eternal, “stand firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89-91). His love for the Word of God and his dedication to remember it and live by it is a theme repeated over and over (verses 11, 15–16, 24, 34, 44, 47, 55, 60, etc.).

These are but a select few the vast number of lessons for us in this great psalm. I am sure and certain that with much prayer and diligent study you’ll find more!

John 17:1-3 Names Of God Bible

Jesus Prays for Himself, His Disciples, and His Church

17 After saying this, Yeshua looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time is here. Give your Son glory so that your Son can give you glory. ²After all, you’ve given him authority over all humanity so that he can give eternal life to all those you gave to him. ³This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Yeshua Christ, whom you sent.

John 17:13-18 English Standard Version

¹³But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.^[a]16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them^[b] in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

The Word of God is sufficient to make us wise, train us in righteousness, and equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). The Scriptures are a true reflection of God’s nature, and from them we can learn that we can trust His character and His plan and His purposes for mankind, even when those plans include affliction and persecution. Blessed indeed are we if our delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law we meditate day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us now Pray;

Gracious and ever-living God,
You have given your promise for us to treasure in our hearts,
and your justice for us to declare with our lips.
You have given your commandments as a sure path for us,
and your decrees for our richest delight.
You have given your Covenant so that we may have life in its fullness,
and the urgings of your Spirit for our attentive listening to your word.

Eternal God,
whose creative word
brought life out of darkness,
we praise you.
Suffering God,
whose incarnate word
lived and died among us to show us your love,
we adore you.
Gracious and ever-living God,
whose living word
breathed your Holy Spirit on the church,
we worship you.
— Copyright © 2000 Jeff Shrowder, http://thebillabong.info/

Exalt the Name of the Lord our God! Exalt the Truth of the Lord our God! The Blessing of Knowing Scripture!

I have God’s permission to have Hope! I am blessed if my walk is blameless, and that can only be achieved by walking according to God’s laws. This walk cannot be now and then, but must be with my whole heart, with no unrighteousness mixed in. Such a lifestyle will help me not to be ashamed when I see myself in the mirror of His Word. The more I learn of His righteousness, the more I give thanks to Him for it. Our God is 100% faithful to care for His obedient children.

Psalm 119:1-8 Names of God Bible

Psalm 119^[a]

¹Blessed are those whose lives have integrity,
    those who follow the teachings of Yahweh.
²Blessed are those who obey his written instructions.
    They wholeheartedly search for him.
³They do nothing wrong.
    They follow his directions.
⁴You have commanded
    that your guiding principles be carefully followed.
⁵I pray that my ways may become firmly established
    so that I can obey your laws.
⁶        Then I will never feel ashamed
            when I study all your commandments.
⁷I will give thanks to you
    as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
⁸I will obey your laws.
    Never abandon me.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen!

Have we ever thought of how easy it is for us to take the Scriptures for granted?

Here we are in possession of the very words of God Almighty! Out of His goodness, He has preserved His word for us. Not only are we blessed to be in possession of Scripture, we are blessed through knowing Scripture.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible and at its heart, is a love for God’s Word. As the Psalmist wrote these words, he (possibly King David) had an indescribable desire to know the Word far beyond just an introductory level.

He was not content with just knowing the basics of Scripture, He wanted to know the God who inspired Scripture. He knew that he was not only blessed with having the Word of God, he was blessed by knowing the Word of God.

If we follow what the Psalmist says in these first 3 verses, we see that those who practice and know the Scriptures are blessed. In order for us to be blameless, we need to walk in the law of the Lord. If we seek Him with our whole heart and keep His testimonies, we will be blessed. Who are the ones that do no wrong?

The ones that walk in His ways. There is a double blessedness that we see in these opening verses. To meditate upon, to know , to study and to practice what God reveals to us in Scripture blesses our lives echelons beyond understanding. It is one thing to just hear and read the Scriptures, it is another thing entirely to risk taking the next step, going beyond knowing them and so to practice them.

In verse 2, we are told that we are blessed if we seek him with our whole heart.

This means that if we truly want to feel the blessings of knowing God’s Word, our devotion to studying His Word needs to extend far beyond just skin level.

It is all too easy to read the Bible like a Pharisee. To read the word, to know the word but fail to prudently apply it to our heart, and to our lives, is a soul killer.

In this smart phone, technology driven age we live in, When you and I read the Bible and have our time alone with God, do you and I read it to know it? Or do you and I read it to live it out and to also better love the One who inspired it?

So, with your smart phone in hand, looking down, at it, what is your quiet time like? If we had to teach what it meant to 100% truly love the Word of God, what would we teach? Would we be able to say like the Psalmist that you seek Him with our whole heart? Do we walk in His ways and not just talk in His ways? How can we make sure that we are walking and seeking with our whole hearts?

I’ll give you 3 ways, although, there are many more that could be listed.

1. Read the Bible supernaturally. In your hands are a book that is unlike anything ever written. There is no other book in all of history that is like the Word of God. You are holding perfection in your hands, the very words of God. I believe it has been repeatedly said, “if you want to hear the audible voice of God, read your Bible out loud.” Have you and I ever thought about it that way?

The Sovereign King over ALL is speaking to you and me through this book! Go to the Bible expecting to hear God speak and you will never be disappointed. Reverend Dr. John Piper has written an excellent book called Reading the Bible Supernaturally that does a much better job detailing this if you were interested in meditating, learning more about what it means to read the Bible differently. https://www.christianbook.com/reading-supernaturally-seeing-savoring-glory-scripture/john-piper/9781433553493/pd/553494?event=ESRCQ

2. As much as possible in these contemporary days, make a plan to actually put into action what you read. Prepare to engage the works and machinations of mankind through the greater works and machinations of God in His Kingdom.

All too often we can pick up a book, read it, learn from it, and then carry on with our lives as if we never picked it up to begin with. This cannot be the case with the Bible. Notice that the Psalmist uses the verbs walk and seek when it comes to those that are blessed. If we want to experience the full blessings of knowing God through His word, we need to risk putting some action behind that desire.

John Wesley once wrote, “it cannot be that people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading. A reading people will always be a knowing people.” The more you and I read and act on the Word, the more we will know the One who inspired it all. As you and I read our Bible, write down some things that stick out to us and risk trying to implement those things into our daily life.

Maybe it is something as simple as our finding a quiet place to pray alone or memorizing Scripture. Maybe it’s something more like explaining the Gospel to a friend or a coworker. We can never grow spiritually if we aren’t acting towards growth. It might look and feel like we are taking baby steps, but we serve a God that is faithful and will help us to grow. The only thing we can’t do is nothing.

3. Pray the Word! When we read the Bible, pray that God would reveal Himself to you. Do not go to the Bible and expect to understand it on your own power.

Pray! some of the promises of Scripture such as Jeremiah 29:13, where the Lord says that those who seek Him will find Him or pray James 4:8 which says that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Be Silent! (Romans 8:26)

Pray for grace, for wisdom and understanding before, during, and after reading Scripture. Meditate on those Words as you go throughout your day. If you are struggling with a passage, do not be afraid to ask God to reveal information to you. Finally, remember to thank the Lord that He has revealed Himself to you through His Word, through His divine nature, and through the world around us.

PRAY! Dare to Risk a direct and decisive engagement with God!

PRAY! Dare to Risk a direct and decisive engagement with His Son, Jesus Christ!

PRAY! Dare to Risk a direct and decisive engagement with the Holy Spirit!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us please PRAY,

Come Holy Spirit and Fill the Hearts of the Faithful

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your
love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and you shall renew the face
of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of
the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever
enjoy your consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Exalting the Name of the Lord our God and the Truth of God’s Word! With All of our Heart and our Soul!

I do not know of anyone who does not want to be happy, do you? We spend our whole lives on the quest to find happiness, to make our lives bearable. The world offers a multitude of ways to find happiness, but the happiness found in the world is so fleeting and unsatisfactory. There is only one way to truly be happy, to truly be abundantly blessed and that is found in Exalting the Lord!

Psalm 119:1-8 Evangelical Heritage Edition

Psalm 119

The Great Psalm on the Law of the Lord^[a]

Aleph: Blessed Are the Blameless

¹How blessed are those who are blameless in their way,
who walk in the law^[b] of the Lord.
²How blessed are those who keep^[c] his testimonies.
With all their heart they seek him.
³Indeed, they do no wrong.
They walk in his ways.
⁴You have commanded that your precepts^[d] be kept completely.
⁵If only my ways were unwavering in keeping your statutes!^[e]
⁶Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.
⁷I will thank you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous judgments.^[f] ⁸I will keep your statutes.
Do not abandon me completely.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 119:2 reads, “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”

In Psalm 119:2 the psalmist spoke of those who seek the Lord “with the whole heart.” To pursue something “with the whole heart” is to do so wholeheartedly, to do so with all one’s focus, with all one’s commitment, with all one’s priority, with all one’s energy, with all one’s enthusiasm.

In fact, throughout this psalm the psalmist speaks six times concerning the pursuit of something “with the whole heart,” and five of those times he is delivering a testimony concerning his own heart and life. So then, from these six references, we find three pursuits wherein we ought to follow the psalmist’s example to pursue them “with the whole heart” and also with the whole soul.”

We should seek our Lord’s fellowship with our whole heart.

In Psalm 119:2 the blessing is pronounced, “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”

Again in Psalm 119:10 the psalmist gave testimony, saying, “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” Brethren, this is to be the source for our Christian character, commitment, and conduct – the fellowship of the Lord our God. Indeed, this should be the priority of our hearts and the center of our lives – the fellowship of the Lord our God.

With our whole hearts, we should pursue after and pay any price for “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

Yea, we should be willing with our whole hearts to suffer the loss of everything else in order that we might “know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” (Philippians 3:10) “As the hart panteth after the water brooks,” so our souls should thirst and pant after the fellowship of the Lord our God. (Psalm 42:1-2)

The love and affection of our hearts should be wholly directed toward Him. Indeed, we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength. He should be our first and our only love, our ONLY permanent priority # ONE love. We should love Him, and cleave unto Him, and serve Him with all our heart and with all of our soul.

Daily abiding in our Lord’s fellowship should be the motivating principle to which our whole hearts are submitted and by which our hearts are governed.

Yet what if we have already left our first love for the Lord our God and His daily fellowship? In such a case, we must be zealous with our whole heart to repent of our sinful ways and to return unto the Lord our God. We must turn from our sinful ways with a completely broken and contrite heart, and must return unto the Lord our God with 100% whole conviction and commitment of our heart.

Even so, James 4:8-10 declares, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

We must not exalt ourselves. We must return with the whole heart unto our Lord. Then He will surely revive us spiritually, and raise us up to the place of His fellowship, and restore us to the spiritually abundant life of His fellowship.

Even so, in Jeremiah 29:12-13 the Lord our God proclaims, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Then shall we grow in the knowledge and experience of His blessed daily fellowship, if we follow on with the whole heart to walk in fellowship with Him as our first and ONLY love, our first and ONLY Witness Statement, our ONLY Testimony.

We should keep our Lord’s Word with our whole heart.

We will read later on in Psalm 119:33-34 the psalmist made his request and commitment unto the Lord, saying, “Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”

Again, later in Psalm 119:69 the Psalmist expressed his commitment unto the Lord, saying, “The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.” Just as we should seek our Lord’s fellowship with our whole heart, even so we should keep our Lord’s Word with our whole heart.

Indeed, seeking our Lord’s fellowship and keeping our Lord’s Word are intimately joined together. Therefore, we must pursue both together with our whole heart. Indeed, we should have such a whole-hearted commitment to keeping our Lord’s Word, that we ever desire and delight to learn more of its higher wisdom and ways. Furthermore, we should have such a whole-hearted commitment to keep our Lord’s word, that we continue in faithful obedience even in the face of pandemic, politics and fiery trials and fierce persecution.

We should daily come to God’s Word, diligently study God’s Word, and definitely obey God’s Word. We should search the truth of God’s Word daily.

We should study to show ourselves approved unto God, as spiritual workmen who do not need to be ashamed before Him. (2 Timothy 2:15) With our whole hearts, we should desire and delight in the truth and wisdom of God’s Word.

Indeed, we should meditate in that truth and wisdom day and night, hiding God’s Word in our hearts as the governing principles for our hearts and lives.

Yea, we should edify each other, we should edify ourselves, we should build up our entire lives in character, convictions, commitments, and conduct upon the truth and wisdom of God’s Word, not just claiming it, but faithfully obeying it.

We should entreat our Lord’s favor with our whole heart.

Looking deeper, Psalm 119:58, our psalmist gave testimony, saying, “I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.” Again in Psalm 119:145-147 he declared, “I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.”

Indeed, this matter of the heart should be rooted in the previous two matters of the heart. As we seek with our whole heart to walk in our Lord’s fellowship, we will learn more and more to set our whole-hearted trust in His tender mercies and loving kindnesses toward us. In addition, as we keep with the whole heart the truth of our Lord’s Word, we will learn more and more to set our whole–hearted hope in the promises of His Word to care for His faithful servants.

Even so, with full assurance of faith in our hearts, we should come boldly in prayer unto our Lord’s throne of grace, “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) We should trust in the Lord with all our heart at all times, and should pour out our hearts before Him, knowing that He is “a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8) We should rest, wait, and hope only upon the Lord our God, knowing that our help is from Him.

With every fiber of our being, with our whole hearts, we should seek from our Lord that we might receive, seek from our Lord that we might find, and knock at our Lord’s throne of grace that His hand of grace might be opened unto us ALL.

Psalm 34:3 Evangelical Heritage Edition

An Invitation to Join David in Praise

³Proclaim the greatness of the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 46:10-11 Evangelical Heritage Edition

¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted on the earth.”

¹¹The Lord of Armies is with us.
The God of Jacob is a fortress for us. Interlude

Psalm 99:5 Evangelical Heritage Version

Exalt the Lord our God and bow down before his footstool.

Psalm 107:32 Evangelical Heritage Edition

³²Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the session of the elders.

With our whole hearts, with the entirety of our souls we must Exalt the Lord!

With our whole hearts, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us enter into a time of prayer and supplications.

Today God I pray that I keep your commands. Give me humility to walk in the Lord. Give me wisdom to make good choices. Give me the diligence to seek you with my whole heart, and not to be distracted by the things of this world. Amen.

Our Message of Living Hope which has been there from the Beginning.

What a strange way to begin a story: *“In the beginning the Word already existed.”* But that statement’s true because that Word is Jesus! When God wanted to tell human beings about himself, when he wanted to give us good news about salvation, when he wanted to give us a message about his love for us, he sent Jesus. Jesus is God’s Word — his Message. And this Word was with the Father all along. In fact, he was *“in very nature God”* **(Philippians 2:6)**. Jesus is God come to us from the depths of eternity, not as conqueror (except over sin), but as Savior, in human flesh. He is God with us, the Messenger **above** of all messengers, Message **above** of all messages.

John 1:1-5, 14 ESV

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life,^[a] and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son^[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

If you and I want to express ourselves, you and I could use words, actions, or deeds or as they say, “Actions speak louder than words.” You and I can use our words to communicate, convey our thoughts. Actually, the best way would be through both, allowing both our actions and our words to speak to our intent.

This is exactly what God did from the very beginning in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, directly and decisively into the affairs of man. God’s actions and words are tied into the name the Apostle John uses in describing Jesus as “The Word.”

When Jesus Christ walked among us as “The Word,” He expressed what was on God’s mind – An Eternal Hope is now living and walking among us! From His actions (miracles, healing sickness and disease, raising the dead, His death and resurrection), to His words (His Parables, what He communicated, He taught of God’s love, forgiveness, salvation, and God’s kingdom, to His prophetic words of His death, resurrection, and eventual return). The Word Came Among Us!

This is all tied up in the first several verses found in John’s gospel, which is probably one of the most compact statements about Jesus, from his existence from all eternity, to His identity as being God, and then His relationship, His connection, His Koinonia (intimate fellowship) with both God and with man.

John 1:1-5 Amplified Bible

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (^[a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and ^[b]the Word was God Himself. ²He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. ³All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. ⁴In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. ⁵The Light shines on in the ^[c]darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

John begins his Gospel the same way the Genesis account begins in the Old Testament, “In the beginning.” (Genesis 1:1) But Jesus achieved what years of law never could and never would, and that is humanity’s salvation, that is, bringing humanity back into a right relationship with God. You might say that after an indeterminate, uncountable number of years, Jesus Came, reset history.

In our passage John says that “The Word,” which we will see is a name for Jesus, is fulfilling the plan God had in mind all along – A Living Hope for All.

So powerful is the truth found in this name the Apostle John uses that he couldn’t help using it again in his first letter to the church 50 + years later.

1 John 1:1-3 (NKJV)

What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ²the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

John expresses to us Jesus is the exact representation of who God the Father is, both in His actions and words. Jesus is the exact representation of Living Hope.

The Apostle Paul clearly expressed to the Followers in Colossae these thoughts;

Colossians 1:3-18 Easy to Read Version

³In our prayers we always thank God for you. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴We thank him because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people. ⁵Your faith and love continue because you know what is waiting for you in heaven—the hope you have had since you first heard the true message, the Good News ⁶that was told to you. Throughout the world, this Good News is bringing blessings and is spreading. And that’s what has been happening among you since the first time you heard it and understood the truth about God’s grace. ⁷You heard it from Epaphras, our dear friend and co-worker. He is a faithful servant of Christ for us.^[a] ⁸He also told us about the love you have from the Spirit.

⁹Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray:

that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; ¹⁰that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God^[b]; ¹¹that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.

Then you will be happy ¹²and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light. ¹³God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. ¹⁴The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.

The Son of God Is the Same as God

¹⁵No one can see God,
    but the Son is exactly like God.
    He rules over everything that has been made.^[c]
¹⁶Through his power all things were made:
    things in heaven and on earth, seen and not seen—
all spiritual rulers, lords, powers, and authorities.
    Everything was made through him and for him.

¹⁷The Son was there before anything was made.
    And all things continue because of him.
¹⁸He is the head of the body, which is the church.
    He is the beginning of everything else.
And he is the first among all who will be raised from death.^[d]
    So in everything he is most important.

The anonymous author of Hebrews expresses it rather nicely saying that Jesus was the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person.

Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJV

God’s Supreme Revelation

1 God, who ^[a]at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ^[b]worlds; ³who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had ^[c]by Himself ^[d] purged ^[e]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The Son Exalted Above Angels

⁵For to which of the angels did He ever say:

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?

And again:

“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?

⁶But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:

“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

⁷And of the angels He says:

“Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”

⁸But to the Son He says:

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A ^[f]scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
⁹You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

¹⁰And:

“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
¹¹They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;
¹²Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”

¹³But to which of the angels has He ever said:

“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the beginning, the Hope already existed. The Hope was with God, and the Hope was God. The Hope came! The Hope lived among us, filled with Grace and Truth and Life in more abundance than we could dare imagine.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us now dare Pray;

Thank you, Father in heaven, for expressing a message that I can understand. Thank you for expressing a message that I can see in action. Thank you for Jesus and all he is to me. Thank you for your One and only perfect expression of faith, hope and love, of truest salvation, and grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Today, I’m Pondering the Living Hope of God: The Miracle of Transformation. Jesus Transforms Water Into Wine!

All journeys have a beginning, a middle and an ending. We have been reflecting on the revelation of God. We have been reflecting on the reputation of God and His Son Jesus Christ. All along, we have been trying to decide whether or not we ought to choose God, His Son and the Holy Spirit as having complete command over the long course of our lives. The process of anyone making such a choice as this is immensely transformational. From the beginning, this engagement with this magnitude of “Living Hope” is fraught with many unknowns and pitfalls.

It is a good thing then that when you and I start, we first start at the beginning which we did when we began to plumb the depths of Genesis Chapter 1. Jesus was there from the very beginning as John 1:1-5 very succinctly communicates to readers. To better plumb the depths of this revelation, we begin before Jesus began to make Himself known as someone other than the son of Mary and a Carpenter.

Before Jesus made his official entrance into -public ministry, Jesus performed one sign, one miracle at a wedding. He would then go on to perform nearly 40.

Please open your Bibles to the gospel of John, chapter 2. Today we are beginning a new devotional series I have titled, “This Miracle of Transformation: Jesus the Carpenter, Jesus the Itinerant Master Rabbi, Rabbi Jesus the miracle worker.”

John 2:1-11 NKJV

Water Turned to Wine

2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ²Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. ³And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

⁴Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

⁵His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

⁶Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. ⁷Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. ⁹When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. ¹⁰And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

¹¹This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and ^[a]manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Our text tells the story of the beginning of signs. Jesus took an ordinary occasion, a wedding, as an opportunity to act. The need was for wine. He worked a miracle to provide the wine. The miracle was also a sign.

In this devotional message we discuss (1) the occasion of the miracle, (2) the need for a miracle, (3) the performance of the miracle, and (4) the significance of the miracle.

This story, now as then, should challenge us to first, believe that the Lord Jesus is God in the flesh, believe in the ministry, mission and works of the Lord as our Savior, as having total sovereignty over our whole lives and to give Him glory.

What is our need for such knowledge and such a magnitude of conviction?

Whether we are believers or non believers or we are somewhere in the middle of making such a transformational decision, many of us, exactly right now, in this precise moment face difficult circumstances today. Perhaps you and I have said, or are currently saying: “It will take a miracle to get me through my situation.” Without something very miraculous taking place, you and I wonder if you and I will make it. With that in mind, let’s follow Jesus from Judea to Cana of Galilee.

It’s good when you start, to start at the beginning. Before Jesus made his official entrance into public ministry, Jesus performed one miracle. He would then go on to perform nearly 40. Most seem to agree on about 38 that we have record of.

It is important to stop and remember what John said: “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for all the books that would be written.” I’m sure there were many other signs and miracles we are simply not aware of.

But this was the first and it is interesting that he chose to perform this miracle at a wedding. Less than a week has now gone by since Jesus had appeared in the desert. John had prophesied that Jesus was coming and when he arrived, John said, “Behold the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.

There was a system taught in the OT for hundreds of years that on particular days man should bring a sacrifice-often a lamb. The lamb was to be without blemish. The lamb would then be sacrificed on the altar, blood would be shed and man would receive forgiveness. This completed the Scripture that says without shedding of blood there is no remission/forgiveness of sins. Now this lamb has arrived and that system from the OT is about to change completely.

This is the story of the beginning of miracles. We will discuss the wedding as an ordinary occasion which led to a miracle. Then, we will present the need for a miracle, the performance of the miracle, the significance of the miracle. This text, now as then, should challenge us to believe in the Lord, to give Him glory.

Then in just a few days a wedding takes place in Cana. We don’t know how many guests there were but the Scripture does tell us that Jesus and his mother were there and also his disciples. The Scripture gets right to the point-there was a problem-they had run out of wine and so Mary took the need directly to Jesus.

She made him aware. I suppose that it is difficult to know exactly why she told Jesus–after all we have no record of any previous miracle Jesus had performed and later in verse 11 we learn in fact that this was his first. But certainly by this time Mary was fully aware that her son, Jesus was the very Son of God himself.

So she says, ”hey, son, it looks like they don’t have any wine.” His response immediately captures our attention because it sounds so abrupt. Look at it. “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Now that is tense!

Things are now beginning to change. Their relationship is beginning to change. This is likely the first time Mary had asked Jesus for help in a public setting. And what Jesus has to say here in the 2nd part….when He says what does this have to do with me? Seems to be explained in the last part. My hour has not yet come.

So Mary who is apparently expecting this need to be taken care of then speaks to the servants and said, “Do whatever he tells you.” There’s a principle found here that God’s people have attempted to live by for 2000 years and here it is:

• Do whatever he tells you.

Mary knew that her son Jesus could do whatever was necessary to transform a negative situation as long as the servants obeyed. And the same is true today.

• Jesus is more than able to do whatever was necessary/needed in your family

• Jesus is more than able to do whatever is necessary in your personal life.

• Jesus is more than able to do whatever is necessary to heal relationships, to heal people, to heal circumstances.

You see the beginning of the first transformation. You see for the very first time Jesus acting directly and decisively in the affairs of ‘troubled’ man, the public is about to see that in any situation, Jesus the miracle worker can take something that is broken and fix it. He can take something which is old and make it new.

Look at what he does. Verse six. There are six stone jars and each one will hold about 20 gallons. Possibly 30. So we have over 120 gallons of water available.

They are told to take them and fill them to the brim. These pots were used for washing. The Jews had practiced for years that they should not eat until they had washed their hands carefully. We still practice this. “Hey kids wash up it’s time to eat.” These large pots were used because they also had to wash cooking utensils as well; pots and pans. So Mary tells them to fill them and the narrator John reports they filled them up to the brim. Now not sure why we have that particular detail except that it does point out that nothing else was added.

No wine was added. No grapes, no fruits of the vine No Kool-Aid was added. No food coloring was added. Just water from the well-filled directly unto the top.

So now Jesus chooses some of the servants to help again and he tells them to draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. Not to the waiters, not to the maître d’… Take it to the master. The main guy. Now these would be very heavy. A gallon of water weighs just over 8 pounds so each container could have weighed in excess of 200 pounds and there are six of them. So there were more than just a few men who are carrying these. Because this is over 1200 pounds.

So the host asked for wine and they bring water. It happens sometimes. Hey, I ordered sweet tea you know the stuff dripping and saturated with sugar. This is unsweetened tea. This is terrible. Or I ordered Coke, not Diet Coke or Pepsi.

The host ordered wine— they were bringing out water cause they were just doing what Mary had told them to do-Jesus had told him as well and so they were just following orders. We know it was water when they left the kitchen with it so we kind of have to conclude that the water miraculously transformed into wine somewhere between the kitchen and the head table at the banquet.

It’s like the waiters at a steak house walking out of the kitchen carrying a whole side of beef and he says, because it is a special customer, I need you to become a nice juicy ribeye, medium well by the time we get to serve the guest at the table.

That takes faith and obedience. It’s difficult to do what God tells us to do when we look at the situation. The circumstances. It often looks virtually impossible.

But as much as we desire to ask so many questions, to dot every “I” and cross every “t” and know every single detail. God says just do what I told you to do.

And that is what Mary had said and what Jesus had requested. This is what the master of the banquet, not Jesus, I’m speaking of the master of ceremonies— and told the wedding servants for them to do on behalf of every single guest.

So they discussed it with no one and they marched out with it. They took it over to the master of ceremonies. Since he was responsible-he had to make sure all the food and drink was “Reasonably” acceptable. So, in the regular course of his responsibilities, when he tasted the “new” wine the Text says, something about the wine had been transformed for the better and he knew not whence it came.

The master is obviously surprised because this wine actually tasted better than the wine they had earlier. You see it was customary to serve the best wine first-then when people continued to celebrate and drink, they did not care as much what it taste like you would bring the lesser wine-the one that was not so good.

Just as there is grape juice and wine today there was intoxicating wine and non-intoxicating wine in that day. The word here in the Greek is oinos and it refers to both so that doesn’t help us know which one it was. https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/jhn/2/10/t_conc_999010 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3631/kjv/tr/0-1/

For me, because I am Diabetic, I made the choice to refrain from alcohol in any form. Champagne, wine, beer, hard liquor-I drink none of it and have not for well over 20 years. I do not know what you choose to do… That is between you, your family, friends and God but if you have problems in this area, if you drink and don’t know when to stop; if there is a history of alcoholism in your family or you have a personal history then I encourage you to completely abstain.

Look now at verse 11. This is an important verse because it reminds us that every miracle Jesus performed had a purpose. It was never simply a display of power. John said Jesus performed this very first sign in Cana. What is a sign?

When we are traveling down the highway and we see a road sign, that sign is always pointing you and I towards something is about to occur. Rough road, Uneven lines. School zone. Deaf Child zone, Slow down. Curve in the road, Ice on the roads and bridges ahead; communicating: Slow down. Trouble is ahead. But signs are not always negative. If you’re traveling down the highway there also positive signs. Motel 6 and Cracker Barrel ahead, likewise Rest stop is ahead.

But, here, Narrator John is referring to the miraculous transformation of the water into wine, but not just any wine, but wine far exceeding all standards of the day, and indeed, far exceeding all standards of any day and any time frame.

Several things happen as a result of this miracle.

(1) Jesus revealed his glory. The glory of God was revealed that day.

(2) His disciples put their faith in him; apparently for the first time. Remember, his brother James did not believe until the resurrection. Their faith was solidified at this moment and now they were ready to follow him anywhere

(3) The law was exchanged for grace. This ceremony washing hands—that’s what these jars had been used for. Now all of this was replaced with something new.

(4) The law of Moses was exchanged for the law of grace. Now we would be cleansed by the blood of the cross.

You know, under the old system of beliefs and traditions, if you have to keep going back time after time and completing this ceremonial washing of hands you are constantly reminded that it is not enough. You just get unclean again. One more animal sacrifice. Again and again. But now we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. And this same Jesus continues to change lives today.

We are living the ordinary life in extraordinary times. The Best is Yet to Come!

We are each confronted by extraordinary challenges. The Best is Yet to Come!

We are “hot wired” by God to overwhelm, to overcome. The Best is Yet to Come!

I am “hot wired” by God, “believe in infinitely more.” The Best is Yet to Come!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us now Pray,

Lord, we need a miracle today.
Like Jesus changing water into wine
at the wedding feast in Cana,
we need a water to wine miracle today.
We are tired, Lord, of the hurts of this world.
We are discouraged
in the face of injustice, war, poverty, and indifference.
We need a miracle of water to wine today, Lord.
Your steadfast love, like a mighty mountain,
will not be moved.
Your gifts, as many as the mighty winds,
cannot be counted.
Your glory, like a mighty torch,
will not be put out.
Lord, crown us with your love.
Show us your water to wine glory,
that in you we may be moved
to acts of kindness, love, justice, and mercy.
Lord, we need a miracle today. Alleluia! Amen.

I Am Reflecting on the Sovereignty of God in My Life. Our Troubled Heart, this Troubled Christian Heart Within!

HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO FOLLOW JESUS?

Matthew 22:34-40English Standard Version

The Great Commandment

³⁴But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

“Be Still My Troubled Heart” “Be Stiller My Troubled Soul!” Is a lament I have heard quite a few people pray to themselves. They pray to God for revelation. They pray to Jesus and the Holy Spirit for resolution to their troubled beings.

What about that phrase reaches your heart and soul right now? You seek release, you seek intercession, divine intervention. Scripture is replete with the promise that God answers our prayers. But have you wondered where God begins? God begins with His hands surrounding a surrendered heart. But can you genuinely say your heart is truly surrendered to Father, Son, Holy Spirit?

Ought not the first utterance of prayer which emanates from your lips:

Psalm 139:23-24 NASB

²³Search me, God, and know my heart;
Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴And see if there is any ^[a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

When your heart is searched by God, no place is left unsearched, everything about your troubled heart and even more troubled soul is laid bare before God. God starts to act – directly and decisively. Without your awareness, God makes his examination of those areas within which He knows needs to be surrendered. You have no control over what God selects. It becomes a natural feeling, a long sought feeling of revelation and release. which your feet will follow. Biblically speaking, what is the heart? It’s the control center of your personality, will, and emotions. Your heart is essentially at the core of your character, who you are.

I think it’s safe to say that the human heart is one of the most important organs God placed in the human body.

But I think it’s also safe to say that a person’s heart is also one of the most important spiritual organs God has given to us as well. But the heart that I am talking about isn’t the human organ. Rather it is the spiritual part of us where emotions and desires reside.

This spiritual heart is seen from the very beginning when the Bible tells us that we have been made in both the image and likeness of the Lord God Himself, (Genesis 1:26) And so God has a heart. But it’s not the physical organ that resides within the human body, although God created it, but He has a heart, one that can be broken over our sins, and a heart we are to follow. The Lord God is saying to all His Children, “I know the heart, I know exactly what’s in there.”

In fact, it’s this seeking after the heart of God that God commends and is Himself seeking after amongst His people. He is seeking a people whose heart is seeking after His heart. Now, in our natural condition, which is the condition known as sin, the heart of man isn’t even lined up with God’s heart. Instead it’s evil, wicked, filled with deceit and treachery. So wicked and so treacherous is the human heart that we are easily deceived by it, but not so God, He knows it well. In fact, He’s the only one who knows our heart’s true condition.

This was King David’s plea after he was exposed for his adultery with Bathsheba and his conspiracy to commit murder against Uriah the Hittite afterwards;

Psalm 51:10 NASB

¹⁰Create ^[a]in me a clean heart, God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

And the reason we need to pray this is because, as the Apostle Paul tells us, it’s with our hearts that we believe unto righteousness, (Romans 10:9-13). Therefore Solomon tells us to guard our hearts.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

It is for this reason that I’ve decided to look at one of the first qualities of a Christian’s heart. In other words, what should a Christian’s heart look like. This morning in our time together I’m going to give you three aspects that I see right off the bat about what a Christian’s heart is and should be.

A Christian’s Heart is …

1. A Loving Heart

Let’s go back and look again at the condition of the human heart, and that is it is wicked and evil, filled with sin, deception, and treachery. But then we’re told that with this heart we’re to love God. Jesus said,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37 NKJV)

Jesus said that this is the first and greatest commandment, Matthew 22:38.

GOD’S DESIGN AND LOVE The Bible repeatedly communicates to us that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). He is the perfect, glorious, holy, eternal, all-powerful, all knowing, Creator of the universe. He created humanity to live in fellowship with Him. He created you! He loves you and has a plan for your life.

Begin today with that thought today. Then Let God begin His greatest works!

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let us come to pray,

Dear Father God, I don’t give you the love you deserve. I disobey, act selfishly, and am wholeheartedly foolish. Help me to love you with everything I have. I believe in you, worship you, and love you. I want my love to be endless. I will love you with all my heart, soul, and mind. You gave everything for me, I want to return that love to you, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Loving Father thank You for loving me when I was dead in my sins and for bringing me into Your family, simply because I trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour – Lord I want to love you with every part of my being. May I live as You would choose and love You with all my heart and soul and strength and mind, in Jesus name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 119:33-40 Names of God Bible

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Psalm 119:25-32 AKJV

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Romans 12:1-2 AKJV

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Psalm 119:9-16 Names of God Bible

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Psalm 119:1-8 Names of God Bible

Psalm 119[a]

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Psalm 119

The Great Psalm on the Law of the Lord[a]

Aleph: Blessed Are the Blameless

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John 1:1-5, 14 ESV

The Word Became Flesh

John 1:1-5 Amplified Bible

The Deity of Jesus Christ

The Son of God Is the Same as God

God’s Supreme Revelation

The Son Exalted Above Angels

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Water Turned to Wine

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HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO FOLLOW JESUS?

Matthew 22:34-40English Standard Version

The Great Commandment

GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Psalm 139:23-24 NASB

Psalm 51:10 NASB

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Psalm 119^[a]

The Great Psalm on the Law of the Lord^[a]