Tag: faith

“Failure is never the opposite of ‘success’; it is a crucial part of it.” Proverbs 24:15-16

Proverbs 24:15-16 Christian Standard Bible

15 Don’t set an ambush, you wicked one,
at the camp of the righteous man;
don’t destroy his dwelling.
16 Though a righteous person falls seven times,
he will get up,
but the wicked will stumble into ruin.

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.

Learning Something From our Mistakes.

Learning Nothing From our Mistakes.

Living with the thought that we can, we will, never make Mistakes.

I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

And so, our human condition moves us, trips us, face plants, us through life

I’ve come to appreciate the value of learning from mistakes and of reframing failures as opportunities for growth.

The insights shared by mentors, friends, and even strangers have profoundly shaped my understanding of resilience and perseverance.

When I was younger, I viewed failure as a reflection of my inadequacy.

But a mentor once told me, “Failure is never the opposite of success; it is a crucial part of it.”

That helped me to see mistakes not as automatic dead ends but as stepping stones toward improvement and wisdom.

A memorable example was a project I led that did not go as planned.

I immediately felt defeated, but a wise colleague encouraged me to analyze what went wrong and what could be done differently the next time.

That helped me to see the experience as a learning opportunity.

I also recall a Pastor sharing a story of his own failure in ministry.

His transparency, honesty and humility taught me that even the people we look up to experience setbacks.

This encouraged me to view failure as a shared human experience.

What does Proverbs 24:16 really mean?

Here, Solomon expresses true confidence that godly people can recover from setbacks. Those who do evil will surely fall when they are struck by adversity.

In an earthly sense, this is generally true yet not an absolute guarantee (Psalm 73:2–3). In an eternal sense, however, this principle is universal.

Proverbs 24:16 reminds us that setbacks are not the end. God calls us to keep getting up, to trust Him, and to move forward with hope. No matter how many times we fall, His grace is always sufficient, always there to help us rise again.

Righteous people are not those who will never fall. They do not escape the suffering that attends life in this fallen world (Proverbs 24:16).

Importantly, the righteous man or woman may fall as many as “seven times.”

The number seven often symbolizes completeness in Scripture.

Learning from our mistakes means our humbly acknowledging them, seeking that feedback, and making necessary adjustments. It involves humility and a true willingness to change. By reframing failure, we can grow in resilience, deepen our trust in God’s guidance, and continue moving forward with hope.

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

Praying …

Psalm 121

A Song of degrees.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

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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One Seldom Acknowledged Pitfall of Lent: Man Supposes, Man Proposes, but God alone, Ultimately Disposes. Proverbs 19:21

Proverbs 19:21 New King James Version

21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Th 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.

Where is the wisdom hiding behind a man or woman’s eyes? Outside of God’s good and perfect plan, however, even the best plans of mankind can end up in disappointment and even defeat. It’s when we hold to God’s promises found in Holy Scripture, we remember that God’s plans are always greater than our own.

What does it mean when Solomon says ‘Many Are the Plans of a Person’s Heart’ but the advice of the Lord will stand ?

Goals are an essential part of human life.

Having something to aspire to and work towards is often what gives people purpose, motivation, and a reason to get up in the morning. Without goals, whether big or small, people can quickly stagnate and decline, losing a sense of purpose and even hope in life.

Of course, a goal can be as simple as wanting to finish a good book, learn a new skill, or go for a walk every morning.

Does God Give Us Goals?

For Christians, goals can include trying to spend a few minutes reading the Bible in the morning, getting involved more in their local church, or our memorizing more Scripture.

Even something as mundane as getting dressed to go to work or making breakfast gives us a reason to get up and get moving.

On the other hand, our goals can also be massive, long-term, and seemingly impossible. They may involve moving, starting a business, or making wildly significant life changes.

Dreaming beyond what is comfortable, easy, or safe is what inspired some of history’s greatest innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers to take risks, persevere through hardship, ridicule, and failure, and push the boundaries of what we once thought was humanly possible.

We tell their stories and marvel at their achievements, aspiring to reach new heights in our own lives because of their example. That’s not inherently a bad thing. Role models are essential to the health of the individual and the survival of any culture or society.

And while human examples are always going to be flawed and never perfect, God has given us the ultimate example to learn from and follow in Jesus Christ.

Likewise, many of God’s followers throughout Scripture set their hearts and minds on the things exclusively of God, pursuing both long-term and short-term goals in their own lives.

For example, the Apostle Paul longed to visit fellow believers and local churches in person even though he was often prevented or incapable of traveling due to imprisonment or the demands of his ministry.

As a long-term goal, Paul hoped to preach the gospel and minister to the believers in Rome (Romans 1:11; Acts 25:11-12)

And looking to eternity,

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14 Complete Jewish Bible

11 He has made everything suited to its time; also, he has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can’t fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. 13 Still, the fact that everyone can eat and drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work, is a gift of God. 14 I know that

whatever God does will last forever;
there is nothing to add or subtract from it;
and God has done it so that people will fear him.

Paul determined,

“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them all mere  rubbish, so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Immediate, short-term, and long-term goals were always present in Paul’s heart throughout his ministry, with Christ at the center of all of them. The same should be equally true for Christians of all generations.

Many of the goals and dreams we have, as well as the plans we have developed to achieve them, are God-inspired, God-honoring, and God-oriented.

And when our passion merges with God’s good plan and purpose for the world, our dreams are in a wonderful place.

In fact, Jesus told His followers that “where the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

That is God’s desire for our lives, something He often accomplishes through our goals and dreams.

Understanding the relationship, we share with God as children to a loving Father is essential for stepping into the abundant life God has for us.

Accordingly, there’s also good reason to move forward with joy when we know that God delights in our goals and dreams.

Is it Wrong to Have Plans?

In many instances, it was God who put those dreams and ideas in our hearts in the first place. (1 Kings 3:4-15)

The worst thing we could do is hesitate or sit back when God has given us the green light and the freedom to go for it.

However, though many of our dreams are God-inspired and pleasing to the Father, some are simply not.

Beyond our lowly sinful desires, which must be overcome and rejected, sometimes there is nothing inherently wrong or inherently sinful about our dreams and goals. Our priorities, however, are simply out of alignment.

Certain plans take precedence over the things God has asked us to do or wants for our life.

We get distracted by our many aspirations that we forget to pursue or make time for what truly matters most.

This is why Solomon, like many figures in the Bible, recognized the importance of calibrating plans and passions to God’s will and desire (Proverbs 19:21).

Big or small, our plans are ultimately subject to the will and sovereignty of God.

To put that into perspective, when the children of Israel returned from captivity in Babylon and Persia, God instructed the former exiles to begin rebuilding the temple.

Initially, they were eager to get started on a project many of them had probably dreamed about while in captivity.

However, after just two years of work, construction had ceased.

Rather than being motivated to finish, the people had become discouraged by opposition and distracted by other plans and projects in their lives.

And so, for the next 14 years, the temple was left unfinished while the Israelites worked on building their own houses and finishing other goals.

Some of those plans were good, fine, there was nothing wrong with their desire to build a home and take care of their families; their priorities, however, were out of alignment, prompting God to send the prophet Haggai to encourage His people to get back to work on the temple (Haggai 1:1-11).

In this instance, the Israelites hadn’t outright refused to work the temple, they had simply put it off for another day.

Seeking God’s advice on the matter would have given the Israelites the guidance they needed to know which task to start and finish first.

Accordingly, when God’s plans are put off, our plans often suffer. When God’s goals are pursued first, He often helps our plans fall into place.

In other Proverbs, Solomon also writes:

  • The plans of the heart belong to a person, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, but the Lord examines the motives. Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established(16:1-3).
  • The mind of a person plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps(16:9).
  • Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight(3:5-6)

It takes disciplined trust and humility to surrender to God’s way of doing things, especially when His plans aren’t always clear. However, in our goals and how we choose to pursue them, our priorities are ultimately revealed.

What Does This Mean?

Again, Christians would be wise to heed the counsel of the Lord and the wisdom of His Word.

Our plans are big.

They are many. Outside of God’s good and perfect plan, however, even the best plans of man can end in disappointment and even defeat.

It’s when we hold to God’s promises found in Scripture, we remember that all of God’s plans are always greater than our own. Best of all, they are 100% good.

As Jeremiah writes, “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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

Pray …

Psalm 100 Complete Jewish Bible

100 (0) A psalm of thanksgiving:

(1) Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
2 Serve Adonai with gladness.
Enter his presence with joyful songs.

3 Be aware that Adonai is God;
it is he who made us; and we are his,
his people, the flock in his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
enter his courtyards with praise;
give thanks to him, and bless his name.
5 For Adonai is good, his grace continues forever,
and his faithfulness lasts through all generations.

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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Covetousness —our far over the top desire to possess for ourselves what God has chosen to give to another, or Humble Contentment Exodus 20:17

Exodus 20:17 Amplified Bible

17 “You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

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 Ten Commandments end with a call to contentment, truly the other side of the bookends to where we started.  The Lord begins His commandments calling His people to love and worship only Him, to never worship any idols. God now finishes His commandments calling His people into a covenant of contentment with everything that God gifts to us, that their love and worship brings with it.  

This is a call to be thankful and content with the life that God has given you;  To not crave or desire what others have or despise what you have been given, but to be fully and utterly, perfectly thankful for the life that God designed for you.   

Excessive material consumption has become a way of life and no matter how much we obtain or have, it is never enough.  We obtain the job we thought was 100% right for us and quickly are 100% dissatisfied until we get the promotion. 

We buy the house to only desire one bigger and nicer. There is not one aspect of our life that we don’t desire more in.  Even in ministry we desire different gifts, a greater platform, or for God to bless more than He has chosen to do so.  

With all this desire never quenched, we become frustrated and ungrateful. 

It’s hard to live in peace and thanksgiving when you never have what you actually desire. 

In this frustration, sin takes root. 

We soon begin to miss all the great blessings that God has blessed us with because we are always focused on what others have or what we don’t have. 

In this 10th commandment God calls us to peace in contentment. If God wanted us to have more, we would have it.  If we needed different circumstances or abilities, we would have them.  Instead of always saying “if only this” and “if only that,” God calls us to rest in all that He has done in and through our life.  

There will always be someone who has more, is blessed differently, or is experiencing life from different angles than you.  However, there is only one you.  Only one you that He walks with daily in the exact way that He does. 

God chose you from the beginning of time. 

God desired you into existence. 

God sent His Son to die so that you one day would not.

He counts all the hairs on your head and gave you air to breathe today simply because He wants you live. Everything you have, no matter how much or little, is because God loves and cares for you.  That should be enough for true Shalom.  

The world will always gift us with disappointments and leave us thirsty. It will never provide you what you are looking for, even if you find it. 

They only part of life which truly offers peace is Christ! 

Jesus is where all of our joy comes from. 

That is why as believers we can smile while poor or rich, sick or healthy. 

We praise His name in all seasons because He is the only one that is worthy of praise. The only One that offers 100% Shalom and 100% contentment.  

In the name of God, the father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,

Pray,

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

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 Core Truth of the Matter forever Remains True: The reality is that God thoroughly Hates All Our Deception! exodus 20:16

Exodus 20:16 Living Bible

16 “You must not lie.[a]

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.

Quotes from Our first President of the United States George Washington:

https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/biography

“I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy.”

Farewell Address to the People of the United States | Monday, September 19, 1796

“Truth will ultimately prevail where pains is taken to bring it to light.”

Letter to Charles M. Thruston | Sunday, August 10, 1794

“Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man.”

George Washington to Alexander Hamilton | Thursday, August 28, 1788

Every command of Scripture serves not only as an instruction for our lives but also as a reflection of who God is.

The command against adultery is rooted in His faithfulness.

The forbidding of murder flows from the life-giving Lord.

And so it is with the ninth commandment against bearing false witness, which comes from the promise-keeping God of all truth, who does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).

What does the Lord have in view when He instructs us not to bear false witness?

It is surely safe to assume that this commandment concerns any form of speech that is far less than truthful.

There are many ways we fall short.

We do it by outright deceit, when we provide false information or withhold the truth in some way.

We do it when we participate in rumors, spreading gossip about others.

We do it by slandering and flattering others.

We do it when we exaggerate the truth, give false impressions, and are careless with the facts. All of this falls short of the divine standard.

In a Court of Law …

According to Maryland Code, Criminal Law §9-101, a person commits the crime of perjury if they “willfully and falsely” make a statement about a “material fact” after taking an oath or any other affirmation under state law.

What is the penalty for perjury in Maryland?

§1621 specifies that those found guilty of perjury may be imprisoned for up to five years or fined according to the statutory guidelines. These guidelines allow for fines of up to $250,000.

A vital component of fighting against the temptation to lie is to understand why we lie in the first place.

The source of lies is none other than Satan himself, about whom Jesus says, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

Deceit was his strategy in the Garden of Eden, when he approached Eve with a lying tongue.

Tragically, we are often driven by the same motives as the Evil One when we lie: pride, hatred, and fear. We lie out of pride when we want others to think highly of us. We deceive out of hatred because we want to tear down someone else.

We speak untruth out of a fear of the consequences that we think would result from the raw truth being known. In all of this, we lie because in those moments we love ourselves more than we love God and our neighbors.

The reality is that God hates deception (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Proverbs 6:16-19 Living Bible

16-19 For there are six things the Lord hates—no, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, sowing discord among brothers.

In order for us to walk in the truth, we must crucify our pride and be more concerned with what God thinks of us than with what someone else thinks.

We must put away malice and pursue love for others, committing to never speaking slanderously or spreading gossip.

And we must fight an ungodly fear of man, replacing it with the fear of God, who came in flesh, declared Himself to be “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

The Lord Jesus has given His people His Spirit of truth (John 15:26), who empowers us to walk in the truth and put away falsehood.

Only by His power are we increasingly conformed into the image of Christ and ever more reflecting the character of the God who gave the 9th commandment.

Consider now in which situations and in what ways you are most often tempted to bear false witness.

On this first day of Lent consider, pray about how will the immutable truth about Jesus, His saving gospel, His indwelling Spirit motivate you to speak differently from now on—to speak the whole truth, as a follower of the truth?

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

Pray …

Psalm 15 Living Bible

15 Lord, who may go and find refuge and shelter in your tabernacle up on your holy hill?

2 Anyone who leads a blameless life and is truly sincere. 3 Anyone who refuses to slander others, does not listen to gossip, never harms his neighbor, 4 speaks out against sin, criticizes those committing it, commends the faithful followers of the Lord, keeps a promise even if it ruins him, 5 does not crush his debtors with high interest rates, and refuses to testify against the innocent despite the bribes offered him—such a man shall stand firm 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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Ash Wednesday 2025: Guard Yourself against Temptation. Matthew 4:1 – 11

Matthew 4:1-11 Common English Bible

Temptation of Jesus

4 Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3  The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.”[a]

5 After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, 6 “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.”[b]

7 Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”[c]

8 Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”[d] 11 The devil left him, and angels came and took care of 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.

Have you ever been tempted to take something that didn’t belong to you, or something that wasn’t yours to have at the moment?

Maybe it was a piece of candy at the store, or a friend’s toy, or someone else’s jewelry. Maybe it was something that looked exciting and fun, but you also knew that it could be dangerous and hurting you or getting you sent to prison .

Maybe it was something you thought you deserved, or felt you just had to have, and you knew this might be your only chance to have it.

After all, it looked so interesting and inviting—and even though you had been warned about it, you thought, “How could this possibly do any harm?”

As the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he used all kinds of reasoning and tricks, twisting God’s Word to try to convince Jesus that he should have certain things or do certain things. Thankfully for us, Jesus never gave in to temptation.

He saw through Satan’s lies and pushed away those temptations by correctly recalling God’s words to us in Scripture.

We too can resist temptation—by the power of Christ’s Spirit in us.

We may be curious about what we see in front of us, but, like Jesus, we need to let it go and move on. He endured temptation so that he could pass the test for our sake, and now we have his example of how to resist.

We can trust that God will always provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13).

A holy character does not prevent temptation—Jesus was tempted.

When Satan tempts us, his sparks fall upon tinder; but in Christ’s case, it was like striking sparks on water; yet the enemy continued his evil work.

Now, if the devil goes on striking when there is no result, how much more will he do it when he knows what inflammable stuff our hearts are made of.

Though you become greatly sanctified by the Holy Spirit, expect that the great dog of hell Cerberus will bark at you still. In the haunts of men we expect to be tempted, but even the quietest seclusion will not guard us from the same trial.

Jesus Christ was led away from human society into the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. Solitude has its charms and its benefits and may be useful in checking the lust of the eye and the pride of life; but the devil will follow us into the most lovely retreats.

Do not suppose that it is only the worldly-minded who have dreadful thoughts and blasphemous temptations, for even spiritually minded persons endure the same; and in the holiest position we may suffer the darkest temptation.

The utmost consecration of spirit will not insure us against satanic temptation.

Christ was consecrated through and through. It was His meat and drink to do the will of Him that sent Him—and yet He was tempted! Your hearts may glow with an angelic flame of love for Jesus, and yet the devil will try to bring you down to lukewarm uselessness. If you will tell me when God permits a Christian to lay aside his armor, I will tell you when Satan has left off temptation.

1 Peter 5:6-11 Amplified Bible

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, 7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.  9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. 11 To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.

Like the medieval knights in wartime, we must sleep with helmet and sword, breastplate buckled on, for the arch-deceiver will seize our first unguarded moment to make us his prey. May the Lord keep us watchful in all seasons and grant us a final escape from the jaw of the hungry lion and the paw of the bear.

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

Pray …

Psalm 63 Complete Jewish Bible

63 (0) A psalm of David, when he was in the desert of Y’hudah:

2 (1) O God, you are my God;
I will seek you eagerly.
My heart thirsts for you,
my body longs for you
in a land parched and exhausted,
where no water can be found.
3 (2) I used to contemplate you in the sanctuary,
seeing your power and glory;
4 (3) for your grace is better than life.
My lips will worship you.
5 (4) Yes, I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
6 (5) I am as satisfied as with rich food;
my mouth praises you with joy on my lips
7 (6) when I remember you on my bed
and meditate on you in the night watches.

8 (7) For you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;
9 (8) my heart clings to you;
your right hand supports me.

10 (9) But those who seek to destroy my life —
may they go to the lowest parts of the earth.
11 (10) May they be given over to the power of the sword;
may they become prey for jackals.

12 (11) But the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears by him will exult,
for the mouths of liars will be silenced.

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 Righteous Cure for our Chronic unrighteousness Comes Through a Balance of Discipline and Humility. Proverbs 22:1-5

Proverbs 22:1-5 Revised Standard Version

22 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 The rich and the poor meet together;
    the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man sees danger and hides himself;
    but the simple go on, and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is riches and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
    he who guards himself will keep far from them.

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.

Throughout the scope of human history, society after society has separated and valued people by a sense that some inherently have far more worth than others.

Whether it is called a pecking order, a caste system, gender bias, racial bias, ignorance, arrogance, political snobbery, social standing, or elitism, it is based on our faked flawed, fallen, and fleshly status systems and is offensive to God.

The Lord, our Eternal God and Creator, crafted each person in the womb of his or her mother [1] and fashioned every single person in His divine image. [2] He wants everyone to come to Him in repentance and find new life through faith in His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. [3] When we humbly come to Jesus Christ in faith and baptism, Paul says God erases all the distinctions based in our fleshly values:

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. [4]

Each and every person on earth is someone Christ died to save. [5] That’s why we will find folks from every language, tribe, nation, people praising Savior Jesus together as one family, praising the Lord for what He has done to save us. [6]

Today’s relationship proverb reminds us that God made the rich and poor.

He values both. He wants both to know Jesus.

And, He put us on earth to share His grace with both and value all! He wants us to tear down the barriers that separate us and let the Holy Spirit create one new humanity comprised of all kinds of people. [7] 

This realization should humble us, call us to Jesus’ mission, lead us to abandon our prejudices, keep us from making superficial judgments of others, and help us realize that we have much more in common than we have in differences.

If we are going to love God, love our neighbor’s, love as we should, then we must love each other without using labels and thoughts that divide us. [8]

[1] Psalm 139:13-16.
[2] Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6.
[3] John 3:16-17; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Peter 3:9.
[4] Galatians 3:26-29.
[5] 1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:15. Since Jesus died for everyone, we must be careful that we don’t alienate anyone (Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11).
[6] Revelation 7:9-12.
[7] Ephesians 2:11-22.
[8] 1 John 4:20-21; Matthew 22:36-40.

In the name of God, the father the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Pray …

Psalm 15 Revised Standard Version

Who Shall Abide in God’s Sanctuary?

A Psalm of David.

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

2 He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right,
    and speaks truth from his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue,
    and does no evil to his friend,
    nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
4 in whose eyes a reprobate 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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God’s name should be treated with highest reverence and not used in a casual or foolish, disrespectful way. Exodus 20:7

Exodus 20:7 Amplified Bible

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who [a]takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

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 Third Commandment states: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7.”

God’s Name is special because it carries the personality of God.

The Name in Bible times was more than a personal identification.

It represented the whole person, with his personality, will, gifts, ideas, etc.

This is why some people had their names changed when they went to a transforming experience. The person changed, so the name changed.

Matthew 16:13-20 Amplified Bible

Peter’s Confession of Christ

13 Now when Jesus went into the [a]region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  16  Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.”  17 Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to you that you are [b]Peter, and on this [c]rock I will build My church; and the [d]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth [e]will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth [f]will have [already] been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

The Name of God here in the third commandment involves the whole Trinity, God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Let us see what this Commandment teaches us.

What if we were to take a poll asking people which of the Ten Commandments they regard as the least significant, I wonder if the “winner” would be the third.

When compared to false gods and graven images, the third command doesn’t seem like such a serious offense. But if the one who wrongly uses the name of God incurs guilt, then it must be important—and we need to understand why.

Scripture is crystal clear that God’s name is most precious and most powerful.

One place where we see this is in the encounters between God and Moses.

In Exodus 33, Moses asks God to reveal His glory.

His request invites a death sentence because it is not possible to see God’s glory and live.

But God graciously grants the request in a way that prevents Moses’ demise, for He demonstrates His glory not by a physical manifestation but by revealing His name:

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6; emphasis added).

His name reveals His character, which in turn reveals His glory.

Earlier, in Exodus 3, God had revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush.

Moses had been tasked with a weighty mission and wanted to know what to say when people asked who had sent him.

God told Moses to say, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).

By using a form of the verb to be to name Himself, God declared that He is self-existent, self-sufficient, and sovereign, depending on no one and nothing. Who else can claim such a name?

In declaring and disclosing Himself, God does not merely identify Himself; He reveals the wonder of who He is.

So to misuse God’s name is to misunderstand His greatness and glory.

Only when we grasp this can we understand why the third commandment is so significant.

In what ways, then, might we break this commandment?

For one, we break it every time we use God’s name to strengthen our vows and promises, bringing down the name of divinity in order to make ourselves sound more believable (James 5:12).

We also blaspheme God when we use His name in anger, in arrogance, or in defiance of who He is.

We misuse His name when we utter falsehoods and use it to back them up.

Perhaps closer to home, in every worship service we attend where we worship God with our lips only and not from our heart, we break the likewise third commandment.

Only when we see the glory of God’s name and when we use it in praise, love, prayer, obedience, and gratitude do we gain more insight, understand why our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9, KJV, emphasis added).

His name is to be forever hallowed because it proclaims who He is, reveals His character, and is a strong refuge for all who call on it (Proverbs 18:10).

And it is to be forever hallowed in the lives of His people—including in your life, as you bear the name of Christ and take it on your lips with reverence and love.

In the name of God, the father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Pray,

Psalm 20 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 20

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;
the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 send thee help from the sanctuary,
and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 remember all thy offerings,
and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart,
and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation,
and in the name of our God we will set up our banners:
the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.

6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed;
he will hear him from his holy heaven
with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen:
but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

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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You are not to make any idol or image of other gods. In fact, you are never to make an image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. Exodus 20:4

Exodus 20:4-6 The Message

4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

The 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.

I often wondered how the ancient Israelites could be so daft.

They took a rock or a piece of wood, carved an image on it, and then bowed down to it as a god. Really?

Then, on a whim, I checked my wallet. Money is made from paper, which is made from wood pulp. I looked around my neigh­borhood. The houses are made of wood and stone. Maybe the only difference between us and ancient idol worshipers is that our idols today could have a longer production process.

It is disturbing to realize how good we are at making idols. We can make them out of any physical thing. We can even create them out of thin air.

For example, we can claim to be righteous on the basis of our political views.

We can worship a sports franchise. We can devote our lives to the service of a corporation. Such idols are also known as ideologies, or “isms.”

Our ability to create such fraudulent gods is unlimited. Anything that we attach our ultimate desires into, whether physical or conceptual, can be an idol, a god.

But these idols are not the Lord God, the one who delivered Israel from Egypt, the one who freed us from our slavery to sin.

Only this God moves through history with his people.

This is the one who created us.

We cannot and must not create another.

No Image Engraved or in Mind

Exodus 20:1-6 The Message

20 1-2 God spoke all these words:

I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.

3 No other gods, only me.

4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

If the first commandment—“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)—deals with the object of our worship, the second commandment deals with the manner of our worship.

What the second commandment tells us is that it is not enough that we worship the correct God; we must also worship Him correctly.

The clear and immediate meaning of the command is that God is to be worshiped without any visual symbols of Him.

Why the prohibition? Because God is spirit: infinite and unfathomably great.

No physical representation could ever do justice to His glory and grandeur.

The problem with statues, shrines, and pictures is not that they don’t look good but that no matter how good they look, they will inevitably blur the truth about God’s nature and character.

Such images tend to distract us from worshiping the true and living God, instead leading them to worship whatever representation is before them.

Yet the second commandment takes us beyond mere images and idol-making and into our own thought life. Our hands may be innocent of making graven images, but our imaginations seldom are. Any conception of God in our minds and hearts that is not derived from Scripture runs foul of this command.

When God gave instructions for the building of the temple, He ordered that the ark of the covenant, on which His presence would dwell, should reside in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:34).

What was inside the ark? Perhaps most significant is what was not in it: it contained no visible representation of God.

Instead, there were the two tablets of the Ten Commandments.

It was as if God was saying to His people, as He says to us, Don’t look for Me in shrines, paintings, or statues. I’m not there. Look for Me in My word.

And so we take our cues from God.

If we want to worship Him—if we want to meet with Him and know what He is like—we must conform our minds to His word.

Our own attempts to conceive of God wholly apart from divine revelation will invariably fail.

He has published His truth in His word, and so we are to tether ourselves to what is revealed there.

What’s at stake in this is the integrity not only of our worship but also of our lives—because when people go wrong in their worship, they end up wrong in their living.

Anything and anyone that encourages us to worship the correct God incorrectly will prove to be a detriment to our spiritual growth.

What a tragedy it would be to embrace an image and miss the person of Christ, to sit at a shrine and miss the Savior, to worship a misconception and too, fail to know Jesus. Instead, resist the urge to reshape God in your image or conform Him to your own image, and be sure to know Him as He has revealed Himself.

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

Pray,

Psalm 24 The Message

24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it,
    God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
    laid it out on River girders.

3-4 Who can climb Mount God?
    Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
    only the pure-hearted;
Men who won’t cheat,
    women who won’t seduce.

5-6 God is at their side;
    with God’s help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
    to God-seekers, God-questers.

7 Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

8 Who is this King-Glory?
    God, armed
    and battle-ready.

9 Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

10 Who is this King-Glory?
    God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
    he is King-Glory.

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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You shall have no other gods before Me But the hearts of men and women aren’t so easily instructed nowadays. Exodus 20:1–3

Exodus 20:1-3 Revised Standard Version

The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

The 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.

Perhaps the most basic truth about the God of Scripture is He is the only one.

There is no other.

This truth ought to simplify things for us because it teaches us that there is only one who is the worthy object of our love, loyalty, and devotion. But the hearts of men and women are not so easily instructed.

And so it is necessary for God to give us the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” The danger is not that there are actual other gods for us to worship but that we have a proclivity for making them.

On first glance, this first command is straightforward.

To live for a god other than the true God would be like taking a second spouse while your first spouse is still alive and still happy to be your spouse.

Worse, it would be like taking a second spouse who is in truth a figment of your imagination. It would be a breach of an exclusive relationship.

We must not kid ourselves that we are immune from the possibility of breaking this commandment.

Many of us read it and picture people bowing down before statues or going through elaborate rituals, and those mental images assure us that we’re not in danger of violating it.

Yet the commandments are not restricted to outward actions but also relate to the disposition of our minds and hearts.

From this perspective, we may not be as far from those mental images as we assume. We may not have statues to which we bow down, but maybe we have segments of our lives that we keep away from God, preserving them under the authority of some other little “deity”—ourselves, perhaps.

Ask yourself: “Do I joyfully acknowledge God’s comprehensive claim on my life? Is God in charge of my family, my work, my relationships, my money, my dating, my use of time?” Take a close and honest look to see if there are portions of life you try to keep from Him.

In addition to keeping things away from God, another form of danger is functionally replacing Him.

When we put our family, our job, our hobbies, or anything else in the place that is God’s alone, we violate the first commandment.

To the degree that we allow anyone or anything besides obedience to God to direct our course day to day, we defy His law.

So we are not so safe from the possibility of breaking this commandment as we may think!

While we must acknowledge the truth that there is one God, we must also beware our own ability to put things in His place.

If we do not daily submit ourselves to Him and entrust the entirety of our lives to Him, something will take His place.

We are made to worship.

The question is, are you going to worship the living God or are you going to pretend there is another?

In the name of God, the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Pray,

Psalm 23 Revised Standard Version

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
2     he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;[a]
3     he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in paths of righteousness[c]
    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[d]
    I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
    thy rod and thy staff,
    they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me
    all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    for ever.[g]

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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Managing Chronic Grief: For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, my bones wasting away. Psalm 31:9-10

Psalm 31:9-10 New American Standard Bible

9 Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body too.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my guilt,
And my [a]body has wasted away.

The 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.

Within the Christian community, grief can be a topic put on the back burner.

Many of us are taught that as Christians, we should always be happy—no matter what.

Even if a parent, sibling, or spouse has suffered greatest loss, has passed away, we should still be happy all the time. Anything less would be fully unbiblical, right? This, as a 100% wrong mentality, needs to be vigorously challenged, eradicated from the church, and the body of the Christian community itself. 

Nowhere in the Bible are we told we must be happy all the time. We should always be joyful, but joy and happiness are not the same thing. Even though many people use these words as synonyms, they are not the same. With Jesus as our Lord, joy is always present in our hearts because it is based on him not us.

Happiness, on the other hand, is fleeting and is based on our circumstances.

Grief is a very authentic something that can take a lifetime to fully process.

If the church cannot help Christians when they first experience the death of a loved one, then how will they, are they going to be able to support someone who is chronically managing grief?

Seeing things from the other person’s perspective can definitely help cultivate some very deep  measures of compassion, care, and understanding for others.

Even if someone has never experienced grief of their own, they need to try to do their best to truly connect with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are going through this troubling time.

Instead of insensitive comments, such as “Oh, you’re still not over that?” We need to truly begin to understand others and truly meet them where they are.

It is essential for us to be a shoulder to cry on, a support system, and a safe place for them.

As someone who struggled with chronic grief, I can share with you that it is not an easy journey. Some days are better than others, but the bad days are severe.

I developed grief after the close together passing (4 1/2 month) of my mother and father, and I had great difficulty truly moving forward from their passing.

I don’t have much in common with people my own age because most of them haven’t witnessed the death of both their parent coming so tightly together.

While everyone my age had gotten married, started families, and moved into their own homes, I was sitting on my bed in a dark room, crying myself to sleep.

If you find yourself in a similar position, know you are not alone. There are Christians across the world who can relate to what you are going through, and Yeah! God understands your pain. Take solace in His love, comfort, and grace.

One Day We Will Rejoice

The Lord tells us, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22). 

Jesus is referring to His own death and how His disciples will see Him again. We experience grief over many things, yet the most common is the death of a loved one. Take your rest in the Lord’s words that there will be rejoicing in the future.

Now is our time of grief, but our grief will not last forever. While we might struggle with grief for our entire lives, we will not suffer from it for all eternity.

One day, our grief will be taken, God will welcome us home with open arms.

In the name of God, the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

In all humility, Pray …

Psalm 42 Complete Jewish Bible

Book II: Psalms 42–72

42 (0) For the leader. A maskil of the descendants of Korach:

2 (1) Just as a deer longs for running streams,
God, I long for you.
3 (2) I am thirsty for God, for the living God!
When can I come and appear before God?

4 (3) My tears are my food, day and night,
while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?”
5 (4) I recall, as my feelings well up within me,
how I’d go with the crowd to the house of God,
with sounds of joy and praise from the throngs
observing the festival.

6 (5) My soul, why are you so downcast?
Why are you groaning inside me?
Hope in God, since I will praise him again
for the salvation that comes from his presence.
7 (6) My God, when I feel so downcast,
I remind myself of you
from the land of Yarden, from the peaks of Hermon,
from the hill Mizar.
8 (7) Deep is calling to deep
at the thunder of your waterfalls;
all your surging rapids and waves
are sweeping over me.
9 (8) By day Adonai commands his grace,
and at night his song is with me
as a prayer to the God of my life.
10 (9) I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
under pressure by the enemy?
11 (10) My adversaries’ taunts make me feel
as if my bones were crushed,
as they ask me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’ ”

12 (11) My soul, why are you so downcast?
Why are you groaning inside me?
Hope in God, since I will praise him again
for being my Savior and 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.

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