Tag: Psalm 19

Make Insight Your Priority! Pray for a Curious Mind. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. Proverbs 2:1-5

Proverbs 2:1-5 Expanded Bible

Rewards of Wisdom

2 My ·child [or son], ·listen to [grasp] what I say
    and ·remember [L store up] what I command you.
2 ·Listen carefully [L Bend your ear] to wisdom;
    ·set your mind on [L stretch your heart to] understanding.
3 Cry out for wisdom,
    and ·beg [shout out loud] for understanding.
4 ·Search [Seek] for it like silver,
    and ·hunt [search] for it like hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand ·respect [fear; awe; 1:7] for the Lord,
    and you will find ·that you know God [the knowledge of God].

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.

A subtle, amusing illustration of a group of church elders, and Rabbi’s tired and weary from a lengthy two day discussion; Joshua before the Walls of Jericho.

Finally, one of them throws his arms into the air and suggests, “I don’t care how the walls of Jericho crumbled down. I move we have it rebuilt stone by stone and just make a resolution to take the funds from the facilities budget.

Most Sunday school students know who “broke the wall of Jericho” and what God said about it (see Joshua 6).

Yet, considering its subtle point, the illustration reminds us that our biblical knowledge is declining today even where church attendance may be booming.

Who is still curious enough to plumb the depths of the Word of God? Storing up God’s commands, turning both of our ears to his wisdom does not, nor will not, come naturally.

It takes a disciplined program of regular prayer, Bible reading and reflection.

Living as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must make an authentic effort to learn, learn from God’s Word—its context, his words and its covenant commands.

Wise living in our technologically complex, internet, AI, social media driven “no God allowed” education systems calls for serious reading of Scripture.

It requires our learning details about the life of Jesus as told in the gospels.

Learning what Jesus said and did will make us appreciate his ultimate sacrifice.

It will encourage us to imitate his life, de­voted to obeying his Father’s will.

A wise and curious heart and a knowledgeable walk are pleasant to the soul and will truly yield eternal blessings.

Can a true disciple in 2026 desire anything less?

Do we?

Human beings are naturally curious, but that God-given sense of curiosity does get cast off along the way to our adulthood when those responsibilities pile up.

As an adult, it may seem like you don’t have enough time to be curious – even though you do wonder about a lot of things. 

But God never meant for you to stop being curious. 

Proverbs 2 describes that someone who cries out for insight and searches for understanding, like a person seeking hidden treasure.

That shows the power of a curious mind at work as it seeks God.

Knowing God better only happens when you want to learn because you’re curious. Curiosity inspires you to ask questions instead of settling for easy answers, so you can keep right on learning more about God. 

A curious mind can strengthen your faith.

God invites you to seek, to search, and to discover.

He isn’t threatened by your questions, offended by your desire to understand.

When you wonder about God and his work in the world, you’re responding to an invitation God has already given you.

God wants you to keep seeking him, keep asking, no matter how long you’ve been in a relationship with him.

He encourages you to seek him, and promises that you’ll find him.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 Expanded Bible

10 This is what the Lord says: “·Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to [L Only after the seventy years of Babylon are filled will I visit;  25:11] you, and I will ·keep my promise [L confirm my good word] to ·bring  [restore] you back to ·Jerusalem [L this place]. 11 I say this because I know ·what [L the plans] I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have ·good plans for you [L plans for your peace/security], not plans ·to hurt you [L for your harm]. I will give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call ·my name [L me]. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me [Dan. 9:4–19]! 14 I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back from your captivity [restore your fortunes]. I ·forced you to leave [drove you from] this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have ·sent you as captives [exiled you],” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back [restore you]  to this place.” 

You can never stop being amazed by who God is!

So, keep your mind curious as you go through each day.

Read the Bible with a sense of curiosity, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what each passage means for you, and how to apply it to your life.

Pay attention to the world around you and notice the evidence you see of God’s creativity, order, and care.

Every time you find something that points you to the reality of God at work in your life – His love spread by faithful people, or something inspiring in nature such as a sunset or fish swimming, birds singing, butterflies fluttering around your backyard – let that motivate you to stay curious and to keep seeking God.

The more you seek God with an ever more curious mind and a devoted heart, the more you’ll be able to find him. 

Proverbs 2:3-5 also reminds you that seeking wisdom takes time and effort.

The passage tells you to call out for insight, to cry aloud for understanding, and to search for knowledge of God like hidden treasure.

Curiosity is active, not passive.

You have to choose to open your Bible instead of reading something that’s a lot less valuable.

You have to choose to listen to new information rather than assume you already know everything there is to know about something.

You also have to choose to reflect on what God might be teaching you through all of your daily experiences, and to keep asking God’s Spirit your unanswered questions until he answers them, in his timing. 

But all of your effort is worthwhile.

God promises that when you seek to learn more about him like you’re seeking treasure, you will find the knowledge of him.

You’ll find more than just facts about God, but a deeper understanding of who God is.

You’ll start to see God’s character more clearly and notice his faithfulness in new ways. 

A curious mind also keeps your faith alive when you’re dealing with challenges.

When a situation you’re going through doesn’t make sense, curiosity helps you ask better questions.

Instead of just asking why the situation is happening, you can ask what God is revealing about himself through it, and what you can learn through it that will help you grow spiritually. 

Seeking God day by day with a curious mind will always lead you to learn something new about him.

Even while you do, though, you’ll also learn how much there still is to discover.

God’s wisdom is infinite, so you’ll never reach the end of it.

There is always more to learn about God! 

Well, isn’t there?

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

Praying ….

Praying …..

Psalm 19 Expanded Bible

God’s Works and Word
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

19 The heavens ·declare [recount; narrate] the glory [C the manifest presence] of God,
    and the ·skies [firmament; dome; Gen. 1:6] ·announce [speak out] ·what his hands have made [L the works of his hands].
2 Day after day they ·tell the story [L bubble/pour forth speech];
    night after night they ·tell it again [L declare knowledge].
3 They have no speech or words;
    they have no voice to be heard.
4 But their ·message [L line] goes out through all the world;
    their words go ·everywhere on [L to the ends of the] earth.
·The sky [Heaven; L In them] is like a ·home [L tent] for the sun.
5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his ·bedroom [L wedding chamber].
    It rejoices like an ·athlete [strong man] eager to run a race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the ·sky [heavens]
    and ·follows its path [L its circuit is] to the other end.
Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The ·teachings [laws; instructions] of the Lord are perfect;
    they ·give new strength [T revive the soul].
The ·rules [testimonies] of the Lord ·can be trusted [are faithful/sure];
    they make ·plain [simpleminded; immature] people wise [Prov. 1:4].
8 The orders of the Lord are ·right [virtuous];
    ·they make people happy [L rejoicing the heart].
The commands of the Lord are pure;
    ·they light up the way [L giving light to the eyes].
9 ·Respect [Fear] for the Lord [Prov. 1:7] is ·good [pure];
    it will ·last [endure] forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true;
    they are ·completely [altogether] ·right [righteous].
10 They are ·worth [desired; coveted] more than gold,
    even ·the purest [fine] gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even the ·finest honey [L droppings of the honeycomb].
11 By them your servant is warned.
    ·Keeping [Observing] them brings great reward.

12 ·People cannot [L Who can…?] ·see [detect; L understand] their own ·mistakes [errors].
    ·Forgive [Clear] me for my ·secret [hidden] sins.
13 ·Keep me [L Restrain your servant] from ·the sins of pride [proud thoughts];
    don’t let them ·rule [dominate] me.
Then I can be pure
    and innocent of the greatest of sins.

14 ·I hope my ·words [L The words of my mouth] and ·thoughts [meditations of my heart] ·please [L be before] you.
Lord, you are my Rock, ·the one who saves me [L and my redeemer].

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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Surly His Word shall not fail you–He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation forever to tell! Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1-3 Lexham English Bible

The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

12 Therefore, since[a] we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us[b], let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,[c] so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up.

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.

Eyeballing The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

How many of us know and love the famous hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus?

There really is a sense of purity and weightiness to many of the hymns we sing.

But this one strikes a particularly intimate chord, beckoning us to look up and out beyond our distractions, disappointments, and even our despair.

Not only is it calling us to shift our perspective, but to fix our gaze on the face of our Lord.

It is there that all of the cares of this world dim and fade in the light of His love and glory.

This hymn truly is one of my absolute favorites.

I actually wasn’t exposed to it until a bit later in life, but it was so influential that decades later, I still have a vivid memory of the first time I heard it.

I was driving my car to Gatlinburg Tennessee when Michael W. Smith first shared a beautiful rendition of these beloved lyrics. 

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

There is so much in our world that clamors for our attention.

In such a time of turbulent and volatile days as we are embroiled in right now, it is difficult to know exactly what or who we should be looking at or looking for.

Our challenges, our worries, our incessant need to be busy, and our constant pursuit of “happiness.”

All of which depletes our faith, steals our peace, and leaves us feeling lost, anxious, and hopeless.  

This is the slippery slope that can so easily lead us astray.  

Often, our distance from the Lord is not due to intentional rebellion but rather to a slow fading of affection.

As famously quoted by Corrie ten Boom,

“If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

True satisfaction can only be found in Him.

Nothing else will ever satisfy. 

In preparation for sharing about this hymn in today’s devotional, I conducted a little research to learn more about its origin and authorship.

The hymn was penned by Helen Lemmel in 1922.

Her own words were inspired by the life and poetry of a female missionary named Lilias Trotter, who encouraged those around her to

“turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him… for ‘He is worthy’ to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”

Jesus was, is, and always will be the answer to our questions, the treasure to our pursuit of riches, and the fulfillment of our innermost desires.

The God-shaped hole in each of our hearts will never be satisfied by the lesser things of this world.

The struggle truly is real.

The noise and allure of all that surrounds us will constantly bombard our hearts and minds. It will never go away while we remain in this fallen world. As such, it requires focused intentional effort on our part to break free of earthly bonds. 

But when we really think about it, the effort is so minimal.

All we have to do is look up and gird ourselves for what our Savior presents.

Just set down our phones, walk away from our planners, close our computers, or turn off the TV, and simply shift our gaze from the temporal to the eternal.

The Lord has already done all the hard work for us. 

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

The thing He is asking of us is to turn our eyes upon Him. As soon as we do, the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Hebrews 8:6-13 The Message

6-13 But Jesus’ priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he’s working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn’t have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,

Heads up! The days are coming
    when I’ll set up a new plan
    for dealing with Israel and Judah.
I’ll throw out the old plan
    I set up with their ancestors
    when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
They didn’t keep their part of the bargain,
    so I looked away and let it go.
This new plan I’m making with Israel
    isn’t going to be written on paper,
    isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time I’m writing out the plan in them,
    carving it on the lining of their hearts.
I’ll be their God,
    they’ll be my people.
They won’t go to school to learn about me,
    or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
They’ll all get to know me firsthand,
    the little and the big, the small and the great.
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
    with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.

By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust. 

The New Covenant of Grace

I can still remember the first time I really understood the gift of God’s grace.

I had been used to the idea of “earning” favor and approval from people, and that extended into ultimately seeking that everlasting approval from God.

It was a familiar pattern: Perform well, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and you are left with guilt and consequences. 

But grace is not like that.

It depends not on our performance but on God’s promises—sealed through Jesus. 

The writer of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant, which was based on laws and rituals, with the new covenant of grace established by the sacrifice of Jesus.

The old covenant required continuous sacrifices for sin, but Jesus, through his sacrifice of himself once for all, has made it possible for us to draw near to God, being loved and forgiven. 

The new covenant means that we no longer need to fear God’s judgment.

We are invited into an intimate relationship with God, marked not by our obedience but by God’s perfect love.

No matter what our mistakes are, God’s grace is always greater.

This is the good news of salvation—the new covenant in our Savior Jesus. 

As we reflect on all this, let’s envision the freedom that comes with His grace.

No longer bound by old rules, we can live, love and move in His hope and peace, knowing God has established a new way for us to be fully loved and forgiven.

Do you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or lost?

If so, how do you attempt to comfort yourself or ease your worries?

I encourage you to take some time today to listen to the timeless truths of this hymn.

I pray it ministers to your aching or anxious soul as we finally lift our sin laden, sin poisoned human eyes to ultimately cast your gaze upon Him and Him alone.

And may we all remove our blinders to behold Him in His light, love, and grace. 

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

Praying ….

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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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Fact or Fiction? God’s reputation is of the most purest, most absolute, most valuable twenty-four-carat gold with the most faithful lifetime guarantee. Psalm 19

Psalm 19 The Message

19 1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
    God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
    Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard,
    their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
    unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome
    for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
    leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
    racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
    from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
    warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

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.

We are going to talk about the perfection of God’s law, our search for moral values, and how we need to submit ourselves to God’s moral absolutes.

Navigating this world, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters in the chaos and noise, but as Christians, we have a perfect guide in the form of God’s law.

Lee Strobel once wrote, “If Jesus sets the divine standard for morality, I could now have an unwavering foundation for my choices and decisions, rather than basing them on the ever-shifting sands of expediency and self-centeredness.”

And that’s exactly what we will be digging into today.

We’ll be delving into Psalm 19, a beautiful passage that can enlighten us all.

Psalm 19:10 The Message

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

The Perfection of God’s Law

The perfection of God’s law is a testament to the divine wisdom and absolute righteousness of our Creator.

The law of the Lord, as described in Psalm 19, is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, enduring, firm, and righteous. Each of these descriptors paints a deliciously vivid picture of the divine perfection that is inherent in God’s law.

God’s law is perfect:

We are acknowledging that it is complete, flawless, and without any deficiency.

It is a holistic guide for our lives, addressing every aspect of human existence.

It is not a set of arbitrary rules, but a comprehensive blueprint for righteous living. It is perfect because it originates from a perfect God.

It is a reflection of His character and His will for humanity.

It is a law that refreshes the soul, as it is aligned with our true purpose and the ultimate truth of the universe.

The trustworthiness of God’s law:

In a world where falsehoods and deceptions abound, the law of the Lord stands as the surest beacon of truth.

It is reliable and dependable, providing a solid foundation for our lives. It makes the simple wise, illuminating the path of righteousness for those who seek it. It is a law that we can stake our lives on, knowing that it will never lead us astray.

The righteousness of God’s law:

It is not just a set of rules, but a moral compass that guides us towards what is right and just.

It gives joy to the heart, as it aligns us with the divine will and leads us towards a life of righteousness and virtue.

It is a law that radiates light, dispelling the darkness of sin and ignorance.

The purity of God’s law:

It is untainted by sin, corruption, or any form of evil.

It is a law that endures forever, unchanging and eternal, just like God Himself.

It is firm and unyielding, standing as a bulwark against the shifting sands of moral relativism.

It is a law that’s righteous in all decrees, reflecting the absolute righteousness of God.

It’s a law we should strive to understand and obey, as it is the shortest route to spiritual perfection.

Our Search for Moral Values

Our search for moral values is a lifelong journey that begins the moment we become aware of the difference between right and wrong.

It’s a quest that requires us to constantly evaluate our actions, decisions, and attitudes in light of God’s perfect law.

This search is not just about knowing what is right or wrong, but also about understanding why certain actions are deemed right or wrong according to God’s law.

Acknowledge that our morality is not self-derived:

It is not something we create or decide upon ourselves, but rather, it is something that is given to us by God.

This is a crucial point to understand because it establishes the basis for our moral values.

As Christians, we believe that our moral values are not subjective or relative, but are absolute, unchanging because they are rooted in the character of God.

The Bible:

Matthew 7:12 The Message

12 “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

This is our primary source of moral values.

It provides us with clear guidelines on how we should live our lives, how we should treat others, and how we should relate to God.

It teaches us about love, justice, mercy, forgiveness, humility, and many other virtues that form the foundation of our moral values.

Not always easy:

We live in a world that often promotes values that are contrary to God’s law.

We are constantly bombarded with messages that encourage selfishness, greed, pride, and other sinful behaviors.

In such a world, it can be challenging to stay true to our Christian moral values.

The importance of community:

As Christians, we are not meant to navigate this world alone.

We are part of a community of believers who can support, encourage, and hold each other accountable in our continuous search for moral values.

We need to be surrounded by a community of people who live the Christian life, who encourage us, rebuke us, teach us, guide us in our search for moral values.

A continuous process:

It requires constant reflection, prayer, and study of God’s word.

It requires us to be humble, to admit when we are wrong, and to seek God’s forgiveness and guidance.

It requires us to strive to be more like Jesus, who is the perfect embodiment of God’s moral values.

Our ultimate goal:

It’s not just to know what is right or wrong, but to live in a way that honors and glorifies God.

As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:15-17,

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. Cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of Jesus, thanking God the Father every single step of the way.

Submission to God’s Moral Absolutes

Submission to God’s moral absolutes is the conscious decision to align our lives with the standards and principles outlined in the Bible, God’s holy word.

This submission is not about losing our freedom or individuality, but rather about our gaining true freedom and peace in the knowledge that we are living according to God’s divine blueprint for our lives.

Not arbitrary rules designed to restrict us:

They are loving guidelines given by a wise and caring Creator who knows what is best for us.

They are the boundaries within which we can live, love, and serve in the most fulfilling and meaningful way.

They are the standards that help us to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and truth from falsehood.

Requires humility:

Isaiah 55:8-11 The Message

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

It requires acknowledging that God’s wisdom is greater than ours, that His understanding is beyond our comprehension, and that His ways are higher than our ways. It requires trusting in His goodness and love, even when we do not fully understand His commands or when obeying them seems difficult or costly.

Requires a commitment to ongoing spiritual growth and transformation:

It involves daily reading and meditating on God’s word, seeking to understand His commands and principles, and asking the Holy Spirit to help us apply them in our lives.

It involves regular self-examination and repentance, as we recognize and confess our failures and shortcomings, seek God’s forgiveness and help to change.

A lifelong journey:

It is a process of growing in obedience and faithfulness, as we learn to love what God loves, hate what He hates, and value what He values.

It is a journey marked by challenges and struggles, but also by joy and peace, as we experience, we live the blessing of living in harmony with God’s perfect law.

Let’s strive to understand and obey God’s perfect laws.

Let’s seek His wisdom and guidance in our search for moral values. And most importantly, let’s submit ourselves to His moral absolutes. Remember, His laws are not burdensome, rather they are the narrow path to true freedom and joy.

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

Praying …

119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

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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How all Nature Reveals God’s Truth: The voice of Jehovah is upon all the waters: the God of glory thundereth,—Jehovah upon great waters. Psalm 29

Psalm 29 Darby Translation

A Psalm of David.

29 Give unto Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty ones, give unto Jehovah glory and strength;

2 Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; worship Jehovah in holy splendour.

3 The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth,—Jehovah upon great waters.

4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is full of majesty.

5 The voice of Jehovah breaketh cedars; yea, Jehovah breaketh the cedars of Lebanon:

6 And he maketh them to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young buffalo.

7 The voice of Jehovah cleaveth out flames of fire.

8 The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and layeth bare the forests; and in his temple doth every one say, Glory!

10 Jehovah sitteth upon the flood; yea, Jehovah sitteth as king for ever.

11 Jehovah will give strength unto his people; Jehovah will bless his people with peace.

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 Voice of the Lord

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

The voice of the Lord features prominently in the Bible, from “Let there be . . . !” in Genesis 1 to “I am coming soon!” in Revelation 22.

Like any voice, the voice of the Lord can whisper or shout.

In 1 Kings 19, a gentle voice consoles the prophet Elijah, whose spirit is in turmoil.

Psalm 29 describes a roaring voice that rips forests apart.

The voice of the Lord speaks to Jesus when he is baptized.

It says, “You are my Son, whom I love” (Mark 1:11).

That’s an echo of Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42.

And it assigns a destiny to Jesus. He will be a king who rules as a servant.

Jesus embraces that destiny in obedient, faithful trust.

In Psalm 29 the powerful voice of the Lord breaks cedars in pieces, “twists the oaks,” and “strips the forests bare.”

Following the voice that calls to him, Jesus himself will be stripped bare and twisted.

He will be broken in pieces on a tree.

Crowned with thorns, he will be God’s suffering servant, the Savior of the world.

The voice of the Lord still speaks.

If we listen carefully, we can hear it.

From the cross the voice of the Lord whispers, “This is what power looks like.”

This statement also holds with God. His body of work is all around us, giving us a glimpse of His true nature and character.

1. The Galaxy Put on Full Display God’s Wisdom

Looking up at the heavens, we can’t help but be amazed and dumbfounded by how massive, intricate, majestic, and awesome our universe is.

So mind-blowing that even Albert Einstein, who doubted the very existence of God, couldn’t fathom that this vast universe, the way it’s created with such sharp precision and with all its endless number of milky ways and galaxies, could come into being by accident.

You see– the slightest miscalculation can throw the whole solar system into utter chaos, endangering everyone’s lives here on earth.

It’s no wonder, Einstein, with all his qualms and doubts about God, was once quoted as saying that there must be an Intelligent Being behind its creation.

Considering God’s wisdom, His precision and meticulous way with which He carries out tasks, should anyone then be vilified for having any skepticism or mistrusting God’s ability to manage our lives, trusting Him to take complete control of our future?

The way He masterfully brought forth everything into existence, down to the tiniest details, goes to show that we have no reason to doubt, nothing to fear.

We can entrust everything to His care, and breathe easy knowing that He’s all too powerful, wise, dependable, and trustworthy.

2. The Cyclical Nature of the Seasons Shows That God Wants Us to Rely on Him

The changing of seasons is a humbling reminder our lives are also governed by the cyclical seasons of life.

Just as a proud tree shoots out its green leaves and shiny fruits in spring, the autumn season, however, can then decimate everything it produces, losing everything in the process.

If you’ve passed by a naked tree stripped to its last leaf, you know what I mean.

God wants us to realize that difficult seasons don’t last if we continue to rely on Him, seeking His guidance in everything we do, so even during the driest spell of our lives, we will remain standing.

Just like that naked tree in the meadow, seemingly worn out and withered as it struggles to weather the autumn and winter seasons, it will remain undeterred because it knows and realizes God will bring its big comeback come the spring.

3. The Ants Show That God Abhors Laziness

Before the rain comes, I would often notice an army of tiny ants going out and about, carrying anything they can grab onto, shouldering morsels of food twice their size, and dumping their loot inside the tiniest holes no one can enter.

They are preparing for the rainy days ahead.

That’s why I am not at all surprised God Himself used the ants’ diligence, resourcefulness, perseverance as an example for people to follow and emulate.

God Himself is hardworking.

Didn’t He work for six full days and ‘rest’ only on the seventh day?

We’re not saying that we ought to work 6 days a week.

It only shows that we too are created for good work, we’re not brought into this world to couch away in laziness but use our God-given talents to contribute to its growth advancing God’s kingdom here on earth, both in small and big ways.

4. God Shows His Relentless Spirit in Nature 

God is simply relentless.

If there’s one thing I’ve realized about a side of God I didn’t notice before, it is His utterly relentless nature.

You can see God’s relentless nature in the way a butterfly rips itself out of its chrysalis after months of brutal, silent fight.

In the way ants carry morsels of food twice their weight for weeks or for even months, the way a seed pushes through dirt and mud to flower, refusing to die.

Reading, studying, the Scripture, we would realize once God puts His heart into something, He is relentless.

He will make sure whatever He sets His heart on, He will accomplish it in His own time, His heart’s desires will inevitably come to fruition. 

Did He not declare a long time ago that He would bring the Jewish people back to their homeland? True enough, despite those thousands of hard years of exile across many different nations, Jewish nation still ended up returning to Israel.

This happened despite the Jews’ refusal to go back to the land.

Can we blame them?

Israel, before their return to Eretz Israel, was mostly desert, it was infested with malaria-causing mosquitoes. Marshes and swamps were poorly drained before their arrival, turning many areas into a breeding ground for a type of mosquito, Anopheles, which is responsible for the spread of malaria disease in the region.

It’s a desert country where even a cactus struggled to thrive, according to Mark Twain, something he had noted in his diary during his visit to the land in 1867.

But God is relentless.

Whatever He set out to do, He brings to life.

A barren desert for more than two thousand years, the land has once again reverted back into what it was known for, land of milk and honey, land of many grazing cows and flourishing havens of fruits, veggies, and flowers of all kinds, a few years after the Jewish people had cultivated the fields and settled in their homeland.

“But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.” Ezekiel 36:8 NIV

And He is relentless in His pursuit of you.

Moment by moment, day after day, year after year, He is shaping you into the kind of person He aspires you to be.

He shapes your character through life experiences, the people He sends into your pathway, the souls He meant for you to meet.

That is why we’re confident that “ He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV

5. God’s Gentleness Is Visible in Nature

Whether it be a soft rain falling into the meadow, a mother swan guiding her young, a gentle stream flowing over rocks, a mother bird feeding her babies 100 times a day, dandelion seeds drifting in the wind, or the random kindness of strangers–we can observe, we feel a smile on our faces at God’s gentle nature.

Atheists and even some Christians often describe God in the Old Testament as wrathful and vengeful, exacting severe, insufferable punishment against those who defied His commands.

Truth is, some Christians even think that the God of the Old Testament seems different from the God of the New Testament.

It appears as if God has a contrasting character.

Wrathful as a lion in the Old Testament, gentle as a dove in the New Testament. 

If we were to scrutinize the reason behind God’s wrath in the Old Testament, we would inevitably realize those gravest circumstances compelling Him to exact a severe judgment against His people.

Before punishing a person, group of people, or a nation, God would send out repeated warnings not for days or months but for years, even decades, before executing judgment.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah came about due to the rampant sexual immorality and other immoral acts that ran rampant throughout those cities.  

God was merciful and gracious enough to send His prophets throughout the years to warn people about the impending catastrophe that would befall them if they would not turn away from their misbehaviors to repent of their many sins.

Yet, time and again, for decades, the inhabitants remained defiant, stubbornly rebellious.

And when the judgment was about to be carried out, did not God agree with Moses’ proposal several times as the latter pleaded with God to seek out those few righteous people, grant them mercy, and spare the city from His wrath?

In the end, those 10 righteous people in the land were allowed to leave and live.

And Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but only after decades of warning.

God is not wrathful.

He is a God of justice. That is His nature, and as such, He carries out what only a just God is drawn to do: to exact judgment when dire circumstances demand it.

Being intimate with God isn’t just about carving out time to spend with Him in prayer; it’s about cultivating a deeper personal relationship with Him.

It’s also about knowing God for who He is.

And we can do so by observing His wonderful works around; nature has a way of revealing God’s heart.

The more we know Him, the more our love for Him is engraved deeply in our sin stone hardened hearts, enabling us to be transformed into kinder, gentler souls.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 NKJV

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:3-6 NKJV

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

Praying ….

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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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I Am a Student; ‘Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and truly means.’ 2 Timothy 2:14-18

2 Timothy 2:14-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible

An Approved Worker

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before God[a] not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness. 17 And their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them. 18 They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are overturning the faith of some.

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.

One of Christians’ most important responsibilities is to study the Scriptures.

Church is essential, and we learn a lot from the man of God in the pulpit, but it is up to us to study and grasp what God says: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

2 Timothy 2:15 teaches us five things about studying the Word of God:

1. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God,”

We get God’s approval when we think it is important enough to study what God has written for us in the Bible’s preserved words.

Notice that it says “study” and not “read.”

We are to delve into it like we want to pass life’s tests and know God’s mind.

It is the only source that will help us get through life’s difficulties and learn more about the Father.

Reading is different from studying.

We read scriptures on their surface for a short time, while studying requires much more time for rereading, comparing Scriptures with Scripture, and so much prayer.

It takes “work,”, a labor, a commitment, and a determination to get the most out of God’s Word diligently.

2. “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed ”

When we study the Bible, we will not be embarrassed by believing the wrong things. God will show us what is the Way, Truth, Life. And as we are not afraid to suffer shame for Christ’s now, we will not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

3. “rightly dividing the word of truth. ”

In studying the Word of God, “rightly dividing” implies handling the Scriptures accurately, not just as an intellectual exercise but guided by the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 declares, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Through the Holy Spirit, we can understand how the Word is divided and then allow His Word to divide us (Hebrews 4:12). Thus, proper digging into God’s Word will expose our sinful nature and shape our lives to abide in His Word.

God’s Word is called the “word of truth.” It is not a collection of accurate statements, but it is the truth from our Creator.

It is the TRUTH, and we don’t need to justify it because the TRUTH requires no justification. It is the only source of truth on Earth, and God has preserved it for not just the select few but for all to read!

David declares in Psalms 12:6–7: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”

The reverse teaching of 2 Timothy 2:15 is that, if one does not study God’s word, he is not approved of God! — That is a hard truth to swallow. Looking at it that way, one should put a higher priority on one’s Bible study.

As we diligently study, rightly dividing the truth, we learn the Word incarnate, Jesus Christ. 

John 1:14 echoes this truth: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

Every page turned, every chapter we study, and every verse pondered points to the living Word, who brings grace, truth, and the fullness of God’s revelation.

Brethren, as born-again believers in Christ, we are called His “ambassadors.”

We are His “workmanship” (Ephesians 2:8–10). 

God expects every Christian to be His “workman”! We are to study the word by rightly dividing the truth, and then allow the Truth to divide us (Hebrews 4:12).

May our studies be more than just academic exercises; let it be a faithful work, digging into the depths of God’s wisdom and the beauty of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 2:1-5 The Message

Climb God’s Mountain

2 1-5 The Message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem:

There’s a day coming
    when the mountain of God’s House
Will be The Mountain—
    solid, towering over all mountains.
All nations will river toward it,
    people from all over set out for it.
They’ll say, “Come,
    let’s climb God’s Mountain,
    go to the House of the God of Jacob.
He’ll show us the way he works
    so we can live the way we’re made.”
Zion’s the source of the revelation.
    God’s Message comes from Jerusalem.
He’ll settle things fairly between nations.
    He’ll make things right between many peoples.
They’ll turn their swords into shovels,
    their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation;
    they won’t play war anymore.
Come, family of Jacob,
    let’s live in the light of God.

I Am a Student

Always Begin With God…

In the first two to three decades of life, most people are students.

The instruction we receive during that time provides us with the building blocks we need for a productive life.

As believers in Christ, we are also students. We need to learn God’s Word and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior.

We need to absorb God’s Word continuously in order to be transformed by the power of his Spirit, who works in us, teaches us, the truth and wisdom of God.

On a daily basis we need to walk in step with the Lord and his Spirit, growing to know God and to share his love with others everywhere.

There’s a tale of a man on a stroll who hears a voice say to him: “Gather some pebbles.” Though he sees no one, the voice persists: “Gather some pebbles and put them in your pocket, and tomorrow you will truly be both glad and sorry.”

Intrigued, the man thinks, “Why not?” So he picks up a few pebbles and puts them in his pocket. The next day he discovers they have all been transformed into diamonds. Then he feels gladness for taking some, and he is sorry for not taking more.

Similarly, our study of God’s Word may not reveal its benefits right away.

Yet over time, nuggets of truth and wisdom will prove to be invaluable treasures—blessing our lives in countless ways.

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

Praying …

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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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Bound to the Book; ‘The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.’ Psalm 19:7

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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.

What should motivate us to read the Bible? 

Reminding ourselves of the benefits of reading the Bible may help us to make it a priority in our lives. 

In this post, I discuss the beauty of God’s Word, based on Psalm 19:7-11. 

Today I’ll visit verses 7 and 8 to identify four important benefits we receive when we read the Scripture (based on the NIV Bible).

 1. God’s Word refreshes the soul (v7).

The idea here is “being brought back.” 

If we are not actively seeking God, we will drift away from Him, leading to a spiritual drought. 

As we become more focused on the world around us and less on spiritual things, God may feel far away. 

Our prayers may not seem effective. 

However, as we spend more time in God’s Word, our focus will return to God, and our souls will be fed. 

Our relationship with God will be renewed.

James 1:5-7 New International Version

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

2. God’s Word makes the simple wise (v7).

Who couldn’t use more wisdom? 

Sometimes we all have questions about marriage, parenting, or just life in general.  We may read self-help books, ask our friends for advice, or attend seminars or conferences, hoping to have our questions answered. 

However, the Bible seems to be the last place we go. 

There’s nothing wrong with books or our friend’s advice, as long as they point us to the Bible. 

God has given us the answers to all of life’s important questions in His Word (2 Peter 1:3). 

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

3. God’s Word gives joy to the heart (v8).

Sometimes, joy may be lacking in our lives, due to the pressures and demands of life. 

We may be in a particularly hard or sorrowful time. 

However, we are commanded to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4). 

We are to be joyful no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. 

That is really hard to do when we are not spending enough time in God’s Word. 

As we read God’s promises in the Bible, we can find many reasons for joy. 

You can find a list of 10 Bible promises to bring you joy here.

4. God’s Word gives light to the eyes (v8).

Have you ever stumbled your way through a dark room, only to trip or bump into something? 

A light is extremely useful in the darkness. 

It lets us see clearly what is around us and it keeps us safe.

The Bible does this for us as we try to stumble our way through the dark world. 

Only in the light (John 8:12) of the truth of Scripture can we see the sinful world as it really is.  If we obey God’s commands, we will stay safe on the right path.

With benefits like these we can’t afford not to spend time in God’s Word. 

Reading our Bible regularly keeps us close to God. 

It also gives us wisdom, joy, and guidance. 

I know my days are far better when I’m consistently spending time with God. 

Whether you read it in a book or on your phone, an iPad, whether you listen to it on an app, whether you read a lot or a little—any time, every time you do spend in God’s Word will absolutely benefit you, and in turn, benefit those around us. 

2 Timothy 3:14-17 New International Version

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Will you covenant with God, making the reading and studying and praying and application of God’s Word an absolute priority in your day, every single day? 

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

Praying …

Psalm 119:9-16 Complete Jewish Bible

ב (Bet)

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
don’t let me stray from your mitzvot.
11 I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I won’t sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, Adonai!
Teach me your laws.
13 I proclaim with my mouth
all the rulings you have spoken.
14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction
more than in any kind of wealth.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and keep my eyes on your ways.
16 I will find my delight in your regulations.
I will not forget your word.

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 Lord our God wants all of us to respect Him and do what He says. He wants you to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 10:12

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 GOD’S WORD Translation

Israel Encouraged to Follow God’s Guidance

12 Israel, what does the Lord your God want you to do? He wants you to fear him, follow all his directions, love him, and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul. 13 The Lord wants you to obey his commands and laws that I’m giving you today for your own good. 14 Remember that the sky, the highest heaven, the earth and everything it contains belong to the Lord your God. 15  The Lord set his heart on your ancestors and loved them. Because of this, today he chooses you, their descendants, out of all the people of the world.

16 So circumcise your uncircumcised hearts, and don’t be impossible to deal with any longer. 17 The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, powerful, and awe-inspiring God. He never plays favorites and never takes a bribe. 18 He makes sure orphans and widows receive justice. He loves foreigners and gives them food and clothes. 19 So you should love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God, worship him, be loyal to him, and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is your glory. He is your God, who did for you these spectacular and awe-inspiring deeds you saw with your own eyes. 22 When your ancestors went to Egypt, there were 70 of them. Now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

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.

As the book of Deuteronomy begins, Moses and the people of Israel are standing at the edge of the promised land on the other side of the Jordan River.

Joshua will lead them across the Jordan and into the land after God commands Moses to die for his disobedience in striking the rock twice instead of just once.

In obedience to the Lord’s command, Moses hands authority over to Joshua.

But, before the change of leadership happens, the people take a long pause to listen to Moses explain the law, “Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law.” Moses is now 120 years old. God will let him rest.

In fact, the word Deuteronomy means “second law” or “repetition of the law.”

Our Verse for this devotional comes from chapter 10 of Deuteronomy just after Moses reminded the people of their parents’ failure when they fashioned and worshiped the Golden Calf.

In response to their idol worship, God was ready to wipe them out, but Moses plead with the Lord, appealed to the glory of his name. God graciously relented.

And, in Deuteronomy 10:10 Moses says, “The Lord was unwilling to destroy you.”

In other words, the mercy of God is on full display as we come to Deut. 10:12-13.

“The Mercy of God was on full Display”

“The Love of God was on full Display.”

“The Glory of God was on full Display.”

These truth’s are really important to remember when memorizing this passage.

These words of truth accurately describe what God deserves from his people and demonstrates our chronic inability to ever live up to it, all at the same time.

God demands and by His actions, by His works, He deserves our obedience and every affection locked away in our hearts. And, by God’s grace, and only for His Glory alone we should daily strive to give Him all of what is 1000% rightly His.

Why should we hesitate?

Why do we hesitate?

Why would we hesitate?

As we strive to live this out and labor toward obedience and fight for the godly affections of our hearts, we can also rest in the gospel truth that Christ has already achieved this obedience in our place. Jesus has feared the Lord our God.

He walked in all His ways without ever wavering. He walked, hungered, thirsted 40 long days and nights through the truly most extreme temptations that Satan could ever willfully inflict on Him.

Still, after all of that, He persevered, He still loved His Father with a perfect love. He served his Father with quite literally last every beat of his heart and every portion of his soul. He kept every commandment and statute of the Lord.

He walked the earth completely sinless.

It seems so natural to love God because he first loved me (John 13:34; 1 John 4:19).

But I remember all too vividly when I didn’t love God with all my heart and soul.

In that way each one of us is like the ancient Israelites.

There are people, things, and situations that both rigorously and vigorously compete for our maximum love and attention. They often start subtly and cause our love for God to shift, fluctuate, fragment. We take our leap from the Temple.

Our love for God ought to be a instinctive response to his love for us. Obedience is an excellent indicator of our love.

Jesus told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15).

Love for God and obedience to God are to be considered inseparable. We know very well that loving God goes far beyond mere words.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we follow the Lord by leaving our old life behind (Philippians 2:1-18). Our Lives are no longer all about us but all about our love relationship with the Lord.

We deepen our love by getting to know God’s character, who he is, his ways, and what he does.

We do this by reading the Bible, observing God’s presence in our lives, and being around people who love him. Love comes from a heart of gratitude.

So, as we hide this portion of the word in our hearts this week, let it be a call to obedience and an occasion for thanksgiving for the gospel, all at the same time!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 19

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven,
and his circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever:
the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned:
and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright,
and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart,
be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord,
my strength, and my redeemer.

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

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A New Years Resolution: How Does Your Relationship with God Shape Your Identity? Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1-4 Amplified Bible

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. 3 For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, [a]appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

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.

Knowing God and Knowing Ourselves

2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].

What does it mean to be habitual?

1. : regularly or repeatedly doing or practicing something or acting in some manner : having the nature of a habit : customary. habitual candor. habitual behavior. habitual drug use.

What is the meaning of habitual behavior?

Habitual behavior is a form of automatic and routine behavior. It is behavior that people repeat, because this behavior is easy, comfortable or rewarding.

Habitual behavior’s automatic character is demonstrated by the fact that it is often started by a cue or a change in the situation.

What does habitual mean in humans?

If the same behavior is performed more frequently in response to specific situational cues, this may become more automatic, or quicker and easier. As a result, it may be experienced as “automatic” by those who perform it (Verplanken & Orbell, 2003), and categorized as “habitual” by researchers.

Examples https://www.merriam-webster.com/sentences/habitual

Augustine wisely, habitually prayed that he might know God and then himself.

Christ is your Maker. Therefore, to know Him is to know yourself: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)”

The better we know Him, the more we’ll grasp who and whose we are.

And the more we see who and whose we are, the more secure we are.

We all have fundamental personal worth needs: a need for security, a sense of unconditional love and acceptance by other people, and a sense of significance—the assurance that our lives absolutely matter. Finally, we need satisfaction and purpose. Is there anything we can accomplish for God that will endure?

Because God Himself endowed us with these needs, they cannot be satisfied in the temporal realm of this world.

People habitually turn to others for their sense of security and worth. But other people habitually let us down, and we, in turn, habitually let them down.

We habitually look to wealth and prosperity for our sense of significance, but soon, the hollowness of hoarding worldly possessions becomes all too real.

Luke 12:16-20 Amplified Bible

Parable of the Wealthy Fool

16 Then He told them a parable, saying, “There was a rich man whose land was very fertile and productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place [large enough in which] to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; now who will own all the things you have prepared?’

We often turn to performance, position, popularity, and prestige to gain a sense of true satisfaction in this world. Once again, these will all let us down. The only place where we can find those needs fully met is in our relationship with Christ.

Empowered to Love Others Compassionately 

Our relationship with Christ empowers us to love others compassionately.

Grasping our true identity in Christ is not a one-off once in a lifetime event but an ongoing journey of habitual discovery. But the more we come to grasp who and whose we are, the more we begin to realize that we are people who have a new identity and a new purpose. We’re no longer in Adam; we are in Christ. We have a new spiritual DNA, as it were. We have been adopted into His family.

We now have a foundation for understanding our true position in this world. At the beginning of the upper room discourse in John’s gospel, we get to listen to Jesus’s most intimate words to his disciples. Here, we discover that Jesus’s hour of departure was soon coming upon them, that He loved His own until the end. 

But the key verse to highlight, and one that’s often overlooked, is John 13:3, which tells us, “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he’d come forth from God and that he was going back to God.”

That little verse is the basis for what he was actually able to do.

He performed a visual parable when his disciples were too busy jockeying for higher positions regarding who was going to be first in the heavenly kingdom.

As His disciples are bickering over who will sit at His right hand, Christ lays his garments aside, putting on the clothing of a servant, began to wash their feet.

Though this was an integral part of Oriental hospitality, it appears that there was no “lowest” servant on hand to perform the ritual during the Last Supper.

Certainly, none of the disciples were going to do it if they were arguing, fighting and debating over what they believed was coming: highest honors and prestige.

So Jesus, to humbly, quietly, decisively settle the matter, took up the towel and the basin and began to wash their feet, giving them their model of servanthood. 

Even today, too many of us are visibly repulsed, too much like Peter who was almost too embarrassed “no, not ever, my feet” to let Jesus wash his feet.

What gave Jesus the real security and the power to serve in this manner, even knowing that his arrest, humiliation and crucifixion was so very imminent?

My conviction is that Christ focused on these three things:

1) He knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and this was the true source of his dignity

2) He knew he’d come forth from God

3) He knew that he was going back to God.

This was His security.

Because of these three great truths, He was able to serve—to wash the disciples’ feet as they were fighting for their greatness and as he was awaiting crucifixion.

As Jesus shows, true greatness consists in service to others. Once again, the washing of the disciples’ feet is a visual parable of this astonishing insight. 

Mark 10:32-45 Amplified Bible

Jesus’ Sufferings Foretold

32 Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were perplexed [at what Jesus had said], and those who were following were alarmed and afraid. And again He took the twelve [disciples] aside and began telling them what was going to happen to Him,  33 saying, “Listen very carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed  and handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles (Romans). 34 They will mock and ridicule Him and spit on Him, and whip (scourge) Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise [from the dead].”

35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He replied to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit [with You], one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory [Your majesty and splendor in Your kingdom].” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?” 39 And they replied to Him, “We are able.” Jesus told them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared [by My Father].”

41 Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John.  42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. 43 But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a [a]ransom for many.”

Imagine if Jesus listened to what people said about him.

He would never have been secure enough to serve.

People would say, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Why is he eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners? The son of man came eating and drinking.” They went on, “Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Even His own siblings refused to believe in him. 

We Have the limitless Resources of Christ

Jesus was continually the subject of scorn, criticism, and abuse.

If He’d listened to what people said about Him, He would not have been secure enough to serve—to love others compassionately.

Instead, Jesus chose to allow His Father’s words to define Him.

His true dignity, His true security, and His true destiny then empowered Him to be a habitual servant of other people.

And He invites us to do the very same thing because, astonishingly, His resources have now become our resources. When we think about the fact that we’ve become children of God and have been given the security and destiny that comes along with this knowledge, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

If I had to stop and sum up the entire Bible in one word, it would be the word relationships. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is all about relationships.

It’s about knowing the love of Christ that liberates us to love others. Once again, there’s a tremendous risk involved in this.

People can be habitually painful and we can be habitually painful to them, and yet, we are able to serve them because we know who we are and whose we are. 

The great American theologian Jonathan Edwards was profoundly right when he said that real wisdom is for us to treat things according to their true value.

The perennial human temptation is to mistake the temporal for the eternal.

We habitually seek fulfillment in human relationships, wealth, fame, and power, only to have our hopes habitually shattered again and then again.

True wisdom, however, involves the recognition that you’re going to give your life in exchange for something.

As Paul, the apostle, informs us in Galatians 2:20,

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

If Christ authentically loves us and willingly, with no second thoughts, gave Himself for us, how can we not live for Him and for others? (Philippians 2:5-11)

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He  already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be [b]grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and [d]being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death [e]on a cross.  9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If we leverage the temporal for eternal gain, what we’re really doing is treating people according to their true value.

We are going to give our lives in exchange for something, and we’ll be wise if we give in exchange for something that’s never going to let us down in the end.

God will never fail us, Christ will never fail us. Holy Spirit will never fail us.

Embracing this crucial truth allows us to forgive others when we’ve been wronged. It liberates us to accept both the people who are gifts to us and those we find to be draining. If we’ve been forgiven all, we ought to forgive others. 

Christ invites us then to treat people with mercy, forgiveness and to relinquish the demand for ultimate justice. Justice is getting what we richly deserve. Never ask God for justice. Not a one of us could ever hope to endure God’s real justice.

Rather, ask Him for mercy—not getting what we deserve—and ask Him for grace. When this is our habitual posture, we are freed to be people who navigate through this brief earthbound sojourn with an habitually eternal perspective.

In the coming year of our Lord and Savior 2025, habitually take the time to pray about your relationship with God and honestly pray how it shapes your identity.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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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Our Walking through our Valley, Our Walking through the Fires; Finishing our struggle, Surrendering unto God. Psalm 51:10-17

Psalm 51:10-17 Common English Bible

10 Create a clean heart for me, God;
    put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!
11 Please don’t throw me out of your presence;
    please don’t take your holy spirit away from me.
12 Return the joy of your salvation to me
    and sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach wrongdoers your ways,
    and sinners will come back to you.

14 Deliver me from violence, God, God of my salvation,
    so that my tongue can sing of your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
16 You don’t want sacrifices.
    If I gave an entirely burned offering,
    you wouldn’t be pleased.
17 A broken spirit is my sacrifice, God.[a]
    You won’t despise a heart, God, that is broken and crushed.

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.

Our Continually Struggling to Surrender to God

Psalm 51 was written by King David after he committed the sin of adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover his sin (2 Samuel 11).

It has been said of David that he sinned big, but repented bigger.

But only after he was ‘publicly’ caught by Nathan in David’s throne room. One has to wonder how this scripture would read if Nathan never confronts David.

But God, who sees everything no matter how hard or deep we try to hide our actions, was not blind to David’s severest of transgression – his Capital Crime.

God sent Nathan to David’s throne room and fortunately so – lest the wrath of God be meted out without any scriptural announcements – a bolt of lightning strikes David on his throne with no witnesses to testify or witness the event.

David is consigned to a violent death and we probably do not have a lineage that would have been steadfastly honorable, or noteworthy to proclaim as Psalm 51.

Let us shout “Thanks Be to God” for sending Nathan with God’s message of life!

Because now generations of men, women and children are blessed by Psalm 51.

David became for us an inspiring, empowering model to us of what real heart felt repentance looks like. He mightily struggled with his sin, so much so that he took off his crown and regal regalia, and surrendered his throne which God granted to him and walked sullenly to the tabernacle to take a lonely seat before God His Judge for his righteous Judgment – keep the throne or be publicly tried.

He had no promises that God would permit his return to the throne, he might well have done the same as he first did to Saul, to remove His Spirit from Him, essentially permanently remove His support, from which Saul never recovered.

David understood the gravity of his crime against God and understood that God could do the same to his as Saul, and nothing short of absolute surrender would be acceptable sacrifice. Psalm 51 is David’s agonized cry to God for forgiveness.

Psalm 51:17 says, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

The meaning of this is connected with Verse 16 says, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.”

David is stating that there is nothing we can offer God to appease Him when we have sinned. When we have strived more mightily to stay in control. More not superficial but well intentioned animal sacrifices were not what God was going to be looking for nor even .00001% accept as our God desires true repentance.

Many people miss this truth. Rather than repent, they try to rush in with their superficial “clean up their act,” give more, pray more, or busy themselves in other religious activity in hopes God will finally “get over” being mad at them.

In Psalm 51, David is saying he knows that God wants none of that. External religious activity cannot replace internal, heartfelt contrition (1 Samuel 16:7).

Psalm 51:17 points out the one and only thing God desires more than any other: brokenness over our own sin. When we agree with God about how bad our sin is, we take the first baby steps toward a sincere heartfelt reconciliation with Him.

As long as we try to “pseudo-surrender” justify, excuse, or rationalize the evil of our own sin bent hearts, we will never find our way back into God’s presence.

Something Jesus Himself made a point of declaring at the start of His Ministry;

Mark 1:14-15 Amplified Bible

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

14 Now after John [the Baptist] was arrested and [a]taken into custody, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of [the kingdom of] God, 15 and saying, “The  [appointed period of] time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation].”

Nothing less than 100% surrender and repentance is our doorway to freedom.

Satan knows this better than us, does everything he can to detract us from it.

He suggests things that our selfish nature likes to hear:

“Your sin wasn’t that bad.” “Compared to others, you’re okay.” “God has forgotten it already. No need to confess it.”

When we listen to the devil’s cunning oily words, we will veer away from the doorway to freedom and remain in bondage. We may feel remorse or regret, but neither is sufficient substitute for true repentance (Genesis 3, Hebrews 12:15-17).

Hebrews 12:15-17 Amplified Bible

15 See to it that no one falls short of God’s grace; that no root of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single  meal. 17 For you know that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance [there was no way to repair what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], even though he sought for it with [bitter] tears.

David reminds us in Psalm 51 that the only path to forgiveness is a broken heart and a humble spirit (cf. Matthew 5:3).

When we throw ourselves on the mercy of God, He delights to lift us up (Luke 18:13-14). When we openly acknowledge our sin against God, turn from it, and cry out for cleansing, God promises that He will hear us and forgive (1 John 1:9).

It is interesting to note that, although David sinned against Bathsheba and her murdered husband, Uriah, David surrenders this stunning confession to God:

“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4).

David gets straight to the heart of why God so hates sin. It is an abomination, a hardcore heart hardened willful malicious pre-meditated violation of His very nature. We are each created in that image, but our sin mars it (Genesis 3), like a giant smudge of blackest tar on a mirror. Our broken spirit, our contrite heart, invite God to clean that smudge and restore us to right relationship with Him.

Now, Ponder long and hard the 100% authentic state of your “contrite” heart!

Now, Ponder long and hard the words “utter surrender.” then “Before God!”

Then … “prepare ye, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make your paths straight.”

OMG … Stand still, Quit striving against Him, “What will God wrought now?”

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, (investigate my life) and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

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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From before the beginning of all Creation, our hopes began in great darkness and greater emptiness and inexorably surges forward, yet today. Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1-2 Amplified Bible

The Creation

1 In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) [b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was [c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

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.

Beginnings are important. Backgrounds about characters in novels and movies help us see the start of situations that have helped shaped them. Sometimes we introduce ourselves by telling about our ancestors or about relevant events that have shaped our family history. We pray that we recognize that who we are has a lot to do with the array of situations, the diverse people who came before us.

We ourselves have no memory of our beginnings. Memories do not begin to take shape until we are 4 years old-mine is the memory of my mom making my bed.

However, God was there at our very beginning when we were conceived in the darkness inside our mother’s womb (Psalm 139) in greatest detail, weaving us together within that darkness into who and where we all are walking today.

Similarly, the Bible’s first words about the earth are that it was “formless and empty” and that indescribable “darkness was over the surface of the deep”—a poetic way of saying that the world did not exist before God started creating.

Have you ever been in a cave without any flash lights on? It can be so dark that you can’t see your hands even when you touch your nose. The Bible begins with a darkness that is deeper than that. It’s the deepest darkness the Bible writers could possibly imagine: the depths, empty darkness, of the world not existing.

As we begin our time through this Advent 2024, looking forward to the light of Jesus’ coming, there is something very comforting about the Bible’s beginning.

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. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The 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].

However heavy and impossible our current circumstances may feel, the Bible reminds us that our story begins with the God who creates life in the midst of the deepest darkness imaginable. In other words, with God there is always hope the light of our salvation is already there, has always been there, will always be there and there is nothing even the darkest of darkness can do to change that.

Contemplate the Darkness as it was in the beginning of all things before God spoke and Creation responded – How the darkness could do nothing about it.

Contemplate the Hope before God spoke creation into being, the hope that began to be revealed as creation responded and the hope which surged like biggest Tsunami we could ever conceive of in our finite minds that despite the greatest efforts of the darkness to overcome that surging hope, it did not work.

Even in the greatest darkness anyone could conceive today – God has long since proven that hope has existed from the very beginning, Jesus is alive, is eternal!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

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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