PSALM 119:90 FAITHFUL

Faithful

You are faithful every moment

of every hour of every single day.

And you are near me, right beside me,

never leaving; you will never stray.

For your love is perfect. Your love is true.

No one else could ever love me the way that you do!

So I will trust you, true submission,

complete surrender; I give to you my all.

Lead me; guide me.  Show me how

I best can serve you. I’m listening for your call.

For your love is perfect.  Your love is true.

No one else could ever love me the way that you do!

       I had been asked to be one of the worship leaders for a singles’ retreat with the theme “Complete in Christ.”   Of course, God’s timing is perfect; but I was inclined to question the wisdom of having someone who was pining to be married pursue this theme.  However, Father always knows best. 

       I sat at my computer praying over what songs to prepare.  I asked the Lord to help me understand my completeness in him.  Actually, my exact words were, “Okay, Lord, show me how you are better than a husband.”  It may not have been the most spiritual sounding prayer, but he answered.  When I had finished praying and waiting quietly for him, I began typing the lyrics above.  When I finished typing, I picked up my guitar; and the Lord enabled me to compose a melody to fit the lyric within a few minutes.

       Human companions (spouses, parents, children, friends) will fail at times.  Often unintentionally they may betray our faith in them.  God’s love and faithfulness will never fail. He’ll never walk out when the going gets tough.  In fact, he’ll stick close by my side at the times when I am the most difficult to love. He is faithful.

       The Lord blesses us with friends and family, and we need to be thankful for them.  If he chooses to bring a husband into my life, I pray that it will be because we can serve him more effectively as a couple than each of us can on our own.  However, I also pray that whether single or married, I will never lose sight of the fact that I am complete in Christ.  He is faithful to provide all I need and to align my desires with his in order to fulfill them.  “I have seen that everything [human] has its limits and end, [no matter how extensive, noble and excellent] but Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].” (Psalm 119:96 AMP)

LUKE 11:42 NEVER NEGLECT JUSTICE AND LOVE

NEVER NEGLECT JUSTICE AND LOVE

By Susan Slade, PJM

Luke 11:42 (ESV) “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb,

and neglect justice and the love of God.

These you ought to have done,

without neglecting the others.

What did Jesus describe as more important than meticulously following the law and traditions? What are the most essential elements of following the Lord? Jesus emphasized “justice and the love of God.” The Prophet Jeremiah quotes Father God as describing Himself as embodying these attributes.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV) Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me,

that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

To exemplify the qualities of love, justice, and righteousness is to emulate the character of God. Justice and love being practiced by His children is what truly brings God great pleasure and brings glory to His Holy name. Jesus did not say that people would know we belong to Him by our attention to the details of the Law. He said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35 KJV).

Justice and Love – If you belong to Jesus, you are already filled with His Holy Spirit and are capable of showing justice and love. Are you diligent to exemplify these Christlike qualities as you go about your day to day business? Are there ways you can improve in loving God and loving others? Think of some specific ways to show love to others this week, write them down, and do them!

PSALM 119:81 HOPE IN THE WORD

I long for the day of your return.

        I have put my hope in your word.

Your precepts I will not spurn.

        I have put my hope in your word.

Though at times I feel drained and dry,

        I have put my hope in your word.

When I can’t seem to see you and cry,

        I have put my hope in your word.

When it seems the bad guys prevail,

        I have put my hope in your word.

I know your commands will not fail,

        I have put my hope in your word.

            “For I have become like a bottle [a wineskin blackened and shriveled] in the smoke [in which it hangs], yet do I not forget Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:83 AMP)   Have you ever felt spiritually dry, shriveled, lifeless?  Have you ever been mentally fried?  Emotionally drained? Physically exhausted?  Those are the conditions I picture when I think of the wineskin in the smoke. 

        At those times, it requires an extreme effort to remember God’s word and continue to pursue it.  But it is especially true at those times that we need God’s word to sustain us and give us hope.  Remember the old hymn Standing on the Promises? If you have a hymnal, look it up and sing the whole thing; but camp on verse two:

                Standing on the promises that cannot fail,

                When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

                But the living word of God I shall prevail,

                Standing on the promises of God.

        We can count on God’s promises.  He promises never to leave us or forsake us, so we can rely on the fact that he is with us in any trial whether we “feel” him or not.  He promises to be faithful even when we are not. We can trust that his love will endure.  It’s hard to stand on his promises if you don’t know what they are.  Continue studying and memorizing scripture; and you will have solid ground on which to stand even on those days when, as my mother says, “Your get up and go has done got up and went.” Hope in God’s word!

LUKE 11:28 TRUST AND OBEY

TRUST AND OBEY

Luke 11:28 (AMP) But He said,

“On the contrary, blessed

(happy, favored by God)

are those who hear the word of God

and continually observe it.”

Luke 11:28 (AMPC)    But He said,

 Blessed (happy and to be envied)

rather are those who hear the Word of God

and obey and practice it!

A woman in the crowd had just shouted out how blessed the mother who bore and nursed Jesus must be. Jesus did not discount that Mary was blessed, but He explained that the greatest blessing comes to those who not only hear God’s message but obey it. You may be saying, “Wait! I thought we were saved by grace apart from works!” Yes, Ephesians 2:8-9 is true. Our salvation is not dependent upon our ability to earn or deserve it. However, the next verse is true as well: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 KJV). Our obedience does not save us or keep us saved. However, it is the path to true contentment and the evidence of the change God has made in our lives. If your children disobey, you still love them. However, you may need to discipline them; and there may be tension. When they are obeying the rules of your house, life is much smoother for them. We are God’s children if we have trusted in Jesus. When we are disobedient to our Father, there is tension until we confess and ask His forgiveness. The old hymn says, “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus.” Note it does NOT say obedience is the way to salvation, but the way to happiness. Are you walking in obedience or in the frustration of tension between you and your heavenly Father? If there is tension, there is a remedy found in God’s word.

PSALM 119:73 GOD MADE MY MIND

Lord, you understand the complexity of my mind

Because it was formed by your hands.

You can enhance my comprehension

So I can learn your commands.

Help me absorb your word, Lord.

Let it become my delight.

And may these internalized precepts

Help me stay on the path that is right.

    A professor once explained to me that people’s minds sort information in different ways.  Some people have file cabinets all lined up in their minds, and their thought process finds the right drawer, opens it, and searches for the particular file needed to remember the requested information.  Other people have a circular file that spins around tossing out ideas all the times, and their thought process combines these files into the requested information and usually some additional related material.  My mind is the spinning type.  In fact, sometimes it’s almost dizzying as I go into information overload.

        No matter how your mind works, God understands it far better than the simple illustration above.  God knows exactly how the energy that translates into thought moves through your brain.  He created “neuro-transmitters.”  He created the human brain with all its intricacy.

        Therefore, the psalmist goes right to the source for help in understanding the word of God.  He asks the Lord to help him learn.  I believe we can do the same thing.  Before you begin reading scripture pray that God will open your eyes to his truth, help you to remember what you read, and show you how it applies in your life.  Read expecting the word to have meaning in your life. Then be careful to do whatever God shows you to do through his word.  Place God’s word in those file cabinets, so it will be there when you need it.  Then trust him to help your thoughts walk to the right drawer or spin out and combine truths from his word at just the moment that you need a word from him.  He is able to do this because he created the filing system of your particular brain! Praise the Lord!

JAMES 1:17 GIFTS FROM GOD

Father, you are never-changing,

steady and in command.

Every blessing in my life

came down from Your hand.

You chose to draw me to You,

through the word of truth,

That I might have eternal life

and ever be with You.

Since You have adopted me

to be among your daughters,

I now, through grace, have access

to Your springs of living waters.

Help those springs flow through me,

spill out and overflow

That I might have the privilege

of helping others know

 The marvelous grace

You’ve extended to each one

Who, by faith, receives the gift

You provided through Your Son.

PSALM 119:72 ALL I NEED

All I Need

Lord, please keep me on my knees

Because from that position I can see

That you are truly all I have,

Yet you are all I need.

Lord, please keep me on my knees.

      My greatest times of growth in the Lord have been during and immediately after “bad times” in my life.  After my husband left me, I drew very close to the Lord because it seemed like He was all I had.  My parents were living in England.  Both my sisters were married; and although they both ministered to me as much as they could, they had their own families to tend to.  I felt very alone until I joined a singles’ Sunday school class whose members taught me to rely on the Lord in a way I never had before. 

      I experienced another tremendous growth spurt when my Grandmother lived with us during her struggle with lung cancer.  I was at her bedside when she died, and I realized the urgency of serving God during the time he has given us on earth.  Grandma’s desire was that salvation be preached at her funeral, and that was honored. I wrote New Year’s Song shortly thereafter.  The first line was “If this were to be my final night upon the earth, I know that I’d have confidence that I’ve received new birth.”  It went on to express that each day I’m given should be lived in praise to the Lord and in helping others to know him.

      Migraine headaches have given me a great appreciation for pain free days.  Having pain so intense that I could not read or even remember solidly memorized scripture helped develop a drive in me to internalize God’s word even more.

      I praise God for the good times when I enjoy my own health and the health of those I love.  I praise him for the days when I have friends who love me and are trustworthy.  I praise him for providing for my needs and giving me enough to share with others.

      But when the bad days come, I know that I can trust him to use them for my good.  I know that he can show me his everlasting love in the midst of trial or sorrow.  I’ve learned that his promises are true even when my mind tells me not to believe. God is faithful.  He’s my portion, and he is all I need.

LUKE 11:9 PERSISTENT PRAYER

PERSISTENT PRAYER

Luke 11:9

Persistently, consistently ask of the Lord;

And He will answer according to His word.

For although He already knows your needs,

He answers the one who continues to plead.

Persistently, consistently seek God’s face,

To know Him more deeply, grow in His grace.

That which we seek, we will surely find

if our heart’s desire is to know Christ’s mind.

Persistently, consistently knock on God’s door,

For He will not turn away the rich or the poor

Who wholeheartedly desire to enter in

Leaving behind disobedience and sin.

Persistently, consistently lift up your prayers,

Resting assured that the Lord God cares.

Every good, perfect gift, our Father will give

So that we can bring glory to Him as we live.