Category Archives: TRUSTING GOD

NOT wearied out through fear! #godindaily life, #thebibleindailylife

“ Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, AMPC)

Desperate – again.  For thirty minutes I stayed in bed, eyes closed, listening to “Faith’s Checkbook”, a powerful book of devotions by Charles Spurgeon. Then I got up, dressed fast, and went into the kitchen to feed Lily. Next to the sink was the sheet of paper with Psalm 100 printed on it. After some desperate prayer, I had put it there the night before to remind myself to return, with focus, to my habit of meditating on a fresh portion of Scripture each day.

Not stopping for Lily’s usual brushing and morning playtime, I went directly to the rocker by the window, picked up my AMPC Bible and held it to my chest. I pressed it tight against me, feeling the roughness of its cover with my thumb, looking out into tree branches where sparse autumn leaves reflected the slanting rays of the morning sun. I pressed my eyes closed, shutting out the world, focusing with all my might on God, the Unseen Eternal One.

“. . . I will not, in any degree . . . relax My grip on you. [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5. AMPC)

“Oh, Father! I am so tired of everything being messed up and so confusing! I don’t know what to do about this latest batch of problems. I am so afraid, about so many things lately. I am just afraid and everything looks so hopeless. I don’t see any way out of all this. . . “

Tears came then, the tears that had not come during the past week or so of car trouble, other bills, and hiatal hernia symptoms that require radical rearranging of how, when and what I eat and how I exercise and sleep, and on and on. I had allowed the multiple problems, all at the same time—the “cares of this life”—to stop my practice of daily meditating on a new Bible verse or passage. Oh, I had still kept repeating the verses I already know but I had not taken time with God to find new verses for meditation each day. Furthermore, I had let His fresh words for me “depart from before my eyes.” I had not kept His fresh manna “In the center of my heart.” (Proverbs 4: 21, AMPC)

But yet, in spite of all that, God had never, no never, no never once “relaxed His hold on me.” And when I got desperate enough, and sought Him with all my heart, He found me.

“29 But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life.” (Deuteronomy 4:29, AMPC)

Encouragement for you and for me.  That was this morning. The long shadows of late afternoon now stretch across the grass. The trees outside my east-facing window stand in deep shade. My heart is, once again, blessedly at peace. No, the problems are not all fixed but I am completely confident and trusting that God will keep me in His peace as we walk this path together, and as I keep my mind fixed on His Word and other eternal things, rather than the “light and momentary” troubles of this life on earth.

“10 And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].” (Psalm 9:10, AMPC)

It has lately been on my heart to write a blog post about encouragement. I know you have your own set of personal troubles. I also believe that you are probably having more than the usual amount of difficulty just living your life. The enemy is desperately trying to destroy our world and, of course, especially those who believe in and live for Jesus.

Let’s look again at the first part of 2 Corinthians 4:16 and take warning.

“Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). “(2 Corinthians 4:16a, AMPC, emphasis added).

The reason I grew so discouraged and allowed Satan to drag me out of the good path I was following with God is that fear had “wearied me out”. I had become, in a sense, spiritless, living controlled by fear, not by the Spirit. And that had worn me out. That is Satan’s plan for each of us.

Please, please, please meditate on God’s Word!  Although this world is filled with “troubles, trials, distress, and frustration” (John 16:33), God has provided a sure way of escape from all the plans of the enemy. When we obey God with all our heart, and when we meditate day and night on His word, we live continually in the secret place of His presence, and we are safe.

That is what I have been wanting to remind you of, dear friend. No matter how dark the world seems to be getting, no matter how your personal world seems to be crumbling, God is earnestly looking to keep you in hope and comfort and peace and security and aware of His great love.

 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!” (Isaiah 30:18, AMPC, emphasis added).

In Proverbs 4:20-22 God urges us to think on His Word constantly. He says:

“. . . attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.to keep His Word before our eyes

Four verses that never, ever, no never fail me. What I intended to be a short piece of writing is, as usual, getting longer. But the main thing I wanted to share with you is four verses that I have been meditating on first thing in the morning and throughout the day for months now. It is like putting on a suit of spiritual armor. His Word–my protection and provision—keeps me covered in His peace and guides my steps.

[1] Habakkuk 3:17-19. “17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!”

a grassy field with mountains in the backgroundPhoto by www.dreamstime.com “Endless Landscapes of Iceland”

Briefly, notice that the prophet is saying that even if his whole world falls apart, still he will not only rejoice in God, but he will exult in God. Why? Because God will be his strength, his bravery, and his army that cannot be conquered. God will enable him to keep moving forward and make progress in his spiritual life in the midst of danger troubles, sufferings, and responsibilities. (For more thoughts on this passage, see the blog posts “Yet I will rejoice” on August 15 and 29, 2024.)

[2] Psalm 28:7. “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.” (emphasis added)

Notice that the psalmist uses his voice to praise God and His loving protection. Then he says because I trust in God, with confidence, I am very happy, and I sing praises to Him.

[3] Psalm 32:10. “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.” (emphasis added).

How many mornings have I sat and looked at these words! How many mornings have I said, “Lord, thank You! This verse promises me that if I trust in You, rely on You and lean on You with confidence that You will completely encircle me with mercy and with lovingkindness. Everything I experience will come through Your mercy and loving kindnesses.”

[4] Psalm 33:18-22.18 Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, 19 To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.

21 For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.” (emphasis added)

The psalmist reassures himself that God is carefully watching over those who have reverential and worshipful fear of Him, those who depend upon Him and wait for Him and His mercy and lovingkindness. Why is God doing that? To deliver them from death and things associated with death, like discouragement, and to sustain them during times of lack (or famine.)

Though they are hidden in my heart, it is a deep comfort to read these these verses each morning, and pay fresh attention to the words I have underlined in red, words that show me my part in all these priceless promises.

My part is to trust in, rely on, and lean on Him with confident expectation, actively knowing in my mind that He is protecting me and actively trusting He will give all that I need for this day, “in proportion to my waiting and hoping for Him.”

Closing prayer. Dear Father, Your Word is such a comfort and guide! Thank You for it, Lord, and for teaching us how to study it and “rightly divide it,” so that we may run in the path of Your commands, with the strength and joy that Your presence never, no never, no never fails to give.

Help us this day, Lord, as we go about our own personal life to know, perceive and recognize that You are with us, that You are carefully, lovingly watching over us. Oh, have mercy on our flesh, Lord, and help our hearts be undivided toward You. Help us feed on Your Word so that we may be able to trust in You, to lean on You, and to rely on You so that You can help our heart and we can greatly rejoice in You!

Whether our path today be through storm or sunshine, keep our hearts and minds fixed on You and on things above, where Christ is seated at Your right hand, Father, and through Whose shed blood we have forgiveness of sin and the power to live a holy life as we fulfill the plans You made for each of us when we were yet in the womb.

Oh, Father! Give us a hunger for Your Word. Help us keep it before our eyes and in the center of our heart. Help us guard our hearts, for we know that out of our heart, flow the issues of our life (Proverbs 4). Let rivers of living water flow from our inmost being so that we may share with others that eternal life that only You can give. Amen and so be it!

aerial photography of sea cloudsPhoto by Emmanuel Appiah on Unsplash

How much love is enough? Part Three, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

But if one loves God truly
[with affectionate reverence,
prompt obedience, and
grateful recognition of His blessing],
he is known by God
[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,
and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC)

Review of Part One and Two: In Parts One and Two we pondered the meaning of the first two phrases of 1 Corinthians 8:3 in the Amplified Classic Bible. We learned that God wants us to be reverent toward Him. We also learned that He wants that reverence to be affectionate. Jesus actually told us when He ate the Last Supper with His disciples to “call Him affectionately to remembrance” whenever we take the Lord’s Supper.

Part Three: I usually try to balance how much space I give to each part of a topic. So, when the phrase “affectionate reverence” took so many words, I got a bit concerned. I did not have that many ideas in mind to talk about “prompt obedience and grateful recognition of His blessing.”  Then I realized that prompt obedience and grateful recognition of God’s blessing both flow naturally from affectionate reverence.

assorted-color interlocking blocks on floorPhoto by Mark Spiske on Unsplash

Prompt obedience.  “Come on Ben. You need to get dressed so we can go to the park.”

“In a minute, Nana. I’ve got to finish this!”

I looked at my grandson, digging through a bucket of Leggos for just the right piece. His attention was focused on his immediate goal not my long-term one of giving him and his brother exercise and fresh air for the good of their bodies. He was focusing on what was giving him pleasure right now, not on the greater good I had in store for him and his brother.

How many times, I must ask myself, has God told me to do something (which is always, always, always for my good) and I have put off obeying Him? How many times have I said I should do this or I should stop doing that and failed to follow through, though I had good intentions. And, how many times have I intended to obey God about something and then forgot, until I heard it again?

You have likely heard that “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” James 4:17 warns us “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (NLT). If I read the Scriptures about tithing, and put it off, I am disobeying until I obey. If I read 2 Timothy 2:15 and still my only time with the Bible is a quick, superficial reading, I am not obeying God’s command to study the Word.

How do our good intentions get side-tracked so easily? Consider James 1:22.   “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (NIV)

Pay attention here! The Word says I deceive myself if I hear something in the Bible that I am supposed to do and I do not do it. How does that work? I may feel I am doing well if I listen to preaching and read the Bible a little. And certainly, I think, I am doing well if I actually study the Word. Yes, that is good. However, if I stop there I am deceiving myself. I must actually do what the verses I have read and studied tell me to do! I am to obey God and obey Him promptly!

Consider the next three verses in James 1.

23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,  and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (NIV, emphasis added)

When a child learns the ABCs, that child is urged to keep looking at the correct way to write an a. Each line of the worksheet begins with a properly written a.  When a carpenter needs ten 12-inch pieces of wood, he does not cut one piece and then use it to measure the next nine pieces. No! He uses the ruler and measures each piece carefully. He keeps going back to and using an accurate measurement.

If I do not keep looking intently into God’s Word, which, like a mirror, reveals my imperfections, I will go on my way and think I am doing well. If I rub my hand over my cheek, I may think I have removed a smudge, but a mirror will reveal it is still there.

person holding yellow pencil on white table

Friend, we need to be constantly looking hard and long – intently – into the mirror of God’s Word so that we can see and keep in our conscious minds what He says to do. If we do not do that, the world, our flesh and the devil will draw us out of the path of obedience.

And what about being prompt in our obedience? If I feel affection for someone, I am quick to do whatever I can to help them and to please them. My heart is open toward them. Work on drawing closer to God and you will naturally be quicker to obey Him. Spiritual growth is progressive. God does not expect mature behavior from new believers. However, He tells us clearly to press in and seek to grow into maturity. Maturity includes obeying promptly.

Grateful recognition of His blessing. Notice the text says “grateful recognition.”  If I recognize, or accurately identify, that something is a blessing, how much does it mean if I do not do so with gratitude?  When I admonish one grandson to tell his brother thank you for voluntarily taking his turn feeding the cats so he can finish a project, I might hear an absent-minded “Thank you.” His tone of voice says he does not really mean it. However, a spontaneous, sincere “Thank you!” rings out when his brother shares the last unclaimed cookie on the plate.

A while back I began thanking God for (seemingly) little things–food to eat, the clothes on my back, the little flock of brown sparrows flitting out of the bushes as I walk by, the serendipity of hearing a praise song on the radio at just the right moment.  Gratitude for “little” things has become a habit but sometimes I realize my mind is not on the thing I am giving thanks for and that I am not consciously speaking to God. That always stops me. I stop and ask God’s forgiveness, then continue with a sincere heart. That is when true gratitude bubbles up from within and brings that peace that is beyond what we can understand or explain.

The longer I know God, the more I get frustrated with my own ingratitude and complaining. If I have eyes to see, I perceive, every single day, showers of blessings on my life and the lives of those around me. This truth holds for everyone in every circumstance. “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. (Psalm 145:9, AMPC) And God’s mercies “begin afresh every morning.” (Lamentations 3:23, NLT)

Gratitude brings us nearer to God. Another reason God tells us to have grateful hearts is that we come into His presence when we offer Him our thanks. Consider Psalm 100:4-5.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. (NIV)

When you give sincere thanks to God, you step into the outer part of His sanctuary. Then when you start thinking about His wonderful qualities, you begin praising Him, putting into words how very, very good He is. You are drawing nearer to the mercy seat. And how does God want us to approach Him? Timidly? Like a dog slinking forward? No!

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV, emphasis added)

In Part Four, we will explore how the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 8:3 fits with Hebrews 4:14-16. Until then, ponder these two passages of God’s Word. Ask Him to show you the connections between them.

two brown birds on green grass during daytimePhoto by Andrian Rubinskiy on Unsplash

 

How much love is enough? Part One, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

a window with a tree outside of it

Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash

Note:  Part of this blog post comes from the March 26, 2020, blog post “Are you affectionate with God?”  Part was drafted but not posted on December 26, 2023, when I asked myself, “How much love is enough?” on a cold December morning . . .

A persistently returning lie. “I am thinking again that You are mad at me. Again!” I sighed with pencil poised above the clipboard holding a thick stack of looseleaf notebook paper in my lap, slowly rocking back and forth. The air here near the window was pleasantly cold. Staring into the darkness of the December morning, I shook my head.

Again that silly feeling comes up. Why, Lord?” I asked, “Why does that feeling still surface when I know it is a lie? You have shown me so many times when I have lapsed into a works attitude, the attitude that I have to work hard to stay in Your favor and Your love. Will some part of my heart always forget the blessed truth in Ephesians 2:8-10, that we are saved and live a righteous life because of grace, not because of what we do?”

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. (NLT).

As I continued journaling with God in the early morning chill that penetrated the walls–which this native-Floridian-turned-Texan prolongs by keeping the heater turned off–some answers came.

What led to hearing that lie? It had been a busy week, making final preparations for Christmas, fitting physical therapy appointments in, and spending as much time as possible with my grandsons while they were out of school. All this, though good, had meant I spent less than the usual time with my personal spiritual disciplines, like prayer, Bible study, Bible reading and just being with the Lord.

“That’s where the false guilt came in, isn’t it, Lord? And that’s when I subconsciously began thinking You don’t love me as much because I am not doing the things I think I should do for You and with You. And the guilt and the lie grew with each passing, busier than usual day.”

I paused, cradled the warm mug in my hands, took a sip of tea, inhaled the apple-ish, vaguely floral scent of chamomile, and looked out the window again.

“Hmm. . . maybe this should be a blog post. I definitely need to study this subject for myself. I only have an hour before I have to leave for the gym and another busy day, so I don’t have time to get into work on the book, and my bank of ready-to-post blogs is empty. Do I know any Scriptures that speak to this problem?”

What will destroy that lie? Immediately I thought of First Corinthians 8:3, the only new verse I had meditated on this past week. I walked to the middle of the front room, the big countertop—the command center, so to speak, of my blessed little home, the place where I keep to-do lists and verses I am meditating upon–and picked up the half-sheet of paper from its place by the sink. Spattered dishwater had made wrinkled spots on it, as numerous as summer freckles. I read:

But if one loves God truly

[with affectionate reverence,

prompt obedience, and

grateful recognition of His blessing],

he is known by God

[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,

and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC)

“Hmm, Lord. I think You are saying I need to study on this phrase by phrase. Yes, I see that the amplifying phrases in the AMPC show what to truly love You actually means.”

“but If anyone truly loves God” – true love for fellow believers, true love for God.    Before I began studying word by word and phrase by phrase,  I briefly got the context for the book, then the chapter. Paul wrote First Corinthians to the church in Corinth, a wicked city where the wickedness made it hard for believers to live a Christ-like life. Paul addressed many problems, scolding the Corinthians believers for their errors and teaching them how they should be living. Chapter Eight (part of the section on Christian rights and responsibilities) addresses food sacrificed to idols, as the NIV labels this section.

Verse 3 is tucked in as a parenthetical aside, a little side comment, where Paul says all of us (meaning him and the Corinthian believers) understood about idols, that they are really nothing. But Paul explains that having knowledge, for example about the true nature of idols, can make you feel important, but love will lead you to build others up. Paul warns that if you think you know all the answers, you really do not know “as you ought to know.” (I Corinthians 8:2, NIV). In the rest of the chapter, Paul explains that if you really act in love toward your fellow believers, you will not do anything that will make them stumble in their walk with Christ.

For the Corinthians, that meant they would not eat meat sacrificed to idols if it would lead new believers who did not yet fully realize that idols were nothing to also eat such meat and thereby sin against their conscience.

The whole chapter is about acting in love toward our fellow believers. That is why Paul starts the chapter by contrasting how love and pride affect our behavior.  Perhaps that is why he puts that little-but-big statement in verse 3 about what truly loving God is. Perhaps pondering what a believer’s true love for another believer looked like led Paul to ponder what a believer’s true love for God looked like.

“But if one loves God truly, (with affectionate reverence . . . ” Part of truly loving God truly is having affectionate reverence toward Him. Let’s consider the word affection first. Webster’s 1828 online dictionary defines affection as:

“a permanent bent of the mind, formed by the presence of an object, or by some act of another person, and existing without the presence of its object. It also means “a settled good will, love or zealous attachment; as, the affection of a parent for his child.”

God’s Word tells us to be affectionate with Him.  A quick search reveals the word “affection” or “affectionately” appears 55 times in the AMPC, most of which appear in the psalms”.  After the words bless the Lord, we see [affectionately and gratefully praise]. The words in brackets are amplifying words that show what people in Bible times would automatically have thought when they heard the words “Bless the Lord.”

(By the way, a similar search for the word “affection” in the KJV, NASB, NIV, and the NLT shows that it appears between seven and ten times. However, in no instance is “affection” used in speaking of our love for God. I rarely used the AMPC until recent years. How I wish I had heard this idea before!)

Luke 7:36-50 gives a clear example of what affection for God is. Mary gave Jesus her very best as she kissed His feet, washed them with her tears, dried them with her hair and anointed them with costly perfume.

“… and as she stood behind Him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.”(verse 38).  In verse 45, the AMPC says that Jesus told the Pharisee that Mary had, from the moment He came into the room not stopped kissing His feet “tenderly and caressingly.”

Reading the whole story as recorded in Luke 7:36-50 and Mark14:3-9, shows us that Jesus obviously approved of the affectionate way Mary demonstrated her love for Him. To the self-righteous people who criticized and said the perfume on His feet was a waste.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus said, “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. . . I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. (Mark 13:6, 9, NIV)”

Today, you and I can likewise show God our affection by giving our best effort, for Him, all day, in whatever we are doing. (“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might”, Ecclesiastes 9:10a, NIV). We also give Him our best by loving Him with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might (Deuteronomy 6:5).

An awesome reason to be affectionate. Next, notice that, in 1 Corinthians 11:24, during the Lord’s Supper, when Jesus had given thanks, He broke the bread, and said “Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.” And He repeats His request when the wine is taken, in verse 25. “Similarly, when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying, This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.” Every time I take the Lord’s Supper, Jesus wants me to remember Him with affection.

I knew that believers observe the Lord’s supper to honor and respect Him by remembering His incomprehensible sacrifice for us. However, until I read this verse in the Amplified as I wrote this blog, I did not know that Jesus specifically asked us to remember Him with affection.

He could have, very appropriately, said to call Him to remembrance with respect and awe and fear. This is certainly part of the way we should approach God and it is the most basic, foundational way to think of God. But He clearly wants us to think of Him with affection, too. If you have deep respect and awe and appreciation for Who God is and what He has done for us, if you know Him well and pursue a close relationship with Him, eventually your love for Him will also include affection.

gray and black rocks

Photo by Jesse Orrico on Unsplash

I believe that Jesus was, as always, putting us above Himself here because He knew that thinking of the agony He endured for us could make us sad. I understand that because I would, if he were alive, affectionately kiss and hold my earthly father’s hands, hands roughened by years of operating heavy equipment, big strong hands covered with sun-bronzed skin and scars. I would gaze with fondness at the tan lines on his forehead and arms, acquired through decades of loving labor for his family. I would do the same for my mother’s soap roughened hands. And so, when I think about what Jesus did for me, I am affectionately grateful, and privileged to come so close to Him.

We are only affectionate with those we know intimately. Synonyms for intimate include private, personal, secret, innermost, cherished, familiar, dear, devoted, and deepest. Help us, Father, to be more intimate with You!

Being affectionate with the Lord might not come naturally at first. As a new believer in Jesus, I had an overly formal attitude toward Him. I had at least a measure of  proper reverence and fear (Deuteronomy 13:4, I Chronicles 16:25, Psalm 2:11) but I also had an unhealthy subconscious fear that I was not doing enough, fear that I was not worthy, and fear that God would one day abandon me because of that. Those wounded attitudes were caused by events in the past, obviously the work of the evil one, but God (whose power no foe can withstand, Psalm 91:1, AMPC) brought those hurts, with the shame and guilt, into the light of His love and forgiveness.

Over time, He helped me learn to ask Him into each moment of my day, including the undignified times (like exercising or scrubbing the bathroom) and times when I fail Him in my reactions to frustrations, like with traffic and technology. I began learning to practice the presence of the Lord.

In Part Two, we will continue exploring what true love for God is. Until then ponder First  Corinthians 8:3 and see what God shows you. 

But if one loves God truly

[with affectionate reverence,

prompt obedience, and

grateful recognition of His blessing],

he is known by God

[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,

and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC)

Yet I will rejoice, Part Two, #godindaily life #theBibleindailylife

In Part One, we began exploring Habakkuk 3:17-19. We saw that we can choose to rejoice and trust God, and even be over-joyed in Him, even when all hope seems lost. We can do that because God, living within us, will be, or exist within us, as  our ‘strength, our personal bravery and our invincible army.” In Part Two, we will consider how He does that.

a grassy field with mountains in the background

Photo by Dreamstime.com on  Unsplash

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (Habakkuk 3:17-19, AMPC)

About that semicolon  in verse 19. . .  As we learned in school, a semicolon connects two independent clauses that are related. Though I have daily pondered upon this passage for months, I did not see the importance of that semicolon in verse 19 until writing this blog post.  That semicolon connects the things I need (strength, bravery and an army-size amount of help) with what God will do for each of those needs. He will give me strength to walk, He will make me brave, and He will enable me to make progress in the midst of trials.

“. . . He makes my feet like hinds’ feet. . . (Habbakkuk 3:19) ”  The term hinds’ feet is mentioned in 2 Samuel 22:34. On the day God delivered David from his enemies and Saul, David sang the 51 verses of 2 Samuel 22 to the Lord.  David’s words in that song are very similar to Psalm 18, in which verse 33 declares “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.” (AMPC)

Do you see where Habakkuk likely got the visual imagery for Habakkuk 3:19, the verse we are exploring? No doubt Habakkuk had reflected often upon David’s thoughts about hinds’ feet.

What does hinds’ feet mean? The hind symbolized “agility, swiftness, and surefootedness, indispensable qualifications in ancient warfare.” 2 Samuel 22:34 Commentaries: “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me on my high places. (biblehub.com).  God had gifted David with these and many more qualities essential to the life he would live for God, which included being a warrior in those ancient times.

The hind “is a picture also of the ability God gives His children to travel easily over the rough paths of life, and to feel at home among the difficulties of life. The hind enjoys the rough mountain terrain. She is sure-footed, she does not seek easy paths.” (Wilson’s Dictionary of Bible Types, 1957, p. 259).

white goat on large roc k

Photo by Nick Dunlap on Unsplash

God gives hinds, or deer and mountain goats, a hoof that is split, which enables them to grip; a hard outer part of the hoof that can dig into rock, with a soft bottom part that molds into the contours of the mountain; strong forequarters or shoulders; and an incredible sense of balance, among other things. If that is how God cares for them, how much more will He provide for us, oh we of little faith? (Matthew 6:30, Matthew 8:26).

“. . .  and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror] but to walk and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering or responsibility.” (Habakkuk 3:19, AMPC).  Mountain goats do not stand still in terror of obstacles or danger. With their strong feet and powerful forequarters, they can jump nearly 12 feet. With God, I have strength for each challenge, little or big. With God, I am empowered to walk and move forward, rather than letting fear immobilize me. With God, I can make progress, in both spiritual and earthly realms, in the thick of daily life’s ” troubles, sufferings and responsibilities.”

I believe all of us sometimes feel that the humdrum responsibilities of daily life are too much. But in God, we can move forward, one step at a time, one task at a time, with any challenge.

three white goats on rocky cliff

Photo by Chirag Saini on Unsplash

The dangerous heights. I like to think of Psalm 18:33 together with Habakkuk 3:19. Remember Psalm 18:33 says: “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.”

When we face personal troubles and when God is testing or training us, we are in dangerous times because we are, like mountain goats, in a potentially dangerous position. Because of our human weaknesses, we are in danger of turning away from God in such times. But God has provided all that we need to stand firm. Not only that but He has provided all we need to make progress in the very midst of those testings and trials.  “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. (2 Peter 1:3, NIV)”

We can also apply this principle to the dangerous times we live in as we see darkness trying to overcome the world. Believers world-wide are being tested and tried. Will we stand fast in our faith? Will we speak up for righteousness? Will we say homosexuality, transgenderism, anti-Semitism, and abortion are sin?

Will we do the things God shows us we can do personally to fight evil in our day? Will we educate ourselves on the issues, vote and encourage others to vote? Will we send emails and letters and call our government representatives? Will we participate in government and run for a local office or help at the voting polls?

We are in perilous times yet also the most glorious, victorious times of all time. God is exposing evil. He is awakening millions to eternal life. He is calling individual believers to a closer, stronger relationship with Him and He is calling believers to be salt and light.

Encourage yourself! To encourage ourselves, we can ponder all the dangers David faced. We can ponder all the victories God gave him, and we can—with God’s strength, His personal bravery and His mighty army—“walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) We can live holy, consecrated lives, and we can do our part to influence the world around us. We can let the light of God’s truth and love shine into this present darkness. We can be that candle on a hill. We can be the salt and light Jesus commanded us to be in His first great sermon, the Sermon on the mount.

lighted candle

Photo by Jarl Schmidt on Unsplash

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, NIV)

It is no accident that you and I are alive at this time. All the days of our life were ordained by God before one of them ever came to be. (Psalm 139:16) We have a part to play in the part of the world in which God has deliberately placed us.

With our eyes fixed on God, we can rely on Him to give us hinds’ feet, for our personal struggles and also for our nation and our world. We can be strong, we can move forward in the face of fear, and we can take our part in the invincible army of God.

You and I can fulfill Philippians 2:15-16 as we strive to:

“prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a [morally] crooked and [spiritually] perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights [beacons shining out clearly] in the world [of darkness], 16 holding out and offering to everyone the word of life. . .” (AMPC).

It is especially in hard places that we are positioned to shine as beacons for God.

So, I say to myself and to you: Set your heart to rejoice, to exult in the Lord and to shine!

Shine within your heart in your personal relationship with God. Love Him truly “[with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing]” (1 Corinthians 8:3a, Psalm 149:4, AMPC).

Shine into the darkness of this world. Like Gideon, go in the strength you have (Judges 6:14) and bring to the world the light that comes from understanding truth.

In the midst of dire personal and world circumstances, declare “Yet, I will rejoice! I will exult in the [victorious God] of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:18, AMPC)

tall green tree painting

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

Yet I will rejoice, Part One, #godindaily life #theBibleindailylife

P
a grassy field with mountains in the background

Photo by www.dreamstime.com “Endless Landscapes of Iceland”

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (Habakkuk 3:17-19, AMPC)

This Bible passage is one of several I rely upon when the enemy of our souls sends thoughts of discouragement or fear in an attempt to stop me from moving forward. They empower me to push through daily life, certain that God is with me, giving His strength for each tedious task, pleased that I keep my thoughts on Him and share each detail of ordinary days, prizing each shared moment as the mutual treasure and delight they are.

These words also carry me through times of dark adversity, personal as well as world-wide, like we are all facing now.

Brief background. The prophet Habakkuk warned God’s people living in Judah that judgement for their wickedness was coming. A time was coming when the Babylonians would take them captive. The first two chapters of Habakkuk are a dialogue between God and the prophet. Habakkuk did “not understand how God could use the Babylonians, who were even more wicked than the wicked Jews to bring judgement on God’s chosen people.”  (The 1984 New International Version of the Bible, p. 816.) The wicked Jews referred to were the Jewish leaders who were oppressing the poor.

Chapter Three is entitled “A prayer of Habakkuk.” It is a meditation with himself, an intercession for the church. In his commentary on Habakkuk 3, Matthew Henry says, “This prophet had found God ready to answer his requests and complaints before, and therefore now repeats his applications to Him. Because God has inclined his ear to us, we must resolve that therefore we will call upon him as long as we live.”  I can only say amen!

brown wooden barn in high ground at daytime

Photo by Mik Haupt on Unsplash

Exploring Habakkuk 3:17-19 phrase by phrase. Notice that Habakkuk describes a circumstance where the figs, the fruit, the olive trees, the fields, the lambs and the cattle all fail.

“17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines,
[though] the product of the olive fails
and the fields yield no food,
though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there are no cattle in the stalls,. . . “

He is talking about a time of famine and great distress because these six sources were the food supply for people in that region at that time.

These words tell me that even when everything falls apart, I can choose to be glad in the Lord. Why? Because God has answered me before and God’s Word, as well as my own personal experiences, demonstrate that He answers prayer.

“Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation.”  Ponder that word “yet”.  “Yet” is a conjunction meaning “nevertheless, notwithstanding, however.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary). It also means still, even so, or despite all of that. That “yet” connects the rest of the verse with what came before.

It takes an immovable stance of faith to trust God in truly desperate circumstances, just as Job did when he said “Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15, NKJ). Though the situations we face are not as desperate or tragic as those of Habakkuk and Job, the appropriate response to our troubles is the same:  trust in God and rejoice, or be glad, in Him.

Trusting in Him enables us to rejoice. We can trust God in truly desperate circumstances if we understand His nature, if we “know His name.” “Those who know Your name trust in you, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10, NIV).  Examine this verse in the AMPC.

10 And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity] (emphasis added).

Think back over the times you have clearly seen God’s mercy in your life and in others.  Read Bible passages that speak of God’s mercy for His chosen people, like Psalm 18, 46, 68, 81, and 105, 106 and 107 and Acts 7:2-53. That exact same all-powerful, all-knowing God is at work in your life. Pause and carefully consider that.

“I will rejoice, I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation.”  To rejoice is “To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations.” (Webster’s 1828 dictionary)

girl picking gift in front of pre-lit tree

Photo by Thandy Yung on Unsplash

But the prophet takes it a step further when he specifically says “I will exult.” Think about Christmas morning when you were a child. To exult is “to leap for joy; hence, to rejoice in triumph; to rejoice exceedingly, at success or victory; to be glad above measure; to triumph.” (Webster’s 1828 dictionary). That is to be beside yourself with joy, like when David danced before the Lord because finally the ark of the covenant was about to be brought to Jerusalem. David was exulting in triumph.

Habakkuk 3:8 in the AMPC includes the adjective victorious in brackets–“I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation.”  That is why, even in dire circumstances, we can be rejoice, we can exult, and we can be jubilant.  Our God is always, always, always victorious. Nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:17).

Image result for free word art of beVerse 19: “The Lord God is my strength, my personal bravery and my invincible army; . . . ”  One morning, a while ago now, Holy Spirit opened my heart to the light of truth in these words. He showed me that when I feel too weak for one more step, when I am afraid, or when I face something impossible, the loving God who lives within me (John 14:23, Galations 2:20) will be, or exist as, the strength I need.  My indwelling God will be, or exist as, the bravery I need. The One Who has made His home inside my heart will be, or exist as, my personal supernatural army that can never be defeated.

Words cannot express the peace and confidence in God I felt as these truths took root in my heart. I can only pray that you experience the same.

In Part Two, we will learn about the importance of that semicolon in Verse 19.

 

Our turbulent times. . . what can YOU do?

Free Earth Globe photo and picture

What are you doing about our world? Like me, you are likely horrified and enraged by recent events, like the attempted assassination of former and future President Trump, the deliberate murder of 12 Israeli children by Hezbollah while they were playing soccer, and the unspeakably perverse mockery of the Lord’s Supper at the opening of the Olympic Games. I could go on. My question is: What are you and I doing about it?

“Silence in the face of evil” As Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States, phrases it: “We are Christians in every arena of life.” Christians do have a role in the secular world. God has a role for each believer to play in this battle against evil. To choose to be silent and do nothing is to be as the German citizens who chose to not see the concentration camps close to their cities. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said:

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

The Nazis aimed to annihilate first the Jews, then they would have come after America, anyone who was not part of what Hitler had brainwashed them to believe was the superior Aryan race. Satan was the force behind Hitler just as he is the force behind Iran and its proxy nations that are seeking to annihilate all Jews. They also plan to annihilate every person who is not of their race.

Satan is behind the evil we see in our nation and his goal is always to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). He controls those who promote abortion, transgenderism, antisemitism and all the other evils we see increasing. As United States citizens, we have the power to remove the political leaders who have been forcing Satan’s agenda on America. We can and must, must, must vote but we can and must do more.

What can an ordinary person do?  Besides praying and fasting and voting–the bare minimum—you can do much more. You can contact governmental representatives, speak at board meetings, help with the voting process, or run for office and/or support others who do. And never forget:  bless and pray for Israel.

For details about these options, read the “What can you do about our world?” page on this website.  What to do about our world? | wordsofhopeandhealing.com

How to help with the voting process.  I urge you to listen to the July 29, 2024, Flashpoint podcast. Starting at about minute 33, Gene Bailey, Hank Kunneman and Mark Meckler have encouraging words about getting involved in our world. Use the link below.

FlashPoint: We Will See America Change! (July 29th 2024) – FlashPoint (govictory.com)

In that podcast (at about minute 38) you will also learn about the organization called Faith Wins Home – Faith Wins.    This organization will provide materials to lead you in setting up a voting registration booth in your church, as well as other ways to help ensure the voting process is legal. See the “Take Action” page of faithwins.org.

Do not fear these “turbulent times”!  I hope you regularly listen to the Give Him 15 podcast by Dutch Sheets. The July 26, 2024, podcast “Turbulent Times are Here” is especially comforting. Please take time to listen to Dutch’s powerful insights. You will be strengthened in your faith.  Prayer | Give Him 15

My prayer for you:

I personally find that I feel more peace when I am taking action, when I am doing what God shows me I can do in this battle for righteousness. I pray you find the same peace.

24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; 26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually). (Number 6:24-26, AMPC)

 

The message of the hummingbird

Free Woman Using Desktop Stock PhotoUnsettled. Plink, plink. The kitty kibble rattled into the bottom of Lilly’s bowl. I scratched the top of her head.

“I love you, Lilly bugs. I’m so glad I have you. You are a gift, you know.”

I walked from bedroom back to front room, ignoring the rumpled throw atop the couch and two days of mail sliding off the toppled stack of books on the end table. Darkness still claimed the edges of the room, covering over other signs of recent neglect. Cup of tea in hand, I moved to sit in the rocker by the window, not clicking on the lamp, preferring the softened edges of darkness.

“Father, I feel so unsettled, so messed up, just lost and hurting, Lord. I just need to sit here with you, Lord, and just talk with You about it all. My feelings and thoughts are such a jumble, and it hurts so bad. I cannot do anything about it, absolutely nothing, but pray. You know what I mean by that, Lord. As a thoroughly human human being, I feel in control, at least a little, when I can do something tangible about a situation. But I also know, by faith and by experience, that prayer is tangible and produces tangible results.

This has moved me to pray like never before, Lord, but I still just want to do something. I want to be there, I want to help, I love. . . “

A long pause. I stare out the window, into the gentle dimness. Tears, tears, and more tears.

“I love him so much, Lord, and I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything!”

Another longer, deeper pause.

“But I will pray, Lord, and You can help. You can do anything (Matthew 19:26). Nothing is too hard for You. . .  (Genesis 18:14)

Free Selective Photography Of Hummingbird Stock PhotoThen, right where I was looking, at the tip of the rose bush growing up the drain pipe outside my second-floor window, a hummingbird poised, for a quick moment, at the end of the branch–a branch with no blossoms, nothing to attract hummingbirds. Then the finger-sized creature darted away, the first hummingbird I’ve seen in the five years I’ve lived here.

The soft blanket of God’s love enfolded me with comforting weightiness. Fresh tears. As so often before, God put a bird right in front of my eyes to remind me of His presence.

“Oh, Father! Thank You! I know You are right here with me. I know You are with me in this. I know You understand how I feel and You are feeling what I am feeling. That’s what compassion is, isn’t it, feeling with someone?

I think You are telling me You have felt the tears the last few days, and You understand that I have not been able to focus, to think or to pray. It’s been all I could do just to do the minimum . . . but to know that You understand, Lord, that You see me, that You promise to never ever fail me, to always help me.

Silently, the balm of a favorite verse moved through my thoughts.

“. . . and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you) [Assuredly not!]  (Hebrews 13:5b, AMPC)

When it hurts too bad. When something turns your heart inside out, when you cannot think clearly enough to pray or even read the Bible, God understands. And He shares your feelings.

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. (Hebrews 4:15, AMPC)

God not only shares your feelings, but He earnestly, passionately longs to help you (Isaiah 30:18). That’s one reason He tells us in many Bible passages to pour out our hearts to Him, to cast all our cares on Him, to trust Him and not worry. He knows that just putting sorrow or fear into words, to a trusted, loving person, lightens our emotional burden. So, He says:

Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Psalm 62:8, AMPC, emphasis added),

Royalty Free Mother And Child Holding Hands Pictures, Images and Stock ...The power of trust. Look again at the verse above. Notice that trusting God includes leaning on Him, relying on Him and having confidence in Him. This thought is repeated in Isaiah 26:3 in the AMPC.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. (Isaiah 26:3, AMPC, emphasis added)

 Trust, according to Webster’s 1828 online dictionary, is:

“Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. Includes actively knowing . . . ”

I like that phrase “actively knowing”. That encourages me to keep my mind busy thinking about God’s faithfulness, the endless facets of His goodness, His awesome power, His sovereignty over all that was and is and is to come, His unbounded love for me, and the surety of all His promises. And in hard times, like now, it comforts me to meditate on Romans 8:28, the fact that “ God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

Trust and obey. Perhaps you have heard the beloved hymn “Trust and obey” written by John H. Sammis in 1887. Below is the first verse and the refrain.

  1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
    What a glory He sheds on our way!
    While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
    And with all who will trust and obey.
  • Refrain:
    Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
    To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

“Dwell in the land and do good” That beautiful hymn brings to mind Psalm 37:3.

Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. (AMPC)

This verse has helped me move forward with daily life before when darkness closed in. This verse says God’s faithfulness will feed me. We are the sheep of His pasture and He is the good shepherd. We can trust Him to take good care of us. Didn’t He lay down his life for us because He so loves us?

With those thoughts in mind, I can look for good things to be grateful for, I can go on with the tasks of this day, I can look for ways to help others, I can meditate on the Bible truths I know. I can do what I need to do because it is God Who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) I can rely on Him, not myself. And, by God’s great grace, I can put into practice Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:4-9.

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such thingsWhatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV, emphasis added)

No matter the situation, there is always something in it for which I can give God thanks. That is one of the first things to do when burdens are heavy.

Image result for public domain free picture of stairs in woodsSteps to take when you are troubled:

[1] Be grateful for what you have. Find the good things in the situation and sincerely thank God. That is part of putting Philippians 4:4-9 into practice. And Psalm 100 instructs us to approach God through giving thanks.

[2] Pray about the situation. Include statements, often called proclamations or positive confessions, about the situation and what God is doing. Tell God, “Father, thank You that You never sleep, that You always are watching the entire earth. Thank You that Your mercy never ends. Thank You that I know Your love and mercy extend to everyone and that You are always seeking to draw people to You. . . “

Also, spend time praying in tongues, also called praying in the Spirit. If this is a new concept to you, see the free booklet “The Remedy for Desperation”, beginning at page 14 (available on the Basics of Believing page of this website).

[3]  Release the weight of your worries to God. The well-known verse “Cast all your anxiety upon Him for He cares for you” in I Peter 5:7 is a quotation from Psalm 55:22. Notice how the AMPC verse clarifies that we are to release the weight of the burdens we carry:

“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” (AMPC)

Notice also that God promises He will keep the consistently righteous from falling. Consistent means to be regular or steady in doing something. Consistent does not mean perfect.

[4] Trust God, keep doing good, and keep moving forward with your life. Honor God by considering Him your only hope of safety (Isaiah 8:24). Ponder His omnipotence and His unfathomable love. And I say again: keep moving forward with your life. Except for times of sickness, mourning, or other legitimate reasons, withdrawing from daily life is dangerous. Idleness and isolation leave the heart open to attacks from Satan. Keep your hands and your mind busy. And the best thing to busy your mind with is, of course, God’s Word.

[5] Meditate on His Word. Nothing calms the soul like keeping the mind fixed on God. Consider Isaiah 26:3 in the AMPC.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. (emphasis added)

Be at rest, oh my soul! Hope confidently in the Lord! He has never, no never, no never failed you in any regard and He never, no never, no never will! (Hebrews 13:5)

Free Clouds and Blue Sky Stock Photo

Little paper hearts

“Oh no!”

I stopped shaking out the bunch of artificial white carnations and lilies as I leaned over my second-floor balcony, watching three rosebud pink paper hearts spiral and flutter all the way to the ground, as concerned as if I had just dropped the ruby ring my daughter gave me down the sink.

I ran, well at least I moved fast, to retrieve those three little paper hearts. They had nestled in the vase of white flowers next to my kitchen sink for nearly four years, extras from when I worked part-time in the children’s department of our church. Four years ago, God was just beginning to draw me out of the pit of deep depression.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:16-19).

Read all of Psalm 18 and take time to thank God for something He has rescued you from. Understanding how God fights for us is deeply comforting.

The messages on those paper hearts. Three messages are printed in the center of those little hearts:

  • God made me and He loves me.
  • God listens to me and He loves me.
  • God takes care of me and He loves me.

Pondering Bible truths such as these day and night (Psalm 1), healed depression and gave me a new, undepressed mind (Romans 12:2) when nothing else worked.

Constant reminders.  We all have our weaknesses. Some of us, like me, need reminders all day long to depend on God and not worry. Some of us, like me, need reminding that no matter how I feel, I am not alone. That’s why those little pink paper hearts reside in that vase of flowers by my sink. What do I think of when I read those three little messages?

God made me and He loves me. In Psalm 139:13-16 David talks with God about how God created him. David says to God:

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;

Verse 16b says “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” How comforting to know that our all-powerful God has our life planned and that His plan is for our good.

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

“. . . And He loves me” In verses 17 and 18 of Psalm 139, David gives us another detail about the way God loves us – He thinks about us all the time.

“How precious to me are your thoughts,] God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.”

I can only echo The Enduring Word commentary: “David was filled with amazement and adoration by considering how God knew and cared for him. It is precious that God should think of us at all; it is beyond precious that He would think well of us and think so often of us.” (emphasis added)

God takes care of me and He loves me. I have an extremely hard time writing about the phrase “God takes care of me.” Why? I have too much to say! Since April 1981, when I gave my heart to Jesus, God has abundantly supplied all my needs “according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NIV). He truly has never, no never, no never failed in any way (Hebrews 13:5-6, Joshua).

By God’s grace, when I was saved I determined to put my relationship with God first and to obey Him fully. Everything else—every day of the past forty-three years–followed from that. God continues to give steady spiritual growth, heart and body healings, and miraculous provision of every physical, mental, emotional and spiritual need. All it takes is loving God above all, obeying Him, and serving Him with your whole heart.

Consider now Hebrews 13:5-6. Verse 5 tells us to love God first, more than material things, and be content with where we are and what we have. Why? God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, promises to never fail us in any way. I highly recommend imprinting these two verses on your heart by pondering on them.

 Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ]relax My hold on you)! ]Assuredly not!]

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

Image result for public domain picture of father listening to childGod listens to me and He loves me. Many years of seeing God do personal miracle after personal miracle has built up my faith. From the miracle of courage and strength for daily life to miraculous physical healings and provision, He has never failed. Yet, being human, sometimes dark clouds of loneliness and self-pity close in, threatening a destructive emotional storm. Though surrounded by loving family and friends, in moments of special stress or fatigue, the enemy sometimes flings flaming arrows of thought. “You are all alone. No one really cares. How could they? You are such a mess, you are . . . “

By grace, I’ve learned to quickly identify the voice of the enemy. When thoughts like that come, I say “Satan, it is written in James 4:7 that if I submit myself to God and resist you, you must flee, so I command you to flee now!” Then I immediately turn to praising God and keeping my mind on Him. “Father, thank You that You are far greater than the enemy and that You are in me, Your Spirit is giving me all I need for life and godliness. You are keeping me in complete and constant peace because I am keeping my mind fixed on You. Thank You for teaching me Your Word. Thank You that I live in America where I can have a Bible and worship You in freedom. Thank You for my family, for food to eat, clothes to wear, a car to drive. Thank You for the bird I hear chirping outside. . .”

This has never, no never, failed to restore my peace. Try it.

Another weapon against the poison of loneliness is Genesis 28:15.

And behold, I am with you and will keep (watch over you with care, take notice of) you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done all of which I have told you. (AMPC)

Keep the truths in this Scripture in mind as you go about your daily life and simply talk with God about whatever you are doing. Be aware that He is listening—all day long—specifically to you. You will find it helps you feel His presence.

Returning to whole-hearted seeking. Jeremiah 29 contains a warning and a precious promise about God’s mercy toward us. Jeremiah 2­9 is a letter God wrote through Jeremiah to the captives exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem because of their wickedness and unrepentant idol worship. In the first nine verses, God told the captive Israelites to settle down and work for the good of the place they lived (Babylon) because “its welfare will determine your welfare.” (V. 7b, NLT). God told them they would stay in Babylon 70 years, which was until their punishment was completed. (Notice how God is taking care of them, even while they are being punished, by telling them how to have a better life.)  In verse 10, God promises that after 70 years He would return them to Jerusalem and “do for you all the good things I have promised.” (v. 10b).

And then comes the well-known verse, Jeremiah 29:11: “11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” (NIV). Especially notice verses 12 through 14.

12 Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.

13 Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (emphasis added)

14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive.” (AMPC, emphasis added).

God reassures His rebellious people that He has good plans for them, and that their final outcome will be one where they love Him whole-heartedly and find Him as well as enjoy freedom again.

This teaches me that I move toward captivity –to my fleshly nature and/or Satan–when I start depending on or loving anything more than God. I make that thing an idol. It also teaches me that God is ever ready to deliver me when I seek Him with my whole heart, as if my very life depended on Him, which it does.  God brings me back to Jerusalem, to the beautiful condition of the heart that comes from peace, when I call on Him whole-heartedly.

I believe this process of sin-captivity-judgement-restoration applies to any scale of time, from our “little” failures that take us away from God part of the day to unrecognized and/or unconfessed sin that steals our closeness and our peace for months or years.

Free Bald Eagle Perched on Tree Branch Stock PhotoFather, thank You so much for teaching us how to stay in peace. Thank You for Your clear guidance in the Word. Please forgive me when I give in to doubt or fear. Thank You that You are growing me up and those times come far less often.

And from Psalm 91 I say, Lord, help me always dwell in the secret place so that I can remain continually under the shadow of Your great wings. Remind me to say of You, “The Lord is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!” (AMPC)

When I do that, Lord, I know You will cover me with Your feathers, just like a mother hen fiercely defending her little chicks.

And when I am under Your wings, I will be able to snuggle in close and find the trust and refuge I so desperately need.  Truly Lord, Your “truth and faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.”

 

God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security, Revisited – Part Two

In Part One, we were reminded that the truths in God’s Word are our weapons for spiritual warfare. Some Bible verses in particular will keep us in peace and feeling secure if we keep those verses uppermost in our minds and hearts. We considered the benefits of meditating upon and memorizing God’s Word.

Part Two covers the following topics.

  • Why the AMPC?
  • God’s Word has power to change your heart and your life.
  • How does God’s Word change your heart?
  • As God’s truth increases in your heart, lies and darkness decrease.
  • A word of encouragement about meditating and memorizing.
  • God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security – List of Verses

Why the Amplified translation of the Bible? Here is the description of the Amplified translation from www.lockman.org, the publisher.

“The Amplified Bible is a Literal Equivalent translation that, by using synonyms and definitions, both explains and expands the meaning of words in the text by placing amplification in parentheses, brackets, and after key words. This unique system of translation allows the reader to more completely and clearly grasp the meaning as it was understood in the original languages. Additionally, amplifications may provide further theological, historical, and other details for a better understanding of the text.”

Image result for free picture of dog with a boneTo meditate means to ponder, consider, to roll something over and over in your mind, and to work at it like a dog works at a bone or a cow chews her cud.  Compare the translations of Isaiah 26:3-4 below.

  • NIV – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast in You because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
  • NKJ – “You will keep in perfect peace Whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever. For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”
  • NLT – “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You. Trust in the Lord always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal rock.”
  • AMPC – “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord – commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him—forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting rock—the Rock of Ages.”

Picture of All Punctuation MarksYou will see that the Amplified has more words than most other translations.  These “extra” words—those set off in dashes, braces, brackets and parentheses –are shades of meaning that the original readers of the Bible would have automatically understood when they heard that word or phrase. Slowly, carefully reading these phrases in the Amplified is one way to meditate. It slows the mind down and guides the thought process. If I meditate on Isaiah 26:3 in the NIV or the NKJ, for example, I will come up with my own ideas about what “perfect peace” and a “steadfast mind” and “trust” mean, but the “extra” words in the Amplified are, I believe, the first thoughts we should  dwell on as we meditate on a verse or passage because they are, I believe, levels of meaning that God intended when He inspired the writers of Scripture.

So, using the Amplified has two clear benefits for meditation. First, it will force you to slow down and spend more time as you meditate. Second, it will help your meditation uncover more completely, in my opinion, what God is saying in His Word.

One clear example is the word trust in Isaiah 26:3-4. Isaiah 26:3 tells us to trust in the Lord and verse 4 defines trust in the clarifying words of the Amplified, the words between dashes. Verse 4 says “So trust in the Lord—commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him—forever. . .”  That means to me that when I see God use the word trust, He means “to commit myself to Him, to lean on Him, and to hope confidently in Him.”  Using my own thoughts, I did not think of those three layers of meaning.

I suggest you try using the Amplified translation to memorize. If, after a sincere effort, you are not blessed then use a translation such as the New King James or New International. I also recommend using the Amplified Classic edition. Later editions leave out some of the amplifying phrases.

God’s Word has power to change your heart and your life. The power of God’s Word will “fix” your heart no matter if your problem is addiction, anger, self-control, loneliness, depression, or fear. Then, as your heart changes, your life will change.

Image result for public domain picture of judge with gavelHebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is alive and full of power, and that it “judges the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (NIV) One thing that phrase means to me is that God’s Word in my mind enables me to discern, or to judge, whether thoughts and feelings in my heart are good or bad, true or false, beneficial or detrimental, holy or corrupted, whether they are from God or from the devil, and whether they lead toward life or lead toward death.

When I was deeply depressed and cowered down by fear, most of my thoughts were negative. The enemy and my own downtrodden heart generated thoughts and feelings of hopelessness and discouragement, day after day. Only when I began studying the Word for myself in my areas of need and then consciously kept those verses in my mind minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, did the healing begin.

The verses in “Your Basic Arsenal” are listed in the order in which I studied and then memorized them during that season. What I needed most when I first began was peace, so I kept repeating God’s promise to keep me in peace if I kept my mind fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).  The truth of that Word made the lies in my heart flee, little by little. The light of truth chases the darkness of lies away, just as dawn chases the darkness of night away (Proverbs 4:18).

How does God’s Word change your heart? Here is one example of how the Word changes hearts. Whispering SilhouetteIsaiah 26:3 is true. It is a fact that God will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts are fixed on Him. (NLT) But the enemy tries to make us believe things that are not true. He tries to make us believe his lies, just as he did with Adam and Eve. I became and stayed depressed because, although I knew a lot of the Word, the enemy shot lying thought arrows into my heart, thoughts like “I will always feel bad and stay depressed. God cannot heal me. I am too messed up. I have wasted too much time. I have disappointed God, and He is mad at me.” If you hear something often enough, you can start to believe it, even if it is not true.

But because God’s Word is “alive and full of power,” it is active, it operates in our hearts, it energizes our hearts, and it is effective in our hearts. (Hebrews 4:12, AMPC). As soon as I heard even one short statement of truth (for example, God will never fail me in any way), the light that comes from that truth drove away some of the darkness–immediately. As I kept repeating that truth and thinking about it, pondering what exactly it meant, more light came into my mind and then my feelings.

As I searched the Bible for verses about peace, God led me first to Isaiah 26:3 and Hebrews 13:5. I started trying to keep the truths in those verses in my mind, by reading them repeatedly, then by repeating them over and over all day long, day after day, and thinking about them phrase by phrase, thinking about what each phrase meant, what each word in the phrases meant.

Image result for free picture of dawnAs God’s truth increases in your heart, lies and darkness decrease. When we meditate on God’s truth, truth and light start to take up more space in our thoughts than lies, so that truth becomes dominant, or foremost.  That is like changing undrinkable salt water by adding more fresh water until it becomes drinkable. Really, it is more like a desalinization plant because the salt, or lie, is actually removed, not just diluted!

I believe that is one reason God tells us, many times, to think about His Word all day long. As we keep His Word in our mind, hour by hour, day by day, we begin to think about life and situations like God thinks about them because we have more of the truth about life and those situations in our hearts. We start to walk in truth, to live in truth, to think like God and to act in a godly way.

As we keep diligently studying the Word, building up our library of knowledge about life as it really is, as God explains it in His Word, we grow up spiritually and grow stronger, and we fall for Satan’s lies far less often.

A word of encouragement about meditating and memorizing. You do not have to actually memorize the verses, although it will benefit you more to do so. You will find that if you ponder, think about, and puzzle over what each phrase means, you will nearly have it memorized without even trying. If you have an especially  hard time memorizing I urge you to give it your best effort, with prayer, for at least a week, with just one verse. If you really feel you cannot memorize, then do work faithfully to at least develop the habit of meditating on a specific verse or two each day, hour by hour intentionally rolling it over in your mind.

Image result for public domain picture of workbootsI heard a story about a man who worked as a laborer, with no way to pause and read the Word of God during the long hours he labored with his hands and back. But that man deeply loved God and the Word, so he memorized what he could of one verse each morning and meditated on that all day. The pastor who told the story said that man had a deeper understanding of God’s Word than many of the formally educated pastors and theologians he knew. The point, to me, is:  try the best you can, with all your heart, to study the Word and God will make your efforts succeed. Study Psalm 1 and selah – pause to think about what it says!

Remember the table below “God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security” is available as a printable Word document on the Books and More tab at www.wordsofhopeandhealing.com.

“Grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 1:3, NIV)

Gods Arsenal for Peace and Security

Scripture Reference Key Thought – Memory Cue
Section One  
Isaiah 26:3 1. Peace
Hebrews 13:5 2. never fails
Isaiah 30:15 3. to return
Psalm 91 4. to the secret place.
Section Two
Lamentations 3:25-26 5.  God is good,
Genesis 28:15 6. He is near, so
Psalm 27:14 7. I can wait,
Isaiah 41:10 8. and not fear,
Psalm 94:12-15 9. And keep myself calm!
Section Three
John 16:33 10. I can be of good cheer!
Psalm 18:30-36 11. (because) God is perfect.
Psalm 1 12. I can think about Him all day.
Psalm 107 13. And I can thank Him.
Section Four
II Chronicles 15:2 14.  I will find Him
Philippians 4 15. as I rejoice, and
Psalm 103 16. and praise Him.
2  Chronicles 16:9 17. He longs to strengthen me.
See the “Books and More” page at www.wordsofhopeandhealing.com for a printable Word document of this table.

Do you know what happens when you love God?

Image result for free clip art of CAUSE AND EFFECTPlease note: This is a reprint from April 8, 2021.Life has been blessed – and busy!

The “if-then” nature of God’s promises. While studying Psalm 91, God has taught me much about the “if-then” nature of His promises. I am very grateful! In all the years I have studied the Bible (and I feel I have only begun understanding how to study this last year) I do not recall being so aware of how often if-then, because, for, therefore, thus, and similar words appear. Perhaps that is because two years mired in the muddy pit of depression imprinted a zeal to understand what God wants me to do so that I can remain safe in “the secret place of the Most High.”

As we conclude our exploration of Psalm 91, let’s review what we learned about the “if-thens”, when we began this study of what is often called “the soldier’s psalm.”

The “if-thens” of Psalm 91. A clear example of how God rewards us for seeking Him is found in Psalm 91. The AMPC has this footnote for Psalm 91: “The rich promises of this whole chapter are dependent upon one’s meeting exactly the conditions of these first two verses.”  Here are the “thens” that follow verses 1 and 2, along with the “becauses” in verses 9 through 16, (using the 1965 Amplified Bible) :

IF I dwell in the secret place AND SAY God is my refuge AND TRUST in Him (verses 1 and 2)

  • THEN God will “deliver me from every trap” (NLT),
  • THEN He will cover me,
  • THEN His “faithful promises will be my armor and protection”,
  • THEN I will not be afraid of anything evil, at any time,
  • THEN “No evil will touch me” (NLT) though people fall all around me. (phrases in parentheses are from the NLT)

. . . the “because” point the way to promises, too . . .

  • BECAUSE I make God my refuge and dwelling place (which repeats verses 1 and 2), “no evil will conquer me”, (NLT) and that is true because “He will order His angels to protect me wherever I go” (NLT)

(and finally, verses 14-16):

  • BECAUSE I love God and trust in His nature, He will rescue me, protect me, answer me, honor me, give me a long life, and show me His salvation, which includes deliverance, as well as redemption from sin through the blood of Jesus.

Image result for free clip art of GODS PROMISESPsalm 91: 14 through 16–eight thundering “I wills! Eight powerful “I will” promises conclude Psalm 91.

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never] 15. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Let’s look at these promises once more, in list form:

(Because he has set his love upon Me, THEREFORE:

  • I will deliver him,
  • I will set him on high,
  • because He knows and understands My name
  • I will answer him when he calls on me,
  • I will be with him in trouble,
  • I will deliver him,
  • I will honor him,
  • I will satisfy him with long life, and
  • I will show him My salvation.

Image result for FREE PICTURE of sun moon and starsWhen we set our love on God. Notice that these eight promises apply to us when we set our love upon God. I see God’s fairness in Verse 14 in that when we set our love on Him, he sets us on high. How do I “set my love” on someone? “To set” means to put something in a specific place or position, like setting a book on the table. I like what Webster’s 1828 online dictionary says, “To put, place, or fix in any situation. God set the sun, moon and stars in the firmament.” That means something is permanently fixed and secured in a particular place. And that is how we are to love God—permanently and unshakably. If we do that, God promises to deliver us, which Webster’s 1828 defines as “to free or to release, as from a restraint; to set at liberty, as from captivity” and also “to rescue or to save.” The enemy of our souls always intends us deadly harm, but we have the promise of Almighty God that He will deliver us IF we meet His conditions.

Image result for FREE PICTURE OF HIGH GROUNDIf we set our love on God, God will deliver us and “set us on high.” It is good to be on high ground during a battle, and we know this life on earth is a battle! “Setting on high” also implies being lifted up from having fallen down or being in a low position. Job 5:9-16 lists a few of the kind things God does, one of which is “The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.” (V. 11, NIV). God will keep us fixed and secured in a high, or safe, place.

Stand in awe of the Word. I think a word of loving caution is needed here. I do not pretend to know exactly how God works, but I do know He tells us to study His word diligently, 2 Timothy 2:15 clearly instructs us to “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly] handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” That includes understanding the context of a verse upon which you are relying. I have heard and read many instances, as I am sure you have, where a verse is obviously used incorrectly. However, we all need to be on guard against mishandling the Word in subtle ways. I have done this in the past, but by God’s grace, I now work diligently to ensure I handle His Word correctly.

Image result for FREE PICTURE of bibleSearching out context helps prevent such subtle as well as obvious errors. At a minimum, I read a few verses before and after. Preferably, I read the entire chapter and peruse an outline of the book of the Bible in which the verse is located. This does take extra time and effort, but it is a safeguard for us. Below is a link to an excellent article about handling the Word of God correctly at knowableword.com The Dangerous Consequences of Ignoring Context (knowableword.com)

Because we know and understand what God is like. . . “Because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. (Psalm 91:14b, AMPC)

The AMPC translation of verse 14-b teaches us what it means to “know and understand” God’s name, which means His nature or what He is like. The phrases in brackets state “has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never.” So as we personally experience God’s mercy, His love and His kindness, we will be able to truly trust and rely on him because we will know—through our experiencing it—that God will never, no never, no never forsake us. (Now is a good time to meditate afresh on Hebrews 13:5-6 in the AMPC)

Image result for free picture of sick woman in bedI may have heard that someone with whom I have a casual acquaintance (let’s call her Sandy) is a kind person, but when Sandy brings soup and other food and medicine to my house when I have the flu, I know—through personal knowledge and experience—that Sandy is kind.

Perhaps one reason God tells us to consider ourselves blessed when we have trials (James 1) is because trials give us chances to experience God’s love and faithfulness. After we have walked through a few trials and seen God deliver us, we can have the confident hope and expectation of the writer of Lamentations. In the first part of Chapter 3, he remembers all his afflictions, the “wormwood and the gall” (AMPC) but in Verse 21 he remembers something that gives him hope and expectation—which is that “Because of the LORD”s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. (NIV)”

Image result for free picture of sunrise

We will have all we need. The other six “I wills” cover everything we need in this earthly life. If we set our love on God and come to know Him through experiencing His love and mercy, God says:

  • I will answer him when he calls upon Me;
  • I will be with him in trouble;
  • I will deliver him and
  • I will honor him.
  • I will satisfy him with long life,
  • and I will show him My salvation. (Psalm 91:15-16, AMPC) (Besides the theological definition of “deliverance from the power and penalty of sin.” salvation also means “saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.” (www.dictionary.com).

In these promises I hear God’s thundering voice, but I also hear Him gently, quietly, pleading with us, urging us to set our love on Him, to put Him first. Why? Because He loves us and knows what is good for us. Oh, how great the love of God! Dare we offer Him anything less than total, passionate, faithful love, obedience, and devotion?

Look how Matthew Henry talks about these promises :

Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befall, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble.

The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him?

Image result for free picture of heavenA man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer’s conflict ends; he has done for ever with trouble, sin, and temptation.” (from the Matthew Henry commentary on Psalm 91:9-16 at www.biblehub.com

Is it any wonder that so many of us memorize all of Psalm 91? Selah, selah, selah!