Giveaway

One of the blogs that I enjoy and receive a lot of encouragement from is having a giveaway in the next couple of weeks. Thought I'd pass the news along. :)

Trust

One of the words that God has brought to my mind so many times recently has been "TRUST." It is such a simple word, but so hard to grasp. May we grow in our trust to Him.

52 verses update

I know that I have been very negligent to post my verses from the 52-verse memory challenge - due to a very busy summer! But, here are the verses that the Lord has allowed me to memorize:

John 10:29-30
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

Proverbs 3:8-9
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

1 Corinthians 2:5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Obedience - When It's Hard

For a moment, picture the following:

There is a mighty king, renowned for his power and victories. Wherever he fights, he comes away victorious, burning the enemy city and carrying away hundreds of captives. This king is now coming against your nation, and you are totally unable to defend yourself. There is only one place to go where you can escape this king’s invasion. Would it not be wise to flee?

The tribe of Judah faced this decision (Jeremiah 42-43). King Nebuchadnezzar was coming to fight against Judah and they were unable to defend themselves. The nation that they thought was the habitation of safety was Egypt. Before taking the journey down to Egypt, however, they came before Jeremiah the prophet and asked him to seek God (Jeremiah 42:1-3). They assured Jeremiah, “Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.” (Jeremiah 42:6)

God gave Judah two options: 1) Stay in the land and be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, or 2) Flee to Egypt for and be overtaken by the sword and famine. God’s will was for the remnant of Judah to stay and be delivered into the hand of Babylon.

The thought process of Judah was understandable. Egypt appeared to be quiet and free from fear, whereas staying in the land and living through King Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion was not an appealing alternative. They were faced with a choice: obey God and stay in the land, or disobey God and flee to Egypt. Which did they choose? They chose Egypt: “for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.” (Jeremiah 43:7) What was the result? Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled,

“And when [King Nebuchadnezzar] cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword. And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. He shall break also the images of Beth-she'mesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.” (Jeremiah 43:11-13)

What can we learn from Judah’s example?

1) Obedience is not simply saying, “I will obey” (like Judah did in Jeremiah 24:6), but in actively obeying.

2) Obedience is not always easy – in fact, to obey might mean to let go of our way of thinking and follow God – even when things do not seem to make sense.

3) There is safety in obeying God. Had Judah obeyed God and stayed in their land, God would have saved them, delivered them, and guided King Nebuchadnezzar to have mercy on them (see Jeremiah 42:11-12).

4) God loves us too much to allow us to continually disobey Him. He will bring correction if we willfully disobey Him (see Jeremiah 46:28).

Sometimes we face tough choices like the tribe of Judah did. Will we take the easy route and disobey God’s commands, or will we follow Him, no matter what the cost?

I have greatly enjoyed sharing "Thoughtful Thursdays" with you each week, but for the time being, I will have to lull my weekly posting. I will still share articles, but not as frequently. :) Thank you for all of your input.

Verse 27 of 52!!

My verse for this week is John 10:28 - I had memorized John 10:27 before, so I will share them both.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."

John 10:27-28

This verse has become very special to me as I've heard many debates on security or insecurity of the believer. I personally believe in the security of the believer because of verses like these. According to this verse, once we are saved, we are bound in the grasp of Jesus' hand - and no man (including ourselves!) can loose us from our heavenly Father's grasp!!!!

Don't . . .

Compromise:

(from Webster’s New World Dictionary)

       ~an adjustment of opposing principles, systems, etc. in which part of each is given up

       ~to surrender or give up

Choices surround us daily. Darts are thrown at us, tempting us. Will we compromise? Will we swerve from our convictions? Will we surrender to the world? Or will we stand firm where God has placed us?

Compromise does not happen suddenly, but gradually by small, daily choices. Choices such as:

“My parents used to say we couldn’t watch this, but I’m probably old enough now.”

Don’t!

“This is a special occasion. I don’t dress like this on a regular basis.”

Don’t!

“Maybe this dress is a tad bit too short . . .”

Don’t!

“Oops! This book has a curse word. Oh well, I’m already half-way through.”

Don’t!

“Just once won’t hurt.”

Don’t!

“What would my friends think if I don’t join them?”

Don’t!

“I just couldn’t tell them ‘no.’”

Don’t!

“I don’t feel very comfortable doing this, but that’s just my personality.”

Don’t!

When we are tempted to make a compromise, our choices lead us to do one of two things: be conformed to the image of the world, or be transformed to the image of Christ (Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.).

As a young girl: stick to the convictions and standards set by your parents. Do not sway from them – even if “everybody else does it this way.” Honor their obedience to God. (see Ephesians 5:1-3)

As a young woman: stick to the convictions and standards that God has placed in your life. Do not second-guess yourself because of what others are doing, but return to God’s Word to see what He says about each issue. (see 1 Corinthians 7:34a)

As a married woman: stick to the convictions and standards that God has led your husband to take. Do not try to persuade him to change, but encourage him to follow what God would have him to do. (see 1 Corinthians 7:34b)

Girls and ladies, let us not be conformed to this world by following the patterns of those around us, but be transformed to our Lord, renewing our minds daily by the Word of God.

Verses 25/26 of 52!!!

The past two weeks, I have completed memorizing Psalm 4, by God's grace!! Here are the final verses:

Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:7-8

A few thoughts I've had about these verses:

   ~It is the Lord that puts true gladness in my heart. Rejoicing over something like the produce from a garden is temporal. The gladness Christ gives is Eternal!

   ~Safety is from the Lord - not man, government, guns, locked doors, etc. All of those will fail, but Jesus Christ never fails! There is security in His protection!!!

"Thou Shalt Not" and Our Thoughts

This was another article that I wrote for Rubies Like Ruth's study on thought-life.

~*~*~

Have you ever applied the Ten Commandments directly to your thought-life? I have not . . . until the study on our thought-life set me to thinking.

1 - Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

2 - Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. (Exodus 20:4)

What is foremost in our thoughts? Are our thoughts focused on God and pleasing Him? If not, what keeps our thoughts away from God? These thoughts could be “gods” or “idols” (graven images) that come between us and God.

3 - Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

Many of us would never dare let a curse word out of our mouth (note: most curse words are derivatives of God’s Holy Name) but what about in our thoughts? Do we keep our thoughts pure from using ugly words?

4 - Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)

While listening to the sermon, do we let our thoughts wander? Do we go to church to learn of God, or simply use that “wasted” time to daydream? When we are home on Sunday, do we keep our thoughts pure, or on this “day off”, do we take a day off of guarding our thoughts?

5 - Honour thy father and thy mother. (Exodus 20:12)

It is easy to smile and act obedient to our parents, but what about our thoughts? Do we boil and rebel inside? Do we tear down our parents in our minds? Do we compare them to others’ parents? Do we grumble about our parents in our thoughts? Honor does not come from without, but from within.

6 - Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13)

While we may not physically commit murder, remember that 1 John 3:15 says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.” Are our thoughts full of love for others? Or do we mentally “kill” our family and friends?

7 - Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28 – note: this can apply to women lusting after men as well). Do we look at others with pure eyes? Or do we look to supply our minds with food for thought? Do we lust after (long for) young men and thereby commit adultery?

8 - Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

Is it possible that when we think prideful thoughts, we are stealing glory from God? Do we steal time from God when we allow our thoughts to wander idly about instead of using them for His honor and glory?

9 - Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:16)

Do we contrive ways to damage others’ reputation? Do we always “speak the truth” in our hearts about others, or do we allow our injured feelings to shade the truth in order to justify ourselves?

10 - Thou shalt not covet. (Exodus 20:17)

Do we greedily long for something that someone else has? Do we spend our time wishing or dreaming for things that are not?

As we view our thoughts in light of the Ten Commandments perhaps there are a few things to consider.

     - Where do I fail in obeying God’s Ten Commandments?

     - Where have I disobeyed and need to ask God’s forgiveness?

     - How can I change my thoughts to be more Christ-like?

Perhaps we do not think that we are in trouble of falling, but remember, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21-23 – emphasis added) The quote, “Our actions follow our thoughts,” is very true according to God’s Word. A person does not become a murderer overnight neither does one become a thief overnight. It begins within, when we fail to keep our thoughts in line with God’s laws.

It is so important to judge our thoughts in light of the Ten Commandments because, one day, God will judge us not only for our actions, but also for our thoughts.

Food For Daily Living - Conclusion

Originally shared with Ladies in Waiting magazine and Rubies Like Ruth

Conclusion

Have you “eaten” recently? Has God’s Word been your daily nourishment?

 “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Job 23:12

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

Today, have you . . .
   ~Read God's Word?
   ~Meditated on God's Word?
   ~Studied God's Word?
   ~Memorized God's Word?

Verse 24 of 52!!

I continued my memory of Psalm 4 this week with verse 6:

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?
LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Food For Daily Living - Memorize

Originally shared with Ladies in Waiting magazine and Rubies Like Ruth

Memorize

 “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

God promised that if we memorize His Word, He will use it to help us in times of struggling.

 “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” (Psalm 37:31)

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” (Psalm 119:11)

By hiding God’s Word in our hearts, we are providing help for future struggles.

Hiding God’s Word also goes hand-in-hand with meditating on God’s Word. If we memorize a verse, we can often quote it during the day and think upon it.  

Having verses memorized also helps when teaching, witnessing, and sharing with others.  “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

. . . to be continued next week!

Verse 23 of 52!!!

This week, my verse was Psalm 4:5:

"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord."

This verse has really spoken a lot to me in the past few days. 

The first phrase: "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness." When the word "sacrifice" comes up, my mind generally races to the Old Testament times of killing a lamb. However, a sacrifice is giving up - sometimes it could be as simple as giving up my self-perceived rights, giving up my time, or giving up my desires.

The second phrase, "And put your trust in the Lord." Over and over in God's Word the word "trust" appears. Where am I placing my trust? In things that change? In the vain help of man? Or am I truly placing my trust in Jesus Christ - looking to Him for my Refuge and present help in time of trouble?

Food For Daily Living - Study

Originally shared with Ladies in Waiting magazine and Rubies Like Ruth

Study

 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Lack of study is prevalent in the church today. Many Christians take what they hear and do not go to God’s Word to “rightly divide the word of truth” or to “see whether these things be so” as the Bereans did (Acts 17:10-11). Because of their neglect to study, Christians often believe lies that satan slips into the church.

When confronted with a question about the resurrection, Jesus answered, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) Because of the Sadducees’ accepted belief and lack of studying God’s Word for themselves, they fell into the trap of believing a lie. We can do the same thing today if we take the teachings of man and just assume that they are truth. The result will be erring like the Sadducees. We must study for ourselves to see what truth it.

 . . . to be continued next week!

Verse 22 of 52!

This week, I continued Psalm 4:

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalm 4:4

Food For Daily Living - Meditate

Originally shared with Ladies in Waiting magazine and Rubies Like Ruth

Meditate

 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)

Meditation is a popular religious word today. However, the verse above clearly explains that the key is not simple meditation, but meditation on God’s Law (or the Bible). The original word for meditate is “hagah” or “siyach” which both mean to ponder.

I am sure that you have noticed that there are two ways of reading. One can read by skimming through, possibly losing most of the information they just read, or by reading slowly and pondering what they have just read. The difference is vital when we are considering God’s Word. We can skim through our Bible and put it away without gleaning anything from it or we can meditate on what we read and learn.

Meditating on God’s Word also goes beyond reading time. Many verses mention meditating, “Day and night” or “at night.” As we go through our day, we can think about the words we read and meditate on them.

 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

. . . to be continued next week!

Verses 20/21 of 52!!!

Last week and this week, I continued my memorization of Psalm 4.

Oh ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself; the Lord will heard when I call unto Him. (Psalm 4:2-3)

It is amazing how much the verses minister to me while I am memorizing them - then later, when I am reviewing them. :) It is truly a blessing to memorize God's Word!

Food For Daily Living - Read

Originally shared with Ladies In Waiting magazine and Rubies Like Ruth

Read

“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read:” (Isaiah 34:16a)

We have the greatest privilege to hold in our hands the actual Word of God! In America, we are currently allowed to own a copy of the Bible without fear of someone taking it away from us. Many of us probably have duplicate copies. However, the Bible will do us little good if we leave it on our shelves to pull out only on Sunday (dusting it off). We need to dip into this treasure chest of wealth and relish the riches God has in store for us!

The simplest step to begin with is daily reading God’s Word. A man from Ethiopia started reading Isaiah. The Lord saw his heart and honored his reading by sending Philip to preach to him. The result was that the man accepted Christ as his Savior (see Acts 8:27-39).

When we set aside time to look through God’s Word, God will begin to work in our hearts.  “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

. . . to be continued next week!

Food For Daily Living - Why?

Originally shared with Ladies In Waiting magazine and Rubies Like Ruth

Why do we need Daily Food?

How many times do you forget to eat? Once or twice a day? Three days in a row? That seems like an absurd question. Who would forget to eat?!? Most people eat three meals a day, seven days a week.

 Maybe I should re-word the question: How many times do you forget to feed your spiritual body? Do you “eat” daily or do you “eat” only once or twice a week? That should seem like an absurd question for Christians, but sadly it is not. What happens to our physical body if we go too long without eating? We will starve. The same will happen to our spiritual body if we neglect to give it daily nourishment.

Proverbs 27:7 says: “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” A starving body will take anything – even something that is “bitter.” Likewise a starving Christian will grasp anything they can to keep them going – whether it is Biblical or not. We see the result of this by Christians taking any and everything that they hear. They are “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness.” (Ephesians 4:14)  Because the Christian is not searching the Scriptures, he does not know what is right or what is wrong. He will find “every bitter thing is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7b)

On the contrary to starving their spiritual body, we see the Bereans praised for their daily attention to the Word of God. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11) They did not just take what they heard and run with it. They searched for themselves to see “whether those things were so.”

Other Verses about Daily Food:

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 1 Pet 2:2

I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. Ps 119:131

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Isa 58:2


. . . to be continued next week!

Verse 19 of 52!!

This week, I began memorizing another chapter (which I anticipate finishing, Lord willing!) - Psalm 4. Here is the first verse:

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress, have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."

Psalm 4:1

My verse for this week is James 3:18,

"But the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

Am I a peace-maker?