The Work Of His Hands

Reading the Psalms today I was both very encouraged and in awe. Our God is a very just and true God unlike the things we held dear in the past. When we place importance on something, it begins to catch our attention. If we let it go long enough, it captures our heart. But we want our God to be the most important thing in our life, for He watches over us.

Psalms 111:1 Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.

God watches out for His people. He is very aware of His promises to us, and executes judgements in the earth on our behalf

Psalms 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Jesus (Yeshua) told us to take care about what we hold as important, that it will be our treasure.

Luke 12:13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

God is our inheritance, and we are His. He will provide for every need we have. He will be our defender. But He wants us to know Him and trust Him in that way. He wants us to be rich toward Him, and He will give us what we need every day.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God, and our King. Be forever toward us our Ruler and Provider. Let Your kingdom be with us. Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us when we fall. Pick us up. Let Your judgements rain upon the earth. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name. Amen.

More Than We Expect

Our God is in the business of doing great things. When we have needs, He meets them. Often, He does more than we expect. That is who He is as our Father. It can be difficult for us to understand this because we think in human terms. He is not so restricted. He is the Creator of all things. He gives us abundantly the good things He has. And He alone defends us.

1 Chronicles 14:13 And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.
14 Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
15 And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.

David called our to God in His need, and God delivered Him. God provides for His people that they may rejoice in Him.

1 Chronicles 16:7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.
8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

If we remember to call out to God, and then praise Him for victory, we will live in the presence and shadow of the Most High.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be praised. Let Your kingdom be established among us. Give us overwhelming abundance that we might bless others. Forgive us when we fail You. Raise us up and teach us Your ways from within our hearts. Heal us and deliver us. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Beyond Belief

We are called as believers to a very different life. This calling has its challenges. We have been trained throughout most of our lives that the things we see around us are more real that what we believe. We are taught in fact that these things are the true reality. But we know differently. We believe that God is the source of all things. That is what the name “I Am That I Am” means.

Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Because He is this source, there has always been power in Him and in His name. This can be seen when Jesus spoke as well.

John 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

But we need to act on our beliefs in Him and in His words to us.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

We can know that we serve the living true God. We can know that He will get us through, even when we are struggling to do the right thing and do the wrong thing. If we will do all we can to move toward the goal of doing His will and His words, He will make up the difference and teach us His ways.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High King. We need Your kingdom; please send it today. Give us overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sin. Heal us. Deliver us. Help us learn to walk our what we believe. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

When We Believe

When we read about Abram (Abraham) in the bible there is an interesting aspect of his life that can be overlooked. God came to him and told him to pack up and move. When God told him this, God also told him that he would become a great nation. God told him that many would bless him and that those that blessed him He, God, would bless. At age 75, Abram pulled up camp and moved. In my memory I had thought that this was when he believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. But that is not correct. It was not until Abram was much older and God had repeated this promise to him for years that a special moment occurred.

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

It was this third time that God told Abram that He would bless him with children that Abram believed and it was counted to him for righteousness. It sounds as if Abram was really down about not having the promised child yet. When he was in that desperate moment and God made the promise again, Abram was lamenting to God with what sounds like a heavy heart. God did not reject Abram for it but continued to talk with him. When Abram believed one more time, that is when it was counted to him for righteousness.

Today, if you are facing a challenge, believe one more time. God is on our side and He alone can and will rescue you.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be honored by our praises. Let Your kingdom reign here today. Send us Your overwhelming abundant provision to overflowing that we might bless others. Forgive us when we fall and help us to forgive us that wrong us. Heal us and deliver us. Rise up to our rescue. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Our Charge

Sometimes the place we live can become very familiar. It can become expected or ordinary to us, even if there are many great experiences where we are. As believers we can become so used to this planet that we think this is the norm or that we belong here. But the scriptures tell us something different.

Psalms 119:17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

If we stop to think about where we are and focus on our surroundings we can begin to see earth as a temporary place for us. If it is temporary place for us, then we need to rely on a source for provision. If we are temporarily here, then we can think of this as a place we were invited to visit and care for with a sense of shared responsibility. We share that responsibility with our God who provides for the possibility of us living here. And because the property belongs to the King, we will see all of His amazing possessions and the wonders of His kingdom.

Today as we rest on the Sabbath, let us try to see ourselves as honored and invited guests here.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are the Owner of the universe. You are its King. We want Your kingdom in the earth. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive our mistakes. Heal us and deliver us. Let us help You with Your eath and Your kingdom. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

When All Else Fails

This morning as I looked at the wet fall garden with the painted trees as a back drop I thought about how we walk through life. We pray for direction and God provides that direction. When He responds may not always fit our desired time line. For some believers, like myself, it can be hard to wait. We are the kind of people that want to be moving forward. The thing is, what I realized in writing this, we are moving forward. When we ask God something (assuming we ask according to His will) then He immediately responds. That means He sets in motion what it takes to get to that answer.

1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

John said that if we keep God’s commandments and do things pleasiing in His sight, we will receive whatever we ask of Him. This is a substantial promise, and can be difficult for us to comprehend. But it is not the only promise.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Here John explains that what we ask need be according to God’s will. How will we know His will? If we look at the earlier verses, His will must involve His commandments. One thing we also know is that His commandments, the Torah (the Law), are also now the perfect law of liberty. Why can we say that? Because Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us. So we have a Law that is absolute, contains blessings and curses, and works absolutely; and we have been redeemed from the curses! How perfect is that?!

When all else fails and after we have prayed, we have to trust God that He is doing what He said He would do. We need to rest in His peace, knowing that He is on our side.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy. We need Your kingdom and Your help. Send us Your abundant provision. Let provision rain like the manna and quail of old. Let it overflow our vats that we might bless those around us. Forgive us when we make our mistakes. Guide us always to and on Your paths. This is Your will and Your kingdom, and we are citizens. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Help For Us

Today as I was thinking about writing it occurred to me that we need help. We are imperfect beings serving a perfect God. How can we do that? There is a desire in us all to be right, and to do right, if we are believers. This is a good thing, I would suppose. But the truth is we cannot get it right all of the time. So, that seems to leave us in a dilemma. What are we to do? Scriptures give us some thoughts on this point.

Psalms 105:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

If we will but praise our God, then we can know that we shall be saved. For we will not be prefect until He returns. But at His returning shall all His people be restored. We shall all be made perfectly in His image. Until them we are to cry out to Him and praise His holy name. He alone is worthy to be praised. He alone is our help in troubled times outwardly and inwardly. To God be the glory!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our God. You alone have a kingdom that is worth living in today and forever. Send us Your kingdom todsay. Help us in our weakness. Give us your abundant provision today. Restore us when we fall, granting us Your forgiveness. Be our king, letting Your will be in this earth as it is with You today. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Too Many Struggles

As I look into the forest out my window today I see the flowers in bloom with the leaves starting to change. It reminds me of a blend of the seasons as we transition to fall from summer, with another Midwest winter just around the corner. Somehow that reminds me of the world we are in today. I wonder at all of the struggles in the world today. So many people trying to get advantage over one another, or even hating one another for their beliefs. This is not the way our Father in heaven meant for it to be. We are meant to live in peace.

Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

This is the perfect picture of where we are meant to be. Yet we are not. On this day of rest, it makes me ponder, how long? How long will it be before we can all live together in unity? Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High God. We need Your kingdom in the earth. We are saddened that there is so little peace today. Why must there be cruelty in Your creation? Please send Your abundant provision today. Please forgive us, and forgive those that do us evil. Turn them, Father. Turn them to You. Help us all to be more like You. Send grace and peace. Send Your healing to the hearts, minds, and bodies of Your people. Deliver us from wicked men. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

A Long Way

God gives us eternal life when we ask. Today as I was thinking about that, it seemed like a really long time. That may sound silly, but when I think of forever, I cannot quite grasp what that will mean. For me, I tend to live life toward a goal, or a variety of goals, all of which have an end point. What will we live eternity for – since there is no end? What will be the reason? I think I may have a suggestion.

Psalms 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

It would appear that the goal is to be at rest with God. How many adventures will there be hanging out with Him? We will be able to travel the universe, take care of the earth, and in general be with God physically. Now that will be amazing! Who would want that to end?!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. You alone are worthy to be praised. You will be with us forever. Let us taste of Your kingdom today Father. Send Your kingdom today. We need You. Send us overwhelming provision today. Forgive us. Heal and deliver us. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Peace On The Sabbath

We have been given so many gifts from our Father. One of the great ones is this very day, the Sabbath. When we keep the Sabbath, it reminds us of the time of peace to come. Depending on whose calendar we follow, this is year 6000. We are coming up on some very interesting times in the fall festivals of Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Schemini Atzeret. God set these days up for us forever as a sign and a celebration.

Leviticus 23:23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
26 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God.
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
33 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.
35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
37 These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
38 Beside the sabbaths of the Lord, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the Lord.
39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.
41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.

It can be shown through scripture that Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is when Jesus was born. Today, rest and know that our Lord is coming again for us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt you. You alone are our God. Send us Your kingdom. Give us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us when we fall. Send Your healing and deliverance. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.