First Things First

It can be a challenge getting our priorities straight. Whether we are single or have families there can be many distractions. There is the place where we live, our transportation, what we eat, what we wear… all of these things can consume our thinking time. And we do need to consider these things in life at times. However, we also need to consider the most important thing in our life, our relationship with God. This should be our first thought, but if you are like me, it is so easy to wake up with my head already full of thoughts. The scriptures give us valuable direction about this.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This was Jesus talking. He told us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. For me the key word here is seek. It is active. It means we have to do something. If we allow our mind to do what it will do, then it takes over and everything else will try to come first. But Jesus is telling us to take an active role and to go after God.

It can be a challenge, but certainly God is worth the effort, right? Let’s pray for each other that we take on this active role and seek God first.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You alone are our King. Help us to take control of our thinking and put You first. You alone are worthy of our first efforts every day. Please forgive us when we get caught up in everything else. Please send us Your grace and Your mercy that we might seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness above all else. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Time With A Friend

Have you ever spent time with a friend and it turned into a memory that you think of and smile? It may have been in childhood or possibly just last week. If we stop and think about our life, it really is about memories of times spent doing something, and it is better to think of the good times. In fact these memories often get us through the tougher times. The memories with friends are like that. This morning that reminded me that we believers have a good Friend.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

As I studied these scriptures this morning I came to a better understanding of what was meant. James was talking about the importance of what we do with our faith. They are tied together.

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?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

James acknowledged that Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God when God told him he would have heirs more than the stars in heaven.

Genesis 15:5 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.

Friends know each others ways. They know how they will act. A true friend can be trusted. When Abraham acted on his faith, ready to offer up Issac, he became God’s Friend. That is a part of what life is about for us as believers. God wants us to know His ways and be His friend. We are saved by faith, but we are being trained to trust God like Abraham. God wants to be our Friend, too. And God is there helping us to make it, to cheer us on, at all times. He believes in us!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High King. Please forgive us when we struggle to trust You and walk in Your ways. We ask today that You guide us. Please send today the strength we need to be Your people. Please send today Your healing, deliverance, and provision. Please show Yourself strong on our behalf today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Taken Under His Wing

Growing up I often heard the phrase about someone with more knowledge and ability taking someone under their wing to train them. Most often I heard it in a work setting or a sports team setting. It was like someone being someone’s coach to help them reach their full potential. It always was seen as a positive event, but I wondered often where the phrase originated. It seems it may come from scriptures.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Jesus spoke of this when He was calling out to Israel to be under His guidance and protection. He was not the first to use this concept. David did the same several times in the psalms he wrote.

Psalms 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Here David is praising God for His provision and protection. On the sabbath, it is good to reflect on how our God watches over us. When we spend time with Him, He spends time with us. That is really what relationship is about. Our God set apart the sabbath for a time for us all to spend time together with Him. When we do, we can experience what David experienced. We too can lift our hands to God in praise, knowing that He is our provider and protector.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You, the Most High. Thank You for being our provider and protector. Restore us unto You. Keep us in Your ways. Light for us Your path that we may not walk contrary to Your ways. Let us rejoice in knowing that those that oppose us You protect us from and destroy our enemies. Send us today Your healing, deliverance, and provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name.

Set Apart

Our God has established His ways in His creation. What God has ordained to happen will happen. This includes the blessing He has for us His people. God has established praise and worship to be instruments for our freedom. The psalmist talks about how certain days are set apart.

Psalms 81:1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Here we see that there is a time to blow the trumpet, and that there is an appointed feast day. He also talks about how God delivered them from slave labor in Egypt. Mixed in the midst of it all is praise.

Psalms 126:2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

God always returns His people to Himself. We are all headed toward God’s rest one day. In the mean timme, we have the sabbath and more in God’s ways to keep us to the end.

Prayer
Father, we exalt and praise You. Thank You for Your sabbath. Thank You for Your appointed feast days. We seek Your face and want to walk in Your ways. Please teach us to do this. Please send Your healing, Your deliverance, and Your provision today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

God Hears Us

God has set in His creation, this earth, certain patterns which will happen. He is the Ruler and King. He has set for us a time of rest. And He is our defense against those that would oppress the poor and fatherless. He is a strong defense.

Psalms 10:12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Our God does hear us. He asks that we call out to Him. It is a part of the patterns He has set in this earth. Just like He has set up His sabbath for His people. He has set Himself up to be our Defender and our King.

Call out to Him today, and watch as He upholds His people.

Prayer
Father, We praise and exalt You as the Defender King. You alone are the One that we worship. To You alone do we offer the sacrifice of praise. Rise up Father, and defend Your people. Forgive us our failures, and help us follow Your ways and patterns. Please send us today Your deliverance, Your healing, and Your provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Look For The Moment

God has a way of showing us what He wants us to see and do. It is built in to the many patterns He has placed in the earth for us to follow. The sabbath is one of those patterns. The sabbath is a day when He originally knelt down to be with His creation, with us. It is a foreshadowing of a time to come about which we only know in part. But we can trust God to show us His ways, if we look for those moments, those patterns, those signs that reveal who He is and what He wants us to do. The psalmists wrote of this many times.

Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Here God says He will instruct and teach in the way we should go. THen, in a repetitive pattern, He tells us He will do it by guiding us with things we can see. In the Hebrew the word eye can mean a literal eye or something that stands out when you see it. In this verse it likely means the latter. The things we can see include the patterns of God, established from the beginning.

Today, as you rest, look for the patterns and let God teach you His ways.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Reveal to us Your patterns for life. Show us what You have for us to do. Help us be willing to see what You are trying to show us. Please send today the healing, deliverance, and provision we need. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Presumption

As I spend another sabbath with my family and with God I think about the nature of who we are and what we do. My wife was sining a song that comes in part from a psalm.

Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

In thinking about the song I decided to look up the scripture. I found the verse just before this one.

Psalms 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Here the psalmist is asking God to keep him from presumptuous sin. As I studied this out, the word in the Hebrew for presumptuous means arrogant. I would not have thought that that was the meaning. But the more I considered what was being said, it made sense. When we suffer from arrogance, it actually takes hold or has dominion over us. And it is like putting us up as God or more important than God. I can see why the psalmist calls this one out. We need help to win over our flesh.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. thank you for all Your help in deliverance from ourselves. We ask that You for give us and keep us in Your way. Please send to us today what we need in healing, deliverance, and provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Remembering

The sabbath is a good day for remembering. God created it for us to rest, and that is good. Perhaps a part of that rest is meant to be in reflection on who we are honestly, as well as directly with God. Growing up somehow I managed to end up with low self esteem. For those who understand this position or may have felt it, you can understand what I am saying here. It caused me for many years to approach God with shame and a sense of unworthiness. I am not saying that on our own we are worthy, but at some point in our relationship with God we have to rightly understand that once we take on the forgiveness of sin in our new life through the Messiah, God does not see us that way. As a loving Father all He sees is Jesus. So how should we honestly reflect on who we are in God. There are many scriptures that speak to this, but I found one in particular to share.

Psalms 119:TAU.
169 Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.
170 Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.
171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
173 Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.
174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Psalms 119 is very long, and there is much said and implied. These are the ending verses. Over and over again the psalmist cries out to God and acknowledging God for who He is and how much we need Him. The very last verse sums up what I am trying to say. Although the psalmist has remembered the commandments, he also acknowledges that he has made mistakes. We will not be perfect while here on the earth, but we can remember God and His commandments and do our best to follow His ways. When we fall short, we just need to cry out to our Father for help. He is always there to help, to pick us up and dust us off, and to cheer us on!

Prayer
Father, we praise You as the Most High. Thank You for the sabbath when we can spend time with You. Thank You for the sabbath when we can reflect on our lives and how we might do better. Thank You for making up the difference. We ask that You give to us Your healing, deliverance, and Your provision today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Remembering The Sabbath

Our God asks us to remember the sabbath. Last night at fellowship I heard yet more reasons why that is. I have heard people say that the sabbath is for rest, which is true. However, that doesn’t mean sleep all day. It means to rest with God. Keeping the sabbath means to spend time with God because we believe in Him and trust Him.

Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

We see here that the children of Israel in the wilderness did not enter into God’s rest. Notice it says “my rest”, meaning in part that God is there and we can get there. It is also important to note that they did not know His ways and their heart was in a bad place. Paul spoke about this many times in his letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It takes faith to rest with God on the sabbath. We must believe in Him and believe that He takes care of us. After all, we have to give up what we think is important in our life on that day and look to Him for what He has in store. That does not only take faith, it frequently takes patience.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You alone are King. Please let us spend today with You. Please show us Your ways. We ask that You give to us today, the blessings we need to survive today. We need You. Please send us Your healing today Father, and your provision and deliverance. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Being On Track

It is our custom on Saturday morning for me to get up and make pancakes for the family. It started with my daughter getting up early to watch cartoons and my wife sleeping in and I wanted to make a surprise. Now it has become this fun thing we all look forward to for Saturday morning. Today we are having chocolate chip pancakes – yum! This story is really not about pancakes, however.

This story is about finding the good, and repetively doing it. In this case, it is pancakes and family fellowship. But there is more to the story. This morning I became frustrated trying to find the right cooking utensils. Probably none of the readers here have had this experience, but I actually started banging the utensils around to try to find what I needed. Finally my wife came down and rescued me from myself. And she had some songs and scriptures to share with me that God had shared with her. The songs were, “Not By Might” and “Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart”. The scripture was in Ephesians.

Ephesians:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We are called to repeat the good things of God. Like the sabbath rest, times of love with friends and family, and seeking Him daily. It is important that we do not do the works of darkness but rather call them out for what they are. Even when they are done by us.

Even if we cannot find our kitchen utensils…

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the most High God. Please help us to do those things You would have us do. Please help us to be Your light to the world, to our family, and to our friends. Forgive us when we mess that up. Please send abundantly today the healing, the deliverance, and the provision we need. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.