At times in life we can be challenged to keep up with all the commitments we have. Of late, this seems to be my plight. I have been challenged to try to keep up with everything that is going on around us. For those of you that come here regularly in hopes of being encouraged, my apologies. I will attempt to do better.

Perhaps I should reflect and be thankful for the fact that I remain busy with work to do. This is a good thing. To me, it is much better than being unemployed. This is the state I find myself in, thankful to our God, Yahuah, that He never forgets us. Here is one of my favorite scriptures that says “thank You” to the big guy.

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;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Although I can miss a deadline, God does not. I am very thankful for that.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. thank You. Thank you for Your kingdom, and may it reign upon earth. Send us Your overwhelming provision. We need Your forgiveness and healing for our inner hurts. Deliver us from the evil that would draw us in. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

The Battle Cry

Our fight against the darkness is real, although spiritual. We must be aware of the battle when it is happening. One key I have learned is to try to avoid letting the battle just happen to me. In those instances I tend to feel overwhelmed and can actually give up and give ground to the enemy. There are some basic points to the battle; “rules of engagement” if you will. There are places in the scriptures where it indicates that there is a sound at the beginning of battle.

Job 39:25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

1 Corinthians 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

We see in these two scriptures that there is a sounding, here a trumpet, prior to battle. Interestingly enough many times in scripture we see that praise is also associated with warfare.

Psalms 9:1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Here we see David say that he praises Yahuah (Lord) and that the result appears to be God defeating his enemies. God also is our refuge. God sits on His throne and uses righteous judgement to overcome the evil. Where then is the throne of God?

Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

The word “inhabitest” here literally means “enthroned.” God’s throne is on the praises of His people. When we praise Yahuah (Lord), He comes and sits on those praise. Then He uses righteous judgement to destroy our enemy and the works of the enemy, restoring us and giving us refuge.

Makes you want to sing His praises, doesn’t it?

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as King. You are our God, and we praise Your name Yahuah (Lord). Come sit upon our praises and judge with righteous judgement. Let Your kingdom reign. Send today Your overwhelming provision. We need You and Your forgiveness. Please forgive us. Send Your healing and deliverance today. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Things That Help Us Stay The Course

There is still an almost solid white covering on the ground in the forest as I write this today. In places the architecture of nature pierces the snow, reminding us that it will be ready and waiting when warm weather returns. As I looked at it this morning it reminded me of our lives. We are ever seeking to please God. Mostly we do well, but there are those patches that stick out from time to time that show we are still human, that we still make mistakes, that we still sin. As I thought about this I wanted to think of something that could be helpful to keep us on track. It reminded me of a scripture from Paul.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Here we see Paul telling us that we rejoicing and prayer will bring the peace of God into our hearts and minds. So, one thing that makes sense to do is to praise God and offer up thanksgiving, and don’t hold back. In this we are to use grateful or thankful language. Then Paul offers up a list of things to think about, which he states they have heard and seen, and God will be with us. It appears that hearing and seeing are also important. If we want to have the peace of God in us and God with us, we need to develop a pattern for ourselves that looks like Paul’s description. It could start with reading a scripture, thinking about the good God has done, and praising and thanking Him while making our requests known to him. Our God always responds, and will give us His peace.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High King! We thank You and ask that You let Your kingdom reign here on this earth today, Yahuah (Lord). Send the latter reign now. Let Your overflowing provision come to us today, Yahuah (Lord), that it might overflow to others through us. Smite our enemies that they might not overrun us, and turn them back. Deliver us from that evil. Show us a sign for good that all men would know that You alone have done this, that You alone are God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Beautiful Days

This morning as I thought about times when I needed or received great encouragement, I tried to think how I would categorize such times. I would have to call them beautiful days. As I searched the scriptures it occurred to me that this was a very good name for these days. In those times, it can be easy to see things as lost, like the timber burnt in the fire with nothing but ashes left that are easily blown away by the wind. Our hopes, dreams, and desires can feel like that as well. But that is when God stands up to help us.

Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

God changes the sad times into good times the He, Yehuah (Lord) might be glorified. We have to hold on in these times and remember who He is. He is the one that helps us to follow in His ways.

Psalms 143:7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

When we call out to God to help us walk in His ways, He hears us. We must trust in Him to help us. If we can do that, if we can trust and believe in Him, He will deliver us from all our enemies.

Today, let’s lift up our hands to Him, and trust in His ways. He alone is worthy to be praised!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the One True King. We love You, and we desperately need Your kingdom here on the earth. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. We need Your forgiveness, for we are but human. Please forgive us our transgressions. Keep us from the temptations of this world, and deliver us from the darkness of it. Heal us. We love You. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Comfort In Small Victories

Today was a good day. My wife and I rose very early to go borrow a pick-up truck and trailer from someone in our fellowship to drive two hours to help someone else in the fellowship move. It was a great time as one of the pastors and I got to spend some windshield time together to get to know each other more and share thoughts about scripture. The single mom that we moved was happy to have the help of so many in the group. And for me, it was a chance to stay focused on what God was doing for a full day, without getting caught up in my own “busy-ness” on a day other than the Sabbath. Truly, God was with us today.

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.

There was something about all that transpired today. It was a true blessing to have the time to spend with people that show love toward one another. We were able to share a meal after the move. Just pizza, salad, and matzo ball soup, but it seemed like a banquet when we could all work together hand in hand.

God is good!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. You alone are worthy to be praised and honored. Let Your kingdom be received on the earth as it is in heaven. Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us when we sin and transgress Your commandments. Heal us and deliver us. And bless our fellow believers beyond measure. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Hold Up To Hold On

Today on the Sabbath I was thinking about how magnificent our God really is. As I though of our God, Yahuah, I imagined lifting my arms up to Him like a child reaching up to their father to lift them up and hold them. There will always come times in our walk with God that we wonder at what is going on in life. In those times, our Father is always there to lift us up, as the scriptures indicate.

Psalms 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
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.

He will always care for us. It is just what Fathers do. We love our children and want the best for them. We want to protect them. Our Father in heaven is much more so that way.

Let’s praise His holy name, and lift up our hands to Him today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. You alone are worthy of our praise. Your kingdom is needed here on the earth. Please send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us when we go astray. So many among us need Your touch today. Heal them and deliver them today. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

A Simple Thought For the Day

I started to write my daily post but ran out of time. After some consideration I decided to change what I would do something different. There are a number of Psalms that really help me. It is difficult for me at times to be patient and wait upon God. It can be for a need, something I want to change about me, something I want for someone else, or anything. It seems in those times it is not the subject, but me that is the issue. Here is one of those scriptures.

Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

In this scripture we see that our God is on our side because of who He is and not because of what we do. He forgives us for our transgressions and takes them far away. Truly He is worthy to be praised.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You are our King. We want You kingdom in this earth. Please send now Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us as You have said and remove our sin far from us. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name. Amen.

Feathers Up Close

Today as I was in prayer I was calling out to our God, Yahuah (Lord), to give me wisdom. In this world, in this life, we can become overwhelmed and get off track in so many small ways. By off track I mean to lose focus on God and His ways. The result is we can feel distant from God. I was seeking wisdom about how to create a closer walk with God. Perhaps not many have experienced this desire, but it was as if I wanted to make a permanent change so that I would not get off track. As I prayed, Yahuah gave me a vision of a huge feathered wing first in front of me and then covering me. It reminded me of several scriptures.

Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

This is a well known scripture, and I have read it many times. Today I got more meaning from it. As I read some other passages I was reminded of the Ark of the Covenant. There are wings of angels that cover it. This too is a type of secret place, being in the holy of holies. It was the place of annual sin offering, and it represents what is today our hearts, among other things. We have the blood of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) that covers us when we repent and seek forgiveness. Therefore we are in that secret place under God’s wing. There is another verse that adds to the clarity of this further on.

Psams 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Here we see that because we know His name, Yahuah (Lord), we lift us up. We do not earn the right to be in the secret place. If we give our lives to God, then through that very redemption by the blood of our Messiah, we are there. It makes me thankful to know that my God loves and cares for me, even when I make mistake.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our Mighty King. We need Your kingdom in our lives today. Send us Your promised provision today. We need You so much. Forgive us when we walk astray. Do not hold our transgressions against us. Heal and deliver us. We need Your protection. We need You to stand and defend us from those around us that would kill us and steal from us. We thank You for always being our all in all. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name.

The Wounded Can Fight

In battle the wounded are moved to a place where they can recover and live to fight another day. These are places of great care and safety. On the spiritual battlefield there can be an issue with this approach. Our enemy is spiritual in a physical world. As a result, our enemy can be anywhere. But our weapons are also spiritual. Even when we are wounded from not having done all we should, or doing what we should not, we can still fight.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Not only can we fight, we can win. And when we win, it is our God, Yahuah, that fights for us.

Psalms 18:1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

When we call on our God and His name, Yahuah (Lord), He hears us and saves us from our enemies. Always. Today if there is trouble, for us or others, let us call upon Yahuah (the Lord) and He will hear us. He will deliver us fro our enemies today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our Majestic King. You alone are worthy to be praised. We need Your kingdom of unfailing love. Send us today Your overwhelming provision that none should have lack. Forgive us for our walking off Your path into our own ways. Heal us from our battle wounds. Deliver us from the evil one. Keep us in Your way. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Leading The Way

In all of life, there are lessons that can be learned. We see the seasons change and this reminds us of that renewing our God, Yahuah, does in us through His Son, Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah, when we confess our sin, ask for forgiveness and for Him to be our Savior. There are the chickens that I raise that give forth their eggs for our food, and we can see that God cares for them and us. The snow covers the ground and we discover that it protects the life in the soil beneath, again God caring for this earth. There is a plan in place, and that plan was created by the One that is leading us through our lives.

Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

It is God that raises us up. He was from before the beginning. He goes first, He delivers us, and He will be there at the end of it all. He is with us always.

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Our God will lead us, if we let Him, into the promises He has for us. He alone is worthy of our praise and all honor and glory. Let’s reach out our hands to Him today, and praise His name. Let’s ask Him to lead us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our Mighty Deliverer King. We need Your kingdom among us. We need Your love. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. It is You alone that sustains us. Forgive us our presumptuous sin, and deliver us from temptation. We need Your love to be healed and delivered. You are our King, and we love You. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.