Always There

God always responds to us when we call out Him. David spoke of this often in the Psalms.

Psalms 145:18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

David not only told us this about God, he also practiced regularly calling out to God. Something in David caused him to know that God was real, and that God was there for him. David knew he needed God.

Psalms 147:1 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

If we will take the time like David did to get to know God, to talk with Him and to call on Him, we can get to that same place. According to David Jacob did this as well.

Psalms 147:19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

Let’s take time to be with our God today, and everyday. He is our El Shaddai, the one that will always provide for us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be praised Your kingdom is filled with Your glory, and we ask for Your kingdom to come to the earth today Lord. Send us Your overwhelming provision. Help us to release any negativity we have toward others, and forgive us our iniquities. Heal our hearts and minds, and deliver us from the evils of this world. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name.

What We Speak

There are times when we all may feel that our lives are too overwhelming. In fact, there may be events or circumstances in our lives that are more challenging than we are equipped to handle. In those moments it is good for us to remember that that does not take our God by surprise. He built this place and He built us. He is well aware of what it takes for us to make it. And He is ever present to assist us to make certain that we do make it.

Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Our God does not rest from watching over us. We can go to bed, wake up, and go through our day knowing that we have God watching over us and keeping us from all evil. We are encouraged to say these things out loud that we might hear them and be comforted.

Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In all this we can take great comfort.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of all praise and Glory. We love You and long for You to send Your kingdom to this earth. We long to do Your will. Send us today overwhelming provision. Forgive us when we err, and help us as we forgive those that have treated us badly. Help them to know You. Heal us and deliver us. 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.

Which Way To Go?

Life is filled with many things vying for our attention. Like many signposts standing up and waving their hands, these things try to get us to look or even travel in their direction. We get the option to choose what we will follow. This really gets at the heart of what takes up and makes up our lives. Jesus spoke about this.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters:

This is challenging for us to hear. For those with great possessions it can be even more challenging for if we regard these treasures, we run the risk of caring more for them than for our God. It is very easy for us to see our jobs, our houses, our bank accounts all as the source of our existence. If we let them be that to us, then we are serving them.

Let’s trust in and serve the living God today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Thank You for this day and Your kingdom. Let Your kingdom reign. Give us Your abundant provision today. Forgive us when we fail You. Heal us and deliver us. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

It’s About Family

We are born into this world the sons and daughters of our mother and father, the source of our earthly creation. This is our family and our heritage at birth. It is good for us to have families. We know this because God tells us it is a blessing.

Psalms 127:1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

It is clear from this psalm that God sees children, sees family, as a blessing to man. We are born into the renewed spiritual world as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, the source of our spiritual recreation. We are of His family and His heritage at our rebirth. It is good for us to be a part of the new family. We know this because God tells us this is a blessing as well.

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.

We can and should be thankful that our God has given us new life. That new life provides provision in the forever, but it also provides for provision here. Our God never fails.

Today let us thank our God for this life.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our only King. Thank You for this life. We want Your kingdom, Your rule and reign, here on this earth today. Give us Your overwhelming provision for this life in this place today. Forgive us when we speak evil of others or do wrong things. Without Your mercy and forgiveness we are nothing. Let the peace of heaven, the justice and truth of heaven, Your very will done there be done here today. Heal us. Guide us. Deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

In The Frey

Today was a challenge for me. We are faced with living and at the same time realizing we are in a battle. But this is not new in th euniverse; new to us. It has always been so.

2 Chronicles 20:14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

We must realize we stand in this world and God stands against our enemies on our behlf.

Prayer
Father, you are King. Send Your kingdom and Your defenders. Give us Your provision. Forgive us our inabilities. Defend us. Defeat our enemies. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

When Changes Come

Our God is big on change. He wants the best for us and knows that best for us is following His path. It is not an egotistical thing on His part; He just created the universe in a certain way and knows how it works. We have the option of being a part of His changing us for the better or not. If we follow His change, we benefit.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

If we do not, then we will be on a path where the benefit of His blessings do not exist. God has created this planet and us in it. He is teaching us something by the journey we are on. He is teaching us that it is His words that have life. It is His words that make life possible. His words create reality, and that reality will be what He says, even to the point of clothing that does not where out.

Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

This is the heritage of every believer. God is in us and we are one with Him. If we will allow Him guide us we can live by the words that proceed from His mouth and have all that He creates.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High King. We ask that You be with us today, bringing Your kingdom to the earth. Your words are true and Your world is vast. We need You. Send us Your abundant provision today God. We live by the words that You speak. Say the words that change our lives. Say the words that bring our wealth that we might use that wealth to save lives. Forgive us when we get the whole thing wrong. Heal us and deliver us. Let the earth around us be the image of heaven. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name. Amen.

There Is The Sunrise

We serve a very personal God. As I write with the predawn dark cloaking my back yard I think on this. When we face challenges we can know that our God rides with us through them and many times carries us through them. He wants to be our friend just as Moses was.

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.

If we are willing to believe in God and trust Him like Abraham we can also be the friend of God. The closeness that God desires is hard to understand at times. Jesus spoke about this closeness.

John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Clearly Jesus wants to be one with us. That is as close as it gets. That means that He is watching out for us. He is leading us (when we let Him) and He will make sure the day dawns and our lives go on. We can live knowing He will not fail us. He never leaves us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of our praise and we love You. Let Your kingdom reign in this earth. Send us provision so great that we cannot contain it. Forgive our transgressions. Help us to recall Your ways and Your commandments. Heal us and deliver us today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

On The Boat

Yesterday we were reading about the story of Noah. While discussing the story we discovered that Noah’s name means comfort. As I thought about the story I tried to relate to the meaning of his name and the story. I would imagine that his children, wife, and the animals took some comfort in the fact that they had a safe place to be in the rain and storm. They would have had little knowledge of all that was going on outside because it would have been so unusual to them.

Genesis 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.
17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

It was difficult for me to make the connection to his name meaning comfort and to what was happening. Then I thought about the beginning of the story. It discusses Noah’s relationship with God. It was that relationship with God that was experienced by those around him. The world was pretty messed up, so being around someone that had that kind of a relationship with the true source of peace would have been comforting for sure.

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

As believers, God wants to be with us and walk with and in us. We can have this type of relationship with God as well and we can be a comfort to those around us. Let’s be that today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. We need Your help and Your kingdom. Send us Your abundant provision today Father. Let us be a comfort because we walk with You. Forgive us when we make mistakes. Help us to be like Jesus. Help us to understand who You are and how You are changing us to be like You. Heal us and deliver us. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) 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.