Open Arms

There is nothing more heartwarming for me that when one of my kids reaches out to me with open arms looking for a hug from dad. They do this in good times and bad, and I comfort them in both. We are fortunate to have a Father like that in God. Paul spoke of this to the Romans and to the Galatians.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Here Paul says that we receive the Spirit of adoption, and we cry out “Daddy, Father.” He explained it in more detail in his letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Here Paul explains that God gave us the same Spirit that was in Jesus, making us sons with Him. Just as my children reach out to me, we can reach out to God. Just like my children know that this is true no matter how tough things are or how much they may have messed up they can reach out to me, we too can be in tough times and have messed up and still reach out to God. It is a lie of the enemy or our flesh that makes us think He will not receive us if we call out to Him.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Today, if you need comfort, regardless the reason, humble yourself and let the Spirit cry out “Daddy, Father” and open your arms to Him. He will lift you up.

Prayer
Father, We praise and exalt You. We thank You for never turning Your back on Your people. We thank You for always being there, waiting with open arms, to receive us and lift us up. Please keep us under the shadow of Your wing today. Please send today the healing, the deliverance, and the provision we need in a powerful and strong way. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

My mother was constantly doing things in the kitchen and around the house when I was growing up. She would make me a cup of tea and one for herself. I would be sitting at the kitchen table looking out the window and she would come sit down. One of her favorite sayings was, “All in due time. All in due time.” I would ask her what she was talking about and she would just smile and say she had a lot on her mind. These days, being older, I understand more of what she was saying. And now I also know it applies to our lives in God as believers.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Peter was talking to leaders and people in general about how we interact as believers. The word exalt here has many meanings. Of course it can mean an elevated position amongst our peers. However, it can also mean being in a better state, whether that be health, deliverance, and even prosperity. God will always watch over us. Today, on the Sabbath, it is good to stop and reflect on God and His provision for us. And as to when He will do this… all in due time.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. We thank You for all You have done and will do for us. Help us to be patient and forgive us when we are not. Help us to learn to spend time with You. Please send us today Your healing, deliverance, and provision in abundance. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Talking Things Over

There are many decisions and choices and questions in life. Trying to sort it all out can be overwhelming. For me, I know that there are times when I just cannot seem to figure out what’s next. It is good to know in those times that we do not have to do this by ourselves.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

We can ask God for wisdom and He will not hold back. That is just who He is. He wants us to know what to do of the many things there are to do. He wants us to spend time with Him. God has always provided wisdom.

Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

God is always available to us. Perhaps the best way to do things is to ask even when things seem obvious. God wants to be a part of our lives. He loves us and just likes talking things over so we can know what to do next.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are the Most High King, and a very smart Adviser. Please help us when we rush about to slow down and seek Your face. Help us to remember to ask for Your wisdom. Forgive us when we run off and do something other than what we should be doing. Help us to follow Your ways. Please send today healing, deliverance, and abundant prosperity that men might know that You alone are doing these things and that You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

At All Times

Sometimes it is difficult for me to capture in words my thanks toward God. There really is so much to be thankful for these days that I can struggle with saying it. One thing that does show up for me when I want to thank God is knowing that I am not alone in this, that those that went before us have felt this very same feeling. When I need words to say more than just a thank you, I look to the scriptures.

Psalms 16:5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

David wrote this song. Certainly he faced more challenges than I have because he was a king. He ruled a country, fought in battles, and wrote songs to God. His responsibilities were far more than mine. But the description of how he feels about all that God is doing for him reminds me of what God does for us all. David blessed God for His counsel, even as God watched over him at night. There truly is joy in God’s presence, and we can experience that joy in part when we pray and thank God for His victories in our lives.

Prayer
Father, we exalt and honor You as the Most High. You alone are our strength and shield, the One that defends us at all times. Thank you. Thank You for being the One that gives us mercy and truth and grace. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Thank You for watching over our families and friends. Thank You for sending us deliverance, healing, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Who Stands With Us

When we believers are involved in spiritual warfare (which can be as simple as living our lives) we have God on our side. For the most part I think we all know that and try to believe that. But we battle an unseen enemy that produces real results in our lives that are not good. Things first happen in the spiritual and they then become a part of our physical reality. This is stated many times in the scriptures and most of us try to believe in this. However, there is something about spiritual warfare that I did not think about until this morning.

The spiritual world can see the rest of the spiritual world even though we cannot. The devil can see God and God can see everything. The same is true for angels and evil spirits. All forms of spiritual beings can see each other and us. This stood out to me when I read a psalm today, and I imagined what that must look like. Try to imagine what you are about to read is available to be seen in the spiritual world by all spiritual beings, and that for just a moment you can see this too.

Psalms 97:1The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
2Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
3A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
4His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
5The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

Imagine being our enemies, the dark spiritual forces. They are doing something to harm us. We cry out to God, singing of His power and might. Dark clouds appear on the horizon. The dark forces begin to get nervous and tremble because they know what this means. Suddenly in front of the dark clouds appears a large ball of fire! It is coming directly at the dark spirits, and is followed by an array of lightning bolts. They try to flee, but some are struck and fall. Finally the clouds are here, God is seated on His throne in the midst of the cloud, listening to us sing praises, and the enemies are gone.

This is what I imaging the enemy sees when we sing praises to our God. Sort of makes you want to sing a praise song right now, doesn’t it?

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. Come in Your dark clouds with fire and lightning. Forgive us our iniquities, and destroy and scatter our enemies. Let righteous rule. Send us Your reign, and deliver us today. Send You healing and provision. Show Yourself the Mighty King! We praise and thank You. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

The Need For Change

We have a most amazing God. Clearly He does not need us to do what He wants to do for He is the all powerful Creator of the universe. But for some reason He has chosen to use men. For me, this is really something because, we are frail human beings. It is easy for us to allow things like emotion to get in the way of following after God and doing things His way. At least for me this is true. Like Paul, we want to do the right things but do not always do them, being human.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Yet God somehow in His infinite wisdom found a way to help us always correct the course we are traveling. David, one of the great people of the bible, found himself doing things he should not do. How did David respond? Like Paul, it saddened him. But he would cry out to God, often in song, to create a change in himself that he David struggled changing.

Psalms 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

David acknowledged his wrong doings. He asked God to forgive him his transgressions. This was before our Messiah had died for our sins on the cross, yet David knew that in God’s heart, God longs to help us be better. God is a forgiving God. David knew that if He cried out to God, confessed his sin, and asked for forgiveness, God would restore him. Not because of who we are, but because of who God is. That is enough to bring tears to the eyes.

Today, let us call out to God to help make us a better people because of who He is, and let Him use the change to cause people to seek after God and His ways.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the One True God, our King. We ask today that You forgive us our transgressions like You have done for David, and Paul, and countless others. Blot those out and don’t remember us that way. Create in us a clean heart and renew Your Spirit within us. Do not cast us from Your presence, but draw us closer and cleanse us by the blood of Your Son Jesus. Give us mercy and grace. Send us the deliverance, healing, and provision we need today, and let us show others Your ways that they might be moved to seek Your face. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Cleaning Up

Yesterday was a warm sunny day. The snow came so quickly last fall that we did not have time to get all of the leaves picked up. My wife and I worked at that all afternoon, and it was fun. It was fun because we got some exercise, we did it together, and there was a really big difference in how it looked when we were done. Thinking about it now I feel that way about spending time with God many times. I can start off distracted or in a bad place and most often when I am done praying or singing, His presence gives me a peace. David wrote about this often.

Psalms 68:24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

I cannot imagine anything more intense that headed to battle. Yet David would sing. God would show up. The enemies were scattered. Life was better. Obviously different than cleaning up leaves, but I guess the point is, it is life. Everyday we have to live the one we have, and everyday take time with God, letting Him win our battles. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High. Thank You for being with us in life. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. We ask today that You forgive us for our messes. We ask today that You send Your deliverance, Your healing, and Your provision in mighty ways. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Beyond The Blessings

As believers it can be a really great experience for some amazing thing to happen at the most amazing time. Someone was sick and after prayer they are better. A family opens the door to a front porch full of groceries after praying because thy had none. We can all remember both small and great blessings that have either happened to us or someone we know. These are great things. For me it makes me want to sing and pray and call out to God because although humans are involved we can see Him moving in it. We can see His power. This morning as the sun pours in through the forest and window, I read a psalm that reminded me of something more about these events.

Psalms 20:1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

As I read this psalm I not only thought of the song I have heard that use the last few verses, but of something in verses 1 and 7. It says God’s name defends us, and then it says we will remember the name of our God. I looked the word up in the Hebrew for the word “name” and found some interesting points. I am not a Hebrew scholar, but there seems to be a lot in this word. It also means position. Here the psalmist is also referring to the position of God, I believe, as Creator and King, the all powerful One. So when we say in the name of Jesus (Yeshua), we are invoking His Kingship! To me, it helped me to understand who we are in Him.

The One True King is on our side!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You are our King. Please forgive us when we mess things up here. We ask that You would deliver us and heal us and send us Your provision today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

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.

Making Our Way

We are not alone. Growing up I often heard this said about life in other parts of the universe but no, that is not a UFO reference. I am speaking of the One that created all things, our God. Some say that God created the world and then just stood back, taking a hands off approach. But this is not what the scriptures tell us. Quite the opposite. God is forever active in our lives at all times. The psalmists spoke about this often, crying out to God. They expected God to hear and to act.

Psalms 59:1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
4They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
5Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

David acknowledged that he was not perfect and did wrong things in his life in verse 3, but that the evil in the world did not attack him for that reason. The evil attacked because they thought that there was no God.

Psalms 59:6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

We must ask ourselves why would David cry out to God? From early in his life he knew God was with him. God helped David defend the sheep when he watched over the flocks, helped him defeat Goliath, and he knew God was always there for him. God did not do this because David was perfect, but because God was God. It is His desire to deliver his people, and David knew and trusted in God being that loving and merciful One that watches over us. He knew he could call and God would answer. It is the reason he chose to sing, knowing God would show up to defend His people.

Psalms 59:8 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

Often we may think that bad things happen to us because we are not worthy of the good. We are not worthy, but that is not why God defends us. God defends us because He is God. He alone is worthy. He will bring His kingdom forth in the world. And He will always come to the defense of His people when they cry out.

Today, if you are facing what seems to be evil, cry out to God, and sing to Him for His defense and His mercy. We are not alone, and God will show up for You in His mercy to defend you because He is God. That is what He does. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High God. You alone are worthy to receive praise and glory and honor. There is evil in this world Father, and it is after Your people. Come to our defense. Forgive us our wrongs, and do not hold those against us. Do not slay our enemies, but scatter them so that all men might know that You alone are God. Please send us today Your healing, Your deliverance, and Your provision in a visible and powerful way that men may know that we are not alone, that You are our King, and that You alone are God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.