THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD

 THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD

Ps. 24:1-4 The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him, for he laid the earth’s foundations on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. NLT

We must never forget that we are but stewards of what is the Lord’s. No matter what we may think we own, we have only what the Lord has loaned to us. The earth was here long before we were and will be here long after we die. Our worth is not measured by that which is really not ours to begin with. It is not measured by what God has loaned to us. It is measured by what God has given to us—eternal life. Don’t let Satan convince you otherwise.

The Lord laid the foundation of the earth; it is He who made the seas and oceans as they are. It is He who set the ocean's boundaries and filled the oceans up with habitable life fit for it. It is He who established the ecosystem of the waters so that life can be sustained and multiplied. It is He who made the land, mountains, and all that habitat on it. It is He alone who is worthy to be praised. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord to stand in His holy place? Only those who have pure hands and hearts may approach God.

Our only merit that enables us to draw near to God is the purity of our hearts. Only those who have pure hearts will see God. Those whom Jesus has forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness will see God. Our value lies solely in Christ. It is why we must always strive to keep our hearts pure, why we must diligently seek the Lord daily through staying in fellowship with Him through reading His Word, prayer, and serving Him.

"Thank you, Lord, for giving us pure hearts so that we might see God."

THE EARTH AND ITS PEOPLE BELONG TO GOD

 THE EARTH AND ITS PEOPLE BELONG TO GOD

Ps. 24:1-2 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. NLT

Lest we forget, the earth is the Lord's. We do not own anything, we are but stewards of what God has loaned to us. God has entrusted us with that which He has loaned to use. We need to be careful how we treat God's earth. When we squander and waste earth's resources we are being disrespectful to God.

Not only is the earth the Lord's, the people in it are His as well. Wait a minute; let us think about this for a minute. The Lord declares ownership of the people in the world. Therefore, we should take seriously how we treat people. God cares about all people, whether they care for Him or not. How do you treat people?

We usually have no problem treating well the people we like, but what about the people we don't like or are having problems with? Do we avoid certain people? Do we look down on some people simply because they don't fit into our comfort zone? Do we treat some people worse than we do others? Do we talk down on some people? Do we harbor bad feelings toward others instead of loving them? Do we use others for our advantage? Do we disrespect people by the way we treat them?

It seems to me that since God declares ownership of the earth and all its people that we ought to take seriously our responsibility as stewards of them. Let us see things as God sees them. Let us show our love for God by the way we conduct ourselves in the world. Let us treat others with honor and respect as much as possible and be as good stewards as possible of the earth and its resources. We show our respect for God in the ways that we live.

I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED

 I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED.

Ps. 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. NLT

Once in a Bible study, I led, it took me 6 months to go through this Psalm. So, I will only touch on this verse in our Gems. Two things of great importance for us to ponder on are the facts that the Lord is our SHEPHERD and we have everything we NEED. If you are not well-versed on what a shepherd does, you need to educate yourself because the Lord often uses shepherd to describe who He is to us. A shepherd does a multitude of things for his sheep. The bottom line is that the shepherd is the one who ensures that life can go on for the sheep. He ministers to the sheep’s daily needs, whatever they may be.

Notice that the Lord provides everything we need and not everything we want. We don’t always separate the two terms. Because of our sinful nature, we often think that what we want is really what we need. We struggle to get beyond our selfish desires and lack the insight to comprehend what we need. The Lord takes care of that for us. He knows what we need and makes sure that is what He provides for us. The Lord will never put our wants before our needs.

Thank the Lord today for loving you enough to provide for what you need today and to withhold from you those things you think you may need but don’t. Thank Him for being wiser than you are and understanding what is best for you. Thank Him for not giving you everything you want. Remember, a person who gets everything he wants becomes nothing more than a spoiled brat no one enjoys being around.

“Thank you, Lord, for being my shepherd today and giving me today all that I need in order for me to live and grow in you.”

JESUS UNDERSTANDS YOUR DARKNESS

 JESUS UNDERSTANDS YOUR DARKNESS

Ps. 22:1 My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me? Why do you remain so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help? NLT

If you are honest, you will have to admit that there are times in which you could be the one questioning God about where He is at. Sometimes it seems like God has indeed forsaken us. There are times no matter how hard you try to believe otherwise, God seems to stay away. Prayers seem to go unanswered. You can’t seem to keep on believing and trusting. What do we do when those times come in our lives? Stay the course of faith.

Sometimes faith demands of us blind trust. We continue to believe and trust in God because He is God. We go back to what we know to be true of Him in the light. God is incapable of changing who He is. He is absolute perfection in His love, goodness, and godliness. He is true to himself and His Word, always, no matter how we may feel about it. Our feelings do not change the facts. What we cannot see and understand God knows. God is for us and is working out good in our lives whether we believe it’s so or not. He never leaves us or forsakes us, even when we are in our darkest nights. He never stops caring for us or stops working to bring us closer to Him. He always has our best interests at heart. Always.

Jesus understands exactly how we feel when we go through the dark times of life. He uttered these very words as He suffered on the cross for our sins. He went into the darkest three hours of created history. He was all alone as He faced the full fury of Satan’s wrath. He took away from Satan sin’s ultimate victory, eternal separation from God. Only Jesus could go there to do that. He had to go into that darkness alone because of the holiness of God. He couldn’t feel God’s presence or sense Him at all, for the only time in all of eternity.

So the next time you enter into life’s darkness, remember that the Lord has not forsaken you. He is not far away from you. He is always near to those who call on Him. Do not doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light. Keep on trusting Him. Keep on calling on Him. He will lead you through the darkness into His marvelous light and all will be well once again with your soul.

THOUGHTS MATTER

 THOUGHTS MATTER

Ps. 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. NLT

It is good for us to think this way. What do you say that you know is not pleasing to the Lord? Maybe it’s not so much what you say as to how you say it. Do your words build others up or tear them down? Are you more of an encourager or a discourager? Do you make others feel good about themselves or do your words hurt and damage their self-esteem?

What about your thought life? We are reminded in Philippians 4:8 that we are to take control of our thoughts and dwell upon those things which are good and helpful to us and others. We are to not dwell on those things which are sinful. Thinking ill thoughts about someone is damaging to our souls and they prevent us from having a loving relationship with them. Harboring bad thoughts about someone poisons our souls.

What we think about eventually comes out of us. Our living is affected by our thinking. If our thoughts are worldly thoughts, then we will not live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. How much we let our thoughts be influenced by sin has a direct bearing on our ability to live righteous lives before God.

Never forget that the Lord knows our thoughts. He knows what is behind our words. He knows the heart of man and is not fooled by our words. Sometimes we say things and don’t really mean them. The Lord knows what we mean to say. Good or bad, the Lord knows and will hold us accountable for it.

The only way to make sure that we don’t get caught by our words or thoughts is to make sure we keep our souls right with God. We need regular soul tune-ups. We need to regularly examine ourselves through God’s Word and make sure we are right before Him. We must stay in tune with the Spirit and listen when He speaks to us about sinful thoughts and deeds. We need to agree with Him and confess sin that is revealed to us. If we do these things, then we can be confident that our thoughts and words will please the Lord.

SINNING IS A CHOICE

 SINNING IS A CHOICE

Ps. 19:13 Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. NLT

Is this your constant prayer? It should be. We do sin, it’s a fact of life we can’t deny or escape from it. We can minimize some of our sinnings by not deliberately doing it. We can stop the process before we act on our desires. We can say no to tempting thoughts and deeds. We don’t have to participate in sinful activities. The Lord gives us His Spirit to empower us so that we can resist Satan’s temptations. We have the Word to ward off Satan’s assaults. We have a great cloud of witnesses who have gone on before us and surround us who have not done what we desire to do. We can control our desires to sin if we draw from the resources of God. We deliberately sin because we want to, not because we have to. We do it because we value the momentary pleasure more and give no regard to the eternal consequences.

When we live in victory over willful sinning, we have peace with God. We are not plagued with the guilt and shame of knowing we have sinned against Him. There is no condemnation for those who live in Christ because they desire to do what pleases Him rather than themselves. They do not want to sin because they know how much it hurts Him. They love Him too much to purposely spurn and spite Him by defying His commandments to live righteously before Him.

Do you love the Lord enough today to pray this prayer? “Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.”? May it be so. May it be so.

“Lord, I pray for all who read this devotional today that they will pray this prayer from their heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

LURKING SINS IN THE HEART?

 LURKING SINS IN THE HEART?

Ps. 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden sins! NLT

Do you have any sins lurking in your heart? Before you answer, take a few moments and let the Lord examine it. It doesn't matter what you think about yourself; it matters what God knows about you. In light of God's Word, can you honestly say that there is no sin issues that plague you? Have you confessed and sought forgiveness from the Lord for your sins lately?

In order to know that you have sinned, you need to be knowledgeable about what God calls sin. Are you staying in the Word on a consistent basis so that you can see yourself as God sees you? God talks a lot about our behavior, attitudes, and thought lives. He talks a lot about why we do what we do. We can do what is right before God with the wrong motives and God calls it sin. God talks a lot about our priorities in life and how He must be at the top of the list. He talks about specific things that are sinful that the world does not acknowledge as being sin. He talks a lot about how we treat others.

You may have hidden sins in your heart, things you have said or done that you have not known them to be sinful. Anything that falls short of God's perfection is sin and we fall short of that all the time. Our concern should be that of the Psalmist and we should ask the Lord to cleanse us from those sins. We will never reach soul perfection this side of heaven so we must consistently seek the Lord's forgiveness for sin if we want to stay close to the heart of God.

Now, I know that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, that in Him we are made righteous and holy before God. I know that grace covers all of our sins and we don't have a need to spend every waking moment repenting of our sins. But, it is also true that we have a responsibility to want to live in purity of heart. We must want to make sure that there is no sin lurking in our hearts. And, the only way we can be sure that we are pure in heart is to confess our sins, both that which is known and that which is hidden, to Christ as the Spirit prompts us to pray for them.

It is good for the soul to regularly have a check-up, confess our sins, and keep our hearts pure before God.

GOD'S LAWS ARE TRUE AND FAIR

 GOD'S LAWS ARE TRUE AND FAIR

Ps. 19:9b-11 The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them. NLT

Let's think about this for a moment. The Psalmist is declaring that the laws of the Lord are fair, which would suggest that he personally found them to be so. As we discover all the laws God gave to His people, it would seem to be too much. There were so many of them and many of them required a lot from His people. Yet, the Psalmist is suggesting that none of them are unreasonable and unnecessary. God is not unreasonable or too demanding. It is possible to obey the Lord in all things. It's just a matter of whether or not we have the heart to do it.

It is believed that King David wrote most of the Psalms. Remember, David was caught in the act of adultery and murder. He had personally disobeyed God's laws. He knew the guilt and shame of his behavior. Yet, he was able to declare that God's laws are true, fair, and more desirable than anything else on earth. Our personal behavior doesn't invalidate the truth of God's Word.

The laws of the Lord are more desirable than the finest gold on earth; they are sweeter than the best honey found on earth. Instead of looking at God's Word as cumbersome and restrictive, we need to look at it as a wondrous gift from God. We need to be thankful that God loves us and has given us the way in which we can have fellowship with Him and find our way home to Him. The Word of God is given for our benefit and it is the best thing we will ever find on earth for our souls.

The laws of the Lord are a warning to us. They make it very clear what we must do in order to be found pleasing and acceptable to God and what it is like for us when we aren't. God does not leave us confused about this. There is a huge price to pay when we ignore His Word and choose not to obey Him. We have no one to blame but ourselves when we suffer the consequences of our sins.

There is a great reward for those who choose to obey God. We are rewarded here with joy and peace that can only be found in Christ. We are rewarded with a clear understanding of who we are in Christ. We are rewarded with the knowledge that God is with us and will help us through whatever we face in life. And, the greatest reward of all is that we will be rewarded with eternal life with Him when we die.  

TIME FOR GOD AND HIS WORD

 TIME FOR GOD AND HIS WORD

Ps. 19:9-11 Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to those who hear them; there is a great reward for those who obey them. NLT

Recognizing, knowing, and acknowledging God for who He is, is reverence. He is God alone, the indescribable and incomparable great I AM, ruler of all things, and coming King. Those who revere Him will worship Him forever and ever.

The laws of the Lord are true and fair, for they come from Him. Each one of them serves God’s purposes and are meant to help us know Him on a personal level. God’s Word is more desirable than all the finest gold on earth.

Wait a minute. Let us pause right here for a moment. Do you consider God’s Word more valuable than anything else on earth? Are you pursuing its treasures more than you are the treasures of earth? Think about it. How much time do you spend seeking to know and understand the mind of God as revealed in His Word compared to how much time you spend on other things in life? Obviously, we can’t spend as much time in God’s Word as we do doing those things we need to do to survive in the world. We must spend time on our jobs, with our families, and in other relationships. We must have time to relax and keep things in balance in life. I get it. But, how much time do you spend in God’s Word compared to what you do on the non-essential things of your life? Do you linger in the Word long enough to be fed and learn things you haven’t learned before from God? When was the last time you can say you had an “aha moment” with God, when God revealed something to you that helped you to grow in your knowledge and faith?

It takes time and effort to learn from God. You will never consider it to be more valuable than the riches of earth if you don’t spend adequate time in it. Don’t kid yourself and don’t make excuses. You do have the time. You have the time for whatever your heart desires. If you don’t have the time, you don’t have a healthy relationship with God. Period.

Be warned. God gives us His Word to help us be ready for eternity. When we die, it will be too late. If you aren’t ready it won’t be anyone’s fault but your own. Take the time you need in God’s Word, let its treasures be uncovered for you, and you will be made holy before God, fit for heaven when you die.

LIVING BY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS

 LIVING BY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS

Ps. 19:8 The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear; giving insight to life. NLT

There is nothing wrong with God's commandments. They are perfectly suited for our needs. They help us to live right both with God and man. They are not unreasonable in any way. They are for our good. Those who embrace them discover freedom for their souls. Those who reject them are held in bondage by their sins.

The commandments of the Lord bring joy to the heart. They help us make faith a vital part of our living. They help us keep in good standing with God. There is great joy in knowing that all is well between us and God. Living God's way takes the doubts about our salvation out of the equation.

The commandments of the Lord are clear. God does not leave us in the dark. He wants us to know how to please Him. He wants us to know how not to sin against Him. He wants us to make it to heaven. He gives His commandments to us in terms we can understand so that no one has an excuse for not doing them when they are made known to them.

The commandments of the Lord give insight to life. Wise is he who takes what God says seriously. He who does not strive to live out God's Word will not make it to heaven, nor will life make much sense to him. There is no way but God's way to heaven. Those who obey God know a peace and joy in living that no one else in the world can ever know.

If you want to be right with God, you must live under the authority of His Word. If you want to know joy in your heart, you must live underneath its authority, and if you want understanding about life and how you fit in, you must live underneath its authority.

GOD'S PERFECT WORD

 GOD'S PERFECT WORD

Ps. 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. NLT

There is nothing lacking whatsoever in God’s law. It is perfect for every need we have. It addresses our life issues. It has the authority of God behind it so it is permanent and unalterable. God says exactly what He means and means exactly what He says. If there is confusion as to what it means, guess where the problem lies. What we can't understand we accept by faith because God is the author of it.

No one perfectly understands all of God’s Word. We are not capable of it. However, the more we invest our time and minds into it, the more we are able to understand it. And, we understand things in different ways at different times as our needs change. The truth always remains the same, but its application to life at times varies depending on our needs. No one can have right understanding without the guidance of the Spirit of Christ. As we open our hearts and minds to God, He guides us into the truth. It does not come easily. We must study it, meditate upon it, and endeavor to live it in order for it to make a difference in our living. We must study God’s Word to show ourselves approved unto God. God helps us and revives our souls through His Word, but not without our cooperation.

All that God says is trustworthy and makes the simple wise. You can trust everything that God says. It is absolutely true from beginning to end. God is absolute truth and whatever comes from Him is truth. No matter how simple-minded a person may be, knowing God’s Word and living by it makes him wise. We ignore God’s Word in our lives at our own peril. There can be no peace and joy in living without it.

THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

 THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

Ps. 19:1-4 The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world. NLT

What do they say? What does creation declare about God? The mysteries of creation overwhelm us. Consider the magnitude of creation, its design, its inter-dependency, its variety, its order, its beauty, its functionality, its dependability and all we can do is stand in amazement in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene who made it all and holds it all together. God is seen through His creation and He is everywhere to be seen. There is nowhere on earth that you can go without finding the evidence of God there.

The same things we observe in the heavens were seen in the days of Adam. Think about it. We see in the starry skies at night the same thing all the shepherds and nomads saw throughout Biblical history. We see what the Psalmist saw as he gazed up into the heavenlies and saw the glory of God on display. Do we see the glory of God on display in His creation? If not, why not?

The same laws of nature that were in force when God created all things are in force today and will continue to be in force until the Lord suspends them. The Lord spoke all things into existence and holds them together by the power of His spoken word.

The heavens declare the glory of God, from the rising of the sun to its setting and beyond. God has created all that there is and it is good. Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!

THE SOUL'S LIGHT

 THE SOUL'S LIGHT

Ps. 18:28 LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness. NLT

Without Christ, the soul resides in darkness. This darkness resists the Light. It does everything it can to keep the Light out. It will not entertain the thought that Light exists. It will refuse to consider that the darkness is danger-filled and leads to certain destruction. It will rebel against those who want to bring Light into the darkness. It will squelch the thought that there are consequences for actions committed. It will keep the door shut to the Light with the thought there will always be time to open the door someday. It muddles the truth so that confusion reigns. It causes the soul to believe Satan's lie that there is no absolute truth. This darkness causes the soul to fall over and over again. Chaos prevails in it and people constantly get hurt.

Only God can penetrate the darkness. He alone has the ability to cut through all of the effects darkness has on the soul. The Holy Spirit enters into the darkness and overwhelms the darkness. He sheds light on the darkness so that the soul can see Jesus, the Light. When God comes in, the darkness must leave. He brings to light all the sin and its causes so they can be dealt with. He opens the eyes of the soul so it can clearly see its way to Calvary.

What causes the darkness of the soul? Sin. Every sin is a piece of the darkness and when sin accumulates in the soul, it blocks out the Light. If sin is never dealt with, the darkness becomes so thick and foreboding that the Light cannot penetrate it. It is only when we open the door of our hearts to the Lord that we can see our sins and deal with them. If we don’t, we die spiritually and end up in a godless eternity in hell.

Praise the Lord for not leaving us in the dark! Praise Him for loving us and reaching deep into our darkness to pull us out. Praise Him for stripping away from us all those things which hinder us from enjoying to the fullest the Light. Praise Him for His work amongst us to shed light on our souls! Praise Him for this Light which can never go out! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

STAYING BLAMELESS BEFORE GOD

 STAYING BLAMELESS BEFORE GOD

Ps. 18:20-24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right, he compensated me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles. I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of the innocence of my hands in his sight. NLT

Can you say this from your heart? Can you honestly say that you have kept yourself pure and have diligently lived by God’s Word? Can you say that you are blameless before God and know that it is true? It is not impossible to do so. We can know in our hearts that we are pure before God. The key is diligently living according to God’s Word. We must get into it, meditate on it, and find ways to apply it to our living. When we take seriously what God has to say, we then can stay away from sin and live pure lives. We can look forward to the rewards God has in store for us and we will never have to fear the day in which we stand before Him.

Can’t remember much of what you read? Keep reading! The more you stick with it, the more it will become a part of your thinking and living. Daily feast on God’s Word and your soul will absorb it and it will become a part of you. No matter how much you struggle retaining what you read, you will absorb it if you stick with it.

We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy the rewards of living faithfully before the Lord. There are great spiritual blessings here for those who are living in Christ. He involves himself in our daily lives and meets our every need. We find in Christ grace, peace, joy, love, comfort, purpose, and hope as we walk with Him.

You will never get to really know God apart from His Word.

DETERMINED NOT TO SIN

 DETERMINED NOT TO SIN

Ps. 17:3-6 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing amiss, for I am determined not to sin in what I say. I have followed your commands, which have kept me from going along with cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. NLT

Every time I read this and similar passages, I pause and consider my own willingness to let the Lord examine my thoughts and heart. Whenever we come under the scrutiny of the Lord we are confronted with our sinfulness. Words spoken in haste, things done impulsively, thoughts that linger in our minds, all tend to lead us into sin.

The Psalmist says he came underneath the scrutiny of the Lord and was confident that the Lord did not find anything amiss. How in the world could he say such a thing? He was determined to do all he could to not sin. He took charge of his soul and did what he could to protect it. He refused to hang with people who would lead him astray. He was determined to obey the Lord in all things and not to let his mouth betray him.

At the end of the day when everything was said and done, the Psalmist could say all was well with his soul. Can we say the same thing at the close of our day? Do we dare ask the Lord to examine our thoughts? How dare we do anything but that? There can be no peaceful rest until we know that all is well with our soul.

May our prayer always be for the Lord to help us stay on the path of righteousness. May the desire of our hearts always be to remain steady in our faith, to not waiver in our love, devotion, and obedience to Him.

GOD'S EXAMINATION

 GOD'S EXAMINATION

Ps. 17:3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing amiss, for I am determined not to sin in what I say. NLT

What a testimony! The Lord tested David's thought life and found nothing amiss. I wonder how many of us can say the same thing. No one can see what we think about, but we and God know. We tend to forget the fact that it does matter what we dwell on. Whenever we think about things that are unholy or lead us into sin, we need to take it seriously. We are admonished to dwell on good and righteous things, those things that build up our godliness instead of tearing it down. Are you as confident as David was that when God tests your mind that He finds nothing there amiss?

The Lord examined David's heart at night and found nothing amiss. It is normally at night, when everything is quiet and dark, that Satan comes out and plays in our hearts. It is then that we are exposed to his accusations. It is then that he plants all kinds of sinful thoughts within us. Normally we are alert and aware of what he is doing during the daytime, but at night we tend to let down our guard. Do you have confidence that at the ending of day that you have lived in Christ in such a way that when the Lord examines your heart that nothing is amiss? Are you strong enough to resist Satan's attacks on your heart and mind in the night? If are not comfortable with what God knows about your thought life, you need to let the Lord change the way you think.

David was confident of his standing before God because he was determined to not sin in what he said. In order to accomplish that, we must be right with God in our heart, for out of the heart the mouth speaks. In order for us to say and do the right things, we must live rightly in Christ. We must keep our souls in good shape. We must not allow Satan access to it. It takes determination to ward off Satan. Are you careful about what comes out of your mouth? Think about what you say before you say it. Consider carefully whether your conversation is good or bad. If you know God is not pleased with what you say, then you need to get your heart right with God.

THE LORD GUIDES US

 THE LORD GUIDES US

Ps. 16:7-8 I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. NLT

He whom the Lord guides never gets lost in the dark. He never loses his sense of direction. He never lacks directions on how to get to where he is going. He never has to be concerned about where he is going, because the Lord himself is already there. He is our confidence that everything is going to be alright in all our tomorrows. Not only is He where I will be, but He is with me right now with each step I take. I do not need to fear to take my next step of faith. I can boldly and confidently move because the Lord is with me.

The Lord guides us into a deeper walk of faith through His Word. He guides us through the gentle, yet firm, prodding of the Holy Spirit. He guides us through prayer as we wait before Him. He guides us in worship. He guides us to people in need. He guides us through the wise counsel and instruction of others. He guides us through the maze of our lives. He guides us through our confusion and doubts. He guides us through the turbulent times of life. He guides us on how to do what He has given us to do. He guides us so that we can become a holy people, a people after His own heart. He guides us so that we will be difference-makers in our world. He guides us when we are humble before Him and yielded to His will.

There is no greater peace and joy than to know that the Lord is with us all the time. Just knowing that the Lord is with us keeps us strong and immovable in the midst of the storms of life. There is confidence in knowing that we are not just wandering aimlessly through life, the Lord is guiding us to where we are going and need to be. No wonder the heart swells up in praise and thanksgiving! We do have a song to sing and must sing it every day. Great is the Lord our God! Praise His holy name! Bless the Lord, oh my soul, bless His holy name.  

WORSHIP AND HONESTY

 WORSHIP AND HONESTY

Ps. 15:1, 5 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend, and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. NLT

Worship that God accepts comes from honest hearts. We must be honest with our dealings with others, ourselves, and God.

You cannot cheat others, treat them badly, or take advantage of them and expect God to be okay with you. What we do matters to God. We are to love others and if you love others you will not treat them in an unloving way.

If you want to connect with God, you must be honest with yourself. You must accept yourself as you are, a broken vessel before God. You do not have it altogether. You are not perfect. You do stupid things. You say stupid things. You sin against God. You fail to obey God always in the things He directs you to do. You often are driven more by selfishness than godliness. You don't understand as much as you let on you know. You have doubts. You get confused about things. You sometimes question God. You don't always like what God is doing. You don't always love people in a godly way. You don't like it when God doesn't answer your prayers the way you think He should. You don't like God's delays. You get spiritually lazy and don't always pray and read the Word like you should. You get upset and angry at others. You sometimes stir up trouble when you shouldn't. In other words, you are a sinner in need of a Savior just like everyone else.

If you want to connect with God you must be honest with Him. It's okay to not always be okay with God. Sometimes we have questions and doubts. Sometimes we don't understand why things are the way they are. Sometimes we would just as soon God would leave us alone. God knows exactly how you feel about Him and wants you to be honest about it. Tell Him how you feel, what you are thinking, He can handle it.

In other words, in order to stand firm before God and connect with Him, we must be a people who do not hide behind our spirituality. Sometimes faith is pretty raw. It is not always sweet and nice. We must be honest with God before God can really help us. He gives us free access to His presence and expects us to spill our guts out before Him. He will not be shocked or turn us away. There is wondrous healing and help for all who worship Him in the honesty of their hearts.

WORSHIP AND TRUTH

 WORSHIP AND TRUTH

Ps. 15:1,4c Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? …..and who keep their promises even when it hurts. NLT

It’s not always easy to keep your word, is it? We sometimes make promises with good intentions, but something happens that makes keeping our promises difficult. It’s easy to keep our word when things are easy for us, but it is far more difficult when keeping our word puts us into difficult or awkward situations.

How we keep our word reflects on the condition of our hearts. A person of integrity will not let circumstances dictate how they live. If we are right with God we will strive to do always what is right to God at all times. God is Truth and commands us to be a people of truth as well. Doing what we say should be a natural part of who we are. We should always strive to keep our promises to both God and man. Our failure to do so prevents us from drawing close to God.

Consider this today: How many times have you made a promise to either God or man and failed to keep it? What is the usual reason for failures? Does it concern you at all when you fail? Or, how many times have you failed to tell the truth because it would put you in a bad situation, hurt someone’s feelings, or make you look bad? We hesitate and often to tell the truth, even though we know we should and it’s what God requires of us.

Ask the Lord to forgive you where you have failed Him in this area of your life and ask the Lord to help you do a better job of keeping your word and telling the truth. Ask Him to help you from this moment forward to always be a truth-teller. It will certainly help you in your walk with Him.

WORSHIP AND HONORING THE FAITHFUL

 WORSHIP AND HONORING THE FAITHFUL

Ps. 15:1,4b Who may worship in your sanctuary LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? …..and honor the faithful followers of the LORD. NLT

Do you honor those who faithfully honor the Lord? Do you speak well of them and seek goodness in their lives? Do you honor those who preach and teach the Word by listening to their instruction and seeking to live by it? Do you think well of them and shut out those who don’t?

It is so easy to find fault with those who are faithfully following the Lord. We expect them to live by high standards and when they stumble and fall, we are quick to drag them down into the mud. Instead of showing them honor by being gracious to them, we expose and exploit their faults.

There are times in which fellow Christians fail miserably in their walk with the Lord and require the body of Christ to hold them accountable for their actions. We can do that in a way that honors them. Our goal should always be to restore into fellowship those who fall, not drive them away from the Lord and our fellowship.

We show honor to those who are following the Lord by ministering to their needs when it is needed. We don’t turn a deaf ear to their cry for help, but do what we can as the Lord enables us to do so. Honor the faithful followers of the Lord and he will draw near to you as you draw near to Him.

How we treat others affects our relationship with God. In fact, we cannot love God without loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are your words of love backed up by your acts of love?

WORSHIP AND DESPISING PERSISTENT SINNERS

 WORSHIP AND DESPISING PERSISTENT SINNERS

Psalm 15:1,4a Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who despise persistent sinners…… NLT

How do you feel about those who blatantly sin against the Lord and don’t seem to care? Do they bother you at all? We are told to love the sinner and hate the sin. The Psalmist doesn’t take that approach. He suggests that we should despise those who persistently sin. Why? I believe that one of the reasons is that sin is an abomination and insult to God. It is everything that God isn’t and it’s the reason why hell exists. God loves us and doesn’t want any of us to go to hell, but He knows we must and will if we insist on living in sin. It grieves His heart. It is why He had to go to the cross. We should, no, we must, have a hatred for sin wherever it is found. We must not tolerate it in our lives or in the lives of others. A persistent sinner is one who refuses to stop sinning, He sins with no remorse, He rejects the Gospel message that He is a sinner in need of Christ’s forgiveness.

Food for thought: When was the last time you watched someone on TV say or do things that were obviously sinful in nature and stopped to pray for them? They are people in need of a Savior. Instead of lavishing praise on them, we should instead lavish prayer on them. We tend to glorify sin and the sinner, instead of beseeching the Lord on their behalf.

Those who would worship the Lord must take sin seriously. We must not cuddle up to it, excuse it, or be indifferent to it. God is holy and commands us to be holy as well. Holiness and sin are like oil and water, they don’t mix. We cannot worship the Lord in spirit and truth and be okay with sin in our lives. We cannot be pure in heart while embracing those around us who blatantly sin against God. We must take a stand against sin and sinful behavior. We cannot eradicate all sinners from our lives, we all are guilty of sin, but we can be careful with how much we allow them to influence our souls.

You cannot truly worship the Lord without a holy heart and mind.  

WORSHIP AND TREATING OTHERS WELL

                                  WORSHIP AND TREATING OTHERS WELL

Ps. 15:1,3 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. NLT

Sometimes it’s easier said than done. We don’t usually set out to slander or harm others, but we do it anyhow. We may not be getting along with someone like we should and we let it fester in our souls. In an effort to prove each other wrong, words are spoken. Sometimes the words are very hurtful. They call into question the character and integrity of the other person. They are spoken in an attempt to make ourselves feel better and the other person worse. Such words are always damaging and never good. Instead of being encouragers and edifiers, we become destroyers. We excuse ourselves because of the damage and hurts the other person has caused us. We don’t give much thought to the fact that the Lord is the one who is to mete out justice. He is the one who makes things right. We are to leave things in His hands and not take them into our own hands.

When we slander or hurt others, we disqualify ourselves from being able to draw near to God. No one who slanders, harms, or speaks evil of his neighbor can enter into the presence of God, It is a battle that we must fight and win. Be honest, how many times have you gone through the motions of worship with ill feelings or thoughts in you towards someone? Did you find satisfaction for your soul in the presence of the Lord? Did God seem so far away, detached from you? The Lord will not draw near to the soul filled with ill feelings for someone else.

Ask the Lord to help you treat others in a godly way. Ask Him to help you be an encourager and edifier to all, to turn the other cheek no matter how others may treat you. Ask Him to help you love others with no strings attached. You may not appreciate the way others live or treat you, but that does not dismiss your responsibility before God to love them unconditionally.   

ENTERING INTO GOD'S PRESENCE

                                 ENTERING INTO GOD'S PRESENCE

Ps. 15:1, 2 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. NLT

Wanting to know who may approach the Lord in worship and be found acceptable to Him is perhaps the most important issue known to man. Not all who approach God have an audience with Him. Only the righteous in heart can linger in God’s presence. The Psalmist in this psalm gives us some guidelines to go by if we want to know that we are in the presence of God.

Only those who lead blameless lives and do what is right can enter into God’s presence. Who amongst us can say that we are blameless before God? When we see ourselves as we are without Christ, none of us can make the claim we are blameless and do what is right before God. When we see ourselves as we are in Christ, we find then we can be found to be blameless before God. In Christ, our sins are washed away and we take on His righteousness and holiness. When we do what is right by the standards of Christ, we are acceptable to God. There is no condemnation for those who are striving to live lives that are reflective of Christ in them.

Doing what is right entails not only how we live, but also how we deal with sin. Are we aware of our sins when we sin and deal with them before Christ? Do we strive to resist sin when we are confronted with temptations? Do we consider what Jesus would do if He were in our shoes? Do we have a sensitivity to the blatant sins of this world? In other words, do we take sin seriously and consider it an enemy of our souls?

Also, those who speak the truth from sincere hearts can approach God. Many who speak the truth do not do so from sincere hearts. It is one thing to tell the truth; it’s another thing to mean what you say because you know it is true. We must take ownership of what we proclaim to believe. It must be evidenced in the way we live and present ourselves to others. No phonies will ever make it into the presence of God.

Not all who go through the motions of worship are accepted by God. Just because you are surrounded by other worshipers doesn’t qualify you as a worshiper of God. Only those who are found to be blameless before God are true worshipers of Him. Only those rooted in Christ can enter into God’s presence and worship Him.

FOOLISH THINKING

                                                    FOOLISH THINKING

Ps. 14:1 Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and their actions are evil, no one does good! NLT

It is interesting just how foolish people can be. Mankind will do just about anything to avoid believing in God. I believe it is because they do not want to deal with the possibility of consequences for sin. As long as people deny there is God, they can live with sin without all the guilt and shame, or so they think. One cannot believe there is no God without still knowing the guilt and shame that comes from living in sin.

The problem most people have who claim to believe in God is that their belief never gets from their head to their heart. I believe it's equally foolish to believe only with the head as it is to believe there is no God. Those who only believe with their minds live corrupt lives, their actions are evil, and they do no good. We must never forget that all the demonic forces of hell have a head knowledge of God. In fact, hell will be full of people who believe in God. There will be no atheists in hell.

Likewise, foolish are those who believe in their hearts that God is and live like He isn't. In order to do it, one must deny there is a hell. God must be perceived as only a god of love who will accept everyone into His kingdom. Such belief is based on nothing but lies. God is both holy and love. He cannot be one without the other. One born in grace does not have a license to sin.

When we leave or kick God out of our hearts, we become slaves to sin and bear the consequences of it. Don’t be a fool, believe in your heart that God is and live like it, only then will you make it home to heaven. A head knowledge without a heart knowledge of God condemns the soul to hell.  

THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS

 THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS

Ps. 11:7 For the LORD is righteous, and he loves justice. Those who do what is right will see his face. NLT

How upright are you? It is those who do what is right before God who will see His face. We cannot live in sin and expect God to accept it. We will not be allowed in His presence if we fail to live submissively and obediently to His Word. It just won’t happen. It then becomes an important issue to address. Can you honestly say that you are living by God’s rules and standards to the best of your ability? When was the last time you took a serious look at what God says and looked at yourself in light of it? God’s Word is our measuring stick, not what we or someone else thinks.

The Lord is righteous, meaning He always does what is right. He is incapable of not doing what is right. Holiness is His character and He commands us to strive to be the same. Those who are one with the Lord in heart will live in holiness and see His face.

The Lord loves justice. He will not play favorites with anyone. Everyone will be judged for the righteousness and holiness of their heart. God always levels the playing field. And, only Jesus can do that. He alone is our righteousness and holiness from God. He alone will make all things right with God.

So, take a look in the mirror. Can you honestly say that you are doing your best to live in the righteousness of Christ, or are you trying to be righteous on your own? Or, does being righteous even concern you? Only the righteous in heart will see God and only Christ can make you righteous. Only the righteousness of Christ can shield you from the wrath of God on Judgment Day.

THE LORD STILL RULES FROM HEAVEN

 THE LORD STILL RULES FROM HEAVEN

Ps. 11:4 But the LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD still rules from heaven. He searches everything closely, examining everyone on earth. NLT

The Lord is in His holy temple. Lest we forget it, the Lord our God is holy and He is surrounded by only that which is holy. Holiness is His dwelling place. We dare not lose the significance of this truth to our souls! The Lord will not tolerate anything less than holiness in His presence. He cannot not. It behooves us therefore to always strive to live holy lives and the only way we can do that is to live under the holiness of Christ.

The Lord rules from heaven. There is nothing outside the realm of His rule. He created all things, orders their existence, and controls their destiny. There is nothing that can ever wrestle anything from His control over them. All things exist by His permission and for His purposes.

He searches everything closely to ensure that everything continues to function properly until He comes to change everything. From the greatest to the smallest display of His creative genius, He watches over them and keeps them going. Without the Lord's hand on His creation, life would not exist.

He examines everyone on earth. Nothing anyone does escapes His notice. He knows everyone's heart. He knows the righteousness and sin that is there. He knows the intent of the heart, whether it's to glorify self or Him. He knows whether or not we are cooperating with Him to fulfill His plans for us or not. He knows whether or not we are fit for heaven.

Dear friend, do not think for one moment that you are not being watched from heaven. No one is going to have any excuse for not obeying the Lord. He has given us very clear guidelines to follow in order to make it to heaven. The issue becomes then whether or not we are submitted to Him. If Jesus is not your Lord now, He will be on Judgment Day. Every knee will bow before Him and declare Him to be Lord, whether they want to or not. Are you living in Christ today? Does He rule your heart?

THE LORD MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN

 THE LORD MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN

Ps. 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you. NLT

Isn’t that great news?!!! NO ONE who searches for the Lord searches in vain. The Lord does not hide himself from anyone who wants to find Him. The Lord is waiting with a longing heart for anyone who wants Him to come to Him so he can give them eternal life and all the riches of life in Him. There is no one who will be turned away! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

The Lord has never, and never will, abandon anyone who searches for Him. The Lord is not a teaser. He is faithful to be present all the time for those who seek Him. He never leaves or forsakes those who seek Him. He can be counted on all the time to be there whenever we call upon Him. We don’t have to stand in line or get a number to get to Him. He is always available to all who seek Him out. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

And, the Lord makes it easy for us; He makes himself known to us everywhere we go. He reveals himself in all that He has created, He reveals himself through the printed page, He reveals himself through the many lives who surround us who have already been changed by Him, and He reveals himself through our conscience when we know we do things that are wrong. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Have you found the Lord? Do you know the wondrous joy of knowing Him as your Savior and Lord? You will never know just how awesome life is until you seek Him out and find Him. He loves you and longs for you to live in fellowship with Him. If you know Him, thank and praise Him right now for His welcoming you into His love and grace. If you don’t know Him, open your heart to Him now while you still can. You will be so glad you did.       

A SHELTER IN LIFE'S STORMS

 A SHELTER IN LIFE'S STORMS

Ps. 9:9-10 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you. NLT

These verses remind me of a hymn we sang a lot when I was growing up, A Shelter in the Time of Storm. As I have lived a while now, I can attest to the truthfulness of these verses today. The storms of life come, and they often come unexpectedly and from unexpected places. I have discovered that the Lord never leaves us alone to weather the storms. He is always there to steady my soul, strengthen me, and show me the way through them. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Those who know God by name trust in Him. It is good for the soul to meditate on the names used in Scripture to identify who God is. The name God used to reveal himself to Moses was "I AM." God is eternally the self-existent one. He is ever-present and all-sufficient for every need. He is Lord, ruler over all that is. Nothing is out of His control. He is sovereign and always will be over His creation. The Scriptures describe God through the use of many names. Blessed are those who know God on a name basis.

Knowing God well enables us to trust Him well. We discover that He is forever reliable. He never abandons His children. He is always easily found by those looking for Him. No matter how violent the storms of life may get, we can take refuge in Him knowing that we are safe and everything will be alright.

"Thank you, O Lord, for you have made yourself known to us. You have shown us that you are trustworthy and we can always take refuge in you when the storms of life come our way. Thank you, Lord, for never turning us away when we seek you out and never abandoning us. In Jesus' name. Amen.”

GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU

 GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU.

Ps. 8:3-5 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you have set in place—what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? For you made us only a little lower than God, and you crowned us with glory and honor. NLT

Have you ever wondered why the Lord even bothers with us? I know I have. Mankind started out so well, living in close fellowship with God day and night. Then, because God gave man the freedom of choice, sin entered into the heart of man. From that day on, man has tried the patience of God. God time after time sought to bring man back into fellowship with himself, but man stubbornly rejected Him. Mankind has throughout history displayed horrendous evil. Yet, God has not destroyed us.

We are still here only because of God's love for us. He longs for fellowship with the human soul. Mankind is the only part of all creation that has a soul. We alone can have fellowship with God. God made us special so that we can enjoy each other's company forever and ever. We are the crowning glory of all that He has created.

There is no other explanation as to why God has not put an end to life as we know it. He loves us and longs to save us from our sins so that we can spend eternity with Him. He is allowing us to hang around so that more and more of us can be saved. His love for us compels Him to wait a little bit longer, until all who can be saved will be saved.

You are very special to God. He made you just as you are, in His own image. He made you for himself. He loves you and longs for your love and fellowship. He is very patient and will wait as long as He possibly can for you to be right with Him. How about it? Is your heart right with God today? Just remember, we don't know how far God's patience with us will take Him. It may run out very soon; it could be even today.   

NATION JUDGMENT

 NATION JUDGMENT

Ps. 7:8 The LORD passes judgment on the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High! NLT

One of the things we discover as we read through the Old Testament is that the Lord does indeed pass judgment on the nations. Over and over again God pours out His judgment on those nations who reject Him. He spared no one who did not honor and serve Him. I believe that nothing has changed over time. God clearly warns the world that judgment is coming. He will put up with man’s insolence and rebellion for just so long and then He brings down the hammer. We are no different. There is coming a day of judgment for us as a nation. The further we wander away from God, the sooner that day will come. It is not too late to prolong our day of judgment. We must take God seriously and pray for His mercy and forgiveness for our sins. We must continue to warn our friends and neighbors about our need for repentance. We must continue to speak out against the sin and injustices of our society.

God told His people that if they were to humble themselves before Him, seek Him and confess their sins, that He would hear their prayers, forgive them, and heal their land. How do we make a difference in our world? We simply do what God says we must do. The Lord needs His children to be world leaders, to lead the world to Him. It is our mandate. Are you obeying God?

The Psalmist declares his innocence to the Lord. Do we dare do that? Are you confident enough of the righteousness of your heart that you can ask the Lord to declare you innocent of sin? Let us strive to be that kind of a person, a person who knows he is right with God because of his faithfulness in pursuing holy living.

Before you can lead others to the Lord, you must first humble yourself before Him, seek His face, and confess your sins. When your heart is right with God, you can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Is your heart right with God today?

LEAD ME, O LORD

 LEAD ME, O LORD

Ps. 5:8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn. NLT

This is a prayer the Lord will answer every time in a positive way. He will never say no to this type of a prayer. The Lord wants us to walk on the right path, the path that leads us to God. This path is often a difficult one and is not traveled by most. It is a path that oftentimes is obscured so that we can’t see very far ahead of us. On this path, we must rely heavily on the Lord to help us stay on it. We have to take one step at a time so we don’t stumble and fall. We have to be determined to stay on it and keep ourselves in good shape so we don’t give up when things get difficult, and they will. This path is not for the weak or faint of heart; they simply will not persevere. The Lord will do for us what we cannot do. He will keep us on track, if we let Him.

The Lord is our navigator. We must always seek Him for guidance. He will never leave us in the dark. He will show us clearly what we should be doing and how to get to where we are going. He knows the way home, for He is the way and has already blazed the trail for us. As long as we let Him lead us, we won’t make wrong turns and wander away from God.

Always remember this, whenever we strike out on our own we will make wrong turns. And every wrong turn we take leads us into the wilderness where we will lose our way. We cannot stay in clear view of Christ when we wander away from Him and strike out on our own. In order to stay on the path that leads to God, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation.

Where is the path you are on today leading you—closer to God or away from Him? Ask the Lord right now to be your leader and then let Him lead you. You will be glad you did.