August, 2012….

These verses are dated in my Bible…

I had just moved, boxes all over…I was by myself, a widow since April…it was really hitting me that my husband wasn’t going to drive into the driveway in his red truck, walk in the door, tell me about his day, listen to me about mine, sit down for dinner or visit with friends…

But, I felt lowly, in the midst of trouble…in the need of God’s comfort…the bubble that seems to surround many after the death of a loved one was slowly dissipating, reality was hitting…tears came easily, anger sometimes, denial sometimes…I was setting up a new home for myself not the two of us anymore…I didn’t know what stretched ahead..this was a new chapter that I hadn’t read yet…

Now, here I am 14 years later…I still need God’s comfort, His love and He has been there through the new chapters, the twists and turns. 

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.  

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.  

The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138:6-8

Thank YOU….

Comforts you…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2r4mwab5O8

The bees finally returned…

My fruit trees stated blooming last week, earlier than normal…everyday I would go out to check on them but there was no bees,no butterflies, no insects flying around for pollination…I was getting a bit anxious( not supposed to do that, be thankful instead), so I put it down…

God has a plan…

Yesterday, the trees were humming with bees, more blossoms have opened…so God’s timing was just what he planned…

It is interesting in Genesis that the fruit bearing trees are created a couple of days before all the “living creatures “…did the trees not bloom until after the creatures came  or did God take care of them that first time around… who knows, but, God had a plan…then and now ….

I know these are little things, but so important for food production, the timing has to be just right…our farmers need that perfect timing to feed the world…

Thank YOU….

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind. ” 

And it was so.  

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along in the ground according to their kinds.  And God saw that it was good.

A Time for Everything There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Ecc. 3:1

In His time…

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3A5-89pY9s 

Search me….

 Search me…

I don’t k ow about anyone else…but I find myself puzzled by my behavior as Paul describes in the Book of Romans…

 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Rom.7.15-20

I was reminded of the Romans passage as I read the last two verses in Psalm 139…

Search me…

Know my heart….

Test me…

Know my anxious thoughts…

Any offensive way in me?….

Lead me in the way everlasting….

Psalm 139:23-24 (not all the words)…

David must have been feeling the same as Paul…centuries before and I am still fighting the same battle now….worry, anxious thoughts, offensive ways…..wanting God to cleanse…to lead….

It is part of our world, our nature…but, Jesus paid the price…

Every time I do these things, it is like another pounding of a nail at the cross…the pain…the agony…

 let God weigh me in honest scales…..

Job.31.6a

 Test me, Lord, and try me,examine my heart and my mind;

Ps.26.2

 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind,……

Jer.11.20a

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Phil.4.8

 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make your way straight before me.

Ps.5.8

 Teach me to do your will,for you are my God;may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Ps.143.10

 The Lord detests the way of the wicked,

but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

Prov.15.9

 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1John.2.16,1John.2.17

Thank YOU…

Create in me a clean heart…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Hk3WFUMvo

Search me…(used this earlier this week, still a good message)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzcqWMM1VA0

Thoughts…

  

Thoughts….

We come to “thoughts” in verses 17 and 18 of Psalm 139…so I found a few verses about “thoughts”, both man’s and God’s…quite the difference…something to “think” about….

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them,they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.

Ps.139.17-18

 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Ps.10.4

 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Psal.13.2

 Many, Lord my God,are the wonders you have done,the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;were I to speak and tell of your deeds,they would be too many to declare.

Ps.40.5

 How great are your works, Lord,how profound your thoughts!

Ps.92.5

 You know when I sit and when I rise;you perceive my thoughts from afar.

Ps.139.2

 Search me, God, and know my heart;test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Ps.139.23

 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.

Prov.4.26

 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,but the folly of fools is deception.

Prov.14.8

 The wicked put up a bold front,but the upright give thought to their ways.

Prov.21.29

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “

As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa.55.8-9

 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.

Hag.1.5

 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

1Cor.2.11

 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2Cor.10.5

 For the word of God is alive and active. 

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Heb.4.12

Thank YOU….

Your ways are higher than mine….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LDm8xB5ipQ

 

Baby shower devotional…

 

Baby shower devotional….

The birth of a baby is a chance to celebrate with family and friends…the following is a partial devotional from the latest baby shower I participated in…

“Celebrating one of Life’s miracles

A baby shower is a time of joy—but also a sacred opportunity to speak blessings over new life.

Through prayer, we do more than celebrate—we invite God to guide, protect, and provide for this child and family.

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, guest, or friend, your prayers matter. They build a foundation of faith and love that _________ will grow up surrounded by.

 

And here we are celebrating one of Life miracles….

 

I found some fun  statistics:

The bodies God gives us are so amazing. Did you know that:

• Embryos develop their own unique  fingerprints three months after conception?

• That your heart circulates blood throughout your body about 1,000 times a day?

• That while awake, your brain produces enough electricity to light a lightbulb, although there nights and days in motherhood that it might be pretty dim from lack of sleep…

• That your eyes can distinguish 10 million different colours and can detect light from a candle over 1.7 miles away?

• That if you never cut your hair, over a lifetime it would reach around 450 miles? 

• That there are anywhere between 60,000-100,000 miles of blood vessels in your body? If they were taken out and laid end-to-end, they would be long enough to travel around the world more than three times.

This is from Ruth Wood…

Into this little body, God is packing all the DNA and tools that your baby will need to grow, to think and reason, to remember, experience emotions, and make choices. And God is knitting all this together in your womb without you having to do a thing! 

To me, the most mysterious of all is God’s creation of a person’s spirit, which the psalmist describes as the inmost being. Job says that “the spirit in a person” is “the breath of the Almighty.” (Job 32:8) No scientist has yet been able to study the spirit. This is the deepest part of ourselves, the place where we are able to connect back to God. Where God comes to live inside us when we’ve invited him

 

The favorite verses for baby showers  as well as other events are found in PSALM 139:13-16   They show the care that each of us see and should be aware of in the miracle of like…when you think that we each grew from two microscopic cells that God Planned to unite from the beginning… He chose to make this baby…it wasn’t an  accident, it was all part of his plan…Plus He has a plan for his life… You and I are part of the plan, whether as friend, parent , grandparent, great grandparent, relative in some way…

Lest we forget, the psalm reads…

• 13) For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb. (_________ has been knitting while pregnant , stitch by stitch,as she has been knitting yarn, God has been forming William, what a picture)
(14) I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
(15) My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,(God is making a vessel worthy of holding the Holy Spirit when ________ accepts the Lord as his Savior at a future date.. Jesus prayed for Him and His Salvation.in John17

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
(16) Your eyes saw my unformed substance;(God is delightfully watching)

• , in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me , (God has numbered _________’s days as He has with everyone of us)
    when as yet there was none of them before ________ even enters the world)

• Psalm 139:13-16 

Another verse…Psal 138a   the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Your love endure forever

Psalm 100: 3a Know that the LORD is God, It is he who made us…

What a gift of Life God has given….and we are in Awe…not only of this new Creation by the God Who does the creating….

 

This brings to mind the Christmas song, “Mary Did You know?”

One phrase that always makes me cry,

 “And when you kiss your little baby

You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?

We are loving and kissing a special gift that only God can make…

So, we Welcome _______ with much awe, a bit of pain, a responsibility. A gift to be cherished, taught, a gift to bloom into the person God planned…

 

So This is me____________…….made in God’s image, formed by God, fearfully and wonderfully made, my days are planned and numbered, a temple worthy…

 

Thank 

Fearfully and wonderfully made…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH8J_IJ1DrQ

No where…

 No where….

When I sit or rise….

Thoughts…going  out, when I lay….

All my ways…

Word on my tongue…

Behind and before…

Heavens to the depths…

Wings of dawn…far side of the sea…

your hand will guide and hold me fast…

The darkness…

Unformed body…

Search and know my heart…

Omnipresent…..present everywhere….that is what God is…one his character qualities…..we are never too far that he isn’t there…we are never lost from his presence…. 

 Who can hide in secret places so  that I cannot see them?”declares the Lord.“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”declares the Lord.

Jer.23.24

 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John.1.3

 Though they dig down to the depths below,from there my hand will take them.Though they climb up to the heavens above,from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,there I will hunt them down and seize them.Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,there I will command the serpent to bite them.

Amos.9.2-3

To some this trait is scary, to others it is a comfort…to others it is ignored or looked at in contempt, a shaking a fist at the face of God…

I am thankful that He holds my hand-or has my name written in the palm of his hand…comfort…

Thank YOU…

Psalm 139 song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXClQWk0EWc

Psalm 139:1-4

 

Psalm 139:1-4

“Sometimes we don’t let people get to know us completely because we are afraid they will discover something about us that that they won’t like…but God already knows everything about us…”Bible Study notes…

I have definitely have felt that way…maybe I won’t match others’ expectations, their thoughts about how I should be, act…it keeps us from experiencing all that we can…our fears, our self image ….

 1..You have searched me, Lord,and you know me. 

( Though you probe my heart,though you examine me at night and test me,you will find that I have planned no evil;my mouth has not transgressed.

Ps.17.3

 Yet you know me, Lord;you see me and test my thoughts about you.Drag them off like sheep to be butchered!Set them apart for the day of slaughter!   ( how picturesque)

Jer.12.3)

2..You know when I sit and when I rise;you perceive my thoughts from afar. 

(  “‘But I know where you are-and when you come and go-and how you rage against me.

2Kgs.19.27

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?

Matt.9.4

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.

John.2.24)

3..You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways. 

( Does he not see my ways and count my every step?

Job.31.4)

4..Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 

( Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Heb.4.13)

Thank YOU….

Psalm 139…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzcqWMM1VA0

Contentment…

 Contentment…

“Quiet trust in God is  the basis for our contentment “ Bible study notes…

I watch my new great grandson nurse until he is full and he pulls away satisfied, tummy full….calm…content…that is the picture I get from these verses….we put our trust/hope in the Lord and he satisfies….that is our goal…complete trust in all things….

 1..My heart is not proud, Lord,my eyes are not haughty;I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 

 (Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,I will put to silence;whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,I will not tolerate.

Ps.101.5

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Rom.12.16)

2..But I have calmed and quieted myself,I am like a weaned child with its mother;like a weaned child I am content. 

 (And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matt.18.3

 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Phil.4.11,Phil.4.12

 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Ps.23.1)

3..Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

 (Israel, put your hope in the Lord,for with the Lord is unfailing love-and with him is full redemption.

Ps.130.7)

Ps.131.1-3

Thank YOU….

Psalm 131 song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aoWmdkTsWw

 

Psalm 130…expanded a bit…

 Psalm 130…expanded a bit…

 1..Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;     

(  Deep calls to deep-in the roar of your waterfalls;all your waves and breakers-have swept over me.

Ps.42.7

I called on your name, Lord,from the depths of the pit.

Lam.3.55)

2..Lord, hear my voice.Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 

( Hear my cry for mercy as  I call to you for help,as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

Ps.28.2

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

Ps.64.1)

3..If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,Lord, who could stand? 

( It is you alone who are to be feared.Who can stand before you when you are angry?

Ps.76.7

 You are God my stronghold.Why have you rejected me?Why must I go about mourning,oppressed by the enemy?

Ps.43.2)

4..But with you there is forgiveness,so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 

( And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Exod.34.6-7

 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Isa.55.7)

5..I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,and in his word I put my hope. 

( I will wait for the Lord,who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.I will put my trust in him.

Isa.8.17

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,but I have put my hope in your word.

Ps.119.81)

6..I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,more than watchmen wait for the morning. 

  (I rise before dawn and cry for help;I have put my hope in your word.

Ps.119:147

On my bed I remember you;I think of you through the watches of the  night.

Ps.63.6)

7..Israel, put your hope in the Lord,for with the Lord is unfailing love-and with him is full redemption. 

( Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

Ps.131.3)

8..He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

(Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

Luke.1.68)

Ps.130.1-8

As a parent, it seemed there was lots of repetitiveness With my children…saying the same thing over and over….God repeats, but he is so more creative in his choice of words…it doesn’t come out the same way each time…”if they don’t hear it this way, let’s try another” until the truth gets through or we finally hold on tight to the words, taking them into our soul….

Thank YOU…

I will wait for you…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8pCbtLeXzc

Waiting….

 

Waiting…

 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 

And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. 

You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. 

“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 

They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 

Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

2 kings 19:14-19

My Bible study notes say that  Psalm 130 may have been written by Hezekiah.

Out of the depths I cry to you O, LORD….

Hear my voice….

Let your ears be attentive….

I wait for you LORD…

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD….

He himself will redeem Israel….

Portions of Psalm 130…

I left out the portions of forgiveness, sin…I just hear him crying out to the LORD for his saving grace toward his people…and they were saved from the enemy…just like they were saved from their sins for the asking and pleading…

The whole Bible study is about discovering God in the psalms…

Oh now He shows his love, character through out the Word…saving from sin, saving from our enemies as well…as we put  our hope in Him…

Thank YOU….

In Christ Alone…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rn9-UNer6MQ&list=RDrn9-UNer6MQ&start_radio=1&pp=ygUXaG9wZSBpbiB0aGUgbG9yZCBseXJpY3OgBwHSBwkJxQoBhyohjO8%3D

Something different…

 

Something different …

Ben Calhoun singing in the skies around Treasure Valley, Idaho…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1N0LGDhMqc

 Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;proclaim among the nations what he has done.

Ps.9.11

 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;I will sing the praises of your name.

Ps.18.49

 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;praise his holy name.

Ps.30.4

 You turned my wailing into dancing;you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Ps.30.11,Ps.30.12

 Sing praises to God, sing praises;sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Ps.47.6

 Praise the Lord.How good it is to sing praises to our God,how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

Ps.147.1

Thank YOU…

No record…but, love…

 

No record…but, love…

I was talking to a friend who recently lost her husband…

She asked about  widowhood…how do you make it…” take time…”

But, my heartfelt advice is to claim God as your husband….

He is the one who loves us the most and he is there all the time…upholding, forgiving….keeping no records…and has the best advice…peace giving…and then I read this verse in psalms this morning…in 130….

 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,Lord, who could stand?

Ps.130.3

 as far as the east is from the west,so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Ps.103.12

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails. 

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1Cor.13.4,1Cor.13.5,1Cor.13.6,1Cor.13.7,1Cor.13.8,1Cor.13.13

Thank YOU….

Forgiveness…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIbCpy0CQEo&list=RDoIbCpy0CQEo&start_radio=1

Love is patient…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8SxizK1kdc

Psalm 119…

 

Psalm 119….

When we read through the Bible, we tend to think it goes chronologically, but it doesn’t…

scholars tend to believe that Psalm 119 was written after the exile period of Israel and here  it is in the book of psalms , many written by David which was way before the exile period…

Some writers have said that Ezra was trying to teach the Israelites the love of the Word after their exile period…” as a repetitive meditation on the beauty of God’s Word and how it helps us stay pure and grow in faith” Bible study notes…with almost all the verses mentioning God’s Word…

If we read through it everyday, we would be counseled,  we would glorify God, our hearts would be taught , and so much more…we couldn’t help but love His Word…as Ezra hoped the Israelites would be…his love letter to his people…

“Ezra's Influence on Psalm 119
Ezra, a key figure in the post-exilic period of Israel, played a significant role in the spiritual restoration of the Jewish people. His teachings and emphasis on the Law are reflected in Psalm 119, which is the longest chapter in the Bible and focuses on the importance of God's Word.

Historical Context
Psalm 119 is often associated with the time after the Babylonian exile, around 440 BC, when Ezra reintroduced the Law to the Israelites. This context highlights themes of obedience, restoration, and devotion to God's commandments

Themes in Psalm 119
The psalm emphasizes the beauty and significance of God's laws, with 176 verses dedicated to expressing love for His commandments. It serves as a meditation on the relationship between the believer and God's Word, showcasing a deep reverence for divine instruction

Ezra's Role
Ezra's commitment to teaching the Law and his personal devotion are echoed in the psalm's structure, which may have been influenced by his teachings. The psalm's focus on the importance of scripture aligns with Ezra's mission to restore the spiritual life of the Jewish community”

Yahoo notes…

Thank YOU….

Your Words are wonderful…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1AzrpeKYdE

.

 Psalm 119, first verses…

I thought it would be interesting to look at the first verses of every section and a corresponding verse found elsewhere ….this is what I found….so neat that the Word agrees with itself…we want a Word that is true…

 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,who walk according to the law of the Lord. 

( Blessed are all who fear the Lord,who walk in obedience to him.

Ps.128.1)

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?By living according to your word. 

( “Now, Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.’

2Chr.6.16)

Be good to your servant while I live,that I may obey your word. 

( I will sing the Lord’s praise,for he has been good to me.

Ps.13.6)

I am laid low in the dust;preserve my life according to your word. 

(  We are brought down to the dust;our bodies cling to the ground.

Ps.44.25

 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

Ps.143.11)

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,that I may follow it to the end. 

 (Praise be to you, Lord;teach me your decrees.

Ps.119.12)

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,your salvation, according to your promise; 

( Turn, Lord, and deliver me;save me because of your unfailing love.

Ps.6.4)

Remember your word to your servant,for you have given me hope. 

( Guide me in your truth and teach me,for you are God my Savior,and my hope is in you all day long.

Ps.25.5)

You are my portion, Lord;I have promised to obey your words. 

( I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;therefore I will wait for him.”

Lam.3.24)

Do good to your servant according to your word, Lord. 

( For the Lord God is a sun and shield;the Lord bestows favor and honor;no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Ps.84.11)

Your hands made me and formed me;give me understanding to learn your commands. 

( Know that the Lord is God.It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Ps.100.3)

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,but I have put my hope in your word. 

( My soul yearns, even faints,for the courts of the Lord;my heart and my flesh cry outfor the living God.

Ps.84.2)

Your word, Lord, is eternal;it stands firm in the heavens. 

(     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”And this is the word that was preached to you.

1Pet.1.25)

Oh, how I love your law!I meditate on it all day long. 

( but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night.

Ps.1.2)

Your word is a lamp for my feet,a light on my path. 

( For this command is a lamp,this teaching is a light,and correction and instructionare the way to life,

Prov.6.23)

I hate double-minded people,but I love your law. 

( Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Jas.1.8)

I have done what is righteous and just;do not leave me to my oppressors. 

(     Let the Lord judge the peoples.Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,according to my integrity, O Most High.

Ps.7.8)

 

Your statutes are wonderful;therefore I obey them. 

You are righteous, Lord,and your laws are right. 

(You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good.

Neh.9.13)

I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,and I will obey your decrees. 

( I sought the Lord, and he answered me;he delivered me from all my fears.

Ps.34.4)

Look on my suffering and deliver me,for I have not forgotten your law. 

( My son, do not forget my teaching,but keep my commands in your heart,

Prov.3.1)

Rulers persecute me without cause,but my heart trembles at your word. 

( See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.

1Sam.24.11)

May my cry come before you, Lord;give me understanding according to your word.

( In my distress I called to the Lord;I cried to my God for help.From his temple he heard my voice;my cry came before him, into his ears.

Ps.18.6)

Ps.119.1,Ps.119.9,Ps.119.17,Ps.119.25,Ps.119.33,Ps.119.41,Ps.119.49,Ps.119.57,Ps.119.65,Ps.119.73,Ps.119.81,Ps.119.89,Ps.119.97,Ps.119.105,Ps.119.113,Ps.119.121,Ps.119.129,Ps.119.137,Ps.119.145,Ps.119.153,Ps.119.161,Ps.119.169

Thank YOU…

Thy Word….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSZlIVP9u0Y

Strangers…

 Strangers….

This week marked the birth of a third great grandson….

I had to chuckle as I read the verse, “I am a stranger on earth “…

I know an adult wrote this, but it sure fits a  newborn looking around at this new world he is born into…there  are lights, new sounds, new temperatures, people passing him around, new feeding procedures….everything is new and he learns slowly not to be a stranger on earth as he adapts to a new environment….

We take so much for granted as we live longer and longer…while the little ones learn a language, how to eat, how to get along with others, how to dress, growing all the while…etc…

Another question, verse 9, “ how can a young man keep his way pure?” 

The answer, “ By living according to you r word…”

The psalm 119 is filled line upon line how this new child can find his life is God…”teach me knowledge and  good judgment”…

 It is such a huge responsibility for parents to guide their children down the right path…just as God with his word wants each of us to be guided toward his light…his lamp…

Thank YOU…

Ancient Words…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcSAdzLXKVE

Seek…

 Seek….

These are just a few verses about seeking…I s tarted with psalm 119 as that is where our women’s Bible study is this week…

But, what meaningful verses…

Seeking with all your heart…

Seeking eagerly…

Seeking God’s face…

Seeking with heart and soul…

Seek and you will find…

Don’t those just touch your soul…

When we are having hard times, dry times, good times…seek…

Thank YOU…

 I seek you with all my heart;do not let me stray from your commands.

Ps.119.10

 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

2Chr.15.15

 Glory in his holy name;let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength;seek his face always.

1Chr.16.10-11

 They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

2Chr.15.12

 Those who know your name trust in you,for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Ps.9.10

  Glory in his holy name;let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength;seek his face always.

Ps.105.3-4

 Sow righteousness for yourselves,reap the fruit of unfailing love,and break up your unplowed ground;for it is time to seek the Lord,until he comesand showers his righteousness on you.

Hos.10.12

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matt.7.7-8

Seek ye first…

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsBpM9IcBts

 Everything…everywhere…

 Praise the Lord, you his angels,you mighty ones who do his bidding,who obey his word. 

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,you his servants who do his will. 

Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Ps.103.20-22

“Does your life praise the Lord? Bible study notes…

Reading these three verses doesn’t leave anything to not praise the Lord…everything….everywhere…

 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Ps.29.1-2

 All your works praise you, Lord;your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts-and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Ps.145.10-12

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil.4.6,Phil.4.7

 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything….

1Tim.6.13a

Thank YOU…

All hail the power of Jesus’ name…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQSh7QsKcSs

Pastors…

 Pastors…

Over many years, my family has had a variety of pastors….

Each has had specific bents in their outlook…

Law/legalism, missions , compassion, knowledge,  hospitality, encouragement, shepherding, leadership/vision,  organization, evangelism, authoritarianism….

God ordained those men to be in the places they were for the times they were….and moved them when He desired…we have had shepherds after church splits or the death of a pastor to help,heal the wounds of the people…we have had evangelists in church plants…we have had mission oriented pastors in new areas….we have had leadership/vision pastors when the church needed leadership in building programs or other programs…

All taught the gospel well, from different bents…Jesus was there  all the time…being glorified…

I thought of Moses, forty years as a shepherd…learning to take care of sheep, a training ground to lead people through the desert for 40 years…a huge difference from the royalty he had been raised under…

 Or Paul, going from town to town teaching starting new bodies of believers…

Barnabas, coming behind to encourage the new believers…

I found this description of a shepherd/pastor…doesn’t this fit Moses?

“AI generated….

A shepherd pastor embodies several key traits essential for effective leadership and care within a church community.

Compassion and Care
A good shepherd pastor demonstrates deep compassion for their congregation, prioritizing the emotional and spiritual well-being of their flock. They are approachable and willing to listen, providing support during difficult times

Integrity and Trustworthiness
Integrity is crucial; a shepherd pastor must be honest and consistent in their actions and teachings. This builds trust within the community, encouraging members to follow their guidance willingly

Leadership and Guidance
Effective shepherd pastors lead by example, guiding their congregation through spiritual growth and decision-making. They are responsible for teaching, protecting, and nurturing their flock

Vision and Direction
A shepherd pastor should possess a clear vision for the church's mission and direction, inspiring others to work towards common goals. This includes fostering a sense of community and encouraging active participation in church activities.”

 He made known his ways to Moses,his deeds to the people of Israel: 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,slow to anger, abounding in love. 

As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 

for he knows how we are formed,he remembers that we are dust.

Ps.103.7,Ps.103.8,Ps.103.13,Ps.103.14

Thank YOU…

Gentle Shepherd….

Instrumental…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVuf6ldrFgk

Words…and music…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ex8B0vMmY_0

Such promises….

 

Such promises….

David, wrote such promises….

 Praise the Lord, my soul;all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 

Praise the Lord, my soul,and forget not all his benefits—-

( Praise the Lord, my soul.Lord my God, you are very great;you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

Ps.104.1)

— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 

( He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Ps.130.8

  He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Exod.15.26)

who redeems your life from the pit-and crowns you with love and compassion, 

who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

( but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.

Isa.40.31)

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 

Psalm 103:1-6

“ no matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings —-past, present, and future. When you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God, read David’s list…Bible study notes”

Thank YOU….

Count your blessings…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtV2wmdZoqo

Don’t ask for just s few…2

 Don’t ask for just a few….2

I need to share a fun thing about yesterday’s blog…

Last night I went to a fund raiser for a local church’s missions trip…they have a “pound” auction.   You can bring and fun gift, a useful gift, whatever , that is approximately One pound, gift wrapped…they auction them off to raise funds for their trips funds…you don’t know what you are getting until after you buy it….it is a fun night …

Last week I was randomly thinking about game meat..

 My husband was a hunter as are some of my family…so once in while we had bear, moose, caribou, fish, deer, a bird or two…sooooo good and such a treat…

Anyway, last night, one of the “pounds” I won was a pound of Elk meat…I just had to chuckle and praise, thinking about yesterday’s blog, God Provides…He delights to surprise us in wonderful ways…and I, for one, need  to thank Him for this surprises….

 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

2Cor.9.10-11

 I will sing the Lord’s praise,for he has been good to me.

Ps.13.6

Thank YOU…

Sing praises to your name , oh Lord…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfH3OpQkTXQ

Do t ask for just a few…

 Don’t ask for just a few….

Psalm 103 brought to mind this story about Elisha and the needy widow….he told her when asking for empty jars, “don’t ask for just a few.”…he knew that God could give her all she needed and then more…sell what you need and the live on the rest…what an abundance…..

God provided….

 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 

When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” 

Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

2Kgs.4:1-7

The you look at the list that 

God provides in psalm 103….

Forgives all your sins…

Heals all your diseases…

Redeems your life from the pit…

Crowns you with love and compassion…

Who satisfies your desires with good things…

Your youth is renewed….

Works righteous ness and just for all the oppressed…

Made known his ways to Moses..

Compassionate and gracious…

Slow to anger…

abounding in love…

Does not always accuse…

Removed our sins far from us…

Does not treat us as our sins deserve…

Or repay us according to our sins…

Established his throne…

Rules over all…

What an abundance….there are times we fail to see the abundance that God provides looking only at the needs or the few “jars”…but He gives the daily needs and then lifetime provisions…eternal life…

The oil flowed until all the needs were met…and it flows for us as well…

Thank YOU….

God will provide…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5I4GDWwsQQ

 Praise the Lord, my soul;all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul,and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit-and redeems your life from the pit…

 crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good thingsso that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousnessand justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses,his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious,slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse,nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserveor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west,so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; But from everlasting to everlastingthe Lord’s love is with those who fear him,and his righteousness with their children’s children— The Lord has established his throne in heaven,and his kingdom rules over all.

Ps.103.1-19

Even if…

 

Even if…..

The other day, I went with my neighbors to see the movie “I can only imagine 2”….it is at least a two Kleenex movie…well worth it….dealing with the dry periods of life…the questions…the hurting times, the whys…

"Even If"

They say sometimes you win some

Sometimes you lose some

( my dad’s favorite saying)

And right now, right now I'm losing bad

I've stood on this stage night after night

Reminding the broken it'll be alright

But right now, oh right now I just can't

It's easy to sing

When there's nothing to bring me down

But what will I say

When I'm held to the flame

Like I am right now

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith

To move a mountain

Good thing

A little faith is all I have right now

But God, when You choose

To leave mountains unmovable

Give me the strength to be able to sing

It is well with my soul

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

(The fiery furnace times)

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

You've been faithful, You've been good

All of my days

Jesus, I will cling to You

Come what may

'Cause I know You're able

I know You can

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

My hope is you alone

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

Even if…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=B6fA35Ved-Y

Behind the scenes…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikVybUU_t7Y

Thank YOU….

 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Dan.3.16-18

 

In need of praise today…joy, gladness, faithfulness…..

 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.     

( Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,burst into jubilant song with music;

Ps.98.4)

Worship the Lord with gladness;come before him with joyful songs. 

( Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Ps.95.2)

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

( He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth.”

Ps.46.10

 You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Ezek.34.31)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;give thanks to him and praise his name. 

 ( I will sacrifice a thank offering to youand call on the name of the Lord.

Ps.116.17)

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Ps.100.1-5

( Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;his love endures forever.

1Chr.16.34

 Good and upright is the Lord;therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

Ps.25.8

 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:“He is good;his love toward Israel endures forever.”And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Ezra.3.11

 Praise the Lord.Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;his love endures forever.

Ps.106.1

 Your faithfulness continues through all generations;you established the earth, and it endures.

Ps.119.90)

Thank YOU…

Psalm 100 song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaL_VeHil6U

  

Exalt….exalt…

Exalted over the nations…

Exalt, for He is holy…worship at his footstool…

Exalt the LORD our God…worship….He is holy…

Just reading through this Psalm brings goosebumps to my arms…

We get so caught up in this world, the people in it, rich or poor, famous or not, the leaders, the bad guys , the events around each one…that we forget sometimes that we have a “World leader” like no other…who leads like no other, who cares like no other, the Creator of the universe…who know the beginnings, the endings, the words, the thoughts before they are even spoken…who knows us each personally…He formed us…He is the one we need to exalt….

Thank YOU….

Psalm 99 song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcqI2Layo1M

The Lord reigns,let the nations tremble;he sits enthroned between the cherubim,let the earth shake. 

( The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;let the distant shores rejoice.Ps.97.1

 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

Exod.25.22)

Great is the Lord in Zion;he is exalted over all the nations. 

 (Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

Ps.48.1

 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;you are exalted far above all gods.

Ps.97.9

 The Lord is exalted over all the nations,his glory above the heavens.

Ps.113.4)

Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy. 

( God is renowned in Judah;in Israel his name is great.

Ps.76.1)

The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity;in Jacob you have done what is just and right. 

 (For the Lord is righteous,he loves justice;the upright will see his face.

Ps.11.7

 let them sing before the Lord,for he comes to judge the earth.He will judge the world in righteousnessand the peoples with equity.

Ps.98.9)

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool;he is holy. 

( “Let us go to his dwelling place,let us worship at his footstool, saying,

Ps.132.7)

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,Samuel was among those who called on his name;they called on the Lord and he answered them. 

He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. 

Lord our God,you answered them;you were to Israel a forgiving God,though you punished their misdeeds. 

Exalt the Lord ourGod and worship at his holy mountain,for the Lord our God is holy.

Ps.99.1-9

 

The Lord reigns…

I was reading this article this am while cleaning out my emails…it went so well with the verses we are studying in our Bible study…so wanted to share…

We have these times when our hearts are afraid or tremble at the path before us….or we think we do it all in our independence….

 The Lord reigns,let the nations tremble;he sits enthroned between the cherubim,let the earth shake. 

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,Samuel was among those who called on his name;they called on the Lordand he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

Ps.99.1,Ps.99.6-7

Really good….

Four ways prayer humbles us and why that a good thing….

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/four-ways-prayer-humbles-us-and-why-thats-a-good-thing.html

 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exod.14.13-14

Thank YOU…

A friend sent this song, I have heard many time…but a great reminder of Who we need to go to…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9e0nxHP-w

Pathway…

 

Pathway….

This past month, the Pilgrim’s Path In Jerusalem has opened to the public…winding its way from the pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount, another pathway walked by Jesus. They have been working on excavation for years…

“The Pool of Siloam represented God’s provision and protection over Jerusalem. The waters became a source of life during a difficult time, representing God’s peaceful care for Judah. “

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-pool-of-siloam-in-the-bible.html

As I was reading the first verses of Psalm 96,

 Sing to the Lord a new song;sing to the Lord, all the earth. 

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;proclaim his salvation day after day. 

Declare his glory among the nations,his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Ps.96.1-3

I just envisioned singing that as you went up hill to the temple…I don’t know that they did, just my imagination…singing a new song, praising the Lord, declaring his Glory and marvelous deeds….why not sing?

Thank YOU…

https://www.timesofisrael.com/2000-year-old-pilgrimage-road-to-temple-mount-opens-to-public-after-years-of-digging/

From the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount: Jerusalem’s pilgrimage road reopens - Israel365 News

The Times of Israel spoke to some of the first people to walk the path.

Israeli resident Shira Greenspan said, “It was just the biggest honour to be among the first people to rewalk these steps … I  thought it was just like a perfect blend of experiential, funny, and meaningful. It did not feel dry; it felt alive and real. You’re suddenly connected across thousands of years. It’s just breathtaking.

“To be here with Jews and non-Jews from all over the world makes you feel like you are a little stone in a big story,” she added.

2,000-year-old 'Pilgrim's Path' opens in Jerusalem - Christian Today

Grateful….(this gets a little loud, but he is grateful….)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag08JVZhP9M

Glasses…

 Glasses…

I had a friend who wore necklaces of glasses…she put this necklace on every morning first thing and took it off last thing at night…three or four glasses, each with an attached necklace…

That way she could choose which pair of glasses she needed throughout her daily tasks….she laughed about them, and her reliance on those necklaces…their nosiness…

I don’t have the necklaces but I have glasses at various places that I work…one pair for the computer, one pair for Bible reading, one pair for all purpose wear and the last for nighttime reading in bed…4… it would make quite a necklace too…I wanted to see wherever I am…seeing is so important…I find I need it….

What do we need to see in the Word? We see with our reading eyes, our heart as the 

Word finds its way into our soul and teaches us…it gives us light to our situations…shows us 

God….

Thank YOU….

 For the Lord is righteous,he loves justice;the upright will see his face.

Ps.11.7

 Let my vindication come from you;may your eyes see what is right. 

As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Ps.17.2,Ps.17.15

 Taste and see that the Lord is good;blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

Ps.34.8,Ps.34.12

 For with you is the fountain of life;in your light we see light. Hope in the Lordand keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

Ps.36.9,Ps.37.34

 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Ps.119.18

 See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting.

Ps.139.24

 Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both.

Prov.20.12

I see you…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6wvzx6pUhbc&list=RD6wvzx6pUhbc&start_radio=1&pp=ygURaSB3YW50IHRvIHNlZSB5b3WgBwE%3D

1 john 4

 

1 John 4

With so much happening in the world, I need this reminder today…maybe more than just me…so will share…

 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. 

This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming 

and even now is already in the world. 

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 

We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. 

This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, 

God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: 

He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love. 

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 

There is no fear in love. 

But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. 

The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

We love because he first loved us. 

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. 

For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 

And he has given us this command: 

Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

1John.4

Thank YOU…

The answer was love….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOShhF9Bxig

 

 Sing to him a new song;play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true;he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice;the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Ps.33.3-5

 He put a new song in my mouth,a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

Ps.40.3

 Sing to the Lord a new song;sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name;proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations,his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Ps.96.1-3

 Sing to the Lord a new song,for he has done marvelous things;his right hand and his holy arm have a worked salvation for him.

Ps.98.1

 Praise the Lord.Sing to the Lord a new song,his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

Ps.149.1

 Sing to the Lord a new song,his praise from the ends of the earth,you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,you islands, and all who live in them.

Isa.42.10

 …. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Eph.5.18b-20

 And they sang a new song, saying:“You are worthy to take the scrolland to open its seals,because you were slain,and with your blood you purchased for Good persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Rev.5.9

 

A gentle book….

 

A gentle book…

“Theo of Golden is the endearing story of a curious old man who quietly moves into a southern city and, for reasons unknown to anyone but himself, undertakes a campaign of anonymous generosity. 

Theo’s love for people, combined with his fondness for books, art, birds, and story, unite in a colorful expression of outreach and affection. 

Stories are shared, friendships are born, and lives, in response to his inexplicable kindness, are affirmed and transformed. 

The old man, no stranger to sadness and loss, quickly becomes a welcome presence in the community but his new friends and neighbors wonder, who is Theo? And why is he here? 

Beautifully written stories of kindness and neighborliness are always timely, but perhaps especially so now. 

Meet Theo of Golden. He’s happy to meet you”….

I friend sent this book to me…I didn’t know I needed it until 

I started reading…it is not a great theological book, it is a simple gentle book….that is the only way I can describe it and it speaks to my heart that I need right now…I need that gentleness, that encouragement that comes through the pages….how we can be gentle, caring of others…speaking  words of encouragement to people’s hearts…looking at their soul and encouraging that fruit of the spirit to the forefront in other’s lives…….encouragement to show how God is working in the lives of others….

  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matt.11.29

 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Eph.4.2,Eph.4.3,Eph.4.4,Eph.4.6,Eph.4.29,Eph.4.30,Eph.4.31,Eph.4.32

 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Phil.4.5

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Col.3.12-14

 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

1Pet.3.4,1Pet.3.15

Thank YOU…

Gentle Shepherd….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw0WLM85aW4

Instrumental….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVuf6ldrFgk

 

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John.14.1,John.14.27

Hardened hearts…

 Hardened hearts….

 Today, if only you would hear his voice, 

“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness….

Ps.95.7b-8

Meribah means quarreling…

Massage means testing….

Do we see ourselves in either of these circumstances?   Hardening of our hearts results in so much…I will let the word speak for itself…

 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

Prov.28.14

 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.

Dan.5.20

 because they all saw him and were terrified.Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Mark.6.50-52

 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 

This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:“Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 

For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,so they can neither see with their eyes,nor understand with their hearts,nor turn—and I would heal them.” 

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. 

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. 

But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

John.12.37-43

 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Eph.4.18

do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,during the time of testing in the wilderness, 

As has just been said:“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” 

This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts.”

Heb.3.8,Heb.3.15,Heb.4.7

I would rather be blessed than have a hardened heart as the Word speaks about so aptly…

Bible study notes…

“A hardened heart is as useless as a lump of clay, or a hardened loaf of bread. Nothing can restore it r make it useful……when someone’s heart is hardened that person is so stubbornly set in his ways that he or she cannot turn to God….” Useless, worthless as old stale bread or hardened clay…

Our goal should be useful in God’s world, moldable…

Thank YOU…

Have thine own way…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERT7d_HF2Lk

Trunk ….3…

 Trunk…..3…

So what was in the trunk…memories…good ones at that….

1. A 54 year old wedding veil…

2. 8 Hand crocheted lace on a pillowcases…

3. An old “ Night Before Christmas” that my dad read every year, I had to finally frame it as it was falling apart…

4. My college diploma and graduation 👩‍🎓 hat…

5. Letters from one of my grandparents…

6. A 49 year old sweater and bonnet…

7. A 61 year old souvenir from Alaska…

8. A 53 year old hand embroidered bib

9. A 55 year old towel from my grandma Clara, given on their 50th anniversary…..

All sitting on a antique rocking chair that one of my grandmothers refinished and did needlepoint work on the back and seat…

Now they go back into the trunk, not sure for what….

(I actually have few antiques in my house, as there was lots of family to claim items and desire…but, lots of “antiques” by virtue that I still use things that I got at my wedding showers and early marriage, estate sales)

But these items aside…what does God put into our lives, our trunk? What can we put into it…new songs, proclaim Him to “all the people”, praise, peace, offerings, worship, His Truth, the Holy Spirit, comfort, provisions, salvation, righteousness, ….the Fruit of the Spirit, and so much more…

We are filled with abundance, sometimes we just have to sit down , open the lid of our minds and memories and contemplate them, thank HIM for them…

 Sing to the Lord a new song;sing to the Lord, all the earth. 

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;proclaim his salvation day after day. 

Declare his glory among the nations,his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Ps.96.1-3

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law. 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Gal.5.22-25

 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John.14.26-27

Thank YOU…

Gifts from God…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfLGfuINnG4

Psalm 94:18-19

 Psalm 94:8-19….

As I have said previously, I write notes in my Bible…not every page or verse, but those who are meaningful certain times, when I come    upon them again, they bring back the memories and the emotions…maybe some tears or laughter, thankfulness….

This morning it was …

 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. 

When anxiety was great within me,your consolation brought me joy.

Ps.94.18-19

Beside it was a star, a date…and the words “ I am moving away from Elko…” which meant I was moving g away from friends, my home, my church, the mountains…all of which I love…but moving to family and a new beginning as a widow, starting over in a new community, new church ….where I needed God’s support and consolation…..and I needed it badly…I cried in church the day before and my friends crowed around me and prayed peace and love for me…what a gift…and I walked away comforted, trying to count it all joy….

There are just times we need to write those words in our Bibles so we don’t forget what 

God has spoken to us …

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything .

Jas.1.2-4

 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1Pet.5.7

Thank YOU….

Cast all my cares…..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKM4NoTKLzo

Faith journeys…

 Faith journeys….

Our married life as far as finances went was one of feast and famine…we never missed a meal, we never missed house payments, we didn’t carry health insurance s it was too expensive for our budget, our children were fairly healthy, we shopped thrift stores, we always tithed and gave a little more, we hosted simple meals, we hosted missionaries…God provided what we needed…and sometimes wants, desires…

In the last verses of Psalm 90, He talks about “deeds be shown”,  or in psalm 44, “our ancestors have told us”, or in Hab., repeat your deeds…

I have written about my trunk from my ancestors….I would love to hear their stories of crossing the ocean, starting a new life from scratch, daily living, children, etc…what did they experience, how did God Provide….I find that I am guilty of not writing down our stories of feast and  famine, how God provided abundantly, at the last minute, by prayer and fasting, by surprise, helping through crisis and friends…etc….

Help us to remember….praise…stand in awe…

Thank YOU…

 If only we knew the power of your anger!

Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. 

(  It is you alone who are to be feared.Who can stand before you when you are angry?

Ps.76.7)

Relent, Lord! How long will it be?

Have compassion on your servants. 

( My soul is in deep anguish.How long, Lord, how long?

Ps.6.3

 The Lord will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.

Deut.32.36

 For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

Ps.135.14)

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,for as many years as we have seen trouble. 

May your deeds be shown to your servants,your splendor to their children.

( We have heard it with our ears, O God;our ancestors have told us what you did in their days,in days long ago.

Ps.44.1

 Lord, I have heard of your fame;I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.Repeat them in our day,in our time make them known;in wrath remember mercy.

Hab.3.2)

Ps.90.11,Ps.90.13,Ps.90.15,Ps.90.16

I stand in awe of You…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bypinON83r4&list=RDbypinON83r4&start_radio=1&pp=ygUVaSBzdGFuZCBpbiBhd2Ugb2YgeW91oAcB

Trunk..2..

 My trunk …2…

I finished lining the trunk drawer with some upholstery fabric and braids then more Modge Podge…the pictures in lid are the original ones as far as I can tell…

I keep thinking about the age, 160+ years, each time I work on it…the creator of the trunk, the users, etc…all long gone, but did they ever think about the future users…did they wonder what their descendants would be like, what they would do, where they would live….the ones who used this one settled in Nebraska to farm those many years ago, some later moving to Ontario, California to plant orange orchards…then some to central California to rise cattle…(my father told of stories as a young adventurous boy, throwing rotten oranges at passing cars until his father found he and his brothers, they never did it again)…

 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,for as many years as we have seen trouble. 

May your deeds be shown to your servants,your splendor to their children.

Ps.90.14-16

Some of our days are definitely “glad” days while others are definitely “afflicted “…

And we are to thank Him for each one…”in everything give thanks”…

Thank YOU….

Satisfy us with your love…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uayyGjHmvgg

 

Quickly pass…

Maybe it’s me, but the days , years seem to fly by so quickly….here it is February 7th already and next week the month will be half over…didn’t it just turn 2026? Tax season has already started, Easter decorations and items are already being sold…pretty soon the swim suits, summer toys will be on sale with the Fourth of July stuff….and it doesn’t slow down at all….whew, I need to stop and smell the roses….

I am glad that God knows the time…and he has it under control….

 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you,our secret sins in the light of your presence. 

All our days pass away under your wrath;we finish our years with a moan. 

Our days may come to seventy years,or eighty, if our strength endures;yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 

If only we knew the power of your anger!Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

Ps.90.7-11

 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,for they are from of old. 

Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;according to your love remember me,for you, Lord, are good.

Ps.25.6,Ps.25.7

 There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:     

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,     

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,     

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,     

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,     

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,     

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,     

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. 

What do workers gain from their toil? 

I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time. 

He has also set eternity in the human heart; 

yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 

That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 

I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. 

God does it so that people will fear him.

Eccl.3.1-14

Thank YOU….

Turn…. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6jhbtDUZE

My trunk…

 My trunk….

 

I inherited a trunk from one of my grandmothers….it came through Ellis Island in the 1860’s from Germany with one of my ancestors…I realized  I needed to glue the interior paper down as it is peeling  away from the body…so I got out my trusty Modge Podge the other day and painted all of the interior…then of course, as usual I created another project on the inside,..it has a lift-out drawer that was almost in splinters, the wood so brittle…it needed help…my neighbor is wonderful carpenter, so he took and remade the drawer, adding some new wood, the old wood and made a beautiful drawer…now I am refinishing that with paint and upholstery fabric for the liner.

 You turn people back to dust,saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” 

A thousand years in your sight-are like a day that has just gone by,or like a watch in the night. 

Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: 

In the morning it springs up new,but by evening it is dry and withered.

Ps.90.3-6

I thought of pictures taken of trunks decaying and turning to dust along the western trails, crosses of people who had died there as well…time…those years we live, aren’t the thousands that God knows…the years that quickly fly by in our lives…I watch my great grandchildren and am reminded what their grandparents and parents did at their age…not so long ago…He has held us in his hand, cared for us…prepared a place for us….

Thank YOU…

Pslam 90 song….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCDNZwMRYfo

Used….

 Used…

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.  Erma Bombeck….

“Use it up”, my son-in-law about a MAF plane ready to foreign service…

When we were studying First Americans in school, I was intrigued by the many uses they discovered in using a buffalo….it was said they could use everything but but their sound…we have gotten away from that creativity in the many uses of products we have now…we use somethings very little and toss…I am glad we have thrift stores to shop at to continue the use of a variety of items. I grew up wearing hand-me-downs. There was a time when my family collected the over ripe fruits and vegetables from the grocery stores for ourselves and our livestock…we ate like kings as did our livestock!

Reading Psalm 90 reminds us of passing time and good use of it…

 Psalm 90A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 

Before the mountains were bornor you brought forth the whole world,from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 

Teach us to number our days,that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

Ps.90.1,Ps.90.2,Ps.90.12,Ps.90.14,Ps.90.17

Realizing that life is short helps us use the little time we have more wisely and for eternal good.Take time to number your days by asking, “what do I want to see happen in my life before I die?what small step could I take toward that q purpose today….because our days are numbered, we want our work to count, to be effective and productive……”.   Bible study notes…..

Seeing the cancer center every week, reminds me personally of these things…use my time wisely….

Thank YOU….

God’s timing….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BUmXLhhVKs

Photo albums….

 

Photo albums…

I have started going through photo albums of pictures taken on trips that just my husband and I took, not having anything to do with our children…we saw some incredible places and things…I am sorting and purging out stuff that I don’t think my family would be interested in…Castles, temples, street scenes, people…foreign to them and us where gods are revered and God is not honored…there were places I felt so uncomfortable, I had to walk out, not trying to insult local people….I was their guest after all ….

As I read these verses in Psalm 84, I thought of the various places we traversed…I would have rather been in the Lord’s house than some of the tourist places…His Spirit is welcoming rather than not…

I am thankful we saw and experienced so much….God was gracious to allow it in our lives…but, I am sooooo much more thankful we had a “ home “ to come to where God’s presence was so alive…

Thank YOU….

Better is one day in your courts…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEr5Wn7LHvw

 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.

I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.

All sunshine and sovereign is God,generous in gifts and glory.

He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.

It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Ps.84.10-12MSG

 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;the Lord bestows favor and honor;no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 

Lord Almighty,blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Ps.84.10-12NIV

 Psalm 4:8,9,12….

 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;

listen to me, God of Jacob.        Selah…

Look on our shield, O God;         

look with favor on your anointed one. 

( But do not kill them, Lord our shield,or my people will forget.In your might uproot them and bring them down.

Ps.59.11

 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

1Sam.16.6

 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains-and throw off their shackles.”

Ps.2.2,Ps.2.3

 “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one.

Ps.132.17)

Lord Almighty,blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Ps.84.8,Ps.84.9,Ps.84.12

 Kiss his son, or he will be angryand your way will lead to your destruction,for his wrath can flare up in a moment.Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Ps.2.12

“In the Bible, being anointed signifies being chosen and empowered by God for a specific purpose. Anointing often involves the application of oil, symbolizing God's blessing, authority, and the setting apart of individuals for roles such as kings, priests, and prophets.

Biblical Significance

• Chosen by God: Anointing indicates divine selection, as seen in the anointing of kings like Saul and David (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

• Empowerment: It represents the empowerment of individuals to fulfill God's mission, such as the anointing of Jesus, who is referred to as the "Anointed One" or Messiah (Luke 4:18).

Cultural Context

• Ritual Practice: Anointing was a common practice in ancient Israel, often associated with significant life events or transitions.

• Symbol of Healing: Anointing also symbolizes healing and restoration, as seen in James 5:14, where the sick are anointed with oil for healing.

Overall, anointing in the Bible encapsulates themes of divine selection, empowerment, and the presence of God's Spirit in the lives of individuals.”  Web notes…

“Anointing symbolizes God’s blessing, empowerment, and healing. It’s a practice that connects believers with divine purpose and community.”

https://biblicalchronology.com/what-is-the-biblical-meaning-of-anointing/

Lots of good articles…

The Baptism of Jesus…

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-stories/baptism-of-jesus-bible-story.html

Thank YOU…

Psalm 84 song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEPAKmwHhdg