My Strong Habitation...

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.--Psalm 71:3

I am redeemed!  You, my God, have set me free!  You are the house of my habitation..in You I live, move and have my being.  You, O Lord, are my house of defense, my strong tower...my rock.  To You and to You alone will I continually resort.  You have given commandment to save me!  Bend down your ear and deliver me speedily from those who are my enemies...from those who desire to see me fall.  For thy namesake lead me and guide me.  Pull me out of the net they have secretly laid for me.  You are my strength and into Your hands I commit my spirit.   I rejoice in Your mercy.....You have considered my trouble and have known my soul in all its adversities.  You have not given me into the hands of my enemies but have set my feet in a wide place.  You are always with me.

Have mercy on me Lord, for I am in trouble.  Have mercy on me Lord for I am weak.  My soul is consumed with grief and my eyes from crying.  My times are in Your hands.  You hear me when I cry and draw me out of many waters.  My weakness does not place me in jeopardy because You are my strong tower!   Hide me in the secret place of Your tabernacle, show to me Your marvelous kindness.  Make Your face to shine upon me, and save me for thy mercies sake. My hope is in You, my God who preserves the faithful and strengthens the hearts of those who fear You.

I dwell under the shadow of the Almighty God!  You are my refuge and my fortress...my God in whom I will trust..  You give your angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways and make all things work together for good for me...I am called for Your purposes.   You, Father, know my name and have set Your love upon me.!!   I can come boldly to Your throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  When I call, You will answer.  You will honor me and deliver me and show me Your salvation.  I will be strong and of good courage...I will fear not; nor shall I be afraid:  for the Lord, my God goes with me and will not fail me nor forsake me. Happy am I because my God is the Lord.

In My Distress..

In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.--Psalm 138:3

Father,

In my distress, I call upon You....I cry to my God and You hear me!  My cry is heard by Your ears!  You save me out of all my trouble and encamp Your angels all about me.  You deliver me from all my fears...I look to You and am lightened and my face unashamed.  You answer even before I call and when I am still speaking, You hear.  

I will wait on You today, Father.  I will wait on You and You will give me peace.  You will strengthen my heart and give me what I need.  You are the great I AM...the Becoming One...You become for me whatever I need.   You give power to me when I am weak and renew my strength.  I will mount up on wings as eagles; I  will run and not grow weary; I will walk and not faint because You, my God, uphold me. My soul will follow hard after You...Your grace is sufficient  and Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.  I will glory in my infirmities because then Your power will rest upon me, for when I am weak then I am strong!  I will draw near to You, my God, and take shelter under Your wings of love. 

With My Whole Heart...

I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.--Psalm 138:1-2

Father,

I will praise thee with all of my heart and glorify Your holy name, forever.  I will show forth Your marvelous works.  You forgive all my sins and satisfy my mouth with good things.  Your heart is kind toward me...You view me with pleasure and think of me with care!  You hear my cry, protect me from evil  and dwell with me.  I am high in Your esteem....so high that you died that I might live with You forever!   Great is your mercy to me, O Lord; You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You revive me!  All my interests are safe in Your hands.  You are my God who is full of compassion...gracious, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.  You turn to me...You look(ed) upon ME!! and have mercy.  You give strength to Your servant. I will be glad and rejoice in You!  

Fill my mind with thoughts of You...encompass me on every side!  Your word, O Lord, stands forever.  All will be fulfilled...every jot and every tittle.  Let it be my delight always...fulfill in me Your desires!   Put Your words in my mouth...cause me to speak in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  O Father, be the melody of my heart now and forever!

Psalm 27 by Spurgeon

From the Treasury of David

Verse 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Here is personal interest, "my light, ""my salvation; "the soul is assured of it, and therefore, declaring it boldly."My light; "—into the soul at the new birth divine light is poured as the precursor of salvation; where there is not enough light to see our own darkness and to long for the Lord Jesus, there is no evidence of salvation. Salvation finds us in the dark, but it does not leave us there; it gives light to those who sit in the valley of the shadow of death. After conversion our God is our joy, comfort, guide, teacher, and in every sense our light; he is light within, light around, light reflected from us, and light to be revealed to us. Note, it is not said merely that the Lord gives light, but that he "is" light; nor that he gives salvation, but that he is salvation; he, then, who by faith has laid hold upon God has all covenant blessings in his possession. Every light is not the sun, but the sun is the father of all lights. This being made sure as a fact, the argument drawn from it is put in the form of a question, Whom shall I fear? A question which is its own answer. The powers of darkness are not to be feared, for the Lord, our light, destroys them; and the damnation of hell is not to be dreaded by us, for the Lord is our salvation. This is a very different challenge from that of boastful Goliath, for it is based upon a very different foundation; it rests not upon the conceited vigour of an arm of flesh, but upon the real power of the omnipotent I AM. The Lord is the strength of my life. Here is a third glowing epithet, to show that the writer's hope was fastened with a threefold cord which could not be broken. We may well accumulate terms of praise where the Lord lavishes deeds of grace. Our life derives all its strength from him who is the author if it; and if he deigns to make us strong we cannot be weakened by all the machinations of the adversary. Of whom shall I be afraid? The bold question looks into the future as well as the present. "If God be for us, "who can be against us, either now or in time to come?

Verse 2. This verse records a past deliverance, and is an instance of the way in which experience should be employed to reassure our faith in times of trial. Each word is instructive. When the wicked. It is a hopeful sign for us when the wicked hate us; if our foes were godly men it would be a sore sorrow, but as for the wicked their hatred is better than their love. Even mine enemies and my foes.There were many of them, they were of different sorts, but they were unanimous in mischief and hearty in hatred. Came upon me—advanced to the attack, leaping upon the victim like a lion upon its prey. To eat up my flesh, like cannibals they would make a full end of the man, tear him limb from limb, and make a feast for their malice. The enemies of our souls are not deficient in ferocity, they yield no quarter, and ought to have none in return. See in what danger David was; in the grip and grasp of numerous, powerful, and cruel enemies, and yet observe his perfect safety and their utter discomfiture! They stumbled and fell. God's breath blew them off their legs. There were stones in the way which they never reckoned upon, and over these they made an ignominious tumble. This was literally true in the case of our Lord in Gethsemane, when those who came to take him went backward and fell to the ground; and herein he was a prophetic representative of all wrestling believers who, rising from their knees shall, by the power of faith, throw their foes upon their faces.

Verse 3. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.Before the actual conflict, while as yet the battle is untried, the warrior's heart, being held in suspense, is very liable to become fluttered. The encamping host often inspires greater dread than the same host in actual affray. Young tells us of some—"Who feel a thousand deaths in fearing one." Doubtless the shadow of anticipated trouble is, to timorous minds, a more prolific source of sorrow than the trouble itself, but faith puts a strengthening plaister to the back of courage, and throws out of the window the dregs of the cup of trembling. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. When it actually comes to push of pike, faith's shield will ward off the blow; and if the first brush should be but the beginning of a war, yet faith's banners will wave in spite of the foe. Though battle should succeed battle, and one campaign should be followed by another, the believer will not be dismayed at the length of the conflict. Reader, this third verse is the comfortable and logical inference from the second, confidence is the child of experience. Have you been delivered out of great perils? then set up your ensign, wait at your watch fire, and let the enemy do his worst.

Verse 4. One thing. Divided aims tend to distraction, weakness, disappointment. The man of one book is eminent, the man of one pursuit is successful. Let all our affections be bound up in one affection, and that affection set upon heavenly things. Have I desired—what we cannot at once attain, it is well to desire. God judges us very much by the desire of our hearts. He who rides a lame horse is not blamed by his master for want of speed, if he makes all the haste he can, and would make more if he could; God takes the will for the deed with his children.Of the Lord. This is the right target for desires, this is the well into which to dip our buckets, this is the door to knock at, the bank to draw upon; desire of men, and lie upon the dunghill with Lazarus: desire of the Lord, and to be carried of angels into Abraham's bosom. Our desires of the Lord should be sanctified, humble, constant, submissive, fervent, and it is well if, as with the psalmist, they are all molten into one mass. Under David's painful circumstances we might have expected him to desire repose, safety, and a thousand other good things, but no, he has set his heart on the pearl, and leaves the rest. That will I seek after. Holy desires must lead to resolute action. The old proverb says, "Wishers and woulders are never good housekeepers, "and "wishing never fills a sack." Desires are seed which must be sown in the good soil of activity, or they will yield no harvest. We shall find our desires to be like clouds without rain, unless followed up by practical endeavours. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. For the sake of communion with the King, David longed to dwell always in the palace; so far from being wearied with the services of the Tabernacle, he longed to be constantly engaged in them, as his life long pleasure. He desired above all things to be one of the household of God, a home born child, living at home with his Father. This is our dearest wish, only we extend it to those days of our immortal life which have not yet dawned. We pine for our Father's house above, the home of our souls; if we may but dwell there for ever, we care but little for the goods or ills of this poor life. "Jerusalem the golden" is the one and only goal of our heart's longings. To behold the beauty of the Lord.An exercise both for earthly and heavenly worshippers. We must not enter the assemblies of the saints in order to see and be seen, or merely to hear the minister; we must repair to the gatherings of the righteous, intent upon the gracious object of learning more of the loving Father, more of the glorified Jesus, more of the mysterious Spirit, in order that we may the more lovingly admire, and the more reverently adore our glorious God. What a word is that, "the beauty of the Lord!" Think of it, dear reader! Better far—behold it by faith! What a sight will that be when every faithful follower of Jesus shall behold "the King in his beauty!" Oh, for that infinitely blessed vision! And to enquire in his temple. We should make our visits to the Lord's house enquirers' meetings. Not seeking sinners alone, but assured saints should be enquirers. We must enquire as to the will of God and how we may do it; as to our interest in the heavenly city, and how we may be more assured of it. We shall not need to make enquiries in heaven, for there we shall know even as we are known; but meanwhile we should sit at Jesus' feet, and awaken all our faculties to learn of him.

Verse 5. This verse gives an excellent reason for the psalmist's desire after communion with God, namely, that he was thus secured in the hour of peril. For in the time of trouble, that needy time, that time when others forsake me, he shall hide me in his pavilion: he shall give me the best of shelter in the worst of danger. The royal pavilion was erected in the centre of the army, and around it all the mighty men kept guard at all hours; thus in that divine sovereignty which almighty power is sworn to maintain, the believer peacefully is hidden, hidden not by himself furtively, but by the king, who hospitably entertains him. In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me. Sacrifice aids sovereignty in screening the elect from harm. No one of old dared to enter the most holy place on pain of death; and if the Lord has hidden his people there, what foe shall venture to molest them? He shall set me up upon a rock. Immutability, eternity, and infinite power here come to the aid of sovereignty and sacrifice. How blessed is the standing of the man whom God himself sets on high above his foes, upon an impregnable rock which never can be stormed! Well may we desire to dwell with the Lord who so effectually protects his people.

Verse 6. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. He is quite sure of it. Godly men of old prayed in faith, nothing wavering, and spoke of their answer to their prayers as a certainty. David was by faith so sure of a glorious victory over all those who beset him, that he arranged in his own heart what he would do when his foes lay all prostrate before him; that arrangement was such as gratitude suggested. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy. That place for which he longed in his conflict, should see his thankful joy in his triumphant return. He does not speak of jubilations to be offered in his palace, and feastings in his banqueting halls, but holy mirth he selects as most fitting for so divine a deliverance. I will sing. This is the most natural mode of expressing thankfulness. Yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. The vow is confirmed by repetition, and explained by addition, which addition vows all the praise unto Jehovah. Let who will be silent, the believer when his prayer is heard, must and will make his praise to be heard also; and let who will sing unto the vanities of the world, the believer reserves his music for the Lord alone.

Verse 7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice. The pendulum of spirituality swings from prayer to praise. The voice which in the last verse was tuned to music is here turned to crying. As a good soldier, David knew how to handle his weapons, and found himself much at home with the weapon of "all prayer." Note his anxiety to be heard. Pharisees care not a fig for the Lord's hearing them, so long as they are heard of men, or charm their own pride with their sounding devotions; but with a genuine man, the Lord's ear is everything. The voice may be profitably used even in private prayer; for though it is unnecessary, it is often helpful, and aids in preventing distractions. Have mercy also upon me. Mercy is the hope of sinners and the refuge of saints. All acceptable petitioners dwell much upon this attribute. And answer me. We may expect answers to prayer, and should not be easy without them any more than we should be if we had written a letter to a friend upon important business, and had received no reply.

Verse 8. In this verse we are taught that if we would have the Lord hear our voice, we must be careful to respond to his voice. The true heart should echo the will of God as the rocks among the Alps repeat in sweetest music the notes of the peasant's horn. Observe, that the command was in the plural, to all the saints,Seek ye; but the man of God turned it into the singular by a personal application,Thy face, Lord, will I seek. The voice of the Lord is very effectual where all other voices fail. When thou saidst, then my heart, my inmost nature was moved to an obedient reply. Note the promptness of the response—no sooner said than done; as soon as God said "seek, "the heart said, "I will seek." Oh, for more of this holy readiness! Would to God that we were more plastic to the divine hand, more sensitive of the touch of God's Spirit.

Verse 9. Hide not thy face far from me. The word "far" is not in the original, and is a very superfluous addition of the translators, since even the least hiding of the Lord's face is a great affliction to a believer. The command to seek the Lord's face would be a painful one if the Lord, by withdrawing himself, rendered it impossible for the seeker to meet with him. A smile from the Lord is the greatest of comforts, his frown the worst of ills. Put not thy servant away in anger. Other servants had been put away when they proved unfaithful, as for instance, his predecessor Saul; and this made David, while conscious of many faults, most anxious that divine long suffering should continue him in favour. This is a most appropriate prayer for us under a similar sense of unworthiness. Thou hast been my help. How truly can we join in this declaration; for many years, in circumstances of varied trial, we have been upheld by our God, and must and will confess our obligation. "Ingratitude, "it is said, "is natural to fallen man, "but to spiritual men it is unnatural and detestable. Leave me not, neither forsake me.A prayer for the future, and an inference from the past. If the Lord had meant to leave us, why did he begin with us? Past help is but a waste of effort if the soul now be deserted. The first petition, "leave me not, "may refer to temporary desertions, and the second word to the final withdrawal of grace, both are to be prayed against; and concerning the second, we have immutable promises to urge.O God of my salvation. A sweet title worthy of much meditation.

Verse 10. When my father and my mother forsake me. These dear relations will be the last to desert me, but if the milk of human kindness should dry up even from their breasts, there is a Father who never forgets. Some of the greatest of the saints have been cast out by their families, and persecuted for righteousness' sake. Then the Lord will take me up. Will espouse my cause, will uplift me from my woes, will carry me in his arms, will elevate me above my enemies, will at last receive me to his eternal dwelling place.

Verse 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord. He does not pray to be indulged with his own way, but to be informed as to the path in which the righteous Jehovah would have him walk. This prayer evinces an humble sense of personal ignorance, great teachableness of spirit, and cheerful obedience of heart. Lead me in a plain path.Help is here sought as well as direction; we not only need a map of the way, but a guide to assist us in the journey. A path is here desired which shall be open, honest, straightforward, in opposition to the way of cunning, which is intricate, tortuous, dangerous. Good men seldom succeed in fine speculations and doubtful courses; plain simplicity is the best spirit for an heir of heaven: let us leave shifty tricks and political expediencies to the citizens of the world—the New Jerusalem owns plain men for its citizens. Esau was a cunning hunter, Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Because of mine enemies. These will catch us if they can, but the way of manifest, simple honesty is safe from their rage. It is wonderful to observe how honest simplicity baffles and outwits the craftiness of wickedness. Truth is wisdom. "Honesty is the best policy."

Verse 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; or I should be like a victim cast to the lions, to be rent in pieces and utterly devoured. God be thanked that our foes cannot have their way with us, or Smithfield would soon be on a blaze again. For false witnesses are risen up against me. Slander is an old fashioned weapon out of the armoury of hell, and is still in plentiful use; and no matter how holy a man may be, there will be some who will defame him. "Give a dog an ill name, and hang him; "but glory be to God, the Lord's people are not dogs, and their ill names do not injure them. And such as breathe out cruelty. It is their vital breath to hate the good; they cannot speak without cursing them; such was Paul before conversion. They who breathe out cruelty may well expect to be sent to breathe their native air in hell; let persecutors beware!

Verse 13. Faintness of heart is a common infirmity; even he who slew Goliath was subject to its attacks. Faith puts its bottle of cordial to the lip of the soul, and so prevents fainting. Hope is heaven's balm for present sorrow. In this land of the dying, it is our blessedness to be looking and longing for our fair portion in the land of the living, whence the goodness of God has banished the wickedness of man, and where holy spirits charm with their society those persecuted saints who were vilified and despised among men. We must believe to see, not see to believe; we must wait the appointed time, and stay our soul's hunger with foretastes of the Lord's eternal goodness which shall soon be our feast and our song.

Verse 14. Wait on the Lord. Wait at his door with prayer; wait at his foot with humility; wait at his table with service; wait at his window with expectancy. Suitors often win nothing but the cold shoulder from earthly patrons after long and obsequious waiting; he speeds best whose patron is in the skies. Be of good courage. A soldier's motto. Be it mine. Courage we shall need, and for the exercise of it we have as much reason as necessity, if we are soldiers of King Jesus. And he shall strengthen thine heart. He can lay the plaister right upon the weak place. Let the heart be strengthened, and the whole machine of humanity is filled with power; a strong heart makes a strong arm. What strength is this which God himself gives to the heart? Read the "Book of Martyrs, "and see its glorious deeds of prowess; go to God rather, and get such power thyself. Wait, I say, on the Lord. David, in the words "I say, "sets his own private seal to the word which, as an inspired man, he had been moved to write. It is his testimony as well as the command of God, and indeed he who writes these scanty notes has himself found it so sweet, so reviving, so profitable to draw near to God, that on his own account he also feels bound to write, "Wait, I SAY, on the Lord."

Returning and Rest...

When the Assyrian army came against Judah, they did not go God for help.  Instead, they trusted in the strength of Pharoah and the shadow of Egypt.  The leaders of Judah trusted man not God, and God rightly called them rebellious and lying children who wanted Him out of the way so that they could do what they wanted.  The consequences were great.

Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel,
Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare.
So there shall not be found among its fragments
A shard to take fire from the hearth,
Or to take water from the cistern.”

Reading Isaiah 30 is always such a good reminder for me.  I love the Lord...I want His counsel....I want His advice...I want to walk in His way and in His strength BUT there are still areas of my life that I have not surrendered...there are still times when my trust is placed in man rather in my omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God who loves me with an everlasting love and who sent His Son to die for me and even now lives to make intercession for me.  

Read verses 15 and 18...The Lord waits for us to come to Him for help!

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Look at the blessings to those who come and obey...

Answered prayer

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.

Guidance

And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

Cleansing

You will also defile the covering of your images of silver,
And the ornament of your molded images of gold.
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, “Get away!”

Fruitfulness and healing

Then He will give the rain for your seed
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.

Reading the last verses...victory and a song shall be ours!

You shall have a song
As in the night when a holy festival is kept,
And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute,
To come into the mountain of the Lord,
To the Mighty One of Israel.
The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard,
And show the descent of His arm,
With the indignation of His anger
And the flame of a devouring fire,
With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.

For through the voice of the Lord
Assyria will be beaten down,
As He strikes with the rod.
 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes,
Which the Lord lays on him,
It will be with tambourines and harps;
And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
 For Tophet was established of old,
Yes, for the king it is prepared.
He has made it deep and large;
Its pyre is fire with much wood;
The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone,
Kindles it.

Praying that I can trust my God with my whole heart and let Him have His perfect way in every part of my life.

Isaiah 30 is below in its entirety from the Bible Gateway.

30 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
² Who walk to go down to Egypt,
And have not asked My advice,
To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
³ Therefore the strength of Pharaoh
Shall be your shame,
And trust in the shadow of Egypt
Shall be your humiliation.
⁴ For his princes were at Zoan,
And his ambassadors came to Hanes.
⁵ They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them,
Or be help or benefit,
But a shame and also a reproach.”

⁶ The burden against the beasts of the South.

Through a land of trouble and anguish,
From which came the lioness and lion,
The viper and fiery flying serpent,
They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys,
And their treasures on the humps of camels,
To a people who shall not profit;
⁷ For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose.
Therefore I have called her
Rahab-Hem-Shebeth.

⁸ Now go, write it before them on a tablet,
And note it on a scroll,
That it may be for time to come,
Forever and ever:
⁹ That this is a rebellious people,
Lying children,
Children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
¹⁰ Who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
¹¹ Get out of the way,
Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel
To cease from before us.”

¹² Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
¹³ Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
¹⁴ And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel,
Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare.
So there shall not be found among its fragments
A shard to take fire from the hearth,
Or to take water from the cistern.”

¹⁵ For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
¹⁶ And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”—
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!

¹⁷ One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.

¹⁸ Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

¹⁹ For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.
²⁰ And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
²¹ Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
²² You will also defile the covering of your images of silver,
And the ornament of your molded images of gold.
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, “Get away!”

²³ Then He will give the rain for your seed
With which you sow the ground,
And bread of the increase of the earth;
It will be fat and plentiful.
In that day your cattle will feed
In large pastures.
²⁴ Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground
Will eat cured fodder,
Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
²⁵ There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
²⁶ Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.

²⁷ Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
Burning with His anger,
And His burden is heavy;
His lips are full of indignation,
And His tongue like a devouring fire.
²⁸ His breath is like an overflowing stream,
Which reaches up to the neck,
To sift the nations with the sieve of futility;
And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people,
Causing them to err.

²⁹ You shall have a song
As in the night when a holy festival is kept,
And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute,
To come into the mountain of the Lord,
To the Mighty One of Israel.
³⁰ The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard,
And show the descent of His arm,
With the indignation of His anger
And the flame of a devouring fire,
With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
³¹ For through the voice of the Lord
Assyria will be beaten down,
As He strikes with the rod.
³² And in every place where the staff of punishment passes,
Which the Lord lays on him,
It will be with tambourines and harps;
And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
³³ For Tophet was established of old,
Yes, for the king it is prepared.
He has made it deep and large;
Its pyre is fire with much wood;
The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone,
Kindles it.

Casting All Your Cares...

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.--1 Peter 5:7


The casting part...

See Hannah's example in 1 Samuel 1:10-18

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. --1 Samuel 1:10

and David's

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.--1 Samuel 30:6

and David's again:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!--psalm 27:13-14

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass--Psalm 37:5

Matthew 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Psalm 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain the: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 56:3-4  What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.  In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do to me.

Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  

(I love that!!  Don't be careful...literally full of cares...for anything...sometimes the King James says it best!

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.  

-----------

for He cares for you.

The caring about you part...

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.--Psalm 34:15  

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me:  refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. --Psalm 142:4-5   

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they?--Matthew 6:26

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.--Matthew 6:33  

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was great calm.--Mark 4:38-39  

Fear not little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. --Luke 12:32 

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.--John 10:11  

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.--John 10:13 

The Lord is Near....

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.  And saves such as have a contrite spirit. --Psalm 34:18

by Spurgeon

Near in friendship to accept and console. Broken hearts think God far away, when he is really most near them; their eyes are holden so that they see not their best friend. Indeed, he is with them, and in them, but they know it not. They run hither and thither, seeking peace in their own works, or in experiences, or in proposals and resolutions, whereas the Lord is nigh them, and the simple act of faith will reveal him. And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. What a blessed token for good is a repentant, mourning heart! Just when the sinner condemns himself, the Lord graciously absolves him. If we chasten our own spirits the Lord will spare us. He never breaks with the rod of judgment those who are already sore with the rod of conviction. Salvation is linked with contrition

Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Thus are they made like Jesus their covenant Head. Scripture does not flatter us like the story books with the idea that goodness will secure us from trouble; on the contrary, we are again and again warned to expect tribulation while we are in this body. Our afflictions come from all points of the compass, and are as many and as tormenting as the mosquitoes of the tropics. It is the earthly portion of the elect to find thorns and briars growing in their pathway, yea, to lie down among them, finding their rest broken and disturbed by sorrow. BUT, blessed but, how it takes the sting out of the previous sentence! But the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Through troops of ills Jehovah shall lead his redeemed scatheless and triumphant. There is an end to the believer's affliction, and a joyful end too. None of his trials can hurt so much as a hair of his head, neither can the furnace hold him for a moment after the Lord bids him come forth of it. Hard would be the lot of the righteous if this promise, like a bundle of camphire, were not bound up in it, but this sweetens all. The same Lord who sends the afflictions will also recall them when his design is accomplished, but he will never allow the fiercest of them to rend and devour his beloved.

Rejoice Evermore!!!

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

The joy word in my Treasury of Scripture for this verse brought me to 1 Thessalonians 5:16 which commands us to rejoice always.  In the Greek the words are placed in the order of emphasis so the literal translation would be this "at all times be rejoicing."   That is quite a command.  Now the word rejoice brought me to the driftwood plaque that a sister in the Lord made for my family and the Warren Wiersbe Be Joyful book that my family gifted hers with.  I do not think this is a coincidence...thinking these are words from Jesus to both families involved. 

Truly, the only thing that matters is Jesus and yes we are to rejoice because He is ours and whatever He is doing in my life and in my sweet sister's life and in our lives together is from Him.  Yes, we are sorrowful yet always rejoicing because He is at the helm...He is ordering all the events in both our lives for our good and His glory.  (Romans 8:28)  He is our Comforter...He manifiests Himself to those who love Him...He comes and makes His home with those who keep His word and therefore love Him.  His joy is in our salvation...His joy is our Oneness with Him.  The book and the driftwood are His reminders to both our families to REJOICE...

In chapters13-17 of John the words joy and full are mentioned 8 times.  Remember that this was our Lord's darkest time...it was the hour of his betrayal..it was the hour when all forsook Him and it was the hour of his death.  It was also His hour that shines with the most glory...it was the hour that our salvation was brought near.  Yes, they would be sorrowful that He was going away but He had to go away in order to bring them back to Him.  He had to go away in order to send them the Holy Spirit.  He had to go away in order that they might be with Him always.   If they had truly understood what Jesus was saying they would have rejoiced!  Thinking that that is what He is telling us...If we truly understood what Jesus is doing in our lives, we would rejoice...so Jesus tells us to trust Him and to ...REJOICE...this is all for your good.  Yes, these are pretty dark times but we can rejoice in the Lord throughout no matter how sorrowful, frustrated and yes, insane our circumstances might sometimes make us.  

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.--Philippians 3:1

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!--Philippians 4:1

Rejoicing with my sweet sister and praying that both of us would abound in love and hope by the power of His Spirit who dwells in us.  Beloved, don't grow weary in doing good.  Run the race with endurance that He has set before you...looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”--John 16:33

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.--2 Corinthians 6:4-10..

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.--Matthew 5:12

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”--Luke 10:20

rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;--Romans 12:12

Blessed Are You Who Mourn....

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.--Psalm 126:6

Blessed are you who mourn over your sin, for you shall be comforted!  You who sow to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life!   Draw water then from His fountain with joy.   Praise His name and declare His doings among the people.  He will cause you to walk by the rivers of water in a straight way and not stumble.  He will make your soul like a well watered garden with no sorrow added.

The Lord's anger is but for a moment; His favor for life...weeping may endure for a night by joy comes in the morning.  He has brought our souls up out of the grave.  He keeps us alive and makes us stand strong.  We are His forever.  Cry out to Him and to Him make your supplication.  Seek Him....He will hear and be your Helper.  He will turn your mourning into dancing and put off your sackcloth....He will gird you once again with gladness.

Your God will give to you that mourn beauty for ashes,  the oil of joy for mourning,  and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness...you will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.   Look to Him and be radiant...your face unashamed. He will lift your burdens and have compassion on You.  Take your rest in safety and do not be afraid.  Your hope is secure in Him.  The Lord will be in your midst and shall lead you unto living fountains of water and wipe away every tear from your eyes.  He will fill  your mouth with laughter and your tongue with singing!  Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever...


I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always on my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side--Chris Tomlin - Whom Shall I Fear

The Brightness of His Glory...

Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;--Hebrews 1:3

I have decided to allow Scripture to interpret Scripture here as I am feeling very small and very inadequate to the task of applying my own words to this passage.   I am truly overwhelmed by the beauty, simplicity and depth of the book of Hebrews.  

Who being the brightness of His glory

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.--John 1:14

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.--John 14:9-10

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to givethe light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.--2nd Corinthians 4:6

and the express image of His person,

The Son is the perfect imprint, the exact representation of the nature and essence of God in time and space. --John MacArthur

whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.--2nd Corinthians 4:4

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.--Colossians 1:15-16

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?--John 14:9

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;--Colossians 2:9

and upholding all things...

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.--Colossians 1:16-17

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”--Revelation 4:11

Not only does He uphold all things  but he directs all things toward the consummation of all things according to God's sovereign purpose.  He who spoke all things into existence also sustains His creation and consummates His purpose by His word. --John MacArthur  

And if you are a believer look at this passage in Romans 8.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.--Romans 8:28

 by the word of His power, 

Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”--Ecclesiastes 8:4

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God,  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.--John 1:1-5

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.--2nd Corinthians 4:7

by Himself purged our sins,...

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.--Hebrews 7:26-27

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?--Hebrews 9:12-14

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!--John 1:29

sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;...

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,--Hebrews 10:12

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.--Hebrews 12:2

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.--Romans 8:34

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.--Revelation 3:21

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,

The power and the glory,

The victory and the majesty;

For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;

Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,

And You are exalted as head over all.--1 Chronicles 29:11

Cry of My Heart...

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.--Ephesians 5:1-2


O Father, I want to walk as You walked....in love and in full surrender.  Help me to be likeminded with You..to be of Your mind so that Your Spirit has full control of my heart.  I want to pursue those things which make for peace and edify the body of Christ in love. Help me to embrace whatever You have for me.  Show me today and every day the treasures of darkness in the hidden places.  Release me daily from the prison of self and help me to live for You alone.  Be the light about me always.  Open the eyes of my heart to want what You want knowing it is best.  Let me walk in joy knowing You are with me.  I am excited, Father, about what You will do!  Show me what to pray for!  Let me see Your kindness and mercy all around me. Give me strength for today.  My hope is in you, Father.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.--Ephesians 4:32

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.--Luke 6:35-36