Praise the Lord, O My Soul...

Ps 146 begins and ends in the same way...Praise the LORD!  We start out in verse 1-2 with a commitment to praise.  What stopped me here...as silly as it might sound...were the words, “O my soul”.   You hear that a lot in the Psalms.  Sometimes I can read a phrase again and again and really not think about its meaning.  This was NOT one of those times.  The Psalmist is exhorting himself to practice what he preached!  Sometimes that is soooo hard.  My soul this morning was not in a place that lends itself easily to praise...a place of sorrow and grief.

Truth be told there IS much ongoing heartache and sorrow in my life that I am powerless to remedy.  The underlying song and background melody of my heart is joyful gratitude for all my God has done, but often my immediate presenting emotion is grief. In the past I have fought hard against this grief allowing myself to be deceived into thinking it wasn’t a big deal...that my grief wasn’t really that hard or even that sad...that I was just being a baby.  Condemnation is from the enemy.  Life IS hard and very often filled with sorrow.   There are and will be seasons where“Sorrow and Suffering” will be constant companions.   We ALL will face sorrows here on this earth...the difference is whether we face them with Him or without Him. I am so grateful that by His grace, I face my sorrows with Him!   AND THAT is where I began praising my God this morning.

 I am grateful, Father, that You are always with me...that You are my ever present hope and my never failing help.  I am grateful that whatever I go through in this life, I go through with You, my God, who works all of it together for my good and Your glory.

I am grateful that You don’t change...You are the same yesterday, today and forever.   I am grateful for Your word to me....it is my never failing comfort.  I am grateful that You are my God who “keeps faith forever”.  (Ps 146:6) None of Your promises fail...They are eternal in the heavens.  Truly, Father, Your steadfast love to me never ends.  I am grateful that my trials will make me more like You.  I am grateful that I can look to your example of other-centered, selfless love in my grief.  You were despised and rejected...and yet You were not overwhelmed in Your sorrow.   In Your greatest sorrow You poured Yourself out in the most magnificent display of love mankind has ever seen!   You suffered for us (me) and died so that we (I) could have the opportunity to live with You forever! 

In Your sorrow Jesus, Your concern was for others. On the cross burdened with the sin and grief of all the world, Your focus was for the thief beside You, for Your mom's well being, and for forgiving those who were crucifying You.   Seeing Your example and KNOWING Your love for me how can I wallow in my own sorrow...how can I not praise You!!?   I will do as Your word tells me and cast my burdens on You because You care for me...I will bear another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.  As I praise You this morning, my sorrow is lightened and my heart encouraged.  I will press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call.  What is the goal?   Christlikeness in the here and now...What is the prize?  Christlikeness in Heaven. 

Finally, I am thankful that it is You my God who works in me both to will and to do for Your good pleasure.  I am grateful that You will complete the good work You began in me. 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” --Matthew 11:28-30

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.--2nd Corinthians 3:18

Sosthenes’ Conversion - Acts 18

12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,
13 saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law."
14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews,
15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things."
16 And he drove them from the tribunal.
17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this. (Acts 18:12-17, ESV)

I found it interesting to note that evidently Sosthenes later converted to Christianity because we find him joining with Paul in addressing the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:1.

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, (1 Corinthians 1:1, ESV)

Did the Christians minister to his wounds after the beating??  If so, was that the cause of his conversion?   It is interesting to speculate...It certainly would have provided them with a perfect opportunity and a captive audience to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him and at the same time live out the words of Romans 12 before Sosthenes.

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."....Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I also found it interesting to note that had Gallio ruled in the Jews’ favor, Christianity could have been banned throughout the Roman Empire.

Psalm 145 - David’s Psalm of Praise...

Ps 145 is David’s Psalm of Praise. It is a beautiful psalm and served today to remind me to pray that His praise  would be continually on my lips. Oh to live in a way that praises and glorifies You, Father, moment by moment...even and ESPECIALLY as I face difficulties.  I outlined Psalm 145 as I read it because I want to worship like David...I wanted to replicate his pattern of praise.  Standing in awe this morning of our God and thanking God for the example of the heart of David his servant...the sweet psalmist of Israel.

Outline Ps 145

First is the commitment to Praise...the most important one for me today...

1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.  (Psalms 145:1, ESV)

Next, David speaks to God’s awesome greatness...vs 3-7

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable....They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.  

He moves on to God’s great grace in verses 8-13.  

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love...Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]  

My favorite is next....In verses 14-16 David speaks of God’s unfailing faithfulness. 

The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.  15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.  

Verses 17-20 look at His perfect righteousness...

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works....The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.  

David ends the Psalm similar to how he began with an exhortation to praise.  (Vs 21)

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.  

Praise is comely and the one who offers it, glorifies You.   Sing joyfully to the Lord, o you righteous...sing to Him a new song...for His word is right and by it the heavens were made. The earth is full of His goodness. His counsel stands forever, the plans of His heart of love toward us to all generations. He has chosen us as His own and fashioned our hearts individually.  Hallelujah!!

Acts 17:22-34

I love this entire passage.  Every time I read it and go through some of the cross-reference verses my respect and admiration for Paul grows.  Truly, he was a master evangelizer who loved and desired very much to reach the people he ministered to with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  My favorite verse is verse 28 where Paul quotes two Greek poets.

“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'”

David Guzik says that “Paul did not quote these men because they were prophets or because all their teaching was of God. He quoted them because these specific words reflected a Biblical truth, and by using them he could build a bridge to his pagan audience.”

I am so glad he did...this verse from the time I first read it 25 years ago until now has ministered to me almost daily.  Such a precious truth.  I am in Christ. It is in Him that I live and move and have my being.  I am a His offspring.  I am safe...my refuge is in Him who Paul said made the world and everything in it. He is my dwelling place.  I can only fall as far as His everlasting arms.

Blessed be the LORD my Rock,

My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,

Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!—Psalm 144:1;2;15

Mark 2:17

Mk 2:17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

The “righteous” Pharisees accused Jesus of not keeping himself separate from sinners.  Jesus’ crime then was that He was a friend of sinners.  This morning I am seeing the irony in the meaning of the word “Pharisee”. It means separated one”.  The Pharisees separated themselves from what THEY considered to be unholy.  Tragically, this included Jesus, the beloved Son of God. They were separated from the love of God by their own self-declared righteousness.

Malachi 3:7 - Yet from the days of your fathers. You have gone away from My ordinances. And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’(of what shall we repent?)

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him. —Prov 26:12

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.—Ps 36:7-12

Sweet Lullaby....

I always think of Ps 37 as a sweet lullaby filled with truth, guidance, wisdom and comfort whispered to me by my God to quiet my fears and allay my concerns. His promises are true, His love is immeasurable and His heart is for me.  Don’t fret my love...delight yourself in me and rest. ❤️

2 Kings 8

And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover.’ However the Lord has shown me that he will really die.” Then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel:—2 Kings 8:10-12a

There are times when I wish I could know what is to come or see how things in the future might turn out.  The older I get, however, the less this is the case.  I am more and more content to rest in the day...to enjoy the moment so to speak.  Truly, it is a gift from God that we are not in control....that we can’t see into another’s heart, or see into the future.  But, oh, how difficult it must have been for Elisha to see the evil that Hazael would do...his murder of Ben-hadad...the atrocities he would commit when he became king in his stead and be powerless to stop it.

Hazael speaking in response to Elisha’s revelation.

But what is your servant; a dog, that should do this gross thing?—2 Kings 8:13

I am of the opinion that Hazael had already planned this assassination and was feigning humility here, but perhaps he hadn’t planned it and was unaware of the evil that dwelt in his own heart. The application for me is the same for both scenarios.  Don’t take offense.  When God speaks, receive His word as it says in James with meekness which means without argument.  Hazael should have humbly taken this as a warning to either examine his heart and take heed to do right lest he fall or to turn and repent of his evil plan.

Father...Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good.  Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalm 142...

I cry out to the LORD with my voice;
         With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
         I declare before Him my trouble.


Lord, I cry out to You with my voice. It is a relief to hear my voice crying out to You, my God.  I know now that I have come to the right place.  I know now, as I hear my own voice crying out to You that you will hear me and deliver me.  I am not going anywhere else with my problem...I am going straight to You.  You are my Father and I am bringing my heart full of care and troubles and turning it upside down before You.  I am holding nothing back.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
         Then You knew my path.
         In the way in which I walk
         
Lord, I feel covered in clouds and fog and can't see my way past them.  I can't think!  I feel pulled in every direction.  Father, I have no peace!  I cannot even see my own feet no less the path I should take.

Here is what I know, Father.  Despite my confusion, despite my anxiety, despite my crushed spirit...I can take comfort and solace in the fact that You know it all.  Lord, I know when I feel as if I am drowning in trouble and anxiety and have lost my ability to reason...You NEVER do.  When things are too much for me and I am overwhelmed then You carry me...you know the way I need to take.  You will not fail to help one who is trusting in You.  What a relief to know that I can just take your hand and let you lead.

Naaman the Leper...

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ “Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.—2 Kings 5:10-12

I am always amazed at the strength of the human will and the depth of pride and depravity in the human heart.  Truly our hearts are as Jeremiah said, “desperately wicked”...who could know them?

Naaman came all the way from Syria on the word of a captive Israeli servant girl to find healing for his leprosy, and when given instruction on how to find that healing, he refused to submit because it did not appeal to his pride. Truly, salvation is and must be from beginning to end, the power of God.  Naaman’s biggest obstacle to healing was his own prideful, wicked heart.  My biggest obstacle in following and submitting to my God is the same...me, myself and I.  I am so thankful for the wise and godly people my God  has surrounded me with as I am sure Naaman was for his wise servants and the good advice he received from them.  Crying  out with Paul here..O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.—Psalm 19:8

My Defender....

I know that the LORD will maintain
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.—Ps 140:12-13

My God who cares for the poor and the afflicted is my Defender!  The judge of all the earth pleads for me...I shall not be moved or put to shame.  He makes His goodness follow me and covers my missteps with His mercy.  The LORD hears the desires of the humble...My God will not despise my prayer...My God will maintain my cause.

I will look to You, my Father in heaven, and will be radiant.  I will be glad in You, mySavior, and my mouth will be filled with Your praises.  It will be well with me, but the ones who afflict me will eat the fruit of their doings.  You will guide me with Your counsel and show me the path of life.  In Your Presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand pleasures for evermore...

Godly Examples in 2 Kings 4

There is so much in the first part of 2 Kings 4...I just want to read and reread it and pray that I can take a page so to speak out of both these women’s books.

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil...

Lord...I want to trust You when my faith is tested.  I want to cry out as this woman did and bring my need to You knowing that You will regard my prayer.   You heard the cry of this woman’s heart who was widowed, destitute and oppressed.  Your power multiplied “little” into “much,” filling all the vessels she had gathered to meet her need.

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman...

Lord...I want to show concern and kindness to others like the Shunammite woman from 2 Kings 4.  Oh to have spiritual eyes to see a need among Your people and pray for You to use me to fill it.   Such a kind other-centered heart.  I love her answer to Elisha when he asked what he could do for her in return for her care and concern for him.  “I dwell among my own people”, she replied.  She WAS content!  She wanted nothing!   We read in verse 14 that her husband was old and that they were childless.  She suffered the stigma of barrenness and her husband might die without an heir to carry on his name and yet she asked for nothing!   Her God knew her need, though, and filled the longing in her heart and gave her what money could not purchase...a son.   Oh, Father, work in me a contented spirit that trusts in Your kindness and provision and that looks to bless others.

Psalm 139...

Ps 139 literally brings tears of thanksgiving, tears of relief, tears of joy, tears of awe and tears of the certain hope of coming home to my eyes. Ps 139 brings my heart home.  It brings my heart right to my Father and I relax...my journey is over...my striving is over.  In Him, I find rest. In Him, I don’t have to pretend, I don’t have to worry, I don’t have to watch my back because He has laid His hand upon me and hedged me behind and before. Such blessed relief to read the words of this Psalm.  You know my heart...You know everything about me and You love me anyway...Your thoughts toward me remain precious.  You desire never to leave me and are ALWAYS with me.  I can’t shake You.  You read my heart, test my life and You lead me in the way everlasting.  I will praise You, for I am Your beloved...fearfully and wonderfully made and so well-loved by my Father in Heaven.  

Letting Him Lead...

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;—Psalm 139:13-14

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.--Psalm 119:73

His hands have made me...His hands have shaped me!   As it says in Psalm 139, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My Lord, my God and Father, is acquainted with all my ways.  He knows what I am going to say before I say it.  He hedges me behind and before.  His presence is inescapable.  His right hand upholds me and even when I think the darkness is going to fall on me... even the night is light about me. He planned my days when as yet there were none of them.  All of them are written in His book. His thoughts toward me are precious and cannot be counted....more in number the Psalmist says than the sand.

My God knows all about me...my thoughts, my anxieties, the way that I take...and it is HE that leads me in the way that is everlasting.

I am an open book to Him and He LOVES what He sees!  Why would I not submit to Him completely and be completely enveloped in His love. God is omniscience and omnipresence...that is such a comfort!  When each of my children were babies I can remember watching them as they played...not wanting to miss a precious moment of it.  I love thinking that our God is like that! Life is made up of thousands of moments...each one our Lord has planned for us.  Don't miss any of what He has planned for you by going your own way...let Him lead.

My God WILL...

In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;—Psalm 138:1a; 3;7-8

Lord...I will praise You with everything I have...when I cry out you WILL answer...You Will make me bold with strength in my soul.  Oh how I love this Psalm.  How I love Your word to me, Father.

You WILL revive me...
You WILL stretch out Your hand against my enemies wrath...
You right hand WILL save me....
You WILL perfect that which concerns me...

Oh, Father give me this kind of confidence.  Increase my faith.  You are powerful and Your works are wonderful.

‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.—Jeremiah 32:17

My God is big...my God is powerful.  My God does MIGHTY AND AWESOME things....AND HE HAS POWER OVER ALL.

The waters WILL NOT overflow me and You my God will be with me. You WILL perform all things for me and make all that concerns me perfect.

Help me to be like Joshua today to those around me...

And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."--Joshua 4:5

Wow...what a great thing for me to remember when I go to bed.  Better yet what a great thing for my kids or my grandkids to hear as they go to bed.

“Take a shower, brush your teeth ...tomorrow the Lord is going to do wonders among us.  Be ready for it...look for it!”

Too often the people around me hear me grumble and complain.  Too often they hear a lack of thankfulness in both my words and my attitude.  How much better if  I magnified my Lord and His word. How much better if my words and my actions matched always with what I claim to believe.  The faith of all those around me would be strengthened.  They would become bold with strength in their souls. God wants our “whole hearts”....lives committed completely and utterly to Him...He desires living sacrifices that glorify Him in both word and deed.

He wants us to dwell on those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report...He wants us to meditate on the praiseworthy.

As a believer, I can thank God in all things.  In trials I can remember that He works all together for good and that His goodness and mercy follow me wherever He leads.  In good times I can remember that also.    I can sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to those around me always, because my past has been forgiven.  My present is in Him who I can go boldly before to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  My future is secured in heaven.  Things may look pretty dark at times, but in reality, I am blessed in the heavenlies by a Father who holds all good things in His hand that is forever  stretched out in love toward me.

Each of us face an unknown future each and every day of our lives.  We need our God to direct our steps and open our way.  It is in Him that we live and move and have our being...encompassed in His love there is no fear.  Our old life is buried beneath the waters of the Jordan...we can walk newness of life in Him and by Him.

King Ahab - 1 Kings 20-21-22

And the king of Israel went to his house vexed and sullen and came to Samaria. (1 Kings 20:43, ESV)

And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. (1 Kings 21:4, ESV)

I woke up whining.... and when it was pointed out, I became like Ahab...vexed and sullen....still whiny and now mad at the “person” who pointed out to me my sin.  When  King Ahab didn’t get what he wanted he  pouted like a child.  Me too, sometimes.

After Naboth and sons(heirs)(2 Kings 9:26)had been stoned the word of the Lord came to him through Elijah the prophet.  When Ahab heard the words of Elijah he humbled himself, tore his clothes and repented.

I have to admit that as I read these next words from Elijah that I felt a little like Jonah might have when the people of Nineveh repented and the Lord relented from His anger.

"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house." (1 Kings 21:29, ESV)

I went to the BLB and read what some of the commentators had written about Arabs repentance. I liked these two.

ii. “The penitent heart ever meets the merciful eye of God; repentance is highly esteemed by the Father of compassion, even where it is comparatively shallow and short-lived.” (Clarke)

iii. This shows us the character of God’s mercy: it is given to the undeserving. By nature, the innocent do not need mercy. Ahab was a great sinner, but he won great mercy (in this life) through humble repentance. The worst sinner should not disqualify himself from receiving God’s mercy, if that sinner should only approach God in humble repentance.

I am glad our God is a God of mercy...a God of 2nd chances.  A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.  The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us,  or will He keep His anger forever.He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward 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 pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

Sadly, we will see in the very next chapter that King Ahab’s repentance was pretty shallow and short-lived.  Here is a preview:

So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”—1 Kings 22:8

King Ahab’s reprieve, in my view, highlights God’s grace.  It also reminded me that, like Ahab, I can become angry when my sin is pointed out...I want to shoot the messenger so to speak.  In reality though my problem lies in my own selfish heart that wants what it wants. My battle is with God...not with the people around me.  When I am at peace with God...when I surrender the throne of my heart to Him, I am also at peace with those around me.  Praying that in the midst of my “me” battles I can remember King Ahab and do an about-face.

Isaiah 66:2 (KJV)
For all those [things] My hand has made, And all those [things] exist," Says the LORD. "But on this [one] will I look: On [him who is] poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
The LORD [is] near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

I Alone Am Left...

1 Kings 19 overwhelmed my heart...there is so much in it.  So many applications!   The one that spoke to my heart among them all was the Lord’s tender care and encouraging response to Elijah’s discouragement and despondency.

Elijah felt alone, hopeless...he probably expected Jezebel to surrender, but instead she breathed threats and violence against his life.  He had done his best, but Jezebel had not acknowledged the Lord as God and her hold over Israel remained despite the overwhelming display of God’s power on Mt Carmel.  Elijah runs from Jezebel’s threats to Beersheba...and then goes a day’s journey into the wilderness and prays:

And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (Vs 4)

(Interesting to note that Elijah never died...he was caught up into heaven when the Lord said he was finished)

The Lord cares for Elijah’s physical needs first...He ministered to him with food and drink and gives him rest.  Afterward He sends Elijah on a 200 mile journey to Mt Horeb where He gives Elijah time to turn his heart upside down before Him.

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”—1 Kings 19:9-10

God then reveals Himself to Elijah in a still small voice...in the silence after the great wind, the earthquake and the fire....and speaks words of encouragement.

Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. “Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”—1 Kings 19:15-18

Elijah felt alone...

—God assured him that he was not alone...that He Himself had reserved 7000 in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal.   I am sure Elijah’s heart was encouraged knowing that by God’s grace his ministry over the years had borne fruit. 7000 strong...

—God gave him an assistant in Elisha and in giving him that assistant he gave him a friend and companion in ministry and hope that his ministry would continue after he (Elijah) had departed from this earth

Elijah felt like a failure...

—God gives him work to do that would get his eyes off of himself and at the same time show him that his ministry would succeed.  God tells him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as King over Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place. By the time the last of these three men died, the worship of Baal would be banned from Israel.


God cares about our hearts and our lives, He cares about our ministries, He knows how to accomplish His plans in both the micro of our lives and in the macro of this world.  He wants us to cry out to Him, to trust Him completely and to depend on His power to accomplish it all.  Be encouraged...God will give You what you need to accomplish His work in Your life.  May our God supply all our need according to his riches in glory and by His power increase the fruits of our righteousness.  May He satisfy our mouths with good things, minister His tender mercies to each of us today and execute His righteousness and justice for those who are oppressed.It

Surrendered Hearts...

If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”—Acts 11:17-18

I loved the reaction of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem here.   Stunned silence and then surrendered hearts glorifying their God who had granted the Gentiles repentance to life.  God’s word and work of grace in their hearts allowed them to get past traditions and prejudice.  They wanted what God wanted.  Oh, Father, make this so in my own life. Align my will with Your own.  Make Your desires my desires.   May Your word work in my heart.  May I receive it with meekness (no argument) and allow it to soften and transform me so that both my heart and my life glorify You, my Father in Heaven.

Romans 9:15,16,23,24 (KJV)
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Romans 11:34-36 (KJV)
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Blockish, Senseless and Stupid....

Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.  (Psalms 135:18, ESV)

Those who make them become like them...blockish, senseless and stupid. SO THANKFUL for the Lord’s grace and mercy in my life...that He pulled me up out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay and rescued me. My God turned my heart  from looking at worthless things and revived me in His way.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins...But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
—Ephesians 2:1;4-5;10

Bless the Lord O My Soul!

Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.
3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!—Ps 134:1-3

This Psalm seems to be an exhortation from the people to the priests to continued faithfulness, (V1-2) while the priests bless the people as they depart from Zion at the close of a feast to their homes. (V3)

As I read it I thought of the many times in my life that I have been awake during the night watches...tending to little ones (or sometimes big ones), in the midst of a trial...anxious and fearful, in pain or maybe just unable to sleep.  What a perfect time to focus my eyes upward in prayer and praise to our God.   It is an incalculable honor and joy to be a servant of Jehovah.

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee!  I will bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Your name. I will lift up my hands unto thy commandments which I love and I will meditate on Your statutes. Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!  "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him...there is so much on my heart, Father...I bring it to You in prayer and I will praise You!

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.  (Psalms 103:1-5 ESV)

The Steps of a Good Man...

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.—Ps 37:23

I love knowing that my every step has been ordered by my God, AND that He DELIGHTS in my way!  As a parent and a grandparent I KNOW what it is like to delight in a little one!  What interests them, interests me...even if it is Thomas the tank engine or Blues Clues.  As they grow and their interests change mine change right with them.  Even if they turn aside from me and go in the wrong direction, my heart prays for them and desires their best. What concerns them, always concerns me.  If this is true about me, a fallen human being, how much more intense must God’s delight be for us His children?

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.—Ps 139

Testimonies to God’s Grace...

However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.—Mark 5:19-20

Each one of us are and have a testimony of God’s compassion and grace residing in our hearts.  May we proclaim it boldly and live our lives in obedience to our God...keeping our behavior excellent among the unsaved.  Let’s crush the critics by doing good and for whatever reason they may slander us as evil-doers, MAY they still observe our good deeds and by His grace come to glorify God on the day He visits them...on the day He looks on them with mercy and compassion.

Exodus 34:29

Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him—Exodus 34:29

2 Cor 3:18 (NKJV)
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Psalm 90:17 (NKJV)
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Acts 4:13 (NKJV)
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18. ❤️ as a commentary on Exodus 34.

Leviticus 18:18

And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.—Lev 18:18

This verse popped out at me today bringing Jacob, Rachel and Leah to my mind specifically the heartache that a shared husband brought to these sisters.  Ideally, families should be a safe haven...a soft place to fall. Rachel and Leah’s households were filled with strife, selfish ambition and rivalry...probably a hundredfold more than a bigamous marriage without the complication of the other spouse being your sister.  Nothing could ever be peaceable and pure in Rachel and Leah’s life after that. All...even the best of life...even the births of their children were tainted by conflict and bitterness. Obviously, Jacob, Leah and Rachel lived before the law was given. Today we have no such excuse.  Sin of any magnitude always causes heartache and pain and defiles all who come in contact with it...however innocently.

I am thankful this morning...

—that God’s word is true,
—that I am under grace and not the law
—that His commandments are not burdensome but are for our good.


For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Kings 11-13

And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
27 "If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah."
28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"—1 Kings 12:26-28

Jeroboam feared that the people of the northern kingdom would be influenced by Rehoboam when they went to Jerusalem to worship and cause them to turn back to him.... Jeroboam was not assured even by word of the Lord that came to him through the prophet Ahijah saying that 10 of the tribes would be his to rule.  The conditions and promise given to Jeroboam from the Lord were similar to the ones God gave to David. (1 Kings 11:37-38)

Sadly, Jeroboam walked in the fear of man and not God.  He trusted in his own ways to maintain control of the kingdom God had graciously bestowed on him rather than trust God and take Him at His word. He chose idolatry and led Israel to sin against the second commandment.

When the man of God came to Jeroboam and spoke against the idolatrous worship at Bethel his words were apparently heard by an old prophet who was living in that city...at the very center of the false system of worship Jeroboam had devised to protect his subjects from being influenced by King Rehoboam WITHOUT speaking out against it.

The lie this old prophet spoke to the man of God (vs 18) came from the prophets own heart that wanted something other than what the Lord wanted, but the true prophecy (vs 21-22) came from the Lord.

“And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you,
but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'"

And as he (the man of God) went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body.

The donkey and the lion behaved unnaturally.  The donkey should have run and the lion did not attack the donkey or eat the man of God.  Clearly this turn of nature was from the Lord as a testimony that unlike the disobedient old prophet, the beasts obeyed God.

The old prophet found the body, brought it back to the city to mourn over him and buried him in his own grave asking at that time to be buried beside the man of God when he died saying...

For the saying that he called out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass." (1 Kings 13:32, ESV)

I liked that the old prophet appears to have repented and aligned himself with the message that the man of God had given against the worship at Bethel.

But sadly Jeroboam did not...

After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth. (1 Kings 13:33-34 ESV)

Like A Weaned Child with His Mother...

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

LORD,
my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
  Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.
Psalm 131


I love this one.  It is so short and yet full of such wisdom.

A child in the process of weaning is discontented, whiny and irritable. I can behave similarly in the midst of trial and difficulty....discontented, whiny and irritable because I am not getting what I want.   What is helpful for me to remember is that even though God isn’t giving me what I want, He does give me what I  need, Himself.  Our help, our comfort and our hope come from our God.  A weaned child no longer comes to you fretting, gesturing and demanding to be satisfied but cuddles and rests quietly against you.  A weaned child’s comfort is no longer his mother’s milk but the mother herself.  Likewise, the Lord sometimes takes away our dearest delights to train us to trust Him to supply our needs as weaned children trust their mothers to supply theirs. Spurgeon speaks to this so well.

“Blessed are those afflictions which subdue our affections, which wean us from self sufficiency, which educate us into Christian manliness, which teach us to love God not merely when he comforts us, but even when he tries us”....and I will add...even when He takes away our dearest delight.

As mothers understand, a weaning child can't figure out why he must make the unpleasant transition from milk to solid food, and he doesn't want to figure it out.  He just trusts that you know the way that he takes and will get him where he needs to go. Our Father in Heaven has given us such a beautiful picture here of what it means to abide and surrender.  Let Him hold you....let Him direct your steps...He's got it figured out...trust Him.  Abide. Wait on Him.

Out of the Depths Have I Cried Unto Thee...

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD."

This verse brought Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the great fish to mind.

2 saying, "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.
4 Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.'
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head
6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.
7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.  (Jonah 2:2-7 ESV)

The depths did not silence the voice of the Psalmist or Jonah.  The floods surrounded Jonah and the billows passed over him. Out of the depths his cry of faith came.  When I am in deep distress my prayers are not pretty...they are not practiced...they come straight from the depths of my soul and they are never more  heartfelt or real.  Oh, to have that kind of earnestness and faith always in prayer...the kind that trust bravely and cries out to You alone...The kind that when answered give You all the glory.

The Wrath of Abandonment....

Acts 7:42

But God turned away and gave them over to worship lthe host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:" ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?"

or

Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone.--Hosea 4:17

or

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,--Romans 1:24

and there is more in Romans...God gave them over to vile passions...to a debased mind.

The word "gave" in the Greek has the meaning of to deliver up one into custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death.  It is the wrath of abandonment.  God will abandon man when he consistently abandons Him.  He will remove His hand of restraint and give him over to eat the fruit of his own ways.  He will allow his sin to run its natural course which will end in death.  Pretty scary to think of being abandoned by God...

“But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.--Psalm 81:11-12

Proverbs 17:1

Better is a dry morsel with quietness,
Than a house full of feasting with strife.—Prov 17:1

Oh how happy are the people who fear the Lord and delight in His commandments. They lead peaceable lives in all godliness and reverence.

I so want this for my own house and for those in my church family.  Peace...the absence of conflict.  Help each of us to aspire to lead a quiet and peaceable life minding our own business and working with our hands...doing what is right in Your sight.  Father, moment by moment...walking in the works that You have prepared beforehand for us. Oh, let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,  and establish the work of our hands for us.  Let our adornment be the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. ...this is what is precious in Your sight.  This is what I want!  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

The work of righteousness will be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.—Isa 32:17

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.—Lam 3:26

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah—Ps 46:10-11

Oh, How Happy...

Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.—Psalm 128:1

Spurgeon says Psalm 128  draws a picture of the house built in Ps 127.  It is adorned with domestic bliss thru the Lord’s own benediction.  I really liked that. Obedience brings blessing.  He also calls it a family hymn. A song for a birth, a marriage or any event in which a household has met to praise the Lord.  I really liked that too. John MacArthur says that this psalm may have been the basis for Jesus’ illustration of the two builders in Matthew 7:24-27...the one who built his house on the rock and the other on the sand.

Our heritage in Christ is joy not misery. Blessed (oh, how happy) is everyone who fears the Lord. The basis for our blessing is the fear of the Lord.  Those who truly reverence and honor the Lord will walk in His ways and obey the commandments of their God.  They will will follow hard after Him.  When our heart belongs to God our word and deed will match. Our actions will reflect and follow what our heart believes. They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abides forever.  The LORD takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.  Oh how happy is the one that fears  the Lord and delights in His commandments. Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

1 Kings 6:7

When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built. (1 Kings 6:7, ESV)

The materials for the temple were pre-cut and pre-fitted away from the building site.  The temple then, was erected in reverent silence.

A picture of Ephesians 2:19-21

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?—1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV)

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.—1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV)

And from Psalm 127 today...

Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;

I really liked this picture from Clarke...

“This speaks to God’s work in the church. “But why is this so particularly marked? It is not because the temple was a type of the kingdom of God; and the souls of men are to be prepared here for that place of blessedness? There, there is no preaching, exhortations, repentance, tears, cries, nor prayers; the stones must be all squared and fitted here for their place in their New Jerusalem.”

Principle Governing Kings...

"Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.
"And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,
"that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.—Deut 17:18-20

Kings were not above the law, but were specially responsible to read it daily and conform both their life and their reign to the Word of God. ❤️ Writing it embedded it on his heart and mind.  Reading it taught him to fear the Lord...keeping his pride in check. The word showed him his own need for mercy and forgiveness and hopefully he would then be merciful and forgiving toward his subjects.

I Do Not Know How to Go Out or Come In....

Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in—1 Kings 3:7

I love re-MINDING myself of this verse when I feel overwhelmed and utterly inadequate for the task at hand. It brings my heart to a place of both truth and humility. I am inadequate but in Him I am not. ❤️❤️ The Lord is my helper...I have the mind of Christ.  I CAN do all things through Him who strengthens me.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

All the Words of this Life...

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."—Acts 5:19-20 (ESV)

Their rescue from prison was for a purpose..to continue the work of holding forth the words that gave life.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Author of Life.

“holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (Philippians 2:16, ESV)

The KJV says holding forth” rather than holding fast—As believers we are to hold out or offer the word of life for others to take.  The word of life is the gospel which, when believed, produces spiritual and eternal life.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4, ESV)

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25, ESV)

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63, ESV)

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, (John 6:68, ESV)

Bond of Perfection...

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.—Acts 4:32

This verse brought Colossians 3:12-17 to mind, but especially verse 14...

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:14, ESV)

The NKJV calls love the bond of perfection. ❤️

John MacArthur says that supernatural love poured into the hearts of believers is the adhesive of the church.

Here are some more exhortations to humility, love and unity.   

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6 ESV)

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, (Philippians 1:27, ESV)

Philippians 2:1,2 (NKJV)

1 If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind.

John 17:11,21-23 (NKJV)

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are]. 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Romans 12:5 (NKJV)

5 So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Romans 15:5,6 (NKJV)

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind [and] one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE YOU...

Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE YOU: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."—Acts 3:6

So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.—Acts 3:8

I often sell myself short...feel insufficient... think that I have nothing to offer to the sometimes overwhelming needs that I see in front of me.  I especially feel it as I enter a nursing home...but I can also feel it even as I enter church, the food store or my own home.  In reality, it is the truth.  It is the right feeling.  I am insufficient.  In me I have nothing to offer. But thankfully, it isn’t just me that I bring anymore.  It is Christ. I am accepted in the Beloved.  I bring God the Father’s indescribable gift...His Son.  In Him I AM sufficient because my sufficiency is FROM Him.  I CAN GIVE THEM Jesus. I can surrender to Him who made me “me” and walk in those works that He prepared beforehand for me.  I can trust Him with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding, acknowledging Him in all my ways and allowing Him to direct my path. He has made me sufficient for whatever it is He has prepared for me to do.

Job 20:22 (NKJV)
In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; Every hand of misery will come against him.

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as [being] from ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] from God,

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)
And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all [things,] may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 2:16 (NKJV)
To the one [we are] the aroma of death [leading] to death, and to the other the aroma of life [leading] to life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Peace of God...

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

Paul’s Recipe for Peace...

I have read a lot on this, but in my own words the recipe for finding true peace is setting the Lord always before me and making a practice of bringing all to Him in prayer.  These moment by moment small acts of faith bring my heart to that place where it has truly come to realize that I AM NOT ALONE.  When I feel my stomach begin to churn and I begin to have anxious thoughts, I remember that my God is with me and for me.  And that I can rely on Him.  I am not sufficient for any of this life.  I am not suppose to be sufficient for any of it.  But He is and He is with me and dwells in me.  Gods desire for me is to depend on Him. Getting thru this life is not my job...it is His.  

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice...

The Lamp is the Lamb...

For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness.  (2 Samuel 22:29, ESV)

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel." (2 Samuel 21:17, ESV)

This verse always brings great comfort to my heart. What a blessing to know that when I sit in darkness my God will be a light to me.  Unto those who open their heart to God and believe there arises light in the darkness of this world. He give light to those who sit in the shadow of death and guides their feet in the way of peace. Here, however, is what I learned as I read today.  David was called the lamp of Israel. (2 Samuel 21:17) David gives all glory of that title to His God. God was David’s lamp.  David’s job like mine, like yours, is/was to reflect His light...the light of the glory of God.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6, ESV)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Revelation 21:22-23 ESV)

Love is not Blind..

Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom....Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: "O my son Absalom--my son, my son Absalom--if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!"—2nd Samuel 18:5;33

David, sees his son Absalom sentimentally...through rose-colored glasses...not unlike many of us parents.   Perhaps as a “youth” whose exploits could be forgiven. In reality, Absalom was a grown man who had chosen to betray his father.  As I read 2nd Samuel 18 especially his lament for Absalom at the end of Chapter 18 my heart was reminded of a verse from Philippians.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, (Philippians 1:9, ESV)

Our love should abound with “knowledge”.  David did not love Absalom with knowledge.  This word according to John MacArthur is from the Greek and describes genuine, full or advanced knowledge. Biblical love is not an empty sentimentalism but is anchored deeply in the truth of Scripture and regulated by it.

And all “discernment”....this word, according to John MacArthur speaks to moral perception, insight and the practical use or application of knowledge.  The love David had for his son was again not biblical but blind....to love someone biblically is to love them with discernment. Biblical love distinguishes between right and wrong and acts accordingly. Absalom was a traitor.  David’s mercy toward him was unjust and his affection not based in the reality of who Absalom was.