The Everlasting Arms…

 And underneath are the everlasting arms;—Deuteronomy 33:27b

As a believer, I am upheld through this life by the Everlasting God.  The arms of Him who never faints nor grows weary underpin me. There is no where I can flee from Him.  No matter where I am His goodness and mercy surround me. He has hedged me behind and before and has laid His hand upon me. His right hand holds me and leads me.  His love for me is unfailing. He will love me to the end..to perfection in Heaven. 

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"

Even the night shall be light about me;

When the darkness closes in and I begin to sink…He is my Light. 

When sin overwhelms my heart and weighs me down…He draws near…grace abounding.

When wave upon wave of grief washes over me like a tidal wave, His comforts delight my soul. 

When I am weak, my everlasting God gives me power

When I am without strength, His is mine

When I need wisdom, His understanding is unsearchable. 

When I feel as if everything is too much, He is my sufficiency. 

When I am weary, His Presence goes with me and gives me rest

When I am alone, He is my Emanuel, my God who is always with me. 

1 The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23

Known to God from Eternity Are All His Works…

 "Known to God from eternity are all His works.—Acts 15:18

And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in You.—Psalm 39:7

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.—Psalm 33:11

I am just gonna rest here today.  As Spurgeon is apt to say, I am gonna lay my head down on the pillow of my God’s sovereignty and immutability.

God’s plans stand forever!! Known to God from eternity are all His works. The world, my circumstances and the people around me (me included) change so quickly that it is difficult for me to keep up! My God, thankfully, does not.  He is completely trustworthy.  Neither He, nor His plans for me, ever change and it is in Him that I live and move and have my being. 

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.—Galatians 2:20

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.—Ephesians 2:8-10

1 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.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"

Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!

Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly;

Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred;

I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.—Psalm 139

Continuing in the Grace of God…

 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.—Acts 13:43

What does it mean to continue in the grace of God?  It means to depend on and embrace the goodness and kindness of Christ our Savior completely and utterly for ALL in our life.  Beloved…abide in Jesus.  Depend on His goodness and mercy to see you through this life moment by precious moment. Trust Him from start to finish. You are saved by grace and kept by grace. Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. He who began a good work in you will complete it. 

Fill your life with your Savior. Immerse yourself in His word and His love. Occupy yourself not with works but with Him. Then, with mouths filled with praise, stand back and watch what He does in you and through you.

Continue in God’s goodness (Romans 11:22)

Continue in the faith (Colossians 3:23)

Continue in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 1:9)

Continue in what you have learned and been assured of ( 2 Tim 3:14)

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.—Colossians 2:6-10

Securely Fastened…

2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 3 And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 4 They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 5 And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

6 And they set onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

8 And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 9 They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; 11 the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. 14 There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes. 15 And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold. 16 They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 17 And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18 The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. 19 And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the ephod. 20 They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses.—Exodus 39:2-21 (emphasis mine)

Verse 21, the final verse in this section of Scripture caught my attention this morning…namely that the breastplate was attached  securely to the ephod.  John MacArthur says that to speak of the ephod then was to speak of the whole ensemble. 

These words of Scripture reminded me that as a believer, Jesus is my great High Priest. He is the One that bears me on His shoulders. He is the One that came to this earth to serve me by dying for my sins in my place so that I could live forever with Him in Heaven.  Even now my Jesus always lives to make intercession for us.  I am in Christ.  Securely fastened forever to Him. There is nothing that can separate us.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;—Isaiah 53:4

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.—Isaiah 53:6

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:38-39

25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 I and My Father are one."—John 10:25-30

The Gospel to the Gentiles..

 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 11:18

Wow…the witness of the Holy Spirit had spoken! The OT had prophesied.  God had saved the Gentiles.  What an admission for the early church! What a turning point!  How wonderful for these Gentiles who now could be saved from eternal damnation in exactly the same manner as the Jew.  By faith!  How wonderful for us.  Beloved…read Chapters 10 and 11 in the book of Acts and let your own heart rejoice. 

Praying this morning that God’s love would rule and overrule in all my relationships.  That I would receive those whom God has also received in love, joy and the fellowship of the Spirit. 

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.—Ephesians 4:1-6

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians :2:1-4

1 "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,

My Elect One in whom My soul delights!

I have put My Spirit upon Him;

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.—Isaiah 42:1

"I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the Gentiles,—Isaiah 42:6

Indeed He says,

'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;

I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,

That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'"—Isaiah 49:6

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel."—Luke 2:32

and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.—John 11:32

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."——Romans 10:12-13 

and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

"For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,

And sing to Your name."—Romans 15:9

that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.—Romans 15:16

Overwhelmed by God’s Goodness…

 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”—Genesis 48:8-11

Jacob’s (Israel’s) life had much grief, sorrow and trouble. But in the end as he looked into his grandsons’ faces the goodness and faithfulness of God must have overwhelmed Him. He never expected to see Joseph again but now here he was looking into the faces of Joseph’s offspring as well. I think also of Job where it tells us that God blessed his latter days more than his beginning. 

It is the same in my own life. Despite all my fears and despite all my sorrows, like Jacob, I have been and am consistently overwhelmed to the point of tears at my God’s goodness to me.  As it says in Psalm 40, He brought me up out of a horrible pit, set my feet upon a rock, established my steps and put a new song in my mouth. My God has not only redeemed my life from destruction but also my husband and my children’s lives as well. Beloved…God is so good…He is so much better to me than what I fear might happen. He is also far better to me than what I could even hope might happen.  

Here is the thing…no matter what might be waiting for me around the corner, I know this…

God is good

He died for me when I was yet His enemy to save me from an eternity in hell without Him

His will for me comes from His heart of love

I am never alone in my sorrow…He is always with me.  His right hand is under my head and His left hand embraces me. 

His comfort and consolations are mine as I walk through this life…

He desires and is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think. 

Today, I will walk with His hand in mine trusting, as Spurgeon has said, that His goodness will surround my steps and His mercy will cover my missteps. Today I will not fear.  Today I will give thanks. Oh Father!  Sweeten my spirit as I give You thanks. Make worshipping You my delight. May Your praises be forever on my lips.

I Will Cry Out to God…

 I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me.—Psalm 57:2

I love thinking that spiritually speaking it is God who performs all things for me.  It is my God who works in me both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 

In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;

Every hand of misery will come against him.—Job 20:22

I so desire to rest in Him.  I didn’t work to save my own soul…Christ is my Savior.  So often though, I worry about being insufficient to get through this life…about not being able to keep up…about not being able to hold on or keep my head above the waves.  Instead of fearing this though, what I really should FEAR is doing this life in my strength.  

Praying today that I will never again look inwardly for wisdom and strength but look to my God who sees me, looks after me and  performs all things for me. Oh Father! You are my Helper.  You are my strength, my shield and my exceedingly great reward. Help me to look to You in all things!  Give me a steadfast heart. Let my entire reliance be fixed on you.  Today, I will cast the burden of all my cares and insufficiency on You who perfects that which concerns me and performs all things for me.

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me—Psalm 138:8

It is God who arms me with strength,

And makes my way perfect.—Psalm 18:32

Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.—Psalm 16:1

7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;

My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the LORD always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.—Psalm 16:7-8

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.—Psalm 138:3

9 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. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people."

14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

15 Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.—Exodus 33:13-15

The Altar of Incense…

 6 And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 "Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.—Exodus 30:6-8

From my study this morning I learned that the alter of incense was the piece of furniture closest to the mercy seat.  Incense in Scripture is always a picture of prayer.  I think we are never closer to God than when we pray. Perhaps that is the reason why prayer is so hard for me. Satan knows that prayer is where I draw near to God.  He knows that prayer is where the stench of sin and unforgiveness are dissipated as the sweet fragrance of Christ envelops me. He knows that prayer is where the power is.  This is why he opposes it… vehemently and relentlessly. 

Beloved…stay the course and in the grace and power of the Spirit, pray!  He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Pray for your enemies…pray for your family and friends.  Live your life in an attitude of prayer. Bring every situation and every conversation you have to God in prayer.  Let Him go before all your words and all your actions. 

The altar of incense was a sweet smelling place. As you pray then, there will be a sweetness about you. Your heart and your mind will be focused on those things that are above. You will desire what God desires. Oh, worship God in the beauty of holiness and allow the sweet fragrance of Christ to cover and permeate every aspect of your heart and your life.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice,—Psalm 141:2

14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 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? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.—2 Corinthians 2:14-17

17 Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

18 If I say, "My foot slips,"

Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.—Psalm 94:17-19