For You Will Light My Lamp…

 

For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.—Psalm 18:28-30

Father…I am Yours and You are mine. Your left hand is under my head and Your right hand embraces me. ❤️Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? ❤️

You are my light in the darkness of this world. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. When I sit in darkness and the shadow of death, You are a light to me. You guide my feet into your way of peace. If I say surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night is light about me. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for truly it was You who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in my heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

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

If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

Shine your light deeply into my soul and search me and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties and lead me in your way everlasting. 

In You, I am invincible.  Your way is perfect, Your word is proven and You are a shield to me as I continually place my trust in You. In You, I am more than a conqueror…

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

"For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 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 8:35-39

So he answered and said to me:

"This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'

Says the LORD of hosts.—Zechariah 4:6

Encouragement from Scripture to Pray…

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.—Mark 1:35

Despite a full day of ministry…despite a full day of people…we read here that Jesus was up before daybreak and went out to a remote, uninhabited place to spend time in prayer and fellowship with His Father.

Waalvord comments that Mark selectively portrayed Jesus at prayer on three crucial occasions, each in a setting of darkness and aloneness: near the beginning of his account (v. 35), near the middle (6:46), and near the end (14:32-42). All three were occasions when He was faced with the possibility of achieving His messianic mission in a more attractive, less costly way. But in each case He gained strength through prayer. 

Beloved…strengthen yourself in the Lord.  If Jesus needed to pray and spend time alone with His Father, how much more do we?  The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,—Philippians 2:5

Encouragement from Scripture to Pray…

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.—Luke 5:16

who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,—Hebrews 5:7

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:16

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.—Psalm 5:3

I rise before the dawning of the morning,

And cry for help;

I hope in Your word.

My eyes are awake through the night watches,

That I may meditate on Your word.—Psalm 119:147-148

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—Ephesians 6:18

and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.—Luke 2:37

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.—Acts 2:42

a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.—Acts 10:2

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.—Acts 16:25

night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?—1 Thessalonians 3:10

Evening and morning and at noon

I will pray, and cry aloud,

And He shall hear my voice.—Psalm 55:17

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,

Because of Your righteous judgments.—Psalm 119:62

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,

And delivers them.—Psalm 34:7

Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;

For I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am holy;

You are my God;

Save Your servant who trusts in You!

Be merciful to me, O Lord,

For I cry to You all day long.

Rejoice the soul of Your servant,

For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.—Psalm 86:1-4

From Thompson Chain… Private Devotions Of Christ

Matthew 14:23

Matthew 26:36

Matthew 26:39

Matthew 26:42

Mark 1:35

Mark 6:46-47

Mark 14:39

Luke 5:16

Luke 6:12

Luke 9:18

Luke 9:28

Luke 22:41-42

Hebrews 5:7

From Thompson Chain…References on Prayerfulness…

Genesis 4:26

Genesis 12:8

Genesis 21:33

Genesis 25:22

Genesis 26:25

Genesis 32:9

Exodus 5:22

Judges 13:8

Judges 15:18

1 Samuel 2:1

1 Samuel 8:6

1 Samuel 23:10

2 Samuel 7:27

2 Samuel 22:4

1 Kings 22:5

2 Kings 4:33

2 Kings 6:17

2 Kings 19:14

2 Kings 20:2

1 Chronicles 4:10

1 Chronicles 17:25

2 Chronicles 32:24

2 Chronicles 34:21

Nehemiah 1:5

Nehemiah 2:4

Nehemiah 4:9

Job 9:15

Job 16:20

Job 22:27

Job 23:4

Psalm 4:1

Psalm 5:3

Psalm 17:6

Psalm 18:3

Psalm 25:1

Psalm 27:4

Psalm 30:8

Psalm 31:17

Psalm 42:8

Psalm 55:17

Psalm 69:13

Psalm 80:18

Psalm 86:1

Psalm 88:1

Psalm 88:9

Psalm 99:6

Psalm 109:4

Psalm 116:2

Psalm 116:13

Psalm 119:62

Psalm 119:147

Psalm 140:6

Psalm 141:1

Psalm 141:5

Psalm 143:1

Isaiah 19:20

Isaiah 38:2

Jeremiah 18:19

Jeremiah 26:19

Jeremiah 32:16

Lamentations 3:55

Daniel 6:11

Daniel 6:13

Daniel 9:3

Daniel 9:17

Zechariah 8:21

Zechariah 12:10

Zechariah 13:9

Mark 1:35

Mark 14:32

Luke 2:37

Luke 9:18

Luke 11:1

Luke 18:10

Acts 1:24

Acts 2:42

Acts 6:4

Acts 9:11

Acts 10:2

Acts 10:9

Acts 11:5

Acts 14:23

Acts 16:25

Acts 20:36

Acts 22:17

Acts 28:8

Romans 1:10

1 Corinthians 1:2

1 Thessalonians 3:10

1 Timothy 5:5

2 Timothy 1:3

Philemon 1:4

Grace to You and Peace…

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In a world filled with unending pressure, confusion, misinformation, disease, unrest and much uncertainty, peace is very hard to come by.  Beloved, there is no true peace available save the peace that is found in God through faith in His indescribable gift of grace to us in His Son. This peace of heart and mind is not only found at the moment of our salvation but is also His gift to us on a moment by moment basis as we set our minds on Yah, the Lord. 

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,

For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.—Isaiah 26:3-4

The Lord Thundered from Heaven…

 

These words as I read them this morning were for me like “apples of gold in settings of silver”.  Leaving them here for anyone who might need them today.

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."

And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.—Exodus 14:13-16

And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.—Exodus 14:19-20

In my distress I called upon the LORD,

And cried out to my God;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.—Psalm 18:6

The LORD thundered from heaven,

And the Most High uttered His voice,

Hailstones and coals of fire.

He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,

Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.

Then the channels of the sea were seen,

The foundations of the world were uncovered

At Your rebuke, O LORD,

At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

He sent from above, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy,

From those who hated me,

For they were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

But the LORD was my support.

He also brought me out into a broad place;

He delivered me because He delighted in me.—Psalm 18:13-19

For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.—Psalm 18:28-30

The LORD-is-My-Banner…

 

8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."—Exodus 17:8-16

This story was a very good reminder to me that as a child of God I depend on God’s grace to see me through this earthly realm.  The power of divine grace made me His child and it is the power of divine grace that will see me through this life.  When I act independently of the Spirit of God, my flesh wins an easy victory. When Moses hands were held up and he prayed, Israel prevailed in the battle.  The moment his hands began to droop, Amalek prevailed. The battle here was not fought on the ground…it was fought at the top of the mountain. Moses won the battle and prayer was his weapon. 

As I contemplate this I am overwhelmed by the weapons we as believers have in our arsenal that we very often do not use.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,—Ephesians 1:3

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.—2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” Jesus says. “If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with Me.”

Praying today that I open that door to His help, His power, His Presence and His company.  Beloved…The Lord fights for us. Both the battle and the victory belong to Him.  Call unto Him who will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. 

Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:6-7

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

55 "O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?"

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.—1 Corinthians 15:52-58

Murmuring, Complaining and Arguing at Rephidim…

 

Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.

Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink."—Exodus 17:1-5

Even though God had abundantly provided for all their needs, God’s people still complained. If this pattern sounds familiar to you in your own life, you are not alone. I can behave just as badly. Sigh!  The wilderness does not seem to be bring out the best in them, nor in us, does it?  Earlier in Chapter 15 God had tested them similarly. They had failed that test so here, in Chapter 17, we find them being tested a second time and failing.  The people once more complain against Moses about the water situation and blame him for taking them out of Egypt (cf. Ex. 16:3). This time, however, they do more than murmur and complain…here at Rephidim, they quarreled with Moses. As I read I thought of these very convicting verses from the book of James. 

What leads to [the unending] quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]? You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your lust goes unfulfilled; so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.—James 4:1-3 AMP

The hearts of God’s people did not want what God wanted. They wanted to be back in Egypt. They were unbelieving and unthankful. In complaining and quarreling (Moses says in verse 4 that they were ready to stone him!) they were really saying that God was not good and neither was He trustworthy. They wanted to go back to their old life…the life with which they were familiar.

I really hate when I behave as the Israelites did here. In my spirit I truly want to trust God and accept whatever He has for me in the moment. I want to be thankful.  I want to press forward and not look back.  But like the Israelites my tests often become opportunities for temptation because my attitude is wrong.  Beloved…every hard thing God allows in our lives can be a test that can help us grow spiritually or a temptation that will feed our flesh and make it stronger.  

Father, help me to be thankful and grow in grace!  Help me not to complain against you or worse contend with you.  I do not want to be unbelieving but believing.  I want to trust You and graciously give way to Your perfect will for me.

You call me in Your word to be thankful and by Your Spirit, that is how I want to  live. When I obey this command my whole attitude changes. Being thankful makes me kinder and more gracious. It cultivates humility.  Being thankful in all things and for all things, sets my mind on You because You are the source of all good. You have blessed me as a believer  with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  You have justified me by the unmerited, undeserved and priceless gift of forgiveness that is found by faith in Your Son. In You, truly, I have everything I need. 

Oh Father! Make my life one long song of thanksgiving. Your steadfast love to me never ceases…Your mercies never come to an end. You are faithful, sovereign and change not. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. I can return to my rest for You have dealt bountifully with me. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.—Psalm 73:25-26