The Light of His Countenance

Psalm 4

 ¹ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

         You have relieved me in my distress;

         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

 ² How long, O you sons of men,

         Will you turn my glory to shame?

         How long will you love worthlessness

         And seek falsehood?  Selah

 ³ But know that the LORD has set apart^[a] for Himself him who is godly;

         The LORD will hear when I call to Him.

 ⁴ Be angry, and do not sin.

         Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah

 ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

         And put your trust in the LORD.

 ⁶ There are many who say,

         “Who will show us any good?”

         LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

 ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart,

         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

 ⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

  
There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

Truly our joy comes from Him.  His grace...His unmatchless grace puts joy in our hearts.  I am sure many in David's ranks had begun to complain and get discouraged. "Who will show us any good"  was probably something that was repeated often and had reached David's ears many times.  Girls, how easy is it to complain and be discouraged by our circumstances? Waiting on God can wear on us . His timing is not our timing.  We want our troubles and trials to end.  We want peace and tranquility. We want an end to the grief and the pain. We begin to complain and in complaining about our circumstances and what we do not have or are not getting we are sinning.  We are complaining against God and saying He is not good. David shows such courage here  He surrenders his complaints to the Lord, by faith asks the Lord to lift up the light of His countenance on him and then speaks of the gladness and joy the Lord has placed in his heart. David is living here for the things that matter.  The eternal.  Outward joy and happiness is temporary. It comes and goes with our circumstances. It is a band aid...not a permanent fix.  David is seeking the inward joy that comes from knowing the Lord of the Universe intimately. This kind of joy defeats discouragement and is steady and continuous as we put our trust in Him. The Psalmist can, despite his circumstances, be joyful because the Lord is his God.  He knows the Lord brings Him only those things that will ultimately be for his good. James tells us "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  David goes to the source of all that is good.  Others may have been looking for the outward trappings of good, but David knows what will provide him with the most joy...the light of His Lord's countenance upon Him which to David and to each of us is an assurance of His love and His power in our lives.   He knows that whatever happens, he has and will always have the unspeakable satisfaction in His Lord and says that it is more than the joy that comes with a plentiful harvest. 

Contrast Psalm 49: 16-20 with Psalm 21:6 and Psalm 44:3

Psalm 49:16-20

Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
         When the glory of his house is increased;
 ¹⁷ For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
         His glory shall not descend after him.
 ¹⁸ Though while he lives he blesses himself
         (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
 ¹⁹ He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
         They shall never see light.
 ²⁰ A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
         Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 21:6

For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
.
Psalm 44:3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.




Girls...I will end with these verses...revel in the joy that knowing Him brings!

Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
Psalm  63:2  So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
Psalm 63:3  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
Psalm 63:4  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psalm 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:6  When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
Psalm 63:7  Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
Psalm 63:8  My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:9  But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
Psalm 63:10  They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals.
Psalm 63:11  But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
1Pe 1:8  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

Love
Mom

Stand in Awe

Psalm 4

 ¹ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

         You have relieved me in my distress;

         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

 ² How long, O you sons of men,

         Will you turn my glory to shame?

         How long will you love worthlessness

         And seek falsehood?  Selah

 ³ But know that the LORD has set apart^[a] for Himself him who is godly;

         The LORD will hear when I call to Him.

 ⁴ Be angry, and do not sin.

         Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah

 ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

         And put your trust in the LORD.

 ⁶ There are many who say,

         “Who will show us any good?”

         LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

 ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart,

         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

 ⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. 

This verse ranks up there with some of the most practical in Scripture.  Listen up!

While meditating on this verse I tried to decide to whom David might have been speaking to here. There are really only three choices: himself and his God, his enemies or the brave men who remained loyal to him during Absalom's rebellion.  I personally believe that David was praying before he retired for the night and was speaking to His God.  To whom he is speaking in this case really does not matter. The advice is good for both the believer and the unbeliever and the application for us the same.

Be angry and do not sin. Sinful anger leads to sinful actions. Their is anger that is not sinful, but I am usually not guilty of that one.  Even if I do have a righteous anger against sin it soon goes down the wrong path toward pride and becomes once again unholy anger. SIGH!  The verse in the King James reads like this:  "Stand in awe and sin not." I love that...stand in awe.  Tremble before the One who holds the power of life and death in His hands.  The One who is truly in control. The One who loves you with an everlasting love and upholds you with His righteous right hand.  If you fear the Lord, you need not fear anything else. David's enemies did not fear David, the rightful king of Israel or the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They were following slander and lies and doing what was right in their own eyes.  They would reap the sad consequences of their sin every day.  Sin is described as a pregnancy in Scripture in at least 3 or 4 different places.  When it grows up it destroys the one who conceived it.  It has judgment built right in.  Galatians 6:7 says a sinners sin comes back on their own heads.  Proverbs 26:27 says they dig pits and fall into them themselves.  Nobody escapes the consequence of sin.  David is thinking rightly here. He had plenty of reasons to be angry.  Betrayal and ungodliness surround him.   He knows his anger could get the best of him and he would then act rashly and take matters into his own hands.  Instead of going down that road, David reminds himself to stand in awe of His God.  Girls, this is so helpful.  As we fill our minds with Him all the foolish thoughts fall away and we behold Him and are comforted. We remember that our defense is of Him. We remember it is not about us...it is about Him...His plans, His purposes and our job is to wait on Him and be obedient to whatever part He has called us.


Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still.  The King James says "commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. David encourages himself to meditate on His God and His word and to commune with his own heart.  He is to do this in the privacy of his own bed and to be still....literally "hands off"!!  The word meditate means to say over and over...think of a cow chewing its cud. It chews, swallows, then regurgitates and repeats the process over and over getting every bit of it digested and every nutrient absorbed.  Our hearts are transformed by his word. Meditation on His word is how our minds are renewed and His good and perfect and acceptable will for discerned.  Girls, instead of allowing your minds to race at night thinking on all that has been done to you by others begin to search your own hearts and be still...wait for Him to speak and show you your own sin.  It is so easy for us to see the sins of others and meditate on it...seeing our own, however, is what we need to be doing.  Matthew 7 talks about judging and planking and specking...don't do it!  Look at your own heart and ask the Lord to reveal those things He wants you to see in your own life. Gaze deeply into the mirror of His word and be transformed into His image. Confess your wrong thoughts to the Lord and be still...wait on Him and be ready to hear what is His prescription.. 1 John 1:9-10 say "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

Last part...my favorite..."Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."  Do the right thing!!  Do not react according to the dictates of your own heart but respond rightly according to His word.  Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.  Put your trust in Him.  Know that He is your defender.  Be still and know that He is God.  Psalm 37: 6 says  "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday." Before honor the bible says is humility.  Honor Him by trusting Him to do the work.  Do not trust in your own plans or your own wisdom...they are destined to fail.  Taking offense on behalf of ourselves is always wrong. 

I pray that each of us could have a heart like David had and that when faced with accusations, condemnation and slander we could say like He did in Psalm 7 that our defense is of God.  David loved God fervently and because of His love for God He knew that God was able to perfect all things that concerned Him.  Truly, girls, our God does perform all things for us!

Love
Mom


These are some of the most comforting verses in Scripture...meditate on them...

In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.--Psalm 94:19
I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.--Psalm 57:2
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;--Psalm 138:8

I have included below Psalm 37 in its entirety....

Psalm 37

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
         Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
 ² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
         And wither as the green herb.
     
 ³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
     
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him,
         And He shall bring it to pass.
 ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
         And your justice as the noonday.
     
 ⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
         Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
         Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
 ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
         Do not fret—it only causes harm.
     
 ⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
         But those who wait on the LORD,
         They shall inherit the earth.
 ¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
         Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
         But it shall be no more.
 ¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
         And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
     
 ¹² The wicked plots against the just,
         And gnashes at him with his teeth.
 ¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
         For He sees that his day is coming.
 ¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword
         And have bent their bow,
         To cast down the poor and needy,
         To slay those who are of upright conduct.
 ¹⁵ Their sword shall enter their own heart,
         And their bows shall be broken.
     
 ¹⁶ A little that a righteous man has
         Is better than the riches of many wicked.
 ¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
         But the LORD upholds the righteous.
     
 ¹⁸ The LORD knows the days of the upright,
         And their inheritance shall be forever.
 ¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
         And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
 ²⁰ But the wicked shall perish;
         And the enemies of the LORD,
         Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
         Into smoke they shall vanish away.
     
 ²¹ The wicked borrows and does not repay,
         But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
 ²² For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
         But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
     
 ²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
         And He delights in his way.
 ²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
         For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
     
 ²⁵ I have been young, and now am old;
         Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
         Nor his descendants begging bread.
 ²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lends;
         And his descendants are blessed.
     
 ²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good;
         And dwell forevermore.
 ²⁸ For the LORD loves justice,
         And does not forsake His saints;
         They are preserved forever,
         But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
 ²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land,
         And dwell in it forever.
     
 ³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
         And his tongue talks of justice.
 ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
         None of his steps shall slide.
     
 ³² The wicked watches the righteous,
         And seeks to slay him.
 ³³ The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
         Nor condemn him when he is judged.
     
 ³⁴ Wait on the LORD,
         And keep His way,
         And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
         When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
 ³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power,
         And spreading himself like a native green tree.
 ³⁶ Yet he passed away,^[a] and behold, he was no more;
         Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
     
 ³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
         For the future of that man is peace.
 ³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
         The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
     
 ³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
         He is their strength in the time of trouble.
 ⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
         He shall deliver them from the wicked,
         And save them,
         Because they trust in Him.

God is our Witness and Our Defender

Psalm 4

 ¹ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
         You have relieved me in my distress;
         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.


 ² How long, O you sons of men,
         Will you turn my glory to shame?
         How long will you love worthlessness
         And seek falsehood?  Selah
 ³ But know that the LORD has set apart^[a] for Himself him who is godly;
         The LORD will hear when I call to Him.


 ⁴ Be angry, and do not sin.
         Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah
 ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
         And put your trust in the LORD.


 ⁶ There are many who say,
         “Who will show us any good?”
         LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
 ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart,
         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
 ⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

"How long, O you sons of men,  Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood?  Selah  But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him"--Psalm 4:2-3


Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

As I mentioned in my previous post, David is being maligned and slandered by men who have turned against him and made Absalom king.  David  is speaking here to them, his enemies, and is referring to them aptly as sons of men.  As I meditated on these words my mind went to psalm 2 which begins with: "Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing.  The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed..." Look at the contrast here...God and the sons of men are at opposite purposes.  God had anointed David to be king not Absalom.  Who do you think is going to win.  Psalm 2 continues with "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.  The Lord shall hold them in derision.  Then He shall speak to them in His wrath and distress them in His deep displeasure.  Yet I have set My King on My Holy Hill of Zion."  God would not be mocked or thwarted from His plans.  His purposes would be served and the men who loved worthlessness and sought after lies would be dealt with for their sins.

Girls, when you are facing the fiery darts of the enemy do what David did.  Acknowledge what is happening but then remember the Lord.  David says it so beautifully in verse 3. "But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself  him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."  The Lord is your shield and your exceedingly great reward. The sons of men were trying to throw dirt on the glory David had received from His Lord.  Make no mistake here...if you are walking with the Lord in obedience to Him there will be mudslingers all around trying to dim your light by throwing dirt or perhaps trying to provoke you to anger in some way so that your witness is compromised.  Purpose in your heart ahead of time to respond in love...to be gracious...By faith  know that the Lord 's purposes will be served and those who are in opposition will pay dearly for their sins.  God is the witness and the defender of your righteous cause.  He keeps those who trust Him as the apple of His eye. The Lord will hear him who is godly when he calls. The enemy's efforts are futile. The enemy cannot win.  If God is for us who can successfully be against us??  The battle is not ours..it is His and it was won at the cross.

Do not go after worthless and vain things.  They will not profit here or in heaven. Israel comes to mind here when they asked God to put a king over them. Here is the section from 1 Samuel 12. 

"I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.” So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.  Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.  But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

Israel had the God of the Universe ruling them with His perfect love and perfect justice, but they insisted on going after worthlessness and lies.  They wanted to be like the world and specifically the other nations around them.  God gave them what they wanted. A human king. Such blindness we think.  We, however, cannot judge. Look closely at your lives.  See the things that you go after that are full of emptiness and not only do not profit but whose end is destruction.  See your own discontented  spirit in your complaining and your lack of thankfulness or in your dissatisfaction in the things the Lord has blessed you with.  Truly only one thing profits both here and in eternity. Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Mat 6:19  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." 

Nothing else matters.... “ Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,  “ All is vanity.”....  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgment,  Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil."

Love
Mom

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

     

The Lord Knows My Cry...

 Psalm 4

 ¹ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
         You have relieved me in my distress;
         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

 ² How long, O you sons of men,
         Will you turn my glory to shame?
         How long will you love worthlessness
         And seek falsehood?  Selah
 ³ But know that the LORD has set apart^[a] for Himself him who is godly;
         The LORD will hear when I call to Him.

 ⁴ Be angry, and do not sin.
         Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah
 ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
         And put your trust in the LORD.

 ⁶ There are many who say,
         “Who will show us any good?”
         LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
 ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart,
         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
 ⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer."

The first thing I noticed as I meditated on this psalm was the personal pronouns sprinkled through the verse...me, I, my.  It made it so well...personal. David calls out to His God...He wants God's attention now!  Pay attention to me when I cry to You, Lord!  David is struggling here and brokenhearted regarding his son's Absalom's betrayal. His name was being dragged through the mud.  He was being lied about and slandered.  His very life was threatened. David calls on the God of his righteousness knowing He could be trusted. David knew that the Lord was his witness and his defender.  Psalm 11:7 says For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. As I thought a little more, however, I realized that any righteous David had was the Lord's anyway...He was calling on the One who made him righteous.  The same is true for us. Our righteousness comes from Him...it is His job, not ours, to defend it. He is the God who sees. He knows the truth and is a righteous Judge. The battle is  not ours to fight..it is His. Did you notice I repeated myself.  Girls, this is one of the hardest things for us humans...to acknowledge our own helplessness and trust God to fight the battles.  We so want to jump in and when we do we only wind up hurting ourselves and others around us.  Wait on God...His timing and plans are perfect!  The next time you are offended,  falsely accused, or betrayed be still and know that He is God and commit yourself to Him. Follow Jesus' example who was delivered to death for our offenses and "And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth."

"You have relieved me in my distress."  The Lord had shown mercy before to David and he knew that He would show it again.  The King James version says "enlarged" me in my distress.  What? The Lord had enlarged the ground under his feet so he could stand...He had given him more room literally.  Sometimes in the midst of a difficult trial it is hard to catch our breath.  We need some space, some breathing room...room to stand. The Lord did this for David and does it for us. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says: " No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it,"

Another way we can look at the word enlarged is to think of what trials do for us.  Trials relieve us of self when we respond to them obediently and in faith. They make us more useful for ministry, because they help conform us into the image of Jesus.  He increases ...our hearts become enlarged with Him and we decrease. That is a beautiful thing to behold! I have seen it in my own life and in the lives of other believers.

"Have mercy on me and hear my prayer."  The older I get the more I pray for mercy.  I know there is nothing in me that deserves anything but death and am so grateful that I can call out to Him, the God of mercy in my distress. I love this too, because the more I face my own nothingness, the more I see His greatness, goodness and power.  He truly is so gracious to us. David is doing the same thing.  He acknowledges his own helplessness and weakness and throws himself on God's mercy.  I am going to end here and pick up another day in verse 2.   Read the verses below and revel in His mercy and grace.


Psalm 56:1 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me.
Psalm 57:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.
Psalm 57:2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.
Psalm 86:3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long.
Psalm 86:4  Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
Psalm 86:5  For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Psalm 119:75  I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
Psalm 119:76  Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant.
Psalm 119:77  Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:132  Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Psalm 143:2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,


Do you see how absolutely freeing it is to leave all in God's hands and just trust Him.  His character is merciful, gracious, long suffering and abounding in goodness and truth.  Do what David did and hide under the shelter of His wing.  A mighty fortress is our God!


Love
Mom

Teach them diligently to your little ones...

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" says the LORD--Jeremiah 23:1


"For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness," says the LORD Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery ways; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment," says the LORD." --Jeremiah 23:11-12


In Chapter 23 Jeremiah denounces the leaders of Judah who had refused to believe God and obey His law and in doing so had brought destruction on the nation and scattered the people.The very ones who were responsible to point God's precious people to Him were the very ones responsible for the situation Judah now found herself in.  Judgment was imminent. The kings had not protected or provided  for the people and the religious leaders had led them astray spiritually and had not provided a godly example. Now there is much more to the chapter but I am going to focus just here on the practical application for us.


Jeremiah Chapter 23 should serve as a warning to us.  Who is in our care?  How are we influencing them?  Are we pointing them to Jesus or to the world?  Girls, we are accountable to God for those who are placed in our charge. Examine all your actions in the light of God's word and see where you fall short or where you might be sending the wrong message. Allow the Lord to search your heart. Be diligent to do this daily by immersing yourself in His word and asking Him to show you through His Spirit.  Eternity is at stake...God will accomplish His will with or without you but oh, how much better for you both here and in eternity if you were a vessel set aside for His purposes. 

Walk with God. Obey Him.  Give Him the  preeminence. Make sure your word and your deed match.  Be diligent to provide a godly example to those both in your care and in your path. 

One day, Lord willing, God will be gracious and gift you with children.  Speak to them His word. Teach them where wisdom comes from while they are young and want to hear what you have to say. Show them where to go when they need help in time of need. Pray with them and for them. There will come a time when they will no longer want to listen...your window of opportunity is small.  It is so easy when we have not heard the truth to listen to false prophets because they tell us things we want to hear.  Give them the word..put it in their hearts. Most importantly let them see you live what you believe without equivocation.

Hebrews 4:12 says  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 

2nd Timothy 3: 13-17  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.


Deuteronomy 4:9  Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 

 I will end with Deuteronomy 6:7 which says "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."  Do this and as they grow His word will be a lamp to their feet and a light to their path.  Point them to Jesus and you have done your job.


Love
Mom

Delighting in His Commandments...

Psalm 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 


Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,


These two verses in my mind are inextricably linked. Delighting to keep the law and knowing that they are not burdensome, comes from loving our God and knowing that He is good...that in Him there is no darkness at all.  All He does He does for our good and His glory. The laws He gives us come from His perfect love and once you have experienced that perfect love you will read your bible as a love letter...His love will be evidenced for you in each and every verse.  Read Psalm 119. Its theme is the Word of God.  In fact, out of 176 verses, there are only two or three verses that do not mention the word of God.  As you read, it will be  completely and utterly obvious that the psalmist is enamored with God's word. Unabashedly, unashamedly enamored. It is his delight, and he wants it to be ours. 



Girls, if we are truly His, we will delight to do His will. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  John is not saying it will be easy, but he is saying that even though the path may be difficult at times, it will still be the very thing you love to do.  I think of the things that I take delight in.  I take delight in taking care of my family...it is not burdensome because I love them.  I took delight in nursing my children....why....because I loved them.  No one had to tell me to take good care of my first born daughter...that would be you, Suzanne...when I brought her home from the hospital...It was my delight.  It was my song.  She was all I talked about.  She was not burdensome. Was taking care of her difficult at times...you bet! Did I mind?  Absolutely not!  And it was the same for each and every daughter the Lord graciously gifted me with.

Psalm 119 says this...His statutes (laws) have become my song.  WOW! The word of God was so much of a delight to the psalmist that he set it to music.  It reminds me of the following verse in Psalm 42:8  "The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life."

Girls, The Word of God...it is priceless.  It is sweeter than honey...better than my necessary food.  It is my hope and my song. It is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It is my guide and my counselor. It is the rejoicing of my heart!  My prayer for each one of you is that you would see the Word of God as David saw it, as I see it and more importantly as God wants you to see it.  I pray it is always and continually the background melody that you hear and take delight in all your life.    



Matthew Henry said this about meditation on the word of God: "To meditate in God's word, is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things contained in it, with close application of mind and fixedness of thought. We must have constant regard to the word of God, as the rule of our actions, and the spring of our comforts; and have it in our thoughts night and day. For this purpose no time is amiss."

I am including a list of verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on these two verses...Look them up and be blessed!  Here is the list for Psalm 1:2:

But his: Psa_40:8, Psa_112:1, Psa_119:11, Psa_119:35, Psa_119:47-48, Psa_119:72, Psa_119:92; Job_23:12; Jer_15:16; Rom_7:22; 1Jo_5:3
meditate: Psa_104:34, Psa_119:11, Psa_119:15, Psa_119:97-99; Jos_1:8; 1Ti_4:15
day: Psa_88:1; Luk_2:37, Luk_18:7; 1Th_2:9; 2Ti_1:3


Here is the list for 1 John 5:3: 

Exo_20:6; Deu_5:10, Deu_7:9, Deu_10:12-13; Dan_9:4; Mat_12:47-50; Joh_14:15; Joh_14:21-24, Joh_15:10, Joh_15:14; 2Jo_1:6
and: Psa_19:7-11, Psa_119:45, Psa_119:47-48, Psa_119:103-104, Psa_119:127-128, Psa_119:140; Pro_3:17; Mic_6:8; Mat_11:28-30; Rom_7:12, Rom_7:22; Heb_8:10







Here are one or two from each to get you started...

From Psalm 1:2 and delighting to do His will:

Psalm 119:72 The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. 
Psalm 119:92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.

From 1 John 5:3 which claims God's laws are not burdensome.  Look at these!  See the promises for those who love His word.  


Exodus 20:6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! 

John 14:21-24 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."   Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

Be blessed!!


Love
Mom 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Every Good Gift...

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.--James 1:17

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,


The fourth proof that God is not responsible for our sin is the nature of God. We have already looked at the nature of evil which says God cannot be tempted nor does He tempt anyone, the nature of man which says that God cannot be the source of temptation because man is drawn away and enticed by his own lusts and the nature of lust which comes from our fallen nature and causes us to desire what sin will satisfy. 

The nature of God is such that only good comes from Him. ONLY GOOD COMES FROM HIM.  His gifts are all good and perfect and come from the Father who never changes and is always light.  How beautiful is that! No one can blame God for sin because every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above. Anything that is good about me...any talent...any good thing...all comes from Him.  I can't boast about them or brag.  I can't take credit for them...I did nothing to earn or deserve them.  They are all just God's undeserved and unmerited kindness and favor toward me...His grace.

Our nature gives rise to sin. His gives rise to only good.  The word good, John MacArthur says, means just that good.  There is no comparative for it.  (no gooder and goodest) It is just good. It is complete and lacks nothing.  Sufficient. Comprehensive.  Beneficial.  Are you getting the picture?  Why would any one of us take the bait and go after the things of the world.  Why would we step away from the fountain of blessing where only good comes and go after a lie? And yet, we do.  We think we know better.  Do not miss out on an eternity with Him for the lies of the world.  Decide now to follow Him who only gives good things continually and who does all He does for a believer's good and His glory.  He wants to give you His Spirit.  Ask for it now...turn from the world and the lie to Him!

Jesus says in Matthew "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. I love this about God...If we really want something good and right and we ask Him for it, He is ready and willing to give. God only gives me good.  A little bit further down in Matthew 7 it says "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"   Do not be deceived.  Satan told Eve that God was holding out on her. Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  Eve fell for the lie and in the words  "she took of its fruit and ate" lie the reason for all the sickness, sorrow, suffering and death in our world.

The Father of lights?  What does that mean.  God is the creator of the sun, the moon and the stars. Let's just take the sun...it is there in the morning and gone at night. It is dimmed by clouds. How about the stars...we can only see them during the day.  The moon....it waxes and wanes.   But NOT GOD.  In Him there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Isn't that a beautiful statement.  I will never look at the lights in the sky now without remembering that He never changes...His good and perfect gifts keep coming.  In Him there is no darkness at all.  Only good comes from God...He cannot be responsible for our sin.

As I wrote this the song that was on my heart was a hymn that we used to sing at South Branch Fellowship and now again at Crossroads. I will end with the words to the song.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Love

Mom

Exhortation to Love...

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

Now there are many verses in Scripture that exhort us to love but my favorite one is in Romans 13..."owe no one anything but love." Here is the verse in its entirety.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.  For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,”^] and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.--Romans 13:8-10

Girls, if you got this one down...you got it all. If you can return good for evil, you are doing well. You have learned how to live.  Read how Paul addresses those the Lord put in his care.  He calls them dearly beloved.  He tells them how he longs to see them.  He is not short on expressing his love nor is he short on what love really is...action.  It is a verb.  I like to think of it as active kindness.  Love is self-sacrificing.  Love loves the lovely and the unlovely.  Love loves even through much offense. Paul's motivation for all he did  here on this earth after his conversion was love.  For Paul to live was Christ and to die was gain.  He magnified His Lord in his body and like Christ reached out in love despite the provocation to do the opposite.  He knew that eternity was at stake.  He knew that the offenses were not important...having others see His Lord working through Him was.


Love like this can only come from a humble mind.  It stems from humility.  We only need to look to Jesus to see. Chapters 13-17 of John are filled with Jesus reassuring His disciples of His everlasting love for them. When I read these chapters I always picture a dying mother taking her last breaths with her children surrounding her and completely losing herself in her love for them.  That is what Jesus did.  He met the greatest of betrayals with what...love.  He washed all his disciples feet just hours before He would be nailed to a wooden cross.  All includes Judas, the disciple that Jesus knew would betray Him.  He faced the cross with what...love.  He thought of others in the midst of the deepest suffering anyone could ever know. Read the chapters...see His absolute grace and humility.  Jesus prayed for you and I in Chapter 17 reaching out across centuries with His love. Jesus knew who He was...and yet he stooped down and washed His disciples feet....He knew who He was and yet He faced the cross.  Can we as His followers do any less? 

Here is what Paul says in the third chapter of Colossians. 


"But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,  where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

1 Corinthians 1:4-8 defines love:  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

This is what we are to do girls.  We are to put off the old, unloving, unforgiving, and bitter practices and in humility put on love because it is the bond of perfection.  Your life will not be your own until you do...you will eat yourself alive and bite and devour those around you. Bitterness, unforgiveness and selfishness destroy both spiritually and physically.

If you find yourself today running around with bitterness and unforgiveness towards someone in your life, here is what you do.  Remember that it is the wrong response.  Jesus never displayed bitterness or unforgiveness.  You really have no place to hide.  Repent...go in the other direction.  Get down on your knees and ask God to help you love that person, to help you forgive that person.  Surrender to the Spirit of God inside of you whose ministry is to manifest Jesus Christ and love that person.   Next, go to that person and see if you cannot build a relationship of love with them. Yield to His love shed abroad in your heart and let it flow. It will be the most wonderful and not to mention healthiest thing you do in your life.  Do not be bound by unforgiveness.  Jesus greeted all offenses with more love...in fact he turned the blackest evil into the greatest good by love. He met the greatest offense and injury with the greatest kind of love. We have no excuse. None.

This Thanksgiving owe no one in your life anything but to love them.  Love fulfills the law. Love never fails...it always has an effect.

Love
Mom

Standing Fast....

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

Tonight, the night before Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the new heart I received from the Lord more than 15 years ago and for His word which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Psalm 40 is my salvation song, particularly the following beginning verses:

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
         And He inclined to me,
         And heard my cry.
 ² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
         Out of the miry clay,
         And set my feet upon a rock,
         And established my steps.
 ³ He has put a new song in my mouth—
         Praise to our God;
         Many will see it and fear,
         And will trust in the LORD.

I am remembering now what it felt like to be brought up out of the pit...from the miry clay and the shifting sand.... so to speak...to the Rock.  Now when this happened nothing in my circumstances changed.  What changed was me.  My heart now trusted in the God of the Universe...I surrendered control of my life to Him and through no power of mine, was able to rejoice despite the bleakness of my circumstances at that moment. Christ now lived in me. I was no longer alone.  I now lived, moved and had my being in Him. He was the difference.

The same is true for me today and when my circumstances look bleak, I need to remember who my God is. I still live, move and have my being in Him.  Christ lives in me and He is my hope! Sometimes our circumstances can make us feel, even as believers,  like we are no longer standing firmly on the Rock that is Christ.  The ground begins to feel soft under our feet.  What do we do when our circumstances shake us and throw us off balance?

There are many examples in Scripture, but let's look at the first chapter of Habakkuk.  Here is how Habakkuk begins.

¹ The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

The Prophet’s Question

    ² O LORD, how long shall I cry,
      And You will not hear?
      Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
      And You will not save.
       ³ Why do You show me iniquity,
      And cause me to see trouble?
      For plundering and violence are before me;
      There is strife, and contention arises.
       ⁴ Therefore the law is powerless,
      And justice never goes forth.
      For the wicked surround the righteous;
      Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Habakkuk thinks the Lord is indifferent to Judah's sin and can't understand why He does not act.  The prophet sees plundering, violence, strife and contention all around him and justice not going forth.  He wants the Lord to save and chasten and then perhaps, to bring revival to Judah. Here is how God answers...

The LORD’s Reply

    ⁵ “ Look among the nations and watch—
      Be utterly astounded!
      For I will work a work in your days
      Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
       ⁶ For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,
      A bitter and hasty nation
      Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
      To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
       ⁷ They are terrible and dreadful;
      Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
       ⁸ Their horses also are swifter than leopards,
      And more fierce than evening wolves.
      Their chargers charge ahead;
      Their cavalry comes from afar;
      They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
       ⁹ “ They all come for violence;
      Their faces are set like the east wind.
      They gather captives like sand.
       ¹⁰ They scoff at kings,
      And princes are scorned by them.
      They deride every stronghold,
      For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
       ¹¹ Then his mind changes, and he transgresses;
      He commits offense,
      Ascribing this power to his god.”

Uh oh...if I read that right, this is not what Habakkuk had been asking for. The Chaldeans were evil...The prophet does not understand why God is going to judge Judah by using a nation whose sins were greater than theirs. He does not understand what God is doing.  We can tell the prophet is not quite standing on the rock anymore...He is looking around at his circumstances and becoming discouraged and bewildered.  The ground beneath him is getting soft. He is beginning to doubt.  Look at the last verses of the chapter, though.

The Prophet’s Second Question

    ¹² Are You not from everlasting,
      O LORD my God, my Holy One?
      We shall not die.
      O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment;
      O Rock, You have marked them for correction.
       ¹³ You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
      And cannot look on wickedness.
      Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
      And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
      A person more righteous than he?
       ¹⁴ Why do You make men like fish of the sea,
      Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?
       ¹⁵ They take up all of them with a hook,
      They catch them in their net,
      And gather them in their dragnet.
      Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
       ¹⁶ Therefore they sacrifice to their net,
      And burn incense to their dragnet;
      Because by them their share is sumptuous
      And their food plentiful.
       ¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty their net,
      And continue to slay nations without pity?

Have you figured out what just happened?  Habakkuk's circumstances and situation have not changed. His perspective, focus and his meditation, however, have.  Like us, many times in our lives, he doesn't understand what God is doing.  So what does Habakkuk do...he remembers what he does understand about God. This is what we are to do too.

First, he remembers that God is from everlasting.  He is eternal. He is the great I AM...the self-existent One.  You, Lord, are outside of time.  You, Lord are unaffected by what happens in this world.  You, Lord were here before time began...you were here when history began and you will be here after history ends.  Aaaaaah....do you see what is happening girls?  Habakkuk is meditating on who God is and as He does this, he begins to stand fast again. The ground is not shaky anymore.  It is becoming firmer under his feet.  I love it.  What does he say next? 

God is holy.  This is a very good thing to remember when your world is spinning around you.  God does not make mistakes.  He does all things well and He does them for His glory and our good. God always does what is right. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  James 1:17 tells us that " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

Next, the prophet remembers that God is sovereign and in control.  "O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction." You are mighty and faithful Lord. You are at work...we will not die.

Habakkuk's feet are firmly planted once again.  How did it happen?  He got his eyes off his circumstances and onto his God.  He can now praise the Lord despite his circumstances...they no longer matter. I will end with what the prophet says at the end of the book in Chapter 3 beginning in verse 17.

      Though the fig tree may not blossom,
      Nor fruit be on the vines;
      Though the labor of the olive may fail,
      And the fields yield no food;
      Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
      And there be no herd in the stalls—
       ¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
      I will joy in the God of my salvation.
       ¹⁹ The LORD God is my strength;
      He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
      And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Girls...this is the only way to handle the problems and curve balls the world will throw you.  Remember what you know is true about Him who lives to make intercession for you and rejoice!

Love
Mom who is feeling like Habakkuk!

John MacArthur's Why Study the Bible...

Why is it important for me to study the Bible?

2 Timothy 3:16-17
Code: QA168

You've asked a good question that deserves a straightforward answer: The Bible, the only source of absolute divine authority, will inform you of God's mind and will for your life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That is surely reason enough to study God's Word.
The Qualities of God's Word
You can do a quick, informative study of the Bible right now. Just match the following statements about God's Word with the verses listed below.

• The Bible is infallible in its totality
• The Bible is inerrant in its parts
• The Bible is complete
• The Bible is authoritative and final
• The Bible is totally sufficient for your needs
• The Bible accomplishes what it promises
• The Bible provides assurance of salvation
• Revelation 22:18-19
• John 8:47; 20:31
• Psalm 119:89
• Psalm 19:7
• Isaiah 55:11
• Proverbs 30:5-6

If any of the above words are new to you, here are a few definitions you might find helpful:

• Inerrancy: The Bible is free from error in all it affirms.
• Infallibility: The Bible is unfailing in its purpose.
• Sufficiency: The Bible contains all needed information for Christian living.
• Authority: The Bible carries the right to prescribe beliefs and actions.

The Benefit of Knowing God's Word
The Bible remains the only source of divine revelation and power that can sustain you as a Christian in your walk with God. Note these significant promises in the Scripture.
The Bible is the source of:

• Truth: "Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
• God's blessing: "But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it'" (Luke 11:28).
• Victory: "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17).
• Growth: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Pet. 2:2).
• Power: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).
• Guidance: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119:105).