Be of Good Cheer, Daughter...

 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.—Matthew 9:20-22

Oh Father!  I believe!  Help my unbelief!  I am never a fool when I put my trust in You. Oh help me to trust You to the uttermost.  Help me not to fret in the trials you allow in my life, but to know that Your unfailing love will be with me and will never fail me through each and every one. You are the same yesterday, today and forever.  What You did for me yesterday in my fear and in my need, You can do again today.  My times ARE in Your hands. 

Oh Lord to whom shall I go? You and You alone have the words to eternal life. “My flesh and my heart fail, but You are the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever”.  I can never ask from You “too” much...I can never expect “too” much.  You are the God who says, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it”. 

“The larger your expectations of God, the better, for according to your faith it will done unto you.”—Spurgeon

The Lord is my Keeper.  He is my shade at my right hand.  He will preserve my soul.  Ending with portions of Psalm 84: 

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;

Each one appears before God in Zion.—Ps 84:5-7

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!—Ps 84:11-12

The Faithfulness of Our God...

 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.—Genesis 24:6-7

Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house.—Genesis 24:37-40

And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”—Genesis 24:48-49

The faithfulness of our God is what hit me again and again as I read through Genesis Chapter 24.  Beloved, we are God’s servants.  We are to trust Him. We are not to lean on our own understanding, but are to acknowledge Him in all our ways. He SHALL, as He did for Abraham’s servant, direct our path.  Look not to the right or to the left, dear one, but straight to your God. He will deal kindly with you and lead You in the way of truth.  Trust Him...rejoicing as you go.

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.—Psalm 1:1-3

Trust and Obey...

 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac." 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed."

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away.—Genesis 21:9-14

There is much in Chapter 21 of Genesis from which to glean. What hit my heart this morning first and foremost was how utterly heartbreaking it must have been for Abraham to send his son Ishmael away.  The word used in verse 11 of the KJV is “grievous”.  The word translated “grievous” means to shake violently...to quiver or tremble.  Abraham was not only displeased (the word that the NKJV uses) but was also deeply distressed...and yet..Abraham obeyed God.  The Lord follows up in verse 13 by reaffirming His promise to Abraham with regard to Ishmael. 

Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed."—Genesis 21:13

Verse 14 tells us Abraham believed God and obeyed...despite his feelings...despite what he may have wanted. 

So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.—Genesis 21:14

I couldn’t help but think how trusting Hagar and Ishmael to His God must have prepared Abraham for the even greater test of his faith in Genesis 22, when God asks him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.  Again, Abraham obeyed believing God.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.—Hebrews 11:17-19

Beloved, God keeps His promises. Our God’s rules and overrules all in this world to accomplish His sovereign purposes. He speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast. His counsel stands forever and the thoughts of His heart to all generations.  

Be faithful...trust His word and obey. None of us is sufficient for anything that God calls us to do...But God is.  He will give you the power you need to do what He wants you to do when you need it. His grace is sufficient.  He will fulfill all your purpose. You can be confident that He will complete the good work He began in you until the day of Jesus Christ. 

If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?—Romans 8:31-32

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Proverbs 3:5-6

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah—Psalm 46:10-11

Faith over Fear..

 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.—Genesis 20:11

The fear of man brings a snare, but those who trust in the Lord shall be safe.  

Abraham arrives in Gerar and begins to be afraid. Instead of trusting God with the situation he finds himself in, he allows fear to rule and decides to deceive Abimelech.  His eyes are not on God but on his circumstances.  Abraham tries to control the narrative so he can be seen in the best light by those in authority and perhaps preserve his life.  

Fear is the opposite of faith.  Fear produces chaos in our hearts and in our lives. Faith produces peace which is a fruit of the Spirit.  Sometimes, we, like Abraham, forget who God is.  Our faith falters and we sink in the mire of doubt, fear and even unbelief.  

Beloved...Our God is mighty...His works are wonderful. His arm is not short and there is nothing too hard for Him.  We, who believe, stand in grace...in God’s permanent,  unmerited, divine favor.  Our sure and certain destiny is that we will share in the very glory of God. Trust Him.  He will work in every situation you face for your good and His glory.  He is sovereign and no one and nothing can separate you from His love. 

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear,—Psalm 46:1-2a

Psalms 18

God the Sovereign Savior

(2 Sam. 22:1–51)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:

1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.

4 The pangs of death surrounded me,

And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;

The snares of death confronted me.

6 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.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled;

The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,

Because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,

And devouring fire from His mouth;

Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down

With darkness under His feet.

10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;

He flew upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His secret place;

His canopy around Him was dark waters

And thick clouds of the skies.

12 From the brightness before Him,

His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven,

And the Most High uttered His voice,

Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,

Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.

15 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.

16 He sent from above, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,

From those who hated me,

For they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

But the LORD was my support.

19 He also brought me out into a broad place;

He delivered me because He delighted in me.

20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;

According to the cleanness of my hands

He has recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

And have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all His judgments were before me,

And I did not put away His statutes from me.

23 I was also blameless before Him,

And I kept myself from my iniquity.

24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,

According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;

With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;

And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

27 For You will save the humble people,

But will bring down haughty looks.

28 For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

31 For who is God, except the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?

32 It is God who arms me with strength,

And makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,

And sets me on my high places.

34 He teaches my hands to make war,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;

Your right hand has held me up,

Your gentleness has made me great.

36 You enlarged my path under me,

So my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;

Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.

38 I have wounded them,

So that they could not rise;

They have fallen under my feet.

39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,

So that I destroyed those who hated me.

41 They cried out, but there was none to save;

Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;

I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;

You have made me the head of the nations;

A people I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me;

The foreigners submit to me.

45 The foreigners fade away,

And come frightened from their hideouts.

46 The LORD lives!

Blessed be my Rock!

Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God who avenges me,

And subdues the peoples under me;

48 He delivers me from my enemies.

You also lift me up above those who rise against me;

You have delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,

And sing praises to Your name.

50 Great deliverance He gives to His king,

And shows mercy to His anointed,

To David and his descendants forevermore.

Is There Anything too Hard for the Lord?

 8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;

Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;

Their inward part is destruction;

Their throat is an open tomb;

They flatter with their tongue.

10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!

Let them fall by their own counsels;

Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,

For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield.—Psalm 5:8-12

Oh, Lord, come to our rescue!  Save us O God!  

Lead us in right paths because of our enemies.  Make Your way straight before our face. They, Father, delight in evil. They have rebelled against You.  Pronounce them guilty.  Do not extinguish Your light here on the earth.  Allow them to fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions.  Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

But let all those rejoice who have placed their trust in you. Let them shout for joy because You defend them.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous...with favor You will surround him as with a shield. 

 

Single Minded Heart...

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”—Genesis 15:1

Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”—Genesis 16:13

Give ear to my words, O LORD,

Consider my meditation.

2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God,

For to You I will pray.

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

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,

Nor shall evil dwell with You.

5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;

You hate all workers of iniquity.

6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;

The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;

In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.—Psalm 5:1-7

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;—Proverbs 2:7b

And preserves the way of His saints.—Proverbs 2:8b

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!—Matthew 6:21-23

Each one of the verses above from my Bible reading this morning seemed to join forces to bless me and chase away my dark, useless thoughts.  Satan battles for our minds.  Mine, if I am not vigilant, is easily captured.  I read the news and my mind goes into overdrive with dark possibilities of the future.  In reality, NO ONE knows what tomorrow will bring except God.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend my perfectly good today being sick to my stomach and anxious about what might or might not happen tomorrow. 

The Bible tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So many things clamor to be front and center in my mind...my prayer today is that Christ would be first in my heart and in my mind. I want Christ to be what “I” am about.  I want Christ to be treasure. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.—Matthew 6:21

He lights up my darkness. He brings me joy.  Ensconced in Him, I can smile through the dark days...even the nights will be light about me.

Paul is such a good example in this because Paul, despite his often terrible circumstances, was joyful.  Paul had a mind that was singularly devoted to seeing ALL that came his way in the light of Christ. For Paul, to live was Christ and to die was gain. I want that.

Like Christ, Paul also focused outward and put others first.  He clothed himself with humility.

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 2:3-4

Lord...I am tired of me...by Your gracious Spirit, focus my heart outward.

Paul set his mind on the heavenly and not the earthly declaring in Philippians 3 that his citizenship was in heaven. 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.—Philippians 3:20-21

Father...help me to cling to You and not to this world.  

Finally, Paul trusted God with all...he knew he was not sufficient for any of it. It is my guess that this was truly the key to his joy.  When I can really see that there is nothing in this life that I am in control of or sufficient for and when I TRULY cast it all on my Heavenly Father, then His peace, His provision and His power are mine and my mind can rest securely in His perfect love.  ❤️ (read Philippians 4)

*******

Notes for my heart on today’s verses...

Genesis 15:1 reminded me that it is God who is my shield and my exceedingly great reward.  I am in Christ!  I am accepted in the beloved.  He is my treasure, my refuge, my strength, my song and my salvation. 

The Angel of the Lord’s words to Hagar in chapter 16 have blessed my heart and renewed my mind since the first time I read them 26 years ago.  I serve a God who sees ME!  He knows the way I take.  He is my guide even unto death.  I can only fall as far as His everlasting arms. 

Psalm 5 tells me from where my true help comes.  My voice He will hear in the morning....in the morning I will look up and direct it to Him. In the multitude of His mercy, He will hear me.  My God is a God of mercy, truth and justice and He is angry at the wicked every day. They shall not stand unpunished in the day of judgment.  But the Lord preserves the way of His saints...they will be blessed both temporally and eternally.  

Per Matthew 6:22-23 I will fill my mind with those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and praiseworthy. I will by His Spirit see His lovingkindness before my eyes.  

You Alone, Make Me Dwell in Safety....

 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.—Psalm 4:4-8

The words of Psalm 4 spoke to my heart this morning as I read them.  Beloved, we can’t always rejoice in our circumstances, but we can always rejoice in the Lord!  The Lord reigns...Let His people, rejoice!  

Stand in awe of who He is. 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 us with an everlasting love and upholds us with His righteous right hand.  The fear of the Lord exempts us from every other fear. 

Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Fill your mind with His goodness and the richness of His word. Be still (literally “hands off”) and know that He is God.

"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."  Do the next 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.  Honor Him by trusting Him.  Know that He is your defender. 

You, O Lord, have put gladness in my hearts in both good times as well as bad. Your grace is sufficient.  Your lovingkindness draws me and Your love overwhelms me.   I will not fret nor will I fear.  I will lay down in peace and sleep...casting all my care upon You, for You care for me. You alone make me dwell in safety. 

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.—Exodus 34:6-8