2 Samuel 22:32-51 - Kindness to the Lord's Anointed

2 Samuel 22:32-51

He is a tower of deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever. (verse 51)

Message: Kindness to the Lord's Anointed

Time: Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC). It chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader. 

What the Lord is Saying: The author of 2 Samuel starts to conclude the life of David by offering here a song of praise with God as David's deliverer, fully expressing God's intervention in David's life. David continues his song to God showing how his righteous living results in good outcomes. And now in today's lesson is the conclusion of this song or hymn to the Lord. 

We express our thanks to God. As we walk with God in life, we recognize His hand of providence and for this we express our thanks. 

"For who is God, besides the Lord? And who is a rock, besides our God? God is my strong fortress. And He sets the blameless in His way. He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me on my high places." I can navigate difficulties in my life because God is God. Because he is my rock, my strong fortress. He anchors me. I can navigate difficulties because God is present. I have His support. The difficult terrain is there and part of my journey, but God stabilizes me. He will lift me up. 

"He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, and Thy help makes me great. Thou does enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped. I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back until they were consumed. And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise, and they fell under my feet. For thou has girded me with strength for battle; Thou hast subdued under me those who rose up against me. Thou hast also made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me." David recognizes that he is strong because of the Lord God. That God makes him great. That God prepares him on his path so that his feet do not slip off target. That he is victorious over his enemies because of God's strength. That they fell under his feet because of His working. He places enemies below him and those that hate him are destroyed. Thus, David constantly is thankful to God for any and all victories in his life. God is the reason for his greatness and doing great. Lord, help me be more thankful in life for all that you are doing. 

"They looked, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth. I crushed and stamped them as the mire of the streets. Thou hast also delivered me from the contentions of my people; thou hast kept me as head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me. Foreigners pretend obedience to me; as soon as they hear, they obey me. Foreigners lose heart, and come trembling out of their fortresses." There are those that are chosen by God and there are those that are not. God saves some and some He does not. David is a chosen one and with God by His side he delivers him from the contentions of his people. People might look like they are on David's side but He can only count on God. 

"The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, the God who executes vengeance for me, and brings down peoples under me. Who also brings me out from my enemies; thou dost even lift me above those who rise up against me; thou dost rescue me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing praises to Thy name. He is a tower of deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever."  Once again, David returns praise to God. Blessed be God. Exalted be God. God who takes care of my enemies. God who pulls me from my enemies. God rescues me. Therefore I give thanks to Him. He sings praises to His name. He shows me lovingkindness, both for me and all His anointed. 

Summary: God stabilizes me. I am only strong because of God. David is one of his chosen one's, but not all are chosen. David praises God. I give thanks to Him. 

Promise: In this life, we will have trouble, but God is with us. 

Prayer: Lord, you make me stand firm. You stabilize me. You work out my good and you protect me from those that are against me for there are always. Lord, it is true that not all are your chosen ones and some are not in your favor. You defeat them and I return my praise to You always. Your name is great. I praise You. I thank You. In life there will be trouble but You are with me. Thank you God and praise You God. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

2 Samuel 7:18-29 - David Thanks the Lord

2 Samuel 7:18-29

Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as Thou hast spoken, that Thy name may be magnified forever, by saying, 'The Lord of hosts is God over Israel'; and may the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee. (verse 25-26)

Message: David Thanks the Lord

Time: Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC). It chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader. 

What the Lord is Saying:

David responds to the Lord with a praise to God. "Who am I" stating that he is only a man. This is our response always. God is great and who am I that God would call me to be His forever and to be His vessel and ambassador. His love is extravagant. "Thou art great, O Lord God; for there is none like Thee and there is no God besides thee." He says, "Thou hast established for Thyself Thy people Israel as Thine own people forever." 

God would allow David to plan for a temple for Yahweh, and Solomon would build it. God promises here with David something that will be fulfilled later. As was done with Abraham. The temple is only built when the people fully rest.

In verse 19, David states, "And this is the custom of mankind, Lord God." It is one thing crazy enough that God would bless David and his descendants, but it is something every greater and surprising to him that God would choose to bless those that come after him. Some extend this to Jesus Christ and that seems too radical to lend itself to this statement. And yet the Lord does use some radical language in verse 13 when he states, "I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." He first speaks of his son (Solomon) but then extends it to forever. So the idea of David being part of that lineage and spring boarding something that will have eternal benefits for many is not too alarming. 

And here is the thing - God works. He has a plan for His people, but the people do something in response to this - they thank God and praise God for His greatness. "For this reason You are great, Lord God; for there is no one like You." We are a people of thankfulness. 

It is normal for us in life to often want more. It is normal for us to not be satisfied and think there is always something more or better that we should have. Contentment is always a challenge. But we need to be thankful. We need to respond to God with thankfulness and appreciation. David does this. 

And after David does this, he then wants confirmation of it happening. We are a forgetful people. We need to reminded and told again and again. The world is hard and tough and we need that reminder from Him that all will work out. "The word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm forever." Keep confirming it. Keep reminding me. But not so that I am simply satisfied, though I will be, but ultimately for God to be praised, "so that Your name may be great forever." 

God is going to build David a house. It is needed and God will provide. And praise God that He is doing this. Keep reminding. And I will keep praising. 

Great words. God did it. I thank Him. Tell me again. And I will keep praising Him. 

Summary: David Thanks the Lord for wanting to build him a house, a temple. David asks God to remind him of this blessing God has for him and his descendants and David will continue to give thanks. 

Promise: As we seek the Lord, it is for Him to be glorified while He also provides for us. 

Prayer: God, you are great and worthy of my praise. You promise me much and in response I praise Your name. But I want to hear again what you have promised. And for this I will praise Your name more. And this will continue God. Let more see that life is not about toil and giving and being behind and catching up but there is also reward and God giving us what we need and my response is to keep praising Him. I praise You God. I thank you. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

2 Samuel 1:17-27 - Lament for Saul and Jonathan

2 Samuel 1:17-27

Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen! (verse 19)

Message: Lament for Saul and Jonathan

Time: Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC). It chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader. 

What the Lord is Saying: I've been thinking more about these Laments and our need to continue to go to the Lord with our problems and our struggles and especially when those struggles over a period of time are not working out the way we would like. I think of my dad's salvation, my youngest son's. I think of people in Africa and 3rd world countries that are continually struggling to have their basic needs met, working hard, and getting by on feeble means while so many other parts of the world live in comfort with heat, running water, and indoor plumbing. I think of our country and world that seems to be replacing God with personal choice - exchanging the truth for a lie. The division that is in our country at large. 

In 2 Samuel 1, after David learns of the death of Saul and his sons, specifically Jonathan he brings forth a lament or funeral dirge or elegy that will be publicly spoken at events. David and his men have already mourned, wept, and fasted (1 Samuel 1:12). David mentions here that a song of lament will be added to the Book of Jashar. This book is also mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and though never discovered seems to be a collection of a series of songs related to the men of Israel. 

verse 19 - Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen! - Saul and Jonathan are the beauty of Israel, the mighty that have fallen on the high Mount of Gilboa. 

verse 20 - Tell not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistine rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. - Gath and Ashkelon were chief cities of the Philistines and the expression of the daughters is it is customary for women to celebrate national deliverances and victories. The uncircumcised refers to the Philistines and their triumph over Israel. 

verse 21 - O mountains of Gilboa, let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. Joseph Benson comments that the expression of the height of the mountain is the height of our mourning and no dew and nor rain and no fertile fields is "a passionate expression of the sorrow and horror which he felt at this public disgrace and loss, which were such as if he thought every person or thing which contributed to it ought to bear tokens of the divine displeasure, such as the earth does when it is deprived of the influence of dew and rain." The shield was to be the protection of Saul and it was defiled and cast away. These are stark words because Saul was to David both his enemy and his prince. 

verse 22 - From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty. Saul and Jonathan had both been on the battle field -- victorious warriors who returned from battle often with the blood of the slain on them. This verse speaks of the greatness of Saul and David upon their foes. 

verse 23 - Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, and in their death they were not parted; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Saul, but most notably Jonathan were pleasant (loved) in their life. As is done in any funeral service we commend the dead for the noble achievements and good works in their lives, for everyone does some amount of good. Father and son also share in a strong union. Like an eagle, they were swift, expeditious and nimble in pursuing their enemies and like a lion, strong. Again, we are meant at funeral to speak well of the dead. 

verse 24 - O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. - Clothed in scarlet means the victories that Saul experienced in his battles and time, though he goes out defeated. The daughters which celebrated his triumphs, shared the spoil of his victories, now lament his loss. Men fight and women are the first to reap the benefit. They show up and adorn themselves in bright colors and golden ornaments of jewelry. They present themselves in all of their beauty. 

verse 25 - How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places. - This lament began with the mighty and ends now with words of the battle, with David expression this in his friend Jonathan. In this lament, David does not for a moment speak of the grief he experienced continually from Saul who often wanted him dead. He passes over all of that, not only for himself, but also on the account of Jonathan. Whether Jonathan wanted to be there with his father Saul, he was there. He was present with him. He supported his father even if it was hard. The mighty have fallen is the epic of odes offered. 

verse 26 - I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan, you have been very pleasant to me, your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women. - There is a love between these two friends that transcends the love of women. Before everyone, David expresses his personal sorrow. In the Pulpit commentary, it states, "Never was there a purer friendship than that of Jonathan for David. It began just after the combat with Goliath, when the young prince, instead of seeing in David a rival, who had equaled his own feat of valor, took him to his heart, put upon him his own robe and armor, and thus presented him to the army as his friend and brother. Nor did his father's hatred of David, nor the knowledge that David was to inherit the kingdom, interfere with his love. He remained a dutiful son to his father, and accepted his inferior position with magnanimity, without once seeing in David cause for blame; and it surpassed the love of women, because, to requite their devotion, they look for protection and homage, the more delightful because it is paid by the strong to the weak. But here the lives of the two friends could not combine in one happy fusion of mutual union. Their hearts were bound together, but a hard fate, of which they were fully aware, made the ruin of the one the certain result of the happiness of the other. Nevertheless, Jonathan, with everything to lose, and David with everything to gain, remained true and loyal friends."

verse 27 - How have the mighty fallen, and the weapon of war perished. This thrice-repeated refrain sounds the keynote of the elegy. Saul had experienced great victories for the people of Israel and that is now contrasted with the terrible defeat of life. 

As I read this, I think of how it is interesting that we have changed our funeral services and termed them times of celebration or celebration of life and yet we often don't shout out the mourning and the grief that we are experiencing. The person's life yes was great, but me without them is now not great and we are at a loss. 

Sorrow is needed at times, but even in these words of sorrow are words of extreme thankfulness and the union that was present when these lives were on the earth. Let us continue to celebrate life. David was the rightful successor to Saul, but David was not out to get Saul. Despite Saul being threatened by him, David still had a love and respect for Saul. And he has in these verses heart-wrenching words of sadness for Saul's demise. But more so for his son Jonathan. We look forward to death no more. We are fine to want to escape it, though we cannot. We are fine to mourn it when it occurs in another, though again every person's outcome is certain. As Matthew Henry comments, “the more we love the more we grieve.”

Summary: David now brings a lament of sorrow, grief, but also celebration of Saul and even more notably his honored friend Jonathan. David has loved well. 

Promise: We are to support one another in every difficulty. There is a powerful bond of friendship we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for these words. I took time to go through them and understand them and think about them, for they were heartfelt words spoken by David and recorded in this book of Jashar, thankfully, so that I can read them today. You are good God, so good to remind us of the joy we have of being with others and the special bonds we have with other people. I thank you for the good friends you have given me. I have such a joy and thankfulness for the people that I walk through life with and am honored continually for their special friendship. There is a union with them that is different from the union with my wife and I am extremely grateful. Help me at those times to celebrate people, lament their loss, and not ever focus on their shortcomings. They are there in my life for a reason and help me God to always celebrate this. Be praised always. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 - Sowing Generously, Reaping Abundantly

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written,

“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER."  

10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Message: Sowing Generously, Reaping Abundantly

What the Lord is Saying: This was the title of the message yesterday at church. I spent time studying the passage in church, kind of summarizing ideas from each verse and then continuing to think about the meaning of the text. The pastor is doing a series on giving and has an agenda with the passage and seems more focused on the passage that we give cheerfully. His points weren't off base. I just saw some other things. 

Looking at each verse

6 - Sow little, reap little; sow bountifully, reap bountifully

7 - No grudges, no complaining, God loves a cheerful giver

8 - God has grace to us - we have good deeds

9 - He gave to the poor (freely; Ps. 112:9); righteousness forever 

10 - He supplies seed/bread and will supply and multiply your seed

11 - I will be enriched - producing thanksgiving

12 - Fully (and frequent) supplying - overflowing thanksgiving

13 - So glorify God for obedience

14 - Pray for others; yearn for others

15 - Thanks to God for His Gift! Indescribable (Rom. 5:15)

I enjoyed that. Taking each verse and just looking at its basic idea.

I summarized further -- Sow - Cheerfully giving - He supplies - Overflow with thankfulness. Glorify God - pray for others - Thank God for His Holy Gift. 

This idea that he supplies the seed/bread. He is the supplier of what we give. He supplies. Our responsibility is to give. 

1. Sow with Cheer (I DO)                            

2. Be Thankful (for this Supply) (TO GOD)

3. Glorify God (TO GOD)

4. Pray (I DO)

5. Thank God (TO GOD)

Only the first verse speaks of reaping abundantly. The main idea seems to be about giving back in multiple ways. We give back through prayer in praying for others. And we give back by being thankful to God for what He has supplied us. And we give back by glorifying God. And we ultimately thank God for His indescribable gift. The gift is the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the One Man (Jesus Christ), which abounds to the many. 

Summary: The idea there not so much about frequent giving but our heart and do it for him. I mean frequent giving will occur as He keeps supplying. I am to sow and pray. And I am to be thankful, glorify Him and Thank Him. 

Prayer: Thank you God for the great gift that You have given Me in providing Jesus as the sacrifice for my sins. Adam sinned and sin spread to all, but the power of Your sacrifice, shedding your blood for me, saves. Glorify to God for your great gift. Help me to be a cheerful giver and also to also thank You always for what you have supplied, glorifying You and thanking You for the gift of salvation. And help me to pray for others, yearning for them. 

 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Colossians 3:16-17 - Lay Duties: Teaching, Admonishment, and Thanks

Colossians 3:16-17 - 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Message: Lay Duties: Teaching, Admonishment, and Thanks

Time: Paul penned this letter to the Colossian church in AD 60-61 during his first imprisonment in Rome after the church was under attack and denigrating the deity of Christ. He penned it before visiting the church. Christ was and is the visible image of the invisible God, containing within Himself the fullness of Deity. 

What the Lord is Saying: As I was finishing up my senior year at Baylor University in 1989 and 1990, I honestly wondered if there was a call for me to go into full-time ministry. I really enjoyed the Bible teaching of Tommy Nelson from Denton Bible Church and I even made a personal visit to the seminary he attended in Dallas - Dallas Theological Seminary. I seriously wondered if this would be my vocation. But as I prayed about it, I sensed the Lord was leading me not into full time ministry, but instead to be an active lay person, working and yet active in ministry. To this day, I still wonder if anyone should be in full-time ministry as a vocation or whether everyone should be working in some capacity. Over the years, I see a tendency among non-paid church staff to watch the paid staff do most of the work of the church. But, my guess is that even if this happened, there would still be a tendency to watch a small number do the work of the church. And yet, I can't help but think that the model found in the Old Testament of priests set aside is not the model of the New Testament and beyond. 

But the reality is the church body is made up of people with different responsibilities. I have studied in the previous two lessons the responsibilities of elders and also deacons. And so this lesson provides words that can be applied to those in the Body. Chapters 3 and 4 of Colossians are laid out as verses that respond to the sufficiency of Christ in all things and thereby the practice of the believer and in these verses how the believer is to put on the new man. 

Colossians 3 says to "seek the things above" (v. 1), "set your mind on things above" (v. 2), "your earthly body is dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed" (v. 5), "put aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech" (v. 8), "do not lie to one another" (v. 9), "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (v. 12), "bear with one another, forgive one another" (v. 13), "love" (v.14), "let peace of Christ rule in you" (v. 15), "let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you - teach, admonish, sing, with thankfulness" (v. 16), "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Jesus to God the Father" (v. 17). And then what follows is specific direction to wives, husbands, and children. 

Here in these verses we see a responsibility we have to shed the old life and the sins that entangled us. But also to put on the new life and all that comes with it. And then more specifically, what this passage of Scripture is emphasizing today is: 

(1) let the Word of Christ dwell within you. As I am doing right now, we need to do as we gather and that is to dwell on the Word of Christ. Each of us can through our lives and our words teach one another. Teaching is not reserved to only some. I notice this in our Sunday school class as the teacher leads us and often asks questions of us. In the answers from the class, we can receive encouragement and teaching from one another. 

(2) It also says to admonish which means to warn or reprimand. We need to watch out for one another. A friend and I have been doing this lately, encouraging one another in our lives and some of the dangers of life that often occur. There are temptations all around us to get off the path of truth and onto the path of sin. We must stay clear. And we can do this through our singing with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Let the word of God not only speak but sing. Scripture can be sung to one another. 

(3) sing with thankfulness. I am continually reminded of the need to be thankful. I was with a friend yesterday and we were sitting and thinking. Each of us are in our mid-50s. We have raised kids and all the kids are out of the house. And the reality is we have a lot to be thankful for. It is good to stop always and lift up our voices to thank God for his provision and how He has carried us through so much in this life. We are not done, but God has done so much. 

Summary: Each person in the church puts on the new person in Christ to learn God's word, teaching, admonishing and giving thanks. 

Promise: Let us seek to give thanks to God in all things, remembering that He works all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). 

Prayer: O God, you are good. You are true. You are right. I thank you for making me new. And for showing me continually what needs to be old about me - what needs to be in my past - namely sins that should not be known by me. Help me continually to do good. I want to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I want to bear with one another and come alongside one another to forgive one another. Help me to love, really love people the way you love. I pray Christ for your peace to rule in me. I ask that your Word Lord would richly dwell in me. Help me to teach others and to be taught. I want to sing your songs lifting high those words of hymns and Psalms. Be glorified in everything I do and in everything I say. 

Leviticus 7:11-15 - The Lord's Supper and Fellowship

Leviticus 7:11-15

11 ‘Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the Lord. 12 If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil. 13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. 14 Of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.

15 ‘Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.

Message: The Lord's Supper and Fellowship

Time: There is sufficient evidence that Moses penned Exodus and Leviticus including references to Leviticus by New Testament authors. Its name means "pertaining to the Levites" and its purpose was to instruct the Israelites on right living and proper worship. The most likely time for this is 1446 BC. The book communicates that receiving God’s forgiveness and acceptance should be followed by holy living and spiritual growth.

What the Lord is Saying: There has been disagreement among Roman Catholics and Protestants about the Lord's Supper. Some in the Roman Catholic church believe that the Lord's Supper is a propitiatory offering. But there is no support for this in scripture and instead one has to then say that this is an extra-biblical teaching. Propitiatory offering means:

The mass is said to be something more than a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is properly a “propitiatory sacrifice” - that is, a sacrifice offered “for sins.” “The Sacrifice of the Mass is offered to God…to appease Him, make Him due satisfaction for our sins, and to help the souls in Purgatory, and hence it is called Propitiatory” (Catechism of St Pius X).

The Old Testament sacrifices are varied -- a few examples are peace offerings, thanksgiving offerings, burnt offerings. The Burnt offering is mentioned in Leviticus 1 "that he may be accepted before the Lord" (v. 2) and "to make atonement on his behalf (v. 4)". Thus, a propitiatory offering that foreshadowed the final wrath-satisfying atonement of Christ. In this offering the entire animal is offered to the Lord and none of the animal was eaten. 

Peace offerings however included eating of the animal. And the peace offering could also be a thanksgiving offering. This would bring a parallel then between the New Testament Lord's Supper and these offerings as in the Lord's Supper today we feed on the body and blood of Christ. 

Thus, like the peace offering and thanksgiving offering we are remembering the goodness of God for our redemption and offering up praise to Him of thanksgiving and worship. We eat of the animal or eat of unleavened cakes and wafers as today's passage mentions. And eat of the body and blood of Christ in today's Lord's Supper, and thus the parallel. Thus our fellowship with Christ is confirmed. 

Summary: The Lord's Supper is an offering to the Lord of thanksgiving, peace, and fellowship whereby we partake of the body and blood of Christ in remembrance of his goodness and redeeming us. 

Promise: From Tabletalk: We do not fellowship over food with our enemies but typically only with our friends and family. Christ invites all who believe in Him to His table. If we have faith in Him alone for salvation, then the eating and drinking signifies that we are at peace with Him and impresses the reality of this peace and fellowship on our souls.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for the goodness of Your Word and the parallels between the Old and New Covenants and weaving it all together. May I be a person that continually remembers You and the Goodness of Your Sacrifice for me. Thank you for dying for me and granting me new and forever life in You. Help me to continue to celebrate and remember You as I engage in the Lord's Supper, thanking you for the union I have with You in Christ. Thank you for making the Lord's Supper distinct and special. 

Esther 9:20-22 - Thanksgiving in Worship

Esther 9:20-22 

20 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

Message: Thanksgiving in Worship

Time: Unknown author and book named after the start of the story, a young Jewish girl named Hadassah taken from her guardian, Mordecai, and forced to compete for the affection of the king. As an unlikely contestant for a beauty pageant she became queen of Persia and was renamed Esther, meaning "star." The events in the book of Esther occurred from 483 BC to 473 BC, during the first half of the reign of King Xerxes, who chose Esther as his queen. It is the only book in the Bible not to mention the name of God, however it is one of the most skillfully written books of the Bible, but God's sovereignty permeates the book. Its focus is the feast of Purim. This book reminds us of how God weaves out our lives and all of its events for His glory. 

What the Lord is Saying: Purim is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman. Haman was king Ahasuerus evil second-in-command. He cast the lot, called "pur" in order to determine the days the Jews would be executed (Esther 3:7-9).  Esther and Mordecai though would foil the plan. Esther, the wife of Ahasuerus and thus, the queen of Persia. 

Mordecai discovers a plot to kill Ahasuerus. Haman is appointed as second in command but refuses to bow to Mordecai, then discovers he is a Jew and casts lot to then determine a time to execute all Jews. In response Mordecai and other Jews enter a time of intense mourning and lamenting and fasting. Esther discovers what has happened and begins an exchange of conversation with Mordecai. Her husband does not yet know she is a young Jewish girl. After back and forth deciding and delays she finally reveals to her husband she is Jewish and the plan to exterminate all Jewish people. Ahasuerus instead has Haman hanged on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai. A decree is then given that allows enemies of the Jews to be killed and this results in 75,000 killed. Mordecai becomes second in command and institutes the annual commemoration of this saving of the Jewish people - known as the Purim and is celebrated today as a joyous time, with maybe a carnival, exchanging of gifts and donations to the poor.

It is interesting that at the time there was another example of fasting after the people heard of the difficulty that would be coming their way. Again mourning and lamenting and fasting here are also going hand in hand.  And even in the church today there can be special times of thanksgiving to commemorate different events or special milestones including Thanksgiving holiday, paying off mortgage, or staff anniversaries. 

And yet thanksgiving is also a part of normal worship. I was taught the acronym ACTS to pray which stands for Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication. It reminds me that there are many things to do when we pray before asking. And giving thanks is part of this. I see churches do this in thanking God for his forgiveness of their sins and also there is a thankful spirit of all that God has done. Yesterday, we sang the hymn "When we All get to heaven" and that song gives an attitude of the joy and thankfulness we will have when we enter a new life in Christ. 

I miss this at times. But, I am very thankful for the wife God has given me and the children he has given me and the parents. Even though my dad doesn't have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ he has always supported me in my faith. I am thankful for all of the little things my mom did to encourage me in my faith. I pray I can be a fraction of this towards my wife and children and now grandchildren. And a thankful heart needs to continue to be a part of me. My favorite chapter of Romans 1 marks that the first thing I see that goes in unregenerate man is not having a thankful heart. Romans 1:21 says, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

Summary: Giving thanks is a part of our prayers that we make thanking God for all that He has done. It can be part of special occasions and it can also be a part of our weekly coming together time on Sunday morning. 

Promise: Cultivating thankful hearts will help us remember who God is and why He is worthy of our praise.

Prayer: God, how quickly at times I forget to give things and get out of this practice and instead get in the practice of wanting more and more and dissatisfied with the way things are going and want a better way. This is all consuming me at times and takes over my body. Lord, there is so much you have provided to me that I can be thankful for and I am indeed grateful to You. Thank you for giving me salvation and sending Your Son to live a better life for me to emulate but also to be my sacrifice and the perfect sacrifice for all. Thank you Jesus for rising again and perfectly redeeming me so that I would live forever in heaven with you. Keep that thankful attitude in my life continually and forgive me when I get off center from this. 

Romans 1:18-32 - The Sins of the Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Message: The Sins of the Gentiles

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Back in 2014 and 2015, I did a study in the book of Romans, following Tabletalk and these verses comprised 7 lessons. This section of scripture has always been one of my favorites after taking time to memorize this in the 90s. 

Now I move to a study on Justification - sola fide - and justification by faith alone and it begins with this passage. The first 8 chapters of Romans is about revelation or doctrine and then the remaining chapter is application 

Before diving into the message from the writers of this devotion, I first look at this text for review myself. I love it. Verse 19 says that God is evident within. God made it this way. He made man to know Him and yet man left to his own devices does not honor Him as God or give thanks (v 21). It is clear that this must be awakened in mankind. But I so love Paul's description of what happens to man if He is not awakened. It reminds me that we live in a world that does not honor Him. We should not be surprised, in a way, and yet we should be moved therefore to be part of this awakening of man. But, the gist of this passage is describing the Sins of the Gentiles. And after man does not honor God he/she looks within for the answer as they became futile in their speculations, but then something really sobering occurs as Paul says three times in verse 24, 26, and 28 how God gave them over which I believe is the same idea as God hardening. These verses speak of hardening of our bodies, our passions, and our mind. In other words, everything is changed.

I turn to the devotional now - the reason we need to be declared righteous is because without that declaration we are unrighteous. This is a fact. This is certain. Mankind is lost. 

Let's remember, we are accustomed to think the wrath of God is poured out right now against sin. But rather God's wrath is coming in a final Day of The Lord as mentioned in Isaiah 13:9-16. I read this and it horrific mentioning the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury, and burning anger...He will exterminate its sinners...the sun will be dark...the moon will not shed its light...I will punish the world for its evil...will make man scarcer...make the heavens tremble and the earth will be shaken. 

So the wrath that is spoken of here is a revealing or showing of God's wrath, today, as God hands sinners over to their sin. As mankind is given over to their sin, God's wrath is seen. People want sin. They want to ignore God and do things their own way and so God is letting them and so they give the people what they want. In the process of all of this, sin is celebrated. 

O how we are seeing this today. We have celebrations and parades and tolerance is becoming mandated in our schools. Dependence on God is traded for dependence on our government and whatever they say we follow as true. All of this is storing up wrath (Romans 2:5) for people in the day of the Lord that is coming. In my words, we are manufacturing and dispensing God's wrath today for when God will pour it all out One Day.   

Promise: No matter what people's transgressions are, God still rescues people who He has handed over to their sin. 

Prayer: Lord, I love seeing You show me the truth of our lives. It is sobering and sad. Thank you for placing the knowledge of You in everyone, but it is sad to see people not honor You or give You thanks for the life that you have given in creating them. People think they are so clever in their speculations. Thank you once again God for saving me. People need to be awakened to You God. And you call me to be involved in this awakening by declaring it to people. Thank you for the reminders you give continually for me to be involved in this. Help me to remain faithful to Your calling on my life. Your Word continues to illuminate me and speak to me but I want to be have more than head knowledge and act. Show people, like my son, the nasty result of seeking out his own way for happiness and joy. Not even the scent smells good. The warning signs are there. Awaken your truth to him, to all those in my care. I honor and thank you God. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Psalm 116:10-19 - Great Faith in God

Psalm 116:10-19

¹⁰ I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”
¹¹ I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.”

¹² What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me?
¹³ I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the Lord.
¹⁴ I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh in the presence of all His people.
¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His godly ones.
¹⁶ O Lord, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
¹⁷ To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.
¹⁸ I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh in the presence of all His people,
¹⁹ In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Message:  Great Faith in God

Time: Based upon authorship and subject matter, Psalms cover a range of centuries. David is mentioned 73 times, Solomon 2, Moses 1, and 50 designate no specific person. It is believed they were compiled around 537 BC. The psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

What the Lord is Saying: The Greek Old Testament is also called the Septuagint or LXX. 

Often in life, it is going through a difficult circumstance, a distressing situation, when we are most affected by the love and grace of God. And in this Psalm is that recognition. It is also through the recognition that we are a sinner that we understand how wonderful it is to have our Savior. We find the Lord just and good. We find rest in Him. God has been merciful toward us. We have been rescued today and we are rescued for all tomorrow's. In heaven, we will be completely at rest and able to walk with our Savior. That is the message of the first 9 verses. In those verses there is the sweet recognition of being low, of the mercy and grace of God and our permanent state with God in heaven.

Then in verses 10-19 is living life. How then do we now live?

I am hurting and no man is helping
Verse 10,11 - "I believed when I said, I am greatly afflicted."  I said in my alarm, "all men are liars."

I have stared at these verses for some time. For some reason, as I read them, I struggle with their understanding. What I see in this Psalm is his recognition that God is real through our circumstances. In and of himself, man does not bring the answer to life. 


The Psalmist declares that I said in my alarm so these words were voiced, not in somber reflection, but in boisterous alarm that all men are liars. I think the Psalmist is experiencing a quite revelation that man does not hold the answers to living and the problems of life should move us to him. In his hurt, in his affliction, he turns to believing in God. Men, themselves, are liars. There attempts to unravel and solve life are in vain. He believes God, he is hurting, and his hurt is great, and people are not the answer. I suppose at the moment I can relate.

I think of people I speak to, like Delphina, who had her boyfriend just walk out on her after several years together. She had yielded to this man her body, through sexual intimacy, against her better judgment, and then he had gone after another woman. And in that distress she was deeply afflicted and hurt, feeling like no one will really want her if she does things God's way. And just like the Psalmist, is the reflection that man cannot fix problems of pain. I continue to watch my 16 year old son ignore our direction, our instruction, our rules, and continue to go his own way. Our role as parents seems utterly useless. We don't feel like trying any longer. Lord, we are hurt, afflicted. We believe you O God, but we hurt. It's people that hurt us. People disappoint us. You have created us to be people that value relationships; we need each other, but not to solve life but to live it together, in growing dependence on God.

Paul adapts this statement in 2 Corinthians 4:13 with the words, "But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak." I believe when I said is the idea that I can speak, now, because I believe I can speak and my words are that I am greatly afflicted. He cried out to God because of a real need.

No one like you
What shall I render to the Lord? How could I begin to pay back the Lord for his mercies toward me? For all his benefits toward me? The Psalmist is focused on God, not man. It's not that man is useless here and offers nothing, but it is God that he is focused on, in thanking him for his mercies and love. It is unlike anything that he could receive from man or his fellow men. 

Thankful heart
The Psalmist then references a cup of salvation. It is not clear what this cup is as it is not the Lord's supper but more likely a cup at the end of the meal that he holds and thanks God for his bounty and his love. I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. There is a simple and profound acknowledgement to God that even in the meal that he has provided we can be thankful. His mercies are new, not just every morning, but with every meal that we can take. He uses the meal, at the end, then as a time to thank His God for his mercies. 

There is such a danger in life to always be in want. In these verses, I am seeing the Psalmist turn his attention toward God and seeing God as the answer to his life, his comfort, refuge, and the one that deserves his praise. 

I commit everything to the Lord
In verse 14, he says, I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh in the presence of all His people. A vow is a promise someone makes, generally when they are in dire straits, like experience a sickness which they think at the time they will not come out of. It is at this time when we see what matters most -- life. All the fluff of life and all that we think is important, suddenly disappears and for that moment, life is what is most important. We desire to simply continue with life. 

As it says in the verse, a vow is a debt, thus there is a payment that is made. And here in the verse is a willingness to pay, in I shall.  Thus far, in these verses is the assertion that God is all that there is and so he worships God and is giving himself to God. He is doing this in his prayer. Thus, in the presence of all God's people he makes the promise to live his life for God. Isn't this what the baptism is in a person's life? It is testifying of a changed life, but it is doing in, preferably in front of people. It needs to be in front of people. 

Precious to the Lord is death of the His chosen
And just as verse 14 speaks of life, verse 15 speaks of death. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. It speaks here of the high value the Lord places on the death of those that have been called by Him, His godly ones. Our life is sealed by Him and our death is no different. He takes care of His. As we walk with God in the land of the living (v. 9) we can also walk with Him at the time of death. We can trust him in both circumstances. 

God is there. He is with us in life and in death. He is our God. Verse 16 takes a moment to acknowledge that he is indeed God's servant. O Lord, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.

Promise: I can have faith in God. I can. He continues to show me over and over his faithfulness. He is a God to be praised. 

Prayer:
I believe in You God. I get hurt, but you God are the answer, not man. In You are so many benefits, so I turn to You. I pause, at the dinner table, to call upon Your name. 

I shall pay my vows to the Lord, in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.

O Lord, surely I am They servant, I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid, thou hast loosed my bonds. To Thee I shall offer a sacrifice of thankgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord. 

I shall pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem, 'Praise the Lord.'

Ecclesiastes 10:19 - Bread, Wine, and Money

Ecclesiastes 10:19
Prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.

Message: Bread, Wine, and Money

Time: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: Scripture is interesting. Solomon here relates a theme that sometimes seems counter intuitive to the gospel and that is enjoy a meal, drink and be merry, and money answers everything. Yes, we are to be givers in life, but we also can have enjoyment. My sense is we need to always strike a good balance.

Food can be and should be enjoyed. In making the meals I am making we want food that tastes good. But, I think we must be careful as I think about James Lumbuku in Uganda and the corn they often eat day in and day out. Food to them is sustaining life and they just need it to survive. We however are focused on food from an enjoyment perspective. If anything I am learning now, through the South Beach Diet, and lowering carbs to make food a healthier part of my lifestyle.

And the line -- money answers everything -- I must remember is written in the context of enjoyment of a meal and wine. It is the medium of commerce in our lives that enables the enjoyment. It is true. Money allows us to have enjoyment. But, it doesn't answer all of life. Money can still be the root of all evil. Again, we are not to worship it, but simply use it for God's glory.

Promise: There is a place for us to enjoy what He has given us as part of thanking Him for his goodness.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for good food, good drink and providing us with enjoyment and the opportunities to see enjoyment from the fruit of our labor. Thank you for giving us good food and having different recipes and different choices for food that we can eat and enjoy. Be with those that are less fortunate and supply their needs. Keep me content and thankful at all times.

Proverbs 30:26-28 - Wise Badgers, Locusts, and Lizards

Proverbs 30:26-28

²⁶ The shephanim (badgers) are not mighty people, yet they make their houses in the rocks;
²⁷ The locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks;
²⁸ The lizard you may grasp with the hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

Message: Wise Badgers, Locusts, and Lizards

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: The small creatures continue to be exemplified here in these 3 verses. The text looks at the badgers, the locusts, and lizards. Badgers are not mighty and yet they build their house out of rocks in order to protect themselves and appear mighty, locusts have no king or ruler  and yet they all go out in ranks like someone is leading them, lizards can be picked up easily by human hands and yet they are found often among people.

Overall, I believe this to be another reminder of what God has ordained and what he plans ahead of time for his people (including animals).

This is from Tabletalk of October 16, 2015:

• Rock badgers (v. 26) are small creatures about the size of a hare. They live among the rocks surrounding the Dead Sea and in other rocky locales in Palestine and Syria. God has specifically designed them for this habitat. Ordinarily, their small size would make them quite vulnerable to predators, but their clawed, almost weblike feet and footpads enable them to scurry about the rocks with ease, hiding in holes and small caves that are inaccessible to larger creatures that might want to make these badgers their food. Since the Bible often compares God to a rock for His people, the lesson seems to be that the only shelter we can find from our enemies is in the Lord Himself. In light of the great obstacles we face in the world, the flesh, and the devil, we are exposed and defenseless if we rely on ourselves. Yet if we take shelter in the Rock who is higher than we are we will find protection from all that seeks to destroy us. 
• Locusts (v. 27) can form vast swarms that wreak incredible havoc and destruction in a matter of minutes. Such a feat is incredible when, according to the naked eye at least, we cannot find a king or other leader among these insects. Clearly, each individual locust knows its places and is content to do the task for which it was created. Such discipline prevents jockeying over position that would make the formation of locust swarms impossible. The parallel lesson for us is to be content with where the Lord has placed us and to avoid the jealousy of other people's gifts and positions that can cause destruction. After all, if the locusts can be so successful because they are happy to be where God has placed them and they have no king, how much more successful will we be under the kingship of Christ if we are content where we are? 
• Lizards (v. 28) are reptiles so small that we can easily hold them in our hands, yet their ability to stick to walls means that no place is off limits to them, not even the kings palace. Those who live by God's wisdom will go far in life, and those who trust in Christ, who the wisdom of God will dwell in the Lord's heavenly places forever. 

Promise: If I am content where God has placed me and happy to be under his leadership, then I will enjoy success both now and in the life to come.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to be content in all situations. Forgive me for my discontent and feeling like I need more or something better. Help me to learn to stay where I am and encourage others as well in this. Thank you for your abundant providence in bringing me where I am at right now.

Psalm 95 - Listening Like Sheep

Psalm 95
¹ O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
³ For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
⁴ In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
⁵ The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
⁷ For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,
⁸ Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
⁹ “When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
¹⁰ “For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
¹¹ “Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Message: Listening like sheep

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Psalmist begins this shout to the Lord, this song by thanking the Lord for our salvation. Thank you God for saving me. Therefore, we come before the Lord with thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to God with a song of praise. God is a great God and a great king. In these first 3 verses is a very simple praise to our God. We call upon his name. We come with thankful hearts. We don't come to the Lord with hearts that need. We come first with a heart of thanksgiving. Lord, I want a thankful heart.

And after praising God, I thank him for what he has made, his creation. He has crafted the depths of the earth, all the way down below to the peak of the mountains. I thank God for my salvation and I thank Him for what he has made.

Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. I come before him and kneed.

Be alert to the hearing of his voice and if it comes listen. Do not harden or look to your own way.

The people of Massah in the wilderness, states another way, was the fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 

We need to be guarded against neglecting the Lord and His way. We need to be careful to always know the Lord's ways.  

I don't sense anyone fears the Lord in this way. Many ignore the Lord, but many are not fearing him and his ways. They are expecting everything to be all right. The wrath of God though is evident against those that don't take any interest in following Him. 

Promise: Praise God. Praise his creation. Worship Him. Stay close to Him. Don't turn away.   

Psalm 89:1-18 - King David's Mighty Hand

Psalm 89:1-18
¹ I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
² For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”
³ “I have made a covenant with My chosen;
I have sworn to David My servant,
⁴ I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations.” Selah.

⁵ The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
⁶ For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
⁷ A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him?
⁸ O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
⁹ You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
¹⁰ You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain;
You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

¹¹ The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all it contains, You have founded them.
¹² The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
¹³ You have a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted.
¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
¹⁵ How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
¹⁶ In Your name they rejoice all the day, and by Your righteousness they are exalted.
¹⁷ For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted.
¹⁸ For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Message: King David's Mighty Hand

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Lord, I enter your presence, today, bowing down in spirit, I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever; to all generations (all ages of people) I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. I sing to you, but I make you known to everyone. You God will remain loving forever. Lovingkindness will be built up forever; above me Lord, in the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness. Thank you God for making a covenant with me, your chosen. Thank you for establishing my seed forever through Jesus Christ. I never have to doubt or question my eternal state with God. The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also as we gather together at church, with one another. Your faithfulness is always amazing.For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? No one. No one in all of the world that we see and cannot see is comparable to the Lord. None of the angels (sons of the mighty) is like the Lord. God, you are greatly feared among the people of God, the holy ones and you are awesome above anyone that is around you. O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You have power over the sea. When its waves rise, You still them. As I think of the sea and your power over it, I am reminded of how You Yourself redeemed your people in the Red Sea; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. The heavens, the earth, the world and all it contains, You have founded them and all is Yours. You own it all God and all that we see is for you. You created directions. The north and the south, You have created them. The mountains of Tabor and Hermon in the land of Canaan shout for joy and proclaim on high you God. Your name is majesty and is shouted from the mountaintops. Lord, you are a God with power. You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your hand is exalted. You exercise your will with power. O God, righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. You are right. You are perfect. You are good. You judge fairly and your kingship is of order. You reign with power. Lovingkindness and truth go before You. How blessed are the people of God who know the amazing and wonderful sound of God's righteousness, justice, and lovingkindness. Our walk is bright; You God shine upon us. In Jesus name there is rejoicing all the day. And by your righteouness, your making us clean from sin and declaring us in right standing with God and because of this they (the Church) is exalted. The joy of the Lord is my strength. by Your favor our horn (power) is exalted. Our shield belongs to the Lord and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

God has done a great work with his people. 

Promise: No one can compare with the Lord revealed in Scripture.

Psalm 84:8-12 - One Day in the Courts of the Lord

Psalm 84:8-12

⁸ O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
⁹ Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
¹⁰ For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
¹² O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Message: One Day in the Courts of the Lord

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.
 
What the Lord is Saying:

Yesterday, in looking a Psalm 84, the inspiration of this Psalm seems to be entering the dwelling place of the Lord. This could be church, as it does seem to clearly speak of the Temple of the Lord. It is an appealing place, a place I long to be. It is a place that people look forward to being there. Everyone present is excited and ready to worship the Lord and listen to the Word of God taught. God lifts us up from the mire, and he makes places that are otherwise not exciting to be exciting. He makes barren feel full. 

As I continue in this Psalm today, I see that the in verse 8, that the worship center or place is also a place to pray - to offer our petitions. In high school, I learned the acronym ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Prayer is this. It is adoring God, acknowledging where I need God, where I have sinned, offering Thanksgiving to him and then finally Supplication. Often, I notice in prayer a skipping over of the first 3 and going straight to "give me." Lord, teach me to pray so that my position before you is always one of gratitude, not just expectation.  

Verse 9 - Behold our shield, O God. Shield I think could mean many things in this context. Ephesians talks about taking up the shield of faith. Faith in God is the combat force that moves us through all of life. If there is one thing that is attacked more and more in this world, it would seem to be our faith. But, our shield or what protects us in life is that faith. 

Verse 10 - For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. One day with You in your courts, is better than a thousand not with you. You are our shield. We enter into the praise and in that place it is amazing. It is more wonderful to stand on the threshold, or to not even enter the room, but just be standing in the in-between than to be in the tents of wickedness. 

John Calvin writes:

He would rather be cast into a common and unhonored place, provided he were among the people of God, than exalted to the highest rank of honor among unbelievers.

He is a sun. He is a shield. He shines his powerful light on us. He protects us. He gives grace. He gives not what we deserve. He gives what we do not deserve. He gives us his glory, his purpose is the highest of heavens, the presence of God and that is our gift from Him. Verse 12 - How blessed is the man who trusts in You! This is what we want in life, to be blessed, and in Christ, in our trust in God, I am blessed.

Promise: From TableTalk, to dwell with HIm is to enjoy a blessing that can never be lost.

Jesus Calling: November 28

Rest in the deep assurance of My unfailing Love. Let your body, mind, and spirit relax in My Presence. Release into My care anything that is troubling you, so that you can focus your full attention on Me. Be awed by the vast dimensions of My Love for you; wider, longer, higher, and deeper than anything you know. Rejoice that this marvelous Love is yours forever!
    The best response to this glorious gift is a life steeped in thankfulness. Every time you thank Me, you acknowledge that I am your Lord and Provider. This is the proper stance for a child of God: receiving with thanksgiving. Bring Me the sacrifice of gratitude, and watch to see how much I bless you. 

I Peter 5:7
English Standard Version
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Ephesians 3:16-19
English Standard Version
¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.


Psalm 107:21-22
English Standard Version

²¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
²² And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

My Prayer
Lord I thank you for your steadfast Love. Lord, you do wondrous works in the lives of your children. I offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise you in songs of joy. I cast all of my anxieties upon you. You care for me. Thank you for caring for me. Thank you for strengthening me with power through your Spirit. I need Christ to dwell in my heart. I want my life to be rooted, grounded in love. I want to know the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God. Help me to know what this means and be ready for it. Lord, I thank you.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: November 27

Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches. With your eyes thus opened, you can help yourself to whatever you need from My treasure house. Each time you receive one of My golden gifts, let your thankfulness sing out praises to My Name. "Hallelujahs" are the language of heaven, and they can become the language of your heart.
     A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. This is the power of praise: centering your entire being in Me. This is how I created you to live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy the abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness. 

Colossians 3:15
English Standard Version
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Acts 9:18
English Standard Version
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized.

Revelation 19:3-6
English Standard Version

³ Once more they cried out,“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” ⁵ And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,
you who fear him,
    small and great.”

⁶ Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.

 
Psalm 100:4-5
English Standard Version

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵ For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

My Prayer
Lord, you are good and for what you give me, I am most thankful. Thank you for Bruce and his friendship and coming over to play games with Pamela and I. Thank you for the home project I could work on, the home you have provided and the chance to learn how to do something, like repair rot, even though it is something I continue to not understand well and I have little confidence in. Thank you for Pamela having a day to just sew. Thank you for the friends Derek has as well as Tyson. Thank you for Megan's job. Thank you for providing us what we need. Thank you for giving me a job and setting a priority to give you the tithe I can now give the church. Help me Lord each day to thank you more and more for what you provide, good or bad. Everything I have is because of You and this needs to be acknowledge more in my life.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.