Month: February 2017

Troubled Heart

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Psalms 30:2  O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Psalms 6:2  Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.

Psalms 51:8   Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Psalms 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalms 118:18  The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

Psalms 147:3   He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Exodus 15:26  saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

2 Kings 20:5   “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD,

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord

Throughout our life we will encounter many different trials and go through many uncomfortable circumstances.  Think back and look at your life.  I read something once that said look at all of those “Worst Days of your Life” and know that you have survived them all!!!  Do we think for a minute that God was not in control or have our best interest in mind for His honor and glory?  We are human and like David, while in these times of troubles we have questions, concerns, worries, anxious thoughts, doubts, and sleepless nights. David cried out to God with all of these and after doing so he came to a place of proclaiming God’s promises.  Whatever you are going through God is much bigger than it.  He is more powerful that it. He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  So how do we find peace in and through these times?  Trust in, cling to, rely on, and wait for God.  He has given us great and precious promises so that by them our faith and hope maybe found complete trusting in His sovereignty, power, strength and steadfast love.

Remember the Creator

“So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.”

Psalms 29:1   Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Psalms 2:10-12  Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalms 68:32  O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord,   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies.

Psalms 96:7-9   Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!  Ascribe to the LORD the glory.due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!  Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

Isaiah 60:12   For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste

Jeremiah 13:16-18  Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.  But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.  Say to the king and the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head.”

Revelation 5:11-14  Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,  saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”  And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”  And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Ecclesiastes 11:8  So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-2  Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;  before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,

Remember your Creator!!  What is to be remembered? He is the creator of all there is.  The creator is Holy.  He created mankind in His own image.  He did not abandon mankind after they disobeyed Him.  He made a way for man to be forgiven and their sin forgotten/blotted out.  He filled men of old with His spirit to record His word for mankind.  He sent His son to redeem mankind.  He placed on our hearts knowledge of Himself. He gave many promises, blessings, and warnings.  He is all knowing.  He is all powerful. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will guide us. He will protect us. He has a plan and purpose for our life.  His son died for mankind, rose from the dead, and is coming again.  He will judge mankind. He will divide those who love and serve Him from those who do not.  Those who serve Him will receive reward – Heaven.  Those who do not serve Him will receive punishment for rejecting Him and His son – Hell.  Remember your Creator.  Serve Him with all of your heart, mind and soul.  Listen to His leading.  Bring honor and glory to Him in all you think, say and do.

Eternal Destiny

“He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.”

” Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Psalms 28:1 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more. Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Job 33:28   He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’

Isaiah 38:18  For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness.

Matthew 25:41  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:46  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Psalms 69:22-24  Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.  Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.  Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them.

In this Psalm David cries out for God to hear him.  He asks for to be looked at with mercy.  He claims God’s wrath on those who shun God.  And then David proclaims God’s promises.  There is a difference in the hearts and minds of those who  and those who do not.  There is also an eternal place reserved for both.  Eternal life in heaven await those who believe in, search for, listen to, and obey and trust in God. Eternal punishment await those who do not.  Every person is their last breath away from eternity.  It is our heart choice now that will determine our eternal destiny.  There are no excuses  accepted before God.

how long must I wait

” but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Psalms 27:13  I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Psalms 42:5   Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

Psalms 56:3  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13  Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,  knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

Psalms 130:5   I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

Isaiah 8:17  I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

Romans 8:25  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Lamentations 3:26   It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

1 Corinthians 16:13   Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Psalms 31:24  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

Isaiah 40:31  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Waiting for God is not easy when our culture seems to have instant access, instant supply, instant satisfaction.  Faith trusts in God, relies on God, clings to God, and waits for God’s timing, plan, and purpose.  What part of trusting God puts time limits on His steadfast love?  What part of relying on God puts time limits on His perfect plan for our lives? What part of clinging to Him sets time limits on when God responds?  What part of waiting in faith puts time limits on when God will act?  Abraham was promised he would be the father of many nations when he was 75 years old and did not see this fulfilled for 25 years.  Would we wait 25 years?  Abraham was then asked to sacrifice his first born.  Though he did not do it because god stopped him, his faith was never wavering in trusting God, clinging to God, relying on God.  We do well to wait and trust.  God is our hope, strength and peace.