Daryl Pint – Page 234

Strengthened Himself

“Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.”

“But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.“

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 and my God.

Psalms 27:13-14 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 43:5 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 and my God.

Psalms 55:4 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.

Psalms 61:2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

Psalms 142:2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

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

Psalms 56:11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Lamentations 3:24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Romans 4:20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Psalms 91:15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

There times we all hit a wall of despair, worry, and our heart is troubled. Life this side of eternity will throw this at us when we least expect it. We have God’s promise that when we call to Him He will answer. When we are in trouble He is with us. He will rescue us. Do not allow unbelief to sink in. Hold firm, trust God, and wait for His steadfast love to lift you up. Not everyone is going to be able to strengthen themselves. We each have opportunity to be used by God to help lift up those who are in times of trials. Keep your ears open to His leading and be willing to listen and obey. Being used by God to encourage others in times of trial is what our walk with God should include. Knowing His word and rightly applying it helps us to encourage and support others with His honor and glory in focus.

As a Deer Pants

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”

Psalms 119:62 At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Psalms 42:1 AS a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

Psalms 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

Psalms 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

Psalms 63:6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

Psalms 84:2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalms 143:6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

Isaiah 26:8 In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Psalms 130:6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Who is more Blessed?

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor!”

“It is more blessed to give than to receive”

Psalms 41:1 In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

Deuteronomy 15:10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 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. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Luke 14:13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

Learn to Give out of a generous heart. Learn to Help out of a generous heart. Giving is an act of obedient responsibility but to many it is missing from their lives. There is blessing given deep into the heart of a generous giver. This blessing comes from God and it is knowing He has given to you and allowed you to be used by Him to share. He honors a generous heart with Joy in giving that can not be easily explained but it is very real in the lives of those who learn to listen to God and give generously and with purpose.

Counted as Loss

d“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”

Psalms 40:16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

Isaiah 65:13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit.

Psalms 22:26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!

Psalms 35:27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

Psalms 68:3 But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!

Psalms 119:166 I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I do your commandments. My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.

Psalms 105:3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Psalms 119:111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

Luke 14:33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

I wonder if some of the lack of joy in our life comes from the fact we do not forsake all we have in this world. Are we attached to things this world has to offer and missing out in having gladness and joy in our heart that comes from a closeness to God, a dependency on Him, and eyes of our heart, soul and mind focused on humbly serving Him in the short time we have this side of eternity. Attachment to things this world has to offer is to believe the lie “it will satisfy”. It is always very short in delivering satisfaction and is very good at sugar coating this false promise. True and lasting joy can only be found in God, humbly serving, willingly obeying, and always seeking Him. What does it profit man to gain the world and lose their soul?

You Shall Speak

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.“

Psalms 40:10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

Ezekiel 2:7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 3:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

Acts 20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Isaiah 49:6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Luke 2:30 for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

When was the last time you spoke of the gift of salvation to someone? Are we not going to be held accountable for what we do with this gift from God? I wonder who’s blood will be on my hand because I did not speak of God’s grace and mercy or speak of His warnings. What kind of person would find an everlasting well of water in the desert and then not share it with those who were perishing from lack of water. God’s grace, mercy, and love are to be shared, lived, believed, and unwaveringly held on to. Choose to make a difference in the life of another person today – let them know God loves them so much He sent His Son to redeem them.

Open Ear Warnings

“then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,”

Psalms 40:6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

Psalms 51:16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Isaiah 1:11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.

Jeremiah 7:21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’

Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 9:13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 12:7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Hebrews 10:5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

John 7:15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.

Proverbs 15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

God opens the ear of man and terrifies them with warnings! He does this so that we freely choose to listen, follow, and obey Him. How many times are we trying to make ourself right before God but in the end it is only right in our own eyes. God wants willful obedience from us, not our attempts to cover up or atone for the things we are doing in disregard of Him. Why is it so hard to deny self and live for Him? We choose to open His word and read it. We choose to stay close to Him. We choose to listen to His leading. We choose to follow His path and purpose for our life. We choose to serve Him. We choose to obey Him. We choose to honor and glorify Him. What choice are you making today?

My Mouth Will Tell

“My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Psalms 40:5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

Psalms 136:4 to him who alone does great wonders,

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Job 5:9 who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number:

Job 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Psalms 92:5 How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!

Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Psalms 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

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.

What is our thoughts about God and His love, mercy, power, and grace? Do we think about this? Are we living close enough to Him that we experience it? Do we acknowledge Him and what He has done, is doing, and will do? The creator has not only reach out to us and made Himself known, He has given us great precious promises so that we through faith would have hope, joy, peace, rest, love, forgiveness and eternal life with Him. Why are we content with living on the edge of this? What keeps us from desiring to be in and always experiencing His presence in our daily lives? Scripture says out of the abundance of the heart our mouth will speak. What goes in is what comes out. Stay close to Him. Stay in His word. Meditate on it. Proclaim it. Desire it.

Establish your Heart

“For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

“Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”

Psalms 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!

James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;

Psalms 119:133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me

Acts 2: 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Psalms 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 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

2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,

Jonah 2:8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

What does it mean to establish your heart? When you read these verses today we can see many reasons why we should but what does an established heart look like lived out in everyday life? Does it worry or fret? Is it anxious or impatient? Is it angry or unforgiving? Does it look to others for resolution or refuge? Does it complain or whine? An established heart rests in God alone and gives all it’s cares to Him. This life seeks to grow in knowing more and more about God and His purpose for their life. Praise is on their lips. His word is always on their heart and mind. They have joy, peace, rest, comfort, hope, and a refuge that cannot be moved. Strive to have an established heart that is rooted deep in humbly serving, honoring and obeying God.

Chasing after wind

“and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”

“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.“

Psalms 39:6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me,

Ecclesiastes 2:20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Ecclesiastes 6:11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Luke 12:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

1 Peter 5:6”Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

What are you doing with your life? Where are your priorities? Are they on things above or on things of this world? It is hard to say isn’t it. We know we are not to be foolish and we need to plan but in the end I think we get lost in the plan. The goal seems to consume our focus and we loose sight of God and our purpose here on earth. Keeping all of this in balance requires a commitment, choice, and desire to humbly serve honor and obey God in all that we say, think and do. One thing is for certain – we need to stay in His word routinely and with purpose. Chasing after wind seems foolish and who at the end of their life would want to look back and see this is all that had been accomplished. However, seeking God and His purpose has wisdom and eternal reward. Choose that which is eternal.

Gladness and Satisfaction

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

“Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Psalms 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalms 90:16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

Psalms 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalms 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

Psalms 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

Psalms 65:4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Psalms 103:5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

1 Corinthians 3:7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

What gladdens your soul? What satisfies your heart, soul and mind? What do you see as blessings in your life? I have been blessed with colleagues who come from other corners of our globe. They have seen so much more about life outside of the United States. The struggles of existence, lack of means, minimal opportunities, and disparity are all familiar to them. When they see the culture of the US and what people complain about they are put back and see much of these complaints as foolishness. This should not surprise us. When our eyes are on what the world can offer, what we can take, and what others have these outcomes of thought are manifested in our lives. However, scripture is always pointing us to be thankful to God, trusting in God, hoping in God, believing in God, relying on God, clinging to God, loving God, serving God, honoring God, glorifying God, praising God, obeying God, and praying to God. Our culture and natural focus on the “here and now” robs us of a fulfilling, abundant, and purposeful life. Do you want to satisfaction, blessings, and gladness in your heart, mind, and soul? Choose to focus on Him alone who can – God