Tag: fears the Lord

Those who know Your name

“ And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.”

“ for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”

Psalms 57:1  Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

Psalms 142:1   With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.

Psalms 56:1    Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

Psalms 69:13  But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.  Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.  Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.  Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

Psalms 119: 76  Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.  Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.

Psalms 125:1   Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Psalms 17:7  Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.  Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,

Psalms 36:7    How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalms 61:4    Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!

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.

Luke 13:34    O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Zechariah 1:4   Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.

Nehemiah 9:30  Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Proverbs 1:24  Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,  because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,  when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,  would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,

You can see the heart of man that calls out to God, has these attributes: relies on God, trusts in God, clings to God, believes in God, obeys God, seeks God, delights in God, and finds comfort, rest, peace, joy and hope in God.  On the other hand we can see the heart of those who choose not to stay close to God and do exactly the opposite. How much do we rely on God?  Do we delight in His word and the direction it gives to our daily lives?  Do we discern what it is saying and rejoice in the promises of God?  Do we acknowledge God’s reproof and conviction in our lives?  Do we choose to hear His voice? Do we seek His leading?  Replace the “We” in all of the questions above with “I”.  Truthful answers will expose where we are lacking in humbly serving, giving, following, honoring, and obeying God. Every commitment starts with a purpose/goal and choice to change and prioritize time for it, frequent reflection and focus.  Commit to Him and His word.  Commit to humbly serving, honoring, following, obeying Him with all you heart, soul, and mind.

Loving kindness of God

“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”

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

Psalms 24:5  He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Isaiah 51:5  My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait.  Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

Romans 3:22   the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

2 Corinthians 5:21   For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 5:5   For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

Philippians 3:9   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 128:1-5  Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!  You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.

Titus 3:4-6    But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

When you think of “Blessings from God” what comes to mind? Is it peace of mind, material, shelter, comfort, rest, strength, love, health, protection, family, fellow believers, His word, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, wisdom……  The list can go on and on.  Who are we that we should be blessed by God, the creator? Do we deserve it? Can we earn it? Righteousness and subsequent blessings are from God to those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, desire to humbly serve, honor, glorify, and obey Him.  I doubt we fully understand what is means to “love God with all our mind, heart, and soul”.  However continually seeking His will and purpose in our life will grow us in this understanding.  Walking with God is so much more than faith in Him.  It is a heart deep desire to serve and obey Him.  We grow our understanding of Him as we spend time in His word, listening to what is says to our heart, and obeying God’s leading. Our blessing begin with our understanding of Him, His purpose for our lives, and a desire to serve and obey Him.

Know Him

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.”

Psalms 20:1   May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!  May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

Psalms 41:1    Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;

Psalms 60:11   Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!

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

Psalms 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life

Psalms 9:10   And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Proverbs 18:10   The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

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.

These verses “Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God”, “Because he knows my name and holds fast to me”, “The righteous man runs to the name of the Lord and is safe” make it very clear walking with God is full of help in times of trouble.  Yet it makes clear the righteous man, the one who loves God and holds on to Him is the person who has this hope.  How can we call on someone if we don’t know them? Knowing of and knowing is like knowing of the name of a person who has power and means to help you but you only know of their name.  How do we know if they will respond or how they will respond? If we know of them and not know them personally we have no clue how they will respond to us.  We may have heard from someone else how they were helped but this gives us no assurance this person would help us.

Knowing of God: Hear His name, heard some of the stories of what He has done, believe He exists, has no influence in daily life, is rarely thought of unless there is trouble in your life, serving self, culture has more influence, His word is not written on your heart and anchored in your mind, trying to perform in a way that makes you worthy of His love.

Knowing God: Know Him by name, has impact in your life, is always present in your mind, deep desire to know Him more, listening for and to that quiet small voice leading you, obeying His leading, trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Him, His word is before you constantly, you live to humbly serve, honor, glorify, and obey Him, it is by His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ alone you are made clean.

How can we “Know His word,” “Believe in His word,” “Trust in His word,” “Obey His word,” if we don’t read His word with a heart deep desire to know Him.