1. Walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes

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.”

Deuteronomy 7:12-13     “And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.  He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

Deuteronomy 7:15    And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.

Deuteronomy 28:1-15     “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 12:28    Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

1 Kings 11:38    And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

2 Kings 22:2     And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

When I read these verses I think about how is a person to know they are carefully obeying, listening to the voice of the Lord,  giving ear to His word, being faithful, doing what is right, not turning aside to the right or the left?   Maybe the other question that should be asked is what is keeping us from all of this? What is the measuring stick or means to know the path you are on is in line with the purposes and plans of God for your life? Why do things get clouded and confused when trying to answer these questions?

Our culture speaks into our lives.  True, false and slanted news taints how we think and live.  Laws, tolerance, live and let live, separation of church and state, biased views based on liberal agendas and the list can go on and on.  All of these eat away at our ability to carefully obey, listen, give full ear to God unless we are intentional about it.  Intentional would mean we are staying in His word, growing in our knowledge and understanding of Him, growing our faith through times of testing, using His word to challenge the prevailing thoughts of our culture, using His word to speak to our heart and mind, desiring to hear His whispers of leading, seeking to humbly serve, honor, glorify, worship, follow and obey Him.

We can look very good when we compare ourselves to the culture we live in.  We only have to be a little be different to falsely think we are right in God’s eyes.  I can remember 35 years ago a Pastor telling me he continues to see the church always 10 to 15 years behind adopting what is not acceptable now.  It only takes that short time to weaken our thoughts and resolve if we are not faithful in our time in His word, faithful in our walk with Him, faithful in our intentional commitment, faithful in seeking Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul.

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.