Thoughts – Page 4 – Praying Pint

God our Heavenly Father

“ O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”

Psalms 65:12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Psalms 104:10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

Job 38:28 “Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

Acts 14:17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

How many times do you hear someone reference “Mother Nature” in the course of a year concerning weather? I hear “Mother Nature sure has been good to us” and “Mother Nature sure seems to be angry” or a host of other references to her without thought of God. It is common to not hear reference God in things of nature. It is also common to not hear reference to God in things of everyday life which shows the condition of man’s heart. How many times have you heard someone talking about God outside of church or home? God is not to be set aside for special occasions or needs. He is to be praised, honored, worshipped, obeyed, glorified, and set in a place of awe and reverence in our heart and mind continually. God is our heavenly Father and creator of all there is. What kind of children neglect their father or pay no attention to his council and wisdom? What kind of children allow life to get so busy that they consider their father only on fathers day and their birthday? What kind of love would you say these children have for their father? Wouldn’t you say they were ungrateful, negligent, self-seeking, and just plain bad children. How much more BAD is it for us to neglect God in our everyday life? Commit to spend time in His word. Seek to know and love, honor and obey Him more. Keep Him alive in your heart, mind and soul. Praise Him!!!

No Time

“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.”

“ 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.”

“and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”

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. 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, 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. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalms 42:8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalms 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:

Psalms 119:55 I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law.

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.

Psalms 149:5 Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.

Lamentations 2:19 “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”

Psalms 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

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

To desire God is to long after Him with a want to know Him more. To know Him and long for Him is to be at the well of living water. To remember Him at night while laying on our bed brings rest to our soul. To meditate on Him in the night is to have hope for the morning. In the shadow of His wings there is absolute safety, peace, joy, hope and rest. How many days go by where God is but a second thought if a thought at all? How are we to find rest for our soul if we spend no time desiring/seeking the only one who is able to give true rest? It is hard to find something that you are not looking for. It is hard to walk by faith in the promises God speaks in and through His word you do know. It is hard to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God when there is no time spent with Him. It is hard to proclaim praise to God for something you give hardly a second thought. Neglecting God’s word has many detrimental affects – all of which seem to compound over time to a place where your heart, mind, and soul do not hear whispers of God. If your heart, mind, and soul are void of His word do you ever wonder what fills that void? I can tell you – SELF, PRIDE, COMPLACENCY, WORRY, ANGER, ANXIOUSNESS, UN-REPENTANCE, SHORT TEMPER, LACK OF KINDNESS, LACK OF GIVING and SACRIFICIAL GIVING, UNCERTAINTY, UNFULFILLED, UNFORGIVING, NO PRAISE, NO DISCERNMENT, LACK OF DISCIPLE MAKING, UNABLE TO SEE THE LOST, UNABLE TO GIVE THE REASON FOR THE HOPE IN YOU, WEAK OR NO FAITH, and NO DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE COMPARED TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST. God’s word does not magically fill your heart, mind and soul. Nor does it find solid ground if it is only thought about once per week for an hour while at church. Commit to place Him and His word first in your live each day. Do not let the busyness of the life and what it has to offer over shadow and void your life of knowing God and humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.

Pay Attention

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

” let us not pay attention to any of his words.”

Psalms 56:5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

Job 16:20 My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words

Luke 11:54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Jeremiah 18:18 Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.”

Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.

Psalms 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

It is obvious there are those who seek God and those who do not. For those who do not, they have closed their ears, eyes, heart, soul and mind. they have closed all of these to His creation, His word, and what He has placed within our heart about Him. Their heart and mind have hardened to the point of not only rejecting God’s call but to reject, mock, and cause issue with those who walk by faith in the one true God. In Romans it says that they have chosen to reject God because He has made it clear to them through creation and by placing initial knowledge of Himself in their heart and mind. Romans continues to say that because they have rejected Him, He has given them over to this debase and eternally harmful mindset. For those who have chosen to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey there is another course/path for their lives. God is ever present in their heart, mind, and soul. They know there is more to life than what is experienced this side of eternity. They hold on to that which is promised – not seen. They come to God with their heart cry and know He is their strength, rock, refuge, joy, peace, and place of rest. They live this side of eternity with hope and expectation of eternity promised with God. Keep strong, stand firm, seek God, and CHOOSE to keep your heart, mind and soul focused in this life on Him. Do not allow your heart and mind to be pulled away by things of this world and culture. Do not get so busy that you lose sight of God and eternity. Do not neglect His word. Keep your life in check with His word.

The Price is Paid

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

“For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.”

Psalms 50:23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Isaiah 48:22 “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ezekiel 18:27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.

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. “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Jeremiah 7:4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

Matthew 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Romans 2:17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

Psalms 25:14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Psalms 78:36 But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

Jesus Christ went to the cross to redeem all who would come to him, believe in him, and trust in his sacrifice for their sin. Scripture says “for the joy set before him” he willingly bore our sin to redeem us. We come to this saving grace knowledge not by words but by a God drawn, Spirit led, Christ redeemed changed heart. The price paid was God’s only son. The price paid was freely and willingly given for the single purpose of redeeming those who would turn to him, trust in him, believe in him, cling to him, and rely on him alone for salvation of their soul. This is the most important decision ever made this side of eternity. It determines eternity with him in heaven or being forever tormented in hell. The time for this decision is NOW. The urgency of this decision is NOW. Your eternal life depends on this NOW. Seek him while he may be found. Making this decision is never regretted now and for certain forever but not making it will certainly be regretted forever. There is no better time than Now to trust in, rely on, cling to and humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.

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.

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.

Precious Promises

” by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

“I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.“

Psalms 36:5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. 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. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

Job 37:23 The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

1 Peter 2:6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

Psalms 139:17 ,

2Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Hebrews 8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Great and precious promises have been given to us to escape the corruption of the world. What promises are coming to mind? David recorded it this way, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!”. David found value in thinking about God, His thoughts and promises. He called them precious. Something very dear to his heart. He found comfort, refuge, strength, hope, peace, faith, love, joy, mercy…… and more staying close to God. His daily purpose was to know and serve God deeper and fuller each day. He had a heart desire to seek God in both times of trials and in times of blessings. We would do well to reflect each day on God, His promises, and how we to would know and serve Him fuller. Spend time in His word. Seek to know Him. Desire to serve Him.

While He may be found

“how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

Hos 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Isa 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
Isa 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Psalms 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Psalms 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

I have taken a bit of the sermon from Jonathan Edwards written in 1741 that I think captures many thoughts in line with these verses; “All wicked men’s pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do.

But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The greater part of those who heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise as those who are now alive: it was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell ever to be the subjects of that misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, “No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself: I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief: Death outwitted me: God’s wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then suddenly destruction came upon me.
So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.”

Amen, Amen