Tag: forever

Notebook Praises Day 2

“Make His praise glorious . . .

Sing out the honor of His name; . . .

Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!

. . . All the earth shall worship You ” Psalm 66.

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When I speak aloud the Word of God, I’m renewed with hope. We can rejoice in the LORD always because God is who He says He is!

He doesn’t change whether we believe Him or not. God is God.

If there is any doubt in your heart whether you belong to the Lord, . . .

make this day, the moment you seek Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He will. The Bible is His love letter. Jesus. Loves. You. And me. And every single person on this planet.

Period.

Ask the Lord to help you understand. Ask the Lord to speak in regards to your pain and loss.

The gospel message is the same. The Good News of God makes no changes, ever.

The Lord is a faithful God. Psalm 66 reminds us to sing out the honor of His name.

The Bible helps us focus on the grand power and goodness of God. God’s Word is living, soul transforming. The Word of God lifts us above anxious thoughts. We can’t worry and speak a dozen names of God at the same time.

Almighty God – The Anointed One

(Lord my) Banner – (Giver of) Counsel

Compassionate God – The Chosen One

A Crown of Glory – A Costly Cornerstone

Deliverer – Elohim

El Elyon (God Most High) – Exalted One

Hungry for more? The simple reading of a few names of God makes us hungry to read more:

Jesus is:

Enthroned in rainbow colors – Faithful

Forgiver – The First

Friend of Sinners – Fountain of Life

Gracious God – Glorious

Giver of the Spirit – Great Reward

Holy – Healer

Change happens. We were created to worship God and when we do, we have peace. He is the Prince of Peace.

Can we “Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works!”

His greatest work is His sacrifice on the cross for each of us. He became the Passover Lamb, (another one of His wonderful names). By believing in His work of death on the cross, our sin is put on Him:

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Talk to Him today. He knows your heart already. He can cleanse and make all who believe a new creation. His other outstanding work is His resurrection. Each is great. Miraculous. Jesus rose from the dead.

He helps us rise to new life.

Yes, all who come to Jesus and believe in the sacrificial love He gave on the cross will be saved. Born again with living hope.

The Bible tells us so!

Let the sound of children minister the glorious gift Jesus gives when we believe in Him:

John 1:12 / 2 Corinthians 5:17


Psalm 66: Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
 All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

 Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
 He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

 Oh, bless our God, you people!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
 Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
 For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
 You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay You my vows,

 Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.

 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

 Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!”

Talk to someone about what you’ve received from the Lord, today!

We need each other

Truly my soul silently waits for God;

From Him comes my salvation.
 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved. 

Psalm 62
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

In all honesty, my soul waits for God. But silently? No, not always. At times it’s more like an ocean in a storm.

“I shall not be greatly moved,” David proclaims. Perhaps slightly moved he was because he continues his psalm:

 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

This is not a time of peace for David. Selah, or “pause and think quietly about it,” makes us consider for ourselves what these verses mean.

These thoughts of great trouble, confusion, and lies could be in regards to our own personal battles, or our family dynamics, dealing with people, or sickness and bills, or school, finances, or work, car troubles. Each of these can bring us down from a stable position.

The lies that come flooding in from the enemy, for me are:  “This is how’s it’s been, forever.” “This is how it will be forever.” “Nothing will ever change, this is all you have forever.”

The Word, a refuge. God speaks and instructs. What did David do?

He talks to his own soul. Psalm 62 proves to instruct me to do the same:

 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;

I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:5,6.

David is changed. I’m sure his circumstances haven’t changed. But he has changed.

How?

His eye focus changed to the only rock and salvation. Right now, is there anyone else who needs some corrective glasses, like me. I must focus up, o-n-l-y. Not once and forever, but step by step, moment by moment:

 In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

Change is going on. my heart is being moved to increased faith. Satan has no victory. But the next verse caught me by surprise. It no longer uses the word me, or I, but your and us:

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

Pause and think quietly about this. “You people,” “your heart,” “God is a refuge for us.” We need community. We need each other.

We can all come together and agree, men, (women, all people,) will disappoint. We are all sinners. Not one is exempt from the fall. David writes:

 Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

But together, if we remind each other to “look up,” and focus on God, we will not be shaken.

God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work. Psalm 62.

How we need to talk of His power and mercy. His faithfulness. His grace. We can wait on God, together. We will say to our souls:

wait silently for God alone,
For our expectation is from Him.
He only is our rock and our salvation;
He is our defense;

We shall not be moved.

Selah, We will pause and think quietly about that!

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

 

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