A variety of Psalms
So many good ones, but these jumped out at me...
16:7
I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
16:8
I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
These verses prove the importance of living by the Bible (principles and convictions). If God says it, then I can rely on it, so that when the "night" the hard times comes, it is His word that are my reins. People don't get the chance to see what I truly believe until I am tested.
19:1
[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
I wonder how anyone can look at the stars and believe there is no God.
19:12
Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults].
19:13
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Secret sins....hmmm...guilty. I never noticed before how those verses are "conveniently" before the famous "let the words of my mouth." Abba, reveal to me those secret, presumptuous sins in my live that keep me from being upright. I don't want them to have dominion over me. I can be so guilty of thinking that since I don't drink, do drugs, etc. that I am covered, but Lord, You see the me that no one else sees----my sins of prayerlessness, critical attitude, unthankfulness, slothfulness. Abba, when You have control and not my faults, I feel free. Your bondage is much more freeing than the bondage of sin.
Showing posts with label Holiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiness. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Progression of Sin
Judges 13-15
Sampson....a great fighter with a great temper. I reflect on so many faults in his life...
1. In finding a mate, he didn't respect his father and mother's wishes. He thought he knew what was right. He wanted to marry a Phillistine rather than an Israelitte.
2. When he killed the lion with his bare hands, he knew as a Nazarite he wasn't supposed to touch anything dead, but he was sneaky and didn't tell his parents.
3. Later he kills a lion and makes a joke of it by telling a riddle about it. He makes sin like it's fun and games.
4. He later loses his temper because they find out his riddle. He was so arrogant and prideful.
5. He tosses aside his wife because she told his riddle and later he comes back trying to have her back. Her father had let her marry another because he forsook her. Sampson becomes enraged and ties the foxes together, lights their tails and sends them into the camp of the Philistines. Their crops are destroyed. He wasn't willing to accept the consequences of his decisions.
6. Later the people of Judah find out what Sampson has done, and they bind him and deliver him to the Philistines. He didn't care that his decisions affected more people than just himself.
7. In the midst of the Philistines, Sampson breaks free of his ropes and takes the jawbone of an ass and kills a thousand of them. He still has no regard for his rules of separation, and he doesn't give credit to God but instead brags on himself and what he has done. He felt the end justified the means.
8. I need to post this verse, so I point out some things....
15:18
And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
I can almost detect an arrogant tone. "You did this God. Why can't you do this for me?" I am amazed, though, because God does listen to him and hallows a place out of the jaw of the ass. This reminds me again that God uses everyone. He knows their intentions, and He uses them to propetuate His will. Though Sampson went about it wrong, God used him to bring deliverance to the Israelittes from the Philistines.
Sampson pictures the progression of the power of sin in one's life...
Choosing just something I want instead of God's perfect will...."little sins" that are secretive...become boastful and find sin amusing...become angry with those who call out my sins...seek revenge on those who deliver consequences for my sins...absolutely no regard for how my sin affects others...completely numb to any more conviction of sin
Abba help me to have a strong distaste for sin. I don't want to see this progression in my life. Weed out the little stuff before I have a whole garden of weeds.
Sampson....a great fighter with a great temper. I reflect on so many faults in his life...
1. In finding a mate, he didn't respect his father and mother's wishes. He thought he knew what was right. He wanted to marry a Phillistine rather than an Israelitte.
2. When he killed the lion with his bare hands, he knew as a Nazarite he wasn't supposed to touch anything dead, but he was sneaky and didn't tell his parents.
3. Later he kills a lion and makes a joke of it by telling a riddle about it. He makes sin like it's fun and games.
4. He later loses his temper because they find out his riddle. He was so arrogant and prideful.
5. He tosses aside his wife because she told his riddle and later he comes back trying to have her back. Her father had let her marry another because he forsook her. Sampson becomes enraged and ties the foxes together, lights their tails and sends them into the camp of the Philistines. Their crops are destroyed. He wasn't willing to accept the consequences of his decisions.
6. Later the people of Judah find out what Sampson has done, and they bind him and deliver him to the Philistines. He didn't care that his decisions affected more people than just himself.
7. In the midst of the Philistines, Sampson breaks free of his ropes and takes the jawbone of an ass and kills a thousand of them. He still has no regard for his rules of separation, and he doesn't give credit to God but instead brags on himself and what he has done. He felt the end justified the means.
8. I need to post this verse, so I point out some things....
15:18
And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
I can almost detect an arrogant tone. "You did this God. Why can't you do this for me?" I am amazed, though, because God does listen to him and hallows a place out of the jaw of the ass. This reminds me again that God uses everyone. He knows their intentions, and He uses them to propetuate His will. Though Sampson went about it wrong, God used him to bring deliverance to the Israelittes from the Philistines.
Sampson pictures the progression of the power of sin in one's life...
Choosing just something I want instead of God's perfect will...."little sins" that are secretive...become boastful and find sin amusing...become angry with those who call out my sins...seek revenge on those who deliver consequences for my sins...absolutely no regard for how my sin affects others...completely numb to any more conviction of sin
Abba help me to have a strong distaste for sin. I don't want to see this progression in my life. Weed out the little stuff before I have a whole garden of weeds.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
For the Future Generation
Judges 1-3
The children of Israel have all been given their lots of inheritance. Their duty now is to drive out the inhabitants. But I read of atleast 8 of the tribes that "did not drive them out." They didn't take total victory. Instead they let the inhabitants dwell among them, and it's no wonder that only a little later that the Bible says..
2:10-12
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
Sure the original ones were maybe strong enough spiritually to stand admist the evil of the inhabitants, but they didn't consider their children. The future generation. What an alarming awakening in my life. Though I don't have any children living in my home full-time. I must be careful of the things we allow in. My desire in for the future generation to rise up and serve the Lord with greater vigor. Cannot happen if I am not willing to "drive out" those things which could not only hinder me, but hidder the future generation more so.
The children of Israel have all been given their lots of inheritance. Their duty now is to drive out the inhabitants. But I read of atleast 8 of the tribes that "did not drive them out." They didn't take total victory. Instead they let the inhabitants dwell among them, and it's no wonder that only a little later that the Bible says..
2:10-12
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
Sure the original ones were maybe strong enough spiritually to stand admist the evil of the inhabitants, but they didn't consider their children. The future generation. What an alarming awakening in my life. Though I don't have any children living in my home full-time. I must be careful of the things we allow in. My desire in for the future generation to rise up and serve the Lord with greater vigor. Cannot happen if I am not willing to "drive out" those things which could not only hinder me, but hidder the future generation more so.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Unibrows?
Deut 14-16
14:1
Ye [are] the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
I have to admit, I first read this, I laughed, thinking that God was somehow for unibrows, but I looked up a commentary about it and read...
“The cutting of the body and the shaving of the head were common mourning rites in the ancient Near East and are referred to in many places in the Old Testament (Isaiah 3:24; 15:2; 22:12; Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; Ezekiel 7:18; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16).” (Thompson)
This was a pagan burial ritual, and God didn't want the Israelittes confused with them. He needed them to be set apart and holy. "A peculiar people" as He says later.
The rest of the chapters from my reading today continue explaining eating laws, tithing, and laws of forgiveness to the Israelittes. I know that since Jesus has fulfilled the laws of the prophecy, we as Christians are no longer bound to these ordinances, but they do hold some good principles to follow. Obviously, tithing is still required, but even the eating practices and forgiving debtors every seven years...giving to your brother in need. Good things to practice still today.
14:1
Ye [are] the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
I have to admit, I first read this, I laughed, thinking that God was somehow for unibrows, but I looked up a commentary about it and read...
“The cutting of the body and the shaving of the head were common mourning rites in the ancient Near East and are referred to in many places in the Old Testament (Isaiah 3:24; 15:2; 22:12; Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; Ezekiel 7:18; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16).” (Thompson)
This was a pagan burial ritual, and God didn't want the Israelittes confused with them. He needed them to be set apart and holy. "A peculiar people" as He says later.
The rest of the chapters from my reading today continue explaining eating laws, tithing, and laws of forgiveness to the Israelittes. I know that since Jesus has fulfilled the laws of the prophecy, we as Christians are no longer bound to these ordinances, but they do hold some good principles to follow. Obviously, tithing is still required, but even the eating practices and forgiving debtors every seven years...giving to your brother in need. Good things to practice still today.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Humilty, Old Shoes, & God's Glasses
Deut 8-13
Moses farewell charge continues...some good verses noticed..
8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee
to humble thee...to prove thee...I have heard the illustration that trials are like hot water. I am the tea bag. When I'm put to the test (hot water) it reveals what I was/ am all along. By the same token, the greatness of the "tea" is never proven. unless it is put in the hot water. What trials am I facing that God is trying to "prove" me.
8:4
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
This is where I am sure that God has a sense of humor. Imagine a man who is 50 wearing the same shoes he did as a 10 yr old. Amazing and humorous at the same time. So I'm sure they didn't have the same on and off trends in clothing as we do today, but I'm sure a 3 yr old's clothes looked different that a 43 yr old. Hahaha...such a funny visualization.
10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Simple request. Certainly I can fulfill this in my life.
11:7
But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.
Not much to add...Wow...they really did see the miracles first-hand.
11:16
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
A constant awareness needs to be in my life...careful of those things that can deceive my heart--the tv I watch, people I associate with, the books I read, the radio. Do the casual situations in my life pull my heart from God?
13:18
When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God...to do [that which is] right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
His eyes, not mine. Abba, help me to put on "God" glasses in every routine part of the day and be consciously and constantly asking myself..."Is this right in Your eyes?"
Moses farewell charge continues...some good verses noticed..
8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee
to humble thee...to prove thee...I have heard the illustration that trials are like hot water. I am the tea bag. When I'm put to the test (hot water) it reveals what I was/ am all along. By the same token, the greatness of the "tea" is never proven. unless it is put in the hot water. What trials am I facing that God is trying to "prove" me.
8:4
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
This is where I am sure that God has a sense of humor. Imagine a man who is 50 wearing the same shoes he did as a 10 yr old. Amazing and humorous at the same time. So I'm sure they didn't have the same on and off trends in clothing as we do today, but I'm sure a 3 yr old's clothes looked different that a 43 yr old. Hahaha...such a funny visualization.
10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Simple request. Certainly I can fulfill this in my life.
11:7
But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.
Not much to add...Wow...they really did see the miracles first-hand.
11:16
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
A constant awareness needs to be in my life...careful of those things that can deceive my heart--the tv I watch, people I associate with, the books I read, the radio. Do the casual situations in my life pull my heart from God?
13:18
When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God...to do [that which is] right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
His eyes, not mine. Abba, help me to put on "God" glasses in every routine part of the day and be consciously and constantly asking myself..."Is this right in Your eyes?"
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