Tag Archives: Psalm

When God Moves

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When God moves

 

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going – John 3:8 (NIV)

March is the windy month. And when I see the evidence of the wind in the bending trees and rippling lake water, I’m reminded of the example Jesus used in John 3:8 to describe God’s movement in a person’s life. He said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going” (NIV).

Have you ever prayed for the Wind to blow? “God, would You please move in this situation? Do something! Make Yourself known!” And have you assumed that His movement would be wrapped in glory and blessing? That if only God would move in your family, in your marriage, in your church, in your community, in your own life, something dramatic would happen, and things would get better?

Hosea was an Old Testament prophet who also longed to experience the movement of God in his life and in his country. But in his wisdom, he knew that the movement of God is not always pleasant. In fact, it can be painful.

 

 

Read Hosea 6:1-3

 

 

I. GOD’S MOVEMENT IS PAINFUL
Hosea 6:1

Give the two phrases in verse 1 that indicate God’s movement is sometimes painful.

Give the two phrases in verse 1 that indicate God cares for those He wounds.

How is the movement of God described in John 15:1-2? If a plant had feelings, do you think pruning would hurt?

How is God pruning you? What has He “cut you back” from doing? Or saying? Where has He cut you back from going?

What word is used to describe the painful movement of God in Hebrews 12:10-11?

What are at least three things the pain produces, according to Hebrews?

Do you think there is any way to achieve these three things without pain?

What are two things Jesus teaches us by His own example in Hebrews 5:8?

How does Peter answer those who say God’s will is for us to be happy, healthy, prosperous and problem free? List phrases from 1 Peter 1:6, 4:19 and 5:1.

How does Peter also refer to God’s care for the wounded? See 1 Peter 5:10.

What painful experience are you now going through? Could it be evidence of the Wind?

 

 

II. GOD’S MOVEMENT IS PROGRESSIVE
Hosea 6:2

What phrase in verse 2 implies that God may not do everything all at once, but that His movement may be progressive?

Describe how this progressive movement is confirmed in Genesis 1:1-31 and 2:1-2, Exodus 14:13-14 and 19-22, Joshua 6:1-5, Hebrews 11:30, 1 Kings 17:17-24 and 18:41-45, Psalm 27:13-14, Mark 8:22-25 and Luke 9:22.

Read God’s promises in these verses: Genesis 12:1-2, 13:15-16 and 15:1-6. Then read Genesis 16:1-4 and Genesis 16:15-16 and describe how Abraham tried to “help” God out when God’s movement seemed too slow.

What were the results of Abraham’s effort to rush God? Read Genesis 21:8-14.

Read Genesis 27:1-45. Describe how Jacob and Rebekah tried to help God out. What were the results?

What counsel does the Bible give to those who are tempted to help God out? See James 5:7, 2 Peter 3:9, Genesis 27:1-45 (Rebekah and Jacob deceiving Isaac), and Psalm 40:1-3 and 27:13-14.

Instead of rushing God or helping Him out, would you give Him time to move?

 

 

III. GOD’S MOVEMENT IS PURPOSEFUL
Hosea 6:2-3

What three words reveal the purposes for God’s movement in verse 2? List the phrases that include these words.

Write out the dictionary definition for each of these words.

How are these purposes confirmed in Psalm 80:16-19?

What additional purpose is mentioned in Psalm 85:6?

Is it possible that you are spiritually dry and lack joy because you have been resisting God’s purpose when it involves pain and patience?

 

 

IV. GOD’S MOVEMENT IS POWERFUL
Hosea 6:3

Read Hosea 6:3. Give characteristics of the sun’s rise each day that illustrate the movement of God.

Describe these same characteristics in Exodus 16:4 and Luke 9:10-17.

What general transformation do spring rains bring about? See Leviticus 26:4.

How is the movement of God similar to the rain? Read Isaiah 55:10-11, John 10:10 and Galatians 5:22-23.

Have you misunderstood the quietness of God’s power and thought He was inactive?

What example does Paul use to describe the powerful movement of God in our lives? See Ephesians 1:19-21.

Describe a time in your life when you have experienced the powerful movement of God.

As you view your life, or that of your loved one or your friend …

As you view your church, or this nation, or this world …

Ask God to give you eyes to see the Wind.

It’s blowing!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

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Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Grief Takes Time

James 4:4 says, “Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away.”

We speak of a short life—but compared to eternity, who has a long one? But in God’s plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better.

Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”

Egyptians dress in black for six months. Orthodox Jews offer prayers for a deceased parent every day for eleven months. Some Muslims wear mourning clothes for a year. Am I the only one who senses we hurry our hurts?

Did you know that 70% of the Psalms are poems of sorrow? That the Old Testament includes a book of lamentations?

Grief takes time. Give yourself some.

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Acknowledged by Our Lord Jesus Christ

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Acknowledged by Our Lord Jesus Christ

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their
garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and
I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will
confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:4-5
The Bible is the book of life. Your name is in this book. If God has to
say “I will not blot out your name out of the book of life,” that must
mean that your name can be blotted out, that you can lose your
salvation. Just because you were once saved doesn’t mean you’ll go up
in the rapture. He is telling this church that their lethargy and
religion could cause them to become totally backslidden and return to
the ways of the world. This is not easy to do, especially with the
mercy, long-suffering, and grace of the Lord, but it is possible. You
don’t want to be the dead church.
But look at what God does for those who are overcomers! The word
confess means to acknowledge; if you’re an overcomer, Jesus will
acknowledge you before His Father and before His angels.
When you have the Father manifesting or appearing, going before your
point of need, your point of need is not going to be there very long!
The power of God will show up and show out. God will acknowledge that
power in front of men. We see that in Psalm 23 where the Psalmist says,
“I will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.” In
other words, “I am going to show everybody that you belong to me by
what I do. The table is set in front of you and in front of your
enemies.” God wants to manifest Himself to you and through you.

Prayer for Today

Father,
I confess that I am an overcomer through Your sacrifice! I confess that
I am an overcomer through Your power! Thank You for manifesting Yourself to me and through me time and time again! In Jesus Christ Name,
Amen!

Think on These Things

Revelation 19:8
Matthew 10:32

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The Wonder Of Wilderness

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Psalm 13:5

Psalm 13:5 (Photo credit: [Share the Word])

The Wonder Of Wilderness

 

 

READ: Psalm 98

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. —Psalm 98:4

The psalmists had an advantage in praise because of their closer tie to the natural world. David began life outdoors as a shepherd, then spent years hiding in the rocky terrain of Israel. Not surprisingly, a great love, even reverence, for the natural world shines through many of his poems. The psalms present a world that fits together as a whole, with everything upheld by a personal God watching over it.

Wilderness announces to our senses the splendour of an invisible, untameable God. How can we not offer praise to the One who dreamed up porcupines and elk, who splashed bright-green aspen trees across hillsides of gray rock, who transforms the same landscape into a work of art with every blizzard?

The world, in the psalmist’s imagination, cannot contain the delight God inspires. “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Ps. 98:4). Nature itself joins in: “Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord” (v.8).

The psalms wonderfully solve the problem of a praise-deficient culture by providing the necessary words. We merely need to enter into those words, letting God use the psalms to realign our inner attitudes. —Philip Yancey

All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon
with softer gleam! O praise Him! —St. Francis of Assisi

 

In praise, the creature happily acknowledges that everything good comes from the Creator.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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You shall not give false testimony about your neighbour

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The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ

False Testimony

 

You shall not give false testimony about your neighbour.
Exodus 20:16

This commandment is often interpreted as “thou shalt not lie,” and it is true that the Lord is no fan of falsehood.

Yet the ninth commandment deals specifically with lies about a neighbour.
Proverbs 26:28 helps us to understand how both bring harm: “A lying tongue hates those crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” Often these go hand in hand as one person is flattering to their neighbour’s face and then tears him or her down behind his back.
So much damage can be inflicted by such a small part of our body ( James 3:3-6). Lies destroy careers, churches, families, marriages and reputations.
Avoid words that seek to do harm so that you may stay in the spirit of this commandment. It is better to keep our mouths quiet than stumble into this sin.
Our emotions can sometimes carry us away and pull us into a swirling void of negativity that grows and grows, so today I challenge you to steer clear and speak only the truth.

 

Further Reading

  • Proverbs 6:16-19
  • Psalms 119:29
  • John 8:44

God Bless,

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

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The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

—Psalm 14:1

 

READ: Luke 12:16-21

It seems to me rather contradictory that Jesus, who was so gentle at times (Matt. 19:13-15), would call some people fools. Yet, as recorded in the Gospels a number of times, our Lord used this derogatory term to describe those He spoke about—especially the Pharisees (see Matt. 23:17-19; Luke 11:39-40).

Jesus also used the word fool in a parable after warning a man about coveting (Luke 12:13-21). What made him foolish is not the fact that he built bigger barns to store his abundant harvest (vv.16-18). It would have been more foolish of him to leave it out in the fields where inclement weather would spoil it. Nor was he foolish because of his thought that this unexpected windfall was enough to last him a long time (v.19). After all, we are urged to follow the example of the ant in “storing up” the harvest (Prov. 6:6-8).

What made the man foolish? He left God out of the picture. He was called a fool because he failed to realize that his life was in God’s hands. While he was planning carefully for his comfortable life on earth, he failed to plan for eternity and store up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20).

Does your plan for the future have God in it? You won’t want to be called foolish by Him in the end. —C. P. Hia

Oh, why not turn while yet you may;
Too late, it soon will be—
A glorious life you may possess
Throughout eternity. —Anon.

 

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. —Jim Elliot

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God The Grand Architect

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David's Joy Over Forgiveness; as in Psalm 32; ...

God The Grand Architect

“Your Workmanship Is Marvelous.” (Psalm 139:14)

When I tour an historic mansion and scrutinize the building’s details – the quality, design, and decor – I can draw some conclusions about its builder. Is the foundation strong? Are the walls and floors plumb and square? How well are the most intricate details constructed? Does the design flow from one room to another?

We live on a grand estate called Earth. As we look at the beauty and intricacies of our residence, we marvel at the genius of the design. When we gaze up into the heavens, we are overcome with awe at the vastness of what our Creator has brought into being. In one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, King David describes how nature testifies to the power of God: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV)

To get just a small idea of God’s creative power, let us consider our corner of the universe. We live on one of nine planets that revolve around the sun. As the dominant light of our solar system, our sun gives off far more energy in one second than all mankind has produced since creation. With a diameter of approximately 860,000 miles, the sun could hold one million planets the size of the Earth. Yet our sun is only an average-size star.

How comforting it is to know that the God of creation is concerned with my well-being. There is no greater power!

Your View of God Really Matters …

On the next clear, starry night, go outside, gaze upward at God’s heavens, and worship Him for marvellous His power and wisdom. Tell Him how much you love Him. Listen for His voice in your heart.

What More Does God Say?

Psalm 92:4-5

Because God is all powerful, He can help me with anything

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day

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Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

—Psalm 119:97

 

READ: Psalm 119:97-104

BibleGateway, an online Bible resource, looked at the viewing habits of some of their 8 million monthly visitors. They found that John 3:16 was the most-searched-for verse in 2010.

I don’t think it’s surprising that it would be number one on the list. It tells us that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to rescue us from our sin and give us everlasting life. Number 10 on the list is Jesus’ commission to His followers to spread that good news: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). Also in the top 10 are Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 about God’s good plans and purposes for His people.

The Scriptures are filled with truths to search out and share. In Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, the psalmist shared his thoughts about the Word and his desire to search it and be taught by God. He said, “Oh, how I love Your law!” (v.97). Our Bible reading for today shows some of the psalmist’s reasons for loving it: It gives him wisdom and understanding, it restrains his feet from evil, and it is sweet. Therefore, it’s his meditation “all the day.”

Let’s keep taking the time to read the Bible. The more we search the Word, the more we’ll grow in our love for it and its Author (v.97). —Anne Cetas

Search the Scriptures’ precious store—
As a miner digs for ore;
Search, and you will surely find
Treasures to enrich the mind. —Anon.

 

The more you read the Bible, the more you’ll love its Author.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Knows Everything

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God knows everything

“He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23)

Do you ever feel that your parents do not listen to you, your boss does not respect you, or that your co-workers in the church, even the pastor, do not understand you? How devastating to realize that almost no one knows what you are like inside or the dreams you dream. Take heart. Remember that God knows how we are formed. As our Creator, He custom-designed us for a unique purpose.

David declared that the steps of a godly person are directed by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). That means that He will guide us as we live our lives for Him. God even “understands how weak we are; He knows we are only dust” (Psalm 103:14).

This assurance was evident in the experience of a pastor of a small church. He became so discouraged that he was ready to give up the ministry. A friend invited him to a prayer summit of pastors. When he got there, he confessed to his group, “I’ve been so defeated that I don’t even think God knows where I am.”

But God did know where he was. The next day, the other pastors stood in a circle around him and prayed for him, and he had such an overpowering sense of God’s presence that he went home walking on air. God knew exactly what this pastor needed to be renewed in his heart and mind. He will help each of us in similar ways because He designed us and knows exactly what we need at every moment.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Do you sometimes feel as though God does not know where you are, what you are facing, or even who you are? Read and meditate on God’s Word. God will meet you there and give you assurance, and peace.

What More Does God Say?

Psalm 23; Psalm 37:23; James 5:16-18

Because God knows everything, I will go to Him with all my question and concerns.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins

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There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins

 

Take Out the Plank

There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.
Ecclesiastes 7:20

When was the last time you knelt and asked God to forgive your sins? Yesterday? Last week? Last month?

Are you in need of forgiveness today?

We live with sin every day. We see it on TV, in movies, in our neighbours, friends, co-workers and family. Sin is usually easy to spot in others, but with all of the exposure we have to sin, we frequently become blinded to our own sin.

You may have told a little white lie to your boss about being sick when you took the day off or accepted more change than you were due when the cashier handed you too much by mistake. Maybe these things didn’t even feel like sin at the time.

Luke 6:42 asks how you can offer to remove a speck from your brother’s eye “When you yourself do not see the plank in your own eye?” We all need to remove any planks in our eyes in order to see clearly.

Right now, ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything you’ve done wrong. Confess these things to God and ask for the forgiveness that can only come from Him through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Further Reading

God Bless,

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Loves It When You Prosper

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God Loves It When You Prosper!


Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause:
yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath
pleasure in the prosperity of his servant
Psalm 35:27

You may be starting to see that God would allow you to prosper, but you
need to take another step and realize that God is pleased when you
prosper. He enjoys it! You’re His child!

A friend began to speak that the Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity
of His servant over his life, substituting his name for “servant.” He
reported, “I said it all day and all night, and before long the light
came on. God takes pleasure in my prosperity!”

If you’re having a hard time grasping that God wants you to have
abundance, speak this truth over your life every day. The light will
come on, and when it does, the devil had better watch out!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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