Podcasts about him psalm

David's psalms today are rich with trust and awe:“I have calmed and quieted my soul…” (Psalm 131:2)“Search me, O God, and know my heart…” (Psalm 139:23)“The Lord is near to all who call on Him…” (Psalm 145:18)Even when we don't have clarity, we're invited into confidence—because we're known. Seen. Loved.God hems us in, before and behind. That's where peace comes from.

If you've ever felt like your emotions are “too much,” this episode is for you.In Faith for the Feelers, Shelby Frederick speaks directly to the leaders, creatives, caregivers, and sensitive souls who love deeply—and sometimes carry emotional weight that feels overwhelming.You'll learn how to:*Feel deeply without spiraling*Stop bottling up what God invites you to pour out *Set emotional checkpoints instead of building emotional dams*Use Spirit-led tools to process, protect, and heal “Pour out your hearts before Him…” – Psalm 62:8This is your invitation to stop suppressing and stewarding your emotional life gracefully.Tune in. Take a breath. You're not broken—you're building resilience.Grab your Build Checkpoints, Not Dams sheet here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wdo7HeKsjXVx-icHeKKTY1KLjYunWEzv/view?usp=sharing

Ever felt totally lost — physically or spiritually? In today’s devotional, Alexis Goring shares a memorable story of getting lost in another state before smartphones and GPS, and how that real-life navigation mishap mirrors our spiritual journey. Just like she needed a trustworthy guide to get home safely, we need to follow Jesus closely through the twists and turns of life. ✨ Key Takeaways

Christian, all the mercy in the heart of God belongs to you!Charles Spurgeon"For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting" Psalm 100:5"The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him" Psalm 103:17"Let those who fear the LORD now say: His mercy endures forever!" Psalm 118:4Christian, all the mercy in the heart of God belongs to you! As great as your necessities may be, my dear brother, all the mercy that is in God belongs to you, and is engaged to meet your case.Let me put it in another light: If there were no other person in the world but you, and God loved you infinitely and exclusively--then would He not be able to do much for you, if all of His omnipotence was devoted to your good, and if all of His grace centered upon you, and you were the focus of all His wise and loving purposes?"Oh yes!" you say, "I would be favored indeed!"You are just as favored as that, for the multiplicity of the objects of divine love, necessitates no diminution to any one. God can love a million, and love each one as intensely as if there were but one to be favored!Our little minds are distracted with many objects. We cannot concentrate upon many, we are therefore confined. But the full concentrated love of the eternal God is set upon each one of His dear children!Is there not great comfort here?"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!" Psalm 118:1"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever" Psalm 89:1

Main Point: How do we spend time with God...? 1. We Cry Out to Him (Psalm 42:5, 51:1) 2. We Wrestle With Him (Genesis 32:22-32; Job 3:1-3) 3. Jesus Himself Stopped to Spend Time With His Father (Matthew 4:1, 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42) 4. God Shows Us Who He Is When We Spend Time With His People (Colossians 2:2) 5. Knowing and Reading God's Word Is Our Foundation (Psalm 119:9) 6. Practical Ways to Help You Get Started a. Ask God to Help b. Make a Plan for a Time and A Place to Do it c. Trial and Error (Don't Let Shame Make You Feel Like YOu Have to Stop!) d. Don't Be Ashamed to Have to Repeat Processes Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/the-anthem License code: Z4OPR3EPGXYWTRAL

Main Point: How do we spend time with God...? 1. We Cry Out to Him (Psalm 42:5, 51:1) 2. We Wrestle With Him (Genesis 32:22-32; Job 3:1-3) 3. Jesus Himself Stopped to Spend Time With His Father (Matthew 4:1, 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42) 4. God Shows Us Who He Is When We Spend Time With His People (Colossians 2:2) 5. Knowing and Reading God's Word Is Our Foundation (Psalm 119:9) 6. Practical Ways to Help You Get Started a. Ask God to Help b. Make a Plan for a Time and A Place to Do it c. Trial and Error (Don't Let Shame Make You Feel Like YOu Have to Stop!) d. Don't Be Ashamed to Have to Repeat Processes Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/the-anthem License code: Z4OPR3EPGXYWTRAL

Whether you have a good relationship with your dad or not, God is a perfect Heavenly Father who loves you. #lifeperspectivespodcast Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~ Growing up, was your dad, or a father figure in your life, like a super hero to you?  Dads can be larger than life through the eyes of a child. If something needs to be fixed, something heavy needs to be picked up, a jar needs to be opened, a bug needs to be killed, a turtle in the middle of the road needs to be saved or a little girl simply needs someone to let her put bows in their hair…  it's DAD to the rescue!! I'm no longer a little girl, but I will always be my Daddy's little girl. That's just the way it is and my Dad still LOVES to come to my rescue. To this day if I ever should need him, he would be there. I saw this on full display recently. A winter storm blew through our area. My husband was out of town. It was dark and freezing outside. I discovered our 82 pound Goldador, Roxy, was not in the back yard. Our little beagle mix just stood there looking confused. This was not a good thing. We have an invisible fence around our yard which backs up to a wooded area. Both of our dogs have collars that will gently give them a good zap if they get too close to the boundary line. We also have some chicken wire fencing in the woods around the back as a backup, but it can be pushed through if a dog is determined enough.  Roxy was determined that night because she was chasing a possum. Long story short… Roxy chased that possum to my neighbors backyard and my amazing neighbor brought Roxy back to me safe and sound. I called my parents and my Dad, even though he's over three hours away, wanted to rescue me from this problem! He googled and read up on the fence system, the collars and walked me through testing the collars, checking the batteries, checking the wiring… all the things. He wanted so bad to fix it for me. He wanted me to not have to walk our big dog on a leash in the cold. He wanted to come to my rescue.  I had to wait till the ice cleared and Roxy ended up needing a new collar unit, but thinking back to that night, my Dad came to my rescue. He loves me so much and wanted to help me as much as he could to get it figured out.  Maybe you have a broken relationship or no relationship with your earthly father and the last thing you would call him is a hero.  Psalm 68:5 says, God is a father to the fatherless.  Do you believe that God loves you? Do you believe He wants to come to your rescue? No matter the brokeness you may have come from, no matter where you are now, how cold and dark it may be as you stand alone in your circumstance, Daddy God wants to come to your rescue.  Zephaniah 3:17  The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Your father God delights in you, He rejoices over you with singing. Let that sink in. You are held and SO loved by God. He is a loving father waiting for you to call on Him and pour your broken and anxious heart out to Him. He is near.  He is loving - John 3:1 He is kind - Ephesians 2:7-8 He is compassionate, abounding in love - Psalm 103:8 He offers you His greatest gift of love, His son Jesus - John 3:16 He is faithful with new mercies every morning - Lamentations 3:22-23 He is merciful, strong, forgiving, righteous, caring and sovereign. He is our good shepherd - Psalm 23 He is my strength and my shield, and He helps me as I put my trust in Him - Psalm 28:7 And He IS making all things new… Revelation 21:5 That's the father God wants to be for you. He is good and He loves you.  That's the truth.  Look to your Daddy God for rescue. He IS mighty to save.  I'm Lori Cline.

Seeking God is pursuing a relationship with God. True seekers of God desire to know Him personally, they desire an experiential knowledge of the Father and God never forsake those who seek to know Him - Psalm 9:10Praise God

This week we study the hymn "May God Bestow on Us His Grace" (Hymn 500 in The Lutheran Hymnal), written by Martin Luther in the 1524.     This hymn is a poetic version of Psalm 67 which is often called the Mission Psalm. This hymn, like Psalm 67 is a prayer to God, that God would bless His people and that they in turn would be a witness to the unbelieving world around them. This is a beautiful and very applicable prayer for us in our world still today as fewer people in our lives are Christian then ever before. We are surrounded by opportunities to be a witness to the Savior of all people to the people around us.   This hymn highlights several important truths. First, all of our blessings, both physical and spiritual come from God. He is the giver of all things, and those blessings are to be used for our good, but also for the good of those around us and to God's glory. Second, God's Means of Grace -- the Gospel in Word and Sacrament - are the means by which He gives us His spiritual blessings, which include bringing us to faith, keeping us in the faith, forgives us our sins, and brings us to heaven. When we separate ourselves from His Means of Grace we separate ourselves from God and from His blessings, to our spiritual harm. This hymn is a prayer that God would bless us through His Word and Sacrament and through them equip us to be faithful witness of Jesus and His blessings to the world around us that "the ends of the earth shall fear Him" (Psalm 67:7). As Luther says: "Let all the world praise Him alone; Let solemn awe possess us." May the LORD create such solemn awe in each of us through the hearing of His Holy Word! Join us as we study this hymn which is a fitting and beneficial prayer for us to pray still today!

Scriptures: Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:9, The Quest for Peace Psalm 51, Real Peace James 3:17-18, Hebrews 12:14, Psalm 85:10, Matthew 10:34-38, Luke 12:51-53, John 14:27, Romans 5:1, On Being a Peacemaker Blessed are the poor in spirit, they that mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, Isaiah 57:21, Matthew 12:33-35, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Romans 12:18, An Honorable Son Matthew 5:9, Why is it an honor to be called sons of God? God says we are his jewels - Zechariah 9:16, He keeps our tears in His bottle - Psalm 56:8, He will wipe away every tear - Revelation 21:4, Our death is precious to Him - Psalm 116:15, He makes us fellow heirs - Romans 8:17, He makes us the excellence of the earth - Psalm 16:3, We are vessels of honor - 2 Timothy 2:21, We sit with Him on His throne - Revelation 3:21, He has a personal eternal love for you - Ephesians 1:5, God considers you a friend - John 15:15, God grants you the liberty of unlimited access to Him - Ephesians 3:12, God bears with your weakness and your sin - Hebrews 4:15, God accepts your imperfect service - 1 Corinthians 3:12-14, God provides for your every need - Philippians 4:19, God shields you from every danger - Psalm 3:3, God applies fatherly comfort when needed - 2 Corinthians 1:4, God reveals to you His eternal truth - John 16:13, God forgives you and keeps on forgiving your every sin - 1 John 1:9, God works everything for our good - Romans 8:28, God Keeps you from perishing forever - John 3:16, God gives you heaven - Matthew 5:3, Application Point: Be A Peacemaker!

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11).

Trust God and Rest in Him – Psalm 37: Part 2 In Psalm 37: Part 2, Pastor Lawson teaches us to trust in God and not worry about evil people. […] The post Psalm 37 Part 2 – How to Rest in God's Promises appeared first on Charis Christian Center.

Scripture: Exodus 20:7, Exodus 3:14, John 8:58, Matthew 15:8-9, Psalm 40:3, Psalm 50:15, Psalm 145:18, Leviticus 19:31, Romans 10:13, John 17:6, Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:14 Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” This means we are to understand that God's Name is powerful, God's Name is Holy. This is the only one of God's Ten Words/Commandments with a threat and no promise. God's Name is a 4 letter tetragrammaton and we aren't even sure how to pronounce His Name because by 200 BC the Jewish people no longer spoke God's Name for fear of misusing it. The Jewish people still today will not speak His name and simply refer to God's Name as “Ha-shem” - “The Name,” though others pronounce it in several different ways: Yahweh and Jehovah are a couple. God takes His Name seriously - it is not a swear word - His Name is the revelation of Himself. In His Name God reveals His identity and character to us. His Name speaks of His goodness, mercy, love and His awesome and profound holiness. We dare not treat Hm or His Name lightly,  In Exodus 3:14 God says to Moses, “I am who I am.” Deliver. Guide. In John 8:58 Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!” Jesus is the Living God who has taken on human flesh to deliver us all. We are all sinners and sin, deserving the punishment Jesus took for us on the cross. In John 17:6 Jesus is praying to God the Father saying, “I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word.” In these words, Jesus is the revelation of the character and identity of God. If you want to know what the invisible God is like you look at the visible Son of the Living God - The One through whom all things were created. God's character is summed up in His Name. His Name is wonderful, holy and worthy of praise. What is the misuse of God's Name?     1.    By cursing, speaking threats, judgements and swearing.  Romans 12:14  tells us that we are to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”     2.    Through the occult - horoscopes, ouija boards, séances, eastern mysticism that open a destructive door in one's life.  Leviticus 19:31 tells us “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”      3.    By deception - professing to be godly but in reality living a double life having a veneer of religion but having lives that deny it.  Matthew 15:8-9 says, “‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'” We should not use His Name to deceive others or to try to deceive God.  We are to use God's Name to give Him honor and to express understanding of His character. What are some proper uses of God's Name?     1.    Receiving Him - Romans 10:13 tells us, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” God offers forgiveness, restoration, redemption, hope, peace and joy to all who repent and call on Him saying, “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner, I receive what You offer to me through Jesus, my Savior.”     2.    Relying on Him - Psalm 50:15 says, “Call on Me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” Psalm 145:18 tells us that “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” When we go through difficult times we are to call on His Name - to rely on Him - because He is near, He is not distant.     3.    Rejoicing in Him - In Psalm 40:3 we read, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.”  We properly use His Name when we use it to give Him honor and praise and thanks. God's Name deserves our praise and rejoicing. As we live a joyful life, especially in a world that is often falling apart - it causes others to be drawn to Him as well!  THAT is an excellent way to use His Name - in sharing it with others! Now What? Learn about God at  https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out the video from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/ten-words Check out the video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/streams Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

In this New Year's sermon, Karl Ihfe delves into the question of how we measure a good life or a good year. He begins by referencing Psalm 128, which states, "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him" (Psalm 128:1). Ihfe explains that this fear is not terror, but a reverent awe of God that leads to obedience. Ihfe then turns to Jesus' teachings, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, to illustrate what a life of obedience looks like. He focuses on Matthew 7, where Jesus provides four images to help understand true discipleship: the narrow gate, the good tree, doing God's will, and building on the rock. These images emphasize the importance of not just knowing about Jesus, but actively living out His teachings. The sermon concludes with a call to action for the congregation to either reaffirm their commitment to walking in obedience or to make that commitment for the first time. Ihfe encourages listeners to leave old habits behind and embrace new ones that align with God's will, emphasizing the importance of community support in this journey. https://bwaychurch.org  

In this episode, we explore the theme of "Our Safe Place" by examining the various ways God communicates with His people, particularly through the Nativity story. Learn how God uses angels, the Holy Spirit, dreams, and confirmation to guide us. We'll unpack what these forms of divine communication mean for our lives today and how we can create space in our hearts for His voice. Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you find safety and comfort in God's presence, especially during the Christmas season. How does the truth that God is your safe place resonate with you? Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email. How do you celebrate this sense of security and peace in your life, particularly during the holidays? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Our Safe Place By Alexis A. Goring “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” —Psalm 46:1 NIV Safety. We all crave it, especially when our world feels like it is spinning out of control. There have been times in my life when I felt like there is no safe place for us here on Earth. But in recent years, God helped me see that He is our safe place. I realize that no matter how unsafe our circumstances are and no matter where we live on this planet, we can go to God for safety. The Bible says that He is our refuge and strength. God is present when we face trouble. He can protect us and deliver us from evil. We just need to trust Him. There is a song by Karen Clark Sheard called “A Secret Place”. The opening lyrics of this song touch on how cruel this world can be, filling you with pain that pierces your soul. But, Sheard sings, there is a secret place where we can go for refuge. It is a place filled with peace and safety that only God can provide. A place where God’s love for you surrounds and heals your hurting heart. Sheard calls this place a “tabernacle”. It is not always a physical place on Earth like a literal modern-day church building, sanctuary or Biblical tabernacle. I believe Sheard is singing about having a place where you and God can meet in secret. Some call this their “prayer closet”. This can mean you walk into your actual closet where you hang your clothes and keep your shoes then make space to meet with God there. After watching the Christian movie “War Room” many people were inspired to create a prayer closet like Miss Clara’s. For those of you who have not seen that movie, allow me to explain what I mean. In the movie, Miss Clara (played by Karen Abercrombie), is an elderly woman with a strong prayer life. During a tour of her house that she is trying to sell, she shows her real estate agent (Elizabeth Jordan, played by Priscilla Shirer) her closet. As Miss Clara opens the door to her closet that is located inside her bedroom, she tells Elizabeth that this is her “war room”. As Elizabeth enters the small but spacious closet, she sees how Miss Clara made room in it to post her handwritten prayer requests written on paper onto the previous empty walls inside her closet. There are years-worth of prayer requests and praise reports from the prayers God has answered. Miss Clara didn’t just pray for her husband when he was alive; she prayed for everyone God put on her heart. She didn’t allow her mind to ruminate over the pain and problems in the world; Miss Clara sought God in prayer for victories she knew only He could accomplish. This is how she fought and won all her battles over the years. I would say that Miss Clara’s prayer closet “war room” was also her secret place that Sheard sings about because that was where she could shut the noisy world out and commune with God in a private, quiet, safe place. It probably is also where—outside of a Bible-believing church—she felt God’s presence strongest. It is clear to me that God comforted Miss Clara’s troubled heart every time she sought His Presence in her prayer closet. Miss Clara is a fictional character but the concept about having a prayer closet in real life is Biblical. The Bible says in Matthew 6:6 (NIV), “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Now the Bible doesn’t say exactly how or when God will reward you for spending time in secret prayer with Him, but it does say that we are blessed when we take refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8). I believe those blessings can mean that we gain a closer relationship with our Creator. We get to know Him better as our Heavenly Father and we feel safe in His arms. The Bible describes God as our “fortress” (Psalm 46:11). And the good news is we don’t need to have an actual closet to pray to Him in because God is literally everywhere in this world. We can seek refuge in Him anywhere we are on this planet. He is always with us. There is nowhere we can hide from God. He sees all and knows all (Hebrews 4:13). We can trust that He sees our pain that we experience when the world is cold and cruel. God wants us to come to Him for comfort and healing. The Bible says in Psalm 34:18 (NIV), “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” When we go to God for safety, we can trust that with Him on our side, we are going to be okay. In closing, listen a song that Tasha Layton sings called “Into the Sea”. I believe it will encourage your heart. Intersecting Faith and Life: How does it feel to know that God is our safe place? Further Reading: Psalm 91:2 Psalm 9:9-10 Proverbs 18:10 Psalm 27:5 Psalm 107:28-31 "A Secret Place" by Karen Clark Sheard https://youtu.be/Arpe-DdVY10?si=CGkyWblG9f-xt1R7 "Into the Sea" by Tasha Layton https://youtu.be/8HznXBBCdBE?si=G0XDgGAMvEAt5WWu Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dennis & Benedicta discuss how God can transform lives that are yielded to Him (Psalm 40:1-3).To find out more about Dennis & Benedicta Pollock please visit the Spirit of Grace website, where you can find other wonderful resources such as videos and articles. You will also find out how you can support the work of Spirit of Grace by becoming a Friend of Grace .Please send questions, comments, and feedback with us at grace@spiritofgrace.org.

Send us a textMorning by Morning, October 4, 2024 - Days of Awe Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look up to You, my Redeemer and Redemption, who is always near. ... “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Psalm 33:8).During these Ten Days of Awe on the Biblical Calendar -- from the Feast of Trumpets until the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:24-34) -- I stand in awe of You, I bow low in humility before You, I lift up my praises in worship of You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. These are days intended to honor You and humble our hearts before You, in both the love of God and the fear of the Lord.  These are days of repentance and return, introspection and intimacy, solemnity in the searching of our souls to surrender to You all that is not yet like You: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Thank You that when we seek You in humility and search for You in faith, You promise that we will find You, that we will be embraced by You. “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13-14). “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). In these Days of Awe, help me embrace a living lifestyle of humility before You, dependence upon You, passionate persuit of You, in both the love of God and the fear of the Lord. This day and every day, I stand in awe of You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.Written and sent out from the morning prayer time of Tommy Hays each day.God bless you and may you have a great day!—Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministrieshttp://messiah-ministries.org

September 20, 2024 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 18 - Psalm 37:5-7; antiphon: Psalm 37:4Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act” (Psalm 37:5)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Waiting for the Lord to act when things do not appear to be going the way they should be going is one of the most difficult things to do. We see whatever evil is going on. Does God? If He does, why does He allow it to continue? When will He intervene? Will He? In Psalm 37, David says, “Fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices. Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (37:7-8, emphasis added). God certainly knows all the evil in the world, and He knows it far better than we will ever know it! He knows not only all the evil that is happening right now but all the evil that has ever happened and will ever happen. But God does not only know of evil. Not only will He set it right when evil-doers are caught and punished; not only will He put all things right on the Last Day, ridding His creation of sin, death, and the devil; He has already put evil right on the cross. Jesus' crucifixion is where all evil comes to its full expression, in the killing by creatures of their Creator. And Jesus takes all that evil, including your sin and mine, and dies under its weight. By doing that, He buries sin and death in His grave and leaves it there when He rises from the dead. It is true that we still see evil in the world after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, but that is only the death rattle of this old creation. The present form of this world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31). God has made this known to us by His Spirit. And He has made us part of this same story in our Baptism; the same old/new, death/resurrection line now runs through us as it does through the creation. Because of this, we can be still before Yahweh and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7). When Christ is revealed, then He will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21), and “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Psalm 37:6). Your future is assured by Christ's resurrection, so you can be patient as God works all things together for our good in Christ. He who has called you according to His promise in Christ is faithful. He will surely do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In the midst of evil, O God, grant us the assurance of Christ's victory over sin, death, and all evil, so that we may wait patiently for the revealing of that victory in the whole creation. Amen. -Rev. Timothy Winterstein is pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, East Wenatchee, Washington.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.The new Guiding Word series takes you through all the books of the Bible in six volumes. Starting with the Books of Moses—Genesis through Deuteronomy—you will explore every passage of every chapter of each book with the help of maps, diagrams, links between the testaments, and clarification points.

1. God is a God of grace - Psalm 85:1-32. Sin puts a shadow between us and God - Psalm 85:4-53. Revival removes the shadow - Psalm 85:6-74. We must listen to Him - Psalm 85:8-13Psa 85:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Psa 85:2  Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Psa 85:3  Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Psa 85:4  Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Psa 85:5  Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Psa 85:6  Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Psa 85:7  Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. Psa 85:8  I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Psa 85:9  Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Psa 85:10  Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psa 85:11  Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Psa 85:12  Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Psa 85:13  Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.  

FORGIVENESS is the Christian's WEAPON to destroy the plans and works of satan in our life. Walking in FORGIVENESS is a major key to overcome the evil in this world, rather than coming under its power. God forgives and forgets our sins, when we repent, for He does not remember our sins any more (Isaiah 43:25, Jer 31:34, Heb 8:12,10:17), for He casts them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), where they can't be retrieved. So, we need to do the same by forgiving others and forgetting their sins, when they repent. We need to dump, delete and destroy our unforgiveness (our remembrance of their sins), just as God totally blots out our sins, when we confess them to Him (Psalm 51:1,9, Isaiah 43:25, 44:22, Acts 3:19). We must FORGIVE one another from our HEART (our will). That is, we must make a DECISION to FORGIVE (Matthew 18:35), and we should affirm it by SPEAKING it out loud (Matthew 12:34). Even if they are unrepentant, we should still FORGIVE them and give them to God (for our own sake). However, their lack of repentance means we cannot FORGET their sin. It may mean that we modify our view of them, and our behaviour toward them, because we cannot trust them as much now, as we did before. When we forgive them and pray that they receive God's forgiveness and blessing (Luke 23:34), we free them to receive the love of the Lord. FORGIVENESS is NOT a FEELING, but a QUALITY DECISION - an act of our WILL, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us. Forgiveness is NOT pretending that what they did was acceptable. Forgiveness says: “God has forgiven me so much more than this sin that I need to forgive. So, I will obey His command to forgive others.” Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Ephesians 4:30-32: “Do not GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT of God... let all bitterness, wrath, anger, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice... FORGIVING one another, even as God in Christ FORGAVE you.” Unforgiveness is like taking poison, hoping it will kill the other person! Having bitterness in your heart will make you physically & mentally sick. Walking in unforgiveness will separate you from intimate communion with your loving Heavenly Father: “if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15, 18:35, Mark 11:26). When we refuse to forgive, we are not hurting the other person, but ourselves, for we are hardening our heart toward God, which cuts us off from His grace and leads to many negative consequences. We must remember that God's PRIMARY concern is our HEART ATTITUDE. If we have a wise and willing heart, enthusiastic for God's will and we refuse to take offence, and persist in forgiving, then the devil's plans for our destruction (John 10:10) will be destroyed, as nothing now can stop us from being filled by God and used by God. Stephen is a classic example of forgiveness, even though his enemies were stoning him to death (Acts 7:54-60). He FORGAVE them all, including the future apostle Paul, and asked God to FORGIVE them. God used Stephen's PRAYER for their FORGIVENESS to help bring about Paul's conversion. This is the POWER of FORGIVENESS. Although Saul was involved in his murder, Stephen FORGA VE Saul and PRAYED God's blessing upon him, releasing him to become the man God intended him to be. In answer to his prayer, Paul received FORGIVENESS from God, and on that basis, he was also able to FORGIVE HIMSELF. Knowing that God is satisfied with the Blood of Jesus as the full payment for our sins, we should trust in God's promise of forgiveness, and on that basis, we can also forgive ourselves. Our forgiveness can open the door of their heart to the Lord, allowing Him to change and bless them. Let us remember the price our Lord Jesus paid for our FORGIVENESS. He prayed for all those, whose sin took Him to the Cross (including us): “Father, FORGIVE them.” His prayer for our forgiveness was effectual. Likewise, Stephen's prayer for his persecutors was effectual, as proved by Paul's conversion. Hilary gives another example of the POWER of FORGIVENESS working through a woman, who forgave the man who killed her son. Her love and forgiveness were effectual in transforming that man.

FORGIVENESS is the Christian's WEAPON to destroy the plans and works of satan in our life. Walking in FORGIVENESS is a major key to overcome the evil in this world, rather than coming under its power. God forgives and forgets our sins, when we repent, for He does not remember our sins any more (Isaiah 43:25, Jer 31:34, Heb 8:12,10:17), for He casts them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), where they can't be retrieved. So, we need to do the same by forgiving others and forgetting their sins, when they repent. We need to dump, delete and destroy our unforgiveness (our remembrance of their sins), just as God totally blots out our sins, when we confess them to Him (Psalm 51:1,9, Isaiah 43:25, 44:22, Acts 3:19). We must FORGIVE one another from our HEART (our will). That is, we must make a DECISION to FORGIVE (Matthew 18:35), and we should affirm it by SPEAKING it out loud (Matthew 12:34). Even if they are unrepentant, we should still FORGIVE them and give them to God (for our own sake). However, their lack of repentance means we cannot FORGET their sin. It may mean that we modify our view of them, and our behaviour toward them, because we cannot trust them as much now, as we did before. When we forgive them and pray that they receive God's forgiveness and blessing (Luke 23:34), we free them to receive the love of the Lord. FORGIVENESS is NOT a FEELING, but a QUALITY DECISION - an act of our WILL, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us. Forgiveness is NOT pretending that what they did was acceptable. Forgiveness says: “God has forgiven me so much more than this sin that I need to forgive. So, I will obey His command to forgive others.” Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Ephesians 4:30-32: “Do not GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT of God... let all bitterness, wrath, anger, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice... FORGIVING one another, even as God in Christ FORGAVE you.” Unforgiveness is like taking poison, hoping it will kill the other person! Having bitterness in your heart will make you physically & mentally sick. Walking in unforgiveness will separate you from intimate communion with your loving Heavenly Father: “if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15, 18:35, Mark 11:26). When we refuse to forgive, we are not hurting the other person, but ourselves, for we are hardening our heart toward God, which cuts us off from His grace and leads to many negative consequences. We must remember that God's PRIMARY concern is our HEART ATTITUDE. If we have a wise and willing heart, enthusiastic for God's will and we refuse to take offence, and persist in forgiving, then the devil's plans for our destruction (John 10:10) will be destroyed, as nothing now can stop us from being filled by God and used by God. Stephen is a classic example of forgiveness, even though his enemies were stoning him to death (Acts 7:54-60). He FORGAVE them all, including the future apostle Paul, and asked God to FORGIVE them. God used Stephen's PRAYER for their FORGIVENESS to help bring about Paul's conversion. This is the POWER of FORGIVENESS. Although Saul was involved in his murder, Stephen FORGA VE Saul and PRAYED God's blessing upon him, releasing him to become the man God intended him to be. In answer to his prayer, Paul received FORGIVENESS from God, and on that basis, he was also able to FORGIVE HIMSELF. Knowing that God is satisfied with the Blood of Jesus as the full payment for our sins, we should trust in God's promise of forgiveness, and on that basis, we can also forgive ourselves. Our forgiveness can open the door of their heart to the Lord, allowing Him to change and bless them. Let us remember the price our Lord Jesus paid for our FORGIVENESS. He prayed for all those, whose sin took Him to the Cross (including us): “Father, FORGIVE them.” His prayer for our forgiveness was effectual. Likewise, Stephen's prayer for his persecutors was effectual, as proved by Paul's conversion. Hilary gives another example of the POWER of FORGIVENESS working through a woman, who forgave the man who killed her son. Her love and forgiveness were effectual in transforming that man.

Psalm 5 is the first example of an imprecatory Psalm, where David prays that God would deal with his enemies: "Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You" (v10). The challenge we face is how we can harmonise this with Jesus' teaching that we should love, bless and show mercy to our enemies (Luke 6:27-36)? It helps to understand the difference between temporal judgments in this life and a man's final eternal judgment which happens immediately after death, when his eternal destiny is forever sealed. It is surely against the teaching of Jesus for us to desire and pray that anyone would die and go to Hell. It is probable that the imprecatory verses were the basis for the teaching of the Pharisees: "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy" (Matthew 5:43). But Jesus rejected this interpretation saying: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (v44). Thus these imprecatory verses must be interpreted in this light - as expressions of love, not hate for our enemies. In Psalm 5:4-6, God reveals to David that the wicked are under God's wrath and if they will not repent, they will be condemned and cast out of God's Presence forever. One way to read v10, allowed for by the Hebrew, is as a prophetic declaration affirming this final judgment, in agreement with His revelation in v4-6: "You will pronounce them guilty, O God! They will fall by their own counsels; you will cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You." In this way of reading it, the Psalmist is also adding His agreement with God's holy justice in executing Him final judgment on them, at the time of His choosing. God's declaration of eternal judgment is His warning to sinners that they must repent before it is too late. However, there seems to be more going on here than a declaration and all the translations interpret v10 also as a prayer, in which case, the interpretation that best fits with the rest of Scripture is that it is a prayer for God to intervene in their life (in a temporal judgment), in such a way as to lead them to repentance, so that they do not face the horror of eternal condemnation and punishment. This is confirmed by the phrase: "Let them fall by their own counsels", which points to their evil plans in this life coming to nothing and even rebounding on them, for if they prosper in their evil-doing, they are less likely to repent. In other words, a loving prayer for the wicked is: "Lord, do whatever it takes in their life to bring them to repentance. Don't let them prosper in their evil-ways, but bring them to the end of themselves, so that they realise that they need to repent and turn to you in faith and so be blessed, rather than going to Hell." David's basis for praying v10 is: "for they have rebelled against You", which shows that he is not praying out of personal malice, but rather a concern for God's glory and a realisation that their rebellious state makes them candidates for eternal condemnation. In Psalm 5:9, David again describes the wicked nature of his enemies, including the phrase: "Their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue" which Paul quotes in Romans 3:13, in his general description of the sinfulness of all mankind (v9-20), where he establishes that all mankind is sinful and guilty before God and so heading for eternal condemnation. But God offers His saving mercies to those who will turn to Him, trust in Him and submit to Him (Psalm 5:2,7), and so David completes the Psalm by describing the blessedness of those who put their trust in God. They rejoice because they are under God's covering (atonement): "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend (cover) them" (v11). They are protected from God's wrath and from their enemies. As well as trusting God, having received His love, they also love Him: "Let those also who love Your Name (revealed nature) be joyful in You" (v12a). They have been forgiven and made righteous by faith, and so are under God's blessing, grace and favour which covers them like a large shield: "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield" (v12b).

Psalm 5 is the first example of an imprecatory Psalm, where David prays that God would deal with his enemies: "Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You" (v10). The challenge we face is how we can harmonise this with Jesus' teaching that we should love, bless and show mercy to our enemies (Luke 6:27-36)? It helps to understand the difference between temporal judgments in this life and a man's final eternal judgment which happens immediately after death, when his eternal destiny is forever sealed. It is surely against the teaching of Jesus for us to desire and pray that anyone would die and go to Hell. It is probable that the imprecatory verses were the basis for the teaching of the Pharisees: "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy" (Matthew 5:43). But Jesus rejected this interpretation saying: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (v44). Thus these imprecatory verses must be interpreted in this light - as expressions of love, not hate for our enemies. In Psalm 5:4-6, God reveals to David that the wicked are under God's wrath and if they will not repent, they will be condemned and cast out of God's Presence forever. One way to read v10, allowed for by the Hebrew, is as a prophetic declaration affirming this final judgment, in agreement with His revelation in v4-6: "You will pronounce them guilty, O God! They will fall by their own counsels; you will cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You." In this way of reading it, the Psalmist is also adding His agreement with God's holy justice in executing Him final judgment on them, at the time of His choosing. God's declaration of eternal judgment is His warning to sinners that they must repent before it is too late. However, there seems to be more going on here than a declaration and all the translations interpret v10 also as a prayer, in which case, the interpretation that best fits with the rest of Scripture is that it is a prayer for God to intervene in their life (in a temporal judgment), in such a way as to lead them to repentance, so that they do not face the horror of eternal condemnation and punishment. This is confirmed by the phrase: "Let them fall by their own counsels", which points to their evil plans in this life coming to nothing and even rebounding on them, for if they prosper in their evil-doing, they are less likely to repent. In other words, a loving prayer for the wicked is: "Lord, do whatever it takes in their life to bring them to repentance. Don't let them prosper in their evil-ways, but bring them to the end of themselves, so that they realise that they need to repent and turn to you in faith and so be blessed, rather than going to Hell." David's basis for praying v10 is: "for they have rebelled against You", which shows that he is not praying out of personal malice, but rather a concern for God's glory and a realisation that their rebellious state makes them candidates for eternal condemnation. In Psalm 5:9, David again describes the wicked nature of his enemies, including the phrase: "Their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue" which Paul quotes in Romans 3:13, in his general description of the sinfulness of all mankind (v9-20), where he establishes that all mankind is sinful and guilty before God and so heading for eternal condemnation. But God offers His saving mercies to those who will turn to Him, trust in Him and submit to Him (Psalm 5:2,7), and so David completes the Psalm by describing the blessedness of those who put their trust in God. They rejoice because they are under God's covering (atonement): "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend (cover) them" (v11). They are protected from God's wrath and from their enemies. As well as trusting God, having received His love, they also love Him: "Let those also who love Your Name (revealed nature) be joyful in You" (v12a). They have been forgiven and made righteous by faith, and so are under God's blessing, grace and favour which covers them like a large shield: "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield" (v12b).

1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. We are down to the last five psalms in our study and chats of this wonderful book of praise and worship. These five psalms are called the “Hallelujah Psalms. They are five great doxologies that bring the Hebrew hymnbook to its close. You will notice that each of them begins with the phrase, “Praise the LORD”, and ends with the same phrase, “Praise the LORD”. In the Hebrew this phrase is “Hallelujah”, which means, “Praise be to Jehovah”. These five psalms were probably written about the time of the completion of the second temple, completion of the walls of Jerusalem, and reconstitution of the body politic of the newborn nation of Israel. This would have been around 518 BC. The Septuagint attributes the authorship of Psalms 146 and 147 to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. If this is so, then these two beginning doxologies would have been sung at the dedication of the new temple. It is interesting to note that prophetically these psalms anticipate the enthronement of the Lord Jesus amid the praises of all humankind at the beginning of the millennium. For sure these last five "Hallelujah Psalms" focus our attention on praising the Lord. Psalm 146 begins with a vow to praise God throughout life. Psalm 147 tells us it is "good and pleasant" to praise the Lord, and 148 reminds us that when we praise God, we join with all creation, for heaven and earth praise Him. In 149, God's people are admonished to worship joyfully, and the last psalm, Psalm 150, tells us where and why and how "everything that has breath" should praise the Lord. These five psalms are a short course in worship, and God's people today would do well to heed their message. Today, our church sanctuaries are turning into religious theaters and "worship" is becoming more and more entertainment. The author of this psalm understood that God was not just a part of life but the heart of life. Paul had the same conviction. In Philippians 1:21, Paul declares, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. In Colossians 3:4, he says it this way: “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory”.    When God is not just a part of our life but at the heart of our life, it means we should spend our life praising the LORD (vv. 1-2). God gives us life and breath (Acts 17:25), so it is only right that we use that life and breath to praise Him (Psalm 150:6). To receive the gifts and ignore the Giver is the essence of idolatry. In verse 2, the writer promised God that he would praise Him all of his life, and certainly this is wise preparation for praising Him for eternity (Psalm 104:33). To live a life of praise is to overcome criticism and complaining, to stop competing against others and comparing ourselves with them. It means to be grateful in and for everything (1 Thess. 5:18; Eph. 5:20) and really believe that God is working all things together for our good (Rom. 8:28). A life of praise is free from constant anxiety and discouragement as we focus on the Lord, who is mentioned eleven times in this psalm. Hallelujah! Praise the LORD! God bless!

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Don't forget to download the Episode Guide for THIS episode HERE.A Chinese friend complained to me about how difficult learning English can be. For example, he lamented that the English word for "trunk" could reference the back of a car, a box, a part of an elephant, or men's swim shorts. Same word. Different meanings. I thought of this when listening to Brooke Ligertwood's song, "Fear Of God." In Scripture, the word for "fear" may mean something completely different depending on the context.Let's explore what it means to fear God, the results of fearing God, and how the fear of God can be expressed in our own lives.In this episode, I discuss the following:Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in contextConsult an overviewComplete a word studyMake a listEpisode Guide DownloadThe story behind the song by Kevin Davis - New Release Today ArticleInspired by the lyrics to meditate on 1 PeterScripture overview of 1 Peter - BibleProject.com VideoHow the real enemy is the devil - 1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12Word study for "sober-minded" - BibleHub.comVerses that talk about fear as bad - 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18Where Moses uses fear in two ways in one verse - Exodus 20:20The fear of God can keep us - Proverbs 16:6To fear God is to be in awe and reverence of Him (as opposed to afraid of Him) Psalm 33:8 (see Episode 398)Malachi 2:5The fear of God is also closely related to trusting Him Psalm 40:3Psalm 115:11See Episode 397The fear of God means hating and avoiding evil Proverbs 8:13Proverbs 16:6Attributes of the Fear of God Can be taught - Psalm 34:11Can be chosen - Proverbs 1:29Is reflected in obedience - Ecclesiastes 12:13Equated with hating evil - Proverbs 8:13Leads to trusting God - Psalm 40:3Leads to friendship with God - Psalm 25:14Offers deliverance and other benefits - Psalm 33:18, Psalm 34:7, Psalm 145:19, Proverbs 10:27, Proverbs 22:4Leads to life and rest - Proverbs 19:23A summary verse of what it looks like to fear God - Deuteronomy 10:12-13Additional ResourcesLyrics for "Fear of God" by Brooke Ligertwood - NewReleaseToday.comThe story behind the song "Fear Of God" by Brooke Ligertwood - New Release Today ArticleMy favorite written resource for overviews - "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Fee and Stuart - Amazon Paid LinkMy favorite resource for video overviews - BibleProject.comMy favorite Bible Study Software - Logos Bible Software Affiliate LinkThis Week's ChallengeRead Peter's first letter to the believers scattered throughout the region of Asia Minor. Consider the context of suffering and persecution as you identify who the enemy is (for them and you). Meditate on what it is to fear the Lord, the results of fearing God, and how you should change your behavior to "prove" that you fear God. May the fear of God keep you

"Aliens & A Great End-Time Deception?” • Todd Coconato

1 I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. 3 The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!" 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the LORD In the land of the living. Psalm 116 is not only one of the “Hallel” psalms (Psalms 113-118), it is one of those “me, my, I,” psalms! You can't help but get the idea that the psalmist is on an emotional roller coaster. You might be feeling that way yourself during this Christmas season with so many personal, relational and emotional issues that we have to deal with and face. It seems like this is the time of the year that brings back so many memories both good and bad. One minute we might feel very close to the Lord and have sweet communion with Him and within a few minutes or hours we are overwhelmed with emotional baggage from the past, or a stressful confrontation that drains us, and we feel like God is a million miles away. We can't seem to pray, and we don't know who to trust. We say things that we really don't mean, and we feel very discouraged! As you read this entire psalm, it appears that this is what this inspired psalmist is experiencing! But notice what he decides to do! In verse 1, the first thing the psalmist does is to reaffirm his love for the LORD! “I love the LORD….”.  Remember what Jesus asked Peter three times when he was so discouraged with his failure to follow the Lord. “Peter, do you love me?” (John 21:15-17). This is the big question! Then the psalmist reminds himself that he could not trust in himself for deliverance (v. 3), nor could he trust the people around him, some of whom were liars (v. 11), but he knew he could trust in the Lord and call on Him for help (vv. 2, 13, 17). “We love Him because He first loved us!” (1 John 4:19). God proved His loved to us when He sent His only begotten Son to die on a rugged cross in our place for our sins. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). And when we called on His name to save us from our sins, He heard our voice and our cry, and He delivered us from the “pains of death and Sheol”. The God of the universe “inclined His ear to us” (v. 2). To "incline" one's ear is to pay attention and concentrate on what is being said (Psalms 113:5-6; 17:6). Only a God as great as Jehovah can hear the voices of millions of His children who are praying to Him at the same time. The writer was in deep trouble and sorrow, like a man drowning who is so entangled in a net that death seems inevitable (vv. 3, 8, 15; see 18:4-6). That's when we finally get so desperate that we genuinely and sincerely turn to the LORD for help! (v. 4). The name of the Lord represents all that God is and does, and to call on His name is to trust Him to work on our behalf. (vv. 4, 13, 17.) Like Peter sinking in the sea during the storm, he prayed, "Lord, save me!" (Matt. 14:29-31) and the Lord rescued him. When through no fault of our own we find ourselves in great danger, we can call on the Lord for His help. “And they that know His name will put their trust in Him” (Psalm 9:10). It is interesting to note that Peter referred to verse 3 in his sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:24, "loosed the pains of death") and applied it to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, if we can believe that God raised Jesus from the dead by His mighty power, we can trust Him to save and help us in our time of need! (Ephesians 1:19-21). “Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live” (v. 2b).    God bless!

Psalm 113:1-9 1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the LORD! 2 Blessed be the name of the LORD From this time forth and forevermore! 3 From the rising of the sun to its going down The LORD'S name is to be praised. 4 The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, Who dwells on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? 7 He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, 8 That He may seat him with princes-- With the princes of His people. 9 He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD! Psalm 113 is the first of a group of psalms, Psalms 113-118, that were sung repeatedly throughout the year and in their entirety at the annual feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles and at the time of the new moon. It was traditional for the Jewish people to sing Psalms 113-114 before they ate their Passover meal, and they closed the meal by singing 115-118. In verses 1-3, we are to praise God because His name is the greatest! I'll never forget my very first trip to the Holy Land in January 1972 with Jerry Falwell and the first 100 students that had enrolled in Lynchburg Baptist College. The most vivid picture that I still have in my mind was the dancing and singing of the Israeli young people in the streets. Their songs were songs of jubilee and praise to Jehovah for His protection and provision for them in a very difficult time. The music and the songs were very upbeat and happy! In these first 3 verses we find the word "praise" four times. (vv. 1, 3). The psalmist specifically mentions that it is the “servants of Jehovah” that are to be praising the LORD.  These servants might have been the singers in the temple choir in the newly restored temple, for this is a post-exilic psalm. But most likely he is addressing the entire nation of Israel, which is often called "God's servant" (Psalm 34:22; 69:36; 136:22; Isa. 41:8-9; 54:17). Remember Israel had both the privilege and responsibility of sharing the true and living God with their Gentile neighbors. We read about this in Isaiah 42:6-8: "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.” The Apostle Paul quoted from Isaiah 42:6 and applied it to his own ministry and the ministry of the church in Acts 13:47 and alluded to it in Acts 26:23. God located the nation of Israel in the “Middle” of the ancient world so that their faith and testimony that Jehovah was the true and living God would be manifest and declared to everyone passing through there. The word "name" is used three times in these verses and refers to the character of God and the revelation of who He is and what He does. God has a "good name" and that name should be magnified among those who have never trusted Him. To "glorify God" means to make God look good to those who ignore Him, oppose Him, or do not know Him. This kind of praise pays no attention to time ("forevermore") or space (“from east to west”). The prophet Malachi foresaw the day when the Gentiles would honor the name of the Lord (Mal. 1:11). God's name is attached to His covenant with Israel (Deut. 28:1-14), and both His name and His covenant can be trusted. My friend, as believers it is still our privilege and responsibility to make His name famous to all the earth. And today that name is Jesus!!!!! And “those who know His name will put their trust in Him” (Psalm 9:10). God bless!

"Aliens and a Great End-Time Deception?" Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Church: www.RRCNashville.org Book: www.PastorToddBook.com We know that the events surrounding the end times, as described in the Bible, will include a powerful deception (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:11). Recently, interest has been rising in the theory that this deception will include alien beings supposedly from another planet. Although the Bible gives us no word about whether or not aliens exist—there is no inclusion of them in the creation account in Genesis, and no mention of them elsewhere—the Bible does tell us about visitors from another world—the spiritual world. Since the beginning, instances of demons (fallen angels) visiting the earth have been witnessed and recorded. We know from Eve's encounter with Satan that demons are interested in monitoring (and altering) the progress of humanity. They want to be involved, with the goal of drawing humanity away from the worship of God and turning mankind's attention instead to them. Another notable instance of their interaction with us is found in Genesis 6:4 with the arrival of the “sons of God.” The Genesis account states that these powerful beings had sexual intercourse with women and produced a super race of beings known as the Nephilim. This sounds like the stuff of science fiction, yet it is right there in the Bible. There are striking similarities between this account and the accounts of other ancient cultures. The writings of the ancient Sumerians, for example (who were the first to produce a written language) mention the presence of the “Anunnaki” who were deities that came from heaven to dwell on earth with men. It is also interesting to note that the Sumerians' gods often came to them in the form of snakes. These accounts, seen alongside the amazing things created by ancient man, make it possible to theorize that demons, in the form of beings from another world, came to earth, bringing spectacular wisdom and knowledge to men, and “intermarrying” with their daughters in an attempt to draw men away from God. We already see from Eve's experience with the serpent that demons will use the temptation of superior wisdom to ensnare man and that man is very susceptible to it. Could the end times include a similar alien deception? The Bible doesn't directly address the issue, but it is certainly plausible, for a variety of reasons. First, the Bible tells us that the world will unite under the power of the Antichrist. In order to achieve an agreement between all the world's religions, it would make sense for the “uniter” to come from an entirely new source—an extraterrestrial source. It is hard to imagine one religion becoming head of all the others, unless new, unearthly knowledge were the source of the appeal and power of the new “religion.” This would be in keeping with past deceptions and would be a very effective way to deceive a large number of people. Second, this deception could provide an answer to the problem of earth's origins. The scientific theory that the evolution of life on earth was spontaneously generated still has no answer for life's beginnings. Many claim that there is evidence for a “big bang,” but there is no explanation for what caused the supposed big bang to occur. If alien beings arrived and gave us an extraterrestrial explanation for life on earth, the origins of the world religions, and even the origins of our planet, it would be very persuasive. That said, we should not fear. The Lord has said that He will not leave us or forsake us, and that He will protect us (1 Kings 8:57; Matthew 10:31; Isaiah 41:10). Demons / angels are not omnipotent, nor are they omnipresent. Jesus said that in the end times His appearing would be like lightning—easily visible to all. He said to be wary of any being that says “I am the Christ” or any group that says “He's over there” or “He's in here” (Matthew 24:23-24). He said that vultures gather around a dead body, meaning that if you see a group of people gathering around someone claiming to be Christ, that person is death and a false prophet. We should be wary of any person or being that produces signs and wonders without biblical fidelity or the presence of obedience to the Lord Jesus, anyone who provides a way to unite the world religions or governments (Revelation 13:5-8), any being that promotes unnatural sexual relationships (Genesis 6:4; Jude 1:6-7), and of course, any person who denies that Jesus is God (2 John 1:7). Furthermore, anyone who presents a “substitute” Jesus, who represents Him as “a god but not the God” or who claims He was merely a good teacher, simply a human, or even a super-human or an alien creature, is a deceiver. Lastly, if demons manifesting as aliens are part of the end times, we should remember that they, too, are created beings subject to a sovereign God and ultimately answerable to Him. Whether in alien form or not, the descriptions of demons in Revelation are frightening (Revelation 9:1-12), but we should not fear those who can only kill the body. Instead, we should only fear the One who can kill the body and the soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). No matter what happens to us on the earth, we should trust that the Lord is the Savior, Redeemer, and Protector of the souls of those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 9:10; 22:5).

Which of God's creatures depend upon Him-- Psalm 104-16-26 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord's Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that all of God's creatures from the smallest to the greatest depend upon Him, including and especially man.

This week's episode is a continuation of last week's episode where Heather interviews her beloved Grandmama (AKA Gigi) Nell Patten Poquemore. Tune in as Nell shares her incredible personal testimony of finding the Lord at 89, despite growing up in the church her entire life. She shares her journey to faith and how it has impacted her life as well as wonderful travel stories and some amazing life wisdom. Episode Highlights:・At the age of 89, after having grown up in a religious family, Nell invited the Lord into her life and gave her life to Him・Psalm 31:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.・Distractions can impact your spiritual relationship with God・Nell was blessed to be able to travel and make many lifelong and multigenerational friends・It's never too late to change directions and change your life・Some of the best life advice she gave is to love God and love people ・It sounds simple, but don't buy things you don't have the money to pay for・Put your faith in Him, don't try to do it on your own Episode Resources/References: ・Seint's Income Disclosure ・Texting with Project Broadcast ・Easily Edit Your Videos + Podcast ・Get 50% off Stunning Emails Want more help from Heather: ・Automate to Replicate - Copy my exact customer follow-up automations formula ・Replicate Your Results - Grow your income + impact beyond your own personal effort Connect with Heather: Called to Lead Telegram Community HeatherKBurge.com heatherkburge@gmail.com You can also text (912) 405-8912 any of these keywords to learn more: CONNECT (to stay in touch on all the things) PODCAST (to get a direct link to the Called to Lead Community) COLORMATCH (to try Seint Beauty) SUMMIT (to join the virtual summit waitlist)

9 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.   Psalm 99 is the sixth of the "royal psalms" (Psalms 93, 95-100), all of which magnify the sovereign rule of Jehovah the King. Like Psalms 93 and 97, it opens with "The Lord reigns," and it emphasizes that Jehovah is exalted above all the nations (v. 2) and not just Israel.   This is another of what is called the theocratic psalms, or the coronation psalms which ring with earth's hallelujahs because, at long last, the King has come. This psalm looks first at the future (vv. 1-3), then at the present (vv. 4-5), then at the past (vv. 6-9). It views the LORD as the One who is to come, as the One who is, and as the One who was—the One who occupies all the tenses of time. This is the One that sits upon the throne, eternal, almighty, and holy.   Psalm 99 easily divides into three parts because each section ends with a similar declaration phrase, (vv. 1-3) “He is holy”, (vv. 4-5) “He is holy”, and verses 6-9, “For the LORD our God is holy”.   It shows us that the One who sits upon the throne is prophet, priest, and king. In Israel men were anointed for each of these ministries. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One.   The psalmist describes the throne of the Lord and twice he encourages the people to “exalt the Lord” as they worship Him (vv. 5, 9). First, he describes the LORD's throne as “awesome” (vv. 1-3). Jehovah sits upon the throne in heaven (Psalms 9:11; 110:2; 146:10), but in the psalmist's day, He was also enthroned on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the sanctuary on Mount Zion (Psalm 80:1; 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chron. 13:6). It was there that God's glory rested, and from there God spoke to Moses and ruled the nation of Israel (Num. 7:89). God chose the Jews to be His vehicle for telling the Gentile nations about the true and living God, and God chose Mount Zion to be His dwelling place.   The prophet Isaiah saw the heavenly throne (Isaiah 6) and so did the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 1). The name LORD is used seven times in this psalm, for God made His covenant with Israel alone and they were His special people. Jesus told the woman at the well that "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). When the Gentiles beheld what God did for Israel, they should have trembled with awe and put their trust in Him (Psalm 96:9; 114:7).   God's throne is awesome because He is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). "The Holy One of Israel" is a name found thirty times in the book of Isaiah. The word "holy" means "separate, set apart, totally different." God's nature is "wholly other," yet He was willing to dwell with His people and meet their needs.   Jesus Christ is Jehovah; the Great I AM! He came down to us that we might come up to our holy God! Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us that because of Him we have access to God in our time of need! “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”   Today, and every day, come into His presence with awe and worship Him!   God bless!

Welcome back to the Created To Thrive Podcast, where we unpack the abundant life that God has designed for each of us. I'm your host, Lori K. Snyder, and today we have a powerful episode lined up for you.   We're diving deep into the power of hope and how it can transform our lives like never before. You see, hope is more than just wishful thinking or empty optimism. It's a confident expectation of future good, anchored in the unfailing promises of God.   Life can be full of disappointments and challenges that make it hard to hold on to hope. You might have been told to not get your hopes up about a situation.  It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose sight of the promises that God has for us. Without hope, we may feel stuck, lost, and unable to find the strength to trust God and move forward in faith.    As a resiliency coach and Bible teacher, I guide individuals in bouncing back from setbacks and finding hope and faith in the midst of trials.  I know first hand the battle of feeling hopeless, and I was recently a guest on my friend Chris Cree's live broadcast called Two for Tuesday, where I share some of my journey and we teach on the power of hope. I didn't want you, my listeners to miss out, so today I'm sharing some of this episode.     We will unpack the depth of what true hope means, understand the negative impacts of hopelessness, and why we need to abound in hope to see God's promises fulfilled and have stronger faith. We will share practical strategies and personal insights on how we can cultivate, nurture, and sustain hope in our daily lives.    If you want to strengthen your faith, you can listen to more of Chris's live Two for Tuesday broadcasts where he has amazing guest who teach God's Word to help you grow. I will have that link in the show notes. I also want to encourage you to make sure you are subscribed to this Created To Thrive podcast, where we equip and empower you to live a life of purpose and fulfillment.    My friends, whether you're going through a difficult season, experiencing loss or disappointment, or simply seeking to deepen your faith, this episode is for you. This episode will help you understand how faith, hope and love are foundations for a thriving live.   So grab a cup of coffee, find a comfortable spot, and get ready to be inspired, encouraged, and empowered as we explore the importance of hope in our lives and how we can confidently anchor our hope in the unwavering goodness of our Heavenly Father. You don't want to miss this. Stay tuned for our conversation with Chris Cree.  Connect with Chris Cree: Learn more about & support New CREEations Ministries: https://newcreeations.org Connect with Lori: https://loriksnyder.com Key scriptures:, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Hebrews 11:1, Proverbs 13:12, Romans 15:13, Hebrews 6:19 Discussion points: - Importance of learning to grieve for growth - The physical and emotional sickness caused by deferred hope - Desires of the heart for security, love, and connection - Acknowledging the necessity of these desires for well-being - Lack of desires leading to sickness or depression- Managing expectations and disappointments - Seeking solace and encouragement from God in challenging times - Acknowledgment that Christians are not immune to troubles and hardships - Belief that God will use everything for their good - Importance of redirecting focus to Jesus and seeking guidance from Him - Psalm 37:4 and the promise of desires fulfilled when delighting in the Lord - Core desires for feeling safe and secure - God as the rock of refuge and source of trust and security - The metaphorical tree of life representing a sense of meaningfulness and satisfaction - Fulfilling desires to feel alive and energized - Admiral Stockdale's observation about surviving captivity and unrealistic expectations - Importance of maintaining hope while facing the reality of the present - Finding hope in the truth, even without faith yet - Holding on to hope and not giving up, knowing God's word is true - Receiving promises through faith and patience - Connection between hope and faith, pulling it from the spiritual into the natural - Understanding the impact of hope deferred and the narratives we tell ourselves - The power of Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life - Romans 15:13 and the filling of believers with joy, peace, and hope through the Holy Spirit - Reference to Psalm 42 and David's encouragement to have hope in God - Emphasizing love as the foundation of life and receiving God's love - Love as the foundation, hope built upon love, and faith built upon hope - Seeing through the eyes of love and having hope based on God's promises - Understanding Bible hope as confident expectation of future good.  

Knowing God as FatherWhat is the Father like? John 14:9 (ESV)“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father'?”The Father wants to be known by you.Father God Loves, Always Isaiah 40:10-11 (ESV)“Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”Father God Welcomes All Who Turn to Him Psalm 68:5-6 (ESV)“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”June 18, 2023 // Pastor Mark DaviesLuke 12:32 (ESV)“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”Galatians 4:4-7 (ESV)“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”2 Corinthians 6:16b, 18 (ESV)“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people...and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”Ephesians 2:18-19 (ESV)“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”Father God Disciplines For Our Instruction John 15:1-2 (ESV)“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”Matthew 20:25-28 (ESV)“But Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'”

Is The Deepstate Planning A Fake Alien Invasion?  Our website: www.PastorTodd.org To give to this ministry and our work: www.ToddCoconato.com/give We know that the events surrounding the end times, as described in the Bible, will include a powerful deception (Matthew 24:24). Recently, interest has been rising in the theory that this deception will include alien beings from another planet. Odd as it may seem, this theory is entirely plausible from a Christian perspective. Although the Bible gives us no word about whether or not aliens exist—there is no inclusion of them in the creation account in Genesis, and no mention of them elsewhere—the Bible does tell us about visitors from another world—the spiritual world. Since the beginning, instances of demons (fallen angels) visiting the earth have been witnessed and recorded. We know from Eve's encounter with Satan that demons are interested in monitoring (and altering) the progress of humanity. They want to be involved, with the goal of drawing humanity away from the worship of God and turning mankind's attention instead to them. Another notable instance of their interaction with us is found in Genesis 6:4 with the arrival of the “sons of God.” The Genesis account states that these powerful beings had sexual intercourse with women and produced a super race of beings known as the Nephilim. This sounds like the stuff of science fiction, yet it is right there in the Bible. There are striking similarities between this account and the accounts of other ancient cultures. The writings of the ancient Sumerians, for example (who were the first to produce a written language) mention the presence of the “Anunnaki” who were deities that came from heaven to dwell on earth with men. It is also interesting to note that the Sumerians' gods often came to them in the form of snakes. These accounts, seen alongside the amazing things created by ancient man, make it possible to theorize that demons, in the form of beings from another world, came to earth, bringing spectacular wisdom and knowledge to men, and “intermarrying” with their daughters in an attempt to draw men away from God. We already see from Eve's experience with the serpent that demons will use the temptation of superior wisdom to ensnare man and that man is very susceptible to it. Could the end times include a similar alien deception? The Bible doesn't directly address the issue, but it is certainly plausible, for a variety of reasons. First, the Bible tells us that the world will unite under the power of the Antichrist. In order to achieve an agreement between all the world's religions, it would make sense for the “uniter” to come from an entirely new source—an extraterrestrial source. It is hard to imagine one religion becoming head of all the others, unless new, unearthly knowledge were the source of the appeal and power of the new “religion.” This would be in keeping with past deceptions and would be a very effective way to deceive a large number of people. Second, this deception could provide an answer to the problem of earth's origins. The scientific theory that the evolution of life on earth was spontaneously generated still has no answer for life's beginnings. There is evidence for a “big bang,” but that still doesn't explain what caused the big bang to occur. If alien beings arrived and gave us an extraterrestrial explanation for life on earth, the origins of the world religions, and even the origins of our planet, it would be very persuasive. That said, we should not fear. The Lord has said that He will not leave us or forsake us, and that He will protect us (1 Kings 8:57; Matthew 10:31; Isaiah 41:10). Demons / angels are not omnipotent, nor are they omnipresent. Jesus said that in the end times His appearing would be like lightning—easily visible to all. He said to be wary of any being that says “I am the Christ” or any group that says “He's over there” or “He's in here” (Matthew 24:23-24). He said that vultures gather around a dead body, meaning that if you see a group of people gathering around someone claiming to be Christ, that person is death and a false prophet. We should be wary of any person or being that produces signs and wonders without biblical fidelity or the presence of obedience to the Lord Jesus, anyone who provides a way to unite the world religions or governments (Revelation 13:5-8), any being that promotes unnatural sexual relationships (Genesis 6:4; Jude 1:6-7), and of course, any person who denies that Jesus is God (2 John 1:7). Furthermore, anyone who presents a “substitute” Jesus, who represents Him as “a god but not the God” or who claims He was merely a good teacher, simply a human, or even a super-human or an alien creature, is a deceiver. Lastly, if demons manifesting as aliens are part of the end times, we should remember that they, too, are created beings subject to a sovereign God and ultimately answerable to Him. Whether in alien form or not, the descriptions of demons in Revelation are frightening (Revelation 9:1-12), but we should not fear those who can only kill the body. Instead, we should only fear the One who can kill the body and the soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). No matter what happens to us on the earth, we should trust that the Lord is the Savior, Redeemer, and Protector of the souls of those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 9:10; 22:5).

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. 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 Psalm 66 is classified as a “Praise Psalm”.  From the first two verses we are exhorted to both “shout joyfully” with our best voice to God along with all the earth. And to “sing out” with the best singers, (“The Chief Musician”), the honor that is due to His wonderful name! We are told to “make His praise glorious”. Notice “all the earth” is to be involved in this activity of praising the LORD! I believe this means both the physical earth and all the creatures in it including the people in it. I love getting up early before the sun rises and go outside and listen to God's creation wake up singing praises to the LORD! The first thing I hear, even when it is still too dark to see them, are the birds chirping and singing as they begin their day! What an awesome sound, and also a great time to begin our quiet time with LORD, as we meditate and lift up our hearts to Him. Sometimes I think the sound and singing of creation is better than any choir I've ever heard! Then as the sun rises and begins to shine, the beautiful flowers my wife has planted all around our house turn their faces toward the sun to soak in the light and life that come from it! All of creation praises Him for He alone supplies everything it needs to flourish and be fruitful! Scripture tells us that even the animals wait on Him and are dependent for their daily food from Him (Psalm 104). Jesus said the birds of the air don't worry about their daily food because God care for each one of them (Matthew 6:26). We are told to “Sing out the honor of His name”.  Our great and awesome God has over 700 names and titles that are attributed to Him in the Scriptures! One name is not enough to describe Him! He is Elohim, our Creator God! He is Jehovah, the “Great I AM”. He is our personal God Who alone is everything we need! He is Jehovah-Jireh, the LORD Who provides our salvation by His sacrifice on the cross! He is Jehovah-Roi, the LORD Who is our great and good Shepherd leading, guiding and protecting us all the day long! We also know His name as Jesus, Who is our wonderful Savior! Isaiah had a prophetic vision of the LORD in Isaiah 9:6-7 and he wrote: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” If Hezekiah is indeed the writer of this Psalm, and many Bible scholars believe that he is, it is possible that Isaiah, who was the prophet during his reign, shared these words with him and that is why he proclaims, “Sing out the honor of His name!”  What a tragedy that so many today, instead of praising His glorious and awesome name, are blaspheming His holy name. They do this with both their mouths and their actions! May the LORD have mercy on them, especially after He has done so much for them! He created the very breath they breathe, and the lungs that take it in! It is my prayer that today we will “come and see” the awesome works of the LORD all around us and make and take the time to join creation in our praise, and in our songs and prayers of thanksgiving. The writer of Hebrews put it this way in Hebrews 13:15-16, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” God bless!

For years I have called Psalm 66, “The Invitation Psalm”. In verse 5 we are invited to “come and see the works of God”. In verse 16, we are again invited to “come and hear, all you who fear God”. First, come and see God's awesome works. God's mighty deeds on behalf of Israel is a testimony to us concerning the power of God to deliver us from the enemy of death. Second, come and hear about what God can do for an individual soul (v. 16). Creation and history reveal to the world that there is a sovereign God Who rules supremely over all the earth. History is His story! We can see the hand of God throughout the centuries especially in His deliverance of the nation of Israel from Egypt. Over and over again we read in Scripture and also see how He protected them from their enemies. The title of this Psalm does not reveal to us who the specific writer is. Some commentators, like Spurgeon believe that David is the writer because of the style and the way it reads. Others believe there are good reasons for thinking that it was written by godly King Hezekiah after the final overthrow of Sennacherib before the gates of Jerusalem. They believe this event was the Lord's miraculous defeat of Assyria (Isaiah 36-37) and that the individual speaking in verses 13-20 was King Hezekiah, whose prayer the Lord answered (Isaiah 37:14-20). Whoever wrote this Psalm is encouraging and exhorting the Gentile nations to praise the Lord (vv. 1-7). Then in verses 8-12, he moves to Israel and their praise for His deliverance from Egypt.  And he concludes with the individual believer praising the Lord and inviting us to join him (vv. 13-20). As we read in the title it is a song to be sung or a Psalm to be read, and probably both, as we remember how awesome our God is! But there is more to it than that. If this psalm has its roots in history, it has its realization in prophecy. It looks on to the coming millennial reign of Christ. It thus stands shoulder to shoulder with the Psalm which precedes it and the two which follow it. The four Psalms—65, 66, 67, and 68—form a quartet of prophetic utterance extolling the coming golden age. We shall see this constant mingling of Israel's yesterdays and bright tomorrows as we read this happy Hebrew hymn. In verses 1-7, the psalmist invited all the Gentile nations to praise God for what He had done for Israel! Why? Because through Israel, the Lord brought truth and salvation to the Gentiles. Jesus said, "Salvation is of the Jews" in John 4:22. This is a missionary psalm showing the importance of taking the good news of Jesus Christ into all the world. God's purpose is that all the nations shall praise Him (Psalm 98:4; 100:1; Rom. 15:9-12), but they can't do that until they trust Him (Romans 10:l0-20). It's tragic that the nations today attack and persecute Israel instead of thanking God for her spiritual contribution to them. But the nations don't know the Lord, and Israel has been blinded and hardened by her unbelief (Rom. 11:25-36). When Israel sees her Messiah and trusts Him, then the world situation will change (Zechariah 13-14), and all the nations will worship the Lord. One day there shall be universal praise lifted for Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:10-11; Rev. 11:15-18). The writer reviews some of the miraculous history of Israel: the Exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Jordan, and the defeat of the nations in Canaan (vv. 5-7; Ex. 15:18). The Exodus was the "birthday" of the Jewish nation and has always been Israel's main exhibition of the glorious power of the Lord (Psalms 77:14-20; 78:12ff; 106:7-12; 114; 136:13; Isa. 63:10-14). What the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to believers today, the Exodus was to Israel (Eph. 1:15-23). The Jews remember the Exodus at Passover, and the church remembers the death and resurrection of Christ at the Lord's Supper and every Sunday that we go to church! God bless!

I never realized until we started this series of chats in the Book of Psalms, that David wrote so many of them when he was in the depths of despair, in the greatest time of crisis in his life, as he was fleeing from his son Absolom's rebellion. In the first verses of Psalm 63, David is determined to seek the Lord and desire Him with his whole heart! In a place where there is no water, his soul thirsts for his God more than anything else! David then went from seeking God early in this terrible circumstance to praising God with his lips, his mouth, and his hands (vv. 3-5).  Years ago, I heard someone say, “When the praises go up, the blessing come down.” How true! David didn't depend on the tabernacle or its furnishings—in fact, he sent the ark back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24-29), but on the living God whose character and works were declared in those furnishings. Unlike the superstitious people of Judah in Jeremiah's day (Jer. 3:16; 7:1-16), David looked beyond material objects and saw spiritual realities. He had no priest or altar there, but he could lift his hands like the priests and bless the Lord and His people (Num. 6:22-27). His uplifted hands, though holding no sacrifice, signified his prayers and the love of his uplifted heart (Psalm 28:2; 141:2; 1 Tim. 2:8). By faith David was under the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies, protected from his foes (v. 7; 36:7). There in the wilderness, he had no sacrificial meal to enjoy, but his soul feasted on spiritual delicacies that even the priests were not permitted to eat (v. 5; Lev. 3:16-17). "Marrow and fatness" typify the very finest of food (Psalm 81:16; 147:14; Deut. 32:14; Isa. 25:6). Instead of complaining, as we are prone to do when things go wrong, David sang praises to the Lord. Then in verses 6-8, David went from praising God to remembering and meditation on God. David's heart was at peace, and he was able to go to bed and calmly worship the Lord and meditate on Him (Psalm 3:5-6; 42:8). The phrase "earnestly seek" in verse 1 can mean "early will I seek." David did this both morning and evening. The phrase "remember God" means to recall what He has said and done in the past and apply it to our present situation (Psalm 42:6; 77:1-11; 105:1-5; 119:55). It was because Israel forgot what God did, that they rebelled and disobeyed Him (Psalm 78:40-43; 106). Our God is I AM, not "I was," and He must always be recognized in our present situation. The Jews had three-night watches, from sunset to ten o'clock, from ten to two o'clock, and from two to sunrise, so whenever David awakened during the night, he immediately remembered the Lord. (Or it could mean he was awake all night, but not tossing and turning.) His bed was under the wings of the cherubim, and he felt secure as he meditated on the Lord (Psalm 16:7; 119:148; Deut. 6:4-9). But David wasn't passive in his devotion, for he continued to cling to the Lord and rest in the safety of His right hand (Psalm 17:7; 18:35; 41:12). Faith without works is dead. Believers are safe in the hands of the Father and the Son (John 10:27-29), but that doesn't give us license to do foolish things that would endanger us. "My soul follows close behind You" is a literal translation of verse 8, including both submissive faith in God and active pursuit of God. Today, in John 14, we also have the promise of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will indwell us, and when we follow His leading and sense His presence, we will enjoy His peace in whatever circumstance we might find ourselves in. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). God bless!

Hey everyone!! This week we'll be talking about having a Holy Girl Summer!!. We'll be talking about what it means to be holy, temptations that come with summer, and how to keep your eyes up in the midst of it all with some of our own personal stories sprinkled in. We hope this episode reminds you that you are set apart and that a life with God in charge is better than any life you could plan for yourself. We love you all and hope you enjoy!!! References:Don't let your life cause another to stumble | Romans 14:13We are called to live holy lives | 1 Thess. 4:7 | | 1 Peter 1:15-16 | etc. We are already made holy | 1 Peter 1:2Pastors getting judged on a different level | James 3:1Just because you can do everything doesn't mean you should | 1 Cor. 6:12Not listening to your convictions | James 4:17 | Romans 14:23Rather you be hot or cold than lukewarm | Rev. 3:15-16Drunkenness is a sin | Eph. 5:18 | Gal 5:19-21 | Romans 13:13Fill your minds with good things | Phil. 4:8Be of sober mind | 1 Peter 5:8Have self control | Titus 1:8 | 1 Peter 4:7-8 | etc.Fruit of the spirit | Gal. 5:22-23Modesty | 1 Peter 3 | 1 Tim 2:9Nothing can separate you from His love | Romans 8:38-39God calls us to talk to Him | Psalm 27:8 | Psalm 145:18Adam & Eve wanting to hide | Gen. 3:8Lean not on your own understanding | Prov. 3:5-6Where sin is God cannot be | Hab. 1:13Set your eyes on Jesus | Col. 3:1-4Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/holygirlhotline

NOTHING BUT LEAVES part 2 Matthew 21:18 - 22 1. Recognize your desperate need for God "in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time. He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live." Ps. 107:6 & 7 “O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you” Psalm 63:1 2. Realize the will of God “we have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:16 “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him” Psalm 25:14 3. Rely on the power of God ‘“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord” Zechariah 4:6 4. Rest in the promises of God “Cease striving and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9 “Sabbath” - to cease Verse of the Week: “all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22

As we continue to look at Psalm 47, we need to remember that Psalms 46, 47, and 48 go together. If we will humble ourselves as King Hezekiah did and believe that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And we will “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10), we will be able to “clap our hands” and proclaim His victorious presence in our lives (Psalm 47:1). Our God is not only an Awesome God, He is a Triumphant King (Psalm 47:5). God fills heaven and earth, but when He acts on earth on behalf of His people, the Scriptures sometimes describe Him as "coming down." He came down to visit the tower of Babel and judged the people building it (Gen. 11:5), and He also came down to investigate the wicked city of Sodom and destroyed it (Gen. 18:21). The night 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were slain by the angel, God came down and brought judgment (Isa. 37:28-29, 36) and then "went up" in great glory to His holy throne (vv. 5-8). David gave a similar description of victory in Psalm 68:18, a verse Paul quoted in Ephesians 4:8-10, applying it to the ascension of Jesus Christ. From the human viewpoint, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a great defeat and tragedy, but not from God's viewpoint. In His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus won the victory over the world and the devil (John 12:31-32; Col. 2:15) and satisfied the claims of God's holy law so that sinners could believe and be saved. What a victory! He then ascended to heaven, far above every enemy (Eph. 1:19-22), where He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3). In Psalm 47 we also reminded that Our God Is King of Kings (vv. 6-9). A remarkable thing occurs: the rulers and peoples of the Gentile nations join Israel in praising the Lord Jehovah! He is not simply the God and King of Israel, but He is the "king of all the earth." It was God's plan when He called Abraham that Israel would be a blessing to all the earth (Gen. 12:1-3; John 12:32; Gal. 3:7-9), for "salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). Throughout their history, Israel has been persecuted by many nations of the world, yet it is Israel that has blessed the world. Israel brought us the knowledge of the one true and living God, they gave us the Scriptures, and they gave us Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Today, Jews and Gentiles in the church are praising God together (Eph. 2:11-22), and one day in the glorious kingdom, Jews and Gentiles will glorify and praise Him (Psalm 67:1-7; 72:8-11; Rom. 15:8-13). The psalmist saw God's defeat of the Assyrians as a sign of His defeat of all the nations and the establishment of His glorious kingdom. The prophets announced that the Gentiles would turn to the Lord and share the kingdom with Israel (Isa. 2:1-5; 11:1-10; Mic. 4:1-5), and the psalmist looked down the ages and saw this fulfilled. The Gentile leaders, representing their people, will come and give their allegiance and their praise to Jesus Christ, "and the Lord shall be king over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9). Paul alludes to verse 7 in 1 Cor. 14:15 when he admonishes us to "sing with the understanding." The word "shields" can refer to kings since they are the protectors of the people (89:18). The kings of the earth belong to the Lord because He is the King of Kings (Rev. 19:16). The image of God sitting upon His holy throne is used often in the book of Revelation (4:2, 9-10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5). For God's people, every day is Ascension Day as we praise and worship the exalted and ascended Lord. Our God is always, and forever will be, King of all the earth! God bless!

Daffodils lifted their creamy yellow faces toward the sun, the birds sang in the branches of the flowering magnolia tree, a breeze sent ripples cascading across the otherwise still pond. My friend and I were experiencing year three at our annual retreat, and this place reminded us to direct our focus back on God and be still before Him (Psalm 23:2)..On our second day at the retreat, my friend announced she was going to walk the labyrinth by herself. (This labyrinth was different from a maze, because there were no choices or dead ends, just one path—edged with daffodils—that meandered back and forth until it reached the center of the circular labyrinth.) There was something God had been prompting her to let go of, and she needed some concentrated time of releasing it to Him. “I'll be praying for you,” I encouraged her as she headed out the door. I imagined her winding her way through the mown paths of the daffodil-filled labyrinth, tears glistening in her eyes as she gave the burden to Jesus..When we met back up over an hour later, my friend's load seemed visibly lighter. She shared with me the lessons God taught her while walking through the labyrinth: “At first I was so fixated on the path, all the twists and turns, that I almost forgot to take inventory of all the beauty around me.” She then chose to slow, examining the daffodils, touching the petals, enjoying the journey. “It's like life,” she mused. “Sometimes, we are just rushing around the corners, and we forget to slow and enjoy the beauty God has placed all around us.”.In the center of the labyrinth was a large rock. When she reached the end, my friend rested on the rock, giving God the thing that had been weighing her down. “I wonder if they put the rock there at the end on purpose—so it's like you're resting on Jesus, our Rock.” I shared how that morning I had been meditating on Psalm 62, in which David mentioned three times that God was his Rock..Whether or not we have a chance to get away on a retreat, we can choose to listen and be still before God wherever we are. We can say with David, “My soul finds rest in God... he is my mighty rock” (Psalm 62:1, 7). Jesus is worthy of all our trust; He is the One who saves us and gives us salvation and rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). • Savannah Coleman.• Psalm 62 points to the only One who can save us: Jesus, the Rock (verses 1, 2, 6). Because of Jesus's death on the cross for us and the power of His resurrection, we don't have to wander through life in an endless maze, unsure of our ending. If we've put our trust in Jesus, we can rest assured that God's love will always follow us, and one day, when Jesus returns bodily to earth, we will be with Him forever (Psalm 23:6). Even as we walk through darkness and difficulties in life, we don't have to be afraid, because God is with us (Psalm 23:4). He wants us to bring all our heavy burdens—our questions, frustrations, and fears—to Him. Is there something weighing on you today? Consider taking some time to bring this to God in prayer. .• One of God's gifts to us is community. How can sharing life with fellow Christians help us follow Jesus? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk with about your relationship with God? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) .• Throughout the Bible, God calls His people to rest in Him, and He provides this rest through Jesus (Matthew 11:28–12:8). What are some practical ways you could take time to slow down and enjoy the beauty God has placed all around you today? .Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

PART 1 | We get lots of questions all the time regarding purity, pornography, boundaries, and the classic, "what is too far?" We cover it all and more on this two part episode with ministry leader and author of three books, including "Sex, Jesus and Conversations the Church Forgot," Mo Isom Aiken. GIRLS! Virginity might keep you from going too far but impurity keeps you from your true identity, true satisfaction, true fulfillment in the One Who made you, loves you and wants to give you all you need. Have you gone too far? You are not alone! You have a God Who wants to restore you and give you the satisfaction you are desiring in Him! Are you addicted to pornography? You are not alone! You have a God Who wants to show you the way out and restore your mind! Do you have questions about relationships, purity, how to say no, when to say no, what to do... you have come to the right place where we will point you to the Bible and what God says about you! MOMS! Pornography is not just a guy thing! Not talking to your children about sex isn't going to keep them from doing it, asking about it, finding out. Talk about it now, let them be the safe place they come to with their questions and their mess ups. If it's not you, it will be google, their friends or the latest tv show. You are not going to want this episode packed full with tips and conversations to have with your children, teenagers, young adults. The conversation can never start too young. The average age of pornography exposure is 9 years old, which means there are younger. Mo talks about a time she had to direct a conversation with her two year old. This conversation never stops because we live in a culture where every thing is sexualized. Join us for this conversation and get to know the basics, the conversations and the questions to ask to begin building this safe place. Girls, if you do not have a safe place, you can come here. Show notes references: Proverbs 14:1 Psalm 33:16-22 Hope in Him Psalm 36:5-9 Feast on Him Psalm 63:1-5 Be satisfied with His Unfailing Love 1 Peter 3:1-6 We have what we need Find us at www.girltalkministries.info Instagram: girltalkministries_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GTalkMinistries Find Mo at www.moisom.com (The resources she mentioned are here!) Instagram: moisom Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMoIsom Find Mo's books anywhere books are sold! Wreck My Life Sex, Jesus and The Conversations the Church Forgot Fully Known

Editor's note: Today's reading discusses abuse..Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and knew Bible stories like the back of my hand..I knew about God, but I did not know Him..How about you? Do you know about God? Or do you know God? What's the difference?.While I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, I didn't understand what it meant to have a relationship with Him. I didn't know His Word, I didn't know my worth in Him, and I didn't know His promises and how to hear His voice over lies..In the midst of all of this, I had the good desires to be loved and to be a mom one day. So, when love came knocking, I opened my heart wide. This could have worked out well if my boyfriend had been a healthy individual, but he was not. Instead, he was abusive, emotionally manipulative, and a destroyer of my self-worth..At the time, I didn't know God well enough to know His love for me, my worth in Him, and the promises in His Word. I didn't know He would fulfill the desires of my heart as I delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). I didn't know I could trust Him for all the details of my life, including relationships..When we know God and not just know about Him, it changes everything. His truths permeate our minds. His promises override our fears. His presence leads us through life's big decisions. His Word becomes the lamp for our feet and the light for our paths (Psalm 119:105)..God loves us so deeply, reaching out to us before we could love Him, dying on the cross for us (1 John 4:19). Our trustworthy Savior invites us into relationship with Him, so that we may be ever deepening in our understanding of Him and the good news that He has come to save and restore us. No matter what we experience, Jesus is present with us, including giving us wisdom to find safe people—who reflect His love—to reach out to when we experience abuse. • Erin Nestico.• If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, and if your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away..If you need someone to talk to but are not in need of immediate help, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate..• Have you ever been hurt by a dating partner's words or actions?* Have you hurt someone? There is hope through Jesus. He offers healing and forgiveness, no matter how terrible the situation may be. Who is a trusted Christian adult you can talk to as you seek to follow God's good intentions for how people should treat one another, including setting up loving boundaries?.• How is knowing God different from knowing about Him? .• Jesus invites us into relationship with God, to know Him deeper and deeper throughout our lives. Would you like to pursue this kind of relationship with Jesus? If you have questions about it, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (If you want to learn more about what it means to know God, check out our "Know Jesus" page.).*If you are unsure about whether or not a dating partner is acting in an unhealthy manner, consider these questions: Is this person controlling, prideful, dishonest, or selfish? Is this person unable to admit when they are wrong? Do you both have a say in decisions you make as a couple? Has this person cheated on you? Are you scared to bring up certain subjects with this person because they will act in a violent and/or overly angry way? Do you live in constant fear of offending your partner? Do you find yourself talking yourself into trusting them? Does this person denigrate you verbally or make you feel bad about yourself? Does this person hurt you physically? If one or more of these questions resonates with your situation, reach out for help and check out the resources in the discussion questions above..Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3 (NIV)

As a teenager, one of the reasons I didn't believe in God was because I didn't think God cared about my individual struggles. There were people in far worse situations who needed God's help, so I didn't think He cared about me. It certainly didn't feel like He listened to me when I tried praying. There were times I would beg God for help, but I wouldn't hear a sound..However, I found myself reading the psalms one day, and I came to Psalm 13. As I read the first few verses, I had never related to something in the Bible more in my life! The author, David, begins by saying, “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me...?” (verses 1-2)..It appeared as if David understood me. For the first time ever, I could relate to someone in the Bible—that is, until I got to verses 5 and 6, when David says, “But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.” How could David go from agonizing over his struggles and feeling like God wasn't listening... to trusting, rejoicing, and singing to God?.As I read David's words, I realized that, even though he had struggles like me, David had a completely different relationship with God. He had a completely different understanding of God than I did. After reading Psalm 13, I decided I needed to figure out if God really cared, if He could be trusted, and see if I could gain the same understanding of God that David did..Years later, I would come to understand that God does hear our prayers and He answers them all. However, it just isn't always how or when we want Him to answer them. But God always reveals Himself to those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10; Jeremiah 29:13). And He loves each one of us. He demonstrated this love when Jesus—God in flesh—came to live among us, die on the cross for us, and rise from the dead so that we could live with Him forever. Because God has shown us this unshakable love, we can trust Him with every prayer. Even when it feels like God is silent, His actions speak volumes. • Hunter Taylor.• David experienced a close relationship with God. Through putting our trust in Jesus, we can start to have this kind of relationship with God too (read more on our "Know Jesus" page). How might David's story encourage us to seek God for ourselves?.How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? Psalm 13:1a (CSB)

David looked up and saw the sun, the moon and the stars and he proclaimed, “There is a God and the heavens declare His glory” (vv. 1-6). David looked into the Word and experienced the living influence and impact on his life and came to the conclusion that it was better than the finest gold or the sweetest food (vv. 7-11). David then looked within his heart and knew there was a deep-rooted problem and that he needed a Redeemer (vv. 12-14). Unless we have a personal relationship with the Lord so that God is our Father and Jesus is our Redeemer, what we see in creation and what we read in the Bible will not do us much good. The Magi in Matthew 2:1-12 started on their journey in the East by following God's star, a special messenger in the sky to direct them. Then they consulted God's Word in Jerusalem, and found that the King was to be born in Bethlehem; so they went to Bethlehem and there found and worshiped the Savior. When you study God's creation with a Bible in your hand, you can't help but see Jesus! He is seen in the vine (John 15), the sun (John 8:12; Mal. 4:2), the stars (Num. 24:17), the lambs (John 1:29), the apple trees and lilies (Song 2:3, 16; 6:3), the seed planted in the ground (John 12:23-24), and the bread on the table (John 6:35). The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ (119:11; Col. 3:16-17). The Word is a light (119:105) and a mirror (James 1:22-25) to help us see ourselves, search our hearts (Heb. 4:12), and recognize and acknowledge our sins. "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20; 7:7-14). "Secret sins" are those we don't even see ourselves. "Sins of ignorance" are ones we don't realize we've committed. The Old Testament law made provision for their forgiveness (Lev. 4; Num. 15:22-29) because the sinners were guilty even though they were ignorant of what they had done (Lev. 5:17). However, the law provided no atonement for “presumptuous sins” (Num. 15:30-36; Deut. 17:12-13). When David committed adultery and arranged to have Uriah murdered (2 Sam. 11-12), he sinned insolently with his eyes wide open and therefore could bring no sacrifice (Ps. 51:16-17). When he confessed his sins, God in His grace forgave him (2 Sam. 12:13), but David paid dearly for his transgressions. Unconfessed sins, even if committed ignorantly, can grow within the heart and begin to rule over us, and this can lead to our committing willful disobedience which is "great transgression” (v. 13). Creation is God's "wordless book," and the Scriptures are God's holy Word to us, but God wants to hear our words as "sacrifices" that please Him (Psalm 141:1-2; Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15). The word translated "acceptable" refers to the priest's examination of the sacrifices to make sure they were without blemish. If the sacrifice wasn't acceptable to the Lord, the worshiper was not accepted by the Lord (Lev. 1:1-9; 22:17-25; Mal. 1:6-8). The words we speak begin with the thoughts in our heart (Matt. 12:33-37), so it's important that we meditate on God's Word and God's works, the first two themes of Psalm 19. If we delight in God's Word, we will naturally meditate on it and give expression of His truth with our lips, and this will help to keep us from sin (Psalm 119:9-16, 23-24, 47-48, 77-78, 97-99). And when the Word reveals our sin, we must confess it (1 John 1:7-9). Because of our sin we need a Redeemer. Jesus is our “Redeemer” (Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Titus 2:14; Heb. 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18), and He became our "kinsman" when He came in sinless human flesh to die for us on the cross. Jesus is both our Rock (“Strength”) and Redeemer (v. 14), for He not only paid the price to set us free, but He also keeps us safe. God bless!

OT events seemingly alluded to in this psalm.55:9 seems to allude to the tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9.55:9-11 The picture of the wickedness of the city is quite a contrast with Psalms. 46 and 48.55:15 "Let them go down alive into Sheol" Numbers 16:30-33NT and Psalm 5555:22 Casting our care upon God is encouraged in I Peter 5:7.55:23 God hurling the wicked to destruction is in Revelation 19:20-21 among other places.  Jesus fulfills Psalm 5555:2, 4 The word used in the main ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament translated "anguish" in vs. 4 is a word that is used to describe the feelings of Jesus in John 12:27; 13:21.55:6-7 Jesus wishes He could flee from HIs burden- Luke 12:49-50.55:12-14, 20-21 Jesus was betrayed by one who was close to Him- Psalm 41:9; John 13:18

Not long ago we moved to a new home just a short distance from our old one. Despite the close proximity, we still needed to load all of our belongings onto a moving truck because of the timing of the financial transactions. Between the sale and purchase, our furnishings stayed on the truck and our family found temporary lodging. During that time, I was surprised to discover how “at home” I felt despite the displacement from our physical home—simply because I was with those I love most: my family. For part of his life, David lacked a physical home. He lived life on the run from King Saul. As God’s appointed successor to the throne, Saul perceived David as a threat and sought to kill him. David fled his home and slept wherever he found shelter. Though he had companions with him, David’s most earnest desire was to “dwell in the house of the Lord”—to enjoy permanent fellowship with Him (Psalm 27:4). Jesus is our constant companion, our sense of “home” no matter where we are. He’s with us in our present troubles and even prepares a place for us to live with Him forever (John 14:3). Despite the uncertainty and change we might experience as citizens of this earth, we can dwell permanently in our fellowship with Him every day and everywhere.