May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

After singing about many aspects of his walk with the Lord such as the law of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the fear of the Lord etc, King David ends his song with a little prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight..."

Following is an extract from Barnes Notes on the Bible commentary which helps us understand it better:

Let the words of my mouth - The words that I speak; all the words that I speak. And the meditation of my heart - The thoughts of my heart. Be acceptable in thy sight - Be such as thou wilt approve; or, be such as will be pleasing to thee; such as will give thee delight or satisfaction; such as will be agreeable to thee. This supposes:

(a) that God has such control over our thoughts and words, that he can cause us to order them aright;
(b) that it is proper to pray to him to exert such an influence on our minds that our words and thoughts may be right and pure;
(c) that it is one of the sincere desires and wishes of true piety that the thoughts and words may be acceptable or pleasing to God.

Though a simple prayer, it has such deep meaning in it. It would be a great idea to add it to our prayers everyday too; what do you say?

"How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord." Psalm 116:12,13

"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure." (Psalm: 16:5)

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."

King David asks a very interesting question that often crosses our mind - how will he ever repay the Lord - and he also has an interesting answer - that he will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I visualize it as King David giving a toast (with his drink/cup) in honor of the Lord. 

"Cup" could very well mean our hearts here or it could be the different roles we play. He fills it with His grace to the point it overflows...

So, let's get back to the question which is the focus of our discussion for today: How can we repay the Lord for all His goodness? How about give Him a toast? Tell Him what it means to you to be His child. Tell Him how much you love Him. Thank Him for His many blessings. Shall we?

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

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.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. Deuteronomy 32:35

Tit for tat is how we like it sometimes. If someone doesn't invite us for some get together, we remember to "forget" them when we play host. When someone doesn't pick up our calls, we don't either. Agree, this is in the simplest form, but what I mean to say is, avenging or repaying is in our blood, even if in it's minuscule form. One might argue it is only natural.

But let us ask ourselves: Is it not the "natural sin" the blood of Jesus Christ has delivered us from? If we behave the same way like everyone else, what difference we make as believers?

We are done wrong, I do not deny that. But let's move past that not letting anyone or anything take up space in our minds making us dwell on thoughts of how to avenge or repay them back.

The Scriptures promise us time and time again that it is the Lord's to avenge. But sometimes it may seem to take forever for Him to do anything on our behalf. That's when King David cried out in Psalm 94:1, "O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth."

Sometimes it may appear we are given an easy opportunity to pay back in vengeance. Let us be careful not to fall into that tempting trap. Remember King Saul was right there for King David to avenge, but he had clearly made up his mind against that. He said in 1 Samuel 26:10-11 "...the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed..."

Here are few more verses to remind us in those lines:

* Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath. Romans 12:19
* Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18

"Give thanks to Him... Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever" Psalm: 136:23

I am sure we all have experienced lows in our lives sometime or other. It could have been a health condition or unhappiness or joblessness or something else that we can all relate to.

Those were the days when help wasn't near; we were not sure whom to run to, what to do, how to manage. Faith was being tested to a great extent. Friends were rare and we were at the lowest of our lows.

But God remembered us! Our faith was restored & our joy renewed.

Now, let us go back in time to see how God remembered us in our low estate - just scanning it all in our minds - and thank Him for that. Let's share our testimonies of how God led us through certain hardship with our friends, family and especially our children. Let us also be kind to those who might be in dire situations like we once were and help the best way we can...

For some of us, may be these are the lowly days... Our Lord remembers you as we speak - He has not forgotten you! What more proof we need than looking back this past nine months and see how His grace has been sufficient for us?!

Let us remember to thank the Lord who remember(ed) us in our low estate!

* The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
* The heavens proclaim his righteousness Psalm 50:6
* The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too Psalm 89:5
* When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3,4

I am a sky gazer. I love looking at the skies. Looks like King David did too. He has beautiful reflections on God Almighty looking at the skies.

If you don't normally care for the skies, please take a moment to gaze it next time you are out. You too will be able to reflect on the Creator.

We will become so insignificant in the vast expanse of the skies. The more insignificant we get, the more significant He gets! It is an awesome experience folks; care to try?!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Psalm 119:116

It is not just us who get weary when the blessing we hope for is delayed. Every one can relate to it. Let us therefore learn from some examples from the Scriptures on godly men on how they handled the stress associated with delayed hope.

King David reverts to prayer and supplication. There are numerous accounts of him praying and pleading thru' his psalms. He was certain his help would come from the Lord. He sings: Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

Prophet Jeremiah learnt to wait for Him; he writes in Lamentations 3:21-24: My soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Then there is the renewed hope when the wait is finally over and when we receive His blessings. In Ezekiel 37:11 we read: They (People of Israel) say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’

The Lord says in verse 37:13-14 "Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord."

So what do we need to do?
1. Pray
2. Be sure the Lord alone can help
3. Wait for the Lord
4. Receive your blessing

Is that hard?

On the coffee table today, let's read a passage from the Bible together: 2 Samuel 6:12-23

As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. 2 Samuel 6:16

Our focus today is the highlighted text. Does it sound familiar? How often do we despise our spouses - first in our hearts - and then by our words - and next by our actions?!

Let us be aware that this is the reason for our lack of blessings.(refer to verse 23)

Let us sincerely respect our spouses. Let us use our words carefully while discussing with them about things we don't agree with. Every thought or word or action we do by despising our spouse is recorded against us - true for both guys and girls.

While at it, here are few more things the Scriptures teach us NOT to despise:

* Do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Proverbs 6:13
* Do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke. Proverbs 3:11
* Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17
* Do not despise your mother when she is old. Proverbs 23:22
* Do not despise one of these little ones (children) Matthew 18:10
* Do not despise prophecies I Thessalonians 5:20

Good to know; right?

Happy Friday!

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:11-20

 So, what we need to do? There is no long list like you would imagine.  It all boils down to a single command we must follow and a single thing we must avoid at all cost.

We must:  Love the Lord our God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws.

We must not: Be drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them.

As simple as that. Is it hard to choose?

* The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit Proverbs 18:21
* For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned Mathew 12:37
* When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19
* The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  James 3:6
* This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

When we are frustrated with certain situation how do we handle it? Do we tame our tongue and turn to God who is able to solve the issues or turn to offensive slangs, letting off steam, taking matters in to our own hands?

When a friend talks to us ill of his/her boss, spouse or co worker, what is our response? Are we nodding in agreement, adding fuel to the fire, thus not taming our tongue or are we setting an example by responding wisely offering to pray over the situation thus ending such conversation?

Do we backbite? Do we rather praise men than God? Do our words hurt instead of heal? What is the fruit of your tongue? Is it life or death?

Shall we choose life today?

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14(NIV)

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (KJV)

Barne's Notes on the Bible has the following explanation:

Follow peace with all men - Do not give indulgence to those passions which lead to litigations, strifes, wars. This is the temper of the gospel. We are to make war with sin, but not with people; with bad passions and corrupt desires, but not with our fellow-worms.

And holiness - Instead of yielding to contending passions and to a spirit of war; instead of seeking revenge on your persecutors and foes, make it rather your aim to be holy. Let that be the object of your pursuit; the great purpose of your life. Men might in such cases counsel them to seek revenge; the spirit of religion would counsel them to strive to be holy.

What is the difference between us and non-believers if we take offense in every single remark or wrong doing,  arguing our case? Can't we just dust off the comment and move forward forgiving them in Jesus' name? It doesn't seem alright; they truly deserve to hear what we got to say - right? Wrong!

Let us make every effort to live in peace as today's Scripture teaches us. Let us make a difference from the rest of the crowd out there!

"You, Israel, my servant,
I took you from the ends of the earth,

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Proverbs 3:7-9

Agur (the author of  Proverbs 3rd chapter) wisely prayed for a middle state, that he might be kept at a  distance from temptations. He asked daily bread suited to his station, his family, and his real good. There is a remarkable similarity between this prayer and several clauses of the Lord's prayer such as 'Give us this day our daily bread, lead us not into temptations' etc.

If we are removed from vanity and lies; if we are interested in the pardoning love of Christ, and have him for our portion; if we walk with God, then we shall have all we can ask or think, as to spiritual things.

When we consider how those who have abundance are prone to abuse the gift, and what it is to suffer want, Agur's prayer will ever be found a wise one, though seldom offered.

Food convenient; what is so for one, may not be so for another; but we may be sure that our heavenly Father will supply all our need, and not suffer us to want anything good for us; and why should we wish for more? (Excerpt from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary) 

Why not make it our prayer too this morning?

Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7

The last but not the least, in the Fruits of the Spirits is Self Control. What really is self control? It is the control of one's emotions, desires, or actions by one's own will or in other words, the ability to exercise restraint or control over one's feelings, emotions, reactions, etc.

Why is it important for us believers to practice self control? Mainly because it is one way we can set apart ourselves from the world. We can not consider it fun what the world calls as fun. We have to exercise the fear of the Lord along with our merriment.

King Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 11:9, "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment."

King David instructs in Psalm 2:11, "Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling."

These wise kings don't say it for no reason. They have practiced it in their lives. Let us also make it our priority to develop self control. God bless you all!

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41

There are two babies we read about in Luke Chapter 1, baby John and baby Jesus. Both babies were special. Both were foretold decades ago. One to set the path straight and make the way for the Other. One to set the path straight and make the way for the rest of the world!

No wonder baby John leaped upon sensing the presence of baby Jesus! Both were anointed by the Holy Spirit, even from their conception.

You must read John Chapter 1 to fully understand how John testifies Jesus time and time again. He says in verse 15 “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” in verse 20: John confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”

When the priest's people insisted John to tell who he really was, he said:  “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.”

When John saw Jesus, right away he knew He was the Lamb of God who is to be slain to take away the sins of the world.

John baptized Jesus with water in the river Jordan. The Holy Spirit in the form of Dove rested on Jesus which was the confirmation message for John that Jesus was indeed the Lamb of God!

John lived and died preaching about repentance, making the way straight for the Lord. Jesus on the other hand died and lives and continues to make our paths straight. Amen!

If there is anyone here who has not found this Light, not washed by the Blood of this Lamb, I pray that you experience His Love and be redeemed!

And those of us who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, let us testify of Him making the way straight for salvation of the rest of the world! Amen!

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The message is very clear; this is especially true for marriage decisions. Those who are at the cross roads, take heed to the Word of God!

God bless you.

"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert" Isaiah 25:4

If you have time today please read Isaiah 25th chapter. It is a praise and worship song by prophet Isaiah, no wonder it sounds like a chapter from the Psalms. If your native tongue is different from English, I strongly encourage you to read and grasp the full meaning of today's verse in your language. You will appreciate the in depth meaning of the passage.

When the ruthless attack us with their storming words and heated arguments, it is the Lord who gives us shelter against them. He is the refuge for us in our distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

On the other hand, intentionally or unintentionally when we become ruthless to the poor, using unkind words against the needy, showing fierce anger against the less fortunate, causing them distress, or "storm", then they will look upon the Lord who shelters them.

As much as we don't want to be treated by the ruthless, let us not become ruthless also. Even very "good" Christians get carried away by race, status, ethnicity and the such,  looking down upon people of different backgrounds. Let us remember always that when we mock a poor we mock his Maker who is God Almighty.

Let us examine our self if over the years we have become ruthless somehow. How do we treat our spouse and children? Can our children see us as a role model that they can follow? If you have the slightest doubt now is the time to repent and be free.

Good day folks!

The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." Haggai 2:9

Some of us are still looking back to our former house, our former jobs, our former positions, etc missing out on the current blessings God has in store for us. If I hadn't sold that house, if I hadn't left that job, if I had stayed in that town, if I had accepted that offer, etc etc.

Today's verse comes as a reminder that whatever God has blessed us with in the current times is definitely better than what we had before. Wherever we are at, our god will grant us peace. Let us be thankful for what we have right now rather than worrying over the past bad decisions and the such.

In Isaiah 43: 18-19 the Lord declares, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland..."

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Indeed the new has come! Let us cherish it with a grateful heart.

* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:2
* Rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters... Deuteronomy 12:12

It is a beautiful new day, a brand new week! As we get ready to go worship the Lord in the congregation of fellow believers, let us remember these verses and the emphasis today is on gladness.

In Isaiah 35:10 we read, "...the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." 

Aren't we the "ransomed of the Lord"? Are we glad this morning? In spite of everything going on in our lives, we are still breathing - which alone is enough to be singing joyful songs at His presence.

For the rest of the day let us cast away our cares and go before Him with joyful singing... shall we?

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. I Peter 5:6-7

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

The reward of a gentle spirit and the fear of the Lord is wealth and honour and life. In Proverbs 15:33 we read, The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Now, the question is How to develop this fear of the Lord? The answer is given in Proverbs 2:1-5:

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."

Throughout the Scriptures we read of several people designating stones as monuments for remembering the deliverance or encountering of God in that place.

If you recall Jacob had set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him and called it Bethel (Genesis 35:14,15) and Joshua had set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. (Joshua 4:9). King David confessed several times that the Lord was his rock of salvation (Psalm 18:2).

Here Prophet Samuel sets up a monument to remember the return of the Ark of the Lord and names it Ebenezer which means "Thus far the Lord has helped us".

Now the question is, do you have such a monument that reminds you constantly of God's deliverance from certain situation? If you think about it there are easy reminders in our lives such as birthdays, anniversaries, years of experience, number of children, we can go on and on and on.

If these are not enough reminders and/or if we would somehow forget what the Lord has done thus far, we might as well put up some monument as reminders.

If we remember already, let us praise the Lord for helping us thus far!

* It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
* Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3
* Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Isaiah 2:22
* Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Isaiah 36:6
* Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.Isaiah 20:5
* This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Jeremiah 17:5

I am sure you noticed how the verses got stronger and stronger as we read through the list above. It starts as a suggestion, becomes a command and ends in a warning.

This is a good reason to analyze our selves if we trust in any men. How about our bosses? Husbands? Neighbors? Parents? Or even your own hands? Are we clinging on to mere men or our ability as our "source" forgetting that the ultimate Source is the Lord God Almighty? This can't be.

Today's take away is from Isaiah 26:4 which once again re insists the importance of trusting in the Lord: Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Shall we?

"I'll restore your health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD Jeremiah: 30:17

Some of us have been hurt; financially, physically or even spiritually we have been wounded - which has impacted our health, joy and peace of mind.

In Jeremiah 3:22 we read, He will cure us of backsliding - which means that backsliding is also a wound.

The word of God today assures us that He will restore our health and heal our wounds. Amen!

Yet another scripture goes like this: I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. (Jeremiah 33:6)

Jeremiah prays, "Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." (Jeremiah 17:14).

Let us also ask for healing this morning. Healing from stress, healing from backsliding, healing from financial insecurities, healing from ailments, healing from fear, and anything and everything you want to be healed of.

Our living, loving Father God affirms that He will restore our health and heal our wounds. Amen!

“Purify my heart, let me be as gold, pure gold”.

How often we have sung this song! I wonder if any of us really understand the process involved. To purify gold, it must go through different levels of purification, each time the temperature of the furnace is increased, until all the impurities come floating up leaving the pure gold below.

That is exactly how our hearts are purified, in the furnace of our affliction, trials and hardships. Maybe, today what you are going through is part of that process.

Hold on, child of God, when this is over you will come forth fine as gold.

 Proverbs 17:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Psalm 34:13

I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked." Psalm 39:1

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. Proverbs 13:3

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Psalm 21:23

I am guilty of talking and talking too much at times, which only results in sin (Proverbs 10:9). For today and for a week I am going to pray and concisely control my tongue.

Would you like to join me? Or if you have already mastered the art, could you please share some tips?

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.

They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.

~ Psalm 24: 3-6

Continue to work out your salvation... Philippians 2:12

In order to understand this verse first we need to fully understand what is salvation. Thinkexist.com has a beautiful explanation which goes, "The redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him of everlasting happiness.

We as believers have experienced this salvation - the assurance that all our sins have been washed by His blood and that we are forever His. How do we continue to work out our salvation? Now that's the question.

We have the answer given to us in the following verses: Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe... Philippians 2:14,15

Amen! Let us do everything without complaining or arguing. We need to take an effort to continue to work out the salvation which we have received so gracefully. Shall we?

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

Sometimes we get a revelation from the Lord through a word or song or a message. But it may not immediately come true.

If that is your case, the Bible says, "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19

Amen!

Hang in there; His promises are Yeah and Amen!

Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Many of us wonder how we can find out the will of God in our lives. Today's Scripture gives us the answer for that.

If we do not conform to this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our mind, then we will know what is the perfect will of God for us. Isn't that simple? I believe it is smart, holding us responsible for knowing the will of God! Instead of saying, ask your pastor or check with your parents to find out what God's will for your life is, the Scripture clearly says it is within our capacity to know His will!

That arises further questions: What does it mean to conform to the world? How not to conform to the world? How to be transformed by the renewing of our mind?

In the Gospel of Mark when we read about the parable of the sower, chapter 4 verse 19 says, "...the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." 

This is conforming to the world. This is what the ungodly do - they worry for this life, they deceive for wealth and they desire worldly things. But not so are the godly. We need to live a life without conforming to the world.

Ephesians 4:17-32 explains how we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds:

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5

Let's take a tally of our love for our Lord. How is it going? If the answer is 'strong and steady' well and good. But if we are not too sure, it is time to refocus our attention on our Lord. God's love is always constant, you can't do anything better to increase it nor anything worse to decrease it. It remains the same. It is our love that wavers from time to time.

We are head over heels in love with Him one week, and down in the valley the next. Our focus shifts from God to job to men to things to self and before we know it, we are consumed by everything else other than God. As in any relationship, when we do not spend time together getting to know each other we will only grow apart.

If we love our Lord with all our heart, soul and strength, it is practically impossible to not spend time with Him. On the flip side, if we don't spend enough time with our Lord, it is practically impossible to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.

So, how is yours going & how are you showing?!