do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

"Be still and know that I am Lord" Psalm 46:10

The question is How to be still?

A well known verse from the Bible, yet one we all struggle with. When situation calls for a panic we start running wild, trying to figure out a solution for the issue at hand, instead of submitting it at the Lord's feet and doing things in accordance with His divine guidance.

Only when all our "resolutions" fail we come to the Lord - as our last resort. All the while He was there saying, "Be Still"!

Only when we are still we can know that He is Lord

For example when a child gets hurt with a thorn of some kind, we as parent or even a doctor can't help much unless the child calms down and allows the adult to intervene. In the same way, our Father Lord asks us to be still; so that He can intervene and take care of our pain and suffering. Why is it hard for us to do?

Let us make it part of our prayer going forward: "Dear Lord, Please teach us to be still so that we can see your glory. In Jesus' name - Amen"

trust in him and he will do this:

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:5-6

Amen! What a great promise for us this morning. In fact, I believe this is a direct message for me as much as for the rest of you around the coffee table.

The world around us is tough. It speaks foul language. It hates the godly. It ridicules the righteous and deny justice to their cause. On the other hand, it supports the ungodly, goes hand in hand with the foul mouthed and loves their ways. It is difficult to survive such a world on a daily basis - almost impossible on our own!

That's when promises like these encourage our spirits and speaks directly to our souls. It is an assurance that the Lord support our righteous cause; and bring us justice like the bight sun. Just as bright and powerful the sun is at noon, everyone will see us shine through!

However, it all starts with a commitment on our side - to commit to His ways and trust in Him. Which then brings us to our today's discussion: How to commit our ways to the Lord?

When Moses summoned all Israelites and gave them the ten commandments from the Lord, he had given an important instruction which holds true for us even to this day:

Be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Deuteronomy 5:32

King Solomon shares a wise word: Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3.

He repeats in Proverbs 3:6, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Yet again He says, in Proverbs 4:27, Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

The Bible is full of instructions on how we can continually commit our ways to the Lord. We only need to read it and apply it in our lives - with a conscious effort.

Then the Lord will bring forth our justice as bright as the noonday sun and our righteousness will shine like the dawn!.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

We all wish our desires or dreams would come true, don't we? Well, the Bible assures us of a sure fire way of getting our wishes granted; which is to delight ourselves in the Lord!

Let us discuss How to delight in the Lord?

To delight in the Lord means to delight in the things of the Lord. We will look at Scripture examples of things that we can delight in that are of the Lord.:

* If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 58:13-14

* I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:174

* Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

* He will delight in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:3

* Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. Psalm 112:1

* I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness... Isaiah 61:10

* My soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.
Psalm 35:9

Enough said I believe. The Scripture clearly tells us how all we can delight in the Lord. When we do as it says, all the desires of our heart will be granted!

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Now that we know the secrets for our wishes to be granted, why not give it a try?!

Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Psalm 37:3

We are meditating on the same Scripture portion for the last few days, Psalm 37:3-8, focusing on specific instructions each day. Today's discussion is: How to dwell in the land?

 In verse 27 of the same Psalm we have the answer; it says: "Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever."

Apostle John insists in his letter to Gaius, "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John 1:11

For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it. Proverbs 2:21

"Because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, your habitation; There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come nigh your dwelling. "  Psalms 91:9-10

King David sings, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

Can we sing the same song? If we turn from evil and do good, then we will dwell in the land forever and of course, sing the same song!

Trust in the Lord and do good. Psalm 37:3

"Trust in the Lord!" is a common phrase we have often heard in sermons, Scriptures and from family and friends. Sure enough it is vital for our Christian walk. The question is: How to trust in the Lord?

Looking up the word 'trust' in the dictionary we see:

trust/trəst/

So, to trust in the Lord actually means to firmly believe in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of the Lord! The key is "firmly believe".

The more we know about someone the more we can develop a trust in him/her; developing trust in the Lord is no different from that. We need to spend more time with the Lord, learning more about Him.

The best way to learn how is from examples; what better examples than the great men of faith who have often professed about their trust in the Lord. Let's see a few examples below:

* Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4
* Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Psalm 4:5
* Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
* He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3
* Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4
* "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7

Kings and Prophets don't just use empty words. Each words uttered by them are of great value and given utmost importance.

If such mighty men confess they firmly believe in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of the Lord, than their mighty chariots or fast running horses or their great wealth or fame or any of the obvious things, how much more we ordinary folks need to trust in the Lord?!

Trust in the Lord and do good;

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

trust in him and he will do this:

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

do not fret—it leads only to evil.  Psalm 37:3-8

Today's Scripture portion is loaded with instructions, for many aspects of life. Each verse is crisp and clear delivering direct message from the Lord! It may be worth spending a few days to discuss each one in detail.

Please stay tuned for the rest of the week as we discuss the following in detail:

1. How to trust in the Lord?
2. How to dwell in the land?
3. How to delight in the Lord?
4. How to commit our ways to the Lord?
5. How to be still?
6. How to refrain from anger?

Have a blessed day! God bless you all!

Even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12

Amen! What a beautiful promise from the Lord for us this morning! I am so glad for all of you who didn't miss it over the weekend. May this very promise come true in each one of our lives.

In Isaiah we read, "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs." Isaiah 61:7

Amen! Such powerful promises we have heard this morning over the coffee table. Let us pause, take a moment to let it sink in! Let us proclaim the promise by our mouth; please repeat this after me:

"Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance; and so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine."

One more time:

"Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance; and so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine."

Amen! It will be so!

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

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans: 13:12-14

Don't we always think about how to gratify ourselves? I mean don't we always look to satisfy the desires of our heart? Looks like that is bad. Certain sins are so subtle that we may not even consider it a sin. We may term it as 'habit' or 'that's just me' or whatever, but not sin. This is where learning and meditating the Word of God can help us improve.

I would like to share an extract from Barnes notes on the Bible on this:

The gratification of the flesh was the main object among the Romans. Living in luxury and licentiousness, they made it their great object of study to multiply and prolong the means of licentious indulgence. In respect to this, Christians were to be a separate people, and to show that they were influenced by a higher and purer desire than this grovelling propensity to minister to sensual gratification. It is right, it is a Christian duty, to labor to make provision for all the real needs of life. But the real wants are few; and with a heart disposed to be pure and temperate, the necessary wants of life are easily satisfied; and the mind may be devoted to higher and purer purposes. 

Many apostles have written about why we should not gratify the desires of our sinful nature; here's to quote a few:

* Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. I Peter 2:11
* For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. I John 2:16
* So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Galatians 5:16

God bless you and have a godly Tuesday!

"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." Joel 2:23

Joel 2nd chapter is a beautiful chapter and filled with beautiful promises. Please read it if you have a minute today.

I want to leave you with just the verse today:

"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." 

Have a blessed day!

“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.’
~Matthew 6:5-14

Amen!

Is this our daily prayer?

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

If you have the time today please click here to read from verses 25 thru 35.

It makes perfect sense; does it not? Yet, we run after the wordly things first - putting aside "seeking His kingdom and His righteousness" as the very last item in our day's agenda as if to say, "if we get to it well and good; if not we can skip it, no big deal".

Then we worry why we can't make the ends meet or whatever happened to our joy and toss and turn through sleepless nights, worrying more and more about how to make things work - still forgetting to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

When all else fail we get back to our senses and come back to Him. But by then our need is so great we can't really seek after His kingdom but only beg and plead for our rescue. That's why our prayers are always like, "give me, give me, give me" rather than "thank you! thank you! thank you!"

Now, let me challenge you all - for the next couple of days, as soon as you wake up, before you even do anything I want you to sit at His feet - seeking His face, His kingdom and His righteousness. When you have raised up enough thank you's remember your needs, submit it at His feet and go about your day's business. Do this for a week and let me know if indeed the promise worked in your life or not...

Enjoy the Friday!

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Apostle Paul was zealous in all he did. As a persecutor, he had a zeal to eradicate the followers of Jesus Christ. When he met the Lord though, he became zealous for spreading the Gospel.

As Saul he was ready to kill; as Paul, he was ready and willing to die.

His strong passion for the Lord Jesus Christ is keenly evident in his statement above. He persuades the reader (in this case, the Church in Rome) that nothing can ever separate him from the love of God. He turned out to be the greatest evangelist ever.

In fact, Paul's earnest enthusiasm in spreading the gospel of Christ has made his name revered wherever the Christian religion is known.  His writings make up much of the New Testament of the Bible.

But none of the fame or suffering stood between him and the Lord. Paul held true to his statement through many persecutions he suffered, even to his very death.

He writes in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

The question remains: Are we zealous for the Lord? Can we make a similar statement about our love of God?

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

"Be still and know that I am Lord" Psalm 46:10

The question is How to be still?

A well known verse from the Bible, yet one we all struggle with. When situation calls for us to apply the Scripture, we panic, tart running wild, trying to figure out a solution for the issue at hand, instead of submitting it at the Lord's feet and doing things in accordance with His divine guidance.

Only when all our "solutions" fail we come to the Lord - as our last resort. All the while He was there saying, "Be Still"!

Only when we are still we can know that He is Lord

For example when a child gets hurt with a thorn of some kind, we as parent or even a doctor can't help much unless the child calms down and allows the adult to intervene. In the same way, our Father Lord asks us to be still; so that He can intervene and take care of our pain and suffering. Why is it hard for us to do?

Let us make it part of our prayer going forward: "Dear Lord, Please teach us to be still so that we can see your glory. In Jesus' name - Amen"

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Yesterday we discussed that we must wait on the Lord before decision making. Today's discussion is on How do we know when the wait is over?

It is a good question, but the wrong motive. It clearly shows how impatient we are already.

Having said that, the answer to the question is that the wait is never over, until the coming of the Lord!!

"Wait a minute, that can't be? We need to make decisions as part of our daily lives and we can't wait forever until eternity", you say. I agree.

For day to day life, we wait for assurance from the Lord; making sure we have taken the matter to God in prayer and petition, get a complete peace of mind, sometimes an assurance with a Scripture portion (Word of God), mostly a calm attitude resulting from being led by the Holy Spirit. That's how we know we have the answer from the Lord for the matters at hand.

However, our wait on the Lord is never really over. Each day, each minute we ought to be waiting and depending on the Lord knowing clearly each moment is His precious gift to us and we make it through each day only by His mercy and grace.

I know the answer is disappointing, but that is what the Scripture tells us:

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! James 5:7-9

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-16

They that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

'Waiting on the Lord' is a frequently mentioned term among christians. But what really does Waiting on the Lord mean?

Looking up the thesaurus for 'wait' we have the following:

Definition: pause, rest

Synonyms: abide, anticipate, await, bide, bide one's time, cool it, dally, delay, expect, fill time, foresee, hang around, hang onto, hang out, hold back, hold everything, hold on, lie in wait, lie low, linger, look for, look forward to, mark time, put on hold, remain, save it, sit tight, sit up for, stall, stand by, stay, stay up for, stick around, sweat it, tarry, watch

Antonyms: carry out, do, forge, forward, go, go ahead

So, to say we must wait on the Lord implies we have to abide in the Lord, expect from the Lord, delay our own decision making, linger in His presence, tarry, hold on, look forward to His answer, stand by for His deliverance etc. In addition it also means not to carry out things in our whim or fancy, not to go ahead with our own conclusions, not to move forward without hearing from Him etc.

Wait on the Lord, wait at His presence, bring it to His feet, raise it to His hearing, tarry for a definite answer from Him on all matters concerning. The business idea you have, the marriage proposal at hand, the job offer you like, for all things big and small, pause, consult with the Lord, wait on Him and then do it according to His will. Don't move an inch before you have heard from Him. Do not proceed!

Pause. Pray. Listen. Act.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:4

How do you know when the wait is over? We will discuss that tomorrow; please stay tuned...

"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 was 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 on how God led us through certain hardships, 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 4 months of the "New Year 2018" 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!

Have a memorable Saturday!

"I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD. Zephaniah 3:20

The problem with us believers is that we are sometimes hesitant to claim certain promises as our own. Some even dismiss it as from the past, for certain people, at specific times, within certain context, etc.

True, all Scriptures were written in some context, however these are 'living and enduring word of God' (I Peter 1:23) making it true for all generations.

Here's further explanation on that by Apostle Paul: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20

As the children of God, born of Christ, washed by His blood, these promises are ours to claim as our own! What a privilege!

Why then is it hard to believe that He will restore our fortune and give us honor and praise among the peoples of the earth? Let's shake off any doubt and claim it as our own; shall we?

In any specific area in our lives that feels like a failure, let us claim this promise and pray that He restores our fortune.

Happy Friday folks!

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Don't know about you but I can blindly believe this verse without asking for any proof. I love the concept of our God holding our right hand. Clearly it shows how protective He is of us.

Let us repeat the verse, slightly altered: For you are the Lord, my God, who takes hold of my right hand and says to me not to fear and that you will help me. Amen!

As if to reiterate the statement, in the very next verse He says: Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 41:14

To sum it all up: Do not fear about anything. Just as He has promised He will help you! He Himself will help you!! Remember He is holding your right hand... Praise the Lord!

Have a blessed Thursday!

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Today's Scripture is the chief commandment in the Law of the Lord. How many of us can assure that we follow it just as it says.

Do we love the Lord, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, with a superlative love, above everyone else, with the whole of our hearts, with a fervency of our spirits, with such sincerity of our souls, with every little strength we have?

Well then; you rock!

But for those who are not so sure, let us take a pause.

If God is not your first love, who else is? If it is not possible for you to devote your heart, mind and soul to God, who/what has hold of your being? What prevents you from getting closer to God?

Is there anything you can do about it this year? This month? Today?

Is there some way you can show Him that you do love Him above all else?

Can we help in anyway we can? Please share...

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.

When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.

Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.

But you will not leave in haste
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

~ Isaiah 52:7-12

* LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6

* I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:24


A portion or a share is a part of the whole, an allotment, if you will, mostly referred to as an inheritance. It could be a portion of the booty or plunder that one had the right to, or the portion of land that belonged to one in the division of an estate.

So, to say that the Lord is our portion means that we will trust in the Lord for our portion, for our inheritance, for our lot, for our part, for our rightful allotment.

It also means that whatever we enjoy at current times, all the little blessings, are given us by the Lord as our portion and secured lot! The joy in our heart, the peace of our mind, the confidence in our Lord are all part of His grace we enjoy.

His mercies are new every morning. Let us praise Him with a grateful heart for securing our lot and for being our portion. Amen!

* Love one another. As I have loved you. John 13:34
* Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other Ephesians 4:32
* Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Colossians 3:13
* Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Romans 12:10
* Encourage one another and build each other up. I Thessalonians 5:11
* Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

The Scripture calls for it repeatedly (as we see in the above verses) to be right in our relationships with one another. Doing so however is really tough. Relationships are complicated; no denying that.

May be when we were children it was possible for us to love all unconditionally. But over the years as we get older, day by day there is a subtle change in us; keeping us away from friends/family members/in-laws/neighbors/church members/strangers who are not in tune with us.

We make every effort to stay clear of further bonding. We drift aloof and indifferent from their company, which of course we can justify from every possible angle. But the question is: Are we okay in our relationship with God then?

We would like to answer a beaming "YES!" But won't we be fooling ourselves if we did?! In the coming days over the coffee table let us wait to hear from the Lord to lead us in the paths of righteousness.

Let us look forward to rebuilding our relationships with one another, in Christ. Stay tuned. God bless you all!

Here's wishing all a joyous Saturday!

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. I Chronicles 16:8

Giving thanks - okay we can understand; but what does it have to do with 'making it known among the nations'?

Words have the influence to claim someone for or against a matter. Marketing specialists, can assure you that "word of mouth" is one of the most effective way of marketing technique out there. James chapter 3 goes on and on about the power of the tongue, associating our tongue to the rudder that can steer a huge ship.

In the Gospel of Luke we read of the scene when Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where people put down the palm branches and their cloak for His colt to walk on. The crowd was singing and praising in loud voice of His many miracles and the disciples rebuked them. Jesus's response was, "if they keep quite, the stones will cry out."

That is true for us too. If we keep quite from proclaiming of His wonders, the stones will cry out - putting us to shame.

So, to answer our question, making known among the nations, means to make a bold statement that we acknowledge or support or affiliate with the brand called Jesus! We are not just stopping with a quick thank you, but we will announce, proclaim, make known of what He has done for us among the nations! You are with me on that - right?!

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?

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:32-36

Here's some Scriptures on what Jesus Himself has commanded us to do when it comes to dealing with those we do not approve of. The reasoning behind His expectation is given in verse 36 - because He is kind to the ungrateful (that is us) and the wicked (us including!)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Trust in the Lord and do good. Psalm 37:3

"Trust in the Lord!" is a common phrase we have often heard in sermons, Scriptures and from family and friends. Sure enough it is vital for our Christian walk. The question is: How to trust in the Lord?

Looking up the word 'trust' in the dictionary we see:

trust/trəst/

So, to trust in the Lord actually means to firmly believe in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of the Lord! The key is "firmly believe".

The more we know about someone the more we can develop a trust in him/her; developing trust in the Lord is no different from that. We need to spend more time with the Lord, learning more about Him.

The best way to learn how is from examples we read about in the Scriptures. Let's see a few examples below:

* Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4
* Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Psalm 4:5
* Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
* He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3
* Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4
* "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7

Kings and prophets don't just use empty words. Each words uttered by them are of great value and given utmost importance.

If such mighty men confess they firmly believe in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of the Lord, than their mighty chariots or fast running horses or their great wealth or fame or any of the obvious things, how much more we ordinary folks need to trust in the Lord?!

As we start a new month today, let us focus our attention to trusting in the Lord...

Have a blessed May 2018 folks!