Matthew 5:13
Author: Melissa Lynne
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/12/2018
Daily Scripture
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. ~ Matthew 5:9
Study
Peace – non-warring condition; a state of mutual harmony; freedom from civil commotion and violence; freedom from dissension; freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession; a state of tranquility or serenity; silence; stillness.
Peacemaker – a person, group, or nation that tries to make peace by reconciling parties who disagree, quarrel, or fight.
Reconcile – to cause (a person) to accept or be resigned to something; to win over; cause to become amicable; to settle; to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent; to restore.
The Greek word translated “peacemaker” is used in only one other place in the New Testament, in a slightly different way. Colossians 1:19-20 says, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.”
Jesus laid down His life to make peace between God and sinners, and when we carry that message of peace to others, we are peacemakers. God delights in those who reconcile others to Himself—those who bring the gospel are “beautiful” (Isaiah 52:7). God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Those who bring reconciliation to broken relationships are carrying on the work of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Those who give of themselves as Jesus did in order that others may know God are called “blessed.” There is no real peace apart from a relationship with God. What may masquerade as worldly peace is merely a temporary lull in chaos. True peace is found only in a restored relationship with God. “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked’” (Isaiah 48:22).
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. -Psalm 46:10
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” – Isaiah 26:3
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
Meditation
The children of God can bring the peace of knowing Him to others. A person must have a real and abiding relationship with God before they can help someone else to know Him. Those who witness for Jesus Christ, share their faith with their friends, and serve others in the name of Jesus are the ambassadors for peace. As an ambassador, they bring the message of God’s peace to the world as “peacemakers.” Truly these are the “children of God.”
Prayer
Father God, I come before you this morning and ask You to help me to be one that reconciles others to You. Help me to live in peace through Jesus and to walk intentionally seeking to bring reconciliation to others. Help me to be bold in witnessing and showing love in all ways always. Help me to be at peace and look like peace in this chaotic world, and to do what I am called to do – to help not only bring people to You but to do my part in teaching all nations of You. I ask this in Jesus Name. Amen. I love You so much, Jesus ❤️
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/11/2018
I’ve cried a thousand tears and think I’m done, then one more slips out…
Daily Scripture
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ~ Matthew 5:8
Study
Pure – clean, blameless, unstained from guilt.
The word comes from the Greek word katharos and can refer specifically to that which is purified by fire or pruning.
The only way to be pure at heart is to accept Jesus into your heart and ask Him to do the cleansing work. Those who are truly pure are those who have been declared innocent because of the work of Jesus.
Your heart is something physical, but here it is the spiritual center of your being. It is where thoughts, desires, sense of purpose, will, understanding, and character reside. So, to be pure in heart means to be blameless in who we actually are.
Being pure in heart means having a heart after God. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no guile, no hidden motives. Purity is that quality which seeks to see the best in others. The Bible says: “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Titus 1:15-16) The pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than an external purity of behavior; it is an internal purity of the soul.
Meditation
Not many words, just tears. I am in a place of mourning. A place where I’ve cried a thousand tears and think I’m done, then one more slips out and down my face. I sit up and shape up hoping no one sees and they don’t. But God doesn’t even need the tears to know, He knows the heart. He knows every tear and every source and every destination. He knows because He’s the one that brought me here.
Prayer
Please help me, Lord! Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) In Jesus Name. Amen!!!
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/10/2018
Daily Scripture
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ~ Matthew 5:7
Study
Obtain – get, acquire, or secure (something).
Obtain, was adopted into English in the 15th century, coming to us via Anglo-French from the Latin obtinēre, meaning “to take hold of.” “Obtinēre” was formed by the combination of ob, meaning “in the way,” and the verb tenēre, meaning “to hold.”
Mercy – Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. lenient or compassionate treatment; a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion.
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To be merciful is to show forgiveness and compassion to those in need. Jesus frequently spoke of this trait. In the Lord’s Prayer, He says “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) In Matthew 9:13 Jesus instructs the Pharisees, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus often showed mercy to those He came across. Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 4:1 that his ministry was given to him by God’s mercy. (Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not). He also saw his salvation as an act of God’s mercy: Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Our salvation is called an act of God’s mercy in Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. And as Peter said in 1 Peter 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We too, as God’s children, have received and should reflect His mercy to those that cross our paths. When we are merciful, we look like Jesus and are blessed.
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He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? – Micah 6:8
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. – Proverbs 21:21
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new very morning: great is thy faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23
Meditation
Before I was saved, I could not understand the meanings of grace and mercy, no matter how many times it was explained. Finally, after I was filled with the Spirit, the Holy Ghost taught me and finally…I got it!
- Grace = Receiving something that you DON’T deserve.
- Mercy = NOT receiving something that you DO deserve. (punishment, condemnation, etc.)
- God’s mercy is shown by His withholding of my just punishment.
- As a child of God, I should be a reflection of Him, giving others the same mercy He extends daily to me.
Prayer
Father, I thank You today for Your Word which feeds me, encourages me, and corrects me. I thank You for your mercies and that they are new every morning. I thank You that Your compassions do not fail. EVER. Lord, I come to you today in need of help here. My heart and mind are troubled, and I know that is not You will. So I need to let my heart focus on good things when I am at rest, and I need my mind to line up with Your Word. It is not easy. My world and people around me sometimes give great reason to be frustrated, but I know that is a response to my flesh. I want Your heart for people and the issues they bring. I want Your heart that loves and loves mercy. I want to follow after it and release mercy and blessing to people in every situation. Strengthen my heart today to be merciful in not only my deeds and my words but also in my heart and mind when I am at rest. Thank you, Father, that I have no doubt it is done, and I only need surrender because I know it is Your will that I am merciful and that Your mercy is my first and natural reaction. Help me to surrender…In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/9/2018
There is so much I don’t know, but I know this…when you spend time in the presence of God, you become more aware of your own sin and shortcomings.
Daily Scripture
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ~ Matthew 5:6
Study
Hunger: a strong or compelling desire or craving or need; the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need for food; a feeling of pain, emptiness or weakness induced by lack of food.
Thirst: a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat caused by the need of liquid; to have a strong desire; desire or need to drink; eager longing, craving, or yearning.
Righteousness: the condition of being acceptable to God as made possible by God. God’s standard is what defines true righteousness. His power is what enables it. No amount of man-made effort will result in righteousness.
We pursue righteousness when we pursue the character of Christ and desire holiness more than fleshly indulgence. We avoid the temptation to become self-righteous when we understand that true righteousness begins with humility remembering that Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Meditation
Hungering and thirsting is a powerful illustration. We hunger and thirst not only for food and water but for satisfaction in life. We search in different areas and all kinds of ways to be filled, but worldly ways always fall short. That is because our satisfaction cannot be met in the things of this world. Our satisfaction can only be met by Jesus Christ. He is the only One that can truly fill.
What are you hungering and thirsting after in your life?
Prayer
Father, I thank You today for Your Word that is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. I ask You today to give me hunger and give me thirst for You and Your righteousness. I want to be filled, Lord. Change me, from the inside out in radical ways…I pray! Help me to let go of the wounds that linger. I cast those wounds on You and I surrender the pain, Lord. Thank You for cleaning and covering my wounds with Your precious blood and thanks Jesus for Your healing. I praise and thank You. I love you, Jesus! Now, Father, I ask that You help me focus today on nothing but YOU and living this life in Christ Jesus. Help me to die again today to my own ways and my own thoughts, imaginations, ideas, and plans. If I begin to stumble bring this to my mind and my heart. Thanks for Your hunger and Your thirst that abide in me. May I yield with every breath and You be glorified through it all. I ask this in Jesus precious and holy Name! Amen!!
Quotes I came across along the way:
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ Not only do the followers of Jesus renounce their rights, they renounce their own righteousness too. They get no praise for their achievements or sacrifices. They cannot have righteousness except by hungering and thirsting for it (this applies equally to their own righteousness and to the righteousness of God on Earth), always they look forward to the future righteousness of God, but they cannot establish it for themselves. Those who follow Jesus grow hungry and thirsty on the way.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“To be hungry is not enough; I must be really starving to know what is in His heart towards me. When the prodigal son was hungry he went to feed upon husks, but when he was starving, he turned to his father.” ~ Martin Lloyd Jones
“If this verse is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian. If it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again.” ~ Martin Lloyd Jones
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – 1/8/2018
What Does it Mean to be Meek?
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. ~ Matthew 5:5
So what does it mean?
Definitions of Meek:
- Humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
- Overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.
- Obsolete. Gentle; kind.
I love words and love to know the meanings. I especially like to look up words that I think I already know because quite often I don’t know as much as I thought. This was the case for the word, “meek.” Now, when I saw all of the definitions, I was initially put off by it. Why would I strive to be spiritless or obsolete (no longer in use; fallen into disuse; to be discarded). But then I looked up the definition of docile and there it was… “teachable” and “yielding!”
I do want to be a yielded and teachable person. But then why would I want to be spiritless? Immediately I thought of –
Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
and the following –
Mark 8:35 – For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
In 1 Corinthians 15:31 Paul said, “I die daily ” and he said in Philippians 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Prayer: Help me today, Lord to be truly meek. Meek as You would define meekness. Help me to keep my eyes focused only on You. Help me to take my eyes off others unless you direct my gaze there. Help me to concentrate only You and encourage myself in You and not what others do or don’t do, plan or don’t plan, say or don’t say, think or don’t think. Help me to seek meekness because it is pleasing to you and not because of the inheritance. Help me to have clean hands and a pure heart. A pure heart…You know my heart better than even I do Lord and I ask you to show me the areas that I have not crucified and then help me to yield to all your plans starting with this death…daily, hourly, or minute by minute. Help me to be meek, Lord. I ask this in Jesus Name. Amen!!!
The Four Dreams Of December
I have been praying that God would give me dreams again like He gave when I first entered the prayer ministry. I had so many dreams and visions back then. Well I asked and He gave me not one but four last month. So interesting to look at them as a whole and see what God is saying. Also, that three of them involved one particular young adult woman.
12/11/2017 – We were in church and there was a newborn baby…a little girl in pink. I was walking across the sanctuary and she stood to her feet, grabbed my hand, and started walking alongside me. Everyone was looking and applauding. I was intrigued by it but I felt very disturbed. Not because she stood and grabbed my hand and walked so much but because as far as I knew newborn babies were just not supposed to walk immediately and I wondered if it was bad for her development to skip so many stages of development.
Dream of 12/26. I was brought before a board of three people of different ages. I knew two of them (a man in his 30s and a girl in her 20s and the third was older and unknown to me though I felt I had heard of her). At their request, I brought to the meeting this big book containing all of my writing and the journal of my thoughts, ideas, and dreams. The man sitting across from me reached over gently and took the book. He said I must take this away and you must leave immediately. I asked why…? And he said there is a spirit that has attached itself to you and seeks to steal what is written here. He said it steals by weaving words of doubt and bitterness and fear amongst your dreams and ideas. So until you are free nothing in this book is safe. The other two shook their heads in agreement and I walked out of the room….leaving it all behind for safe keeping. I woke up and was very troubled and fell on my knees crying out to God for deliverance from this spirit. It was a spirit of negativity.
Two dreams 12/30/2017…in one i was on a train with my church family and I was sitting next to a young adult girl from my church. We all fell asleep because it was a long journey. When we reached our destination the train conductor woke us up and told us to disembark (they use that wording on cruises). When I tried I could not get off because my new white tennis shoes were gone. Were they stolen? Not sure, but the ground outside was so jagged that I couldn’t step foot off without shoes. The train conductor led me to a pit of old shoes but I couldn’t find any my size and my new white ones were not there. He directed me to stay on the train and I returned to my seat.
2nd one I went to a concert in the middle of a poor neighborhood. Everyone there was dressed in black. As we drove to park our car, I thought i have black on too but I knew I would not blend in with this crowd. I knew I would Blend better with the poor neighbors. We went to park and one of the young adult girls from my church was the parking attendant. She showed me where to park. I said the rules I was sent say I should go to the space ahead of me. She said no you have to park here so you can depart quickly if things became dangerous. So I did.
My Daily Scripture – 1/4/2018
My Daily Scripture – 1/3/2018
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