Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Psalm 80 (a flock, a people, a vine)

Posted on by

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

~ Psalms 80:3, 7, 19 KJV

 

Yesterday I read Psalm 80 in the One Year Bible, and I continued studying it today. One of the greatest joys of my life is studying the Word of God and I hope you find this little bit of study as interesting as I did.

This Psalm is written by Asaph, one of David’s chief musicians. Like David, he was a skilled singer and poet. Psalm 80 is a prayer to God on behalf of Israel and Samaria after they were taken captive by Assyria. I find it interesting and take note when the Word repeats Itself as It does in this passage of Scripture. I also am always looking for similarities and differences in these type of passages.

Similarities –

I see that in every one of these passages Asaph uses the phrase “turn us again.” Turn us again means to “restore us to our former state of blessing and fellowship with the Lord.”  He asks that God cause His face to shine. The “shining of His face” reminds me of Numbers 6:24-26 –

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

 And finally, Asaph prayed so that the people would be saved.

Differences –

It takes a little extra digging to see the differences other than the different names of God. But if we look at the passage in its entirety, we can see that when calling on God, not only does the writer use different names, but also different images to describe Israel, and he makes three different requests that go along with the similar one for salvation.

  1. Psalm 80:1-3

Image: Israel as the flock of sheep.

Request:  Save Your flock. The request here is that the Lord might lead His people through their current crisis as He led them safely through the wilderness, by the Ark and the Cloud.

Name: “O God”

  1. Psalm 80:4-7

Image: Israel as God’s people

Israelites were God’s people, but the Lord was angry with them. During Israel’s wilderness wandering God provided bread from heaven and water from the rock, but the people weren’t satisfied with His provision. They were no longer walking in victory, and this kindled the Lord’s anger toward them.

Request:  Pity Your people.

Name: “O God of hosts.” (He is God of the armies of heaven and earth)

  1. Psalm 80:8-19

Image: Israel as the vine.

The main idea is that Israel is God’s own people, His vine. He planted them in Canaan, and He alone can protect and deliver them. As long as the people obeyed the Lord, the vine grew and covered more and more of the land. But the vine disobeyed the Lord and produced worthless fruit, and so they felt the hand of the Lord against them. He withdrew His protection and permitted the enemy to enter the land and ruin the vineyard.

Request:  Revive the vine.

Asaph prayed that the Lord might forgive His people as they called upon Him and confessed their sins. He asked that God once again bless His people.

This reminds me of 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Name: “O Lord God of hosts.” (Lord is the name “Jehovah” which is the covenant name of God. He was appealing to the covenant).

Prayer

Almighty God, Captain of the armies of heaven and earth, my Shepherd – I come to You today, and I thank You for Your Word and Your reminder that like Asaph we are to intercede for our nation. I ask You Father to forgive us our sins. Forgive us for our disobedience. Forgive us for our neglect of You and Your commands. Forgive us for our arrogance and pride. Forgive our nation for allowing the shedding of innocent blood through abortion.  Forgive us for too often forgetting those persecuted for their faith in Jesus; for not remembering and helping the poorest of the poor that are without food, shelter, and protection in this land and abroad. Bless those greatly that are obedient to love as You love. Forgive our land, and I ask that You turn us again to You. Cause Your face to shine upon us again Jesus, that this nation of the United States of America and all of the world (every tribe and every tongue) that You love and created shall be saved. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen!

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Message of Love Church Website

Posted on by

My home church, Message of Love Church, in Belmont, Nc has a new website. There are sermon video, information on our mission emphasis and outreaches and many other exciting things. We will be adding to it regularly. Check it out at the link below and feel free to share. If you are in this area of North Carolina we would love for you to come and visit us.

themessageoflove.com

C93B69F6-3999-479F-B011-F902D064D85A

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Joshua 1:5-7

Posted on by

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. ~ Joshua 1:5-7

In the daily Bible reading today, Moses has died, and God tells Joshua that just as He was with Moses, He will also be with Joshua. God chose Joshua to become the leader of the Israelites, and He expected Joshua to obey every single command He had given…but that didn’t mean that He expected him to do everything exactly as Moses had done. While their lives resembled each other’s, they were different men and leaders.

We often compare ourselves to those people we want to be like or those people we follow after, believing the only way to success is to do exactly what they did in the same way they did it.

“If you do what they did, you can get what they got.”

Though you have likely heard that phrase applied to the path of success, it does not necessarily mean you should or could repeat every detail of someone else’s life. Yes, there are points of similarity, but your predecessor, mentor, or leader did what they were supposed to do. Your calling, though it may be similar, is going to still be different from anyone else’s. Your personality and the way you process things brings an entirely unique perspective, and God designed it that way.

Have people painted pictures before? Of course! However, no one will ever paint quite like you….even if given the same directions, at the same time and with the same materials. Do you follow the life of a particular businessman? Your role model might be highly successful at what they do. They may show you their business plan, but there are likely different business deals to be made that will require a change in the old plan.

And so it was with Moses and Joshua. Two great, successful, similar but still different leaders.

One of the things that stands out to me about Joshua’s leadership is that God told him through Moses and several times after Moses’ death to “be strong and courageous.”

In unfamiliar and uncertain situations, we often feel fear and anxiety and discouragement. We often feel like we can never do a good enough job, especially if we come after someone who has had great success or someone with great personality. But we can learn from this story that we need to be STRONG & COURAGEOUS. The real enemy is not people, tasks or unfamiliar circumstances. The real enemy is fear and discouragement. If you can fight that, then you can face your calling NO MATTER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE!!!

How do we get rid of fear and discouragement? We can draw strength and courage from knowing God is with us, and we can keep it by staying in His word. We must speak it and meditate on it day and night. When we do, faith is generated within that results in strength and courage without.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” ~ – ‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Posted in Bible Verses

Scriptures to Hide in Your Heart When Worried

Posted on by

 

Let not your heart be trouble

Some of the scriptures that I meditate on when I am feeling overwhelmed by worry.  I have them written on notecards and read them aloud as many times and as often as necessary. The Word of God is alive and active and the Word will break the hold that the enemy has over your mind.  God has proven this to me time and time again. When you speak the Word, you speak LIFE!

Proverbs 12:25   Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

Philippians 4:6-7  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:6-8  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Matthew 6:33-34  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Matthew 11:28-30   Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

John 14:27   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.

Psalm 55:22   Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Philippians 4:19   But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

John 14:1   Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Luke 1:37   For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Colossians 3:15    And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Jeremiah 17:7-8   Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Psalm 94:19   In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Isaiah 26:3   Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Psalm 23:4    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Romans 15:13   Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost

Proverbs 3:5-6   Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Romans 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Colossians 3:2   Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

2 Thessalonians 3:16   Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

 

 

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Greed

Posted on by

8655B05B-E13E-41D2-990A-742A641102B5

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” ~ Luke‬ ‭12:15‬ KJV

“Then He said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed; for not even when one has an overflowing abundance does his life consist of nor is it derived from his possessions.” ~ Luke ‭12:15‬ ‭AMP‬‬

  • Covetousness – inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions;
  • Greed – excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions.
  • Greedy – having or showing an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or power.
  • Rapacious – predatory; given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed.

Greed is a very deceiving force. It gets us to think that we’ll be happy if we get that one more thing. Then we get it and what? It shows us something else that we “need” and that we’d be happier if we had it. Greed never stops showing us that “one more thing.”

In the verse above a man came to Jesus and asked Him to be an arbitrator between him and his brother in a dispute over an inheritance. Jesus told the man “Who appointed me a judge between you?” And it’s then that Jesus said “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

To make earthly gain or riches a primary desire and pursuit in life is a costly and fatal error that can lead to eternal loss and consequences.. We must realize that in no way does our wealth determine our worth or significance.

The Greek Word for greed (pleonexia) literally conveys the thirst for having more. A selfish and wrongful desire for more does not refer to providing for your own needs and the needs of your family. Part of life must be spent working to provide, but we must be careful to invest our time, efforts, and resources in becoming rich toward God only. This involves pursuing His kingdom and His righteousness (His purposes and standards) above everything else.

Greed gets us pursuing “things” when we should actually be pursuing God. What are you pursuing today? Is it through greed or love? Do you seek more things or do you seek more of God? Each of us should pay attention to Jesus warning and examine whether selfishness and greed exist in our own hearts.

Lord, Show us today where are hearts are holding on to desire for anything that draws us away from You. Convict us, forgive us, and lead us down a path that is pleasing to You. Where we are greedy make us generous. Where we are controlling make us giving. Where we long for power replace that spirit with a pure heart. Where we have fear of lack replace it with love! In Jesus Name I pray. Amen! Amen!!

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Posted on by

life and death

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” ~ Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Because we are created in the image of God, we have minds to think with,  hearts to feel with, and a will to decide with and God calls us to make right decisions. We’re not robots. We can hear God’s Word, learn God’s will, and decide either to obey or disobey. We learn from Moses that making this decision is not a difficult task. After all, we have the revealed truth of God, and his Word and that Word is available to us. We don’t have to go up to heaven to get the Word or across the sea to another country because God brought his Word to us.

The choice is between life and death, and who would deliberately choose death? In Israel’s case, the choice was between trusting God and enjoying the good of the land or turning to idols and experiencing the curses. It is either life and blessing or death and curses. Today the choice is between eternal life and eternal death. Salvation by the grace of God or an eternity spent in hell. Is this a difficult decision to make? The only sensible decision is to choose LIFE.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” ~ John 3:36

God offers his people life, for He is our life.

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” ~ Acts 17:28a

The Israelites needed to choose life, but they then they also needed to maintain their relationship with God by loving Him and listening to His voice. We are called today to make the same and the right decisions and take the same steps of obedience and love. Life or death?

Choose Love. Choose obedience. Choose Life.

 

Father, Help us today to look to You and make right and holy decisions. Help us at each moment to stop and look to You for our direction. Help us to love You and love others as You would love them. Take over our hearts so that our reactions to every obstacle and every temptation remain holy. Help us to represent You well in this time in this world that You have placed us. Help us to be a light that we might draw others to You even as we are drawn closer by You. In Jesus precious Name I pray. Amen!