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“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude” Psalms 84:5-8 NLT
The purest joy comes from a relationship with God. Sure, we may experience temporary moments of joy as we sojourn through this fallen world, but true and lasting joy is found only in God. “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalms 16:11 NASB Joy is often misunderstood as happiness. This is incorrect. Joy is a deep, inward, satisfaction that is unrelated to circumstance. Happiness is connected to circumstance. When we have plenty of money to pay the bills, we are "happy". When we don't, we aren't. When our health is good, we are happy. When our health is bad, we aren't. When a marriage is good, we are happy. When a marriage is full of turmoil, we aren't. I think you get the point. Happiness has to do with things that "happen". Joy is not dependent upon circumstance. In fact, let me paint a scenario for you. Let's say that you have a good job, a solid marriage, and healthy children, yet something is missing in your soul. You are happy but you long to know the joy that gives you satisfaction and assurance. This is where joy comes in. Regardless of the circumstances, joy is present when Jesus is Lord of your life. Your job can be uncertain and insufficient, your marriage can be rocky, and your children can be struggling with things, yet joy can steady and settle you in the midst of the circumstances. True satisfaction (joy) is directly connected to Jesus Christ, our Creator and Lord! Life will never be on an even keel until we know Him. A keel is that part of a boat that stabilizes it. Jesus is our keel! In the waters of life, when the storms are raging and the waters are tossing, Jesus is the joy that anchors us and allows us to weather the storm. In Him, we can have joy unspeakable, inexpressible. “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” 1 Peter 1:8 NLT “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:19 NLT Jesus came to restore the relationship with God that had been lost because of man's sin. “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT The life we long for is not one of monetary or material things, it is in Christ. As we walk in the Kingdom of God we experience joy. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NLT In Galatians 5:22 we read that one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. As we know Jesus and have His Spirit within us, we know the fruit of joy because it flows through the vine. Jesus Christ is the vine. We are the branches (see John 15:1-7). Someone has said it like this: J - Jesus O - Others Y - Yourself (in that order) If you aren't "happy" about life, surrender your will to God in Christ. There you will find joy's deepest tie. There you will find the satisfaction and the peace that passes understanding. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
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How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.
Psalm 84:1-4 NLT Do we yearn to spend time in the presence of God? Our time is spent pursuing things that are fleeting. We chase the wind, search for the pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow, and blow bubbles that only pop and leave us blowing more. We are, too easily, allured by the things that are but passing shadows. Our souls deepest desire is to spend time in the courts of our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ! However, we keep feeding this hunger with things of this world. We try to quench the thirst of our dry and barren souls at the mirage of the temporary. The psalmist had a passion for the presence of God. He knew that the only place for true satisfaction was in the presence of God. What are you hungry and thirsty for? What table are you pulling up to and what fountain are you drinking from? Let me advise you to come to the table of grace. There the plate is always full and the cup is never empty. A place awaits you!! O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. Don't you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don't you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. Come, they say, let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence. Yes, this was their unanimous decision. They signed a treaty as allies against you” these Edomites and Ishmaelites; Moabites and Hagrites; Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and people from Philistia and Tyre. Assyria has joined them, too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Interlude Do to them as you did to the Midianites and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. They were destroyed at Endor, and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil. Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did. Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna, for they said, Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God! O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind! As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Let them die in disgrace. Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth. Psalms 83:1-18N NLT The enemies of God's people had formed an alliance to destroy them. Matthew Henry, a biblical commentator, has suggested that this instance may refer to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. In that portion of scripture we read Jehoshaphat's prayer (vs. 12). He called upon God to stop the enemy forces from destroying the people of Judah. Judah was no military match for the approaching forces. God heard his prayer and activated His sovereign might on their behalf. The only thing Judah had to do was form a choir to sing praises to God and have them march in front of their army. They sang "Give thanks to the Lord; His faithful love ("mercy" KJV and "lovingkindness" NASB) endures forever!" As they sang God's praises, the enemy turned upon themselves and killed one other. Judah collected the spoils and it took them three days to gather it all. God demonstrated His power when they praised Him. Have you ever "felt" like God was not responding to a situation in your life? The "seeming" silence can be unsettling to our mortal being. Like the psalmist, we must cry out to God and pour out this struggle before Him. God is not upset with us when we express our concerns to Him. He knows our frame. We are finite creatures living in a fallen world. Circumstances make it easy to become prey to doubt and fear. When this happens, we must call upon God to dispel the darkness and bring us back into the light. When you "feel" like God is silent and you think defeat is certain, praise Him! Lift your voice and shout out His faithfulness. He's never failed you before! He won't now! No matter how lopsided the situation may appear, just remember that God is the majority!!! If He is with you, and for you, who can stand against you? What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31 NLT
“God presides over heaven’s court; He pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings: “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? (Interlude) “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core. I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’” Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.”
Psalms 82:1-8 NLT God is the presiding Judge of all creation!!! He sits in the place of all authority! His judgments are true and righteous. “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” Psalms 19:9 KJV “And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”” Revelation 16:7 NLT “After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.”” Revelation 19:1-2 NLT God looks down upon man in his delegated authority and sees unjust action. He cries out for us to perform justice to all people. Often, however, man sits in a place of granted authority and abuses or misuses his power. In these moments, God is watching! He sees all the acts of all delegated authorities. Ultimately, they will answer to Him for their actions. God is especially tender and conscientious toward the poor and needy. Let me be very clear here. The poor and needy He is speaking of are those who are genuinely destitute and oppressed, not those who are caught in a culture of ungodliness and laziness. There is a very distinct difference in those two categories. Some claim poverty as a means of entitlement. God says we are to work and work hard. God never honors or rewards the slothful. We see this clearly written in scripture (see Proverbs 12:24, 27; 15:19; 18:9; 19:24; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30; 26:13-15; Matthew 25:24-30; Romans 12:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). Those who are legitimately poor and oppressed should be considered compassionately in society. God is watching how we care for the unfortunate. He expects us to be unselfish and responsive to their needs. He is unselfish, compassionate, and responsive to each of us. We are to emulate Him!! In ancient Jewish culture, the word "gods" was understood as judges with a granted and delegated authority under God! The idea is that there is only One God who delegates all authority and we are answerable to Him for it!! (see Romans 13:1-7 and I Peter 2:13-17). Those who hold positions of power and authority should always remember that they will, one day, die like any other mortal and they, too, will answer to God for their decisions. Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. But no, my people wouldn't listen. Israel did not want me around. So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas. Oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands would be upon their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him; they would be doomed forever. But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock. Psalms 81:8-16 NLT
Listen, O America! God is giving you stern warnings. O America, if you would only listen to Him! You MUST NEVER HAVE FOREIGN gods. We have allowed ourselves to bow before other gods, such as materialism, consumerism, hedonism, and mammon (money). Don't we realize that it was God who gave us this land we call home? Just like Israel, it was God who rescued us from the tyranny of an oppressor. God has filled us with good things. We have enjoyed the bounties and abundance of His blessings. Sadly, however, we have become stubborn, self-willed, and rebellious. We won't listen to Him. We do whatever is right in our own eyes, even in our churches. Some don't think they even need to go to church. In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Judges17:6 NLT People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. Proverbs 21:2 NLT God sees our wrongs even when we are blind to them. We MUST return to God and beg His forgiveness. O how we need repentance!! If the churches of this nation would fall on their faces In repentance, God would swiftly move on our behalf, bring our enemies to their defeat, and would restore the prosperity that only He can provide. Peace would be known in our homes, communities, cities, states, and country. For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? And also, If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners? 1 Peter 4:17-18 NLT It is God who has allowed this nation to advance to its place of prominence in this world. Only He can Take is back to where we once were and harness all the discovery and development in a holy manner. Otherwise, we will be no more successful than the people who built the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Indeed, confusion fills our land today. So many voices spewing forth their vomit upon a clueless, foolish people. O how my heart yearns for holiness! My heart longs for HOME, the eternal place of the saints. How about you? One day, all kings will tremble before Him and all people will bow before Him (see Philippians 2:5-11 and Revelation 1:7). On that day, the saints will shine! On that day, the ungodly will wince in utter terror as their fate will be realized and sealed. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:41-43 NLT “Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Jacob. Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp. Blow the ram’s horn at new moon, and again at full moon to call a festival! For this is required by the decrees of Israel; it is a regulation of the God of Jacob. He made it a law for Israel when he attacked Egypt to set us free. I heard an unknown voice say, “Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah. Interlude” Psalms 81:1-7 NLT
The psalmist calls for praise to God! He had rescued the people of Israel from Egypt and had provided water for them when they were traveling through the wilderness. He ordained a remembrance of these things as a way for His people to never forget His merciful deliverance. God has done so much for us as well! We should never forget His loving kindness and our lips should pour out His praises. However, let's not just offer lip service, let's offer Him our hearts. “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.” Psalms 9:1 NLT Let's praise Him with our lives. He is worthy!! Praise Him today! Lift your voice and exclaim His greatness. worship Him with music and song. Then, glorify Him in your actions. Let your lifestyle speak louder than your words. Honor Him with your spirit, soul, and body. “Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23 NLT “Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your radiant glory to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Show us your mighty power. Come to rescue us! Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, how long will you be angry with our prayers? You have fed us with sorrow and made us drink tears by the bucketful. You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations. Our enemies treat us as a joke. Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land. Our shade covered the mountains; our branches covered the mighty cedars. We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea; our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River. But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit? The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it. Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself. For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown. Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice. Then we will never abandon you again. Revive us so we can call on your name once more. Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.” Psalms 80:1-19 NLT
The desolate life of the nation of Israel is described in the first seven verses. The former blessings and the immediate desperation of the nation are stated in the nine verses following. The last three verses are a cry for mercy. There is one thing in the whole chapter that the psalmist knew the nation of Israel needed: REVIVAL!! "Turn us again to Yourself, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies. Make Your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved." This statement is made three times in Psalm 80. When something is repeated three times we should take notice and place emphasis upon it. The only thing that could save Israel was God!!! This is true for our nation as well!! Let us pray this very prayer on behalf of America. Let's pray it every day!! In Jesus Name! Amen! O God, pagan nations have conquered your land, your special possession. They have defiled your holy Temple and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. They have left the bodies of your servants as food for the birds of heaven. The flesh of your godly ones has become food for the wild animals. Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem; no one is left to bury the dead. We are mocked by our neighbors, an object of scorn and derision to those around us. O Lord, how long will you be angry with us? Forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you” on kingdoms that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel, making the land a desolate wilderness. Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors! Let your compassion quickly meet our needs, for we are on the brink of despair. Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name. Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff, asking, Where is their God? Show us your vengeance against the nations, for they have spilled the blood of your servants. Listen to the moaning of the prisoners. Demonstrate your great power by saving those condemned to die. O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times for the scorn they have hurled at you. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation. Psalms 79:1-13 NLT
The psalmist had witnessed the rebellion of the people of Israel and the corresponding consequences that followed. The nation that once had the favor of God was now a mockery to the nations. God had allowed enemy forces to invade their land, pillage and plunder it, and desecrate the sacred place of worship. The enemy army killed many of the people and the left the lives of those who remained in shambles. What was once a bustling society filled with the songs of the Most High was now a land of mourning. Things were not the same as they once had been. The psalmist laments as he observes the situation and cries out to God for deliverance. His prayer was based upon the honor of God's name. Surely the nation deserved judgment but the psalmist calls upon God because he knew that the only hope the nation had was in the merciful hands of God! He concluded with a declaration of thanksgiving that would rise from the nation, once again, if God would, one more time, bring them out of this state of defeat. I can't help but think about our own nation in this Psalm. If we ever deserved judgment it is now. People parade our city streets in lewd, deviant defiance and mock our Lord. The churches that were once a beacon of light to the nation are now advocates of the darkness. Sin runs rampant like sewer in our streets. Our halls of government are corrupted by wicked men and women who are bent on expelling God from every facet of our nation. The news casts are propaganda, at best. Judgment looms over us like a black cloud. We are on the verge of collapse and many are ignoring the tremors of the earthquake that is building. We are a fractured nation and we are sitting upon a major fault line just waiting for the earth to open itself and swallow us like many nations before us. America has enjoyed the blessing of God like no other nation on earth and yet we have turned our backs on the One who has bestowed such blessings upon us. Somehow, we think we don't need God to be successful and we have allowed the devil to deceive us into believing that we will not be like the nations before us. Utter foolishness!! Those who do not learn from history only repeat it. God's people must pray, turn from their wicked ways, and beseech God for the land (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). Otherwise, we are headed for disaster. We must wake up and diligently work while the day is upon us. Night time will come and only God knows how close we are to the sunset. Today, in the midst of your busyness, take the time to contemplate the critical state of this land and humble yourself before Almighty God in intercessory prayer for the mercy of God upon us. Our posterity is dependent upon it. If you care one iota about God your family, and this nation, I beg of you to let God search your heart and life and ask Him to set things right. Let Him begin the restoration of our nation with you. We cannot expect things to change if we are, indeed, a part of the problem. Judgment begins in the church! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? And also, If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners? So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. 1 Peter 4:17-19 NLT “But he commanded the skies to open; he opened the doors of heaven. He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them bread from heaven. They ate the food of angels! God gave them all they could hold. He released the east wind in the heavens and guided the south wind by his mighty power. He rained down meat as thick as dust— birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore! He caused the birds to fall within their camp and all around their tents. The people ate their fill. He gave them what they craved. But before they satisfied their craving, while the meat was yet in their mouths, the anger of God rose against them, and he killed their strongest men. He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men. But in spite of this, the people kept sinning. Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him. So he ended their lives in failure, their years in terror. When God began killing them, they finally sought him. They repented and took God seriously. Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer. But all they gave him was lip service; they lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant. Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times he held back his anger and did not unleash his fury! For he remembered that they were merely mortal, gone like a breath of wind that never returns.” Psalms 78:23-39 NLT
When the grumbling Israelites wanted something besides manna, God sent them quail. He gave them what they craved. When they were in the midst of their indulgence, His anger swelled against them and began killing the strongest men among them. The best young men became casualties. In spite of this catastrophe the people remained stubbornly set in their rebellious attitude. Their lives were cursed with misery and terror. In their utter brokenness they, finally, turned to God and recognized Him as El Elyon (God Most High). Repentance was their appropriate action. However, even after their acknowledgement of Him, they gave only lip service in their worship. This is exactly what Jesus said as He quoted Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 29:13): “Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Mark 7:6 NLT (see also Matthew 15:8) How many "Christians", of our own time, attend houses of worship, sing the songs, go through the motions, and yet their hearts are not loyal to Jesus Christ? Their worship is nothing more than lip service. It is as if they want to appease their conscience through religious association, but their actual allegiance is to their own selfish will! Listen again to what happened next: "Yet He was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all." Friends, God has withheld his fury from our own generation! We have offered a tremendous amount of lip service to Him and yet He has lovingly, and patiently, preserved us. Without His merciful kindness, we would have been exterminated from the face of the earth. Aren't you glad that God knows our mortal weaknesses? Although we have lived in a place of rebellion, He has graciously given us His continued gift of life. Now, let's turn this gift of life into a living sacrifice to His name. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1 NLT “The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle. They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions. They forgot what he had done— the great wonders he had shown them, the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt. For he divided the sea and led them through, making the water stand up like walls! In the daytime he led them by a cloud, and all night by a pillar of fire. He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them water, as from a gushing spring. He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river! Yet they kept on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. They even spoke against God himself, saying, “God can’t give us food in the wilderness. Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.” When the Lord heard them, he was furious. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel, for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them.” Psalms 78:9-22 NLT
What an amazing passage of scripture. The psalmist recalls the Red Sea miracle, the cloud by day, the fire by night, and the water that God caused to spew from a rock. However, the hearts of God's children were hard and they complained about their circumstances. The people even went so far as to speak against the power of God. Mocking Him, they said that He was able to make water come from a rock but He couldn't provide the full course meal they craved. This sounds a lot like us. We are spoiled Americans. We, too, have received so much from the hand of God and yet we ignore Him, falsely accuse Him, and even, at times, deny His care for us in certain situations. What we crave are the things that satisfy our physical and natural cravings. We are so accustomed to eating so well and living so high on the hog that we get grumpy and grouchy when we don't have our desires fulfilled. We want life handed to us on a silver platter by God. When He doesn't, we throw tantrums and become rebellious. In spite of the fact that we didn't get here on our own, we didn't make the sun that shines, the moon, the stars, the air we breathe, the rivers, streams, oceans, and all the life that lives on this terrestrial ball, we somehow think we are due so much more. We are depraved creatures! We, so easily, stray from the God who provides everything we have and need. Today, let's take the time to thank God for everything He has done for us. He has saved us (the born again believer) from eternal damnation in hell. He has already, in advance, made provisions for us and we must learn to trust Him. Like the children of Israel, we are sojourning in this pilgrim land. Rather than demand our selfish way, let's humbly bow in thanksgiving to our Gracious Provider! He can, and will, take care of everything we need to successfully make the journey through the wilderness of this fallen world. Remember, we aren't home yet. One day, we will be home, in the place where our spirit longs to be. There, we will sit at the table in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of our hopes and ambitions will be fully known in His presence. “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalms 16:11 NLT Child of God, don't look at the meaningless things that this world allures you with. Keep your eyes on the One that matters. Only He has the best for you. All of the other things are but passing dust in the wind. Let your soul be satisfied only in the Lord Jesus Christ!! |
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Rev. Curtis Norris Archives
March 2020
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