These wonderful scriptures are known as a Doxology…a set form of words Praising God. Many churches end their services with a Doxology…one of the most common is the simple but powerful song written by Thomas Ken in 1674, ” Praise Him from which all Blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!” A Doxology helps us focus on who God is, His awesome power, and what He has done and is doing in our lives. It’s purpose is to remind us all of His righteousness, power, and dominion over the earth. A Doxology is a perfect way to Praise our Lord as a group, and individuality.
Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional
Proverbs 30: 7-9 ” Two things I ask of You, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God.”
Two simple, but quite profound things the sage writer of this Proverb is asking of the Lord…First, place a hedge of protection up between deception, wickedness, and me, and secondly, provide me with just a common, usual, and customary lifestyle. The writer is asking God to not only keep Satan far from him, but to also guard his heart, mind and soul from demonic attack. The other request plays on Man’s propensity to become proud when he thinks that it’s because of his own power and strength that he’s wealthy. As it says in Hosea 13:6 “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot Me.” That “self-made man” ideology has been the downfall of many a person who mistakenly thought it was them and not the Lord who supplied all their needs. The writer of this Proverb did not want to turn his back on God through arrogance and pride, or disgrace the name of the Lord, by stealing.
Proverbs 15: 30 ” A cheerful look brings joy to the heart…”
A face that “lights up” with a smile is so very much easier to look at than a scowl. A person with an optimistic outlook and positive attitude is nicer to be around than one with the opposite. I realize it can hard to be around negative, down, people with chips on their shoulders, but a cheerful look can transform the crankiest of people by bringing delight to their hard heart. A sincere smile and kind word can change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
Isaiah 30:18 ” Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.”
Our Lord earnestly desires to show us kindness, He is constantly wanting to give us His love and mercy…as a Father would lovingly treat His child. But He is also just, and justice is one of God’s great attributes…it’s something rooted in His character…God loves justice. It’s something, we as Believers should strive to emulate in our own lives. The Lord is truly good to those whose hope is in Him…Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart.
Genesis 4:9 ” Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ “
With God being omnipresent – all present, and omniscient – all-knowing, He didn’t have to ask Cain where Abel was…He knew that Cain had murdered him. But God was testing Cain to see his reply. Do you think Cain was that naive that he didn’t think God knew what happened? Was it out of anger, frustration or guilt that Cain shot back his own question…”Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain had fallen in the trap set by Satan, and he was carrying out Satan’s desires…to kill and destroy. But looking again at Cain’s question…was he his brother’s keeper? Are we our brother’s keeper? Is it our responsibility to be that guardian, chaperon, or protector to our fellow human beings?Though God never specifically answered Cain’s question, from the severity of the sentence He handed down, Cain had his answer.
Luke 24:5 ” Why do you look for the living among the dead? “
The angel asked this query of the women who had come to the tomb of Jesus…but, I would ask you the same question. Have you been trying to fill your life with empty, useless things of the world…ever searching, but never filling that emptiness inside. The stagnant and futile things of the world will never compare to the breathing, living things of God. So, I would ask you again this question…Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is Risen!…He is Risen indeed!
Early that morning the women came to the tomb and found the stone rolled away from the entrance. Jesus didn’t need this to happen for the Resurrection to occur, but this gaping hole was a physical sign that something miraculous had taken place. What was left behind was a cold, empty tomb…maybe like your heart today…someplace where Jesus might have been at one time…but is no longer. Today is the best day of the year to renew your commitment to the Lord and start afresh…let Him Arise in your heart today.
Mark 15: 38 ” The curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”
This curtain hung between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the Temple. It’s function was to separate all men, even the Priests, from the presence of God. Only the High Priest was able to go beyond the curtain, and that was only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The moment that Jesus breathed His last breath on the Cross this curtain was torn in an instant from above, downwards. The barrier that separated us from God was suddenly…gone! We no longer needed someone else to inquire of God for us…the middleman now was no longer needed. That open curtain had made a way for us to go confidently into the Most High Place…and to have intimate access to our Lord. That ripped curtain hung as a memorial to the Old Covenant, and the shed Blood of Jesus.
John 19: 23-24 ” When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’ This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, ‘They divided My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.’ So this is what the soldiers did. “
This inner tunic was extremely well made by someone highly skilled in weaving. The construction so far superior, that all the guards saw it as a prized possession, not to be torn into pieces. They decided instead to cast lots for it, which meant that they would all place a marked lot into a vessel which was shaken by one of them with his face turned away…the first lot to fall out would indicate the person chosen. This game of chance that the guards took part in was foretold of in Psalm 22:18, which is considered a Messianic Psalm…one pertaining to Jesus. Those guards had no idea they were fulfilling Messianic prophecy that day at Golgotha.
Luke 22: 19-20 ” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave to them, saying, ‘This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘ This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you’ “
You’ve been invited to Dinner! The menu is quite simple, the fare not elaborate. The guest list is small… actually, there are only two names on the list…yours and the Lord. Come, now is the time to draw near to the Communion Table and allow the Lord to serve you. He will tear off a piece of the thin cake of bread and hand it to you, while saying,”This is My body given for you. My body given to save you from eternal death. Do this to forever remind yourself of what I have done for you, and you alone… If you had been the only person on the earth, I still would have gone to the Cross for you.” He will then hand you the cup while saying, ” This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. I have willingly shed My blood in order to give you new life, and a new covenant, not of the Law, but rather of the Spirit.” The table is set, your Lord is waiting…come to the table.
Safetypinlove 