I Chronicles 29:11 ” Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.”

Lord, You are the King of glory.  We thank and praise You,  for You have founded this world and all that is in it. (Psalm 89:11)  Your strength and might…Your glorious beauty is everlasting and forever.  You are great, and greatly to be praised on heaven and earth…Your splendor and greatness is beyond comprehension.

Proverbs 13:10 ” Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Arrogance and conceit can only bring out the worst in people.  A prideful spirit will tell you that you’re better  than everyone else and can do as you wish, but this only leads to problems when you come across someone with that same attitude!  This Proverb advises instead that we take our practical spirituality and accept counsel from others.

II Corinthians 4: 1-2 ” Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.”

In a Believer’s life I think there isn’t anything potentially more volatile than  secret sins.   Hidden sins will lead us to compromise and dilute the truth in our own mind…rationalizing things until we can live with ourselves.   They cause us to hide things out of shameful awareness and dispair…which spirals us down the slippery slope into depression.  Secret sins need to be dealt with…not left to simmer and develop into more.  Besides, you’re only fooling yourself if you think that hidden sins are really  hidden.

Numbers 13: 27-28 ” They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.’ “

In Exodus 3:8, the Lord had promised Moses a land flowing with milk and honey, and the 12 spies hadn’t denied this was what they observed.  But of the 12 spies, only Caleb and Joshua brought back a good report…the rest only saw the negatives and potential threats.  How many times have you allowed the word “but” to totally stop the will of God in your life?  How many times have you heard the voice of the Lord,  but the “giants in the land” scared you into doing nothing?  It’s time to move beyond fear, and what we perceive as unsurmountable odds…it’s time to claim our nation  again for God.

II Peter 1: 5-7 ” For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. “

Your Christian walk starts out on a  Christ-shaped foundation…grounded in His Word…built on the solid rock of His love for you.  But then starts the journey all Believers must make towards maturity.  This scripture shows the progression from baby Christian to deeply rooted saint.  Like a house being built on a stable foundation, each moral quality is stacked on top of the next…teaching, disciplining, and encouraging as we go.  And in the end, a perfectly built structure will stand before our God.

Judges 21:25 ” In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

Have you ever gone to a committee meeting that has no set head person?  Lots of ideas get bounced around…many people express their opinions…emotions can run high, but without someone to run the meeting, not much gets accomplished.  That’s what it’s like without  leadership in our world today…we’re all just out there “doing our own thing”.  But the problem with that is,  what I think is just and prudent to do, you may think is inappropriate or outrageous.  What happens in the end is chaos, conflict, and confusion.

II Corinthians 6:2 ” For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

Isaiah echoes this verse in Chapter 49, verses 8 and 9, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the time of My favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ ”  Today the Lord is extending His favor towards you…offering His grace and kindness in order to deliver your soul from the guilt and punishment of sin.  He’s uncovering and revealing to you the sin in your life…He’s shedding light upon your spiritual blindness and beckoning  you to come out of the darkness and be free.

John 3:36 ” Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. “

Inward unbelief in God is expressed outwardly in many ways.  You may think that cursing and using the name of the Lord in vain makes you tough or cool…even texting OMG seems so innocent until you realize it too is using the name of God in vain.  Unbelief can be expressed by what you watch, listen to, live stream, and share on social media.   Your unbelief can also show up in what or who you scoff at, mock, or make fun of.  Unbelief or even apathy towards God is dangerous and potentially deadly…listen to His voice and choose you this day who you will believe.

John 3: 16-18 ” For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Jesus Christ didn’t come into the world to judge us.  He came to offer us the gift of eternal life and spiritual salvation of our souls.  The only thing we must do to be saved is to have faith and trust in Him.  There is no one on the face of the earth that is too far from the reach of the Lord…too evil, vile or wicked that His love can’t win.  But ultimately, the decision is solely ours.  Don’t turn away from this invitation, don’t  squander your chance for joy and peace.  Say Yes today.

Psalm 4:8 ” I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Have you ever gone into your child’s bedroom and just watch them sleep?  The picture is one of total security and tranquility  as you listen to their soft even breathing.  They are perfectly content and safe in their warm little bed with not a care in the world.  We too should be able to sleep with the same sense of well-being  and trust… for our Heavenly Father is watching over us.  So tonight be reminded…the Lord will be watching you sleep and smiling.