Psalm 108:3-4 ” I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples. For great is Your love, higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Having a really bad day?  Go outside then, take a deep breath,  and look up into the sky.  Now celebrate the fact that God’s majesty is on display just for you.  Thank Him that He sought you out in your brokenness and worked a miracle in your life.  Proclaim to Him again your trust in His son, Jesus Christ.  Gaze up into the sky and recognize… that vast expanse above you can not start to contain God’s love for you.

II Chronicles 15:2 ” The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”

People have really good excuses why they don’t want anything to do with God.  “Religion is only for the weak that need a crutch.”  “I’ll get right with God when I get old and about to die…you know, like Fire Insurance…something you have just incase.”  “I don’t believe any of that mumbo-jumbo Jesus garbage.”   So when you’re confronted by this, what is the best answer?  The Truth.  You don’t need to defend God…He’s perfectly capable of defending Himself, thank you.  You state the Truth in love, but neither do you water down the Truth to make it more palatable for all.   The Truth is,  if you forsake God, He’ll reject you…forever.

Isaiah 35:8 ” And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.”

So what exactly is “the Way” and holiness mean to you?  Is it being committed to the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind?  Is it a way of life that exemplifies Godly actions and behaviors?  The Way is a Highway…a road less traveled by most, but a life-long journey for the upright.

Job 22:2 ” Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?”

So many times we foolishly think we can somehow “help God”.  We look at the situation and feel we have more insight and intelligence than our Heavenly Father does over the matter…but our “help” usually just messes it up more.  Relinquishing some thing or one to God doesn’t mean you’re giving up and walking away…it simply means you’re stepping aside and allowing God to work in ways you never would be able to.  Surrendering and laying at the foot of the Cross a loved one can be the scariest thing you’ll ever do.  But until you do this and fully give that person to God – you’re just in the way and the Lord can’t work.  You may think you love that person immensely…but remember, God loves them even more.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ” There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

It’s hard to imagine, but there’s an appointed time for everything happening in your life today.  From the very important to the mundane, each matter has been carefully created by God to fit perfectly within His purpose and timetable.  In verse 11 of this chapter we read that God has made everything beautiful in its own time…in its right and proper time.  For with the Lord,  there is no unplanned or unintended actions…that’s because His timing is always perfect.

Psalm 55:1-3 “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.”

Bad things happen to good people…for we live in a troubled and broken world where peace and unity is hard to find.  But that doesn’t mean we have to cave in to all the ugliness around us. God has placed you on the earth at this particular time in history to make a difference…for you to be an influence, rather than being influenced by the wicked around you.  Stand strong in the face of evil…pray without ceasing…tell others about Jesus.

II Peter 2:19 ” They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

The selfish human nature is always striving for the liberty of self-determination.  “I want to do what I want, when I want to”, is our mindset.  But with that enticement comes deception and seduction as we wander farther and farther off the right path.  And sooner or later, we find ourselves in the middle of perversion, and wonder just how we got ourselves into such a mess.  In the search for freedom, we have instead become a piece of property…owned and controlled by depravity and lies.

I Samuel 16:13 ” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.”

God had sent the Prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s seven sons as King.  As six strapping young men paraded past Samuel…each time he thought to himself, “This has to be the one!”  But God reminded Samuel in verse 7, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  It wasn’t until the youngest son, David, was called from the pasture,  that God declared, “He is the one.”  This should give all of us encouragement…especially those who have said to themselves, “I have nothing to offer God.”  The Lord doesn’t consider outward appearances.  He looks only at what He can do through us if we’re a willing worker.

Isaiah 43:1 ” Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.”

You’re not just an acquaintance to God.  You’re not some face He sees in the crowd, and recognizes you as someone He should know… but can’t remember your name.  No, God knows you intimately…He knows you inside and out…He knows every thought you’ve had, every tear you’ve cried, every prayer you’ve prayed.  But most importantly, He knows your name.  For you are that very special to Him.  And in response, what can we say but, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.”

II Corinthians 4:7 ” But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

In Biblical times,  clay jars were used to store items of importance.  In Jeremiah 32:14-15,  the Lord tells Jeremiah to buy his cousin’s field and take the documents and place them in a clay jar.  “For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”  This promise that they would return to their homeland  would take 70 years of exile in Babylon before it would come about…but these important documents would be kept safe until then…safe within a fragile clay jar.  And if you’re a Believer, you  have the great power and Almighty energy of God within your clay jar…your body,  placed there by God for safe-keeping.

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