I Samuel 15:22 ” Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

All the Lord wants, is to have us attentively listen to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit, and heed His Promptings.  The only offering desired of Him,  is yourself and your love and obedience.

Isaiah 50:10 ” Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”

The Lord can bring us out of darkness into the light of His truth.  He will break off the chains that have bound us, and release us from the devil’s power.  No more will we have to walk in darkness and fear, for our trust will now be in Him.

Romans 15:4 ” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

The Holy Word of God is not only there to instruct, but also to strengthen and establish us as Believers in our faith.  And as our faith is built up…so does our confidence in our Lord.

Micah 2:7 ” Do not My Words do good to him whose ways are upright? “

By obeying the Lord’s commands and being in His Word daily, we will benefit in all ways. Good will come our way…practically, economically, and materially as we live according to His Word.

Psalm 119: 130 ” The unfolding of Your Word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

The Lord is faithful…each time you read the Bible, He will open up new concepts, ideas, and insight that you hadn’t read before. It’s almost like a beautiful rosebud unfurling in front of you…petal by petal, as He reveals His amazing truths and makes the Word come alive.

Hebrews 1:3 ” The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word.”

Another beautiful word for radiance is effulgence…God’s splendor was emitted through Jesus, showing us a perfect expression of God’s Divine essence. In John this is spoken about…Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” And John wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Lord came to uphold all things by the strength of His spoken Word. Jesus was fully divine…and fully human, giving us just a glimpse at what our Heavenly Father was like.

Romans 8:28 ” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

In other manuscripts this well-known verse is translated…”And we know that all things work together for good, (or bring about what is good) to those who love God.” The Lord can bring about something useful, profitable, and beneficial from the most dire and serious situation…when our simple human minds can only see the bad, He is still working for the good. Joseph’s brothers sold him off to a passing caravan, and though their intentions were evil, the Lord was still in control of the final outcome. In Genesis 50:20, by then in charge of the whole land of Egypt, Joseph told his brothers…” You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” No matter what it looks like right now…the final result is solely the Lord’s.

Isaiah 44:20 ” He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, ‘Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’ “

Earlier in this chapter, Isaiah has been talking about a man cutting down a tree, and using half to build a fire to cook and warm himself…the other portion, carving it into an idol and bowing down to worship. The heart can be deceived, and it can lead us far from, and contrary to God’s Laws. This Spirit of delusion will blind us from the truth, and cause confusion and false belief in our minds. There comes a time, when we can hear and see the truth, but fail to even recognize it. So deluded from what is right and good and Godly, we flounder in lies and deception, unable to even save ourselves. But there is someone much greater, who can open our eyes and ears to the truth, and dispel the deception …”Return to Me,” says the Lord, “for I have redeemed you.”

Proverbs 16:28 ” A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.”

How many friendships have been blown apart by groundless rumor and hearsay? When whispering behind one’s back suddenly takes an ugly turn, gossip usually is to blame. Gossiping…quite a pastime for many, elevated to an art form for some. But where does all this backbiting get us? Elsewhere in Proverbs it says, “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” In other words…If you forgive an insult rather than keep dredging it up to everyone who will listen, it will not cause friends to quarrel, take offense, and lose that close relationship they once had. Gossip…just say NO.

Isaiah 25:4 ” You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

Today we have winds howling outside at 60 miles per hour, but what really makes a difference out here in the wide-open country is the L-shaped wind break of 18 huge pine trees we have around our property. These huge trees shelter the house from the brunt of the storms, and hold back a massive amount of snow in the Winter. Without their protection, our house would be barraged by all the elements. The Lord wants us to take shelter in Him when the storms of life hit…He wants to be our hiding place and refuge from the tempest. As Psalm 118:8 says, ” It is better to take refuge in the Lord than trust in men.” If the winds of the world are howling around you today, find your place of protection in the Lord.