As many others, I am spending the next couple of weeks praising God with my thanks…for Who He is to me and what He has done for me. I want to take several Psalms over these two weeks which speak for me. I need not change a thing for the psalmist has said all that I desire to say to my God.
Great Is the Lord
A Song of Praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!
יָדָה
yāḏâ
yaw-daw
literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively, to bemoan (by wringing the hands):—cast (out), (make) confess(-ion), praise, shoot, (give) thank(-ful, -s, -sgiving).
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They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Father, I thank You for loving me so that You saved me from my own sin. I praise You for all things beautiful, all things created by Your hands. You hear me when I call. You answer me. You hold me near and comfort me in my need. Father. I praise You and love You. Teach me Your ways. In Your Son’s Holy Name, I pray. Amen.
Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? Psalm 139:7
Do I want to flee from God? Do I want to hide from Him?
Oh, I have wanted that when I knew NOT Christ. When sin was written all over my face. When being forgiven seemed not to be an option for all that I had done. When I had done and been far more than I knew I ever should have done or been. So hiding was what I wanted to do.
But one cannot hide from the Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent God. He is everywhere. He is all knowing and all powerful.
Psalm 139 is not about running away from God. It is about being in His beautiful Presence, being bathed in Him, knowing that He loves me, loved me first. He created me and He forgives me no matter what I have done or who I have been.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
¶Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You. Psalm 139:1-12
David walks closely with His God. David knows that He is forgiven and wants to be near to Him. He does not want to go far. He knows God well, is intimately familiar with God, so much so that He feels wrapped in His love.
Continuing in Psalm 139:
For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
¶How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with You. Psalm 139:13-18
Do you know this intimacy with God? Stand there at that sea shore. Hear and sea the waves coming ashore…the steadiness of them, one after another. The ocean is vast. God created this beautiful sea. He created each grain of sand. He is omnipresent.
Are you so near to God that You feel His comfort, His delight about you, His love for you?
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
Have you repented of your sins? Will God forgive us even if we mess up again and again? Oh, yes! He will and He does! Ask me for I know!
Have you asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? He wants you to. He wants you to come to Him for He is waiting for you.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
Have you asked Jesus to forgive you? He will when you ask.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10
And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
And immediately Jesus, perceiving in His spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:5-12
A relationship with Jesus begins with repentance. As you draw closer to Christ, and Christ Alone, you will desire to spend time in the Bible, in prayer, in study. The intimacy will develop and grow. I have known the Lord for 28 years now. I was 45 when I accepted Jesus as my Lord. These last 28 years have been the best, hardest, and loveliest in my life. I would not trade them for the first 45 years either. And I would not want to spend however many more I am here on earth without my Lord. No way! I am looking forward to eternity spent with my Lord. Hallelujah!!
I now can say without one iota of a doubt:
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8
Father, I thank You for drawing me near to You no matter how far away I have been. I see You more clearly with each day. You are Almighty God, Abba Father. I thank You for opening my eyes that I can see the magnificence and might that You are for and to me. You hold me and You comfort me. You teach me and You discipline me. You love me, Lord. I am so very grateful. Through Your Word, You have so many lessons for me. Please guide me as I read Your Word. When I pray to and with You, You are the Light and Lamp unto my path. As we walk together, You teach me. You gather me as a sheep when I wander away. I thank You for the many previous times You have done just that. Knowing that You will never forsake me is such a comfort. Father, I pray for those who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I pray Your loving grace and mercy over them as they search. We are all searching for “something” and when in that place, we often do not know just what we are missing. Guide them to Yourself. Thank You for showing me through this Psalm that I am not running from You to hide. I am so in awe of You, of Your glory and majesty. I feel like Moses in the cleft of the rock as Your Glory shines ever-so-brightly. May my face shine when I have been in Your Presence. Thank You for keeping me near as I walk paths of the unknown each and every day. I love You, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, the bright Morning Star, I pray. Amen.
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.Psalm 3:3 ESV
Can you recall a time when someone you loved, someone you looked up to and adored, took your lowered head and gently raised your chin with his or her hand? Your lip may have been quivering, a tear running down your cheek. That person lifted your head until your eyes met when you saw their loving eyes. You sensed the care and gentleness they had towards you. Your heart was touched by this one’s protection, love, reassurance, and care for you…just you at that very moment.
Slow down and remember such a moment, such a person as this. Ponder the memory. If you cannot find this memory, imagine such a one.
God, our Father, feels this way about us, even more so, I’d say. God is our Creator. He loves each one of us. He is our Shield. He encircles us with His strength, His power, and His might. He defends and protects us in ways we cannot even know.
…: He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge,….Psalm 144:2 ESV
God is our glory, deserving our praise and exaltation. He is majestic. As we kneel before Him, the love and reverence we feel towards Him is given.
In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.Psalm 62:7 NKJV
He lifts us up high. As we stand, let nothing in the world pull us down. He sent His Son to die for us and nailed our sins to the cross. Ashamed …no, we are not to be, but we are to stand strong in the LORD.
For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die. Philippians 1:20 NLT
Lifting my head is looking up and seeing the Father’s glory, His reflection, His love. His touch is gentle and kind. He created me and knows my potential. He lifts me up. Confidence is being built in me through Him. Lifting my head helps me to see beyond my circumstances. The grief I am in the midst of needs to be walked through over time, but my head is lifted higher than that grief. My head is also higher than anything that is not of God. None of that controls me when my head is lifted.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.Psalm 40:2 ESV
I can see above this earthly plane. I know that God, my Father, lights the skies for my way as I follow Him. Fears are released and given no power for the LORD is the power. The LORD steadies me, holding me securely as I walk this life’s journey.
“Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?”Matthew 12:11 ESV
LORD, I pray that each one of us seek You, the Lifter of our heads, our salvation. You call us to come before You in thanksgiving and praise. We bow before the cross and ask for forgiveness, knowing that You have already poured Your grace upon us. Abba Father, thank You for giving us vision to see beyond our current point in this life, past the pain and suffering whether of ourselves, those around us, or of those in this world. You know all. You call us to Your side, lifting us from the miry clay. Thank You, Sweet LORD. We love You dearly. Amen.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up.James 4:10 NKJV
God sends His rain to the earth…this place we call home now. Earth. He sends rain by His will, by the ways He so pleases. We may experience drought or flooding for these are part of living on this earth.
Our spiritual lives sometimes suffer drought or flooding as well. Too much input, busyness can leave us with little room for God. Too little time spent with God can cause thirst for Him. Sometimes we do not even know what we are thirsty for, yet we know that we are.“Our hearts are dry and barren unless God Himself be as the dew to us and water us; and the plants of His own planting He will water and make them to increase.” Matthew Henry
I recall searching hard and long for something that I was missing, yet I did not know what that was. Years later, through many trials, through many seasons of drought and floods, I found Jesus. Jesus was Who I needed. I needed to know Him personally. He would give me Living Water and I would no longer be thirsty. The fruit of the Spirit could grow in me and then be harvested from me, from my field of new plantings. This field becomes rich in nutrients and water from the One Who is the Living Waters. I grow and pray I will continue to grow.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17
“…; we must lift up our eyes above the hills, lift them up to the heavens, where the original springs of all blessings are, out of sight, and thither must our praises return, as the first-fruits of the earth were in the heave-offerings lifted up towards heaven by way of acknowledgment that thence they were derived. All God’s blessings, even spiritual ones, are expressed by His raining righteousness upon us.”Matthew Henry
You crown the year with Your bounty;
Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 65:11-13
Everything in His world rejoices over the bounty of His harvest…the pastures, the hills, the meadows, the valleys. There is abundance in all He is and does. He rains down upon this earth. He sends His Love to us in His Son. He grants mercy upon these souls and bodies from on high. He whispers grace through His wind, through His Holy Spirit.
He crowns all He is and does, encompassing on every side, as a crown surrounds a head; as when something is completed, it is crowned. The fruitfulness of His world is in His hands, in His power.
How grateful I am, LORD. May You adorn Your world with the riches of harvest, both in fruit of the tree and the fruit of salvation. I shout my praises and honor to You, oh God. I am so very heartbroken in the broken and breaking shape of this world, of this nation. I know this is Your world and You know each and every one of Your creations. I may feel saddened by so much right now, yet I truly can rejoice in the love, the tender care, the peace, the hope I find in You. I look up to where my bounty and blessings come from. Hallelujah!
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
Let all these common gifts of the divine bounty, which we yearly and daily partake of, increase our love to God as the best of beings, and engage us to glorify Him with our bodies, which He thus provides so well for. Matthew Henry
Father, I am humbled by the beauty of Your Word, by the bounty of Your fields, by the benevolence of Your mercy, by the balance in all that surrounds. Father, in this season of giving thanks, I am reminded that offering my thanks daily is my desire and hope. I lift up my hands in praise to You, the Giver of my soul. You are my All, LORD. I love You and sing with joy as I ponder the sun rising, beginning each day anew, or watch the sun set, leaving the brilliance of pinks and oranges across the sky. You are Magnificent, Father. I see You all around me. Praising You and praying in the Name of the Bright Morning Star. Amen.
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.Psalm 119:10-11
לֵב
leb
inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding:
inner part, midst:
midst (of things)
heart (of man)
soul, heart (of man)
mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
conscience
heart (of moral character)
as seat of appetites
as seat of emotions and passions
as seat of courage
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Our heart is a place where we can be filled to the brim with things of God or things of this world. We have choices to make. Our heart can be wholly set apart to God and for Him. Or it can be wholly or even partially set upon the things that lead us away from God, lead us astray.
God calls us to Him. He wants us near to His heart. He loves us so and draws us to Him. He has given us many promises which are truly ours through obedience to Him.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules. Ezekiel 36:26-27
The meaning of the word heart that is in Psalm 119:10 (the Hebrew לֵב {leb} ) occurs 591 times in 546 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB. Throughout these many verses, heart can be interpreted to mean one of the many definitions listed above. Yet, they each and all lead to the same place: our steadfast relationship with God, our Maker.
Dependent upon what that relationship with God is at any given moment, we stand with Him or against Him. He wants us with Him always, but we are sinful and can reject Him.
See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject Him Who warns from heaven. Hebrews 12:25
In our darkness, we can easily walk away from the One Who made us for Himself. We take that which He gives to us and then pretend we never knew Him. He is the One Who knit us in our mother’s womb and saw us before the world even existed. Yet we can be stubborn and stiff-necked, thinking that we know what is best for us.
It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot Me.Hosea 13:5-6
I know I have walked away and thought I could control my own life and would control it. I thought I had the ability to be in charge. I wandered in the desert without enough water. I left peace and found agitation. I shooed comfort away only to know fear. I could not find shelter because I wanted to pitch my own tent, yet had nothing from which to make it.
My God will reject them because they have not listened to Him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.Hosea 9:17
But, one day, I looked to the heavens and saw the Hand of God reaching to me. I knew He had never left me nor did He forsake me even though I was one miserable person.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:17:20
God blesses me so. I want to praise Him with my whole heart. I come wholly to Him. I know I am not able to be whole for Him at every moment, yet I desire to be. My heart and soul and mind and body are His, wholly His. When a part fails God, I seek His forgiveness and His comforting arms. I praise You, Father.
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Zephaniah 3:14
My Abba Father, thank You for loving me unconditionally. I do not deserve it, but I desire You more than anyone or anything. I am hungry and thirsty and tired and needy. You have fed me with the Bread of Life, given me Living Water, rested me on Your bosom, sheltered me under Your wing, provided all that I need. You are gracious to me, Father. I am so grateful. LORD, I offer my whole self and pray that I stay on Your straight path. I want to be wholly Yours with my whole heart. May this be so. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.Psalm 86:11
יָחַד
yachad
to be (or become) one:—join, unite
Reading this Psalm recently, the first word of the last line really touched me…UNITE…Unite my heart. This phraseis about singleness of heart, a one-track heart, an undivided heart…focused upon God, and God Alone.
Is that possible?
David called upon God to unite his heart. He asked God to do this for Him so that he would, could fear His Name. He asked God for this unity of heart so he could revere the One Who called him to be king. He asked God to close any gaps that his heart may have had so he would stand in awe of the God Who called David a man after His heart.
“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22 (ref.: 1 Samuel 13:14)
God created this heart of mine so that I would, could love Him, honor Him, adore Him, and praise Him. I am to be focused upon Him with this oneness of heart. Yet I have this broken, divided heart because I live in this fallen world. I don’t mean for it to be this way. I try to focus on God and God Alone. Yet, my heart can lose sight and track of Him because I am looking everywhere but to Him for peace, love, gentleness, joy, and so much more. Oh, that I would turn from my own ways and look only to Him, always.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.Psalm 86:12
Oh, what I am able to do when my heart is united, when it is one whole instead of two or many pieces. I will praise Him. I will love Him. I will glorify my God with all of my heart. He wants all of me so that He can use all of me in this world. Oh, how this world needs Him! Oh, my! How it needs God!
Father God, I pray that You will unite my heart into one whole piece wholly desirous of You. I wish to focus upon only You. When I am at this place, LORD, I can see only You and, then, through Your love, your heart, I can see so much more clearly. Your clarity becomes mine in those precious moments. I can love this world in which You have placed me with an undivided heart. Oh, my LORD, unite my heart to be undivided and willingly, lovingly directed to You. May this be so in the Name of Jesus. I pray, O LORD. I pray. Amen.
You did it all, Father. Times past, and times today.
Knowing Who…
Praising God…
Yet God my King is from of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.Psalm 74:12
Bowing with a humble and gracious heart…
The living, the living, he thanks You,
as I do this day;
the father makes known to the children
your faithfulness.Isaiah 38:19
Telling our children about our Father God…
Reminding generations of Whom they came from…
What He did for us, for all and everything…
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.Psalm 145:4
Today and yesterday…
God’s power and strength in the midst of our weakness…
God’s wisdom when we know not…
God’s might when the enemies surround…
Joy and praise to the Holy One of Israel
…to the God Who delights in all creation
…to the God Who lights this world and takes away the darkness
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In singing this psalm we ought to give God the praise of what he has formerly done for his people, to represent our own grievances, or sympathize with those parts of the church that are in distress, to engage ourselves, whatever happens, to cleave to God and duty, and then cheerfully to wait the event. Matthew Henry (from his Commentary)
Father God, You are worthy of my praises. I am on my knees in quiet as I thank You for everything You have ever done for me, with me, in me, over me. You have graced me with Your Love and Your Salvation. You have protected me with You right hand. You comfort me in times of need. You show me Your righteousness through Jesus, Your Son, and a glimpse of Your righteousness through the lives of godly people here on earth. Praise You, Father, for all goodness and kindness that You shower upon me. You are Holy, LORD. You are Grace and Love and Might and Power and Peace. You are my All in all. I love You, LORD. I am praying in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Psalm 23:2
“Water determines the vitality, strength, and vigor of the sheep and is essential to its health and general well-being.” **
The physical body of sheep, of all animals, of all human beings, is made aware of a lack of water by thirst. When a physical body has not had enough water, dehydration, weakness, and serious other problems and/or damages can occur.
Interestingly, sheep do not require a pond or a water trough fed by a deep well in order to obtain the right amount of water for their physical well-being. Sheep can even go for months without actually drinking. Yet, they need water more often than “going for months without” might imply. A very important source of water for sheep is a heavy dew on the grass…the pasture. Sheep will usually begin feeding just before dawn. They may also feed at night fall when the moon is bright. If circumstances are right for dew, the grass would be drenched at those hours, making the sheep’s intake of water a feast enough for their bodies’ needs.
In order for sheep to have enough grass upon which to feed, the shepherd leads them to the pastures that have a fresh growth of grass and a stream with clean, clear water nearby. He knows just where he is leading them for exactly what they need so that the sheep remain healthy.
When sheep become thirsty, they become restless, setting out on their own if the shepherd leaves them to their own devices. They may end up at a mud hole or at a water supply that is contaminated. Consequently, they may end up with internal parasites or other disease germs.
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The Good Shepherd will lead us, as well. He knows where “the quiet, deep, clean, pure water is to be found that can satisfy His sheep and keep them fit.”
Dew is such a beautiful picture of the still waters as they hang heavy as water droplets. Looking into a droplet, a tiny reflection can be seen in its clarity. May we see clearly as we look into our souls and see that we need Jesus.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:12-13
I went my our own way. I tried to do things my way. I did not even look for anyone (or any One) to help me. I drank muddy water. I wandered aimlessly into fields where there was no water for my thirst. Oh, so many times I searched for something I thought I needed or wanted in my life only to find that I was lost. I had gone the wrong way, hewing out my own way, my own cistern. I became broken. I could not do things myself without becoming hungry or thirsty. I needed Jesus. I needed a Shepherd.
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.1 Peter 2:25
Little did I know that I needed Him to lead me in His ways…to those still, clear, refreshing waters where I could be refreshed and made whole.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”John 7:37-38
διψάω
dipsaō
to suffer thirst, suffer from thirst
figuratively, those who are said to thirst who painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened
When one drinks, she/he takes in, accepts, believes. When I drank of the Living Waters, the life of Christ became a part of me. I believed and asked Him to be my LORD and Savior. The closer I walk with my Shepherd, the more I become like Jesus. I do not thirst. My Shepherd quenches all thirst as long as I stay close.
Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.John 6:35
Thirsty souls are only quenched in Jesus, by Jesus, through Jesus.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6
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Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-15
I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Hosea 14:4-6
Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace.
…from an old hymn, “Dear Lord and Father Of Mankind,” by John Greenleaf Whitter
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.Isaiah 41:17
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrew 13:20-21) Father God, I pray the words of Hebrew as my own and thank You for breathing new life into me through Your Son. You led this sheep to water and I thirst no more. I am sorry when I stray. As I age, it seems I am doing that less and less. I praise You for loving this sheep and never losing me. I thank You and praise Your Name through Christ. Amen.
** quotes by W. Phillip Keller in “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”
Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.Psalm 93:5 ESV
Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. NKJV
Your testimonies are fully confirmed; Holiness befits Your house, O LORD, forevermore. NASB
The rules you set down are completely reliable. Holiness aptly adorns your house, O LORD, forever. NET
The sure justice that is to come stands upon the solid holiness of our God. He is Who He says He is. He does what He says He will do. He is faithful and trustworthy in all and everything. As I learn to walk in the ways of the LORD, I feel that surety in my steps because He orders them. Everything about God is just, truthful, strong, perfect.
“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.”Deuteronomy 32:4
צוּר
tsuwr
rock, sharp edge, stone
Mighty One, Refuge, Protection for Israel
strength
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity: just and right is he.WEB
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.NKJV
A rock is solid and strong. God is our Rock. He is our Stronghold. He is stable. He is upright and authoritative. That pillar above is strong and stable. It holds up so much.
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Exodus 13:21-22
עַמּוּד
`ammuwd
column, pillar, upright, platform
God, a pillar of strength. The pillars of cloud and fire held God. How much stronger can anything be?
Father God, You are my LORD. You are my Rock. You are strong and mighty. You have brought me from the depths of darkness and have loved me into Your Light, continuing to love me into the beauty of Your Light. Your Son is my Savior, the Light. I am most grateful and filled with respect for He is my Salvation. Thank You, Father, for standing firm in my weakness. You are my Refuge where I am protected. I know that Your justice is perfect and will come one day to this world just as I know that Your perfect way keeps me aligned with You when I obey. Lead me to Your Rock for it is higher than I. You are my Stronghold. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
The Lord is over all and the only One Who can supply all our needs, provide all the help that the world just cannot supply. With so much going on in these days we are living in, I so wish that things would be better, that people would not be oppressed, hungry, killed. I just want us to live in peace with everyone, with all nations. But Jesus said:
And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.Mark 13:7-8
…but while we live in these times, we are to remember Who is the only One Who saved us, can save us, and will come for us when the time is right.
Psalm 146:1-4
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lordas long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
Father God, I lift my hands to You and feel Your strong arms reach to me, this child of Yours. You hold me closely and I am secure in You. Father, why is there so much that feels so terribly wrong in this world? Why is there starvation? war? murder of innocents? fear of what others may do? chaos? kidnappings? … this list does not end, Father. Why? I am sad, Abba Father. Just too much that is wrong. But there is only one answer and that is the fall of man; evil came to live with us. Oh, Father, Your strong arms remind me that one day, Jesus will come for us who have placed our trust in the One Who is Salvation, Who is the Holy One, and will bring us into His home where there will be no more tears nor pain.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
Father, I want to stay close and feel the comfort of Your love as I am wrapped in Your arms.I thank You for the very salvation that Jesus brought to us so that one day we will be free from all that is of this world. I have always been sad that You felt that You were sorry You ever made man back in the early times.
So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for Iamsorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7)
I sense You feel that way today. But You know the times for they are in Your hands. Walk with me through the remaining days of my life. I crawl into Your arms, my Abba Father, one of your lambs. I thank You and love You so. In the Strong Name of Jesus. Amen.
Being Woven 