Egypt

"Salvation delivers you out of Egypt, but the wilderness is designed to work Egypt out of you."

Priscilla Shier -- One in a Million

Awesome Passage

Read this in my quiet time this morning... what an awesome passage of Scripture... a great one to pray back as a praise to the Father....

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 NIV

Something to hold onto today....

I read this verse in my quiet time this morning. I was reading through the classic devotional Daily Light (you can read it here online: http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/daily.light/ ) and this was one of the verses they included for today. My devotion is a rewrite and uses the NIV. I got an ESV for Christmas, so I looked the verse up in it and I love the way it reads....

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." Isa. 12:2 ESV

How awesome is that!? God is our salvation... we have no reason to be afraid of anything! Hold on to that promise today... and tomorrow... and the day after.... etc. As long as you need it. I would even encourage you to hide it in your heart so it is there whenever you need it!

Shalom... Peace in 2009

Last year I was reading something on journalling and the author talked about picking a word for the year. I thought that was neat, so I thought a bit... prayed a bit... and decided my word would be Gratitude. I did pretty well holding on to the word for the first bit, but as with many "neat" ideas, I let it slide. Every so often something would pop up and remind me that I was to have an attitude of gratitude this year... but I often fell short. Still, I am glad I picked a word and glad God used various means to remind me of that throughout the year. It often served as an attitude adjustor.

So what will this year's word be? One heard a lot... one that really isn't unique, but one we all seek ... Peace. I spent a season of life in bondage to fear and anxiety and peace was all I craved. I begged for it... covetted it... longed for it... would have died for it... and the thing is I had it all along, I just didn't let it rule my heart. It is a harsh reality, but often we keep ourselves in bondage when freedom is ours for the asking.

Over the past few days I have heard folks talk about 2008... the economic turmoil.. continuing unrest in Middle East... how they hope 2009 will be better... how so many in our nation are worried, upset, frightened... and I realized I am not. Am I like an ostrich with my head in the sand unaware of what is happening around me? No... I am fully aware. I have dear friends whose husbands are out of work... friends with sons and husbands in the Middle East... I also have friends who are battling cancer or watch a love one in that battle... friends who struggle with addiction... friends who are grieving the loss of their precious child or their spouse... I am well aware of the woes of this world... and yet, I am not frightened... I am at peace. Why?

Because I know to whom I belong and the cool thing is HE is in control. I know so many think of that as a trite answer, but trite or not it is true! God is very much in control. NONE of this surprises Him. And like it or not our true security... our true provision... our true healing... real peace... lie not in money, jobs, doctors, medicine, programs, bailouts, government... but in HIM.

So this year I am choosing to live in that reality... that I am His... that HE is in control.. that HE is returning soon... that He has work for me to do... and He has work for you too!

I pray that you know Him... that you know the peace He brings because I can tell you from personal experience it is a peace that truely does pass all understanding. It is the best high you will ever experience! You cannot beat it.

If you are looking for peace, first you need to find the Peace Giver... Jehovah-Shalom and His precious son, the Prince of Peace. I can tell you all about them and how to know them... just post a comment here with your email address. If you already know Him.. HALLELUJAH!... grab your Bible or get online at one of the many Bible resources and start looking for Peace verses. there are many! You can also look at Do Not Fear verses (there are 365 of those.. 1 for each day of the year). When you choose not to fear, you are choosing peace.

Here are some peace verses to get you started...

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Col 3:15

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isa. 26:3

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

My prayer for you... "the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Num. 6:26

Shalom! Barb

Psalm 60 - 64

When I started reading Psalm 60, I thought here is another whiny Psalm where the author feels God has rejected him… and in a way that is true… but then I saw how timely and pertinent this Psalm is. 

So many feel God rejected our nation with election of Barak Obama.  They fail to acknowledge that God establishes authority (Rom. 13:1) or that he has a plan in all this (Hab. 1) 

This Psalm sounds like the “cries” I’ve heard recently. 

Verses 1- 3 “You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; You have been angry – now restore us!  You have shaken the land and torn it open… you have shown your people desperate times…” 

Certainly we are seeing desperate times and our land has been shaken and I personally feel more is to come. 

Verse 4 proclaims hope and truth “But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.” 

Jesus is our banner – our faith in Him – we must cling to Him … walk in faith no matter our circumstances. 

God is at work. We need to seek Him and trust Him always… for “the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory.” (v. 11 & 12) 

Psalm 61 follows as a prayer crying out to God in time of need. 

“… lead me the rock that is higher than I .  For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”  (v. 2 & 3) 

Jesus is the Rock and He is most definitely higher. 

Psalm 62 is a familiar friend. 

“My sould finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”  (v. 1 & 2) 

What verses to pray and promises to stand on! 

And the Psalmist reminds us again of who God is… 

“Find rest, O my soul,. In God alone; my hope comes from Him.  He alone is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”  (v. 5-8) 

Psalm 63 is another familiar friend... one of the most wonderful Psalms David wrote. 

“I God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my body longs for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (v. 1) 

How I want to always long for and seek God in this way. 

“Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.  I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.”  (v. 3-5) 

This should be my heart… my life… each day… to praise God because He is good.. He is better than life! 

And for David it is 24 / 7… in Verse 1, earnestly can also be translated early… so early will I seek you. 

Then in verse 6 He says “on my bed I remember You; I think of You throughout the watches of the night.” 

For David, seeking God … praising Him… worshipping… was all day and night… every moment. 

Psalm 64 again finds the Psalmist crying out to God, but not in a whiny way… it is more of an “OK, God, here are the problem in my life.. take care of them.”  In a way the Psalmist is doing what Ps. 55:22 says to do. “Cast your cares on the Lord…” and he knows God will take care of Him.  Verse 10 “Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise Him.” 

"I am God..."

Written October 27, 2008

As I prayed for a word, God led me to read Isaiah 46 this morning….

Verse 4 is a wonderful promise to all of us, especially to the elderly who might feel forgotten…

“Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He. I am He who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

What God emphasized for me is from verse 9 “I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.”

I was drawn back to chapter 45 and saw this point made there several times…

v. 3 “… so that you know that I am the Lord.”

v. 5 “I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.”

v. 6 “… I am the Lord and there is no other.”

v. 8 “… I am the Lord and there is no other.”

v. 21 “… there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.”

v. 22 “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.”

Now this is a Truth – really the Truth… and it is one I know.  So I wondered a bit as to why God led me here – what He is teaching me.  I think part of it is to remind me that He is God and I need to be careful not to make things in my life my god… to keep Him in the right place in my life.

I will be curious to see how this week plays out and how this verse (these verses actually) is a part of it.

One more passage from Chapter 46 that seems relevant to me … verses 9-13 “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning from ancient times, what is still to come.  I say, ‘My purpose will stand and I will do what I please.’ … What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.  Listen to me you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness, I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed.  I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.”

WOW!  What a promise!

 

Psalm 26 & 27

from September 17, 2008

Psalm 26 is a bit difficult for me. David is telling God why He should vindicate him... how he (David) is blameless.. has unwavering trust in the Lord.. avoids evil... etc.

Now I'm not doubting David or saying he is a liar, but I cannot claim to be blameless.. to have unwavering trust etc. So for me, this Psalms is a list of things I want to be, but because of my humanness I can't. But I can pray these verses and ask God to strengthen my trust that it might not waver... to help me avoid evil... to praise Him that through the blood of Jesus I am blameless.

The scariest verse to me is verse 2 "Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind." It takes courage and fortitude to pray that and mean it, but WOW the growth that comes from a time of testing is priceless.

Psalm 27 is an old friend. I struggled with a stronghold of fear for a number of years and Psalm 27:1 was one of my "fear" verses. I clung to these verses, praying them over and over.

Ps. 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"

Today as I read, I was struck by 2 verses.. the end of verse 4 "to gave upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple" and verse 8 "My heart says of You, 'seek His face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek."

Jer. 29:13 assures us that when we seek the Lord, he will be found.

These verses contain a great goal...the ultimate goal for a believer... to seek God, to seek that deep personal intimate relationship with Him. What more could we want or need?

What a Promise!

"He (God) saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5-7 NIV

I have read through the book of Titus numerous times..... done studies on it.... so I know I have read this passage, but these verses jumped out at me in my quiet time recently... as if God had just spoken them for the first time... I could hear the echo of His voice.

What powerful awesome words! The reality found in this short passage is overwhelming if you really stop and think about it.

God... the creator of ALL... chose to save us not because we are worth saving... not because we do good things... but because He is a merciful God. This is one of the reasons I believe once saved always saved. Falling from grace hinges on my actions but the Word makes it clear that my actions have nothing to do with salvation... other than the act of confessing and believing in Jesus Christ.

And then He went a step further and gave us the Holy Spirit... not just a drop... He poured out the Spirit on us generously.... How awesome is that!

And all of this so we might become joint heirs with Jesus and have eternal life through Him!