You Made Me; You Created Me. Now Give Me The Sense To Follow Your Commands.

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You Made Me;

You Created Me.

Now Give Me The Sense To Follow Your Commands.

Scripture

Psalm 119

73 You made me; you created me.
    Now give me the sense to follow your commands.

Observation

You made me; You created me. You have given me the Bible, Your Living Word. Now give me the sense to follow Your commands. Give me the sense to put into practice what I read every day.

I don't know about you, but Psalm 119:73 is a good prayer for me. God, just give me the sense to do what You tell me as I read Your Word every morning. Don't let me be a fool and be disobedient.

Psalm 119:73 goes right along with what I also read in Ephesians 5:15-17 which says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

The decision to live like a fool and ignore God's Word is always an option for us. It is a dumb decision to make but it is still always an option on the table. Stupid is as stupid does.

I hope that you are wise enough to realize that God made you; God created you. And hopefully you have enough sense to know that God wants You to follow His commands.

Application

I will be careful how I live. I will not live like a fool, but I will be like someone who is wise. I will make most of every opportunity. I will not act thoughtlessly, I will seek to understand what the Lord wants me to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17 personalized)

How about you? How have you decided to live?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I love Your Word. Thank You for helping me realize how important spending time each day in Your Word is for me. Help me to walk in obedience. Don't let me do stupid sins that will mess up my relationship with You and will mess up my relationship with those around me.

I pray for any person who takes the time to read this blog. Bless them, Lord. Help them to walk in obedience. Don't let them live like a fool.

Daily Bible Reading: Ephesians 5,6; Psalms 119:1-80

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Always Be Joyful. Never Stop Praying. Be Thankful In All Circumstances

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Always Be Joyful.

Never Stop Praying.

Be Thankful In All Circumstances

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5

16 Always be joyful. 

17 Never stop praying. 

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Observation

Here are three choices that we are commanded to make … they are not optional if you and I want to live an abundant life. The first two choices begin with “Always” and “Never” which are two words that married couples should never throw at one another. Only God can use those two words and back them up!

The first command is to always be joyful. The Apostle Paul doesn't say, “Always be happy!” Joy comes from deep inside of us … it is internal … it is abiding … it comes from our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Happiness is momentary and fleeting. Happiness is pleasure and Joy is a sacrifice.

Never stop praying! Don't give up! Prayer is not just something someone does right before they go to bed. I have people tell me that and I think to myself, “How sad is that!” Prayer is not a duty. It is talking to our Heavenly Father about every detail of our lives all the time – morning … noon … and night … 24/7! It should be as natural for us as breathing in the air that keeps us alive!

The next command is tough, “Be thankful in all circumstances ...” The verse doesn't say, “Be thankful for all circumstances” rather it says “in” all circumstances. You and I are going to go through some terrible things in life. Many of us have already experienced horrific circumstances and God doesn't say to be thankful for those terrible things.

If you and I have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ then we can be thankful no matter what is happening around us or that are even happening to us knowing that our Heavenly Father is right there with us. And He will walk through the most difficult times right beside us.

Application

I am going to always be joyful. I am never going to stop praying. I am going to be thankful in all circumstances.

How about you? Whining and Complaining or Joyful, Prayerful, and Thankful?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me put into practice I Thessalonians 5:16-18! Don't let me whine and complain. Don't let me allow my circumstances dictate and influence my attitude. Help me to remember to talk to You about every little thing going on in my life. Give me a thankful heart. I want to experience Your joy deep inside of me no matter what is happening around me.

I pray for the person reading this blog who is down and discouraged. Help them to be thankful in all circumstances. Cause them to smile today with the joy of the Lord. Bless them, Lord.

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4,5; 2 Thessalonians 1,2,3

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The LORD Directs The Steps Of The Godly. He Delights In Every Detail Of Their Lives

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The LORD

Directs The Steps Of The Godly.

He Delights In Every Detail Of Their Lives.

Scripture

Psalm 37

23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.

Observation

Since God directs the steps of the godly and delights in every detail of their lives I think it would be super important to know who would be considered godly by our Heavenly Father.

First, it would not be someone who is perfect because that would rule all of us out. Second, it would not be someone who is not a sinner because that would also rule all of us out.

So who would it be?

Here is my definition of someone who is godly and maybe you could come up with something better.

A godly person is someone who recognizes that there is a Creator God who loves him or loves her. A God who loved us so much that He left Heaven and came down to this earth as Jesus Christ. Jesus, who lived a perfect life then suffered and died a horrible death on a cross, to pay the penalty for our sins. A godly person is a person who places their faith and their trust in what Jesus did for them on the cross. Yes, they have repented of their sins and they have allowed Jesus to be their Lord and their Savior.

And after trusting in Christ and becoming a child of God, a person who is considered godly by God, in my opinion, is one who strives to put God and God's Kingdom first in his or her life on a daily basis.

As we live lives of obedience, as we make God smile, we can claim Psalm 37:23!

Application

It is my plan to live my life in a way that causes my God to delight in me!

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me stay away from sin today. Don't let me yield to the temptation to sin. I want You to be able to delight in me. I want You to direct my steps today. Guide me in the right direction. Show me how to use my time wisely. Help me to live in a way that causes You to smile and causes You to delight in me.

I pray for any person who may read this blog today. Help them to do the same.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezra 7,8; Luke 20; I added: Psalm 7, Psalm 37; Proverbs 7

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More Blessed Are All Who Hear The Word Of God And Put It Into Practice

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More Blessed

Are All Who Hear The Word Of God

And Put It Into Practice

Scripture

Luke 11

27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Observation

Are you blessed and highly favored? Jesus lets us know in Luke 11:27-28 how we can be just that!

No, it is not enough to go to church and hear sermons about the Bible … even though that is something we should be doing (or at least watching online). And it is not enough to read God's Word every day ... no, even that is not enough.

Jesus says, “... blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.”

The religious leaders of Jesus' day had memorized large portions of God's Word, yet they failed to put it into practice.

James, the half brother of Jesus, also tells us, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

So the question is this ... what have we heard from God through His Word that we are not putting into practice?

Application

Lord, convict me and make me miserable when I choose to disobey what You have told me to do in Your Word.

How about you?

James 4:17

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to walk in obedience. I want to please You with the decisions that I make. Convict me and make me miserable when I choose to go against what You have told me in Your Word.

I pray for any person reading this blog. Help them to daily be in Your Word and help them to put into practice what they read or hear. Give them the strength today to walk in obedience. Free them from anything that might have a hold on their life. Help them to be a person of integrity and honesty.

Daily Bible Reading: Zechariah 1,2,3; Luke 11

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You Are Blessed Because You Believed That The Lord Would Do What He Said.

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You Are Blessed

Because You Believed

That The Lord Would Do What He Said.

Scripture

Luke 1

45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.

Observation

In Luke 1 we find the story of two miraculous conceptions, Elizabeth's, the mother of John the Baptist, and Mary's, the mother of Jesus. I never get tired of reading the Christmas story even if it is in the month of September! Tomorrow I know that I will be reading Luke 2!

Why would God pick a teenage girl named Mary to be the mother of Jesus? I think that we can see part of the reason from what Elizabeth shared in Luke 1:45 when she said, “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

When Mary was told by the Angel Gabriel that she was going to become pregnant even though she was a virgin her response was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

If you and I want to live a “blessed life” then we need to follow the example of Mary and other great Bible characters and live lives of obedience.

Luke 11:28

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Application

I plan to obey what I have read in God's Word knowing that with obedience comes a blessing!

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to put into practice what I read in Your Word every day. Don't let me get sidetracked. I want to continue to live a life that is blessed so help me to be obedient to what You say.

I pray for any person who may read this blog today. Help them to walk in obedience. Give them the strength to say “no” to sin and “yes” to You! Help them to live a life that is blessed by You!

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 45,46; Luke 1

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Be Still,

And Know

That I Am God!

Scripture

Psalm 46

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

Observation

If we are not careful, if we are not very careful, we will find ourselves supporting something that is contrary to everything that God says is good. There are so many voices, so many voices today are loudly saying things that are totally contrary and against what God says in His Word.

We live in a noisy, crazy, chaotic world and the prince of this world is Satan. His purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy.

God says, “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Application

I will spend time in God's Word everyday. I will ask God to give me wisdom and discernment to know what to support and what not to support.

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You tell me to be still and know that You are God. I know that You are a Sovereign God. You are All-Powerful. You are All Knowing. I know that nothing that is happening in our country is catching You by surprise. Don't let me follow the wrong voices. I pray that You raise up godly leaders. Leaders who clearly know the right direction for our country. I pray for peace. Division and lawlessness is the work of the evil one.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 29,30,31,32; Revelation 11; I added: Psalm 6, Psalm 46; Proverbs 6

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