Our conforming is to yield to the discipline of the Lord through our trials. That results in the fruit of righteousness when we embrace our trials and allow them to train us to be conformed to His image. Hebrews 12:11. Romans 8:29.

The pursuit of godliness enables us to include the Lord in everything we do. Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” 

Psalm 10:4 says, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of their thoughts.” As we are out in the world, among the ungodly, we are to represent Jesus in our actions and conversations. We can only do that when we include Him in our moments with them. I love the template of Acts 4:13. Do the people you interact with recognize you have been with Jesus? May all who know us see Jesus in us.

What are you pursuing in your life?  We can take Paul’s instruction to Timothy and make personal application. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 was written about those who were not content. Their desires were ungodly.

Verse 11 says, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” We could take each of these six things and expand their meanings through Scripture.

Isaiah 64:6 says that our fleshly righteousness is as filthy rags. At salvation, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That is our standing.

Isaiah 32:17 is our state ~ progressive sanctification. It says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” I like to think of this verse as the work of a potter on a wheel. The clay has to conform to the pressure of the potter’s hand.

Catching up. The next six days of devotionals were typed the morning just before I fell November 18. They are from memorizing 1 Timothy 6:1-17

Heart Belief Actions~Part Two

Our words come from our heart’s beliefs. Our beliefs are formed from our experiences. I encourage you to ask this the next time you get upset. ‘What do I believe about myself right this minute?’ It is a great way the Holy Spirit showed me years ago to reveal the lies that I had believed.

Remember that the enemy shoots fiery darts designed to penetrate our minds and seed into our hearts. Ephesians 6:16. They are lies that unknowingly control our actions. When doubts assail our mind, it is a clear indication that our faith is under attack.

If we do not quench a fiery dart, it will set up a stronghold in our heart. That lie may lay dormant for years. Yet, when we face an impossible circumstance, a negative thought may come seemingly out of nowhere. If we don’t take it captive through truth from God’s word, we will make it our own by dialoguing with it.

Forgot to send this yesterday. In Psalm 121:5, “The Lord is your keeper…” Hebrew is protector

In verses 7 and 8 “The Lord shall preserve you…” the Hebrew is keep

Psalm 119:4-5 it says, “You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!”

The Hebrew for keep is: guard, observe, give heed, retain, treasure up (in memory)

We ‘keep’ or default to His word through memorizing and meditating so we can observe to do. Joshua 1:8

Here’s Psalm 119:5 in the Amplified. “Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes (hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them)!”

Psalm 146-150 start and end with Praise the Lord!

Today I read Psalm 29, 59, 89, 119, and 149

Psalm 119 is a verdant field of life-giving words. In June 2023 the Holy Spirit led me to meditate through all 176 verses

It’s broken into eight verse segments. I did one segment at a time. All typed out. I highlighted underlined or circled the words. Looked up the Hebrew meaning. It was an amazing rich time 

Yesterday I started memorizing again. First time since I got out of rehab. My last memorizing was 1 Timothy 6. I got through verse 17 before I fell 

Psalm 119:2-3. Those who keep God’s word: do no iniquity (doing things in our own strength apart from the Lord) 

Keeping His word empowers us to walk in His ways 

Psalm 119:1-7 defines God’s word six different ways. Law. Testimonies. Precepts. Statutes. Commandments. Righteous judgments

Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”

Psalm 148 starts and ends with, “Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 22:3 says that the Lord inhabits our praise

In 2 Chronicles 20:22, when they began to praise, the Lord set ambushes and defeated their enemies

Praise is our strategic weapon of warfare

I was thinking about praise. Animals shake off the stress after they have escaped a predator

Praise is God’s way for us to shake off the stress of adversity

Stress, even caused from negative thoughts, takes our body into fight flight or freeze. Harm!

Sympathetic. Calm is rest and digest. Parasympathetic. No harm!

Remember Paul. He shook off the viper that latched onto his hand. No harm!

Praise takes our focus off the adverse situation onto the Lord