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Here is a new song about adversity:

Song of the Altar
In the midst of adversity when trouble surrounds me. I come into Your presence and I build an altar. I remember how You met me time and time again and I bow in worship.

Nothing can overtake me when I hide in You. Nothing can overwhelm me when I look to You. I set my eyes on You and I gaze into Your face. I bask in the love of Your eyes full of grace.

No one can comfort me like You O Lord. I will make Your presence my abiding place as I hide in You from the tempest of this storm. Yes I’ll hide in You as I bow and worship at Your feet.

John 19 is the narrative of Jesus’ death for you and me. There is a chorus: Living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away. Rising He justified, freely forever, one day He’s coming O glorious day.

When we face adversity on our knees in worship, He envelopes us in His love. Psalm 22:3 says that He is enthroned in our praise. He is always present, but somehow our praise welcomes Him into our atmosphere. He reveals Himself to us in ways that we have not known Him before.

There is always the temptation to negative dialogue when adversity hits. The Lord has a more excellent way. Isaiah 28:6 says, “…for strength to turn back the battle at the gate.” Our gate is our thoughts.

When we direct our thoughts into the love that the Lord has for us we are strengthened in our inner man. Remember Jesus’ words in John 19:30. ‘It is finished’ is the final word against anything the enemy throws at us.

Ephesians 3:16 Amplified says, “May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the (Holy) Spirit (Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality).”

Peter must have thought that he knew himself well. He was very confident in his words that he would never deny Jesus. Yet, what happened?

John 18:3 says that Judas came with a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. Quite an assembly. Peter audaciously drew out his sword in verse 10.

Verse 15 says that John and Peter followed Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. John went right in but Peter stood outside. Then John went back and brought Peter in. In verse 17 Peter denied that he was one of Jesus’ disciples.

Verse 18 Peter warmed himself with the others. One of them asked if he was a disciple and he denied it. Here was the clincher. Remember that Peter cut off a man’s ear when he swung his sword? A relative of that man said: didn’t I see you in the garden with Jesus? Verse 27 says, “Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.”

How well do you think you know yourself as you face adversity? Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

We don’t know what is hidden in our heart. We don’t know what the next second holds for us. We do not even know our thoughts before we think them. The Lord knows all three.

I like to remind myself of 1 Chronicles 28:9. The Amplified says, “…For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts…”

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Peter fell hard. Even though the Lord warned him that satan was going to sift him, he certainly thought he knew himself better than he did.

So it is with us. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Let us walk in humility and shun the presumptuous sins that are fueled by pride.

I would encourage you to read Romans 6 again in light of temptations to sin. Paul wrote these words to Timothy, but they give us great wisdom in the face of any temptation. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

When we bring Romans 6 into our heart it will become part of our thought processes. It is no longer print on a page, but activated truth that brings inner transformation. It becomes His active righteousness that empowers us to resist every temptation. It is the truth we know experientially that sets us free from the entanglement of sin.

We stand and keep on standing by keeping His word alive in our thoughts. Remember that His word is a two-edged sword. We can whip it out and slice the life out of the temptation. Speaking truth is our heart’s breath. Psalm 15:2 says, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.”

John 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing God’s word. Our thoughts become words. As we continue to walk in truth and speak it in our heart, our faith will be strengthened and increased. 3 John verse 4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” The Lord is Truth. Our lives will be a testimony of His truth within us that will please Him. Experiential truth bears fruit that glorifies Him.

My local newspaper article for this Saturday

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. It was inaugurated by the Plymouth colonists. They wanted to express their thankfulness to the one true God who had led them to this country in order to have the freedom of religion. They were grateful to be freed from the tyrannical rule of a country which was forcing them to conform to the state church. It was against what they believed. They risked their lives to come to America.

We don’t have to wait for an annual holiday to be thankful. We can choose to be thankful every moment of our days. One facet of God’s will for our lives is thankfulness. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Do you give thanks in everything?

Psalm 136:1 says, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” This verse lays out the foundation for our thankfulness. The Lord is Good. It is His nature. Yes, even the trials that He allows in our lives are for our good. 

Each time we thank Him for our trial He is honored. We are stating that He is Good no matter what our circumstances are. We are also stating that He is Trustworthy. Therefore we deliberately choose to not complain, but instead, to be thankful in our present circumstances. He truly is in control of all things. Nothing goes without notice in our lives. He orchestrates every situation in our lives for our good because He is Good. He cannot work outside of His Goodness.

Romans 5:3 Amplified says, “Moreover (let us also be full of joy now!) let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.” He was saying that right now, in the midst of our trials, is the time to triumph in joy.

We are still in the throes of a worldwide pandemic. Our lives have radically changed. Yet, God remains the same. He is still in control though we may feel that our life has been tipped upside down from this virus-invasion. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

God carefully and watchfully monitors our lives. Though others may mean something for evil, God will work it around until it is for our best interest. Romans 5:3-4 recorded that progress. It says, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Hope is the anchor of our soul and the fruit of our trials.

James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” We can be joyful in our trials because God is at work through them. In Hebrews 12:2 it says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. 

Let’s look at the end of the life of one who has believed in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Jude verse 24 says, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” The joy set before Jesus was us. The joy set before us is Him receiving us with joy.  

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” My reader, God has no desire for you to perish. If you have never come to a saving knowledge of God, you can do so right now.

Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  

The heart and the mouth have to agree to believe. It is impossible for God to lie; therefore you can take Him at His word. We are eternal beings. We will live on after we die on this earth. Where will you spend eternity? It is God’s desire that you will spend it with Him.

J Marilyn Adams has published numerous paperbacks and ebooks on Amazon. She makes practical application to God’s truths from her years of teaching and counseling. She also posts a daily devotional on Facebook, and her blog msmorningmanna.com.

I’m always amazed each time I read John 18:37-38. Jesus, who is the Truth, stood before Pilot. He had just said, “…I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” It is obvious that Pilot did not hear Jesus’ words. In verse 38 he said, “…What is truth?…”

How do we fall into sin-ruts? We don’t really understand Romans 6. Verse 1-2 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” The only answer is because we were and are still deceived.

Verse 11 says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Dead things have no response. I have read that when a raven comes upon what looks like a dead animal, they will peck at their eyes. If the animal doesn’t flinch then they know they are dead.

When we accept and dialogue with a temptation to sin, we demonstrate that we have not reckoned ourselves dead to sin. The temptation is just a warning for us to flee! When we instantly flee, the drawing-enticing power of the temptation is instantly broken.

Jesus spoke to the Jews in John 5. Verses 38-40 say, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

We can go to church, seminars, conferences, and read books that speak of truth. However, until that truth becomes part of our daily lives, we are like the verse says in 2 Timothy 3:7. It says, “Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

How do we get stuck in sin-ruts? James 1:14-15 is a great passage to understand the progression. Sin is always a choice. It says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

Let’s go back to the negative dialogue. I want to use David as an example. 2 Samuel 11:1 says that when it was the season for the kings to go out to battle that David stayed home. He shirked his kingly duty. 

Verse 2 says, “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.”

What would you have done in a similar situation? Joseph is a great example for us. He was hounded daily by Potiphar’s wife to lie with her. Genesis 39:12 says, “That she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.”

When you are tempted to sin—flee! If the temptation becomes a dialogue in your mind, it will draw you through the hidden sin in your heart and you will be enticed. How much better to remove the hidden sin-rut by casting up a highway for the Lord to dwell in your heart.

Numbers 32:23 says, “…you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” David did everything he could to hide his sin, but he was busted. He wrote Psalm 51. We need to acknowledge our sin-rut as sinning against the Lord. Verse 4 says, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.”

The more we hide God’s word in our hearts, the less room for dirt piles. I was shocked when my dad and I took up the carpet in our house. The dirt and debris was astounding. It was hidden for years until it was all revealed.

Do you sweep dirt under the carpet of your heart? Do you have sins that keep you ensnared and stuck in a rut? Hebrews 12:1 says, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

I remember in youth camp when we used to do three legged races. It was a lot of fun, but so hard to remain upright because we were encumbered.

Isaiah 40:3-4 says, “…Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.”

I was thinking about this before I went to bed last night. How do we make a highway for our God? We dig into His word in order to dig out of our sin-ruts.

Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Sin-ruts keep us trapped. They hinder our walk with the Lord. What is our practical application? We take our sin-rut and find a verse that speaks to our heart about it.

I want to use negative dialogue as an example. Psalm 19:14 is a great heart-monitor verse. It says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

We dig into the soil of our heart and plant this verse by memorizing it. Then we meditate or ponder it by rolling it around in our thoughts. It becomes a seed that bears fruit. The next time we start to negative dialogue, it stands up as a testimony to help us course correct.

Here is a new song:

Your Favor

Thank You for Your favor. It surrounds me like a shield. As I take each ordered step. My feet You intentionally place. Step by step You lead me upon Your charted course. You have gone before to prepare the way

Any obstacle or delay. They have orchestrated purpose. So I must wait. To rush ahead is foolishness. Your timing is pristine. Take my hand Lord and help me find Your way. Each path is chosen and carefully planned

Don’t chafe, fret, or pine. All in time – My time – you will find perfect peace and rest

I love Ephesians 1:11. We can lean on it, stand in it, and embrace it with a believing heart. It says, “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works ALL things according to the counsel of His will.”

It is His will that we walk in the fullness of His irrevocable gifts of joy, peace, and favor. Here is a question. Would you purposely cover over your treasures with dirt? I wouldn’t and I am sure you would not either.

Then why do we allow anything from the enemy to cast his dirt? Here is something to ponder that the Lord showed me last night. Anytime our flesh reacts it is deflecting us away from a hidden lie.

They were fiery darts that we allowed to penetrate, make our own, and parrot them with our mouths. They are buried in our unconscious. Fiery dart-lies are strategically designed to control.

When we react it is a blessing. The Lord has, at that moment, allowed us to recognize there is a hidden lie. If we stop and confess our pride-reaction as sin, His grace will be there to expose the lie so we can be set free. Ask Him: why did I react? What do I believe about myself right now?

Unforgiveness is direct disobedience to God’s command to forgive as we have been forgiven. Worry is direct disobedience rooted in unbelief that the Lord will take care of us. Disobedience is rooted in pride. Pride blocks grace.

Psalm 119:5-6 says, “Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.”

Lord, I ask You to help us be sensitive to You. Help us to be aware of when You are exposing a hidden lie that has been buried to sabotage our faith. Help us to walk in humility with a ready heart of obedience to Your commands.

Psalm 30:5 says, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” I want to pull one part of this verse out for you. It is essential to remember that God’s favor is for life, meaning that it is another irrevocable gift. We don’t earn it because we have it.

Here is another of my favorite verses. I use it as a phrase to praise Him. Psalm 5:12 says, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

Ah, surrounded with favor like a wrap-around shield. What a delightful gift! Peace and joy are irrevocable gifts. Yet, our disobedience will cover over all three gifts. Even though they are still there, the dirt of our rebellion is thrown upon them.

Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Hebrews 5:8 says, “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

A great question to ask ourselves: am I learning obedience through the trials in my life? Our trials are His instruments to expose and weed out roots of rebellion that are hidden to sabotage our faith.

God’s favor on our life is most evident when we reflect His character. Remember from Romans 5:3-4 that our character is developed and proven as we persevere through our trials.

As we gaze upon the Lord, we are transformed into His image. It is part of our progressive sanctification. 2 Peter 1:4 says that we become partakers or sharers of His divine nature. O Lord, may we walk as You walked, and speak as You spoke in absolute obedience that will glorify You.