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The Power Of Understanding

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Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” In Proverbs 2:1-6, Solomon gave his son the bookends of gaining understanding ~ if, then.

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; 

yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, 

if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; 

then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”

Understanding doesn’t come from just reading. What we read has to be applied. It becomes part of our heart’s belief system. As I read the above verses, I hear the Lord speaking to me. He wants me to receive and treasure His words in my heart.”

God’s Mercy ~ Part Three

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Ephesians 2:3 says that before accepting Jesus as our Savior, we “…all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath…” Verse 4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” 

We will never use up God’s mercy for us. Lamentations 3:23 says that His mercy is new every morning. When Moses went up to God on the mountain to receive the ten commandments, here is what the Lord said. Exodus 34:6 says, “…The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.”

In every moment day or night we can boldly approach the Lord’s throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 says that, “…we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.” What is your need? His mercy is always available to fulfill our need.

Truth Never Changes~Part One

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God’s truth is eternal. Nothing can alter it, nor change it in any way. Our circumstances change constantly. When we bring truth into our circumstances it will change us. Jesus told His disciples that when His truth became their experience it would set them free.

What do you need to be set free from? John 8:32 says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The Greek word know means: to perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, come to know..

It is the truth that becomes our personal experience. One of the truths that literally changed my life was when I found out that not every thought I had was of my origin. The enemy of our soul plants lies through fiery darts. Ephesians 6:16.

When we bring God’s word of truth into our hearts it will act as a sentinel. It rises up from within to deflect lies that come into our minds through fiery darts.

Stress Reduction~Part One

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David was stressed. In Psalm 31 he described what the stress was doing to him physically. Verse 9-10 says, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent in grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.”

At one point in David’s life, king Saul hunted him to kill him. David was on the run, hiding in rock formations and caves. He lived a lot in his sympathetic nervous system. Yet David knew that the Lord was with him.

In Psalm 61 he wrote that he was overwhelmed. Then in verse 3 he recounted how the Lord has been his protector. It says, “For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 144:1 says, “Blessed by the Lord my Rock…”

Nothing Is Too Hard For God

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Job 5:9 says, “Who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.” Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

I love Romans 11:33. It says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”

He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows our words before we speak them. Nothing is hidden from Him. We can trust Him with the unknowns in our life. Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.

We will never go through anything but that the Lord went before us to prepare the way. David understood this. In Psalm 18:30 he wrote, “As for God His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

Overwhelmed? Cry Out!

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I love the story in 2 Chronicles 14. King Asa had an army of 580,000. The enemy had an army of one million plus 300 chariots.  Verse 11 says, “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude…”

In verse 12 the Lord struck the enemy. Verse 13 says, “…So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army…”

A great multitude had come against God’s people. He instructed them to praise. 2 Chronicles 20:22 says, “Now as they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people…and they were defeated.”

What is overwhelming you? Cry out to the Lord! Let Him hear the voice of your heart.

Out Of The Dust~Part Two

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Psalm 40:2 says, “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” There is a hymn. In part it says, “I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.”

The Lord is our Rescuer. I have a friend that was just rescued through amazing God-orchestrated circumstances. His testimony could be as Psalm 116. Verse 8-9 says, “For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

I am memorizing Psalm 116. Verse 5 says, “Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yes, our God is merciful.” God’s mercy endures forever. Psalm 136.

Fear Of The Lord~Part One

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I memorized Psalm 111 and then went to Psalm 112. The last verse in 111 and the first verse in 112 were written about the fear of the Lord. This is what captured my mind. Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments…”

Psalm 112:1 says, “…Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.” Noted are two characteristics attributed to walking in the fear of the Lord. One is that they are doers, and the other is that they are delighting. Both were written about God’s word in an ongoing active sense.

You can read Psalm 112:2-8 for yourself. It outlines the fruitful legacy of the one who walks in the fear of the Lord. Descendants. Generations. We have the opportunity to impact and influence others as we walk in the fear of the Lord. 

Distractions: Frustration

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Years ago the Holy Spirit gave me a definition for frustration. I still use it today as my compass. God intercepting my way in order to redirect me into His way. 

We often get frustrated when our goal is blocked. Anything that we do in our own strength will be opposed by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

I often think of Acts 16:6-10. Paul and his team wanted to go preach in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbid them. When they tried to go to Bithynia, the Spirit did not permit them. 

What was wrong with preaching? The Holy Spirit blocked them in order to redirect them into God’s way. Be alert the next time you are blocked.

Power Of Intention~Part One

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David often used two words in his psalms that stated his intention. “I will” primes the pump. It signals our brain that we intend to do something, then our brain instructs our body for action. 

I was thinking about this as I started to memorize David’s Psalm 111. Verse 1 says, “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart…” Our flesh can be the enemy of our intentions. “I will” states intention, but David’s use of ‘whole heart’ involved his reliance on the Lord.

Case in point is Psalm 86:11. David was looking to the Lord. It says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” David’s intention remained focused on the Lord. Verse 12 says, “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.”