Tag Archives: Psalms

It’s Time That We Acknowledge God First

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“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me” (Psalm 131:1)

If we allow it, pride can get the best of us.  It can steer us into areas where we believe we’ll benefit the most, and lead us away from the more practical areas. It can puff us up into believing we are the best, we are in control, and we don’t need anyone else.  Pride can lead us to the top and assure us that we are right where we need to be.

However, the Bible tells us a different story about pride. It says, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs. 29:23).  The humble attitude of a person will elevate them to the place of honor.  Having a humble attitude means separating ourselves from our own accomplishments or achievements, and acknowledging the fact that God is the One who has given us the ability to achieve what we desire.  Always acknowledging God first will help us to maintain a humble attitude and steer us clear of pride.

“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths” (Proverbs. 3:6)

When we acknowledge Him first, God is the One who will lead us to the place of honor!

 

In Troubled Times, He Sends Help!

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May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high and defend you. Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh and strengthen you from Zion.   Psalm 20:1-2

There are times that we need supernatural support and strength to make it through the challenge of the day.  When we call on the Lord He will dispatch help from His throne.  In Psalm 20:2 we read, He sends help from the sanctuary. He will send help, angelic assistance.

Scripture tells us that the angels of the Lord excel in strength at His command.  They are like an emergency back up support system that is on call twenty four-seven waiting for the next assignment.  When we call out to the Lord for help, He sends them forth in strength.

In the 2 Kings: 6:16, Elisha prayed and asked that his servant’s eyes would be opened to see what He saw.  God had sent thousands of angels.  The prophet looked and could see a literal army surrounding him.

Scripture tells us the angels of the Lord are encamped round about us.  A house cannot stand without a strong support system. You cannot see the support beams but you know they are there.  It would seem foolish to sit in your living room fearful the house will cave in.

When you put your trust in the Lord you can be assured the house will stand, the support system is in place and you shall not be moved. The Lord is our support He will give you the strength to stand even when the strong winds of adversity come.  We cannot see with our natural eyes but we know the support is there when the winds blow.

Joy Comes in the Morning

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“Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

awaken my faithIn Psalm 6:6-8 the psalmist says, “I am weary with my groaning.” Some people weep outwardly, but most weep silently, choosing to walk through dark valleys all alone. Silent weeping will cause a night of sorrow to turn into months or even years of sadness, like a dark, sleepless night that you think will never end.  But just as the morning sun comes up to announce that the night is over, and a new day has begun.  When the first feeling of joy returns to your soul, you know the night of sorrow has come to an end.  Joy comes every morning; be careful not to miss it.

A major part of healing is grieving the losses. When we have experienced losses, they must be properly grieved in order to be released.  This is why we don’t have peace; we are trying to cope with buried pain from the losses in our life.

For years of my life, instead of releasing a person, or relationships that ended, I was holding on to the sadness trying to figure out a way to cope with the painful emptiness.  I had so much pain and I was running hard, trying to keep it from catching up with me.

In Jeremiah 6:14, the prophet gives us understanding of why many people are inwardly weeping.  They have been hurt by the actions of others and have not received complete healing.  They are saying “peace, peace” when there is no peace.  Look at every area of your life where you are not experiencing peace.  The amount of peace in your life is directly related to the amount of healing you have received.  The painful events like separation and divorce create many losses that must be grieved.

Ask the Lord to walk with you through the pain and give you the ability to release all you have lost.

WHO DO I TRUST

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“O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.” Psalm 7:1

We can trust in God because He is always faithful. We trust Him because we trust what He says in His Word.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

trust in GodGod’s track record has been recorded and He has been faithful to do what He says He will do all through the ages.  He has always come through.  When we trust others based on their track record we have a hard time trusting them.  Everyone makes mistakes and we have a tendency to focus on their mistakes. We want others to trust us because we have good intentions, but we only trust them based on their past behavior.  A person may have good intentions to do what they say, but many times it cannot be accomplished.

Trust is established over time.  Trust the fruit that is being produced in a person’s life over a period of time, not an isolated event.  Just like fruit on a tree is produced over time, fruit is produced in a person’s life over time through their relationship with God.

In Philippians 2:13 Paul says; “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

The fruit or evidence that God is working in a person’s life is the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy and peace found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Once the fruit of love is evident you know God is working. You can count on it because God is working in and through that person. That person may still let you down but God is working in them and you can trust Him.   He is the only one that can be trusted to come through. He is the only one who is steadfast. So wives trust God at work in your husband. Husbands trust God at work in your wife. Instead of looking at their failures try looking at how God is working in their life and trust in what He is doing.

The Path: Look past the natural into the supernatural and trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Acknowledging God

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“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me” (Psalm 131:1)

We should always acknowledge God first in our lives.

If we allow it, pride can get the best of us.  It can steer us into areas where we believe we’ll benefit the most, and lead us away from the more practical areas.  It can puff us up into believing we are the best, we are in control, and we don’t need anyone else.  Pride can lead us to the top and assure us that we are right where we need to be.

 

However, the Bible tells us a different story about pride.  It says,

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs. 29:23).

The humble attitude of a person will elevate them to the place of honor. Having a humble attitude means separating ourselves from our own accomplishments or achievements, and acknowledging the fact that God is the One who has given us the ability to achieve what we desire. Always acknowledging God first will help us to maintain a humble attitude and steer us clear of pride. 

“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths” (Proverbs. 3:6)

When we acknowledge Him first, God is the One who will lead us to the place of honor!

Wait For The Lord

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Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

My hope is in you Lord!

Many times, the things that you are hoping for may require a time of waiting. Patiently waiting is a spiritual discipline.  This means it must be practiced in order for it to be established as a part of your nature.

By nature we are impatient and want things to happen quickly.  When you run ahead of the Lord instead of waiting patiently for Him, you will find yourself tired and weary.  When you wait until He releases you, then you will go forward in His strength and not your own.  The great reward for those who wait upon the Lord is their renewed strength.  You may be tired, weary, and need to stop to rest awhile.  If you are serving others, a time of rest is essential to wait on the Lord for the next step or the next assignment.

To wait does not mean you are inactive in your daily life, but means you are waiting for clear direction and renewed strength.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. Psalm 39:7

An eagle will wait patiently on a mountain cliff until a warm, upward wind current comes and then he spreads his wings as he is lifted up into the heavens.  We, like an eagle, can enjoy the benefit of soaring high if we acquire the discipline of waiting.  Learning to wait only comes with faith and hope in the Lord.

He is the one who holds the world in His hands and He is the one who knows your next step.  If you will wait and listen, He will tell you when to jump in again.  Then, when your feet hit the ground, you will run and not grow weary.

Pray this prayer…Lord, I cannot see the next step. Take me up to the mountain and I will wait on you. As I wait, like an eagle waits, I ask you to renew my strength so that when you release me again I can soar effortlessly. Then, whether I walk or run, I will not grow weary.

Deal With Offenses by Magnifying The Lord

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“Oh, Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3

Have you noticed the increase in the opportunities to be offended? Even after 25 years of marriage to my husband, I sometimes get offended by what he says. As a wife, I may know he doesn’t mean something the way I took it, but I still feel a huge pull to be offended. I believe in the day we are living, the days prior to the return of the Lord, there will be a greater pull than ever before to be offended. Jesus taught us in Mathew 18:7 that offenses will surely come. In Mathew 24, when the disciples asked Jesus what the signs of His return would be, He said in verse 10, “And then shall many be offended…” So we should not be surprised when we feel the pull to be offended. The question is: how fast do you move past an offense? Jesus made it possible for us to be able to move past offenses very quickly.

I must constantly remind myself that we are in “the time,” the days before Jesus returns. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, that there would be a great falling away in these days. I believe the falling away is due to being offended. If your love waxes cold according to Mathew 24, you will fall away.

I know when I am offended, I must quickly forgive. Forgiveness is the only answer! It is the way of escape! The quicker I forgive, the quicker I come back into my right mind. When I am offended my soul is in control. When I forgive, my spirit rises up above my soul and takes back over.

I have learned that when I am offended everything is distorted and even my emotions become out of control. When I am offended at a person I will see them in a distorted way, bigger than they really are. I will become overly focused on them. They become the center of attention and all I talk about for days. Every conversation even goes back somehow to what offended me.

The more we put our focus on those who offended us, the more magnified they become. This could cause our heart to wax cold and may lead us to sin against God. He is the only one we are to magnify. When we focus on others and what they did to offend us, we make them bigger than God.

Oh, Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. (Psalm 34:3).

So right now press the minimize button and minimize the person who has offended you. Bring them down to the right size and forgive them. Remember, if it were not for the grace of God you might have done the very same thing

In His Presence, There is Fullness of Joy

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“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; prayer, that goeth not out for feigned lips.”

(Psalms 16:11)

“Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.”

(Psalms 17:5)

As we travel down the path of life, the Lord will make the path very clear.  The right path of life leads you to do what is right.  You know you are on the right path by the peace that comes as you choose to do what is right. Sin draws you away from God’s presence and the right path.  When you continue in sin, you travel down a path farther and farther away from God. You feel lost and alone, far away from home.  The steps to get back home can be found in His Word.

The Psalmist declares  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”   (Psalms 119:105)

Just like Adam, we still run and hide from God when we feel guilt or shame. When we have sinned, we need to run toward Him for forgiveness. We need to say, as David did, “I said, Lord, be merciful to me: heal my soul; for I have sinned” (Psalm 41:4).  We are all, at times, like a prodigal son that needs to run back home. As we repent, we begin walking on the right path to our Heavenly Father, who is always waiting at the door for us with His arms open wide to receive us.

Pray and ask God to help you to get back on the right path that will lead you home.

The Secret Revealed

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The secret of His will…Ephesians 1:9

In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will, Ephesians 1:11

Secret place of GodThe secrets of God can be discovered but they are hidden in the secret place.  We can go to the secret place and discover His secrets, His will, His plan and purpose for our life.  I believe we must spend time, maybe even hours daily in this secret place, to discover His will for our life.  Psalms 91 says that we can actually dwell in the secret place and abide there forever.  It is in this secret place where all the distractions of the world are blocked out and all you hear is His voice.

You were chosen ahead of time for a certain purpose.  You were actually appointed by God to do it.  You can’t wait on man to say it or depend on man; it is God that appoints you.  God may use a man or women as a mouth piece to confirm what He has already appointed for you to do.  Eph 1:11, says that God works everything out after the counsel of His will.  God will work all things together to accomplish whatever His will is.

Go to the secret place daily and listen for the secret for that day to be revealed to you.

Discouraged and Defeated?

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My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.  Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.  I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.  I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah.   I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” Psalm 55:4-8

Discouragement is a real problem.  Discouraged people would rather sleep then face one more discouragement.  Why would a person get so discouraged that they would choose to just lie down and sleep?  They are tired.  Those who have graced others mistakes and sins without seeing any change, get tired.  Then discouragement, which is the opposite of encouragement, sets in.  We can not afford to go a day without encouragement.  It is water to the thirsty soul. (Ps. 107:9)

Discouragement is much like taking a nap; it seems ok, and even justified because you are tired.  But, in this day and time it is a trap of the enemy.  Don’t give in.  People who are weary many times do not recognize the enemy’s trap until they have stumbled and fallen into it.

If you have been discouraged and slumbering, wake up to the goodness of God.  You don’t want to miss out on seeing His mighty hand as He intervenes in your situation.  We are in the time in history that we must stay awake, watch, and pray. God’s hand is not too short; He will come and He will save you no matter what situation you are facing.

Instead of giving into discouragement, begin speaking the truth into the situation. Then stand back and see the salvation of the Lord.  Remember, don’t’ give in to discouragement; it is not your friend.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days.  But as for me, I trust in you. Psalm 55: 22-23.

Written by Denise Boggs