Fourth Week January
Friday, January 24th 2020
Psalm 91 “ The Lord is our shield and our secure protection”
This is one of my favorite scripture, especially when i feel fear, threat, uncertainties that are attacking me and my faith. The first verse makes it clear that when we make God our refuge and our resting place. All is well. Indeed because it is not anybody who cares for us but The Almighty God himself. And if God is for us who can be against us (Romans 8:31)
We can do what we can to deal with the issues of everyday but they won’t hold if God is not the foundation we stand on and build our lives on.
As we go through every verse, He says He will deliver us from the fowler’s snare, any trap of the enemy with His Mighty hand. But He will also be a shield for us against any diseases, pestillences or dangers. He promised they shall not affect us.
As the threat of virus is upon us, let us hold tight to the faith we profess because He who promise is faithful (Hebrews 10:23), and His word are true. We have duties to be careful outthere but again, none of it will matter if our hope, faith and trust is not in Jesus. ( Psalm 127:1)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, protect our faith as we face this bad news. Sustain us not to wither from your word, and we plead the blood of Jesus upon your people that we shall be spared. We thank you for your word.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
(Meditate on Psalm 91)
Thursday, January 23rd 2020
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire if your heart.
Does it mean that the closer to God we are the easier it is to get what we want?
Or rather the more we draw near to God, the more we die to our self and our want. Then His will becomes our will, we desire His desire, and therefore what we want, need will be in line with His will. This latter makes more sense to me.
We have been lied to that, the best life is in our own control, and the moment we meet Jesus we are ok with everything else but letting go and letting God. Would He trully do it? What if i don’t like what He has for me?
But that’s why we have to persevere in prayer and in His word so that our faith can grow stronger. Our God is faithful ( Hebrews 10:23) and He has nothing else but Great plan for us ( Jeremiah 29:11): trust, it’s true.
It’s not coming to God and expecting Him to bless whatever we desire. That’ll make Him a bad parents( Matthew 7:9-11), because let’s face it it’s not everything we desire that are good for us. Rather It’s allowing His presence to change us, our heart, our thought. Letting Him take away our fear, insecurities and fleshly desire and giving us a new heart, a new will ie His will.
Prayer: Dear Lord, draw us closer to you everyday so that your will become my will and your ways my ways. That i may see what you see and that i may have the life in abundance you promised.
In Jesus’s name.
Amen.
Additional scripture:
Romans 10:17
Hebrew 10:36
Ephesians 5: 15-17
Wednesday, January 22nd 2020
Psalm 119:105” Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path”
One of the few things i had to do growing up is spending my holidays at my parent’s farm. My dad and us often set off late friday afternoon, after He finishes work, on foot to the farm. And the night often catches us halfway there. I still remember the fear of a possible danger creeping from the dark, the constant checking behind making sure that noone is there, not having a clear vision of where i was stepping, constantly depending on my senses and just the terrifying feelings of the dark night, especially when the moon is out. Many times we faced the risk of being hurt, injured or loosing our ways or on a very rare occasion even loosing our lives. All of that we have to endure and at the same time trying to focus on making it home safely.
These are not good feelings nor good condition for someone to face if they are heading somewhere, and as today’s verse mentions it we are not supposed to figure our lives out in the dark.
God never intended for us to go through all the emotional, spiritual, even physical harm, just like me on those many journey. He sent us His light so we may see where we are going and that we’ll make it safely there. Before setting out today, let’s pick the lamp of God which is His word so we may successfully navigate this day.
Prayer: Father God give us more desire for your word so we will not have to walk in darkness any more.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
Additional scripture:
John 1:1-8
Psalm 119:130
John 1:5
Tuesday, January 21st 2020.
Psalm 90:12” Teach us to number our days that we may apply our heart unto Your Wisdom”
The Winans has a song entitled “Tomorrow” and it expresses well what Psalm 90 says.
“Jesus said here I stand, Won’t you please let me in, And you said I will tomorrow, Jesus said I am He, Who supplies all your needs, And you said I know but tomorrow.
Ooh, tomorrow
I’ll give my life tomorrow
I thought about today
But it’s so much easier to say
Tomorrow, who promised you tomorrow
Better choose the Lord today
For tomorrow very well might begin today
And who said that tomorrow would ever come for you , Still you laugh and play and continue on to say
Tomorrow, forget about tomorrow
Won’t you give your life today, oh please
Don’t just turn and walkaway
Tomorrow, tomorrow is not promised
Don’t let this moment slip away, ooh
Your tomorrow could very well be here today”
We’ve all – at one point -been there. Maybe it is not your salvation, it could be a specific assignment, a prayer, a healing, a project…., that you put for tomorrow. As if we have control over time and can command tomorrow to come. ( James 4:13-17).
Ttomorrow we will deal with it all, since today we have better things to do, or we’re too busy or it’s too painful that we need time to surrender….this kind of thinking makes us live carelessly and even foolishly sometimes. Many fall for this lie. And we will miss the mark if we forgot that our days are numbered and that we should toil know that is still day ( John 9:4). Make wise decision and value the time given as the gift that they are, because of God’s grace, not anyone’s merits or action.
This morning, let us think of all the things that we ‘ve put on hold in our waiting list. It is time to puck them all up. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your truth. Forgive us for squandering your gift Lord. We ask for your Holy Spirit to help us remember all the things that we’ve put on hold, and give us strength to do what we can daily. From now on train us to number our days so we may fear you and live wisely.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
Matthew 25: 13-14
2 Peter 3:10
James 4:13-17
Monday January 20th 2020.
« A wise decision » Ruth 1:14 (1-14)
Ruth was a moabitess, connected to a family of foreigners, who happened to come and make a living in her land. I can imagine how devastaded they were (Naomi, Orpah, and Herself) when the life of happiness and prosperity they hoped for, turned into darkness and misery, when they lost all their men, and possession.
As the news of prosperity restored back home came to Naomie she decided to pack and move back. And Ruth her daughter-in law chose not just to follow her, but to adopt everything that she has as her own. And because of this choice Ruth has entered in the blessing of The Lord and He opened a new page for a Moabitess in His Divine book. Regardless of what our identity is, God is able to turn us into a « Blessed » One when we choose Him like Ruth.
Oftentimes, we are so stuck in our ways and so attached to our old ways, worried or afraid to face the unknown, that we miss God’s visitation. We prefer to play it safe. But the Bible teaches us that we shall renew our mind and live by faith if we want to see God.
Today let’s make the wise decision to trust God and His ways, to allow Him to renew our mind so we can heed His voice and so that He can direct our path.
Prayer: Almighty Father, you alone know where we are. We desire to always dwell in your will Lord. Just like Ruth direct our path ttowards yours and transform us in a way that we’ll be willing to forsake everything for you. May Your Holy Spirit guide us as we make decision today, and always.
In Jesus name.
Amen
Additional sccripture:
Romans 12:2
Psalm 119:133-135
Hebrews 11:6
Elder Jacquie