Tag: Faithfulness

Posted in Bible study, Choosing God Instead of the World, LGG Study
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How Long LORD?

WEEK 4, DAY 4 OF CHOOSING GOD INSTEAD OF THE WORLD, A LOVE GOD GREATLY STUDY

Scripture Reading: Genesis 40; Psalm 13 (SOAP – Psalm 13:5-6)

Determined to Trust
But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.  NLT
Observation:
The Genesis Saga: The Cupbearer and Royal Baker

So , not only was Joseph a dreamer – apparently he was also an interpreter. sometime after Joseph was put in prison Pharaoh had two of his officials, a cupbearer and a royal baker, put in prison. As God would have it, they were placed in the same facility where Joseph was being kept and he was made their attendant. While they were there the cupbearer and royal baker both had a dream that left them noticeably depressed. They shared the dreams with Joseph and they (well, at least the cupbearer) were delighted that he was able to interpret them. Joseph was most likely delighted as well – since it gave him hope that they would mention him to Pharaoh and he would release him. Unfortunately, while things went just as Joseph had predicted from the dreams, his name was not mentioned and he remained in prison.

TODAY’S FOCUS VERSE

David wrote this Psalm in a very emotional state. He spills out frustration, confusion, fear of his enemy, desperation, great sorrow, hunger for God’s attention, worry, suffering, shame, and embarrassment. “BUT…” (you have to love the ‘buts’ of God’s Word – right?). After spilling out all of these emotions he responds to his own rant, breakdown, or what I would call a panic attack with the expressed determination and declaration, “But I trust in Your faithfulness.” His trust was so solid that he even declared a time of rejoicing, certain that God would both deliver and vindicate him. Don’t you love this? I do. I love that David open and close relationship with God, especially knowing that God refers to David as “a man after My own heart”. Don’t you see, God wants to have this kind of relationship with us – one where we are open and honest, not hiding our hearts from Him but laying them open before Him – truthful of our doubts but so confident in Him that trust and praise always win out.

But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’ NLT

Acts 13:22
APPLICATION: HOW THEN SHOULD WE LIVE?

While we shouldn’t doubt God, when doubts arise – and they will – we should cry out to Him like David did. We should also follow-up our questions and concerns with declarations of His faithfulness, His goodness, and our trust in Him to ‘deliver’ or meet whatever need we have expressed. When we do this praise is sure to follow and overwhelm the emotions of doubt.

Doubt brings sorrow; faith brings praise

BibleRef.Com
PRAYER: RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD

Father, help me never doubt you. Surely I have seen Your goodness and faithfulness all the days of my life. Help me in the throes of suffering and trials of this life to trust You, to remember, to call out to You, and to look for Your deliverance, and to praise You when it comes! – In Jesus’ Name – amen and amen.

*2 Chronicles 20:22; Joshua 6:20; Acts 16:25-40

YOUR TURN:Personal reflections
  • How was God’s faithfulness shown to Joseph in prison?
  • How have you seen God show His faithfulness to you when you were in a season of despair?
WANT MORE?

(I’m sure that I’ve shared this before but the highlighted portions came to mind when I was reading/writing and I couldn’t resist sharing again – I encourage you to read the lyrics and then take some time to sit [or dance] before God in worship.)

Blessings Lyrics [this song and its rights do not belong to me]

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if the thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
And when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if the thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

The Gospel of Mark: Week 2, Thursday – A Testimony

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Read: Mark 5:1-20; SOAP: Mark 5:19-20

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil[b] spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 

19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns[c] of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

SOAP Passage

Though some in the town had seen what Jesus had done, the man’s testimony of Jesus’ mercy on him was a powerful witness. We too have a powerful witness, testifying to the faithfulness and mercy God has shown us. 

Read more https://lovegodgreatly.com/devotional-mark-w2d4/
Posted in Bible study, Quiet Time

Psalm 40:11-17

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O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 12 For innumerable dangers surround me. My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see; they outnumber the hairs of my head so my strength fails me. 13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me! O Lord, hurry and help me! 14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life be totally embarrassed and ashamed. May those who want to harm me be turned back and ashamed. 15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be humiliated and disgraced. 16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the Lord be praised!” 17 I am oppressed and needy. May the Lord pay attention to me. You are my helper and my deliverer. O my God, do not delay.

Psalm 40:11-17

Have you ever heard of “Praying God’s Word back to Him”? It’s where you take what You know of God, His character, His Words, His actions, His expressed thoughts and will, what pleases and displeases Him … and you let this knowledge guide your prayers. In some situations it may be praying His exact Words back to Him. Take for example a prayer of repentance/forgiveness – Father, You have said “Do not lie”, please forgive me for lying. However, praying God’s Word back to Him can also flow – not as a direct quote – but rather out of what we have learned from His Word or our experiences with God. I believe, this Psalm is a wonderful example – not only of this type of prayer but of the benefit that comes from it.

We only have to look back at the preceding verses of this Psalm to know that the Psalmist obviously knew God was compassionate and that His love and faithfulness were unfailing – and – he prayed accordingly. How was this beneficial? Because –

  • In his desperation he knew He could depend on God (11)
  • Depending on God’s compassion, love and faithfulness, kept him from losing hope in the midst of a frighteningly overwhelming situation (12-15)
  • It set his eyes on God and even turned His thoughts and prayers to the needs of others (16)
  • Finally, it gave him resolve to trust completely, the One he knew as his helper and deliverer (17)

As one who has suffered from panic attacks, and has watched others in the throes of them, I see the Psalmist overtaken by distress that leads to panic – that leads to desperate thoughts – but who survived. Because, for every thought of panic and distress he called out to God based on knowledge and experience of who He was and what He could do. Doing this didn’t change the fact that he was “oppressed and needy” nor did it give him an assurance of when God would act – but it did offer him an inner-calm and confidence to say –

… You are my helper and my deliverer –

Psalm 40:17

Posted in LGG Study

Bridge to Everlasting Covenant Week 1, Wednesday

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Question of the Day: In verse 3 the Psalmist says that God gave Him a reason to sing a new song – a song of praise. Has God given you a reason to praise Him?

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 40:1-10 (S.O.A.P. Psalm 40:1-2)

I relied completely[b] on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
2 He lifted me out of the watery pit,[c]
out of the slimy mud.[d]
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing.[e]
3 He gave me reason to sing a new song,[f]
praising our God.[g]
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord.[h]
4 How blessed[i] is the one[j] who trusts in the Lord[k]
and does not seek help from[l] the proud or from liars.[m]
5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us.[n]
No one can thwart you.[o]
I want to declare your deeds and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount.[p]
6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern.[q]
You make that quite clear to me.[r]
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
7 Then I say,
“Look, I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me.[s]
8 I want to do what pleases you,[t] my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.”[u]
9 I have told the great assembly[v] about your justice.[w]
Look, I spare no words.[x]
O Lord, you know this is true.
10 I have not failed to tell about your justice;[y]
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance.
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness.[z]

Today’s Blog

Posted in LGG Study

Jesus Our Everything: Week 6, Day 4

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-19 (S.O.A.P. Hebrews 13:8)

 Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.[a] 2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3 Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”[b]

6 So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper,
    so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?”[c]

7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

.10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle[d] have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make His people holy by means of His own blood. 13 So let us go out to Him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

18 Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 19 And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.

Hebrews 13 Reference
Hebrews 13:8 Reference
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Posted in God is good

The Greatness of Your Faithfulness

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Father, You are Good! The music of the morning has reminded me of Your great faithfulness – How Your mercies are new every morning and Your compassions never fail. For, as the lyrics boast, “there is no shadow of turning with you”. You do not change – You are the same yesterday, today, and forever! “As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be”. We’ve exited Daylight Savings time and the night temps have begun to dip into the freezing range – but You don’t change! You created the sun, moon, and stars. You alone placed them in their courses above where they join with all of nature in manifold witness to Your Great Faithfulness, mercy, and love! All I have needed You have known and faithfully provided – including pardon for sin and a peace that endures amid chaos and stress and fears and sorrows. As the song says – “Your Presence is always with me to cheer and to guide”. And even on days when I feel weak and the events of life paint a picture of hopelessness – Your strength is with me everyday and Your truths fill me with bright hope for tomorrow! I know Your blessings are with me for I have seen and tasted Your goodness, the greatness of Your faithfulness, and the depth of Your love!