God – Page 81 – Me From the Inside Out

Faithful Love: Week 2, Tuesday With God There is Always Hope

Posted on May 4, 2021May 2, 2021 by

READ: HOSEA 2:14-23; SOAP: PSALM 71:20-21

Hosea 2:14-23 The Lord’s Love for Unfaithful Israel
¹⁴“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. ¹⁵I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there,
as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. ¹⁶When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’
instead of ‘my master.’ ¹⁷O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips, and you will never mention them again. ¹⁸On that day I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the animals that scurry along the ground so they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords, and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety. 19 I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. ²⁰I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord. ²¹“In that day, I will answer,”
says the Lord. “I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain. ²²Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees. And they in turn will answer, ‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’ ²³At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself. I will show love to those I called ‘Not loved.’ And to those I called ‘Not my people,’ I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’”
New Living Translation

²⁰You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
    but you will restore me to life again
    and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
²¹You will restore me to even greater honor
    and comfort me once again.
SOAP Psalm 71:20-21 New Living Translation

Hope. I read today´s Scripture, and my heart fills with hope. God is telling Israel that, once it has felt the discomfort of its deprivation, then it will listen to the voice of God again, and He will allure it back to Himself.
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Reflection Question: Do you believe there is always hope with God? Why or why not? (Share your answer in the reply box)

Faithful Love: Week 1, Tuesday Provoking the LORD

Posted on April 27, 2021April 27, 2021 by

READ: HOSEA 1:2 AND 1 KINGS 15:33-16:7, 1 Kings 16:23-34; SOAP: 1 KINGS 16:26

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”

Baasha son of Ahijah began to rule over all Israel in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years. ³⁴But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.

This message from the Lord was delivered to King Baasha by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani: ²“I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler of my people Israel, but you have followed the evil example of Jeroboam. You have provoked my anger by causing my people Israel to sin. ³So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴The members of Baasha’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.”

⁵The rest of the events in Baasha’s reign and the extent of his power are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. ⁶When Baasha died, he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became the next king.

⁷The message from the Lord against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The Lord’s anger was provoked by Baasha’s sins.

16:²³Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-first year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned twelve years in all, six of them in Tirzah. ²⁴Then Omri bought the hill now known as Samaria from its owner, Shemer, for 150 pounds of silver. He built a city on it and called the city Samaria in honor of Shemer.

²⁵But Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. ²⁶He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. The people provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.
Hosea 16:25-26 – Read the rest of the story

Can you believe what God told Hosea to do? He had to marry a what? A prostitute? That´s a strange command.
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Reflection Question: What did Omri do to provoke the anger of God? – Also, feel free to share your thoughts on Hosea’s situation. Responses can be made in the comment bar.

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Draw Near: Week 5, Thursday Written For Our Instruction

Posted on March 4, 2021March 3, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Romans 15:1-5 (SOAP: Romans 15:4)

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. ²You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Living to Please Others

We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. ²We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. ³For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” ⁴Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.

God’s book has it all. Job lost his job, his possessions, and all of his children, yet God preserved his life, and restored him, and blessed him. Daniel was betrayed by co-workers and thrown into the lions’ den and survived. Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers and sold as a slave, but God used his experience for good. Paul wrote many of his letters while he unjustly sat in jail. Jesus was accused of crimes He didn’t commit and crucified next to criminals on a cross.
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Would you to know more about God’s Word and why Jesus died on a criminal’s cross – simply type – ‘I would like to know more -‘ in the comment bar.

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Draw Near: Week 2, Friday Created by Him

Posted on February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Ps 19:4-6; Colossians 1:15-20 (SOAP: Colossians 1:15-16)

Psalm 19:4-6

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
⁵It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
⁶The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

Colossians 1:15-20 Christ Is Supreme

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,^[a]
¹⁶for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
¹⁸Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.^[b]
    So he is first in everything.
¹⁹For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
²⁰and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Don’t miss today’s teaching by Melissa, as she focuses on observation insight. Click the Blog button below.

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Draw Near: Week 1, Tuesday

Posted on February 2, 2021January 30, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Job 12:7-10; John 1:1-3 (SOAP: John 1:1-3)

Job 12:7-10

“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
⁸Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
    Let the fish in the sea speak to you.
⁹For they all know
    that my disaster^[a] has come from the hand of the Lord.
¹⁰For the life of every living thing is in his hand,
    and the breath of every human being.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
²He existed in the beginning with God.
³God created everything through Him,
    and nothing was created except through Him.
John 1:1-3 Christ, the Eternal Word

LGG Devotion

From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

A Faith that Moves Mountains

Posted on January 26, 2021February 12, 2024 by

James says it like this, Dear brothers and sisters, whenever you face troubles consider them an opportunity for great joy, for you can trust that when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow, so let it grow – because when your endurance is fully developed you will be perfect and complete needing nothing, James 1:2-4. The Psalmist said it like this, I have set the Lord always before me and because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken, Psalm 16:8. And, as a Holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boom said, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” I believe we will all face, have faced, or even now are facing ‘troubles’ in our lives. I am learning the truth of James’ statement, the troubles of this life -whether big or small – help deepen our faith.

Faith may not change our ‘situation’ but fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our Faith certainly changes our perspective.

Fears are turned to peace, comfort replaces sorrow, where there are desperate needs we witness gracious provision; and when the thing needed is not provided – it is through faith we wait or through faith that we learn to do without. Through the eyes of faith, we witness miracles or walk in hope where none seems possible. Through faith we love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, and we cling to what is good rather than turning to the wrong we may desire. In faith, we turn to God when a doctor delivers unwanted or unexpected news. Through faith, we sit by the bed of a loved one or walk the halls of the hospital. With faith, we rise out of bed in His strength – even when we feel too week, sad, or lonely to go on, and in faith, we say good-bye to those God calls home. As John wrote in 1 John 5:4, and the old hymn repeats … “Faith is the victory that has overcome the world.” Faith doesn’t just move mountains it moves hearts closer to God. We lean on Him through our troubles and we find that He is trustworthy and true – and so when the next trouble comes we run to Him – through this habit the roots of our faith are deepened and we are made stronger – until God’s love runs deeper than the deepest pit of hatred and death … and we are able to consider the hardest of situations a joy because we know that God is with us … and the very knowledge of His presence keeps us from being shaken. This, my friends, is a Faith that moves mountains. Me – From the Insideout

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We Depend on our God

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by

Prayer is an amazing weapon of warfare for the Christian, whether we are on the actual battlefield or on our knees at home – or for that matter in a car or at the sink doing dishes. It has been said in some commentaries that this prayer may have been prompted by David’s battle against the Ammonites in 2 Samuel 10. Whatever the battle and the circumstances – before David and his men strategized and fought the fight his people were praying. They prayed for protection and help. They asked for God to remember David’s sacrifices and grant him the success he desired – and they believed God would deliver. Their prayer bears witness to their expectation –

“Then we will shout for joy over your victory; we will rejoice in the name of our God. -”
Psalm 20:5

Not to go all grammar lesson – but don’t miss the plural pronouns in verse-5, “we will shout for joy”, “we will rejoice’, “of our God”. They prayed as a community of faith and it became an encouragement to David. David seems to remember God’s promises of victory and rest from his enemies and responds with an affirmation of his people’s confidence – with a statement of assurance that God will deliver. We can’t miss the reason – and if you will – the lesson he conveys for such confidence. It’s one of my favorite go-to-passages, a life-line so many times in both the big and the small battles of my life^[1}. Perhaps, just as they were leaving for battle – maybe, just when the courage of his men was waning – David declares that their victory will come, not because they are stronger or their “weapons” mightier but because they depend on God.

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the LORD our God^[1]. They will fall down but we will stand firm. The LORD will deliver the king; He will answer us when we call to Him for help!
Psalm 20:7-9

What about you? Do you depend on “chariots and horses’, ie ‘money and power’, ‘home and possessions’, ‘friends and family’? Or do you depend on God? Are you praying for our leaders and others – expectantly? Are we preparing to shout for joy when He gives the victory – ready to give Him the honor due His name? These can be daunting questions but if we want to walk in confidence, if we want to be an encouragement to others we must remember wars aren’t just won by the warriors on the battlefields but by those who pray. This is how we gain the victory and find ourselves standing firm when the battle ceases!

Me – from the Insideout

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Bridge to Shame Breaker Wk 2 December 31, 2020

Posted on December 31, 2020December 31, 2020 by

One of the things I love about God is His Faithfulness. Trust is hard for me but with God I don’t have to worry about whether or not I can trust Him. It isn’t simply that there are verses that declare Him to be faithful; don’t get me wrong, since we walk by faith and not by sight this would be enough, but His actions bear witness to His Word. Or, as our verse says – “He ACTS in a faithful manner -“. Because He does I know that He is reliable. He is a dependable REFUGE. And, there is truly NO ONE on earth or in heaven like Him. No wonder David wrote in Psalm 16:8 – “I constantly trust in the LORD; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” As we head out of one very challenging year and into all the unforeseen of another – may David’s bold and confident statement become our mantra. May it define us and become our strength both day and night, on our mountain-tops and in our valleys. May it be a light of encouragement to those who are watching. When troubles come and they see that we aren’t shaken perhaps they will ask why – and may we be ready with an answer – like David – for the HOPE that is within us! The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2

Me – from the Insideout

The one true God acts in a faithful manner;
the Lord’s promise is reliable.
He is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
³¹Indeed, who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector besides our God?
Psalm 18:30-31

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 17 and 18; (S.O.A.P. Psalm 18:30-31)

Psalm 17 A prayer of David.

¹O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
    Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
    for it comes from honest lips.
²Declare me innocent,
    for you see those who do right.

³You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.
⁴I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
⁵My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

⁶I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray. Read More

Psalm 18 For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
²The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
³I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

⁴The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
⁵The grave^[a] wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
⁶But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears. Read More

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Bridge to Shame Breaker, Tuesday – Week 1

Posted on December 22, 2020December 21, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 3 and 4; (S.O.A.P. Psalm 4:1)

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.

O Lord, I have so many enemies;
so many are against me.
²So many are saying,
“God will never rescue him!” Interlude^[a]

³But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
⁴I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

⁵I lay down and slept,
    yet I woke up in safety,
    for the Lord was watching over me.
⁶I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
    who surround me on every side.

⁷Arise, O Lord!
    Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
⁸Victory comes from you, O Lord.
    May you bless your people. Interlude

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

²How long will you people ruin my reputation?
    How long will you make groundless accusations?
    How long will you continue your lies? Interlude
³You can be sure of this:
    The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
    The Lord will answer when I call to him.

⁴Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude
⁵Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the Lord.

⁶Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
    Let your face smile on us, Lord.
⁷You have given me greater joy
    than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Bible Reference

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Everlasting Covenant: (4) Thursday, The Birth of John

Posted on December 17, 2020December 17, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: Luke 1:57-80 (S.O.A.P. Luke 1:68, 72-73)

The Birth of John the Baptist

When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

⁶¹“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” ⁶²So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. ⁶³He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

⁶⁵Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

⁶⁸“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
⁶⁹He has sent us a mighty Savior^[a]
    from the royal line of his servant David,
⁷⁰just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.
⁷¹Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.
⁷²He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—
⁷³the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.
⁷⁴We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,
⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness
    for as long as we live.

⁷⁶“And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
⁷⁷You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.
⁷⁸Because of God’s tender mercy,
    the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,^[b]
⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    and to guide us to the path of peace.”

John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

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