Stick to the Plan and Rejoice About the Big Plus Sign

All nations are called on to praise God because His steadfast love endures forever. Those who call on Him are comforted with everlasting goodness and mercy.  Psalm 117-118 takes us from the exile in Babylon to the time Jesus walked on Earth and then takes us into Armageddon to the commencement of the millennial reign.

Let’s be honest, we all know that things are not perfect in this world today but we can rejoice and be glad because there will be a time when our Lord will come or call and it will be perfect. We will be tested but we must stand firm and be patient for this day.

Most things of this world are disposable. Think of the gadgets we buy. They are built to last just a few years and then they become obsolete. God’s Word is usable forever so focus on putting your time, effort, and confidence in God. We can trust Him now and forever because with God is peace, safety, happiness, righteousness, and victory.

In this reading, people and the church are compared to a building. The people are the stones, the leaders are the builders who rejected the cornerstone which is referring to Christ.

Faith

We can rejoice over the great salvation provided on the Cross; a big plus sign God has given for victory over both our human and spiritual enemies.

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Thank You God

In yesterday’s post about Psalm 116, I wrote about the many reasons to love the Lord. The consistent theme in God’s Word is joy and victory as we ask for His help in managing the affairs of our life. Imagine what it will be like standing in His presence. Let us make it a part of our daily thoughts and plan each day with this in mind.

Here’s a poem I wrote called Thank You God. Have a blessed day with God! 🙂

Thank you God for freedom
like an eagle gliding in the sky
Thank you for eyes to see your magnificent creation
like the mountains way up high
Thank you for the ability to hear music
pleasing to the Spirit
I love to hear it.

Thank you God for the sense of smell
like roses which are so sweet-smelling
Thank you for the sense of touch
like holding a baby even if screaming and yelling
Thank you for the ability to imagine into the future
as it moves faster than a wild stallion
I simply hope for a roof over my head
and food that is Italian.

Thank you God for my daily bread
as I smell pizza and know it will taste out of sight
Thank you for hopes and dreams
as I look ahead with a future so bright
Thank you for what’s still beyond my reach
like the horizon on the other side of the tree
I have faith in you God and thank you for loving me
so much to send your Son to die for thee.

By Mark Shields – © 4-30-2013

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Thankfulness

There are many reasons to love the Lord. We may go through difficulties at work or our health may be a concern but we find relief in knowing that God is big enough to handle the situation and hope for a brighter future keeps us going. In Psalm 116, the psalmist experienced danger but shows gratitude towards God with the belief that relief is on the way and with God’s presence there is more joy than can be imagined.

God can answer our prayers during times of difficulty because He is in control and sees the big picture. He’s present; listening as we spend time with Him in prayer, reflect on the past,  and receive direction for the future. We are rewarded when God hears us. There is peace knowing that God is in control and there is a sense of freedom in knowing that we are headed in the right direction.

Once delivered, the psalmist becomes more devoted to God and willing to be His servant. He will tell others to join him in loving the Lord. Even after trails and hardships we are certain to face along life’s journey, we can maintain the thought of entering our heavenly rest where we are delivered from sin and sorrow with the reward one can only imagine.

Life has ups and downs but one thing we can always look forward to and that’s the glory of standing in the presence of God when He comes or calls us home. Here’s a video to remind us of that glorious day: I Can Only Imagine – MercyMe.

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He Is Everything

After reading Psalm 115 and writing some thoughts in the post Our Living God, what was most meaningful to me is that idols do nothing but stand there and look good but God is constantly on the move; ready to help and defend.

Faith in idols does nothing but faith in the ONE and only God is action oriented because real faith is confessing sins, accepting God’s forgiveness, and walking in the light.

Here’s a video that explains how big our God is: Starry Night – Chris August.

 

Idols only sit there and depreciate over time but each day with God is amazing because He helps to replace every doubt or fear with deep abiding trust in Him.

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Examples of Integrity

Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about the character trait integrity. Like my Pastor has talked about before in his sermons, we should be honest with ourselves. Having the attitude of wanting to know where we fall short and what we need to do.

There are many examples of this character trait called integrity throughout the Bible. I thought about what happens when there is a lack of this trait as in Genesis 27:1-45 when Rebekah convinced her favorite son to trick his father and receive his blessing instead of Esau. This set off all kinds of family turmoil. 

Figures Isaac Blesses Jacob

Figures Isaac Blesses Jacob (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then I thought about the example of David’s men in 2 Samuel 18:9-12 who honored David’s wishes. They didn’t kill Absalom even though he was fighting in the enemy’s army and there was a big reward to kill him.                                                           

I then thought about examples of people in more current times who have demonstrated integrity and about how a society could build up this quality for future generations. To read these thoughts, take a look at the post titled Ideas for Building a Society with More Integrity.

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