Prayer is the main ingredient of communication           verse 169- 170 

Let my cry come near before YOU – O LORD

give me understanding according to YOUR word

let my supplication come before YOU

            deliver me according to YOUR word 

Mouth is the main ingredient of praise                         verse 171 

My lips shall utter praise

when YOU have taught me YOUR statutes 

Tongue is the main ingredient of witness                      verse 172 

My tongue small speak of YOUR word

for all YOUR commandments are righteousness 

Hands are the main ingredient to help                          verse 173 

Let YOUR hand help me

for I have chosen YOUR precepts 

Delight is the main reaction to Word of God                verse 174 

I have longed for YOUR salvation – O LORD        

and YOUR law is my delight 

Soul helps us understand life                                        verse 175 

Let my soul live – and it shall praise YOU

and let YOUR judgments help me 

Memory helps us stay close to the LORD                     verse 176 

I have gone astray like a lost sheep – seek YOUR servant

for I do not forget YOUR commandments   

 

COMMENTARY:

           

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 170    Let my supplication come before YOU: deliver me according to YOUR word. (5337 “deliver” [natsal] means to save oneself, to pull out, to be saved, be secure, to free from harm or evil and in some cases from imprisonment, or snatch away.)

DEVOTION:  The prayers of each one who is a believer should be just like this one most of the time.

We should realize that each moment of each day we have to be in an attitude of prayer before the LORD. There is not a moment in our life where we don’t need the LORD’S help. Even when we are in bed at night we have to ask for HIS assistance as our enemy the devil is always trying to hurt those who are genuine followers of the LORD.

Our prayer life is the answer to defeating the temptations of the enemy. He will send people to try to cause us to sin against the LORD. He doesn’t give up on trying to cause believers to disobey the LORD.

Our responsibility is to turn to prayer and the study of the Word of God. If we don’t do both it will give our enemy an edge. This is something we should never do and remember that it is needed every day.

If we keep our prayer life up to day and our study of the Word a part of our daily life then he can not gain an edge. Our understanding and study of the Bible is a tool the LORD has given us for a reason. HE knows that we try to do it on our own and in that process we are not praying and studying enough.

The sad fact is that there are some who say they are believers but they try to defeat the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil by just praying at times and looking at the Bible at times and attending church some of the time.

These things are not enough for us to have victory on a daily basis. Our need is to daily turn to the Word of God and prayer with a genuine knowledge that we can’t ever have enough prayer and study to stop even one day.

CHALLENGE: Deliverance only comes with closeness to the LORD through our prayer and study. Understand this fact and practice it, then share this truth with others. This is one of the reasons we send these devotionals out EACH DAY!

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

 

:173 – “Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).

Help – 5826 עָזַר [ʿazar /aw·zar/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1598; GK 6468; 82 occurrences; AV translates as “help” 64 times, “helper” 11 times, “holpen” three times, “succour” three times, and “variant” once. 1 to help, succour, support. 1A (Qal) to help. 1B (Niphal) to be helped. 1C (Hiphil) to help. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).

DEVOTIONS:  Crying out to the Lord for deliverance and then the praise of the psalmist as he anticipates the answer, this combination has been consistent throughout Psalm 119. This recurring theme of recognizing that the Lord is the deliverer and also that he (man) must be active in his life of faith as well.

This is also how we are to be today as we live for the Lord and recognize our dependence upon Him. Continually we are to call upon Him and then work for Him. Praise Him, acknowledge His work of deliverance and then work for Him in response. Faith and assurance that His word is authoritative keeps us individually on track for service. The repetitive cry of faith, obedience and praise is seen throughout the psalm as the psalmist acknowledges his trust and dependence on the Lord.

CHALLENGE:  This psalm continually challenges us to know the word of God and then follow its precepts by faith through implementing its principles! What is the Lord asking you to do in spite of the circumstances?  (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)

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: 174    I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

            (8373 “longed” [taabti] means desire or have an emotional attachment to.

DEVOTION: This final section of the psalm uses the twenty-second letter of the Hebrew alphabet to start. Now we have all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

We listen to the Psalmist cry out to the LORD again in this prayer. He wants to have relief from all his trials. He wants to be near the LORD. He asks to understand what the LORD is presently teaching him.

Even while he is continually going through trials he praises the LORD. One of the signs of a true believer is that they praise the LORD through every storm. They understand that trials are sent to strengthen their faith and dependence on the LORD.

As we read throughout this Psalm we have learned that the most important source of information for a true follower of the LORD is found solely in the Word of God. So many synonyms used for the Word of God help us understand that study is necessary to understand all of the Word of God.

Word studies are an important part of learning the meaning of the communication of the LORD with his servants. Good reference material is needed to do proper studies. Many can be found online. Each home should have a Strong’s Concordance.

We have given the number for each word from the Strong’s Concordance for all those receiving the Daily Meat Devotional so that more research can be done.

Remember each believer has the responsibility to search the Scriptures to see if what I am or anyone else is telling you what is Biblical. It takes effort but it is worth every minute of your research.

CHALLENGE: Always research to find the truth of the Word of God. It should be something that motivates you to becoming a better believer.)

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 175    Let my soul live, and it shall praise YOU, and let YOUR judgments help me. (5826 “help” [‘azar] means assist, be of service, succor, to aid, support, give aid or assistance to another, protect, or to experience help.)

DEVOTION: We all need assistance most of the time. We sometimes think that we can do everything on our own most of the time. We don’t like to ask for assistance from anyone because we think that it is a sign of weakness.

I have had many people try to do things on their own and failed. It has happened to me many times. It is hard sometimes to ask someone else to help us through a time of temptation or challenge of any kind.

We think that if we pray and study the Word of God, HE will give us strength to fight any battle we face alone. That is wrong thinking as the LORD wants us to work together to advance HIS kingdom and if we are trying to do it on our own, we will only reach a small number of people but with the help of others more can be reached with the Good News of salvation through Christ alone.

One of the areas where we need to work together is in the area of visitation. Our world is on their way to hell for eternity. It is the responsibility of every local church that teaches the Word of God and that Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven to spread the word.

The problem is that we need bodies to knock on every door in our neighborhood and every person to help send out flyer or other things to make those in the area of the church to know what is being taught and the message of salvation.

Is it good judgment to let only some of the members of the local church to go out and witness or is it better judgment to have the whole church involved in reaching their neighborhood for the LORD!

I used special meeting to reach the area around the churches I was pastoring. Once the speaker was lined up there were flyers that needed to go to each door in the neighbor with an invitation to the meetings.

CHALLENGE: Is your church and the leadership of your church using good judgement to reach your part of the world for the LORD, by only letting a few reach out and touch your neighborhood for the LORD/

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: 176    I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments. (1245 “seek” [baqash] means require, desire, demand, exact or request.)

DEVOTION:  All one hundred and seventy-six verses are a prayer stating the importance of the Word of God in the life of a believer. Some people think the pastoral prayers in the morning worship services are long but not as long as this psalm. Throughout the psalm the psalmist asks the LORD for help. He states that he is dependence on the LORD.

He worships the LORD. He realizes that the LORD is his only hope in this world. The psalmist wants the LORD to deliver him. He realizes that he will go astray and has gone astray. He is like a lost sheep. This is a servant of the LORD going astray.

Jesus in the New Testament gives an account of a shepherd losing one sheep and going after it and finding it and bringing it back to the fold. That is what the psalmist wants the LORD to do for him. That is what we want the LORD to do for us.

Once we are in the family of God we are not to forget HIS commandments. HE gives us principles to live by during our life here on this earth. Are we living according to HIS principles? Do we know HIS principles? Can we learn HIS principles from HIS Word? YES! Are we?????

HE does desire that HIS children stay close. Remember that if we are one of HIS sheep, HE will chasten us to bring us back. The chastening takes the form of weakness, sickness or premature death. If we are not a follower of the LORD, HE will not chasten those who are not HIS children. There is only chastening of those who are true believers and are following the LORD. We need to reexamine our life to see if our commitment was genuine in the past. If not, make it genuine NOW!!! Today is the day of salvation.

CHALLENGE: Help your family and friends to realize this truth. So many people think they are saved and are not.)

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level) 

Prayer for continued help                                        verse 169-176

Prayer for understanding                                        verse 169

Cry                                                                             verse 169

Supplication                                                               verse 170

Deliverance                                                                verse 170 

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group) 

Praise                                                                          verse 171, 175 

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible) 

                      Word                                                                          verse 169, 170, 172

Statutes                                                                       verse 171

Commandments                                                        verse 172

Precepts                                                                      verse 173

Law                                                                            verse 174

Judgments                                                                  verse 175

Commandments                                                        verse 176 

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 169, 174 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Gone astray                                                               verse 176 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Prayer                                                                        verse 169

Understanding                                                           verse 169

Supplication                                                               verse 170

Deliverance                                                                verse 170

Praise                                                                          verse 171, 175

Training                                                                     verse 171

Witness                                                                       verse 172

Righteousness                                                            verse 172

Help                                                                            verse 173, 175

Salvation                                                                    verse 174

Delight in the Word of God                                     verse 174, 176

Sheep                                                                          verse 176

Servant                                                                       verse 176

Memory of the Word of God                                   verse 176 

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org.  Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method.  Thank you. 

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QUOTES regarding passage

171, 172. In the two expressions, pour forth and sing, there may be a hint of, respectively, the spontaneously personal and the corporate: the former word suggesting the bubbling up of a spring, and the latter (lit. ‘my tongue will answer’) the antiphonal praise of a choir (cf. the same word ‘answer’ for ‘sing’ in 147:7; and, using other terms, the calling of the seraphim one to another in Isa. 6:3). (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 465). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press)

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119:169–176. The psalmist called on God to hear his supplication and deliver him (vv. 169–170). He desired to praise God for His Word (vv. 171–172). He asked God to enable him to live since he delighted in His Law (vv. 173–175; cf. v. 92). The psalmist concluded this lengthy but rich psalm by confessing that he had gone astray like a lost

sheep and by asking God to rescue him by His Word (v. 176). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 882). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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I need your Word (vv. 169–72). We never outgrow our need for God’s Word, no matter how long we have been walking with Him. There is always something new to learn and we often see new applications of old truths. Believers who boast that they “know the Bible from cover to cover” are only revealing how little they know about God’s Word, for we shall spend eternity learning from His Word. The psalmist asked for understanding and deliverance, for he knew that the truth would set him free (John 8:32). After learning the statutes of God, he began to praise the Lord, for study and worship belong together. After Paul discussed the wonderful decrees of the Lord (Rom. 9–11), he broke out in worship and praise (Rom. 11:33–36). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., pp. 140–141). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)

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Ver. 171. My lips shall utter praise, &c.] Like water flowing from a fountain, as the word signifies. The heart of a good man is like a fountain of water, abounding with good things, and his mouth is a well of life; out of the abundance of grace and good things in his heart his mouth speaks, John 4:14; Prov. 10:11; Matt. 12:34, 35 and particularly his heart is filled with praise and thankfulness for the many blessings of providence and grace enjoyed; his lips shew it forth; it comes flowing from him freely and readily, without force and compulsion, largely and plentifully, constantly and continually, and with great vehemence and strength, as streams from a fountain. When thou hast taught me thy statutes; which is what the psalmist often prays for in this psalm; and signifies he should be very thankful to God for, and should sincerely praise him, could he obtain this favour; see ver. 7. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 240). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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171. “My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.” He will not always be pleading for himself, he will rise above all selfishness, and render thanks for the benefit received. He promises to praise God when he has obtained practical instruction in the life of godliness: this is something to praise for, no blessing is more precious. The best possible praise is that which proceeds from men who honour God, not only with their lips, but in their lives. We learn the music of heaven in the school of holy living. He whose life honours the Lord is sure to be a man of praise. David would not only be grateful in silence, but he would express that gratitude in appropriate terms: his lips would utter what his life had practised. Eminent disciples are wont to speak well of the master who instructed them, and this holy man, when taught the statutes of the Lord, promises to give all the glory to him to whom it is due. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 434). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)

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171. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes. The sentiment here is the same as in ver. 7. The language is varied, but the meaning here, as in that verse, is, I will praise thee in proportion as I learn thy precepts or thy law. The more I learn of thy will, the more I will praise thee. I shall see more for which to offer praise and adoration, and I shall be more and more inclined to praise and adore thee. Each new degree of knowledge will excite a corresponding desire to praise thee. This will be true of all who love God, while this life lasts, and for ever. The ever-increasing knowledge of God will excite ever-increasing praise; and as God is infinite and eternal, it follows that the increase of knowledge and of happiness, in those who are saved, will be eternal. These things will go hand in hand for ever and ever. (Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 3, p. 225). London: Blackie & Son.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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In his letter to the church at Philippi, St. Paul exhorted believers there to live lives “worthy of the gospel of Christ.” How Paul goes on to describe that kind of life lived is a bit unnerving, especially in a letter supposedly about finding a life of joy.

Such a life, wrote Paul, involves, “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, not frightened in anything by your opponents…For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”

Most of us cannot imagine living out those words, but the Nigerian schoolgirls, kidnapped almost eight years ago by Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram, can. Now in their early 20s, their stories are documented in a new book, Bring Back Our Girls: The Untold Story of the Global Search for Nigeria’s Missing Schoolgirls by Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw.

The nightmare began the night of April 14, 2014, when armed members of the terrorist group descended on the majority Christian town of Chibok,  firing their weapons and looking for food supplies and a new brickmaker. After forcing the 276 teenage girls out of their beds, they eventually decided to take them as captives. They burned the school to the ground before disappearing into Nigeria’s rugged northern scrubland.

What followed was a multinational search and a viral social media campaign known as #BringBackOurGirls. Unfortunately, it had limited immediate effect. The girls, most of whom were Christian, were at the mercy of their captors.

While the Muslim classmates were forced to marry Boko Haram fighters, the Christian schoolgirls faced a brutal choice. They could convert to Islam and likewise be forced into marriage, or they could refuse and endure every imaginable form of forced labor, assault, and deprivation. For the girls, the answer was clear. They would not submit. “Anything that happens, happens,” they told each other.

Kept at near-starvation levels and forced into back-breaking labor over the next three years, the girls remained strong in their faith. Here is how Parkinson and Hinshaw describe their courage:

“At the risk of beatings and torture, they whispered prayers together at night, or into cups of water, and memorized the Book of Job from a smuggled Bible. Into secret diaries, they copied Luke 2, because they saw themselves in Mary’s ordeal of giving birth to Jesus. They transcribed paraphrases of psalms in loopy, teenage handwriting: ‘Oh my God I keep calling by day and You do not answer. And by night. and there is no silence on my part’ (22:2).”

“As we interviewed some 20 of the young women,” Parkinson and Hinshaw continue, “We discovered [something] that much of the foreign coverage had missed. We saw clearly how the teenagers’ will to survive was inseparable from their religious convictions.”  (Break Point)

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                    Daily Hope

                                      Today’s Scripture
                                        Leviticus 8-10

“Cleanliness is next to godliness” is a phrase that I have heard at different times particularly during the Covid pandemic. The people that advocated this, believed very strongly in the need for maintaining a high standard of sanitation. Washing hands, maintaining a safe distance, and wearing a mask were all vital elements in the fight to control the virus. While I am all for hygiene, I believe cleanliness falls far short of godliness and personal holiness which the Lord requires for His service.

Moses is called to anoint and consecrate the tabernacle and priests for service to God. With an exactness and precision that marks all of God’s commands when dealing with the place He would dwell, the Lord specifically commands Moses how to prepare everything for their service of worship. 

Moses took water and washed Aaron and his sons in preparation for serving the Lord. He then dressed them in their robes and anointed each of them with oil before they served in the tabernacle. Moses was then instructed to kill a bull and place some blood on parts of the priest’s body. While most people today would not consider the sprinkling of blood or the anointing of oil as sanitary, it was the means of purifying the priests and furnishings for service to the Lord. 

Each step in the process was explicit with commands from the Lord to Moses, Aaron and his sons. It was vital they obeyed these commands in order to minister for the people and not be harmed by the holiness of God. When Nadab and Abihu altered God’s commands, these men were struck down with fire and they died before the Lord (10:1-2). 

We may not dress in robes, anoint with oil, or drip blood on the altar and parts of our bodies, but God still demands holiness from His servants! Peter states, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:15-16). God still demands for us to be cleansed and holy as we serve Him. May we follow closely His teachings and commands this week.

With an Expectant Hope,   

                Pastor Miller – Board Member of Small Church Ministries

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Luke 4

Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.

INSIGHT

When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God’s time or in God’s way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus’ reply is, “No, because it is written . . .” To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.  (Quiet Walk)

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GOD’S PEOPLE

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
John 17:10
Why are Christian people not of the world? It is because they are God’s people. “I have manifested thy name”—to whom?—“unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (John 17:6). That is the answer. That is the first and indeed the ultimate explanation, the one that includes all the others

The importance of this doctrine can be seen at a glance in John 17. Whenever our Lord repeats a thing, we can be quite sure that He regards it as absolutely vital. We are familiar with the fact that whenever He introduces a statement by saying, “Verily, verily” we ought to pay unusual attention to it. So if He repeats a statement frequently in a short space, we can be equally certain that it is something that we should lay hold of very firmly.
Now you notice how He repeats this thought in John 17:6-19. We have noted it in verse 6, but we have it again in verse 9: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” In verse 10 He says, “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them,” and then again in verse 11, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
Finally, in verse 12 He says, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Nothing, then, ought to establish in our minds the all-importance of this doctrine and teaching more than that.
A Thought to Ponder: Why are Christian people not of the world? It is because they are God’s people. (From Safe in the World, pp. 33-34. by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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The Measure of Better
“Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” (Proverbs 15:16-17)
There are many such comparisons as those in our text that have been incorporated in the book of Proverbs. We tend to think in financial terms, but the true measure of “worth” has nothing to do with money. In fact, one could almost develop an inverse law to the effect that the more money one has, the less happiness and contentment he enjoys. Note the frequency of such “equations” in Proverbs.
“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right” (16:8). “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife” (17:1). “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (16:19). “Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich” (28:6).
That which is better, therefore, is to be found “with the fear of the LORD,” “where love is,” “with righteousness,” and “quietness therewith.” It is better when one is “of an humble spirit,” who “walketh in his uprightness.”
This is a lesson that the many affluent Christian men and women of our prosperous nation urgently need to learn today. Note Paul’s counsel to young Timothy. Speaking of men who are “destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness,” he warns, “From such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:5-6). Then comes a very sobering commentary: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,…and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

                 (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Willing to Wait

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. James 5:7

Waiting can be a culprit in stealing our peace. According to computer scientist Ramesh Sitaraman, few things “inspire universal frustration and ire” in internet users as waiting for a sluggish web browser to load. His research says that we’re willing to wait an average of two seconds for an online video to load. After five seconds, the abandonment rate is about twenty-five percent, and after ten seconds, half of the users desert their efforts. We’re certainly an impatient bunch! 

James encouraged believers in Jesus to not abandon Him while they were waiting for His second coming. Christ’s return would motivate them to stand firm in the face of suffering and to love and honor one another (James 5:7–10). James used the example of the farmer to make his point. Like the farmer, who waited patiently for “autumn and spring rains” (v. 7) and for the land to yield its valuable crop, James encouraged believers to be patient under oppression until Jesus returned. And when He returned, He would right every wrong and bring shalom, peace. 

Sometimes, we’re tempted to forsake Jesus while we wait for Him. But as we wait, let’s “keep watch” (Matthew 24:42), remain faithful (25:14–30), and live out His character and ways (Colossians 3:12). Though we don’t know when Jesus will return, let’s wait patiently for Him, as long as it takes. 

                  (By Marvin Williams, Our Daily Bread Ministries) 

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A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT

The “inward man” (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves “the law of God” (v. 25). However, the “flesh” (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). “Nothing good” dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves “the law of sin” (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don’t want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from “this body of death” (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis. (Quiet Walk)

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THE HOLINESS OF GOD

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5
John has just said, “These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” So how is it to be full? Well, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is…” What would you have expected there? I suggest that most of us would have expected, “God is love” or “God is mercy” or “God is compassion”; but the startling and astonishing thing is that he says, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” And we may say to John, “You have been saying that we are to be given an amazing joy, and then you confront us with that?”
But that is precisely what he does say. We must not start with the knowledge of God, though that is absolutely essential. Nor must we start with God as a source of philosophy. We must not even start with God as love.
Now we can see at once how by putting it like this we give an utter contradiction to what has been so popular especially since 1860. The great message that has been preached for a hundred years is, “God is love.” That is the thing that has been emphasized, and we have been told that our fathers, and especially the Puritans
with their preaching about justice and righteousness and repentance and sin and punishment and death, had been entirely contradicting and denying the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been told that God is love–that is what we needed, and there He was to meet us. Yet what an utter travesty of the gospel that is! This is the message: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
A Thought to Ponder: We must not start with God as a source of philosophy. We must not even start with God as love. (From Fellowship with God, pp. 106-107, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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How to Know the Will of God
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
The key to knowing God’s will is willingness and determination to follow it before knowing it. “If any man will [literally ‘wills to’] do his will, he shall know” (John 7:17).
The best indicator whether one is really willing to follow God’s will is whether or not he is now following that part of His will that is already known as revealed in His Word. This requires first knowing and believing, then obeying the Word, especially those portions dealing with God’s general will for all Christians. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Then, if one indeed is following the revealed will of God, he may ask in confidence (1 John 5:14-15) for the Lord to indicate His will in a specific matter on which there is no explicit biblical teaching (see also James 1:5-6).
God will then answer, though it may not be immediately. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). It may not be in accordance with our preferences or personal judgment, but it will always be for the ultimate best. “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit . . . makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:26-28).
God will lead in two ways in the absence of specific Scripture guidance (which must always take precedence, of course). One is by providential circumstances, the other by inner witness of the Spirit, and these two must agree. Then, if all the terms have been met, one should proceed to follow God’s will as best he can, knowing that God will redirect him if he has made a mistake. God does want us to know His will, and He will “direct our paths.” (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Rachael Wooten copied and Pasted:

Today, I found myself complaining about the rising cost of fuel and then I remembered I’d never had to run from missiles.

I worried if I needed to stock up on a few staples and then realized I’d never had to send my children to school with their blood type taped on their backs.

I shook my head at the thought of our young men and women headed overseas and then remembered that for the Ukrainians war showed up on their doorsteps.

Then I decided- I won’t sit in my house in suburbia and brood over the downward turn of the stock market while people are literally facing death.

Instead I’m going to pray. I know that God will hear from heaven, he will lean down to listen when I pray. The Bible tells me that. I’m going to pray that whatever evil intends that God would turn it around for His glory. I’m going to pray that good would overcome evil and that it would happen sooner rather than later. I’m going to pray that God would hear the cry of every lost soul facing a war they didn’t want and come to their rescue. I’m praying for the overwhelming, supernatural presence of God almighty in every corner of the world tonight.

And sisters and brothers, I came here to ask if you’d pray with me. Let’s fill the throne room with our voices as we call out for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. May God hear our prayers and turn this whole thing around.

If he can shut the mouths of hungry lions, split an entire sea in half and raise the dead-he can surely save Ukraine. 

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