I began my study this week in Psalms 3.  If you are following along with me you know I finished Psalms 1 and 2.  I am spending a week in each of the Psalms.  I can’t tell you how I’ve enjoyed this.  I just love the devotional Bible study method.  The nuggets I am gleaning from God’s Word are so rich and fresh and refreshing.

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.

¹ LORD, I have so many enemies!
So many are standing against me.
² So many are talking about me:
“Even God won’t help him.”
Selah
^[a]
3 But you, LORD, are my shield!
You are my glory!
You are the one who restores me.
⁴ I cry out loud to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
Selah

⁵ I lie down, sleep, and wake up
because the LORD helps me.
⁶ I won’t be afraid of thousands of people
surrounding me on all sides.

⁷ Stand up, LORD!
Save me, my God!
In fact, hit all my enemies on the jaw;
shatter the teeth of the wicked!
⁸ Rescue comes from the LORD!
May your blessing be on your people!
Selah

We all have many enemies.  Physical enemies, Spiritual enemies, mental enemies.  Satan and his slaves are attempting to lead us away from God.  They will resort to all most anything.  There are the unsaved ones who are blinded by Satan to Jesus’ truth.  We have radio, TV, media in general to eat up our time and rot our brains with half-truths.

Some days it feels totally overwhelming to me.  The constant noise, the phone, the radio, gossip, traffic, etc.  It is as if I am being oppressed.  Especially when a family member or close friend betrays you or hurts you.  Just what you need is one more enemy.  Right?

Your enemies stand against you.  They talk about you.  Sometimes it even feels like God won’t help.  You feel so alone.  But that isn’t true.

The Lord is my shield.  He protects me from the fiery darts of the devil and all others who hate and persecute me.  All I have to do is cry out to the Lord and He will answer.

In Psalms 3 we are given a command to cry out to the Lord.  This shows our dependence on Him.  Then we are given a promise.  He will answer when I cry out.  Not when my mom or my dad do it for me.  Not when my husband or pastor cries out for me.  When I cry out.

We sleep and we wake again because of the Lord’s help.  Even though you feel surrounded on all sides by multitudes.  You don’t have to be afraid.  Just cry out!

Stand up Lord!  Save me My God.  Rescue comes from the Lord.  Remember that because there are many things in the world saying they will rescue you and save you.  BUT there is only one true rescue and that comes from the Lord.

In my pondering of this Psalm, one thing that I find truly interesting is that David is saying “in fact hit all my enemies on the jaw; shatter the teeth of the wicked.”  David shared with the Lord what he really wanted to happen to his enemies.  David wanted retaliation.  David wanted his enemies to suffer like he did.

Do you ever feel this way?  Is it right as a Christian?

I think we should use David as an example.  He was crying out to the Lord for help.  He was overwhelmed.  God rescues.  So in David’s prayer to the Lord David was truthful.  David wanted his enemies to be punished as he had been punished.  So instead of taking matters into his own hands, David prayed it to God.  He gave it to God.

What would the world be like today if we did more of this?  Instead of retaliation.  The Lord says in Romans 12:19 “Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.  It is written, revenge belongs to me; I will repay it back, says the Lord.”

Vengeance is the Lords.

Until Next Time,

M

I was reading about Abram and Sarai the other day and I starting thinking.  I was pondering about what would have happened if Abram had not lied about Sarai being only his sister.  What would have happened?

Would Sarai have been barren so early on?

Would Abram have lain with Hagar per Sarai’s instruction?

Would Sarai of had her own children earlier?

Would Abram and Sarai had more than Isaac?

Would they actually possessed the Promise land instead of passing through as immigrants.

What if?  Think about that for this week.  What if I left things in God’s more than capable hands instead of taking matters into my own, because after all God knows more than I could ever fathom.  Here is a photo of those more than capable hands.  I am leaving all my burdens this week in His hands this week.

Until Next Time,

M

As a blog reviewer for Thomas Nelson, when I had the chance I requested the book Your 100 Day Prayer The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting on God by John I. Snyder.  One of my favorite topics to read about and spend time in is prayer.  So I was so excited about taking this 100 day prayer journey.

Come on in and read about what I discovered, I won’t give away too much you just might want to purchase the book and experience your own transformation!

From the back cover: “When the need is so great, so seemingly impossible that only God’s direct intervention will bring it about, it takes a different kind of prayer.  Your 100 Day Prayer is designed to take you straight to the heart and will of God by seeking him for a specific need.”

Included in the book is:

• A dedication page to express your need before God on the day you being your 100 days of prayer.
• 100 entries to help you focus on your prayer through the Word of God and God’s very own character based upon truth.
• Prayer examples to give you an idea of how to pray.
• Journaling space to record your thoughts, conversations and life changing moments day by day.
• An ending page to memorialize how God answered your prayer and changed you in the process.

So what are you waiting for?  I don’t know about you, but I have a need in my life that could use the transforming power of God.  Don’t you?  How about that lost loved one you have been praying for?  Your children?  Your job?  Revival?

Your 100 Day Prayer is a book about petitioning God over and over again about a certain request you have in your life.  John I. Snyder reminds us that the Bible tells us we are to ask and then ask again over and over, day in and day out.

On the first page of your 100 day journey you record the request that you will be presenting to God over and over again for 100 days.  There is also a prayer to help you begin.

A second section uses Luke 11:1 “Lord teach us to pray.” A how-to type of chapter.  Each day on the 100 day journey begins with a Scripture passage.  A short devotional type message.  A Today’s prayer section where you are prompted to ask something.  Then a space for recording today’s progress.

I loved the ability to be able to journal your thoughts right there on each day.  What an awesome way to record the hand of God in your life.

I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and I have truly experienced the power of praying for something over and over again.  The only thing I would change about this book is that I would have spiral bound it and allowed a larger writing space, but other than that I recommend this book to anyone who has something on their heart they want to pray about for a prolonged period of time.

Until Next Time,

M

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade
Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endoresements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As you know I am using the new Common English Bible in 2012.  I am also giving away one copy a week, so get your comments, shares, tweets and posts in to get your free copy today.

I am continuing my study in Psalms 2.  You can get the text for this from my previous post on Psalms 2 out of the Common English Bible and my previous post.

Rant – what does this mean?  Rave what does this mean?  In Strong’s this means they use rage to be tumultuous.

So in other words violently and with anger the nations of the world set themselves against the Lord.  Anyone who does not have Jesus as their Personal Lord and Savior is an enemy to the Lord.  If you have Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior you are the anointed of God.  I am.  So nations, kings and rulers and the unsaved are opposed to me and the Lord.

But the Lord laughs at their futile plans from Heaven.  The Lord speaks to those opposing Him.  That He has already set His King (Jesus) on His (God’s) Holy Hill, Zion.  It is finished.  This King is God’s own Son and God begotten Him.  Jesus God’s own begotten Son asks the Lord for the heathen as an inheritance the Lord will give them to Jesus and also the Lord will give the uttermost parts of the earth for Jesus’ possession.

Jesus shalt break them  (the heathen) with a rod of iron.  The rod of iron is a rod of correction.  This indicates severity and harshness that will be handed out on the day of judgment at Christ’s return.

There is a warning here:  Verse 10 to kings and judges.

There is a command here:  Serve the Lord with fear (reverently) and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son (Jesus) lest He be angry and you’ll perish if you don’t know Him intimately.

There is a promise here:  Blessed are all they that put their trust in Jesus.

Until Next Time.

M

Are you a self feeder?  Can you feed yourself?  I don’t mean literally with a fork, spoon, etc.  I mean getting fed from the Word of God.  Or does your Bible sit on the shelf or coffee table and collect dust?

If you are a self feeder, do you?  Or are you dependent on Sunday’s message and possibly Wednesday’s nights message?  How is that working for you?

Are you depressed, discouraged, ready to throw in the towel and quit?

I was…. I was ready to quit it just seemed too hard.  Everything was going wrong in my eyes.  This wasn’t the life I signed up for.  My appliances were dying faster than my house plants!  Sickness was overtaking my household.  My husband was faced with losing sight in his eye and major surgery.  My job was laying people off and deleting positions faster than I can type.  The kids were being rebellious.

As I cried out to God “What did I do to deserve all this?”  I am tired, weary and all I am is trying to do good.  I was ready to give up, why?

Because I expected others to do for me what only God can, will and could.  God spoke to me and said. “I AM ALL YOU NEED, is that not enough for you Melissa?  Talk about an eye-opening experience.

Humbly I confessed my sin to my loving Father and asked Him what I needed to do.  Here is what He showed me:

1.  I needed to learn to feed myself.  Not rely on my pastor, my husband, my family to feed me.  It is my responsibility to feed on the Word of God daily and to do the Word of God in my life.  NO ONE can do this for me.

2.  Fully rely on God not the things of this world.  Man can not meet my needs.  Material items can not meet my needs.  Only God can.  Seek first the Kingdom of God.

Guess what I am doing?

Until Next Time,

M

Genesis 18:20 Common English Bible

“²⁰ Then the LORD said, “The cries of injustice from Sodom and Gomorrah are countless, and their sin is very serious! “

Injustice = wrong or injury.

So in this verse people from Sodom and Gomorrah were crying out to the Lord about the wrong or injury they were suffering.  These cries were numerous or countless.

BUT…then it says their sin is very serious.  Would this be the ones that were crying out with injustice? or just the one who were committing the injustice?

My opinion is based on other verses of the Bible.

Genesis 18:32 “The Lord said if He found 10 innocent people in the City of Sodom He would save the entire city because of these innocent people.

Genesis 19:15 Lot, His wife and two daughters.  This does not equal ten people no matter how I add.  So Lot is forced to leave because there were not 10 innocent people so the Lord did not save the city.  He had Lot, his wife and two daughters leave by the grace of God.  He didn’t have to save Lot, his wife and two daughters, but He did.

Genesis 19:23 Lord rained down burning asphalt.

So to try answer my questions above.  Who were the cries coming from?  There are only four people mentioned in the verses above that were innocent.  So the cries most likely were coming from the ones causing the injustice and the one’s suffering the injustice.  The reason I say it was the sinners is because Lot did not want to go far from Sodom.  So why would he be the one to cry out if He didn’t want to leave Sodom in the first place?

Until Next Time,

M

Common English Bible Psalms 2

“¹ Why do the nations rant?
Why do the peoples rave uselessly?
² The earth’s rulers take their stand;
the leaders scheme together
against the LORD and
against his anointed one.
³ “Come!” they say.
“We will tear off their ropes
and throw off their chains!”
⁴ The one who rules in heaven laughs;
my Lord makes fun of them.
⁵ But then God speaks to them angrily;
then he terrifies them with his fury:
⁶ “I hereby appoint my king on Zion,
my holy mountain!”

⁷ I will announce the LORD’s decision:
He said to me, “You are my son,
today I have become your father.
⁸ Just ask me,
and I will make the nations
your possession;
the far corners of the earth
will be your property.
⁹ You will smash them with an iron rod;
you will shatter them like a pottery jar.”

¹⁰ So kings, wise up!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
¹¹ Serve the LORD reverently—
trembling, ¹² kiss his feet^[a]
or else he will become angry,
and your way will be destroyed
because his anger ignites in an instant.

But all who take refuge in the LORD
are truly happy!” CEB

Why do the nations rant?  Why do the people rave uselessly?

The earth’s rulers take their stand.  The leader’s scheme together against the Lord and against His anointed one.  (The world, the world leaders, rulers are against the Lord and Jesus Christ).  They (the rulers and leaders) think they can overturn the ropes and chains of bondage.  What bondage?  The bondage caused by sin?  God laughs at their futile attempts.  Because God knows that Jesus Christ is the only way, the truth and the light.  God speaks to the people of this world who scheme against Him, angrily and He terrifies them with His fury.  God has appointed His King Jesus Christ on Zion God’s holy mountain.

This King will announce that God is our Father and we’ve become God’s children.  All we have to do is ask and God will make the nations our possessions.  The far corner of the earth is my property.   The Lord will smash them with an iron rod and shatter those of the world like a pottery jar.  So kings – rulers, leaders of this earthly world, wise up!  This is God’s warning to you.

Serve the Lord reverently, trembling, kiss His feet or else He will become angry and your way will be destroyed because the Lord’s anger ignites instantly.  If you are taking refuge in the Lord you are truly happy.

Until Next Time,

M

I wanted to share some more of what the Lord has shown me in 2012, if you are a regular follower of the blog you know I like to call these “Melissa’s Gleanings” after Ruth gleaning in the book of the Bible Ruth.

I am reading the Common English Bible this year.

Genesis 4:3 CEB “Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the LORD from the land’s crops”

Cain presented an offering to the Lord from the land’s crops.  Previously in the Word of God there was no reference that the Lord requested a certain type of offering.  I had always thought that the Lord specified what was to be brought when offering, but this year reading in the Common English Bible, I discovered I had assumed wrong.  It pays to read and re-read.

Genesis 4:7 CEB “If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”

When you do something wrong it opens the door for more wrong doing.  When you do something that you know is wrong doesn’t it become easier to do it the second time?  Sin is waiting at the door ready to enter your heart.  So is Jesus.  Which one will you let in?

Right behavior – Jesus

Wrong behavior – sin

God commands us to rule over sin.  Not the other way around.

Until Next Time,
M

As 2012 begins, I’ve committed and made a covenant with the Lord to study His Word using the Devotional Bible Study Method.  I recently read Rick Warren’s book “Bible Study Methods”.  He shares one of the most exciting Bible Study methods in this book.  He lays out the procedure so easily that even I can follow it and glean from God’s Word.

Psalms 1:1-6 CEB “¹ The truly happy person  doesn’t follow wicked advice,
doesn’t stand on the road of sinners,  and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful.
² Instead of doing those things, these persons love the LORD’s Instruction,
and they recite God’s Instruction day and night!
³ They are like a tree replanted by streams of water,
which bears fruit at just the right time
and whose leaves don’t fade.
Whatever they do succeeds.

⁴ That’s not true for the wicked!
They are like dust that the wind blows away.
⁵ And that’s why the wicked will have no standing
in the court of justice—  neither will sinners
in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶ The LORD is intimately acquainted
with the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked is destroyed.”

A truly happy person avoids all appearances of evil. If it looks bad or will cause others to stumble avoid it.  Does not do the deeds of the wicked.  Instead a truly happy person loves the Lords commandments and memorizes them.  When you love the Lords commands and memorize them you will be a prosperous, fruitful instrument of God and experience success. You will be like a tree replanted by streams of water.  Living water.  You will flourish in your spiritual life and your life will bear fruit at the right time for the glory of God.   The wicked will perish.

I am commanded in these verses to love the Lord and His commands.  The promise if I do this is that I will be fruitful and have success and be intimately acquainted with the Lord.  The sheep know the Shepherd and the Shepherd knows the sheep.  What a blessing.

How can I apply this to my own life?  I need to study the instructions of the Lord, to memorize them so I can guard against sin in my life.  I can memorize one verse a month.  I can also write out these instructions in my journal. Abide in Jesus each and every moment of my day.  Pray for guidance and lean no unto my own understanding.  Allow the Word of God to mold and shape me to be more like Jesus.

My memorization verse for this month is: Psalms 1:3.

Will you join me?

Until Next Time,

M

Heather Bixler sent me a review e-book copy of Desires of My Heart – Devotional on Psalms 37:4.  I received one copy of the e-book to read and write an objective review.  I received no compensation for this review.

Desires of My Heart – Devotional eBook on Psalm 37:4 – which says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

I don’t know about you but my heart has many desires.  Sometimes those desires do not line up with the Word of God.  Do you ever have that problem?  The only fix I’ve found is to renew my heart and mind daily with the Word of God.  So when Heather sent me a copy of this e-book I was excited.  I can always use any help I can get with delighting myself in the Lord.  The desires of my heart are just the cream on the top.

Right off the bat, Heather challenged me with a question, Do I really know what it means to delight myself in the Lord?  Honestly?  No, I don’t.  Thankfully Heather shares her own personal story in this e-book.  Which is always helpful to me to see where others have gone.  To learn from their mistakes and to identify my own problems.  The e-book is very well written and an easy read.

In the book Heather shares:” Trusting in God completely with your life requires full submission to Him.”  This was the one sentence that touched me the most in reading the e-book.  Oh how I’ve struggled with this.  I want to trust God.  I know I am supposed to trust God.  I want to be submitted, I thought I was submitted.  Until the first storm cloud begins to brew and then I realize when my mind jumps to and fro and my anxiety level peaks, that I am not fully trusting, nor am I fully submitted.

As you eagerly turn each page, you will feel the love and compassion share by Heather.  She draws you in much as Jesus would and loves you with her very own struggles without condemnation.  I was very touched my this.  I know you will be too.

Desires of My Heart – Devotional eBook on Psalms 37:4 is available for purchase through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  I know Heather would be excited if you would stop by her website and say hi and let her know you saw the review on my blog.  Here is her website:  Desires of My Heart.

Remember you don’t have to be perfect to delight in the Lord, this is a borrowed saying from Heather’s website.

Until Next Time,

M