July 6, 2010 (2 Samuel 7-9, I Chronicles 17-18, various Psalms)

I keep finding whole Psalms that I want to print out to keep before me. Today I found another one - Psalm 33:

Psalm 33

¹ Let the godly sing with joy to the Lord;
it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
³ Sing a new songs of praise to him;
play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
⁴ For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything he does.
⁵ He loves whatever is just and good;
and his unfailing love fills the earth.

⁶ The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
⁷ He assigned the sea its boundaries
and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
⁸ Let everyone in the world fear the Lord,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.
⁹ For when he spoke, the world began!
It appeared at his command.

¹⁰ The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations
and thwarts all their schemes.
¹¹ But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
his intentions can never be shaken.

¹² What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
whose people he has chosen for his own.

¹³ The Lord looks down from heaven
and sees the whole human race.
¹⁴ From his throne he observes
all who live on the earth.
¹⁵ He made their hearts,
so he understands everything they do.
¹⁶ The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
¹⁷ Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
for all its strength, it cannot save you.

¹⁸ But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
¹⁹ He rescues them from death
and keeps them alive in times of famine.

²⁰ We depend upon the Lord alone to save us.
Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we are trusting in his holy name.
²² Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone.

And then this reminder from Psalm 39:

⁴ “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
and that my life is fleeing away.
⁵ You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
human existence is but a breath.”

⁶ We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
⁷ And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.

And then Psalm 50 talked about the people and all their sacrifices that they brought Him. But this is what He truly wants:

¹³ I don't need the bulls you sacrifice.
I don't need the blood of goats.
¹⁴ What I want instead is your true thanks to God,
I want you to fulfill the vows you made to the Most High.
¹⁵ Trust me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.

²² Repent, all of you who ignore me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
²³ But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.

July 4, 2010 (Various Psalms)

Today's reading encompassed various Psalms. This will be a little bit different of a post. First of all are some verses that I've highlighted, but I'll end with a Psalm that I have personalized and printed off so that I can read it at various times throughout the day. I am a perfectionist. That is a curse because one can never be perfect. I want things perfect when my husband arrives home. That puts pressure on me, but since that is the way I am 'wired', that's the way it is. And perhaps God has 'wired' me that way so that I will learn that I must trust Him to accomplish all that is on my heart. But I also have to keep in mind the Psalm that says:

² It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

But I don't work "for food to eat" - and I don't work until late at night. I do get sleep. So anyway, I digress. First of all, the verses:

^{Psalm 101:2} I will be careful to live a blameless life—
when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity
in my own home.
³ I will refuse to look at
anything vile and vulgar.
I hate all who deal crookedly;
I will have nothing to do with them.

^{Psalm 105:19} Until the time came to fulfill his word,
the Lord tested Joseph’s character.

And now, the one I have personalized. There are some segments that don't really apply. I don't feel like I have 'enemies' (but maybe I'm just kidding myself!):

Psalm 25

A psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, I give my life to you.

² I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
³ No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

⁴ Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
⁵ Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
⁶ Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
⁷ Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth.
Look instead through the eyes of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.

⁸ The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
⁹ He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
¹⁰ The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all those who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

¹¹ For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
¹² Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
¹³ They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
¹⁴ Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear him.
With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are always looking to the Lord for help,

for he alone can rescue me from the traps of my enemies.

¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
¹⁷ My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
¹⁸ Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
¹⁹ See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!
²⁰ Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
²¹ May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.

²² O God, ransom Sandy
from all her troubles.

July 2, 2010 (Various Psalms)

I've been swamped lately. Overwhelmed actually. And my handling of it, for the most part, has been just like "anyone else's" handling of it would be - but I'm not like "anyone else". I'm a child of the King. He tells me not to worry about things. He tells me He's in control. He tells me He loves me and He wants me to trust Him and to praise Him. But lately I've been 'grumbling'. As I read the following this morning, I was convicted.

^{Psalm 106:24} The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.
²⁵ Instead, they grumbled in their tents
and refused to obey the Lord.

I have been doing a lot of "grumbling" lately. A lot of complaining actually. In that regard, I've been acting just like the 'pagans' act - You wouldn't be able to tell any difference from me and anybody else. God, please forgive me. Help me to act like Your child - one who is secure in Your promise to care for me.

My next reading was Psalm 1. Another reminder that God wants my undivided attention:

¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
² But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

And then a reminder of how God wants us to act. Again, conviction, as I think about how easy it is to 'slander' others:

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

¹ Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
² Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
³ Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
⁴ Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
⁵ Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.

And then, as I was flipping through to Psalm 68, this was highlighted from Psalm 50:

²² Repent, all of you who forget me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
²³ But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.

July 1, 2010 (2 Samuel 5-6, I Chronicles 11-16)

I read about the stubborness of the Israelites and think "how stupid" and yet when I look closely at my life, I do the same things. I guess it's because it's hard work to really seek God. I think I just "assume" He will guide me, even without asking Him. Today's reading covered transporting the Ark of God - a good thing, but done in a bad way. God instructed Moses as to the correct way of transporting it, but I guess David forgot, and did it his own way. Because of that, one man lost his life. As David prepares to move it again, he does it the right way and says "We failed to ask God how to move it in the proper way". How many times do I fail to ask God for His direction and just go off and "do my own thing"? Will I ever learn? I ended this reading by writing in my journal "God, would you please guide me today to accomplish all that must be accomplished - always mindful of Your presence with me?"

I am doing this blog the next day - July 2. So, what happened yesterday? We have been looking for a truck for Chris for well over a month now - he emailed me on May 28th with all the specs/requirements. Last month I went to see one and it "sold right under my eyes" to someone else. A couple of days ago we saw another one and when I called about it, the salesman said, "We've had it for 3 weeks with no activity, but today someone bought it." There was another one that I called on yesterday and was prepared to drive to Denver to see - but on a whim (I feel looking back that I was led by God to do this, based upon my prayer for His direction) I emailed another Denver rep I've been dealing with who's been watching for a used truck all this time for us to no avail, and asked him what a 2010 would cost since the 2011's are now coming out. This weekend Honda is doing a great promotion and we can get a 2010 at a price that blew the used truck I was going to go up to see out of the water. So, bottom line, this weekend I'll be driving to Denver to pick up Poppy's new truck. One thing off the list, and one more faithful 'deliverance' of God. Thank you Lord Jesus for taking care of me.

June 30, 2010 (I Chronicles 7-10, Psalm 102-104)

The last verse of I Chronicles 10 is pretty powerful:

¹³ So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium ¹⁴ instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Haunting and makes me consider my walk with God and the devotion He requires.

I have to say, I'm still in a 'funk' - and I know it's because of a lack of faith. God doesn't change. He is always the same - always faithful. But it takes us recognizing that and acknowledging that. Psalm 103 and 104 both start out with "Praise the Lord, I tell myself". I think sometimes we just have to put mind over matter and tell ourselves, "No matter how I feel, I will praise God." That's where I am today.

Then in Psalm 103 I read of the "conditions" of blessing:

¹¹ For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

¹⁷ But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
¹⁸ of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!

It's all about perspective. We have to constantly remember we are not alone here on earth. We are not living for ourselves, nor are we 'random'. Everyone and everything needs God, whether we recognize that or not. And the only way to recognize and remember that is to be in His word and be reminded of what He says. Psalm 104 ends this way:

²⁴ O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.

²⁷ They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
²⁸ When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
²⁹ But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
³⁰ When you give them your breath, life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

³¹ May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
³² The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.

³³ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
³⁴ May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
³⁵ Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

June 28, 2010 (Various Psalms)

Well, it's been a while since blogging. I've been in CA, and although while there I don't think I missed a day of reading, I missed about every day of blogging. So I won't go back, but will go on from here. I love vacations, but I hate vacations. I'm a 'creature of habit'. I need my 'routines'. I am glad to be home. I am glad to be back at church. I am glad to be back into the routine. I also realize how easy it is to get 'sucked into the ways of the world'. I feel like I'm still coming out of a 'funk' that I got into. I wanted to go to CA and be a witness for Christ. But I think I went into the trip being tired with a loss of focus, and the trip never materialized into me being the example for Christ that I wanted to be. I seemed to be 'just like everyone else'. I know that riches and prosperity in the material world account for nothing, and yet it was so easy to 'partake' of that life. I found it interesting that today's reading encompassed those two dynamics. The first part pertains to 'worldly riches', while the last part pertains to having an eternal perspective with 'eternal riches':

The Fate of Those Without Christ:

^{Psalm 49:10} Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
¹¹ The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
¹² but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like animals.
¹³ This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as being wise.

¹⁴ Like sheep, they are led to the grave,
where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
Their bodies will rot in the grave,
far from their grand estates.
¹⁵ But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave.

¹⁶ So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
and their homes become ever more splendid.
¹⁷ For when they die, they take nothing with them.
Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
¹⁸ In this life they consider themselves fortunate
and are applauded for their success.
¹⁹ But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light of day.
²⁰ People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
they will die, just like animals.

Reflecting Upon the True Meaning of Life

^{Psalm 73:16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.}

^{But what a difficult task it is!}

¹⁷ Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
¹⁸ Truly, you put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
¹⁹ In an instant they are destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors.
²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
²³ Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

June 19, 2010 (I Samuel 1-8)

The thing that strikes me in the first chapter of I Samuel is that God is in control of things. Hannah was barren, and year after year she would worship the Lord in spite of her barrenness, but finally she was so distraught about it that she prayed out of deep anguish of soul, and God heard her. We see this over and over in the Bible, that God answers the prayers of the earnest, and yet we approach Him so 'casually' and wonder why we don't receive answers to our prayers. Perhaps it's because we are not 'earnest' in our requests.

Eli was the priest and he had two sons that 'had no respect for the Lord'. The were 'assistant priests' and failed to faithfully perform their duties. Eli heard of it, and confronted them about it, but they wouldn't listen to him. It seems as if after that, Eli let them continue 'doing what they were doing' instead of dealing with them. And because of that, God accused Eli of honoring his sons more than he honored God. Here was God's response to all this:

^2:29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

³⁰ “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. ³¹ The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. ³² You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. ³³ Those who survive will live in sadness and grief, and their children will die a violent death. ³⁴ And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

³⁵ “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. ³⁶ Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

Honoring and obeying God - again and again we see that is the path of blessing.

The Philistines attacked Israel and captured the Ark of the Lord. Long story short, Israel got it back, but also kept foreign gods. And because of that "it seemed that the Lord had abandoned them". Then Samuel said:

7:3 “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.

This section ends with the people demanding a king, like the other nations have. God warned them through Samuel that a king would be greedy and self serving, but the people demanded it anyway. So God told Samuel "Do as they say and give them a king". Sometimes God gives us what we ask for, even to our own hurt. Why don't we always seek what He wants?