It's such a common phrase that we casually use yet most of the time failing to understand its gravity. Right now, the world demands instant gratification. No one wants to wait. No one has the time to wait. Waiting means foolishness. But here's a quote I saw few years ago:
"If you want to know how to be successful, think like a farmer. A farmer knows that he can not expect a harvest if he has not sown any seeds"
A lot of us see the harvest and the price at the end. Our eyes glued to what is to come failing to look down on what needs to be done.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with "eyes on the prize" but let me remind of this verse found in Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
The WORD wants us to see what's ahead but the WORD also encourages us to where we are and know how to get there.
Galatians 6:7 says "A man reaps what he sows."
God believes in process. He even went from Day 1 to Day 6 before resting.
That dream can happen. That aspiration can be achieved. But you got to start sowing seeds now. Be it through training, additional learning, accepting rebukes, volunteering, stepping out in faith or whatever that God specifically asks you to do.
Just sow...you'll reap it someday. Never never quit.
Showing posts with label Psalm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm. Show all posts
For I Know The Plans I Have For You
A lot is going on right now with my life. Work. LoveLife. Ministry. Family.
They were just too much and I think I can no longer bear them all.
And then when I was about to just give up and lose focus and do my own way, God just hit me with His Word!
I have read these verses before but this time they were more meaningful than ever:
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Psalm 139: 1-6 (The Message)
Psalm 139: 1-6 (The Message)
God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!
Psalm 100: Shout for Joy to the Lord!
Psalm 100 (New International Version)
Now aren't they cute?
If you hardly understood them, the complete text after the jump...
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Now aren't they cute?
If you hardly understood them, the complete text after the jump...
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Blessed Is The Man Who Fears The Lord
Praise the Lord!
Monday was an amazing day for me and the Lord! It was a day I communed with him and sought him with all my heart. Just Him and me and His word. Indeed it's indescribable! My prayer is for you to also stop and pause for a day in your week, instead of being caught up with the roller coaster of needs and priorities. To pause and seek God for fellowship and "just" enjoying His presence. Yes, above asking for anything, let's all seek his Heart and His presence first and foremost.
What I did pray about? I'll share it on another post. Watch out for that!
On this post though, I would like to praise the Lord for the WORD (promises) He had given during that fellowship. Truly, God speaks! Actually, I think He had been speaking to me several times now. I think He had been talking to you now. I was just too busy to listen. This is because only when we're still and silent in His presence do we hear His small still voice. [One thing you can think and reflect about... ]
He guided me to Psalm 112. A Psalm entitled "The Blessed State of the Righteous". I'm not sure if I've read this Psalm before. Probably once or twice but during this time the WORD was just too powerful that I was moved to tears and praises to my God and personal Lord.
Psalm 112
The Blessed State of the Righteous
1 Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
Amen!
A lot of promises, I know and I praise the Lord for all those. But as I've always said Promises will remain futile unless one does something about them. Unless I do something about them!
Do I even fear the Lord everytime I make a choice or a decision or on the way I live my life? Am I even the man this Psalm is talking about? Honestly, I am not.
But why can I still declare these promises for myself?
Because after all at the very start I was already unworthy of the promises and only God in His will can make all these things to happen. Because after all IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD. I trust HIM and believe in HIM that He can work through me and make me the "RIGHTEOUS MAN".
I may not be the man as of now but I WILL BE THE MAN soon through Jesus Christ!
That's the beauty of the Lord! He doesn't leave you or forsake you to just live your life on your own. He'll work through you and help you to make all His good plans for your lives to happen.
God bless you! Take time to speak with the Lord today, k?
Monday was an amazing day for me and the Lord! It was a day I communed with him and sought him with all my heart. Just Him and me and His word. Indeed it's indescribable! My prayer is for you to also stop and pause for a day in your week, instead of being caught up with the roller coaster of needs and priorities. To pause and seek God for fellowship and "just" enjoying His presence. Yes, above asking for anything, let's all seek his Heart and His presence first and foremost.
What I did pray about? I'll share it on another post. Watch out for that!
On this post though, I would like to praise the Lord for the WORD (promises) He had given during that fellowship. Truly, God speaks! Actually, I think He had been speaking to me several times now. I think He had been talking to you now. I was just too busy to listen. This is because only when we're still and silent in His presence do we hear His small still voice. [One thing you can think and reflect about... ]
He guided me to Psalm 112. A Psalm entitled "The Blessed State of the Righteous". I'm not sure if I've read this Psalm before. Probably once or twice but during this time the WORD was just too powerful that I was moved to tears and praises to my God and personal Lord.
Psalm 112
The Blessed State of the Righteous
1 Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
Amen!
A lot of promises, I know and I praise the Lord for all those. But as I've always said Promises will remain futile unless one does something about them. Unless I do something about them!
Do I even fear the Lord everytime I make a choice or a decision or on the way I live my life? Am I even the man this Psalm is talking about? Honestly, I am not.
But why can I still declare these promises for myself?
Because after all at the very start I was already unworthy of the promises and only God in His will can make all these things to happen. Because after all IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD. I trust HIM and believe in HIM that He can work through me and make me the "RIGHTEOUS MAN".
I may not be the man as of now but I WILL BE THE MAN soon through Jesus Christ!
That's the beauty of the Lord! He doesn't leave you or forsake you to just live your life on your own. He'll work through you and help you to make all His good plans for your lives to happen.
God bless you! Take time to speak with the Lord today, k?
God Is Amazing!
Psalm 19:1
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Here's a pic from the newly updated Hubble Telescope. Wouldn't you be amazed?
Thanks to @louiegiglio for the pic.
ABOUT THIS IMAGE:
This celestial object looks like a delicate butterfly. But it is far from serene.
What resemble dainty butterfly wings are actually roiling cauldrons of gas heated to more than 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas is tearing across space at more than 600,000 miles an hour—fast enough to travel from Earth to the Moon in 24 minutes!
A dying star that was once about five times the mass of the Sun is at the center of this fury. It has ejected its envelope of gases and is now unleashing a stream of ultraviolet radiation that is making the cast-off material glow. This object is an example of a planetary nebula, so-named because many of them have a round appearance resembling that of a planet when viewed through a small telescope.
Continue reading from the Hubble site here.
Search Me And Know My Heart
Yesterday was an AMAZING Sunday for me.
First,I'm the preacher. And to be honest, it's just so hard. Not because I don't know how to speak and not because I don't have any material to use. I mean I can just easily search for a Sermon online and study it. But No, I desire to preach and speak the "fresh" word of GOD that comes from the mouth of God. As God's Word would say:
Matthew 4:4 (New International Version)
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Second, I am one of the teachers for the English Tutorial in our Church. This activity aims to make every member in the Church "excellent" in their speech and writing using the Internationally Accepted English language. I handle the English Grammar while my partner handles Oral Communication.
Lastly, we did some General Cleaning in the Church. This brings me to our reflection for today.
I learned a lot of things while cleaning. Let me share 4 of them.
1.) We don't notice how dirty the place is until you start cleaning.
>> Honestly, I got used to how the Church looked like. I mean I thought it was just okay. I wasn't bothered by it or anything. But yes, when we started cleaning, I and the rest of the group was really surprised how dirty with all the dust and cobwebs. tsk tsk tsk...
2.) Only few people really are willing to help.
>> We invited everyone to help in cleaning the church and only very few showed up.
3.) Cleaning is necessary
>> No need to explain further.
4.) Lastly, it takes effort.
>> It's tiring. You all get wet. You all get dirty. You all get messy. In fact, while writing this my back really hurts. I really don't know why I was doing. (this isn't sign of old age, alright?)
What can we learn from this?
I realize that our lives need cleaning as well. Cleaning from hurts, anger, bitterness, envy, sexual immorality and all other things that contaminate our bodies, minds and spirit.
1.) True, we seldom notice it. We can easily live normal lives even though we know we haven't forgiven somebody yet. Even though we have lied to one person the other day. It's so easy for us to just forget about it and pretend nothing happened. Pretend that we actually chose to keep rather than share and give. Pretend that we failed to share the gospel to our family and friends even though we know God has called us to do so. Let's ask God to look into our hearts and purify us from everything that doesn't glorify Him.
2.) Very few people do this. Why? It hurts. It changes your lifestyle. It contradicts to what you have been used. It BREAKS you. But let's take this time to ask God to give us courage to obey him and be cleaned for His glory. Let's be one of the few.
3.) As we always hear, "If the Lord is not the Lord of ALL, he's not the Lord at ALL." If there's anything in us that doesn't glorify HIM, that can be a hindrance to the fulfillment of God's plan for our lives.
4.) It takes us to persevere and endure. Remember we may be broken down but let's just continue to trust in our Lord knowing that HE knows what He's doing. Be assured also, that in this process you are not left alone. Jesus, our Lord will be there for us and interceding for us. All this for us to continually grow from glory to glory until He comes back to get us.
First,I'm the preacher. And to be honest, it's just so hard. Not because I don't know how to speak and not because I don't have any material to use. I mean I can just easily search for a Sermon online and study it. But No, I desire to preach and speak the "fresh" word of GOD that comes from the mouth of God. As God's Word would say:
Matthew 4:4 (New International Version)
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Second, I am one of the teachers for the English Tutorial in our Church. This activity aims to make every member in the Church "excellent" in their speech and writing using the Internationally Accepted English language. I handle the English Grammar while my partner handles Oral Communication.
Lastly, we did some General Cleaning in the Church. This brings me to our reflection for today.
I learned a lot of things while cleaning. Let me share 4 of them.
1.) We don't notice how dirty the place is until you start cleaning.
>> Honestly, I got used to how the Church looked like. I mean I thought it was just okay. I wasn't bothered by it or anything. But yes, when we started cleaning, I and the rest of the group was really surprised how dirty with all the dust and cobwebs. tsk tsk tsk...
2.) Only few people really are willing to help.
>> We invited everyone to help in cleaning the church and only very few showed up.
3.) Cleaning is necessary
>> No need to explain further.
4.) Lastly, it takes effort.
>> It's tiring. You all get wet. You all get dirty. You all get messy. In fact, while writing this my back really hurts. I really don't know why I was doing. (this isn't sign of old age, alright?)
What can we learn from this?
I realize that our lives need cleaning as well. Cleaning from hurts, anger, bitterness, envy, sexual immorality and all other things that contaminate our bodies, minds and spirit.
1.) True, we seldom notice it. We can easily live normal lives even though we know we haven't forgiven somebody yet. Even though we have lied to one person the other day. It's so easy for us to just forget about it and pretend nothing happened. Pretend that we actually chose to keep rather than share and give. Pretend that we failed to share the gospel to our family and friends even though we know God has called us to do so. Let's ask God to look into our hearts and purify us from everything that doesn't glorify Him.
2.) Very few people do this. Why? It hurts. It changes your lifestyle. It contradicts to what you have been used. It BREAKS you. But let's take this time to ask God to give us courage to obey him and be cleaned for His glory. Let's be one of the few.
3.) As we always hear, "If the Lord is not the Lord of ALL, he's not the Lord at ALL." If there's anything in us that doesn't glorify HIM, that can be a hindrance to the fulfillment of God's plan for our lives.
4.) It takes us to persevere and endure. Remember we may be broken down but let's just continue to trust in our Lord knowing that HE knows what He's doing. Be assured also, that in this process you are not left alone. Jesus, our Lord will be there for us and interceding for us. All this for us to continually grow from glory to glory until He comes back to get us.
Psalm 139:23-24 (New International Version)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
What Are We Really After?
Lately I had been very busy increasing my "authority" in Entrecard by dropping (that's the term when you visit a site) at least 300 a day. Entrecard for those who are not familiar is a community of bloggers and advertisers helping one another in building traffic. And it did! Entrecard has brought back a good number of traffic to my site. Taking away a time for me in making sure that I post a devotion on the Word of God daily =(.
On my way to the church this afternoon, I was thinking about this and asked myself: "What am I really after?" Is it just traffic and increase in my blog ranks (the site remained #1 last week) that are important? Or is it about people being able to read God's Word and be brought back to God and be led to love God even more which was supposedly the very reason why I started my site?
That made me realize something. Sometimes in our lives/journey, we can be caught up in chasing pretty rainbows and great rewards this life can offer. I mean great traffic and high blog ranks are good, right? But that's NOT the main purpose of this site. In our lives, pretty rainbows are pretty and enjoyable but "is that the purpose why we're here?" Let's take this day as a time to check ourselves once again: What are we really after? Who are we really living for? What on earth are we really here for? Is it just about job promotion, financial success or even recognition? Isn't it about bringing glory to the LORD everytime anywhere?
Let's join David in his Psalm;
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." Psalm 139:23 (NIV)
Let's ask God to search us and if possible discipline us for us to just be brought back and be "pinged" into fulfilling His purposes for us.
After all His purpose and will for us is good, perfect and pleasing.
So now go ahead and seek God and get back on track to the journey He has prepared for you! And remember He originally created us to bring GLORY to Him.
And about the Entrecard, I'll possibly continue being a member but I just need to make sure Time is managed correcty and pretty well!
On my way to the church this afternoon, I was thinking about this and asked myself: "What am I really after?" Is it just traffic and increase in my blog ranks (the site remained #1 last week) that are important? Or is it about people being able to read God's Word and be brought back to God and be led to love God even more which was supposedly the very reason why I started my site?
That made me realize something. Sometimes in our lives/journey, we can be caught up in chasing pretty rainbows and great rewards this life can offer. I mean great traffic and high blog ranks are good, right? But that's NOT the main purpose of this site. In our lives, pretty rainbows are pretty and enjoyable but "is that the purpose why we're here?" Let's take this day as a time to check ourselves once again: What are we really after? Who are we really living for? What on earth are we really here for? Is it just about job promotion, financial success or even recognition? Isn't it about bringing glory to the LORD everytime anywhere?
Let's join David in his Psalm;
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." Psalm 139:23 (NIV)
Let's ask God to search us and if possible discipline us for us to just be brought back and be "pinged" into fulfilling His purposes for us.
After all His purpose and will for us is good, perfect and pleasing.
So now go ahead and seek God and get back on track to the journey He has prepared for you! And remember He originally created us to bring GLORY to Him.
And about the Entrecard, I'll possibly continue being a member but I just need to make sure Time is managed correcty and pretty well!
Blessed Are Those Who Dwell In Your House
Here's a PSALM for this Sunday for you to read and meditate on. This has blessed me and my prayer is for it to bless you as well!
Psalm 84
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.[a] A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.[b]
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
God Bless you!
Psalm 84
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.[a] A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.[b]
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
God Bless you!
Seek His WORD
Psalm 119:9-11 (New King James Version)
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
God said in His word, for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." [1 Peter 1:16]. We can only do so when we keep HIS WORD in our hearts (believe it) and when we take heed in obeying it (not just believing but acting on it). A lot of us can easily believe what the WORD of GOD says but we most of the time fail to act on the word especially if we fail to even understand what the the WORD is trying to say.
Review and re-check your daily devotion with the LORD.
Have you been very busy with other things lately that you just simply read the Bible without meditating on it?
Have you been very busy becoming successful in your job or in any endeavor you are in that you are forgetting the most essential thing?
Are you caught up with deadlines and priorities that you neglect reading HIS Word?
Seek HIS WORD above EVERYTHING ELSE and PRAY so that you will not wander from his WILL for you: his good, perfect and pleasing WILL.
GOD Bles you!
The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted
Psalm 34:18 (New International Version)
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
According to Wikipedia brokenhearted is defined as a common metaphor used to describe the intense emotional pain or suffering one feels after losing a loved one, through death, divorce, moving, or being rejected or neglected or other means. For me it can also be defined as a state of being discouraged and demotivated due to various reasons.
Can you identify with this feeling? Can you see yourself in this state right now? Or maybe a better question is have you been broken-hearted before?
The Lord through His WORD had said, "He is close to the brokenhearted". Praise the Lord!
That's one more promise that each one of us can cling onto. God is actually saying that when people reject you, when people leave you, when people neglect you, when everyone else deserts you, HE DOESN'T. When you feel like the world has left you all alone, He stands by your side.
Let's read a Passage from the Book of Acts to prove this point.
Acts 23:10-11 (New International Version)
The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
Paul experienced so much pain that even the commander thought he'd be torn into pieces. Now, imagine how painful that is! And God saw this and the following night, He stood near Paul to comfort him and give him courage.
In the same way, whatever you're going through right now. Problems? Trials? Please know God sees you. God surely will never leave you alone. He'd stand near you to comfort you and encourage you.
So the next time, we encounter situations that would tear and break us down, let's TAKE Courage and know that the "Lord is close to the brokenhearted".
The Joy of Going to the House of the Lord
For this Sunday here's a song from the Book of Psalms for you to read and meditate.
It's all about David being glad with those who said to him, "Let us go to the House of the Lord". I'd echo that gladness here in this post. Personally I really love to go to church. I would never want to miss a Sunday Service. I even fore go some company outings and/or events so I can just go to church. Because I always think that God has given us 6 days in a week to do "our thing", he just asks us the 7th day for us to go to Him and worship him. Why don't we just dedicate Sundays to him?
Now, Why don't you join me? Let us go to the House of the Lord!
Psalm 122
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2 Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God
I will seek your good.
And oh if you want to check how my Church here in Cebu, Philippines looks like, click here. God Bless you more!
It's all about David being glad with those who said to him, "Let us go to the House of the Lord". I'd echo that gladness here in this post. Personally I really love to go to church. I would never want to miss a Sunday Service. I even fore go some company outings and/or events so I can just go to church. Because I always think that God has given us 6 days in a week to do "our thing", he just asks us the 7th day for us to go to Him and worship him. Why don't we just dedicate Sundays to him?
Now, Why don't you join me? Let us go to the House of the Lord!
Psalm 122
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2 Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God
I will seek your good.
And oh if you want to check how my Church here in Cebu, Philippines looks like, click here. God Bless you more!
He Raises us UP to seat us with the Princes
Every Sunday in our Church, we always start it with Prayer and Praise and Worship to prepare and sanctify the place. I usually read a PSALM as I say my praises to the Lord. I have poste one Psalm for last Sunday which you can read here: The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God
For this sunday, here's the PSALM I have read and have been blessed with. I hope that it can work in your life as well by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 113 (New King James Version)
The Majesty and Condescension of God
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD!
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its going down
The LORD’s name is to be praised.
4 The LORD is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
6 Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
7 He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
8 That He may seat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
9 He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!
Here's the Promise: HE will raise us up from our poverty and our state of "being in need" and will have us seated with the princes! Yes! From poverty to royalty! Praise the Lord!
Happy Sunday everyone!
The Happiness of Those who Trust in God
I was reading this Psalm during our Prayer for Sanctification before Sunday Service and I was greatly moved that I started crying in praising the Lord. I was especially blessed when it said,
"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing."
I really hope that this Psalm will bless you in many more ways than one. I prefer not to say anything more but I ask you to ask God to teach you what He wants you to learn through this.
2My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
God bless you more!
"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing."
I really hope that this Psalm will bless you in many more ways than one. I prefer not to say anything more but I ask you to ask God to teach you what He wants you to learn through this.
Psalm 34 (King James Version)
1I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.2My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
God bless you more!
Restore to me the Joy of my Salvation
Psalm 51:12 (NIV)
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Reflection:
There are times that we get discouraged and disappointed. When a lot of problems start to pile up. When pressures from our work even from the ministry start to push us to the limits, we sometimes break down. I believe Christian life is the most joyful life anyone can have but in reality due to the fact that we are still in this fallen world, we can get disheartened at times. When we sin, we even feel guilty and feel so far off from God (this is even though God accepts us no matter what we've done or who we are).
These feelings are true and we need to accept it and face it. Because these feelings, if left unnoticed can overcome us and leave us helpless and tired to continue running the race. Let us pray with David for God to restore the joy of our Salvation.
This free gift we received is the greatest gift one can ever have. God our source of joy can easily pick us up and comfort us in times of our troubles and feel us with joy. Indeed, the joy of the Lord is our strength in every and any circumstance. Let's run to him the moment we experience any of this feeling.
God Bless you so much today!
Recommended Reading:
I have found a great post that lists all verses you need for any situation you may face: Inspirational Verses for the Christian Walk
There are times that we get discouraged and disappointed. When a lot of problems start to pile up. When pressures from our work even from the ministry start to push us to the limits, we sometimes break down. I believe Christian life is the most joyful life anyone can have but in reality due to the fact that we are still in this fallen world, we can get disheartened at times. When we sin, we even feel guilty and feel so far off from God (this is even though God accepts us no matter what we've done or who we are).
These feelings are true and we need to accept it and face it. Because these feelings, if left unnoticed can overcome us and leave us helpless and tired to continue running the race. Let us pray with David for God to restore the joy of our Salvation.
This free gift we received is the greatest gift one can ever have. God our source of joy can easily pick us up and comfort us in times of our troubles and feel us with joy. Indeed, the joy of the Lord is our strength in every and any circumstance. Let's run to him the moment we experience any of this feeling.
God Bless you so much today!
Recommended Reading:
I have found a great post that lists all verses you need for any situation you may face: Inspirational Verses for the Christian Walk
This is the Day that the Lord has made | It's all about Choices
Psalm 118:24 (New International Version)
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Reflection:
A lot of people would reason out "I just woke up in the wrong side of the bed" when they're experiencing complications and problems during the day. But do you really think it depends on how you slept last night or how you woke up a while ago? I don't think so.
God creates everyday of our lives. He causes the Sun to rise and he knows when it sets. Just like David, we must choose to rejoice and be glad in it! The word is choose.
Yes! IT IS A CHOICE you make daily.
It doesn't depend if you woke up late or you woke up too early or you woke up in the wrong side of the bed, it depends on how you would choose to accept the Day God had created for you! You can choose to be angry and irritated with your breakfats or you can choose to be happy that you're alive and you have your family beside you. You can choose to be annoyed and mad with how your outfit looks like or be blissful and joyful for another chance to live and reach for your dreams. It doesn't matter how it will turn out later during your day, you have already set the trend with your choice and assuredly, it will remain that way.
So how will you live your day today?
I encourage you to check 90/10 Principle by Stephen Covey as well.
Recommended Readings:
Be Still and Know that He is God
Mark 4:39 [King James Version]
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm
Reflection:
Sometimes when we're faced with a tremendous problem, we panic and we rattle. When we are overwhelmed with the situation, we lose control. When we're pressed with deadlines and severe needs, we rush and fear. The disciples also felt the same way when they faced Storms and Great Winds. They thought they're all going to die [Mark 4:38]. But Jesus was just asleep the whole time until the disciples woke him up. Jesus then stood and "rebuked the wind saying; PEACE, BE STILL!".
Jesus asked the disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" [Mark 4:40]. Now, he's asking you why do you panic and rattle when you're faced with great problems? Why do we forget God at times like these? I believe God was not just directing "Peace, Be still" to the storms but to the disciples as well. God said:
Recommended Readings:
You can do All things through HIM
Believe in God's Promises
Trust In Jesus Completely
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm
Reflection:
Sometimes when we're faced with a tremendous problem, we panic and we rattle. When we are overwhelmed with the situation, we lose control. When we're pressed with deadlines and severe needs, we rush and fear. The disciples also felt the same way when they faced Storms and Great Winds. They thought they're all going to die [Mark 4:38]. But Jesus was just asleep the whole time until the disciples woke him up. Jesus then stood and "rebuked the wind saying; PEACE, BE STILL!".
Jesus asked the disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" [Mark 4:40]. Now, he's asking you why do you panic and rattle when you're faced with great problems? Why do we forget God at times like these? I believe God was not just directing "Peace, Be still" to the storms but to the disciples as well. God said:
"Be Still and Know that I AM GOD."
Psalm 46:10
Know that HE IS GOD! God who has control of everything! God who is the "Lord, the God of all mankind" and there's nothing too hard for him [Jer. 32:27]. God who can make all your problems, bad situations, difficult circumstances cease.
Next time you encounter a problem or if you have problems presently, BE STILL! Yes, don't move! Trust HIM and believe. God can solve them!
Psalm 46:10
Know that HE IS GOD! God who has control of everything! God who is the "Lord, the God of all mankind" and there's nothing too hard for him [Jer. 32:27]. God who can make all your problems, bad situations, difficult circumstances cease.
Next time you encounter a problem or if you have problems presently, BE STILL! Yes, don't move! Trust HIM and believe. God can solve them!
Recommended Readings:
You can do All things through HIM
Believe in God's Promises
Trust In Jesus Completely
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