Protector

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken....... 

- Psalm 34:19-20 -

Thoughts on This Verse... We know that the righteous can have troubles, but how do we understand that God delivers us from them all? How do we understand that he protects all our bones, especially in light of recent tragedies and the persecution of believers in many places in the world? Paul demonstrates the answer: whatever happens to him will turn out for his deliverance -- whether it is through his death to be with God or whether it is through his release from prison to continue ministry (Phil. 1:19-23). Our deliverance is secure. We are conquerors in Christ. Nothing Satan can do to us can steal us away from God's love, not even death (Romans 8:32-39). 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Confession to Praying to Healing

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective....... 

- James 5:16b -

Thoughts on This Verse... So many hearts, hopes, and homes are broken by sin. This brokenness infects our culture and invades our lives. God has provided both a deterrent to sin and a means of forgiveness for its guilt: honest and genuine confession of our sin. At the heart of confession is a passion to see sin for what it is in the eyes of God and to be anguished for our participation in it. No wonder confession is so healing (cf. 1 John 1:5-2:2). No wonder God wants us to confess our sin to each other and then come to him for each other's healing from sin and its damage. No wonder God grants such power to the prayer of a righteous person interceding for one led to confess. Let's confess our sin and leave it behind. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Peace out!

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification....... 

- Romans 14:19 -

Thoughts on This Verse... ''Make every effort!'' That's quite a challenge. But notice where that exertion is to be focused: peace and mutual edification. Both sides of this exhortation are two way responsibilities. I must pursue and share peace if I am going to have it myself. I must edify, and be open to being edified, if mutual edification is going to happen. In other words, we live with other people in God's family. He wants us to be responsible for making relationships work in our spiritual family. He reminds us it will require strenuous effort. But, isn't that true in every family relationship? Love means sacrifice, effort, and concern for others. When we share our love willingly, however, we're much more likely to see it coming back to us! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

You wish will be granted

What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted....... 

- Proverbs 10:24 -

Thoughts on This Verse... The wicked fear the triumph of goodness, holiness, and righteousness. They fear not being in control. They fear death's overtaking them. The righteous desire the triumph of goodness, holiness, and righteousness. They offer their lives to be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. They recognize death is an enemy, but one that has been conquered by their Savior. In times like these, isn't it comforting to know that the things that the wicked fear are really things that they can be sure of receiving! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

I can't seem to get my life together

Sunday May 27 2012

Guilt Free Christianity
*No one is as awesome as they appear to be
*All of us find it difficult to get our lives together

Book of Romans

*1 of the significant books in the bible
*Explain the gospel at depth

*Unbeliever-> Missionaries
*Message of gospel to unbelievers
*New Christians, growing Christians and missionaries have to believe the law (but its gospel for all)

*We will never get pass the gospel but get further and further to it
*Dive deeper into gospel for both unbelievers and believers

Romans 3:9-18:

New International Version (NIV)

No One Is Righteous

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. ¹⁰ As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
¹² All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”
¹³ “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
¹⁴     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶     ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷ and the way of peace they do not know.”
¹⁸     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
*Gentiles and Jewish all sin
*Doesn't matter if your irreligious or religious
*We might think that good heart, doing good things and occasionally bad things or
not a good heart, do bad things and occasionally good things but according to the bible,
we are evil people with a sinful heart
*We turn away, no one does good, no one who seeks God before their eyes

*Hebrews 11:6: ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

"without faith, it is impossible to please God"
*works of flesh and spirit
*we need to repent our sins and whole body

John 15:5: ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
*If Jesus is in us- we can do heaps good

1 Corinthians 2:14: ¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
*Confusing until God comes and break their eyes

2 Corinthians 4:3-4: ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
*The reason we can't see God is because Satan has blinded the eyes of unbelievers

Mark 4:11-12: ¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"

John 6:44: ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Calvinism

t - total depravity

u - unconditional election

l - limited atonement

i - irresistible grace

p - perseverance of the saints

*Some people are chosen to come to God

Arminianism

total depravity

pervenient grace

atonement for all

irresistible grace

*Stop having faith for Christ- no longer secure security in Christ
*not all go across

*God chooses people base on his foreknowledge
*no what god does but observes (active not passive)
*removes the mist, not everyone will come
*God choosing humanity and we choosing him:
Balance between humanity and free-will
*Everyone has free will- they can resist but its irresistible

*Paul hated the church but Paul has experienced to be called and appointed as leader to gentiles

*We having freewill to turn away but not to turn to

*The most important thing is to believe that Jesus is the Saviour of our sins

Calvinism and Arminianism
-may be dangerous, have to go back to the bible
*Many non-Christians does good but we have to check what is pleasing to God and do it with our faith of God
*Our call is to spread the gospel and get people to know Christ
*Worship God regardless of our views
*We worship because of what he has done for us

     

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Pityful

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men....... 

- 1 Corinthians 15:19 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Wow, what a powerful and sobering thought. Our faith in Jesus' resurrection and our faith in being joined to him is so crucial that all else pales in comparison. Our hope in Christ is not just for here and now, but it is also a hope that transcends life and bursts the shackles of death. If it doesn't offer us this hope, then it is no hope at all; it is not really good news. We are deluded and to be pitied. But then, I do believe that Jesus promises us a heavenly home! This, my friend, changes everything!

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

New self, ON!

[P]ut on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness....... 

- Ephesians 4:24 -

Thoughts on This Verse... One of the biggest decisions we face at the beginning of the day is what we will wear. Well, no matter what we choose in the way of clothing, let's make sure we choose to put on the new person God re-made us to be when we became Christians. Those are the only clothes that will fit us eternally!

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

The Gift of the Spirit

We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit....... 

- 1 John 4:13 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Our sign of authenticity showing we are truly God's children is the Holy Spirit who lives in us. The Spirit helps bring forth the character of God in our lives (Gal. 5:22). The Spirit helps us when we pray (Rom. 8:26-27). The Spirit empowers us to overcome sin (Rom. 8:13) and gives us strength to do things we would never imagine were possible (Eph. 3:14-21). The Spirit comforts us in our brokenness and makes God's presence real in our lives (John 14:15-26). The Spirit is the truest sign that we are God's children (Rom. 8:9, 14-16). Thank God for the blessed Holy Spirit!

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength!

[Jesus replied,]'''Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.''...... 

- Mark 12:30-31 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Sometimes the most important things are not hard to understand. God wants us to love him with every fiber of our being and to also love those around us. All of his demands on character really boil down to honoring these two great principles that transcend law and bring the character of God to hearts.




**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Fitting

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse....... 

- Proverbs 10:32 -

Thoughts on This Verse... How many times have you said just the''wrong'' thing? For me, it is more often than I would like to recall. Jesus' words on this topic are indeed convicting to me:''Out of the abundance of the heart does the mouth speak.'' In other words, poor words and bad timing in our speech are more issues of our heart than issues of social skills and decorum. Let's ask God to purify, mend, and re-focus our heart on his will and passions.

 
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Imitating Footsteps

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me....... 

- Psalm 119:133 -

Thoughts on This Verse... God's word is a light to our dark path in a morally uncertain world. It must be our standard for right and wrong, righteousness and evil. As God's will and Word have sway in our life, we are delivered from all sorts of destructive practices that can ruin our lives. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Become

Ephesians 4:1, 11-13:

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  

 

Ephesians 4:14-16 (v15):
¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.


*full grown/mature Christians = Jesus
*Truth- no one can become Jesus
*What its trying to say is to grow up in salvation
*We are given out identity by Christ, and no one can take that away from you

Why do we have to grow up in our salvation if we already have a secured identity?

1. Our experience with Jesus grows (more intimate)

As we grow, our status with the Lord increases

2. We experience, feel, taste him in new ways

3. It helps us to serve others

We have a role in our kingdom

When we grow, we can grow other people, having them see Christ in a whole new way

What do we have to do to make us grow?

*We must hear and develop our growth

*Provide the right environment

*Our intentions do not really matter but the actions we take

*The bible tells us how
*When we become Christians we have to accept God's grace
*His plan for our lives to serve Him

1. Acceptance 

- Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers
-Accept his commands (We do have free will but we need commands to grow us)

- Be influenced by people who will grow us

- We need that maturity to understand and accept the orders God gives us to give us a good outcome

*Engaging in the Bible

2. Nourishment

-but whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on his law day and night
-Just like the word, we need to cut it up and digest it slowly
-It is a gradual process

3. Exchange

-That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its Fruit (of the spirit) in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prosper
-live in community with others

*We grow into Jesus

John Newton
1 John 2:

2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

³ We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Breaks stages of life in stages of growth

1. Infants

1 John 2:12:

-I am writing to you dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account on his name

*Like infants, we have short attention span and are unstable
*Most are psychologically self-centered as well
*We are all like that as young Christians
*We sin, we feel guilty, re repent and rededicate and repeat the whole cycle
*We need to know that we are forgiven
*We question whether we are even the Christian we are suppose to be
*We need parenting

*We can't leave young Christians on their own- need to shepherd them

*Older Christians know the principle

2. Young people

 *Does not mean we do not need God

*I am writing to you young men, because you have overcome the evil one
*We have to acknowledge our sin- not what we do, but what we are
*He loves me because of that
*We may be angry or bitter- we need to realize and become aware of our emotions

*We are more depended on him than our feelings towards him

3. Fathers and mothers

1 John 2:13: ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome the evil one. 


*I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning
*They grow deeper in the word and growth of the Lord

*they trust and have faith in the Lord

*Peace that surpasses understanding

*Deep yearning and passion for the Lord

*We need to accept, nourish things for ourself

*We can do that by listening to sermon
*Purpose to grab whole of it
*Status of God has not changed- he still loves us no matter what
*Even if were feeling mocked or guilty, we repent but always remember that He still loves us


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Don't take no for an answer

*Things might break down although you make the effort to work hard

*We might give up

*That includes giving up on spirituality

*Some people do not want to let Him in because we see others give up
*Interesting thing in faith, prayer is the biggest discouragement
*We might be praying and fasted for so long but things might not be how you want it to be
*Prayer can be the biggest faith builder in your life

*The best praying is never giving up until God says yes

Matthew 15:21-28:

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

*Not my faithfulness but your mercy
*God is silent when you have presented your case
*Jesus did not budge in
*Jesus says to the women that He came for the Israelites, not for her
*When we meet God and He says no, she begs, kneels at His feet and ask Him to help her
*She did not leave, persisted and got her prayers answered God

promise- pray harder
neutral- pray
No- stop praying (but we SHOULD persist to pray)

1. So much of the bible indicate that God will always say yes. Is this true?

Matthew 7:7-8:

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Mark 11:23-24: ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

John 14:13-14:
¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

1 John 5:14-15: ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Jesus clearly says no
Luke 9:53-55:
⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

*Base on theology on experience rather than Bible which says more yes than no

2. What if it is outside God's will? Should I keep praying?

God's will- yes
Not God's will- no ..(Not exactly)
*Everyone wants everyone to be saved by God
*Not within God's will for Israelites to be saves- He said yes in saving them after Moses prayed
*It is God's will for everyone to be saved- God says no and die without being saves
*God is a man, not a textbook. 

*If Moses can change God's mind and will, we can change God's mind and will

*Jesus pleaded to change God's will (Your will be done - prayer of submission at the end)
*Jesus would not pray (take my cup of suffering if He knew God can change His will- dynamic not static)

3. How do I know when to stop praying? Do I keep praying forever?

*We may sometimes feel things are going forever so we pray forever
*Jesus prays 3 times "take this cup from me" "remove the thorn from my flesh"

Implication: We should pray 3 times (or more)

Luke 18:1:

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

*Pray untill we get a good reason God says no

*God will answer your prayer when you earnestly seek and plead

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Constructing your argument

#1 Claim a promise

Daniel 9:1- In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—
appeal to God's promises

Jeremiah 29:10-11: ¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ 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.

*Claim promises God has made
*Revelation- said it is going to happen- focus on our prayers
*God gives us a cheque- we cash our cheque
*God gives us a promise- pray into the promise (to deliver)

#2 Appeals to God's mercy

Daniel 9:4-6, 18:
⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy
 

*"We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 

#3 Appeal to God's Record

*We want all the praise before we even get to ourselves
*We might back away because we don't want to prove ourselves
*He has prove himself time and time again

Daniel 9:15-16:

¹⁵ “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

#4 Appeal to God's reputation

*God himself cares about his own reputation, how is he being seen by others
Daniel 9:17-19:

¹⁷ “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

*If you will receive when you ask, could you seek him First in your finance
*Desperately need God to breakthrough
*Not only we can appeal to his promises, mercy, record and reputation but that we can 

appeal his son- JESUS CHRIST!

Hebrews 4:16: ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

*Approach the throne of grace with confidence
*We have one who speaks up and present out case for God

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Encamps like a bubble!

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them....... 

- Psalm 34:7 -

Thoughts on This Verse... I don't see him, but I know he's there! The same angel of the Lord who destroyed Israel's enemies is now fighting to win the spiritual battle that rages around you and me. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Sun Shield

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless....... 

- Psalm 84:11 -

Thoughts on This Verse... God doesn't hold back on his goodness! In fact, the Father loves to give his children gifts. These gifts are all encompassing. These gifts are gladly given. How do I know? Three ways: 1) I've been repeatedly blessed; 2) I've seen what God has done to bless his people through the centuries; and 3) his Word promises this to be so. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Witness in play

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him....... 

- Acts 5:32 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Of all the many gifts God gives, the gift of his presence in us through his Holy Spirit is among the most precious. The Spirit's presence makes us God's temple (1 Cor. 6:19). The Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God when we pray (Rom. 8:26-27). The Spirit helps us overcome the pull of our flesh (Rom. 8:13-14). The Spirit gives us strength in our inner being (Eph. 3:16). In other words, the Spirit is at work to transform us to the character of Christ. Let's thank God for his holy presence in us through the Holy Spirit. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Self-denial vs deny thyself

Then he said to them all:''If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.''...... 

- Luke 9:23 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Offering ourselves to God isn't easy because it means we must first die to our own selfish will. Like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, we face our own cross and must cry out,''Not my will, dear Father, but your will be done!'' 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Preparation beforehand

However, as it is written:''No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.''...... 

- 1 Corinthians 2:9 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Kids look forward to Christmas, Disneyland, and summer vacation. They imagine how great those things could be. Christians look forward to heaven and dream of seeing the Lord face to face, of being reunited with those we love who have gone home to the Lord before us, and of sharing in the glory of Jesus and his angels. But we can't even begin to imagine the great things that God has prepared for us. They are far more glorious than anything we can dream or imagine. So let's anticipate being surprised and live with passion for the cause of the Kingdom knowing that any loss, any wound, any trouble, will''not be worth comparing to the glory to be revealed in us'' (Rom. 8:18). 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Oh Boy!

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you....... 

-  Isaiah 26:9 -

Thoughts on This Verse... When young people in love are apart, they long to be with each other again. When a parent is separated from his or her child, the parent misses the child intensely. When a spouse can no longer be with a long time marriage partner because of disease, death, or divorce, that person's soul can ache to be reunited to the one they have loved. Do you recognize your spirit aching to be with God? Do you end each day and begin the next longing to be in the presence of God? Let's recognize our God-hunger and not only satisfy it by spending time in his presence, but let's also communicate our desire, affection, and need for the presence of our heavenly Father in our lives. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Grass that will wither

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away....... 

- Psalm 37:1-2 -

 Thoughts on This Verse... Frustration and envy... hmmm, isn't that our reaction to those who are evil and yet seem to prosper? We're reminded to not let the apparent and short-lived successes of evil people derail our faith or dampen our spirits. Their victories are temporary, their wealth is like a flower that will wilt, and their lives are like the grass which withers and is soon gone. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Call me

'''Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'''...... 

- Jeremiah 33:3  -

Thoughts on This Verse... This was originally spoken to Jeremiah about the fate of Jerusalem. However, this promise is true in special ways for us as well. God wants us to call to him. God often waits for us to ask before he blesses us with what he longs to give us. Yet we lack the ability to comprehend and receive all the great truth about God. He is simply too big and too glorious for us to fully comprehend him and his grace.

  
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Sovereign Lord indeed

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn ......... 

- Isaiah 61:1-2a -

Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus read this passage at a synagogue in Nazareth to describe his ministry (see Luke 4). He came to preach good news, to bind up, to bring deliverance, to offer release, to proclaim grace, and to offer comfort. If Jesus has sent us into the world as the Father sent him (John 20:21-23), shouldn't we be teaching and serving as he did?

 
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Love language

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth....... 

- 1 John 3:18 -

Thoughts on This Verse... ''Talk is cheap.''''Actions speak louder than words.'' Let's show our love for our family, our friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ by the way we live and what we do for each other.
 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Im Yours!

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.......

- Psalm 34:7 -

 Thoughts on This Verse... I don't see him, but I know he's there! The same angel of the Lord who destroyed Israel's enemies is now fighting to win the spiritual battle that rages around you and me. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Glorify, Magnify

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:''Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.''...... 

- John 17:1 -

Thoughts on This Verse... John 17 is one of the most moving chapters in all the Bible. Jesus knows he is going to die. He knows he is spending his last few hours before his death with disciples who do not understand what he is about to do and why he is about to do it. Jesus has two key goals in mind as he prepares himself, and his disciples, for their life ahead without him. He wants them to be one so they can remain strong and influence the world for God. He wants what he does to bring glory to the Father. While he faces humiliation and abandonment, his desire is to bless others. We are going to face hardship. What will be our goal? Hmm, no wonder we are reminded to fix our eyes on Jesus and follow his example. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

No faults, just great joy

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy -- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen....... 

- Jude 24-25 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Two things I trust implicitly: 1) God's power and might, and 2) my joy at getting to share in his presence. My best efforts will always fall short, but God's grace is greater and more glorious than my best efforts! The faultlessness that I have when I stand before him is based on his grace and mercy. How can I not praise him from a thankful heart and anticipate seeing him face to face in glory? 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Judgement calls

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck....... 

- Proverbs 3:21-22 -

Thoughts on This Verse... God used his wisdom to create the cosmos and all that is in it. Through his discernment, he appointed to each being and to each item its place in his dazzling display of diversity. He has chosen to share that wisdom and discernment with those who reverence him and search for his wisdom. If we will use that wisdom and discernment we will possess the greatest of all jewels and a blessing that will enrich our life. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Light of the world, Salt of the earth

''You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.''...... 

-  Matthew 5:14 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Darkness dominates our world. Despite appearances, darkness controls much of what is said and how it is viewed by the world. When people live for Christ, they will be noticed. Their allegiance to Jesus and his righteousness cannot be ignored. So what are we going to do with that light? Are others going to see and be drawn to our Father in Heaven who sent his Son as Savior? Or, are they going to reject the way of Christ because our walk is all talk and not much service? Let's let them see God's grace through our lives so they will come to know the Savior!

  
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Abba Father

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ''Abba, Father.''...... 

- Romans 8:15 -

Thoughts on This Verse... How revolutionary. Just as Jesus prayed to God addressing him as''Abba Father,'' we too can speak so frankly and openly with God.''Ab-ba'' are some of the earliest syllables babies spoke. The word''Abba'' was used by very young children to speak intimately, respectfully, and openly with their earthly fathers. The Holy Spirit gives us that same privilege as God's children. We can call the Creator of the universe, the Great God of Israel, the Father of all peoples, the Almighty of eternity, Abba! Incredible. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**