This has got to be the grosest thing of the year. A statue made entirely out of chewed gum! Prob not something you would want to get too close to or even touch!?!
forward to a friendBe the envy of the world!
Psalm 94:12 (NLT), Psalm 94:13 (NLT)
Have you ever given thought that whilst injustice is all around, the godless seem to prosper is not just short lived but compared to those living in God’s way are blessed! The Amplified puts it well expanding on Joy that other translations use with: happy, fortunate and to be envied!
Allow your life to be an example of life as you live out of that place of daily living in the instruction and discipline of discovering who God is! Reading his word, prayer and relationship with Christ Jesus!
Consequently you will have peace, hope in troubled times (short lived) (v13)
Be the envy of those around you that they would see what you have and want it for themselves!
What noise are you listening too?
Psalm 93:1 (NIV), Psalm 93:2 (NIV), Psalm 93:3 (NIV), Psalm 93:4 (NIV), Psalm 93:5 (NIV), Revelation 12:11 (NIV)
I wonder today what noise are you listening too? It is all to easy in today’s age to focus on that which breeds insecurity – for example, wars in the middle east, the fear of a nuclear attack followed by mass retalliation – or perhaps just the day to day work life security or lack of it!
Consider v3: floods and waves in a storm they are really flippen loud! And it can be quite fearful! What is the noise going on in your life right now that is causing you to fear? Perhaps its job insecurity, family upset, awareness of the insecurity of world economies or fear of world war?
Ok. Now consider God where is he in all this? The end of verse 1 says just as the Lord is clothed in majesty and in strength and power so it is with the world it is, “firmly established and cannot be moved”! And in v4 the Lord is mightier than the noise of the many waters!
Take heart! The noise you hear around you which is giving rise to insecurity know that the Lord is greater!
But how do we get that revelation into our heart?
v5 holds the key:
The testimony of what God has done and is doing not just in your life but the lives of people around you and in history!
Amplified adds, ‘separation from sin, simple trust and hearty obedience’
Know today as the scripture says that you overcome by the blood of the lamb (freedom from sin), and the word of your testimony (continued hearty obedience) why because God loves you so much he always desires the best for you. Today if you hear the noise go back to God and allow his love surround you and keep you and then the noise, well it’ll fade imto insignificance!
Reflections and April News
We’re in April already! Can you believe it!?! Summer it seems is hopefully just around the corner. I’m currently just travelling back from a really nice weekend in Bristol for a bit of a family reunion, for a 70th Birthday – it was so wonderful to see cousins, their children (some grown up) uncles and aunt’s that I’ve not seen for ages.
Continue reading
Be thrilled today!
Psalm 92:1 (NLT), Psalm 92:2 (NLT), Psalm 92:4 (NLT), Psalm 92:10 (NLT), Psalm 92:14 (NLT), Psalm 92:15 (NLT)
What kind of persn are you in the morning?
Do you wake up and say to yourself, “OMG! It’s morning already” or do you jump up and exclaim with great joy, “Thank God it’s morning!” in an attitude of worship and thanksgiving.
For me I’d probably say that many a time it’s a mixture of the too if I’m totally honest – you know the mind doesn’t do what the heart responds!
This psalm opens as a song to be sung on the last day of the week exclaiming thanks to God for the good things he’s done!
Give thanks for:
v1 – who he is (most high God)
v2 – his character – he’s faitful and loves you continually
v5 – what he has done and is going to do – you know he’s thinking of you, his Church in the world and the impact it should be having in the world!
Consider your response:
v4 – “You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.” When was the last time you exclaimed a joyous thril for what he has done for you? a thril to me is like going to a fairground ride or your best moment in that sporting moment where you scored, or reached the highest peak – you shout out a loud shrill as the moment enthrills you!!
v10 – know this! you are strong! you are anointed! not with any old anointing – but only the best!
Today as you go about your day look for the joy, see the thrills that the Lord is smiling over you – and go on, shout out a thrilling sound of joy in thanks to God!
Where you dwell determines your peace!
Psalm 91:1 (NLT), Psalm 91:2 (NLT), Psalm 91:4 (NLT), Psalm 91:9 (NLT), Psalm 91:14 (NLT), Psalm 91:15 (NLT), Psalm 91:16 (NLT), Ephesians 1:1 (NLT)
Have you ever wondered why trouble happens – well for sure, it just does!
Life isn’t always ‘sweetness and light’ yet through pain, hardship and suffering it is possible to know real peace! Not a peace based on external circumstance but that which eminates deep within the human heart!
Consider (v1,2) how might you and me live in the shelter and under the shadow of almight God! What a picture of daily living in and out of a place of his presence!
- a place of safety
- protection from deadly sickness (v3)
- trusting in His promises
What he says is surely enough!
If this is God’s desire for us, his people how come so often we fail to live in this reality?
What do you see? Compare the folly of the ‘wicked’ to those that truly know the living God! (v8,9)
So often many of us are so closed in on our own circumstances we fail to “Open our eyes” (v8 NLT) and see what the Lord is doing!!!
How many times do we get discouraged because we forget our place? It’s like we’ve made our dwelling in the wrong place! Yet, if you know Jesus, you are blessed with him in the heavenly realms (Eph 1) yet so often rather than looking at where we are (in Christ) we allow lifes circumstance to control what we see and thus how we behave! In other words your dwelling is in Christ and this means we see life’s circumstances differently!
Today allow yourself with the help of Holy Spirit to see your life in a fresh context! That this day He is working out your salvation as you walk in a healthy respect for the Lord your God! See the place where you are dwelling today with fresh heavenly perspective!
Dwell safely in Christ (v9)
acknowlege his name (v14,15)
Being certain. Your success!
Psalm 90:1 (NIV), Psalm 90:12 (NIV), Psalm 90:14 (NIV), Psalm 90:17 (NIV)
Life is short. Yet we will always make time for that which we value!
This psalm declares to be of Moses. Consider for a moment just how Moses saw many generations some of which held fast to the promises of God whilst others wandered from it! How frustrating Moses must of been yet also encouraged at seeing how faithful God remains to each generation!
Give some consideration to where you are today with God! Don’t be a generation that wanders but instead be certain of the hope and destiny you hace in Him!
V1 – a call to your generation to stay faithful
V11 – appreciate the days you have! You are alive today because you have something someone else needs to hear! Understand that life is fragile get wisdom in how to live? Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. – that is a healthy respect, reverence.
V14 – start each day being satisfied with God’s unfailing love this will set you up for the day!
V17 – know success in your life as you walk in the destiny and plan he has for you!
How does what you value today encourage you to live as a generation set apart for the things of God?
What is the Lord calling you to be successful in and how might you change the way you do things to honour the Lord and others in your life?
In what ways can you experience God’s unfailing live today so that you may walk out in Joy!
Apreciate the days you have!
Psalm 90:12 (NIV), Psalm 90:17 (NIV)
Life is fragile. We see evidence of this everyday, only yesterday the news reported the loss of 22 children killed in a bus crash in switzerland – such a tragedy and I’m sure all of us feel the grief and pain of the parents hurting with this loss.
Learn to appreciate the life that you have today!
Psalm 90 v 12 says to, “teach us to number our days…” (NIV) the NLT puts it like this, “teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” or in the message, “Oh! teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!”
The title of this psalm says, “of Moses, man of God” consider Moses life for a moment – all that he saw, the mistakes, the pain, the rejection of God by the people, for one Moses for sure new the ‘brevity or folley”of life particuarly when we don’t consider God and his plan and purpose for our lives!
Two things in this psalm to focus:
1. Get wisdom for life, consider your days – make the most of every opportunity you have (v12)
God’s sure promises!
Psalm 89:32 (NLT), Psalm 89:33 (NLT), Psalm 89:34 (NLT), Psalm 89:52 (NLT)
How are you at keeping promises? Most likely many of us have been rubbish at keeping our promises even when many promises are conditional to certain events.
Consider the promise in this psalm. Is there a condition and to what extent is the promise lost if the condition is broken?
Interesting to note in this psalm we see a glowing account of the faithful promises of almighty God paralelled to the failings of the people to live up to those promises! We see too that it is not that God has neglected the promise he made but as a consequence to sin there is a failure to receive God’s promise of life and how its intended to be!
The amazing fact of almight God he never forgets the promise he has made!
(v4) in v31-32 we read “if they do not keep my decrees… …then i will punish their sin…” in other words it is a consequence of turning away from Father God we find ourselves punished as it were – separated from God he doesnt listen to our selfish cries!
However and this is the amazing bit, despite our disobediance the promise still stands! (v33-34) “But, i will never stop loving them… Nor fail to keep my promise… (or) will i break my covenant… Or take back a single word I have said”
Wow! Amazing God’s promise still stands today! He is waiting, longing for people to return to live according to his ways – in loving friendship with Almight God – Wow! All that is needed is to turn back, say sorry and choose this day to live in the promises that God has intended for you!
Life’s lows in correct context
Psalm 88:1 (NLT), Psalm 88:2 (NLT), Psalm 88:3 (NLT), Psalm 88:11 (NLT), Psalm 88:12 (NLT), Psalm 88:13 (NLT), Psalm 88:14 (NLT), Psalm 88:15 (NLT), Psalm 88:16 (NLT), Psalm 88:17 (NLT), Psalm 88:18 (NLT)
Consider for a moment what it means to be depressed:
Focusing on an aspect of life, your situation where hope is seemingly lost.
This psalm we see the cry of the someone in despair:
- friends abandoned, even no longer alive!
- enemies around taunting
- sickness since youth
Look at the rhetorical statements in vv10-12 begs the question that wallowing or allowing your focus to be on the dark times is totally pointless – its even self-destructive!
Instead:-
1/ CRY OUT TO GOD vv 1-2, 13 when all else fails the only thing to do is utterly cry out to God – receive his Life, his love even admidst the dark times and allow his light to flood in!
2/ BE REAL – vv 3-7, 14-18 whatever situation you find yourself in, be real with God! Allow him to lift your head!
So that YOU may REFOCUS ON THE WONDERFUL THINGS GOD IS DOING – learn a grater dependancy on Him!
The devil will try to keep you FOCUSED on the darkness – dont let him destroy your peace!
TODAY get lifes lows in there correct context! In the face of eternity its temporary for those who believe and trust in Jesus!