Daily Word of God - Psalm 50:7-15

Psalm 50:7-15 New International Version (NIV)

7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.
8 I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
    or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
    fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

Daily Word of God - Isaiah 25:6-8

Isaiah 25:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8     he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

Daily Word of God - Luke 10:21

Luke 10:21 New International Version (NIV)

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Daily Word of God - Isaiah 11:1-5

Isaiah 11:1-5 New International Version (NIV)

The Branch From Jesse

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Daily Word of God - Matthew 19:28-30

Matthew 19:28-30 New International Version (NIV)

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife.

Daily Word of God - Isaiah 2:1-4

Isaiah 2:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

The Mountain of the Lord

2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Mid-Week Message - God's Perspective of Protection

"Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure."  Psalm 147:5 (ESV)  

Each Tuesday morning I drive to a nearby town to use the pool at the YMCA.  I enjoy the drive I take because I use back roads where I get to see horses, donkeys and cattle.  There is one intersection though that can be a bit tricky.  In order to see the approaching traffic, it is necessary to angle the car in a certain way.  Yesterday, a driver in a van that was behind me there was honking the horn because they were unable to see what I could see which was several vehicles approaching at a rapid rate of speed.  If I had heeded the honking, I could have been killed.  However, I understood that the driver behind me could not see from my perspective and was unaware of the danger he was urging me into. 

As He often does, the Lord used this for a lesson.  We navigate life from our own vantage point.  We make decisions based on what we see and understand.  We pray in accordance with our understanding of what we desire or need.  Then, when we believe God says "no" or doesn't answer, we get upset thinking He hasn't heard or doesn't care.  We tend to forget that He is able to see the things that we cannot.  He knows how granting our wishes will impact our lives.  

When my daughter was very young, she was curious about the stove when I was cooking.  She would reach up, captivated by the fire under the pans.  Because I loved her and didn't want her harmed, I would stop her.  But, one day, she seemed more determined than ever before.  I warned her repeatedly that she was going to burn herself.  I tried to redirect her attention to something else.  Nothing was working.  So, I watched as she placed her little hand on the stove near the heat.  Though she wasn't injured, she learned that day that sometimes she should listen to her mom.  Because I had knowledge that she didn't, I was able to see what could happen if she got what she wanted.  

There are several things that I and my family are praying for.  We pray from our own perceptions of what would fulfill our needs and be advantageous for us.  I'm sure you are doing the same.  When we lay our requests before the Father we need to trust Him to do what is in our best interest, remembering that He is able to see what we cannot.  He knows whether those things will ultimately bring good or harm into our lives.  Rather than questioning His judgement or response to our prayers, we need to be grateful for His great love and thank Him for protecting us.  Even though we may not know why He answers differently than we hope, we can always be assured that He wants only the best for us and will give accordingly.  

As we approach Christmas, the time of giving, let's be mindful of the One that we look to for guidance and provision and thank Him for His perfect wisdom and His direction as He helps us navigate the dangerous intersections of our lives.  God bless!  

Daily Word of God - Proverbs 10:3

Proverbs 10:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Daily Word of God - Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 New International Version (NIV)

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.

Daily Word of God - Psalm 27:14

Psalm 27:14 New International Version (NIV)

14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Daily Word of God - Proverbs 8:12-16

Proverbs 8:12-16 New International Version (NIV)

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
    I hate pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign
    and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.[a]

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers

Daily Word of God - Psalm 112

Psalm 112 New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 112[a]

1 Praise the Lord.[b]

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.

2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
    their righteousness endures forever;
    their horn[c] will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
2. Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
3. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.