Integrity and Blessing

 Scripture:

“For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. The Lord bestows favor and honor; he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭11‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist describes the blessings God places upon those who have integrity. He first says that God is our sovereign protector. He then adds that God give favor and honor to His people. He also withholds no good thing from those who walk in integrity. In other words, when we walk humbly before God and live according to His ways, we can expect favor, honor, and every good thing.

Application:

We need to live our lives with character and integrity. When we do, we can expect the blessings of God. When we do our part of the covenant, God does His. When we honor God, He honors us. Just like it pleases me to be a blessing to my children, God is pleased to bless His children that honor Him and live according to His ways.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to live a life You want to bless. I see the blessing of following You and living according to Your ways. Let my life bring You glory and let my ways be Your ways. Teach me to walk in truth and compassion. Empower me to live a life of integrity and honor. I want to live a life that You will bless. Your blessing is amazing and I want to live there.

Yours,

Jeff

Remember

 Scripture:

“I will remember the works of the Lord. Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago! I will think about all you have done; I will reflect upon your deeds!”” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭77‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist speaks here about remembering the works of the Lord. He reminds us to remember, think about, and reflect upon God’s deeds in our lives. It is important, especially when things get difficult, to remember what the Lord has done in our lives in the past. A good memory is powerful.

Application:

When things are not going as we planned, or things seem to have taken a turn for the worst, we must remember what God has done in the past. When we can’t see Him working in our lives right now, we must remember and remind ourselves of what He has done in the past. They say that past behavior is the greatest predictor of future results. When we reflect on what God has done in the past, our faith increases in the present.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I remember how You have worked in my life so many times. You have rescued me when it seemed like there was hope. You have helped me through many difficult situations. You have blessed me when it seemed like everyone had forgotten me. You have been faithful to me. Increase my faith for the future. 

Yours,

Jeff

Next Gen Ministry

 Scripture:

“Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me, until I tell the next generation about your strength, and those coming after me about your power.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭71‬:‭18‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

David here is crying out to the Lord and asking God not to abandon him, even when he was old and gray. He asked God not to abandon him until he had told the next generation about his strength and power. He wanted desperately to tell the next generation about the goodness of God. Basically, he wanted the anointing to declare God’s works to the next generation, even in his old age.

Application:

As I get older, this has become very important to me. I want the next generation to hear the goodness of God and to hear the stories about what I have seen Him do. I want to remain strong so I can declare His praises longer and stronger. I want my health back so I can give Him the best of my life and tell His good deeds to the next generation.

Prayer:

Father, let me remain strong until I go to the grave. Let my life be used for Your glory. Let me declare Your works to the next generation. Give me the strength and grace I need to finish the work before me. Help me to walk through every open door and to declare Your goodness all over the earth in my older years.

Yours,

Jeff

The Awe-Inspiring God

 Scripture:

“You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! It is the God of Israel who gives the people power and strength. God deserves praise!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭35‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist here tells the Lord that he is awe-inspiring as He emerges from his holy temple. He gives God all the credit and honor due His name. The author acknowledges that it is God who gives people power and strength. Without God we are nothing. With God all things are possible.

Application:

I need a healthy awe of God in my life. I want to see God in every situation and be in awe of Him. He has amazed me throughout the years, but I want to live in awe of my savior. With the Psalmist, I declare it is God who gives people power and strength. It is He that deserves our praise. I want my life to point people to God, who gives us what we need for life and godliness.

Prayer:

Father, I want to live in awe of You. Move in my life, my family, my church, and my region in awe-inspiring ways. You are incredible and I love You with all my heart.Teach me to walk in Your ways and direct my steps oh Lord. You are worthy of all my praise and worship. Help me to lead Your people well and to accomplish all You have planned for me.

Yours,

Jeff

Confident in God’s Love

 Scripture:

“The God who loves me will help me; God will enable me to triumph over my enemies.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭10‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist confidently speaks here about God. He says that God loves him and will help him. He is confident that God will enable him to triumph over his enemies. He operated from a place of security, knowing God loved him and would bless his life by defeating his enemies.

Application:

I know God loves me, but it is good to be reminded this morning. I want to walk in more confidence about my walk with God. I know He loves me, but I want to devalue that better to others. There are some places where I need the Lord to triumph over my enemies. I want to be confident that He will.

Prayer:

Lord, I put my trust in You! You are my rock and my salvation. You are my God and I trust in You. Help me to walk in confidence concerning our relationship. Give me confidence that You will meet every need and fight every enemy. Arise and show Yourself strong in and through my life. Teach me to trust You more.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

That the Nations Will Praise You

 Scripture:

“I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, then the nations will praise you forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭45‬:‭17‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This simple verse stood out to me this morning because it reflects my heart. The Psalmist says that he will proclaim God’s greatness in the coming years and that the nations would then praise God forever. He connected his proclamation to the nations praising God.

Application:

I want to spend the latter years of my life proclaiming the greatness of the God who has been my refuge, my fortress, and my strong tower all the days of my life. I want to tell every nation of the goodness of my God. I want the nations to give God praise. I want to declare the awesome deeds of the Lord all over the world for His glory. 

Prayer:

Father, in my latter years, use me for Your glory. Let me tell of Your greatness in all the earth. Let my life proclaim how awesome You are. Give me strength to walk through the doors You open and help me to represent You well. I want to tell the world that my God saves.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Permanent Access

 Scripture:

“As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity; you allow me permanent access to your presence.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭41‬:‭12‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

David tells us here that God upholds him because of his integrity and gives him permanent access to His presence. Our integrity holds us up and gives us access to God’s presence. This is powerful!

Application:

I want to live a life that God will bless. I have always wanted to please the Lord and walk in His ways. I want to demonstrate a life of integrity to those around me. Through Christ, we have already been given permanent access to the Father, but it is a good reminder to us of something we have, but don’t access as often as we should. I love the idea of permanent access through Christ. I don’t just have access when I’m having a good day, but because of Jesus, on my worst day, I still have access.

Prayer:

Father, let me live my life as one who has permanent access to You. You are my everything and I love You more every day. Help me to live, not feeling distanced from God, but close enough to realize I have permanent access at any time of any day. Today at Disney, remind me that I have permanent access to the power and presence of God.

Your Son,

Jeff