The Lord Watches Over You

 Scripture:

“He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The previous verses say, “I look to the mountains.  Does my help come from there?   My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”  Then the author says He will not let us stumble and that the Lord who watches over us will not slumber.  He doesn’t tire of watching over us.

Application:

God is not going to let us stumble.  He is ever-watching over us to ensure we are going to be okay like a good Father.  He doesn’t sleep because He is watching over His children at all times.  We can rest because God doesn’t!  We can have peace because the God I serve is watching over my life.  I can have joy because I have someone overseeing my life.  I can take risks because He won’t let me stumble.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for reminding me that You are watching over my life and that you don’t sleep or slumber.  Thank you for being my ever-present help in my time of need.  Your are incredible and I love You with all my heart.  Thanks for keeping watch over me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Joyful

 Scripture:

“Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Psalmist says here that those who obey God’s laws and search for Him with all their hearts are joyful. Joy comes when you have searched for God because He has told us many times that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our hearts.  The combination of obeying His word and searching for Him is powerful.

Application:

I want to be a man of His word and one who searches for Him more and more.  I want to know God’s word and understand all I can through it.  His words are pure and help in so many ways.  I have always been a seeker of God.  I love to seek Him out.  I love to passionately pursue Him.  There is nothing in the world like His presence.

Prayer:

Lord, You are my everything.  You are my rock and my salvation.  Teach me Your Word and let me never lose my passion for You.  I desire your presence and I desire to be strong in Your word.  Teach me to balance the two and become the man You want me to be.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Ponder Them

 Scripture:

“How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭111:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist tells us here to ponder the amazing works of the Lord.  To ponder means to think on something for an extended period of time.  It is to analyze in your mind and consider.

Application:

God’s deeds throughout history are truly amazing! We need to ponder them often.  When we ponder about Him opening the Red Sea and the Jordan River, we remember that our situations are not that difficult for Him.  In our own lives, He has given His Son for us.  We should ponder that often and remember the price Jesus paid for our adoption.  

Prayer:

Father, teach me to ponder Your deeds more.  Help me to take time to just think about You and the awesome things You have done.  I’m reminded of the song this morning that says, “When I think about the Lord, how He saved me, how He raised me, how He filled me with the Holy Ghost... It makes me want to shout, Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! Lord You are worthy of all of the glory, all of the honor, all of the praise!”  Lord, when I ponder Your goodness to me, it makes me want to shout for joy!

Your Son,

Jeff

Confidence in God

Scripture:

“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭108:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist here says that his heart is confident in God.  He then goes on to say that’s the reason he can sing praises with all his heart.  Strong praise comes from a confident heart.  You praise Him because You are confident He has everything in control and will turn this around.

Application:

A confident heart is demonstrated in our praise.  The LORD rests on the praises of His people, but for our best praise, our hearts need to be confident in Him.  Confidence knows that God is going to come through in any situation.  Confidence says God is in control, even when it seems like everything around you is collapsing.  Confidence really comes down to faith.  My faith, my trust and my confidence are in the LORD, therefore I can praise Him with all my heart.

Prayer:

Father, receive my praise.  You are high and lifted up.  You are great and glorious.  There is nobody like You.  Let my confidence in You grow each day and let my praise develop with it.  Let Your praise always be on my lips and Your confidence be in my heart.

Yours,

Jeff

Until the Time

 Scripture:

“Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Psalmist tells us that the LORD tested Joseph’s character until the Time came to fulfill his dreams.  The problem with this is that he was tested for something like 17 years before the time came. When it is time for God to bless you, nothing can stop it, but sometimes you must be tested and tried before the time is right.

Application:

Good things come to those who wait is an old statement from the past.  Sometimes it is easy to get ahead of God and try to fulfill our own dreams.  That never works out well in the end.  There are set times in God when He is going to bless us and raise us up, until then, we will be tested in our character.  I want to pass the character test every time and fulfill the dreams as they come.

Prayer:

Father, let me pass the tests of character while I wait for the fulness of the dreams You have given me.  Help me not to move ahead of You, but to wait on You and do things in Your timing and not my own.  Teach me to walk in faith and patience while I wait on inheriting the promises.  Help me to be faithful above everything else.  I want to serve you well and make Your name great throughout the earth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Renewed Youth

 Scripture:

“He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

David is writing here and he tells of how the LORD fills his life with good things and his youth is renewed like the eagles’s.  God can not only fill our lives with good things, He is the only one who has the power to renew our youth.  Forever, people have looked for the fountain of youth, but it is found in serving God.

Application:

We are all going to get old. That is part of life, but I believe the word of the LORD and also believe we can have our youth renewed.  God can do anything and I am believing God to stay young and strong until He takes me home.  I want Him to fill me with good things, but I really desire to live young.  I have been watching my parents as they are aging and have been thinking I don’t want to get old go through everything they have been going through.  Some grow old and stay healthy and strong.  I want to be in that camp.

Prayer:

Father, I want to stay young at heart and strong in body all the days of my life.  Though my hair has been gray for a long time, I want to serve You with strength and vitality as a young person until I am old.  Fill my life with good things and renew my youth like the eagle’s.

Your Son,

Jeff

Social Witnessing

 Scripture:

“Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭96:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage the Psalmist tells us to sing and praise the LORD and proclaim the good news that He saves.  He says to publish his incredible deeds among the nations.  God has always had His heart on all the nations!  He then says to tell everyone about what God does.  Everyone means everyone!

Application:

I love to praise the LORD with all my heart.  I love to worship and bow down before Him.  I love to proclaim the good news of His salvation in all the earth, but I’m not as good at telling everyone the amazing things He does.  I need to get better at sharing my faith with everyone.  I am convicted this morning about not sharing my faith more with everyone.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You know me.  You know I love to worship You and to declare Your goodness to the nations, but help me to do better proclaiming it in my personal life without a pulpit or a microphone.  Help me to declare Your goodness to everyone instead of only when I have a mic in my hand.  Let me shine Your light more and more each day.

Yours,

Jeff