Praise, O Servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and forever more! From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised. Psalm 113: 1-3
“The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes, with the Princes of His people. He grants the barren women a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!”
“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase, to added affliction, He added His mercy, to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. And He giveth, and He giveth, and He giveth again.”
What an awesome God we serve! “His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; for out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and He giveth and He giveth again. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed ere the day is half-done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun. For he giveth, and He giveth, and He giveth again! ” Thank you, Lord! I am trusting in you, I am believing in you, because I need you.
”Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow faintly dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”
Have you ever experienced God’s comforting presence as you go through a difficult time? There may have been others who tried to comfort you, those who tried to reassure you that everything’s gonna be ok, but nothing seems to help. But, when you turn to God for comfort, he gives you more strength to persevere. When you have a real connection to God, He comforts you like no other could. My brothers and sisters in Christ, try not to focus on what you are going through, but trust God to see you through. He said in Psalm 73: 23, “Yes, I am always with you, you hold my right hand.”
“We sing the song that Israel sang, in the desert long ago, spring up, O well, spring up, and let the living waters flow.”
We all go through so much daily, and sometimes we pray for the Lord to spring up in our midst, to come in the brimming flood, to refresh us in the desert, where our thirsty souls are longing to drink abundantly. I am saying this to encourage someone this morning as I am encouraging myself; in praying for the living waters to flow all around me; and so I sing: “Spring up, O well of blessing, we cry to Thee today, break forth in the mighty torrent, as now we sing and pray. The souls that round us perish; the old, the young, the strong, to Thee by right and ransom, the Lord of Hosts belong. Spring up, O well of blessing, we sing to Thee today, the princes and the nobles, Thy great command obey. In toiling and in labor, amid the burning sand, spring up, flow forth, and gladden, the whole expectant land.” Thank you, Lord!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
My brothers and sisters in Christ, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. Then, you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”
Trust in the Lord, wait patiently for him to act, don’t fret and worry, it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:7-8
“When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way; while we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, but His smile quickly drives it away; not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, can abide while we trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, but our toil He doth richly repay; not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, but is blest if we trust and obey. But we never can prove, the delights of His love, until all on the altar we lay; for the favor He shows, and the joy He bestows, are for them who will trust and obey.”
Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Malachi 3:8-9
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall your vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of hosts, and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord. Malachi 3:10-12
Woe to those who seek deep to hide their deeds far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, they say, “Who sees us, and who knows us? Isaiah 29:15
“Where can I flee from your spirit? Or where will I run from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night, but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from the Lord. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness. If we are children of the light, let us walk in the light.”
Today, I am praying and my mind keeps wandering, please clear my mind oh God, to stay focused on you. When you are praying and your mind is wandering, ask God to forgive you and to keep you focused. (PFEL)
Heavenly Father, my mind is wandering when it should be fixed on you. I am not focused as I should be, I have not been diligent in prayer as I should. I have not been meditating on your word as I should, forgive me dear Lord. I do not want anything or anyone to come before you, so clear my mind oh God, to refocus my thoughts on you, to do the things you need me to do. If I have put anything or anyone before you, forgive me dear Lord. I want to fix my mind on heavenly things, I want to think your thoughts, I want to be an example for others, and I want my words to be gentle and kind. If I have sinned in thought, word, or deed, if I have been kind to anyone, forgive me dear Lord.
“Savior teach me, day by day, love’s sweet lessons to obey, sweeter lessons cannot be, than loving him who first loved me.”
Lord, “Teach me that I am not my own, I am Thine and Thine alone, Thine to keep to rule to save, from all sin that would enslave. With a child’s glad heart of love, at Thy bidding, may I move, prompt me to serve and follow thee, loving him who first loved me. Though Thy will should cross my own, may it instantly be done, this may I rejoice to show, that I feel the love I owe.”