God Is Patient

There are times in our lives where we must wait for something.  We live in a world where people are rushing from one activity to another and time seems to fly by us at lightening speeds.  We also find ourselves growing ever more impatient.  We want things to get done right now.  Our attention spans have gotten shorter.  I said our attention spans are getting much shorter.  When things don't go our way and in the time frame we want we just find it hard to cope.  We want quick results, but that isn't the way things work out most of the time especially when we are waiting on the Lord.

The Lord isn't in a hurry.  He knows the future and all that it holds for us.  We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be returning someday perhaps very soon.  We are stilling waiting for that Day to come and it will come.  There will be some  people who will grow impatient and stand to scoff about the Lord taking so long to come back. 

2 Peter 3:3-18 says,

"3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

References for 2 Peter 3:3

• Cross References

• 5 3:3 - 1Ti 4:1 ; 2Ti 3:1
• 6 3:3 - 2Pe 2:10 ; Jude 18

4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

References for 2 Peter 3:4

• Cross References

• 7 3:4 - Isa 5:19 ; Eze 12:22 ; Mt 24:48 ; S Lk 17:30
• 8 3:4 - Mk 10:6

5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

References for 2 Peter 3:5

• Cross References

• 9 3:5 - Ge 1:6,9 ; Heb 11:3
• 10 3:5 - Ps 24:2

6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

References for 2 Peter 3:6

• Cross References

• 11 3:6 - 2Pe 2:5
• 12 3:6 - Ge 7:21,22

7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

References for 2 Peter 3:7

• Cross References

• 13 3:7 - ver 10,12; S 2Th 1:7
• 14 3:7 - S Mt 10:15

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

References for 2 Peter 3:8

• Cross References

• 15 3:8 - Ps 90:4

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

References for 2 Peter 3:9

• Cross References

• 16 3:9 - Hab 2:3 ; Heb 10:37
• 17 3:9 - S Ro 2:4
• 18 3:9 - S 1Ti 2:4 ; Rev 2:21

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^a

References for 2 Peter 3:10

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 19 3:10 - S Lk 12:39 ; 1Th 5:2
• 20 3:10 - Isa 34:4
• 21 3:10 - ver 7,12; S 2Th 1:7
• 22 3:10 - Mt 24:35 ; S Heb 12:27 ; Rev 21:1

• j 3:10 - Some manuscripts "be burned up"

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

References for 2 Peter 3:12

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 23 3:12 - S 1Co 1:7
• 24 3:12 - Ps 50:3
• 25 3:12 - ver 10

• k 3:12 - Or "as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come"

13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

References for 2 Peter 3:13

• Cross References

• 26 3:13 - Isa 65:17 ; 66:22 ; Rev 21:1

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

References for 2 Peter 3:14

• Cross References

• 27 3:14 - S 1Th 3:13

15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

References for 2 Peter 3:15

• Cross References

• 28 3:15 - S Ro 2:4
• 29 3:15 - ver 9
• 30 3:15 - Eph 3:3

16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

References for 2 Peter 3:16

• Cross References

• 31 3:16 - Jas 1:8 ; 2Pe 2:14
• 32 3:16 - Ps 56:5 ; Jer 23:36
• 33 3:16 - ver 2

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.

References for 2 Peter 3:17

• Cross References

• 34 3:17 - 1Co 10:12
• 35 3:17 - 2Pe 2:18
• 36 3:17 - 2Pe 2:7
• 37 3:17 - Rev 2:5

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."           

When it comes to the Lord people may indeed scoff at His slowness, but He is not really being slow at all.  The Lord is working out things in the world to bring Glory, Honor, and Praise to Himself.  He is also patient with each one of us.  He doesn't want anyone to perish and go to Hell.  He wants everyone to come to repentance of their sins and trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  

There will be some people who will reject the free gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins that is only available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Those who reject Jesus finished work on the Cross will be eternally separated from God in a literal place called Hell.

The Lord doesn't want to see that happen to anyone so He is willing to wait with a greater patience than you and I have.  There will come a day when it will be too late to make a decision to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.  The time of salvation is now.  Time is indeed running out for the Lord will soon return and He could indeed return tonight.   

The day of the Lord will come as a thief.  That is it will come upon us unexpectedly.  It is vitally important that we are ready for the return of Jesus Christ and we need to make sure our family and friends are ready too.     

Let us be patient with others and continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word.  Let us live for the Lord each and everyday as we wait for His coming.  Let us try to get the Gospel message to as many people as we can in the hopes that many more will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior before it is too late for them.

Are you ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Lord,

Thank You for being patient with each one of us.

Thank You for Your love toward us.

Help us to love those around us.

Help us tell others about Jesus Christ and the salvation that is available through Him.

Help us to be patient in our dealing with others.

Lead us and guide us by Your Spirit.

In the Name that is above all Names we pray,

In Jesus name,

Amen.                   

How Great Thou Art!

Over the past couple of weeks I have had the opportunity on two separate occasions to sing some great hymns of the church with several of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is always a great blessing to get together with fellow believers in Jesus Christ and sing praises to the Lord.  It is almost like a brief preview of that great Day in the future when all of us believers in Christ will be gathered around the throne in Heaven giving honor, praise, and adoration to the Lord our God.

I really do like the old hymns.  I also like any song that lifts up the Lord and gives him praise and honor.  The great hymns of the Church contain some really good theology which is always a very good thing.  My favorite hymn is Amazing Grace.  It is perhaps the most familiar of the hymns out there.

I like them all pretty much, but another one that I just love to sing with other believers in Christ has to be the hymn,"How Great Thou Art."  There is just something special that happens when all of those voices come together and proclaiming to the Lord how great He is.  When we sing to the Lord together we should sing out to the Lord and give Him praise.  I know I am not the greatest singer around.  I am sure that I am not always in tune or in the right key,  but you know that really shouldn't matter to us if we are truly singing to the Lord.  It is not about us or how good we sound to others that counts.  What truly counts is our hearts pouring out our love for our great God and Savior in song.

What a privilege it is to be able to express our gratitude to the Lord for all He has done for us and all that He continues to work our in our lives.  Don't we owe it to the Lord to love Him enough and sing out His praises.  He is an Awesome loving God. He demonstrated His great love for us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to this world to die for our sins.  Jesus shed His blood on the Cross for my sins and yours and the whole worlds.  Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

Our God is truly Great and He is worthy of all of our praise and adoration.  I am glad we can proclaim and sing to the Lord.  I hope there will be more gatherings where we believers in Christ can get together and lift up our voices unto the Lord.   There will be a Day when all believers as I said will sing before the Lord's throne in Heaven.  What a great moment that will be and we will be able to sing His praises for all eternity. 

The days are growing dark and time is running out for people to turn to the Lord and be saved.  My prayer is that you are ready for the Lord Jesus to come back.  Nobody can make that decision for you.  It is up to you to turn to the Lord and repent of your sins and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. 

Here is a link to a video where George Beverly Shea is singing the hymn,"How Great Thou Art":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35FILs1qiVA


Lord,
You are Great and Awesome.
We thank You for Your goodness and Your mercies that are new everyday.
Help us to love one another.
Help us to sing Your praises.
Lead us and direct us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.

Thankful For God's Mercy and Grace

There seems to be a lot anger in our world today and if we are not careful we believers in Christ Jesus can get caught up in it too.  It is easy to get angry.  Let's face it sometimes people get under our skin sorta speak.  Sometimes they don't mean it, but other times they do and they end up doing it so very well.

We aren't immune from getting angry just because we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer.   I must confess sometimes I get angry and upset.  Sometimes it is over very silly things,  but at the time it seems pretty important.  Sometimes are hearts just aren't right.   We may be over tired, stressed, hungry, lonely, or just don't feel well.  It is bad when people see us get angry over little things because it hurts our witness for Jesus Christ and that is never a good thing.

Sometimes our emotions can get the best of us.  We all need mercy and we must extend mercy and grace.  We all have our sinful nature that wants to rear it's ugly head at times.  The devil throws things in our paths at times trying to make us stumble and hurt our witness.  Sometimes we are lead astray by our very own hearts. 

We believers in Christ Jesus need to forgive those people that irritate us at times and we also must remember that sometimes we are the one's that can be irritating to others as well.  We need to humble ourselves before the Lord and ask His forgiveness.  We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of the Glory of God.  I am a sinful wretched man, but thank the Lord I am saved by the wonderful Grace of Jesus Christ.  Jesus shed His blood on the Cross for my sins and for yours as well.

Sometimes we slip and fall into sinful attitudes and actions, but the Lord is ready to forgive us.   It is written in I John 1:9,

"If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

All we need to do is to confess our sins to Him and acknowledge our sins and He will forgive us.  We are saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ for all eternity.  Jesus forgives us all of our sins past, present, and future.  I am thankful for His mercy and grace.

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace and confess our sins to the Lord Jesus and repent of anything that causes us to stumble as we run the race that has been set before us.  Let us also show mercy and grace to those people all around us who need to know the Lord Jesus.

Do you need to show someone mercy and grace?

Lord,
Forgive us our sins of commission and our sins of omission.
We need Your mercy and grace.
Help us also to show mercy and grace to others.
Help us to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we will not obey the fleshly desires that war within us.
Help us honor You in all that we do.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

We Must Follow Jesus

The time is coming that we as Americans will be heading to the voting both to elect the next President of the United States of America.  There seems to be great anxiety over this race from coast to coast.  There seems to be a lot of cynical attitudes concerning everything that is going on in our world today and there are seems to be a lot of anger erupting all over the place. 

We who are believers in Jesus Christ must remember that whom ever becomes our next President our leader is still Jesus.  We are to follow Him and honor Him no matter what the election results are.  Our hope is not found in a particular candidate.  Our hope is not found in Washington D.C.  Our hope is not found on Wall Street.  Our hope is not found in any human being.  Our hope is fully and completely rooted in Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is the King of Kings.  Jesus is the Lord of Lords.  We are saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  Jesus is the Son of the True Living God.  It is by the Grace of Jesus Christ that we are brought into the family of God. 

The Lord has given each of us a job to do as Christians.  The top priority of our lives is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our families, to our friends, to our communities, to our neighbors, and to everyone throughout this world.  We have been given a huge task.  This is a task that is for each one of us and it is also for the entire body of believers to do together.  Sometimes we fail to work together.  We have allowed things to distract us from the task at hand.  We have been distracted by arguments and jealousies.  We believers need each other now more than ever.  We need to work together and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us unhindered.  We must repent of trying to do things in our own way and in our own strength and turn back to the Lord.  The Lord wants to do great things in us and through us.  He wants to use us to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

The question remains, "Are we going to let the Lord use us for His Glory or not?"

I want the Lord to use me for His Glory.  I know sometimes I get in the way of things that He is trying to do.  There are times I stumble and fall.  We all do at times.  We must get back up and follow Jesus wherever He leads us.  He wants to use us.  Will we follow Him?

I pray that we will indeed follow the Lord wherever He leads us.  We can trust Him to direct our steps.  He will be with us no matter where He leads us to and He will provide for all of our genuine needs.  We can count on the Lord to open doors that we thought we shut to us. 

We need to be following the Lord Jesus Christ no matter where He leads us and no matter how dark things may get in the future.  Our hope rests in Christ alone!  He is the One that holds our future securely.  He is our future and our hope.  We must cling to Jesus. 

We need to continue to follow the Lord no matter who wins an election and no matter what happens tomorrow or in the days ahead.  We must remember that the Lord is ultimately in control for everyone will have to give an account to Him. 

Whom are you following?

As for me and my house,

I choose to follow Jesus no matter the cost.

I pray that the Lord will give me the courage and the strength to do just that.

May He do the same for you as well as you follow Him.

Lord,
Thank You for Your love and grace.
We praise Your name.
We pray for the spread of the Gospel throughout this world.
Use us to do that.
Help us not to be anxious about anything, but help us to cast our eyes upon You.
Lead us and guide us.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Chose To Follow The Lord

We have all faced times when we have had to make hard choices in life.  Sometimes making a choice is easy, but other times we really need some direction.  It is always important that we go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His direction and His guidance.  We may have that deep longing within our hearts to do something for the Lord, but we must be careful to seek His will and His direction for our lives.  It is tempting to run on ahead on our own without consulting the Lord.  We don't know what lies ahead of us on life's path, but the Lord does and we should be calling out to Him for direction.  We need to wait at times,  but that doesn't mean that we aren't to do anything. 

We must continue to call out to the Lord in prayer.  We also need to continue reading the Bible and meditating on Scripture.  We need to worship the Lord and continue to seek His face.  Waiting is hard at times especially when we want an answer right away.  We must remember God's timing is always perfect. 

The Lord knows what needs to take place in order for your prayers to be answered.  God may be working in other people's lives in order for you to be blessed in the future.  The Lord is working in your life and in the lives of others all around us.  He is doing things that we can't see at the moment.  He is changing hearts and attitudes.  He is also changing us as well. 

There are somethings that need to change in our lives.  There are things in our hearts that need to be changed and the Holy Spirit will help us over come those things if we submit to His will.  It is a choice that we have to make.  The choice that is whether we will obey the Lord or not obey Him. 

We all have that choice to make.  The Lord wants us to follow Him and to be obedient to Him in all things.  Unfortunately sometimes we get selfish and foolish and try to do things in our own strength and power.  Things always go better when we obey the Lord's direction and be obedient to His will.

The Lord is calling for us to follow Him.  May we be bold and confident in His ability to lead us and direct our steps.  The Lord knows what He is doing and He does have our best interest in mind.  We just need to follow Him and more importantly we need to trust Him.  The Lord will equip us to do whatever He has called us to do and He will provide for us so we will be able to do His will for His Glory.

Let us chose to follow the Lord wherever He calls us and let us take courage and trust Him to help us through it.

He is an Awesome God.  We can count on Him to help us to do whatever He calls us to do.  The Lord may be calling us to serve Him in our local Church, He may call us to serve as a missionary in a far away land, He may want us to visit a lonely neighbor who needs to know that someone cares, or He may be calling us to the ministry.

We have a choice to either to be obedient to the Lords call and His promptings or not.  When we are obedient we can be assured that the Lord will bless us and give us the endurance that we need to succeed in whatever situation He has called us to.   That doesn't mean it will be easy because it may not be easy at all, but the Lord will help us.

May we chose to follow the Lord wherever He leads us. 

Lord,
Thank You for Your Word
Thank You for Your love
We love You Lord
Lead us and guide us where You would have us to go
May Your will be done.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Stand Firm On God's Word

There is a war going on in our world today and many people may not even take any notice of it.  That war is a war on truth.  Truth is under extreme attack like never before.  There is an absolute truth whether we like it or not.  Things are not just true just  because we think or say that they are true.  They are true because God has ordained them to be true.  God's Word, the Bible, is the truth.  It is the only book that contains the truth of who God is,  who we are, and it also reveals how you and I can be reconciled back to the Father through having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son. 

Reading the Bible is very important and we should be reading it ever chance we get.  We need to study God's Word more and pray more to the Lord our God.  He wants to hear from us and He is waiting to answer our prayers. 

Hebrews 4:12 says,

"For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Reading and meditating on God's word is very important to all believers in Christ Jesus.  We need to hear for the Lord and one of the best ways to do that is read the Bible.  The Bible is the inerrant, infallible word of God.  The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and we can trust it to be the truth of God. 

We as Christians need to stand firm upon the Word of the Lord in these dark times in which we live.  We must take a stand for the truth of who God is and we must cling to Him. 

Let us read commit to read the Bible more and study His Word.

Lord,

Thank You for Your Word for it is the truth.

We thank You for being an Awesome Loving God.

Lead us and guide us O Lord.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Search Me, O God, And Know My Heart!

We know that the Lord knows all things and that actually should be a great comfort to us.  Sometimes that may also make us want to feel like cringing and hiding.  We may even wonder what the Lord thinks of us especially when He knows our hearts and our deepest thoughts.  He even knows those secret things that we have hidden in our hearts and minds that no other human being knows about.  The good news about that is He does indeed know our hearts and He chooses to love us anyway.  The Lord makes a way for us to be reconciled to Himself through Jesus Christ.  The Lord accepts us when we come to Him by putting our faith and trust in what Jesus did for us on the Cross.  Jesus shed His blood to pay our sin debt.  When we come to Him in faith He accepts us as a child of God.   We are made new and born again.  He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within us when we come to faith in Jesus Christ. 

The Lord loves us and He knows us better than any other person even will.  He loves us with a deep unconditional love.  It is so very difficult for us to comprehend the depth of the love the Lord has for each one of us especially when we know that He knows our hearts.  Let's face it our hearts can be rather cold, sinful, prideful, and just plain not good many times even when we are believers in Christ.  The Lord is still working on us through His Holy Spirit.  He is moving us along to be more and more like Jesus Christ each and everyday even when we don't realize it.  We call that work of the Spirit sanctification.  Sanctification starts when we become believers in Christ and it lasts all of our lives until the Day when we go and be with the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven to be with Him forever. 

We can take comfort that the Lord is Sovereign and that He knows even the smallest detail of our lives.  I like what the Psalmist says in Psalm 139 which says,

"1 O LORD, you have ¹searched me and known me!

References for Psalms 139:1

• Cross References

• 3940 139:1 - Jer. 12:3 ; See Ps. 7:9 ; 17:3 ; 44:21

2 You ²know when I sit down and when I rise up; you ³discern my thoughts from afar.

References for Psalms 139:2

• Cross References

• 3941 139:2 - 2 Kgs. 19:27 ; Lam. 3:63
• 3942 139:2 - [ Job 14:16 ; 31:4 ; Matt. 9:4 ; John 2:24, 25 ]

3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, ⁴you know it altogether.

References for Psalms 139:4

• Cross References

• 3943 139:4 - Heb. 4:13

5 You ⁵hem me in, behind and before, and ⁶lay your hand upon me.

References for Psalms 139:5

• Cross References

• 3944 139:5 - Job 19:8
• 3945 139:5 - Job 9:33

6 ⁷Such knowledge is ⁸too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

References for Psalms 139:6

• Cross References

• 3946 139:6 - Rom. 11:33
• 3947 139:6 - Job 42:3

7 ⁹Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where ¹⁰shall I flee from your presence?

References for Psalms 139:7

• Cross References

• 3948 139:7 - [ Jer. 23:24 ]
• 3949 139:7 - Jonah 1:3

8 ¹¹If I ascend to heaven, you are there! ¹²If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

References for Psalms 139:8

• Cross References

• 3950 139:8 - [ Amos 9:2 ]
• 3951 139:8 - [ Job 26:6 ]

9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 even there your hand shall ¹³lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

References for Psalms 139:10

• Cross References

• 3952 139:10 - ver. 24; Ps. 23:3

11 If I say, ¹⁴"Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"

References for Psalms 139:11

• Cross References

• 3953 139:11 - [ Job 22:14 ]

12 ¹⁵even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

References for Psalms 139:12

• Cross References

• 3954 139:12 - Job 34:22 ; [ Dan. 2:22 ]

13 For you ¹⁶formed my inward parts; you ¹⁷knitted me together in my mother's womb.

References for Psalms 139:13

• Cross References

• 3955 139:13 - Deut. 32:6
• 3956 139:13 - [ Job 10:11 ]

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.¹⁸Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

References for Psalms 139:14

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 3957 139:14 - See Ps. 72:18

• Ŏ 139:14 - Or for I am fearfully set apart

15 ¹⁹My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in ²⁰the depths of the earth.

References for Psalms 139:15

• Cross References

• 3958 139:15 - [ Job 10:8-10 ; Eccles. 11:5 ]
• 3959 139:15 - Ps. 63:9

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your ²¹book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

References for Psalms 139:16

• Cross References

• 3960 139:16 - Ps. 56:8

17 How precious to me are your ²²thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

References for Psalms 139:17

• Cross References

• 3961 139:17 - Ps. 92:5

18 ²³If I would count them, they are more than ²⁴the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

References for Psalms 139:18

• Cross References

• 3962 139:18 - Ps. 40:5
• 3963 139:18 - Gen. 22:17

19 Oh that you would ²⁵slay the wicked, O God! O ²⁶men of blood, ²⁷depart from me!

References for Psalms 139:19

• Cross References

• 3964 139:19 - Isa. 11:4 ; [ Ps. 9:17 ]
• 3965 139:19 - Ps. 5:6
• 3966 139:19 - See Ps. 6:8

20 They ²⁸speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies ²⁹take your name in vain!                                                                      

References for Psalms 139:20

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 3967 139:20 - [ Jude 15 ]
• 3968 139:20 - Ex. 20:7

• ŏ 139:20 - Hebrew lacks your name

21 ³⁰Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not ³¹loathe those who ³²rise up against you?

References for Psalms 139:21

• Cross References

• 3969 139:21 - See Ps. 26:5
• 3970 139:21 - Ps. 119:158
• 3971 139:21 - Ps. 59:1

22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! ³³Try me and know my thoughts!                                                                      

References for Psalms 139:23

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 3972 139:23 - Ps. 26:2

• Ő 139:23 - Or cares

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and ³⁴lead me in ³⁵the way everlasting!

The Psalmist proclaims that the Lord knows Him and all of his ways.  The Lord knows us better than any person ever could.  In fact the Lord knows us even better than we even know ourselves and that is a good thing.  The Lord even knows even the words that come out of our mouths even before we say them.   That should make us take notice of what we say and do as followers of Christ.

We are assured by the Psalm writer that there is no where we can go on earth or any where in the Universe and be out of the presence of our God.  The Lord is present every where.  He will be with us no matter where we find ourselves in live.  Even the darkest night can not hide us from our loving God. 

The Lord formed us in our mother's womb.  He is the One who created us to be a living being within our mother's womb.  We are alive in there and we are a human being.  That makes us very special indeed and our lives are important even from inside that womb.  We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Living God.  The womb can be a dangerous place to be in our world today especially in America.  God cares for us and loves us and He sees all that we can be even from that point of life.  Imagine how many lives are cut short inside the womb that should be a safe place.

Imagine how many children could have grown up to be doctors, lawyers, presidents, inventors, pastors, police officers, artist, and the list could go on and on.  I wonder about those things sometimes and it does make me think about all those who didn't have the opportunity to live their lives because of a choice that someone else made for them to extinguish their chance to make a difference in our world today. 

The Lord considers every human life as special.  The Lord thinks you are special by the way and I hope you never forget that.  The Lord thinks good thoughts of you and He want you to know Him in a greater and deeper way.  The Lord demonstrated His great love for us by sending us His beloved Son, Jesus Christ,  to die on an old rugged Cross for our sins.  What an awesome God our Lord is!

The Psalmist who is David from the Old Testament and He would become the king of Israel finishes this Psalm with a short prayer that we ought to pray for ourselves.  Psalm 139:23-24 says,

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting."

David is calling out to the Lord and asking Him to search His heart and see if there is anything not right in there and to lead him in a way that focuses on eternal things.  That should be our prayer to the Lord for ourselves as well.  We must come to the Lord humbly and receive His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. 

Let us open our hearts to the Lord and trust in Him in all things.  Let us live for Him and be people of His Holy Word. 

Lord,

We thank You for Your love and knowing us so very deeply.

We ask for Your direction for our lives.

We praise Your name.

Help us to live for You each and everyday.

In Jesus name,

Amen.