How Are We Behaving?

O. T. #1317  "How Are We Behaving?"
Oct. 31, 2018
Psalm 101
I will behave myself in a perfect way... Psalm 101:2

LET IT GLOW

This psalm may have been written by King David at his coronation as king of Israel. David lays out the ways that he wants to walk with God and live his life to please God.

F.B. Myer gives three ways that David made up his mind in choosing:

1. to live the perfect way with integrity;
2. his friends;
3. his public rule.

Shall we take a closer look at each one? How does David decide to carry out his living with integrity?

• In his home, David will live with integrity, the perfect (truth, without blemish) way. (verse 2)
• He refused to look at anything vile and vulgar. (verse 3)

What kind of friends was David determined to choose?

• faithful people as his companions (verse 6)
• only those above reproach would be his servants (verse 6)
• no deceivers would be his servants and liars would not stay in his presence (verse 7)

David's public rule would be with the righteous exalted and put away the wicked from Jerusalem, the Holy City of God.

Will we strive to be like David? Does our home life match our public life? Do we watch what we watch? Television seems to have little discretions in the sitcoms and movies they provide. anything is available on the internet. Spam content can be vulgar. Daily we must remain dedicated to a life of integrity. Also, we must hold others accountable. The world of evil and sin wants to creep in and overtake our Christian home and way of life, leading us down a road that is not the perfect way.

LET IT GROW

So how can we lead blameless lives? Life Application Study Bible tells us to avoid:

1. looking at wickedness-anything vile or vulgar (verse 3)
2. evil thoughts or associates (verse 4)
3. slander (verse 5)
4. pride (verse 5)

While avoiding these wrongs, we must also let God's Word show us the standards by which to live.

Shall we look around and see if we need to make some adjustments in these areas?
How are we walking with God and others?


LET IT GO

Watch my thoughts, words, actions so they reveal integrity in my heart.
Pick my friends that are godly people.
Behave myself.

Change

O. T. #1316 "Change"
Oct. 30, 2018
Psalm 100-Part 3
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  James 1:17


LET IT GLOW


How many ways has God shown us his love? They are countless, wouldn't you agree? Just this morning I went outside to feed my cats and heard the quietness of the morning. There was little traffic noise on the highway in the distance, as of yet, but a bird was singing in the nearby woods. More brown leaves  were glowing orange in the light of the sun. These are only a few gifts of the morning from our Father in heaven. Can you tell I am a morning person? Soon those leaves will fall off the trees and change will be readying the trees for the winter. They change, but our God does not.
As I breath in the crisp morning air, I breath out a thank you to Him-for another day of life, eyes to see, His love surrounding me. Folks, it is I that needs to change.

One more time let's take a look at this psalm, one of my favorites. I like to read in Sarah Young's devotional book, Jesus Calling, for she writes it from the perspective of Jesus speaking to us. Here are some of her writings on this chapter, from different days of daily readings:

• Come into My Presence with thanksgiving, desiring to be transformed. (I read in our Bible study book, in talking about Matthew 6:10, "We are constantly praying for Him to change something." Maybe what needs to be transformed or changed is us.) 
• When you worship Me in spirit and truth, you join with choirs of angels who are continually before My throne. Though you cannot hear their voices, your praise and thanksgiving are distinctly audible in heaven. Your petitions are also heard, but it is your gratitude that clears the way to My Heart.
• Thankfulness opens the door to My Presence. It is built on a substructure of trust. When thankful words stick in your throat, you need to check up on your foundation of trust. I want you to learn the art of giving thanks in all circumstances. See how many times you can thank Me daily; this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings.
• Let thankfulness rule in your heart. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.

Sunday, I read in our Bible study book comments about Matthew 6:10, "We are constantly praying for Him to change something"
Maybe what needs to be transformed or changed is us, our attitudes and views. Shall we look for the gifts we have received and be thankful today?

LET IT GROW

I woe my all to You, Jesus. I'm in awe of You. At the cross, I surrender my life. Yes, I owe all to Jesus!

When we realize that God created us and gives us all we have, we will want to give to others as God gave to us. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. (Life Application Study Bible)

With God's grace, let us excel in every good work today, giving thanks and praise to God the Father of Lights.

LET IT GO

Change my heart O God, make it every true; change my heart O God, may I be like You Jesus.
Open my eyes and heart to see the good gifts You have bestowed upon me, a sinner.
Glory to You name on high, my El Shaddai.

Sing and Serve Joyfully

O. T. #1315  "Sing and Serve Joyfully"
Oct. 29, 2018
Psalm 100-Part 2

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; for we are His people, and the sheep of His pastures.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5

LET IT GLOW

From David's song, what do we learn about our God?

• The LORD HE is God. Jehovah is God alone and is worthy of praise.  
• He made us. God is our Creator. We did not evolve from monkeys. 
• We are His people. Whether we are Gentile or Jewish blood, God chose us to be His child. 
• We are the sheep of His pasture. He is our Good Shepherd. He leads and we follow. 
• He is good. 
• God is everlastingly merciful. 
• His truth endures to all generations.              

Do you know our loving God?  He provides, protects, and guides His children. The best gift of all is Jesus, His Son.

LET IT GROW



What is David telling us believers to do?

• Make a joyful noise unto the Lord  Whether it is a glad shout or a worshipful song of praise, everyone should do it  
• Serve Him with gladness  With a sense of gratefulness we are to serve God in whatever we are doing. 
• Come before His presence with singing. With lips of thanksgiving we are to sing from our heart. 
• Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Together we worship the live of our heart. 
• Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. 

Is there a theme here? David tells us to give thanks and sing praises unto our Merciful God. 
His truth endures to all generations. When we are gone from this world, it will remain.

LET IT GO
 
Sing, serve, and worship God with my heart of joy today.
Know beyond any doubt that the Lord is God.
Sing loudly praises to my Savior wherever I go.

Giving Thanks

O. T. #1314  "Giving Thanks"
Oct. 26, 2018
Psalm 100
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.  (verse 4)

It's time to do something different here.
In our key verse, the word thanksgiving refers to an extension of the hand; adoration; praise; thanks; confession; a choir of worshipers.
Praise is a hymn of praise.
Bless refers to kneel; to bless God (as an act of adoration); salute; thank.

So come on folks, join me as we enter the gates and courts of the holy sanctuary of our God. Let us enter with thanksgiving and praise, giving thanks and blessing His name.

First, let us enter with our hands raised, adoring our Savior, Jesus Christ, the One who gave His life to pay for our sins.
Next, let us sing a song of praise to our God, Creator and Sustainer of our life.
Then, let us kneel before our King of kings and Lord of lords, giving Him thanks.

I have already done this before even beginning to write this. I wonder if y'all will join me today by adding 10 things to our list for which you are thankful to God. I'm not sure if it will work, but let's try to keep adding to it until we have written 100 things.

With a thankful heart,
Linda

Terrible

O. T. #1313  "Terrible"
Oct. 25, 2018
Psalm 99
Let them praise Thy great and terrible name: for it is holy.  Psalm 99:3

LET IT GLOW

Words are different nowadays that in biblical times. Take the word terrible for instance. Today it refers to not being good, awful, but was not so back in the Hebrew language. Continue reading to find out its meaning back them.

This is the last of the series of royal psalms (93-99). They celebrate and prophetically announce the millennial reign of Christ. He shall reign upon the earth:

• with holiness; (verses 3,5,9)
• high above all the people; (verse 2)
• with a great and terrible name; (verse 3) Terrible means to revere; reverence.
• in Zion, Jerusalem, the center of His kingdom and government; (verse 2)
• with justice and fairness. (verse 4)

The Hebrew writers so reverenced as holy the name of God that they would not speak nor write it. In it's place they used the 4 letters YHWH, which was Jehovah or YAHWEH. (Liberty Bible Commentary)


Does it upset us whenever someone uses the holy name of our God in an irreverent way, even cursing? I often tell them to not talk about my Heavenly Father in such a way.

LET IT GROW

In the first verse, David tells the people to tremble. Tremble, in the Hebrew language, means to quiver, be afraid, stand in awe.

We are to praise His name and exalt His name and worship the LORD our God. What do we learn that Moses, Aaron, and the Prophet Samuel did?

• They all witnessed the judgments of God in their lifetimes.
• They called upon the name of the LORD.
• He answered them. (verse 6)
• They kept His testimonies and ordinances.
• God forgave them, yet punished them when they went wrong. (1 Samuel 8)

So let us tremble as we worship our Lord Jesus, standing in awe of Him.

LET IT GO

Be the King of my heart, King Jesus for You are good and awesome to me.
I praise Your Holy Name!

Joy to the World

O. T. #1312  "Joy to the World"
Oct 24, 2018
Psalm 98
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4

LET IT GLOW

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

It is time to sing Joy to the world and not wait until December. Our Savior has come! Share the good news. Help hearts to prepare to make room for Jesus in their heart and life. It is time to praise our King, for we enjoy such marvelous blessings from Him.

Again, David says to sing unto the Lord a new song.
Why?

• He has done marvelous things. Marvelous refers to separate, distinguish, wondrous.
• His right hand won a mighty victory.
• His holy arm has shown His saving power.
• He has made known His righteousness to every nation.
• He has remembered His promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
• The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Has God done marvelous and wondrous things in our lives and others around us? He has sustained the lives of several within my community-a man with breast cancer, an older woman with a cancerous brain tumor.
Does God do marvelous things for us each day? He rescues us from our sinful ways, gives salvation free to us, daily renews our breath of life, provides us with food, clothing, and shelter. Then there are our families,  friends, and coworkers.

LET IT GROW

Can we make a joyful noise unto the Lord today? Rejoice. Sing our King with praises using a harp, trumpets, and cornets?
Jesus will receive this praise during His Kingly millennial reign. He will judge the world with justice and the nations with fairness.

LET IT GO

Share the Joy of Jesus with the world today.
Tell of the marvelous things He has done.

Walking Joyfully

O. T. #1311  "Walking Joyfully"
Oct. 23, 2018
Psalm 97
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.  Psalm 97:11 NLT

LET IT GLOW


Previously, we learned how to praise God through singing about Him, telling others about Him, worshiping only Him, giving Him glory, giving offerings, and living holy lives. Today's psalm relates to Jehovah reigning in the world. His first coming was in the physical form of Christ as a babe in Bethlehem. His second coming to earth will be at His taking the church out (rapture) before the 7 years of Tribulation period. Then Christ will reign for a thousand years. (Of course, that belief is if you are a pre-trib believer, as I am.)

As Christ reigns on earth during the millennial, there will be:

• rejoicing and gladness; (verse 1)
• clouds and darkness around Him because of His unapproachable holiness; (verse 2)
• righteousness and justice  are the foundation of His throne; (verse 2)
• fire spreads ahead of Him and burns up all His foes; (verse 3)
• lightning flashes across the world. (verse 4)
• protection for His godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked; (verse 10)
• light shining on the godly; (verse 11)
• joy on those whose hearts are right.

Verse 9 says, For You, O LORD, are supreme over all the earth.

So if we desire joy in our heart, Jesus should be supreme over all of our life, right? If our purpose is to please our God, then our desires ought to be aligned with His desires. We will love what God loves and hate what He hates-love the Lord and hate evil.
Are we, do we, will we?

LET IT GROW


Lydia Brownback says in her book, Sing a New Song:

The light that God provides to the righteous in verse 10 has to do with guidance. Even though He shrouded Himself in dark clouds. He lit the path of His people along ways broad and joy-filled rather than narrow and restrictive. At the coming of Jesus, the darkness that hid God's glory was forever lifted.  "I am the light of the world," He said. "Whosoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Are we walking along the path He has lit for us? Is Jesus who or what lights our world? Then we will have joy walking along with Him on that path. Is our heart humble before Him? He deserves our awe and love.

LET IT GO

Walk in the light Jesus has given us through His Word.
Trust Him each step of my life.
Be supreme over all my life.