Hebrews 13:6
“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Years ago, there was a fad amongst churches of license plates and hats that said, “Jesus is my Co-Pilot”. While the motive of most was likely pure, really consider that statement…do you desire Him to be in the passenger seat? Passengers do not decide where the vehicle is going. We have been given the privilege to declare “The Lord is my helper”. This simply acknowledges that He enables us, for we cannot do anything without Him. John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” How can we even know that He is our Helper, much less boldly proclaim it? The “So that…” leads us back to the previous verse. Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” When the Lord says something once, it is True. Yet this principle is found all throughout the pages of His Word. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. It is that Truth that allows us to boldly say that “The Lord is my helper”. Psalm 30:10 “Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.” Allow the Lord to enable you today. He desires to help us in every aspect of our lives, how sad it is that most of the time we attempt to do most things on our own. Bible Reading: Isaiah 1-2 | Revelation 16
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Psalm 124:1-2
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:” Take a moment and earnestly consider this… If it had not been for the Lord, where would you be? What if He had not come as a baby? What if He had not died on the cross? What if He had not loved us that much? What if He had not risen? What if He had not given salvation? What if He had not set you free? What if He had not shown you mercy? What if He had not given His grace? What if your life had never been changed? How many times has He forgiven? How many times has He delivered? How many times has He provided? How many times has He directed? How many times has He blessed? Psalm 54:4 “Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.” Psalm 118:6 “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” How many times? If it had not been for Him… Bible Reading: Song Of Solomon 7-8 | Revelation 15 Luke 5:26
“And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.” Those services where no one can explain it. Those miracles for which doctors have no answers. When a bill needs paid, and the exact amount shows up unexpectedly just in time. We have all seen strange things happen that have no other explanation except that it was the Lord. Strange things will cause us to be amazed at Who He Is. Mark 2:12 “And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.” Strange things enable us to glorify Him. Acts 4:21 “So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.” Strange things should fill us with a holy fear of Him. 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Remind yourself today of those strange things that the Lord has done for you. Often times we are awestruck in the moment; but when we look back, the hindsight ought to implore us to thanksgiving and supplication. Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Strange things should only leave us craving for more. Bible Reading: Song Of Solomon 5-6 | Revelation 14 Romans 15:4
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” In these dark days we are living in, there is one thing that everyone can agree on that we all need…hope. Chaos and turmoil are all around us; yet no matter how dark and confusing it may be, a glimmer of hope can shine bright. There is a constant Source of Hope available to us at all times. Hope we can learn from. Hope to help us as we wait. Hope that comforts our hearts. This Hope is found written on the pages of the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The very Words breathed from God have been preserved for us down through the ages so that we may learn them and then apply them to our lives. 2 Peter 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Lord orchestrated this so that we might know Him…so that we might have Hope. Those who do not know Him, have no hope today. They are condemned already; but the Lord has made a Way for them to find Hope. Find Him in the pages of Scripture, and share that Hope with someone today. Bible Reading: Song Of Solomon 3-4 | Revelation 13 Jeremiah 32:17
“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:” What a way to begin a prayer! Jeremiah acknowledged Who he was praying to in a powerful way, that perhaps was also a reminder to himself of Who the Lord is. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Sometimes we go to God in prayer and declare something we know to be True, yet by the end of our prayer doubt has crept in. One minute we can believe that with all our heart, and then if we take our eyes of faith off of Him, our mustard seed disappears. It is in these moments that we must resort to the Word of God and remind ourselves of Who He truly is. Have you ever opened the pages of your Bible searching for an answer to whatever is on your mind, and a verse seems to jump off the page? The Lord’s answer to Jeremiah began with Him reminding him of what he had just prayed. Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” The Lord knows when we need to be reminded of Who He is. Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” Our flesh wants us to forget His power. The world wants us to disregard the Truth. Our enemy wants us to neglect His Word so that we ignore His direction. What do you need to be reminded of today? Open your Bible and allow Him to speak just what your heart needs. Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Bible Reading: Song Of Solomon 1-2 | Revelation 12 1 Samuel 8:21
“And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.” It appeared that the people had rejected Samuel, but the Lord showed him what was really going on. 1 Samuel 8:7 “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” The people wanted a king, simply because everyone else had one. 1 Samuel 8:20 “That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” They were deceived into thinking that a king would be the solution to their problems. How many times in our lives do we fixate our minds on something or someone and convince ourselves that they have or are the answer? Sounds like our world today. Politicians claim they can fix everything the current person has done wrong in their eyes, yet their agenda is often rooted in their pride and desire for power. 1 Samuel 8:19 “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;” Samuel heard all the words of the people and chose to do the only thing he knew would be beneficial to the situation. He took it to the Lord in prayer. The Scripture says he rehearsed it in the ears of the Lord. He took it to the Lord privately. Not where everyone could see, but in that secret place where it was just him and God. He sought the Lord’s direction and communed with Him over the matter. In times of doubt, despair, discontent or distress we need only to rehearse it to the Lord. When we are tempted to mull over and over a situation, may we instead take it to the Lord in prayer. Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” Rehearse it before Him today. Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 11-12 | Revelation 11 Deuteronomy 1:40
“But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.” Along the path of our lives we will have many turns which we may not understand at the time. But we can choose to have joy in the midst of circumstances when we remind ourselves that God has a plan. Every turn He takes us on is part of the journey He has in prepared for us. Deuteronomy 1:7 “Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” He gives us strength to climb through the mountains, plains, and hills. The scenic view awaits us, but sometimes it is a struggle to get there and see it. Some days, it seems we will never reach the top. But rest assured that He knows just where you are on your journey. Deuteronomy 1:40 “But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.” He gives us strength to endure the wilderness that sometimes our choices have created. The children of Israel wandered for 40 years in the wilderness instead of what could have been an eleven-day journey. They took the ultimate scenic route. Your wilderness may look different that someone else’s. Sometimes it’s a barren place. Sometimes it’s a confusing place. Sometimes it’s a discouraging place. The wilderness is never an enjoyable part of our journey, but the Lord places us there for a purpose. Deuteronomy 2:24 “Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.” Sometimes instead of another turn, the Lord desires for us to rise up and pass over what lies in front of us. Eventually, regardless of how long it took or what we endured on the way there is victory ahead if we allow Him to enable us to contend for the faith along the way. Continue to take your journey today with Him as your guide. Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 9-10 | Revelation 10 1 Samuel 2:2-3
“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” Oftentimes, we only compare ourselves horizontally. “Oh, compared to her…I’m a great Christian.” “Have you seen her lately? She needs our prayers.” We want the opportunity to puff ourselves up by finding people we deem to be less than us. It makes us feel holy and honest when we pick and choose who we compare ourselves with. The truth is, that type of comparison is always biased in hopes of fulfilling an agenda. Boasting may lift us for a moment, only to deflate us later when the truth comes out. Hannah’s prayer of rejoicing is a reminder of how we should judge ourselves. We must use a vertical scale of comparison. 1 Samuel 2:3 “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” There is only One by Whom we are to weigh our actions. There is no one like Him. Put whatever you want or desire on the scales, and He will win every time. There can be no balance when we weigh our actions to Him. When we compare ourselves only to Him, we have no chance to talk proudly. If we truly want to be lifted, we must first bow before Him. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 7-8 | Revelation 9 Luke 4:7
“If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” At first glance, the sentence found within our verse today appears to be a promise that we should desire. If read alone, one could assume that if we choose to worship God we shall have anything we want. Yet the context of this verse is the exact opposite from that assumption. What an example of how context is key to the interpretation of Scripture. It is not the Lord speaking in this verse, but rather Satan himself. The devil promises us a lot of things, but never discloses what the attempt to possess those things will cost us. The root of deception…pride. It was his pride that caused Lucifer to fall in the first place, why would he not continue to use it in his attempt to cause others to fall? Pride is found in the desire to be worshipped, but it is also found in the fleshly desire to possess things. Satan thought that he could tempt Jesus into wanting things. The truth of the matter is that they were already His to begin with, for He created all that they saw from that high mountain. Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Jesus used the Word of God to rebuke Satan. We have the same Weapon at our disposal today, and the only Weapon we will ever need in order to defeat our enemy. Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” When pride creeps in, defeat it by dwelling on the Word. Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 5-6 | Revelation 8 Psalm 143:8
“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” Before the days of GPS, paper maps and directions guided our way as we made a trip from point A to point B. Whether traveling for business or family vacation, when we are in unfamiliar territory, we need something to guide us to our destination. “…cause me to know the way wherein I should walk…” Many times we desire the Lord’s direction, yet we fail to consult the right Source. We are quick to pick up the phone to call or text a trusted friend, especially if we know they will give us Biblical advice. However, the answer we need may be something that God wants to teach us Himself instead of through someone else. Printed in black and white, or even red, the solution to our problem can be found…but only if our Bibles are open and our hearts ready to hear His Words. Psalm 5:8 “Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.” Oftentimes, if we will earnestly ask the Lord to guide us through His Word, He will show us the Answer was right before our eyes all along, we just had never seen it that way before. Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” He desires to teach us and lead us… and cause us to know. We simply must first acknowledge Him. Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3-4 | Revelation 7 |
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