I love the Lenten Season as it causes me to focus on the great price Jesus paid for my freedom. The access I have to the Father and the relationship I have with Him was restored by Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Jesus conquered death so I can live. The debt I owe Jesus can never be paid in full, but the marvelous thing is He gives it to me as a gift. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” Praise God!!
This year I will be blogging daily using passages from the Psalms. As I was reading through the Bible last year, I made note of psalms that spoke to me. When I looked at the list, I saw a perfect list of reflection to use during Lent. I hope you will join me for the daily focus on who Jesus is and what His death and resurrection means to me- right now, right today!
Lent begins on Wednesday- Valentine’s Day and I will begin with a perfect Valentine for you and me.
Join me daily during Lent. Wednesday February 14 to Easter Sunday March 31.
When God gives me a word for the year, I select scriptures to solidify the concept God has laid upon my heart. The first verse I mentioned in my last blog, Psalm 37:5-6. The other two verses God gave me are Proverbs 16:3 and 1 Peter 4:19. What truths do these verses add to my word- Commit? I looked each up in various translations to seek clarification and improved understanding.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” ESV “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” NLT “Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place.” Message Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.” NKJV
Each of these translations adds something new to the concept of committing everything I do to God and the promise He gives. The New King James Version adds thoughts to the work one does. That new dimension challenges me to put all my doing, acting and thinking into God’s hands. Commitment at this level is total, complete and focusing on what is important for success in life. These are sobering reminders of what God desires of each of us. Doing things, thinking Biblically about what I’m doing or going to do is essential for plans to be accomplished. Committing my work to God and following through for Him brings success. It also tells us that God is the driving force behind successful work for Him.
My final verse 1 Peter4:19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”NIV“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” ESV “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” NLT “Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with the will of God must [continue to] do right and commit their souls [for safe-keeping] to the faithful Creator.” Amplified “So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.” The Message
It also helped me to look at this verse in various translations. The suffering is expanded in the Amplified to mean ill-treatment and suffering for doing God’s work. Our response to suffering is to continue onward, continue to commit to God, trust Him and what He has for our future. I like the word the ESV version uses for commit- entrust. I am to entrust my life to Him in these trying times and He will see me through because He is the faithful one the faithful Creator.
I love the Word, Commit, God has laid upon my heart for 2024 and the verses He has shown me. I am looking forward to the adventure of 2024 with Him
Linda
P.S. Please let me know what word you have chosen for 2024 by responding. Thanks.
After God has laid upon your heart the word He has for you, you choose 8-10 related words to help you clarify and broaden the scope of the word in your mind. The next step is to go to scripture and search for your word. Most often there are many verses using your word and you need to read through them to see which ones resonate with your heart and capture the broadened meaning of your word. This year’s word for me, Commit, was used over 150 times in the Old and New Testaments. I sifted through and saw various meaning’s or uses of the word. As I studied the passages I began to focus on 3 different scriptures: Psalm 37:5-6, Proverbs 16:3 and 1 Peter 4:19.
Psalm 37:5-6 ”Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”
I love these verses and included them in my book Promises for Dynamic Living. God promises that committing your way to Him and giving Him your trust allows Him to act on your behalf. He will bring forth good things, help you to shine for Him and see that you are treated justly. Those are mighty returns for your commitment and trust! There are principles about God and His character embedded within theses verses. 1. God is good and wants only good things for me. Those things brought forth through our trust and commitment are in the light, righteous and just. 2. Following God requires trust and commitment. God promises action only if we do our part- trusting and committing. We know God keeps His promises so to receive his blessings we need to commit and trust in Him. Blessedly God knows us and our weaknesses and often acts in spite of what I do. Then I thank God for his boundless grace towards me. 3. God has the power to mold and shape my character. His actions will bring forth from me new light and righteousness in Him. God desires to make us more and more like Jesus as we walk with Him daily. 4. God is just and righteous. These attributes are an intergyral part of God’s character and who He is.
Here are 2 verses from Isaiah about our Just God. 5:16 “But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” 30:18 “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Here are 2 verses from Psalms about our Righteous God. 71:19 “Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?” 145: 17“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.”
I pray you will find just the right verses to go with your word so that God can use them to imprint Himself upon your life this year. The other verses I’ve chosen will be written about in future blogs.
I have been praying and asking God for a new word for this year. He has impressed upon me the word ‘commit’. The dictionary defines commit as to pledge with purpose, to do, to preserve- like to your memory, to trust or charge with safekeeping, to send into battle…. Reflecting on this definition, is would seem that people in our day and times have difficulty committing to relationships, jobs, pursuits to reach goals, and/or to joining or serving and sticking with it.
Biblically commit is used over 150 times. Exodus speaks of commit in the 10 Commandments- as in what not to do. ”Do not commit ____.” Leviticus speaks over and over about the sins people were doing which were committed against God and His laws. 1 Samuel and 1 Kings speak of committing your way to the Lord. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will dothis:” David also spoke of committing his spirit to God in Psalm 31:5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.” Solomon added in Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” In Luke 23:46 Jesus spoke from the cross of committing His spirit to God. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Paul speaks of us being committed in 2 Corinthians 5:19 “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” Peter speaks of our commitment in 1 Peter 4:19 “So then, those who sufferaccording to God’s will should committhemselves to their faithfulCreator and continue to do good.”
We are exhorted in the Old and New Testaments to NOT commit sins- adultery, stealing, lust, etc. In addition to striving to put sin aside we are asked to commit our way, our spirit, our being, our resolve, our faith to God and follow Him. Our job is to commit our ways to Him and then He will lead and bring about things for our good and His glory.
The related words to commit that I have chosen are: persevere, submit, act, do, support, pray, study, write, serve and join. It will be interesting, as in an adventure, to see how God uses this word in my life in 2024. Here are the verses I am using to guide me: Psalm 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
1 Peter 4:19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” The suffering here is not so much bad things but committing to God and walking away from worldly pursuits.
I pray God has given you a nudge towards a particular focus word for 2024. I will expand on these verses in days to come as I mediate upon the word and verses God has provided.
As we enter this New Year of 2024, it is time to think about what God has in store for you. One way to do this is to have a Word from His Word to be your focus. I have done this for several years now and have found it to be uplifting for my faith and walk with God. God amazes me how the Word He gives me is repeated continually thought-out the year. Many times it is encouraging to my walk, sometimes instructive but always guiding.
I would challenge you to pray about this as you read and study this week. Ask God what Word He would give you from His Word for this new year. He may give you more than one word to pursue so do that and see where He leads you. The Word you have for your focus has others that are or will be related to it. Make a list of your main word and then 5-10 related words. God will guide you to hone and zero in on the Word He has for you. Now that you have your list, look to scripture for verses that use your word or words and see how God guides in choosing focus verse for the year. I generally end up with 1-2 verses.
Here are some verses and words to get you started:
Joy- Psalm 16:11, Psalm 63:7, Habakkuk 3:18 or James 1:2
Grace– John 1:16-17, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 12:9, or Ephesians 1:7
Peace- Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 5:9, John 14:27 or Philippians 4:7
Obedience– Psalm 128:1, Deuteronomy 10:12
Or you may choose to examine words like: unity, compassion, mercy, steadfastness, stability, generosity, service or enough. When examining words like these you need your list of 10 related words to aid you in your search. Have fun with this and make it an adventure in listening to God and hearing what He has to say to you about your New Year!
May God encourage you as you seek His face this week and look to Him for your Word from His Word.
Since this is January 1, 2024, Happy New Year is appropriate! What about this New Year to come? What hopes and dreams do you hold for the next 365 days? My daughter posted recently that the 365 days seem very long until you get to the end and then it seem like it passed in the blink of an eye. Since I’ve spent the last 5 days in bed with a virus cold, the first hope I have during the days to come is for health. This is such a fragile gift and yet we so often take it for granted.
My favorite verses to begin any New Year come from Lamentations 3:19-24. The prophet Jeremiah, had seen and experienced great hardship both physically and spiritually. The people of Israel were rebelling against God and Jeremiah felt that deeply as he sought to speak to the people about God. I have given you 3 translations for this passage. Each one brings new things to light and causes us to begin this year anew for the Lord with great Hope.
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (ESV)
The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. 20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. 21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” (NLT)
19-21 I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: 22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. (Message)
In spite of last years trials, will you like Jeremiah place your trust and hope in the Lord? He alone is faithful and will give us new mercies each and every morning. NO Place else can we get that assurance and hope. If you don’t feel His mercy in the midst of your turmoil, turn to Him and ask Him for insight to see where He is being merciful to you. Through Christ we have received God’s greatest mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Sending Jesus was God’s greatest gift of mercy towards us, begin this New Year with thanksgiving on your lips.
Happy New Year! Walk the next 365 with the Lord and experience HIs mercies each and every morning!
My word for 2023 was Obedience. To me and my rebellious spirit, that is a tough word. I have found it calming this year as I have leaned into my walk with the Lord and waited upon Him. Obedience goes hand in hand with patience as I sought to follow Him and must reign myself in so that I do not run ahead. Personally, I set a goal of reading the entire Bible in a year, it seemed like an overwhelming task. As I committed my days to Him, set a time and a place for my reading, God was faithful to meet me there. I was amazed that only 1 or 2 times during the year did I miss a day and have to catch up on the reading. Even during my trip to Europe, I kept it up. Even during my visits to relatives, with my busy schedule, etc., I kept it up. God met me each and every day in His Word to guide me through. The two verses I choose for this year: Psalm 128:1 and Deuteronomy 10:12 have been beacons of hope and resolution throughout the year.
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.’ Psalm 128:1
“And now, Linda, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12
As we look forward to 2024, may we take some time today to reflect and thank God for His goodness and faithfulness to each of us. In this world filled with strife and turmoil, may we hold onto the Hope that we find in Jesus and know the God Keeps His Promises, all of them.
It is not yet Christmas Eve and we have arrived at the scripture where Jesus is born. The actual birth of Jesus is recorded in Luke 2:6-8. “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
What amazes you about these simple verses of facts? 1. Mary made it to Bethlehem and gave birth to Jesus in a sheltered and safe place. The place regarded as the the exact spot is a cave inside a grotto where animals were kept. It is a place that causes one to see first hand the providence of God in providing such a safe, warm and cozy place for Jesus to enter the world.
2. There was no room in an inn when Mary and Joseph arrived and God provided a stable where they could deliver the baby and be together. 3. Place God provided was large enough for the shepherds to come and visit and not disturb anyone else.
Many times the provisions God gives do not make complete sense to us. We feel maybe they are lacking in some way, however, God sees the entire picture. He knew many shepherds would come to visit. He knew exactly what Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus needed. Perhaps a truth from this scene should be God knows and God provides. He is all wise and sovereign in all things. Can I trust Him to provide for me? Here are some verses to ponder and hold close to your heart about God the provider.
Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 34:9 “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”
1 Corinthians 2:9” But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
Remember from our discussions about Joseph’s character, he was a law abiding man who sought to do the right thing. It is natural that he would feel compelled to go to Bethlehem for the census as it was required by the governing law of the land, and they were under Roman rule. Why they had to go to their ancestral home had to do with families, tribes, or clans. David was of the tribe of Judah. 1 Samuel tells us Samuel went to Jesse’s father as directed by God to anoint one of his sons the next king after rejecting Saul. The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Here we see Jesse, David’s father, was from Bethlehem which was considered David’s home town. Here our story continues in Luke 2:1-5.
Luke 2:1-5 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, “to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.“
God is a god of details and all prophesies about Messiah were fulfilled exactly as He said. Micah 5:2 reveled several hundred years before that the coming Savior would be born in Bethlehem. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” God orchestrated the moving of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem at this exact time to fulfill this prophesy. Jesus was of the line of David and was to be born in Bethlehem just as scripture said.
Was this easy? No, I would say that traveling by donkey when 9 months pregnant was very uncomfortable and difficult. Sometimes God asks us to to hard things for Him. Traveling by donkey or walking would have been a challenge but God was with them. Mary did not have the child until they arrived in Bethlehem and even then as we will see a place was made for them to stay. God provided exactly what they needed. We can take heart in this too. God will not call us to do something and then leave us alone. He has promised to be with us 24/7 and we can claim that promise.
I love Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” The them for the Israelites were the enemies they would face as they sought to take possession of the land God had promised. The them for Mary and Joseph was the hard journey and problems with accommodations. They undoubtedly suffered from the heat, weariness, being physically uncomfortable and fear of robbers along the way. The them for us can be any problem we face that seems overwhelming and beyond what we can deal with. God promises to be with us and never leave us nor forsake us. He did it for David when he met Goliath, for the Israelites when entering the new land of Canaan, for Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem and He will do it for you and me. Step out in faith today and claim this promises. God always keeps His promises.
The second part of Zachariah’s song of praise and prophecy shows his father’s heart and reveals what God has planned for both his son and the effects of the Messiah upon the world. Luke 1:76-80
“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Zachariah’s speaks of who his son will be and his godly mission. John would be a prophet and prepare the hearts of the people for the coming Messiah. He would preach repentance and point the people to God. I am reminded of Isaiah’s prophetic words about this coming messenger from God. Isaiah 40:3-4 gives a description of this messenger and his purpose and was written hundreds of years before John’s birth. “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.” In the Gospel of John Chapter 1, John the disciple, uses Isaiah’s words to describe this John the Baptist. John 1:22-23 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’” John preached repentance for sin and baptized with water. He said one was coming who would be greater than he. John 1:26-27 “John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”
Zachariah then prophesied about the light of God that would be coming into the world. He would come to give light in our dark world of sin and death and guide us towards peace with God. Jesus spoke of himself as the light to this world. John 8:12 “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 12:35 “Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.” John 16:13 speaks of the guidance Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” John 16:33 speaks of peace in Jesus, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Zachariah’s prophecies were immediately fulfilled in the lives of John the Baptist and Jesus and after Jesus’ death in the coming of the Holy Spirit!
This chapter concludes with an anecdote on the growing up years of John before he began to preach. 80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
God is clearly visible in the fulfilled prophesy included in Zachariah’s song. Praise God for these confirmations in scripture that build and encourage our faith.
Fearless Living 