Archive | February 2014

Walk with God

Feb10

  Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. — Genesis 5:24                                                            These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. — Genesis 6:9.                                                                                                                                         Know when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. — Genesis 17:1

Three men are recorded in Genesis as having walked with God.

Not much is known of Enoch except that He walked with God. The only thing we know about him is a little of his lineage and age of fatherhood and how long he walked with God. It must have been quite a walk, certainly daily. On a fateful day his walk with God took him straight home with Him. I wonder if he even noticed or just being in the presence of the Lord was all he focused on and that was enough for him. Oh that we would walk with God as Enoch did — totally focused on our Lord.

Noah walked with God in a time when mankind was very corrupt. Noah had to have stood out in his generation because he was righteous and blameless, so different from everyone else. The contrast between him and his neighbors was obvious and he was ridiculed by them. Noah continued to walk with God and focus on the path God had chosen for Him. God was his strength to endure in fulfilling his call — even when it was extremely tough. Oh that we would walk as Noah did — to accomplish God’s plan for us. Keeping our focus on Him and not the circumstances.

God’s calling on Abram was to walk before Him and be blameless. God had a plan for Abram and knew he would need to walk with Him to accomplish it. We need the Lord. God has a plan for us all but we need Him to achieve it. We cannot walk blameless without Him. We need to walk with God everyday so we can live an abundant effective life.

Three men who walked with God and amazing things happened. Seek Him today and walk with Him every day. Pray to our Lord and read His Word to hear Him. He’s waiting to change your life.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

Praise the Word of God

Feb9

I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. Psalm 119:7

When I learn the righteous judgments of God, I am made right with Him. My heart is upright before My God who deserves to be praised from an upright heart. His Word cleanses me and purifies me to a standard worthy to praise the Almighty Holy God. He has given me His Word to correct my ways, to walk blamelessly before Him and to enjoy His presence. Only those worthy may enter into the presence of God. I am made worthy only through Christ who lives in me and teaches me through His Word.

My joy overflows from the love of God’s Word. That joy needs to be expressed and it is in thanks to the One Who wrote the Book. Worthy is He of all the praise I can muster for His marvelous Word that transforms a loser to a victorious winner, a sinner to reconciliation with The Creator, a heart of hurt to a heart of joy, a garland instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning, mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. God’s Word is great!!! Read it daily. Meditate on His Word and treasure it in your heart that you may not sin against Him.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. — Isaiah 61:3

Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. — Psalm 119:11

Unashamed

Feb8

Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your statutes!  Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your commandments.                                                                                                      — Psalm 119:5-6

Oh, Lord I desire to have my way established by Your Word, my feet to follow in Your way. You have “brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,” of a sinful life and “set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm”. A rock set upon the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and His Word.

When my steps are established by You, Lord, You are delighted. I surrender my life to You so that You will establish my path. I study Your Word that I may walk, watch the path of my feet for Your glory. “May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, so that I will not be ashamed.” In my adherence to Your Word You keep my life and will not allow my feet to slip. 

Thank You, Lord, for giving me life through Jesus and instructions for life through Your Word so that I do not have to live life ashamed. All glory be to God Almighty!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. — Psalm 40:2

Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. — Proverbs 4:26

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. — Psalm 37:23

“He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. — 1 Samuel 2:9

Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. — Psalm 66:9

May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed. — Psalm 119:80

The Word

Feb7

 You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently. — Psalm 119:4

God has ordered (commanded) us to keep His precepts (order, guide, instruction) diligently (done or pursued with fervent effort).

With great focus we need to search the Scriptures for our own good. Within the pages of His Word are the instructions for life, our guide for contentment and peace. He commands us to follow and keep His instructions because He loves us and wants the best for us. God “came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven”. He came down — says to me that He wanted to be sure we got the message. He “gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments.” God’s word is just, true, and good.

The more we persue God’s holy Word the more diligent we are to study because His Word becomes alive right before our eyes. We see God in all His glory. We see His unconditional love for all mankind. We see forgiveness and salvation. We find love, peace, joy and a God who is faithful and trustworthy. To God be the glory forever and ever through His Son Jesus Christ.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. — Deuteronomy 4:13

Then You came down on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. — Nehemiah 9:13

“They”

Feb6

 Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. — Psalm 119:3

“They” are the blessed whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord, who observe, or keep, God’s testimonies and who seek Him with all their heart. “They” do no unrighteousness. How can that be if we are all sinners? The difference is whether we willfully sin or realize we have sinned after the fact when the Holy Spirit has convicted us.

Practicing sin or willfully wandering from God’s way (His word: precepts, statutes, testimonies, commandments) is walking in unrighteousness. But those who follow and practice God’s word, practicing a godly lifestyle will walk in righteousness. In other words, to walk the walk of righteousness we must know how to walk.

Seeking God through His word enables us to know His commands so that we can apply them to our lives. The transformation from unrighteousness to righteousness comes from seeking the Lord God with all our heart and searching His word diligently.

Within the pages of the Bible is the way, the truth and the life. That way, truth and life is Jesus, our righteousness. We need Him. So I encourage you to seek Jesus through His word, following His commands by applying them to your life. You will be blessed.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.  — 1 John 3:9

We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ’s divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him]. — 1 John 5:18

Seek And Be Blessed

Feb5

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. — Psalm 119:2

What a blessing to seek the Lord through His word. The blessing is seeing and learning about the Lord God Almighty. His testimony written in this precious book, the Bible, reveals our God. He shows Himself through His word. A testimony or proof that God exists and is alive.

As I observe His law it testifies to me of His existence, of His attributes, and gives me many opportunities to experience His promises that are written in His word. When His word tells me, “All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies”, and I strive to observe them I confess that I am blessed. His word is true and trustworthy.

God’s testimony reveals how to live effectual, abundant lives. A life filled with blessing, peace, joy, love. Isn’t that what people are seeking for in life? Well Jesus is the fulfillment of all we need and desire. We need to seek Him with all our heart through His word, applying it to our lives and we really will find blessing.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.  — Psalm 25:10

With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. — Psalm 119:10

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, — Deuteronomy 10:12

Blessed

Feb4

How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the Lord. Psalm 119:1

Who doesn’t want to be blessed? God says that those whose way is blameless are blessed. How do I walk blameless? I walk in the law of the Lord. The law is His word, the Bible. To accomplish a blameless walk I will need to open the Bible and read it. The more I read, the more I am blessed as the word infiltrates my heart and overflows into my life.

As I apply my Lord’s word to my walk, a blameless walk, He takes delight in me. That makes me smile and blesses my heart. Nothing delights me more than pleasing my God. Walking in the righteousness of Christ guards me as I walk the blameless walk with Him.

In my relationship with Jesus I have learned to revere (fear) Him and my desire is to walk in His way. I hope that is your desire too. So, open the Bible, search it’s contents and experience a life like you have never experienced before. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and He will help you walk the blameless walk. So be blessed.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

But the blameless in their walk are His delight. Proverbs 11:20b

Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, Proverbs 13:6a

How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. Psalm 128:1

The Best Friend Ever – Part 4

Feb3

For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. — Deuteronomy 4:31

The best friend ever is compassionate. Compassionate means showing mercy and being sympathetic. How wonderful to have a friend who can sympathize with you. Jesus lived on earth as a man so He could relate to human experiences. What an awesome God who was willing to leave His throne to come to earth so He could relate to us. He is all about relationships, especially with us.

He is a friend we can share any part of our life with and He understands. Anything! What a blessing. And when we share our faults and failures He has mercy on us. He is not a friend who takes your confidential information and uses it to destroy you. He will not fail you. Could we ask for a better friend?

Jesus is our compassionate friend. Come to Him for the best friend you’ll ever have. He is waiting to have a relationship with you, to help you be the best you can be, a new person beyond your imagination. Seek my Friend. He is worth it.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

The Best Friend Ever – Part 3

Feb2
Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; — Deuteronomy 7:9
The best friend ever has an attribute of faithfulness. Our Lord is faithful and can be trusted. He keeps His covenant and has enduring compassion for His friends – those who keep His commandments. How can we help but love Him? The great thing about this faithful friend is that if I am faithless, He remains faithful. His faithfulness does not depend on my faithfulness or in other words, my unfaithfulness does not effect His faithfulness. He cannot deny Himself.
Do you need a faithful friend? Jesus, our faithful friend, is calling you. He is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. This faithful friend loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. He is calling you into fellowship with Him. He so desires to have a relationship  with you that is lasting and faithful. Let Him into your life today and this faithful friend will take care of you like no other friend you ever had.
Simply confess you are a sinner to Jesus, your faithful friend, thanking Him for dying on the cross (shedding of His blood) to save you from darkness and eternal condemnation and believe that God raised Him from the dead. A heart felt prayer to God will change your life. Then tell someone you have done this so they may rejoice with you.
Don’t delay. Your faithful friend is waiting for that eternal relationship that begins with that simple prayer. Jesus is waiting to take you on the journey of a lifetime. Then seek Him continually.
Continually seeking Him,
Sharon

 

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. — 2 Timothy 2:13

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. — 1 Thessalonians 5:24

But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. — 2 Thessalonians 3:3
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— — Revelation 1:5
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. — 1 Corinthians 1:9

The Best Friend Ever – Part 2

Feb1

Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. — Psalm 119:73

The best friend ever gives understanding to learn His commandments. Yesterday we read, “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” Isn’t it great that He not only desires us to keep His commandments but He gives us understanding of them so we can obey them. Our friend is so giving to us just for the asking. By prayer we spend quality time with our Friend deepening our relationship with Him and we receive His understanding when we ask. 

What a great Friend we have in Jesus. Relying on His understanding is so much better than our relying on our own understanding. We are limited, He is unlimited. We are finite, He is infinite. Let us lean on His understanding.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5