Being in a Relationship with Jesus restores your soul

S - Scripture
Psalm 23 v. 3  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake.  

O - Observation
Restoration and Guidance. Jesus is not a one time God. Sure, Jesus save, which is an act of helping while we are in turmoil. But he also guides, which is a much more relational interaction. Restore. Webster defines restore as to fix something up so that it looks like new. So when Jesus restores my soul, he removes, washes away all the filth, the sin in my life. Isaiah 1 v. 18a, "Come now let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as SNOW." Keeping a relationship with Jesus, following his paths as reward. Isaiah 1 v. 19, If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land."
 
A - Application
Have I been restored? Am I in a relationship with Jesus?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Thanks for restoring and guiding me.  Love Will

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The Lord is my Shepherd

S - Scripture
Psalm 23 v. 1-2 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters.  

O - Observation
The lord is my Shepherd. Wow! What a great picture that is. It is the Shepherds job to take care of the sheep. Provide them with the necessities of life, food and water and a place to rest. Matthew 11 v. 28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." A shepherd will provide them with safety, protection from danger. Remember, 2 Peter 5 v. 8b, "Your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to destroy." Finally, a Shepherd leads his sheep, because they are clueless. Sometimes like me. John 14 v. 6, " Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."

A - Application
Have I paused to think how blessed I am to have Jesus as my shepherd?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Thank you for being my most excellent shepherd.  Love Will

Image by G Johansen from Pixabay 

The source of your Strength

S - Scripture
Psalm 20 v. 7  Some boast of chariots, and some boast of horses, but we boast of the name of the Lord our God. 

O - Observation
The source of our strength. Its not wealth (chariots) and its not power (horses). No, it is the fact that we are God's children. That is the source of our strength. This simple fact allows us to live with Great Confidence. We will be wealthier than we can ever imagine. Our eternal inheritance - Heaven.  2 Corinthians 10 v. 17, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord." Again, the same thought written several hundred years apart. Boasting of the Lord takes the focus off yourself and places it squarely on God. Its actually a source of strength. Follow the logic of the next two verses. 2 Corinthians 11 v. 30, "If I must boast, I will boast of things that show my weakness." 2 Corinthians 12 v. 9b, "My power is made perfect in weakness."

A - Application
So.... what am I boasting about?

P - Prayer
Jesus, You are the creator of Heaven and Earth, my savior, all powerful!!   Love Will

 

Seeking and Saving

Guest Blog by Gary Riedel

S - SCRIPTURE: 

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost!”

O-OBSERVATION: 

And aren’t we happy about that statement of Jesus at the end of the story about Zacchaeus? We know and say it often that Jesus came to save His people from their sins. In 1 Timothy 2:4 it
says God would have all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. John 3:16 says “God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son that who-so ever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! But, what about the seeking which is the first action word in the sentence. How comforting is it to know that Jesus is seeking after us, actively pursuing us. Ezekiel. 34:11 For thus says the Lord God, “Behold I Myself will search after My sheep and seek them out.” Further examples are the parables of “The Lost Sheep” and “The Lost Coin” in Luke 15. God desires us to be saved so much that He gave His only Son for us and to that end actively pursues us His wayward children!

A - APPLICATION: 

If God has gone to such lengths to make me His own, then my reaction should be one of simply surrendering to His good and perfect will! The last half of a verse of the hymn “When I Survey the wondrous Cross” comes to mind; Love so Amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!

P - PRAYER: Gracious Father, thank You for pursuing us, may we

give our soul, our life, our all to YOU! In Jesus Name, Amen 

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Remember - God is there for you!!!

S - Scripture
Psalm 20 v. 6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. 

O - Observation
He's there for you. He cares about you. This is especially true in spades if you are one of his anointed. So how do we get anointed? Seek him, study his word,  follow in his teaching.  Jeremiah 29 v. 13-14a, "You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you." Realize, once you are found the following holds true. Matthew 28 v. 20b, "Lo, I am with you ALWAYS." And.. 1 Corinthians 3 v. 16, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit DWELLS in you?" Being anointed, being a child of God provides great comfort and confidence. Because he is there for you.

A - Application
Do I try to solve life's problems without God's help? Why?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Thanks for being with me every step I take.  Love Will

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The Foundational Daily Prayer

 All - Burn this one in your memory banks!!! I say this verse every morning. It's a great one!!!

S - Scripture
Psalm 19 v. 14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock, my redeemer. 

O - Observation
The sweet smell of being in tune with God. This Psalm equates what we say both in public and private to a gift, a sacrifice for the Lord. Revelation refers to prayers as incense to him. Revelation 5 v. 8b, "And with golden bowls of incense, WHICH ARE THE PRAYERS OF SAINTS." Our prayers, our private talks with him is a pleasing smell to God. But our public talks, public words and actions provide an odor as well. 2 Corinthians 2 v. 14, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us to triumph, and through us SPREADS THE FRAGRANCE of the knowledge of him everywhere." Yes, how we live our lives will be smelly.
 
A - Application
So... what type of smells am I emitting? 

P - Prayer
Jesus, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight.  Love Will

Recognize your internal struggle

S - Scripture
Psalm 19 v. 12-13a  But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!

O - Observation
The internal war. The war of our body, our flesh wanting to do things opposite of what God wants. Matthew 15 v. 19, "For out of the Heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. We can't help it we are born in sin. How can we muffle this? Colossians 3 v. 12-13, "Put on then, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience, forbearing one another, forgiving each other." These things combat our sinful flesh. We must plant them into our mindset. Galatians 6 v. 8b, "But he who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life."

A - Application
How is it going on the battle front for my life?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Help me to apply the principles you mention in Colossians in my life.  Love Will

Make Jesus the Cornerstone

S - Scripture
Psalm 18 v. 46 The Lord lives; and blessed be my Rock, and exulted be the God of my Salvation. 

O - Observation
Rock On!!! (Jesus is the Rock!!!) Rocks, boulders, mountains. Unmovable, Solid. Majestic. This is what
my God is. Think about the buildings we work in, the homes that we live in, they all are based upon a footer. Now days, we make rock via concrete. Back then, Rocks served as foundation. Cornerstones were key in building a structure since they anchored the building, helped to make it "true". Ephesians 2 v. 20b-21, "Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord." Having Jesus as your cornerstone, allows you to build your house, your life on something that is unmovable, solid. It provides protection during the storms of life.

A - Application
What am I basing my life's foundation on?

P - Prayer
Jesus, You live, and blessed be my Rock, the God of My Salvation.  Love Will

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His way is Perfect

S - Scripture
Psalm 18 v. 30 This God - his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.  

O - Observation
His way is perfect. Say that again. His way is perfect. In our politically correct world we accept other peoples truths, we bend and mold God's word to fit the needs of the culture of today's society. This is nothing new. Jesus told the Pharisees in Mark 7 v. 9, " You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition." So why dilute, why weaken the truth? After all, His way is Perfect. 2 Timothy 3 v. 16, "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Sounds like a Perfect Plan to me!!! 

A - Application
Am I following and listening to the Perfect Plan?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Let me live according to your way, your plan.  Love Will

 

Facing your enemies

S - Scripture
Psalm 18 v. 3  I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

O - Observation

Saved from my enemies. David wrote this psalm. David had a King that had a burning desire to kill him. King Saul was jealous of his success so he did all that he could do to kill him. I've encountered people in my life that simply don't like me. They are not indifferent, nope they specifically don't like me. They have said attacking things to me, about me. They have discredited me. But, it's at those times when I cry out to Jesus, that I am reminded that he saves me from my enemies. Isaiah 51 v. 6b, "But my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended." That is my confidence as I face my enemies. God's salvation is complete.

A - Application
Am I calling upon the Lord when facing my enemies?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Deliver me, save me, from those who attack me.  Love Will

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Where are the Nine?

Where are the Nine?

Guest Blog Post by Gary Riedel

S-SCRIPTURE: 

Luke 17:17 Jesus asked, “We’re not all 10 cleansed? Where are the other nine?”

O-OBSERVATION: This from the story of the 10 lepers Jesus met on the way to Jerusalem. When they called to Him “Jesus, Master have pity on us!” Jesus told them to go show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, scripture tells us they were cleansed. Only one came back praising God in a loud voice, throwing himself at Jesus feet and giving thanks and he was a Samaritan or in Jewish terms someone to hate. There was a lot of animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans, for the Samaritans were considered to be an adulterated race and not part of the “chosen” Jewish race. Then Jesus says this verse, “Where are the Nine? Man’s inherent lack of gratitude shows up again; leprosy was a serious disease and the worst part was the way they had to be isolated from society, but only the Samaritan could find it within himself to praise God and give thanks for healing.

A - APPLICATION: So the only one who gave thanks was this undesirable Samaritan, and in the parable of the “Good Samaritan”, again it was the undesirable one who helped the thief. In John chapter 4 it was the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered at the well who eventually believed He was the Messiah. So how about us, we are not part of the so called “chosen race” by our bloodline either but by the blood of JESUS we are saved John 3:16. Do we fall down in gratitude 

and humility and praise His Holy Name when He heals us from the wages of our sin in Romans 6:23? Jesus endured the pain and suffering for the weight of every sin committed by mankind and He whipped the devil and his evil plan. Mankind now has a clear path to salvation because “Jesus Paid it All” as the hymn says. Jesus did all of that for us, let us NEVER be found among the nine.

P - PRAYER: Gracious Father, I pray that those of us who know You and what You’ve done for us, will never be found ungrateful, but we will show our gratitude every hour we live so that in 

Thankful Living, we may bear witness to what You’ve done and bring more souls to Jesus. In His Holy Name, Amen 

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Ownership

S - Scripture
Psalm 18 v. 1-2 I love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, My Rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

O - Observation
My oh, My oh MY!!! Lots of mys in this verse. Nine times. My equals ownership. And what is it that we
own, we have? A Rock, fortress, Deliverer and Shield. Our God, my God is the foundation that I need when facing life's problems. Nahum 1 v. 7, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him." Having faith in God, Jesus, as our God, is like the items listed above. Impenetrable. Wards off any attacks. Ephesians 6 v. 16, "taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one."

A - Application
Do I have ownership with the ultimate protector?

P - Prayer
Jesus, You are my Rock, my Fortress, Deliverer and Shield. Thanks!!! Love Will

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You are important

S - Scripture
Psalm 17 v. 8  Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of thy wings. 

O - Observation
Your important. When your feeling your not, say this verse as a prayer. Note, its not "put" me as an apple of the eye, but KEEP. We are already there. Zephaniah 3 v. 17, "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you with his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival." This is an active not passive God that takes personal interest in you. He wants to have a personal relationship with you. He wants to take care of you. But, you have to want it too. A one sided relationship does not work. You need to talk to him. Pray. Tell Jesus how much you need him. Tell him that you want to be close.

A - Application
Am I fostering a relationship with Jesus?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Keep me as the apple of your eye. Love Will

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God has a plan for you

S - Scripture
Psalm 16 v. 11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fullness of you, in thy right hand are pleasures evermore. 

O - Observation
God does NOT want to hose me! Instead he wants to bless me. Jeremiah 29 v. 11, "For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." It is God's desire that everyone be saved, that everyone lives in harmony with him and each other. That is his long term plan for those who believe in him. Here is a picture of what heaven will be like.  Revelation 7 v. 16, 17b, "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

A - Application
Do I thank God for the plans he has for me?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Thank you for what you have in store for me. Love Will

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Live Life in Joyous Confidence

S - Scripture
Psalm 16 v. 9-10 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure, For thou doest not give me up to Sheol, or let the Godly see the Pit.

O - Observation
Joyous confidence. That's what a relationship with Jesus is. Regardless of life's troubles, knowing that the creator of the world is personally invested in you is enough to put a skip in your step. I am reminded of what God told Moses when he was writing the 10 Commandments. Exodus 34 v. 6-7a, "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.'" How reassuring it is to have a loving and patient God! This fact should give you JOYOUS CONFIDENCE!

A - Application
Am I living my life in confidence?

P - Prayer
Jesus, You are my God. How Awesome!!!  Love Will

Put Jesus in front of you

S - Scripture
Psalm 16 v. 8  I keep the Lord always before me; because he is a my right hand, I shall not be moved.

O - Observation
Stability. David wrote this Psalm. He kept his focus, recognized the source of his strength, even when being hunted down to be killed. How is it in our own lives? Are there people out there that are trying to do
you harm? Don't lose focus. Having the Lord before you means looking forward, following his lead. Its not an after the fact sort of relationship. Otherwise we would have the Lord behind us. To follow his lead means we have to open our eyes to the direction he wants to take us. How do we open our eyes? We need to pray for wisdom and council from the Holy Spirit. We need to be in the word - the Bible.

A - Application
Am I putting Jesus in front of me or behind me?

P - Prayer
Jesus, Lead me, guide me, protect me.  Love Will

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Live your life to bless the Lord

S - Scripture
Psalm 16 v. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.  

O - Observation

Godly wisdom. What a blessing. How awesome is it that we have the Bible to read. 2 Timothy 3 v. 16-17, "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every Good work." When we are intentional about God's word, reading it, studying it, meditating on it, then its words and wisdom begin to permeate us. We think about God's instruction both consciously and subconsciously. God's wisdom is for a full life. It is a recipe for living life to the fullest, living a life to the Glory of God. So how do we respond to such an awesome gift? Live it!!

A - Application
Am I blessing the Lord by living, doing what the Bible teaches?   

P - Prayer
Jesus, Help me to live my life to bless you. Love Will

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The Meek

Guest Blog by Gary Riedel

S - SCRIPTURE: 

Psalm 25:9 KJV The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He lead in His way.

O- OBSERVATION: 

Many versions say humble but the KJV uses meek, to me meek really gets the point across. Isaiah 53:7 Says He was oppressed and afflicted yet He did not open His mouth, He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it’s slaughter is silent, so he did not open His mouth. This verse is about Jesus, and even He did not open His mouth when accused. What about us, if we want God to guide and direct our paths, we need to be meek and humble. If we think we have all the answers, it’s nearly impossible for God to guide us.

A - APPLICATION: God’s word, His law, and His Gospel are for ears yearning to hear the sincere milk of the Word, that is the truth of scripture. Unfortunately, many a learned person selects those portions of Scripture he can agree with and disregards those portion they don’t like. That’s the opposite of meek and such an attitude leads us away from Jesus rather than to Him. May we always be meek in our reading and hearing God’s Holy and precious Word!

P - PRAYER: 

Gracious Father, help us to be meek, and open to the beautiful precepts of Your Word, so that our hearts may follow You with all we are and have right into eternity. In Jesus Name, Amen 

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We all have a choice

S - Scripture
Psalm 13 v. 6  I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. 

O - Observation
Always look on the bright side of life. Today's verse was written by David, he experienced both extremes in his life. Kingships, hated, hunted, fugitive. But, yet, he will sing to the Lord due to the good things he had given him. We all have a choice. We can look at what we have or don't have. Following David's lead is a great choice. Singing to the Lord for the things we have. Proverbs 10 v.22, "The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it." Think about what we have - eternal life - in Heaven - no tears, but Joy. Makes me want to SING!!!

A - Application
What's my choice? To sing or not to sing?  

P - Prayer
Jesus, Hosanna, Halleluiah, Hurray, you make me want to sing. Love Will

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Seek God for Protection

S - Scripture
Psalm   12 v.7 Do thou, O Lord, protect us , guard us ever from this generation.

O - Observation

A prayer for protection. It was applicable back then, it is applicable today. Every generation faces battles, attacks on their well being, both physically and spiritually. It’s because we are all under the yoke of sin. It’s in peoples core. Jesus recognizes this when he said in Matthew 15 v. 19, "For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander." It’s not a wonder that David wrote this Psalm. He was experiencing all those things first hand. David knew he couldn't withstand all these attacks without help from his heavenly Father. It’s important to remember, we were created in God's image. He is personally invested in us. He will be there for us.

A - Application
Am I seeking protection from God for my troubles?

P - Prayer
Do thou, O Lord, protect us, guard us from this generation. Love Will

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Seek God's Face

S - Scripture
Psalm   11 v.7 For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteous deeds, the upright shall behold his face.

O - Observation
Seeing God's face. When you see God's face you will be changed. Moses face glew after his personal encounter with God. Seeing God's face is connection. After all, it is easier to get to know someone when you look in their eyes, see their expression. Its hard to do from the backside. So, how does one "see" God's face when you can't see him? The first place to start is in God's word. Start in the Gospels, "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John". There are direct quotes from Jesus. You will get a great glimpse of his personality. Follow his lead and examples. Living what he recommends for us draws us closer to his mindset, to his face. Finally, pray - talk to him.

A - Application
Am I seeking God's face? 

P - Prayer
Jesus, Reveal yourself to me. Look at me straight on.   Love Will

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Prepare for Tests

S - Scripture
Psalm   11 v. 5  The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates him that loves violence.

O - Observation
Tests. We all will face them. God is impartial to whom he tests. He tests everybody. Why do we have tests? To make us better. Its true in school. Its true in life. Proverbs 27 v. 17a, "Iron sharpens Iron." and
Proverbs 27 v. 21a, "The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold." Both these Proverbs points out to the end game of tests. How do we prepare for God's tests? 2 Corinthians 13 v. 5, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are holding to the faith.  TEST YOURSELVES. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test." Just like practice tests in school, we need to do the same in our lives. Live God's word and instruction, so when his tests come, we will be ready.

A - Application
How am I preparing for my tests? How am I doing?

P - Prayer
Jesus,  Help me to respond to your tests with flying colors.  Love Will

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Know Where to Put your trust

S - Scripture
Psalm   9 v. 10 And those who know thy name put their trust in thee, for thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek thee.

O - Observation
Never forgotten. Always, there, intentional. Those that seek God, those that put their trust, hope and faith in him, (Jesus Christ) will experience a sense of security for the now and eternity. Why? Because God loves and pursues us. Romans 5 v. 8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." For someone to pay such a great cost for us, means he will not let us go. We're too valuable. In fact, he refers to us as family to him. Not just servants of acquaintances, but family. Mark 3 v. 25, " Who ever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

A - Application
Where am I putting my trust?

P - Prayer
Jesus,  Thank you for pursuing and not forsaking me.  Love Will

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