Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 119:135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant, & teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:10-12 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:171 My lips pour forth praise, for You teach me Your statutes. — Some things to see in the scriptures above! Teach me, lead me, & make your face shine upon me! Have you ever thought of God as a Teacher? God is always revealed in His truth to the ones who humble themselves & are willing to be taught by Him! When we are filled with the knowledge of this world & our trust is focused on that knowledge then how can we receive God’s truth? God our teacher is looking for willing participants with open hearts! Let’s be His children in heart today to receive His teaching, let’s not be too proud or arrogant but teachable. Please Be our guide O Lord! Love Mel
About John the Baptist (part 1)
From Bill –The following is a direct quotation from John MacArthurs book Hard to Believe p. 142. “John the Baptist came from a common, humble family without any noteworthy education or social grace, and without any previous accomplishments to his credit. And yet our Lord said he was the greatest human being who ever lived up to that time. Matthew 11:11: “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Jesus even emphasized the fact by starting with “Assuredly,” which means “truly,” or “a fact beyond dispute.” Jesus offered no qualification or opinion here, just a statement of fact: “John is the greatest human being ever.” John was greater than Adam or Abraham. He was greater than Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph; greater than Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon. John’s personal character marked his greatness. He was a man who could recognize, acknowledge, and overcome his limitations, which is always a hallmark of greatness. Every person is either a victim of his situation or a victor over it. Everybody has challenges, weaknesses, failings, infirmities, and problems. The question is whether or not you can overcome them. The great ones fight through, and John did that. He was a man of humility who recognized his shortcomings. The great are the ones who see their failings and work to overcome, not the ones who fancy themselves to be without weakness. And as long as you admit no weakness, you will never grow to your full strength. This was a rare gift in the ancient world.” Let us strive to acknowledge and overcome our weaknesses and flaws to the glory of God, just like John the Baptist did. Love Mel
1 Samuel 16: He Looks at Our Hearts
1 Sam 16:7 he LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart” . 1 Chron 28:9 As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father & serve Him wholeheartedly &with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart & understands the intention of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 1 Kings 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of mena —God looks on the heart! God knows our heart! God knows everything about us & He still loves us! Since He knows everything about us don’t you think it is time to invite Him in to fix all our problems! Hisunderstanding is way better than ours! Love Mel
Psalm 104: He Made the Moon to Mark the Seasons
Psalm 104:19 He made the moon to mark the seasons.. Gen 8:22 While the earth remains, seedtime & harvest, cold & heat, summer & winter, day & night, shall not cease. Gal 6:9 Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come & rain righteousness upon you. Eccl 3:1 For everything there is a season, & a time for every matter under heaven. Rom 8:28 For we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. — Fall is here & our God is truly the best artist ever! This season is colorful & filled with a little chill in the air, preparing us for the winter to come. Just remember as you watch those beautiful leaves come twirling by, rejoice, for this is the day the Lord has made. Love Mel
The Power of the Tongue
Have you ever heard the little saying, “sticks & stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me!” Lets see what God has to say about it! —Prov 10:31-32 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse. Prov 12:18-19 Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. — How about vengeance? —1Thes 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other & for everyone else. 2Cor 13:11 Finally, brothers & sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. & the God of love & peace will be with you. Prov 24:29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did. Hebr 10:30 For we know Him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” & again, “The Lord will judge His people. Just remember Matthew 7:2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. — This life is short, don’t spend it looking for trouble, spend it doing good for even those who cause you trouble! Jesus said it! Love Mel
