Tag Archives: Psalm 23

shepherd with sheep

2023 First 100 days day 23- Wisdom and Praise

First 100 Days – day 23 – January 23

shepherd with sheep

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Wisdom and Praise Collection

Psalms 23, 53, 83, 113, 143 and Proverb 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    • Ps 23: a Go To Psalm
      • The Lord is my shepherd;
        there is nothing I lack.
        He lets me lie down in green pastures;
        He leads me beside quiet waters.
        He renews my life;
        He leads me along the right paths[a]
        for His name’s sake.
        Even when I go through the darkest valley,[b]
        I fear no danger,
        for You are with me;
        Your rod and Your staff[c]—they comfort me.
      • You prepare a table before me
        in the presence of my enemies;
        You anoint my head with oil;
        my cup overflows.
        Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
        all the days of my life,
        and I will dwell in[d] the house of the Lord
        as long as I live.[e]
    • Songs for Psalm 23
  • Psalm 53 Fools
    • Ps 53:1 The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”
      They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
      There is no one who does good.
    • Ps 53:2-3 God looking for one who believes
      • God looks down from heaven on the human race
        to see if there is one who is wise,
        one who seeks God.
        All have turned away;
        all alike have become corrupt.
        There is no one who does good,
        not even one.

        • Luke 18:8
          • Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith[d] on earth?”
        • Hebrews 10:23
          • Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
    • Ps 53:6
      • Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
  • Psalm 83  Prayer for deliverance from enemies
    • Ps 83:1
      • God, do not keep silent.
        Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle.
        See how Your enemies make an uproar;
        those who hate You have acted arrogantly.[a]
    • Ps 83:2-18 complaints and suggestions
  • Psalm 113 Merciful God
    • Ps 113:1-3 Praises
      • Hallelujah!
        Give praise, servants of Yahweh;
        praise the name of Yahweh.
        Let the name of Yahweh be praised
        both now and forever.
        From the rising of the sun to its setting,
        let the name of Yahweh be praised.
      • KJV From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.
    • Ps 113:5-6
      • Who is like Yahweh our God—
        the One enthroned on high,
        who stoops down to look
        on the heavens and the earth?

        • Psalm 73:2
          • Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You.
    • Ps 113:7-8 treatment of poor
      • He raises the poor from the dust
        and lifts the needy from the garbage pile
        in order to seat them with nobles—
        with the nobles of His people.
    • Ps 113: 8 gift to the barren woman
      • He gives the childless woman a household,
        making her the joyful mother of children.
        Hallelujah!
    • Songs for Psalm 113
  • Psalm 143 from David’s Prayer Journal – prayer for deliverance
    • Psalm 143:1-2
      • Lord, hear my prayer.
        In Your faithfulness listen to my plea,
        and in Your righteousness answer me.
        Do not bring Your servant into judgment,
        for no one alive is righteous in Your sight.

    • Ps 142:4
      • My spirit is weak within me;
        my heart is overcome with dismay.
    • Ps 143:5-6 Remembering while praying
      • I remember the days of old;
        I meditate on all You have done;
        I reflect on the work of Your hands.
        I spread out my hands to You;
        I am like parched land before You.Selah
    • Ps 143:7-9 Request
      • Answer me quickly, Lord;
        my spirit fails.
        Don’t hide Your face from me,
        or I will be like those
        going down to the Pit.
        Let me experience
        Your faithful love in the morning,
        for I trust in You.
        Reveal to me the way I should go
        because I long for You.
        Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
        I come to You for protection.[a]
    • Ps 143:10 prayer for guidance
      • Teach me to do Your will,
        for You are my God.
        May Your gracious Spirit
        lead me on level ground.

        • Psalm 23:3 above
        • Ps 25:4-5
          • Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths.
          • Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.
    • Ps 143:11-12 Summary Request
        • Because of Your name, Yahweh,
          let me live.
          In Your righteousness deliver me from trouble,
          12 and in Your faithful love destroy my enemies.
          Wipe out all those who attack me,
          for I am Your servant.
    • Songs for Psalm 143
  • Proverb 23 – what’s your motive? focus?
    • Pr 23:1-3 don’t be won over by wealth
      • When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
        consider carefully what[a] is before you,
        and put a knife to your throat
        if you have a big[b] appetite;
        don’t desire his choice food,
        for that food is deceptive.
    • Pr 23:4-5 Don’t focus on wealth
      • Don’t wear yourself out to get rich;
        stop giving your attention to it.
        As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears,
        for it makes wings for itself
        and flies like an eagle to the sky.

        • Matthew 6:19
          • “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
        • Mark 4:18-19
          • 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
        • 1 Timothy 6:9
          • But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
        • Hebrews 13:5
          • Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
    • Pr 23:12
      • Apply yourself to discipline
        and listen to words of knowledge.

        • Pr 12:1
          • Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.
    • Pr 23:15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 26  – My Son
      • 15 My son, if your heart is wise,
        my heart will indeed rejoice.
      • 19 Listen, my son, and be wise;
        keep your mind on the right course.
      • 25 Let your father and mother have joy,
        and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.
      • 26 My son, give me your heart,
        and let your eyes observe my ways.
    • Pr 23:29-35 the Drunkard
      • 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
        Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?
        Who has wounds for no reason?
        Who has red eyes?
      • 35 “They struck me, but[h] I feel no pain!
        They beat me, but I didn’t know it!
        When will I wake up?
        I’ll look for another drink.”

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

2016 Word of the year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – My(part 3)

Part 1
Part 2

To Review:

Step One – He paved the way long before we were born;

Romans 5:7-9
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Step Two – Recognize we are separated from God by our actions

Romans 3:10-12
10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

Step Three – We have to believe.

That is the first part of our part of the price. To believe.

Acts 16:30-31
30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Which brings me to Step Four – RECEIVE!

Faith through Grace. IT’S A GIFT!
A GIFT
The other person in a deal can GIFT the item to you. That is the other way a deal can be made!

What is our responsibility in the event of being offered a gift? RECEIVE!

And now, on with Part Three. Picking up with Step four.

Step Four – Receive the Gift!
The only way to own a gift is to receive that gift from the original owner.
To say yes to the dealer, that is giving you a gift – the ability to pay for the vehicle you wanted, without you having to do anything, really.

Why wouldn’t someone want to receive a gift?
They may not believe that they deserve the gift,
In the area of salvation, that is correct. As I’ve discussed, we are all sinners, no one is worthy. That is why Jesus came to die on the cross on our behalf.

What is this gift? Payment for Sin

Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death.

Because of sin, we are separated from God. In any relationship, a separation can determine the priority of that relationship.
What is the ATTITUDE? This shows the importance of the relationship.
Adam and Eve were so embarrassed about their sin that they hid from God.
God was so invested in that relationship He came looking for them.
Was He surprised that they ate of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil? Of course not! He wanted to show them how important it is to follow his rules to live and his paradise. He also wanted to show them that he had their back. He had a plan.

First the plan had to do with sacrificing animals to pay the price for their sin with one animal per person. This was the promised that He gave to not only Adam and Eve, but also to Lucifer. Genesis 3:15

He will send a deliverer who will be bruised in his heel(death) but will crush the head of the serpent(ressurection). That is how much God wants to have a relationship with you and me.

The sacrifices started out one-for-one for Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21-24
One for Cain and one for Able. Genesis 4:3-7
Noah sacrificed for his family. Genesis 8:20-22
Then there were sacrifices for houses ( Exodus 12) and then for tribes and then for nations.
The ultimate sacrifice was One Man for the World!

Jesus paid the Price

John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The issue is blood of goats and Rams was not satisfying the debt but rather delaying the consequence of sin which is death. The sacrifices the Old Testament did not pay the debt they only delayed it until the time that the perfect sacrifice, the perfect lamb could be given. There was no one that could walk perfectly enough to pay the price for themselves much less pay the price for all of creation, until Jesus!

The rest of Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Peter 1:18-19
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

Hebrews 9:11-12
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands (that is, not of this creation).
12 He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

The item (US) is so desired by God that He chose to pay the price for us, or in more detailed terms, he wiped the Slate clean.

2 Corthinans 5:17-19
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them.

The story of Cain and Abel(Genesis 4) explain to us how there are heart issues behind our sacrifices.
Attitude.
One’s offering was received, one’s was not. And Cain did not take heed, and went on to commit the first recorded murder.

Just because we pay a sacrifice it doesn’t mean that it’s received. Anything that we have to give was given to us in the first place!

1 cor 13….if I speak in tongues…and have not love…it is nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

But there are going to be those that stand at the gate and say Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name did we not heal in your name did we not raise the dead and your name? And he is going to say depart from me you evildoers, for I never knew you. To me that implies that evil doers can cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the Dead. That means that they are evil teachers prophesied that do not know the Lord Jesus!

Matthew 7:22-23
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’

There’s the parable of the 10 Virgins – five did not prepare. Matthew 25

There are all the people that were the religious leaders of the day – they were condemned for hypocrisy by Christ. Matthew 23

It is said many times when we stand in the Kingdom we’re going to be very surprised you got it and who didn’t. That kind of brings to mind the thing about the pharisee and the tax collector before the altar. The tax collector, a despised man, is on his knees saying “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.” The pharisee is standing up, which in and of itself says a lot about his attitude’ and saying “Lord I’ve done this and I’ve done that and I’ve done the other.” ( Luke 19:9-14)

Where do I fall in the room between these two? Does this mean rich men can’t get to heaven? Oh, thank heavens, NO! It means it’s harder for a rich man to enter in than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (Matthew 19:23-24)
It also means that God is interested in our hearts.

We are like the person not making our relationship a priority. The whole point of making relationship priority is you have to actually know that is a priority! You have to know that you want that relationship! You have to know the value of that relationship! When we are lost in sin and we didn’t have any desire for Jesus Christ, He chose to state how valuable is the relationship to him. He gave his life for us because he wanted to spend eternal life with us.

Romans 5:9
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The value of this gift is not dependent upon OUR goodness, but solely upon the perfection of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

The fact that God the Father chose to allow His own son to die on the cross IN OUR PLACE, is what imparts worth and value to us.

If we say NO?
Walking away from a gift?
I think just about everyone can say that there was one person in their life that “got away”.
Was it because you didn’t say that you love them?
Was it because you didn’t recognize you needed them in your life?
Was it because you were just too of your full of yourself at that time? Whatever the reason there are so many people that had a person that they gave up on, and that person left them.

The point is, to actually OWN a gift, you have to say YES, and receive that gift.
And the beauty of the Love of God is that, we can say no.
Unlike Sheep.
Though, like sheep, if we say no, our lives will end in eternal death. and we do not have the protections that are provided to the sheep by having a shepherd looking over them. But that comes in more detail in my discussion about Jesus being my shepherd.

So, we can’t pay, but there is a price.
We are told to COUNT THE COST in several parables.
Luke 14:28-30 and Luke 14:31-33
Matthew 8:18-22
Matthew 19

Payment Plan

So what’s the payment plan?
That is walking out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
That is walking a life where we are persecuted for Christ sake, we sacrifice the lusts of the flesh for the growth of the spirit.
That is choosing live as much like Christ as we possibly can.
That is coming to him when we fail, because he rose again from the dead his blood continues to be effective as the price to pay for her since.
There is no longer any need for sacrificing lambs and goats and Rams and Bulls. There’s not even any reason to sacrifice doves and pigeons.

Romans 12 1-2
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 Cor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Yes, there is a payment plan – and that means there is someone to whom we make payment.
The gift of God is eternal life, Peace, Joy, and love, unconditional love. I do not understand why anyone would say no.

Part four and step five of MY and the word Shepherd are combined.
That will come next!

MY Advent Devotions

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

2016 Word for the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – MY

Psalm 23 – The Lord is MY Shepherd

I have written several posts about my meditations upon Psalm 23.

Now – I am personalizing it.
MY
Dictionary.com definition of MY

pronoun
1.
(a form of the possessive case of I used as an attributive adjective):
My soup is cold.

Mirriam Webster

Full definition of MY
1: of or relating to me or myself especially as possessor, agent, object of an action, or familiar person

Possessive case. Belong to ME.

This is the crux of Christianity – in relationship to Jesus Christ.
The LORD(Jesus) is MY shepherd. Savior. Lord. King.

  • It’s not enough to say that Jesus is Lord.
  • It’s not enough to say that you believe IN God or Jesus.
  • It’s not enough to say you go to church, take communion, try to live right, give to the poor – and all that stuff in 1 Corinthians 13

One must take the actions of making Jesus Christ THEIR OWN personal Lord and savior – and making the Words of God their OWN guide for life – and making their lives line up with the teachings.

That includes grace, mercy and forgiveness, by faith which is a gift, and that not of our own, but from God! Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1-2
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time,gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

I talked about gifts from God in my Arting post!

The first step to making Jesus MY Lord and shepherd has already been done. More about the first step later.

Now we are at the second step:

Recognize that we are sinners – that our lives have separated us from the Creator God!
And yet, there is even a bit more, that goes even before –

Romans 3:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Here are the Scriptures from The Biblegateway – Romans 3:10-12; Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 531-3

No one is immune! It does go back to Genesis 3, but we’ll just mention that here.

Here is some thoughts I’ve shared before about If you think you are are good enough.

This is the clear path that led me to know, at age 9, and many times over, that

  • I am not good enough to enter into the Kingdom of God.
  • I am not good enough to dwell in the house of the Lord.
  • I am not clean enough to enter into the holy place of God most high.
  • I have no way to make the Lord MY shepherd!

Let’s talk about sheep.
Do the sheep go out and say “I need a shepherd!” and go hire one?
No – the shepherd seeks the sheep, purchases them, and then cares for them.
Without the shepherd seeking the sheep, they would get into so much trouble, as anyone that has ever worked with sheep can tell you!
In fact, there is nothing that the sheep can do in order to get connected with a shepherd. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and purchases them.

But, do the the sheep even know they need a shepherd?
Do they know the cost of not being cared for by a shepherd?

Romans 6:23a

23 For the wages of sin is death,

This is echoed in Proverbs 11:19; Matthew 25:46 and Romans 1:32

The finality of this is written about in Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One who sat on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.
And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

A sheep, without a shepherd, eats poison, goes places it ought not go, and gets into situations that are dangerous. A sheep, without a shepherd gets lost and cannot find it’s way home. The worst case is that a sheep that is without a shepherd is prey to the wolves and other predators that want to Use it. They want to steal, kill and destroy it.

Back to Genesis 3. When Adam and Eve sinned against the one and only rule that God had given them – they were made to leave the Garden of Eden. They were sent away from paradise, where they had walked with God.

This is the cost of sin.
Separation from our Creator God, that created us, to walk in the garden with us!

So how do I make the Lord MY Shepherd? Belonging to me?

I am my beloved’s and he is mine.

I am My beloved's

I am My beloved’s

That is part 2, of Psalm 23 – MY!

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Obed’s House Ministries

Psalm 23

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – in preparation for a storm

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Why am I focusing on Psalm 23 right now?
There are several storms on the horizon.

  • Depression
  • Age
  • physical illness
  • age
  • relationships
  • Age
  • Finances
  • Age.

Ok, yes, age is a biggie, but that one will never go away, until the day that I am promoted to live eternity in the presence of My Lord.

In light of coming storms, Psalm 23 is a great comfort.

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

I even have a coin necklace that has Psalm 23 on it, to be a type of ‘touch stone’ for me.

One year ago today, I was reading through Psalms and Proverbs by the date(first – Ps 1, 31, 63, 91, 121 and Proverbs 1 plan). Apparently, I was a day behind!

But here are a few of the verses upon which I was meditating.

Psalm 32:6-8New International Version (NIV)
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;(MY LORD Ps 23:1)
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.(Ps 23:4))
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Ps 23:3)

Many forget this part of the Christian Walk:

Psalm 32:
10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

But this is the reason for Psalm 23:5-6

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Psalm 62 is such a beautiful Psalm about resting in the midst of battle!

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.(Ps 23:1)
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.(Ps 23:4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.(Ps 23:2)
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(Ps 23:4)
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. (Ps 23:6)

The Psalms are so full of comfort!

Psalm 5:11-12New International Version (NIV)
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Ps 23:4)
12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.(Ps 23:5-6)

Psalm 33:
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

And the truths follow throughout the whole Bible.

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

In the face of upcoming storms, and in the midst of the first wave of the storm front, I can hide myself in the Lord – and trust that HE will guide me through.

This week, I’ve had to give up my service dog of 9 years – for his health.
This week, We’ve had to sell our RV trailer, because of our health issues, and financial issues.
This week, I’ve had to rethink my purpose and focus of my life.

The enemy has come in like a flood.

Isaiah 59:19
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isaiah 59:1
1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

Deut 31:6 & 8
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Here is my job:

Deut 10:12-13
12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

1 Timothy 1:5
5 The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

2 Timothy 2:211-22

…21 So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.
22 Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

And, this is my comfort and reward:

1 Timothy 1:12-17
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.
13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

My comfort, above all else, is that when I was still a sinner, before I was even conceived, Christ loved me enough to die for my sins. He IS my shepherd (Ps23:1)

God the Father showed me mercy – and continues to show me mercy!

Psalm 23:6a
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!

And, because I am adopted into the house of Yehovah –

Psalm 23: 6b
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

So, no matter what storm comes up – Psalm 32:11
He is my hiding place – HE shall preserve me from(in?) trouble(distress).

Psalm 119:
114You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

Another version says it this way:

Psalms 119:114 New Living Translation
You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

Here is my Prayer:

Psalm 61[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b]

Psalm 27:4-5
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

This prayer was written in a time of storms:

Psalm 27:1-3
Psalm 27
Of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

Jesus gave his followers this warning with a promise:

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

All because HE is my shepherd!

John 10:7-18
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

So, this is why I focus on Psalm 23 in the midst of storms.

And he will surround me with songs of deliverance!
Psalm 56 is another confirmation – What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee!(Psalm 56:3)

For other thoughts on Psalm 23, I’ve written a few things.
First thoughts on Psalm 23

Psalm 23 – THE

Psalm 23 – IS

Upcoming foci – MY and SHEPHERD.

For those that are following, I promise, I will not do the whole Psalm word by word!
The first phrase is so powerful to me, and for me, sets the tone for the whole Psalm.

Here’s something to remind you – a vinyl wall decal of Psalm 23
5132_psalm_23_cross-1_large-1

And here’s a place that you can get wallpaper for your computer that reminds you of Psalm 23.

psalm-23_1-4

And this is another bit of art, from From the Heart Art.
psalm23art

In 2015, I wrote about living through a storm. What’s up?

I pray that this sharing of my heart will bless you, and that you will find scripture that will surround your heart, and keep you in perfect peace, as your mind is stayed on Christ Jesus!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and
Bible Gateway and
Bible Hub for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Psalm 23

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – Is

Psalm 23

Understanding my benefits, my tools, my source.
Things that anyone should know to be prepared for battle!

LORD – Who?

THE – or part 2

This will be in two parts.

First – what do these words have to do with preparation?
When soldiers are preparing for battle, they get into physical shape, mental shape, and spiritual shape. They also build a community, and get to know their up line officers.
In addition, they learn their weapons. Which ones, and how to use them.

Psalm 23 is completely full of the keys to all of this, in light of preparing for the battles that will come into every life.

Second – IS

Is what?
exactly!

IS
From Dictionary.com
Is
verb
1.
3rd person singular present indicative of be.

BE

bē/Submit
verb
1.
exist.

From Merriam Webster:
1
a : to equal in meaning : have the same connotation as : symbolize
God is love
January is the first month
let x be 10

This word, used in connection with the Divine Creator, draws some interesting correlations.

The Lord IS
we could say, The Lord IS.

Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

This is a bit difficult to comprehend, why I am so excited about the word “IS”.
For this, I’m going to just reference this from Matthew Henry Commentary on Exodus 3:14

Two names God would now be known by. A name that denotes what he is in himself, I AM THAT I AM. This explains his name Jehovah, and signifies,
1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of himself.
2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
3. That he is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.
4. That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature; let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon him. Also, here is a name that denotes what God is to his people. The Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you. Moses must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers.

Here are just a few other places that say so much, because of this word:

John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Revelation 8:1
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come–the Almighty.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.

The interesting thing I’ve noticed when looking at the Strong’s concordance, IS is not in the original, if I understand it correctly.
It is there to point to SHEPHERD.
Yet, I think that it is also an excellent reminder that The Lord OUR Lord IS!
And, in response to the previous post on THE – the uniqueness of Our LORD is that He is alive!

Revelation 1:8
I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Amen!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Psalm 23

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – THE

My thoughts on Psalm 23 in relationship to Preparation for my walk with Jesus, specifically, and my life in general.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Understanding the Benefits part one.

Psalm 23.
Understanding the benefits for those to whom the Lord is Shepherd.

the last posts was about the word “Lord”
There are several other words in the first phrase:

The
Lord
is
MY
Shepherd

THE

The definition of “the” by Mirriam Webster.
definite article \ for emphasis before titles and names or to suggest uniqueness \

UNIQUENESS!
used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else
: very special or unusual
: belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person

This is not just a word to be overlooked as part of the poetry of Psalm 23. It is indicative of another very key part of Who the LORD is.

Deuteronomy 6:4
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me.”

And this command contains a reason:

Deuteronomy 5:
6 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
7 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Jesus spoke of the first commandment in this way:

Mark 12:29
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And this was not a NEW thing…even the scribes and pharisees understood this concept:

Mark 12:32
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

The Strongs Concordance defines

ONE this way:
εἷς heîs, hice; a primary numeral; one:—a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some. See also G1527, G3367, G3391, G3762.

There are implications here that there are other gods…just none like Yehovah.
It is clear, that we can put other gods above HIM, or HE would not exhort us to NOT put others above, or before Him.

I put this quote in my signature line, from My Utmost for His Highest. It reminds me why I do what I do, and it reminds me to check what is the highest priority in my life:

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

There are many things that can come before THE LORD in our lives – and we each have our own that we need to take down.
I’ve had

  • things
  • people
  • places
  • and then,

  • fear
  • depression
  • and anxiety.

Often folks don’t realize that those last ones can be idols.
IF things stand between me and my faith in the Lord – or if I run to other things, instead of the Lord – I have put those things up as an idol in my heart. Ouch? Yep – it’s ouchy. Because I am an advocate for mental illness and making it less stigmatic, but more understood and helped.
That doesn’t change what my heart sometimes does – by putting the depression before the Lord! Listening to the words of the enemy rather than focusing on the Words of the Lord.
Running to others for consolation, rather than running to the Lord my counselor and comforter. Even more questionable about being an idol is that I have run to food as my comforter. Food. an Idol. For me, yes.

Each of us have our own things, tangible or not, that we run to instead of Jesus.
Each of us have our own things that we embrace, when God asks us to do something.
Each of us has something that we have or do or struggle with that can come between us, and God.
That is an idol. We should put away all idols…especially those that are in hearts!

Ephesians 4:22-24
22You were taught to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:25- 27 & 30-31
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
26“Be angry, yet do not sin.”c Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
27and do not give the devil a foothold.

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
32Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

So many of these are emotions, wounds, and feelings of being wronged!
UNFORGIVENESS???
It’s not worth it, and it separates us from fully entering into the joy of our Lord!

Here’s one I didn’t post:

Ephesians 4:
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

There is a why to this all…THEREFORE – SINCE…

Hebrews 12:
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1 Peter 2:1-2

It’s because of Jesus – the God-Man, the incarnate God. The only ONE.

Jesus is the ONE – and is different than any other religion’s savour or messiah. UNIQUE!
There is no other.

Acts 4:12New International Version (NIV)

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus

Just looking around the world, we know that there are various deities…but, in this psalm, we are talking about THE God.
The God that created the heavens and the earth.
The God that Adam and Eve sinned against.
The God that provided a sacrifice for Adam and Eve in the garden,
and promised to provide a sacrifice for mankind – and did at the cross.
Other religions have martyrs.
They are dead.
Christianity has the Christ, that died, paying the price for our sins…BUT IS NOW ALIVE! taking death captive!
The ONE way to heaven, with the ONE God, manifested in three persons.

THE –
The definition of “the” by Mirriam Webster.
definite article \ for emphasis before titles and names or to suggest uniqueness \

UNIQUENESS!
used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else
: very special or unusual
: belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person

This word is designating WHICH Lord – THE Lord.

Another Unique aspect of THE Lord?
The gift of the Holy Spirit – to come, teach, guide, comfort and counsel us. GOD living in us!

John 14:26King James Version (KJV)

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

And that Holy Ghost dwells within us!

1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

This – THIS – is what makes THE Lord so unique:

2 Corinthians 6:
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial?[b] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

THIS is what THE is all about!

This is a beautiful meditation video. Enjoy!

My prayer is that those who read this post will be blessed to know the beauty of the Love of the Lord as their shepherd!

And this is an upbeat song…my prayer!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

2016 Word for the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – understanding my benefits

Psalm 23.
Understanding the benefits for those to whom the Lord is Shepherd.

The Lord is my Shepherd by Keith Green

In 2011, I prepared a Bible Study for several women at an RV park in which we lived.

PSALM 23 – 11/15/2011

A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Shepherd/sheep
Ps 100:3; Ps 79:13
John 10:11 & 14; 27-28

Provide:
Phil 4:19
Matt 6:25ff; Lk 12:30-32
Ps 84:11

Peaceful Place/ Peaceful heart
Ps 29:11; Is 26:3
Rev 7:17; 22:17
Mk 4:9; John 14:27, John 16:33

Yesterday, while I was meditating upon the Lord and His word, I checked out the Bible Promise for the day.Promise 269.

When you walk through the valley of death

When you walk through the valley of death

Today, I’m meditating on Psalm 23. Not specifically verse 4, but, the fullness of Psalm 23, in providing so much for me to make it through life’s storms.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

THE LORD
Definition of lord
1
: one having power and authority over others:
a : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due
b : one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure
c : an owner of land or other real property
d obsolete : the male head of a household
e : husband
f : one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area
2
capitalized
a : god 1
b : jesus

There is much in the Bible about the LORD. Of course, this depends upon one’s beliefs, but for me, this is the part of the definition of GOD’s position:

1
: one having power and authority over others:
a : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due

It’s difficult for me to separate WHO GOD is, with Who I believe HIM to be.

CREATOR
The
Hebrew from Strongs says this word is Yehovah.
It’s the same word used for the creator in Genesis 2.

יְהֹוָה Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw’; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.

Genesis 2:4 This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the [a]Lord God made the earth and the heavens—

Continuing on in the Bible, it is evident that the LORD has his fingers in everything that effects mankind.

For anyone’s research pleasure, Blue Letter Bible has a comprehensive list of the use of the word Yehovah!

DELIVERER
The only reason the Israelites were at the Mountain to receive God’s commandments, was that HE delivered them from the slavery of Egypt.

a quick google for God as deliverer produces a Bible Verse list on deliverance of God as deliverer.

The Song of Moses after the exodus!
Exodus 15

Exodus 15
1
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this [a]song to the Lord, singing,

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;
The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.
2
“The Lord is my strength and my song,
And He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Psalms 50:14-16
14″Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High;
15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
16But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth?…

GOVERNOR
When God met Moses on the mount, and gave him the 10 commandments, he described himself thus:

Exodus 20 Then God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].
5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [[a]demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing graciousness and steadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who [b]takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

Gen 17:17-18
Psalms 50:7; 81:10
Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-6
Jeremiah 10:10-11

When Moses had to replace the tablets, he begged God to show him HIS glory. Moses wanted to know God better. This is how God described HIMself.

Exodus 33:
18 Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!”
19 And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.
20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!”
21 Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;
22 and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
23 Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

When they were done with the new tablets, God granted his request:

Exodus 34
5 Then the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with Moses as he proclaimed the Name of the Lord.
6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness);
7 keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin;
but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].”

There is another aspect of LORD that holds great meaning indicated in that visitation from God.

JUDGE
He will judge the quick and the dead.

The Song of Moses(from Ex 15) is spoken about in Revelation 15:1-4…the end.
From the Beginning (Genesis) to the end (Revelation) – the LORD is involved in the lives of man.

Song of Moses by Chris Codding
By Paul Wilbur

Romans 14:12 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Peter 4:5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
2 Tim 4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

Creator, Deliverer, Governor and Judge.
The verses point to Christ within the context of LORD.

Romans 14:9
For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Acts 10:42
James 5:9

Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful by Keith Green

The next important part is the response to WHOM HE is.
It gets personal.

THE LORD IS MY

I’m going to stop here – and discuss MY the next time.

How does this apply to PREPARE?
Before one goes into battle, one must know his/her weapons and armor, and how to use them. By the time I get to walking in that valley of the shadow of death, I need to KNOW my shepherd, and KNOW what HE will do for me, and what I can do for myself.

This Psalm came before Psalms 91, and before Ephesians 6.
God putting forth HIS hand to cover Moses is a beautiful illustration of God’s protection, and understanding of our form, and what we need and don’t need.
To be prepared, I have had to hide God’s word in my heart – that I not sin against HIM.

I pray that my thoughts can bless those that read this.
I am so far from getting this right, but I’m willing to share my journey with you.

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” –
from My Utmost for His highest

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