Continuing the challenge...

Okay...yesterday a challenge was put forth to one and all (myself included). I had 4 responses come to me personally, including the 2 that were directly responded to the post. Thanks to you for putting yourselves out there. This is not anything that I am going to pester you with daily. I will not email you and make sure you are keeping up with your acceptance of the challenge. This is simply a chance for us to all grow closer in our walk with our Lord and the knowledge He can give. If you haven't accepted the challenge, I hope you will take it very seriously.

That said, let's take another look at this week's verse to memorize. If you haven't read yet, it is: John 3:30..."He must increase, but I must decrease". What did this verse tell you about yourself? about God? about what you need to do? It simply states to me that God must play a bigger role in my life, while my own personal ideas take a back seat. God's ways are not my ways and my mind cannot even comprehend His wisdom. If I step back and let Him step forward in my life, His perfect will can be made evident in my walk, talk, and testimony.

I was searching YouVersion today for the word challenge in the Bible and found no references in the KJV. If you've never checked out YouVersion, take the time and check out this great reference with many different translations and a good search engine for the Bible. I went over to the Holman Christian Standard Bible and came across a passage from Psalms 57. Let's look at the KJV, verses 2 and 3..."I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. (3) He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth."

To continue with the "challenge" theme, we look at how God shall save us from the reproach of him that would swallow us up. The Holman version states verse 3 as follows..."He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. God sends His faithful love and truth."

I find it amazing that my God would "challenge" the one trying to trample me...that is quite a thought to take hold of, right? But, there is a premise to all that, though. In verse 2, we must call upon the Lord in reverance, knowing that every good thing comes from and through Him. If we try to do things on our own, only defeat and trials will come.

May we be "challenged" to take the Word of God into our hearts and minds today and each day hereafter. Remember this week's verse...John 3:30..."He must increase, but I must decrease". Keep that fresh in your mind...

If you haven't accepted the challenge and would like to, simply post a comment to this post below and say you're up for a challenge!!! Please let me know if there is a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today...

Have mercy upon us...

Psalm 123..."Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. (2) Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us. (3) Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. (4) Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud."

This is a cry of a humble, broken man who has been broken by the world and his own sinful nature. Are you acknowledging to God how sinful and willfully disobedient you are? Do we look to God as if we have wronged Him and are waiting for His mercy on us? If we lift our eyes to heaven and confess our sin and cry out for mercy, He is willing and able to give it. As we shared yesterday, your heart tells you how vain, corrupt, and sinful you are. When we sin as Christians, there is guilt that we will feel. If you have no feeling of guilt, either you have become callous by sin or you never have truly believed.

Are you broken by the hurt this world dishes out? I like how the Amplified Bible states the final verse (4)..."Our life is exceedingly filled with the scorning and scoffing of those who are at ease and with the contempt of the proud (irresponsible tyrants who disregard God's law)." If you are not feeling the scorn and scoffing from this world, maybe that's a sign you are walking too closely with them. When we walk in the paths of the wicked, they have no reason to bother us.

If you are being worn down by your sin and the scorning of this world, lift your eyes and cry out to the Lord for His mercy and strength...if you feel no guilt in sin, pray for the Lord to break your will...if you've never put your faith in Jesus, don't wait another minute...

Let me know if there is a special prayer I can word on your behalf today...

Declare what He has done...

The text for today is Psalm 66:16-20..."Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. (17) I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. (18) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me : (19) But verily God hath heard me ; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. (20) Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me."

First off, we see David excited to share what God is doing in his life. Hmm, sounds like something we should all be doing, right? Anyway, he talks about how he cried to the Lord with his mouth (aloud, not silent) and He was extolled with his tongue. I don;t know about you, but I had to pull out the dictionary for that one, just to make sure I was grasping it correctly. Extol means to praise highly or glorify. So, simply stated, the Lord was glorified by David's prayer...When we pray do we glorify God with our cries? If others heard our petitions, would they see God glorified, or just see a Christian asking for more? I am not saying we can't and shouldn't ask God for things, but our prayer should bring Him praise!!!

Verse 18 gives us a bit of a wake-up call..."If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me". To me, this speaks of our secret or hidden sins...is there really such a thing? (NO) If we are holding on to sin in our lives, the Lord won't hear our prayers. This makes it that much more important to cry out to God when we sin, rather than waiting...

Obviously, David confessed regularly because the Lord heard him, listened to his prayers, and was merciful upon him.

Do you feel like your prayers are not getting above the ceiling? not getting answered? Does it feel like His mercy is turned from you? Glorify God in your prayers, confess and let go of sin in your life, and turn from them...God will attend to the voice of your prayers...and will not turn His mercy from you.

When you do these things, you will be sharing with others what God has done for you with excitement!!!

Please let me know if there is a prayer I can word on your behalf today...

Come boldly...

Hebrews 4:15 & 16..."For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.(16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

This is a note of hope for all of us. When we have sin in our lives, God is not off fighting for someone else with His back turned to you. He is our All in All. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He can do all things for everyone at once. He is ever merciful and gives us the necessary grace to make it through the battles we face.

There is line from a song that says "If He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, I know, my brother that He will carry you"...There is no problem that He can't solve. No disease He can't cure. No battle He can't win. Read the end of the Bible...I think you know who wins!!!

With our faith in a God so powerful and wanting to help in times of need, we must COME BOLDLY, not timidly. Remember, in Matthew 21:22, Jesus said "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." The key element of this verse is BELIEVING. When we ask in faith, all things are possible.

I would like to leave you with one final passage. It comes from Matthew 11:28-30..."Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

So, next time you have a trial or a tribulation you are facing, come before the throne boldly and lay cast all your cares upon the One who can carry them. He wants to give you rest and peace in a world that knows nothing of either...