Tag: new creation

A Walk of Praise and Prayer through Psalm 122

How glad we are to enter the house of the LORD!

“Pray the Scriptures for impactful prayers,” the exhortation is repeated time and again. Do we want prayer that has an impact? Today, Psalm 122 will direct our steps and thoughts towards the Lord.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Our feet have been standing Within the gates, O Jerusalem!

“What a powerful verse. Think of the sacrifice and courage exhibited for those able to get up and move their bodies in preparation to enter the doors to the house of the Lord in this present time.

The virtual church is wonderful, but the sacrificial act of “going into the house of the LORD” is majestic, glorious, powerful, intimate, . . . real.

Is there no safer house to enter than the house of the LORD?

How wonderful it is to hear of Your promises, of the prophecies fulfilled, and to watch Your Spirit move among believing people:

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—(1 Corinthians 2:9).

Dear Lord, increase our trust in You every day. Your Word tells us You
‘reward all those who seek You,’ Hebrews 11:6. When we are present in the house of the Lord, “virtual or live, in spirit and in truth, we’re rewarded. You, Lord, inhabit our praises!

Yes, ‘I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.'”

Psalm 122 continues, Jerusalem is built. As a city that is compact together, Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD . . .

“You are the risen Lord. We can “see” You (in our hearts) when we gather and give thanks to You.”

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”

“Dear Lord, what is it we desire? Peace and prosperity. Yes, this is the desire You put into the heart of each human being. You show the way in these old songs:

– Look up and seek to trust You Lord, (Psalm 121).

-To cry out to You in prayer, (Psalm 120).

-To give thanks to the name of the LORD, (Psalm 122).

-And “pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

“For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, ‘Peace be within you.’ Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good”Psalm 122.

“Yes, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

“There’s confusion in the air, dear Lord. But in Genesis 12:3 You make Yourself clear. Those who love Israel will be blessed and those who curse the land will be cursed. (Genesis 12:3).

The entrance of Your Word gives light and understanding, Psalm 119 reminds us. You didn’t choose Israel or the Jewish nation because they were strong, great, and mighty. The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 7 that You loved them.

And “we love You because You first loved us,” (1 John 4:19).

From the Jewish nation, imperfect, but chosen by God to be His people, (just as each of us is called by Him). Israel, the Jewish nation was entrusted with Your Law, statutes, leading, and promises such as,

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6.

“Give us a hunger for Your Word and give us understanding in it.

‘Peace be within you.’ Yes, Lord, we choose to open the door of our heart to You, the Messiah, Savior, the Lamb of God.

Let us come into Your house and in remembrance of You, meet You at Your Table. We will take the bread and break it. You were broken for me.

I will drink from the cup. I will receive the cleansing reminder of Your atoning sacrifice for me.

Make us new, today . . .

In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Bless or Curse? That is the question.

Do I remember all the benefits of God?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” John 12:24.


Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

How can we bless the Lord at a time of trial or loss? We can . . . when we remember all His benefits as Psalm 103 reminds us:

 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:

Circumstances change continually. We’re tempted to fret. We try to figure things out. We become angry and impatient.

Will we remember our great and mighty Lord?

 He forgives all (y)our iniquities,
Who heals all (y)our diseases, . . .

The struggle is great, . . .

to fret, or choose faith?

God waits. He’s patient and kind. It’s one thing to be patient, but patient and kind? That is glorious. That is the Lord. Fret brings on a deaf ear. Faith opens the hearing,

“Look up. Let go. Turn around. Follow Me.”

The struggle is great. There’s a war in our spirit. We have a choice to make.

When we look into His Word, we’re reminded that He who is faithful and true, keeps His promises:

He redeems (y)our life from destruction,
He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
He satisfies (y)our mouth with good things,
So that (y)our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Emphasis mine).

What will I think on today? What will I remember? The losses, the hurts? Or the promises of God?

Do I choose to believe the Lord, this moment, this day? Who is my Lord? Is it my own understanding or God’s proven character:

 The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water” Jeremiah 2:13.

Selfishness and a stubborn spirit steal and bring thirst to my soul. But to all who seek Him, Jesus, He gives benefits:

” . . . but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” John 4:14.

If I’m aware that I’m full and overflowing with the Lord’s love and sufficient grace, then my eyes see the green pastures the Lord has made me to lie down in, ( even in the storm), then I understand He restores my soul, yesterday, today, forever. He is God.

Circumstances change, but God doesn’t.

Who is God that I should bless?

 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

He is a gracious and compassionate Lord whom we can trust at all times.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Is He “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name?” Do we agree and ask to surrender as His children under His will?
 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.

Do I bless the Lord and remember His Word? It is light and life to our soul when we choose Him, Jesus.

Yes, when we remember His benefits toward us, those who choose to be children, forgiven and free:
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

The battle is won in prayer and praise.

Dear Lord, with all that is within me, let us remember all Your benefits:

 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all Psalm 103: 1-19.

Amen. Amen. And again, amen.

First Things, Along the Way

A look out the window or a walk out the door and a word about creation can be simple as a breath. But what’s simple might not be easy, especially when it comes to talk about the Lord.

There are so many words that have evolved through time. Opinions, books, nature shows, and more, but there is a Word of power, life, and truth,

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, (1) . . . 

This Word is said to be living and able to transform death to life.

And today, for those who have faith, as we walk out the door, with young or with older, as we experience troubles and pressures on every side,

we can overcome darkness by speaking of the Light.

We can reveal or remind that in the beginning the earth was a formless mess. Empty and dark, told in the second verse of God’s Holy Book. God didn’t leave us alone in despair, in the same verse it continues,

and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (2)

Good news was present in the dark, formless story. And the Spirit of God moves over our empty, dark hearts as well.

God is here. God was there. God’s Spirit is moving over the waters of our being, this moment, as well.

And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.”(3)

God moves first. God’s Word of power changes things.

God saw that the light was good. (4)

Safety, peace, warmth, pleasure, and glory are given by God through His Word. “Let there be light.”

We agree with God when we say true Light is good.

And he separated the light from the darkness. (5)

God’s Word proclaims.

We need to know that we’re all separated from God. Each of us has a dark, empty, and cold heart.

We’re all selfish, insecure, and impatient, naturally.

The kids understand, they know, they see, how easy it is to want to hide, and fear, and want their own way. Adults might want to look the other way.

But we can share our story of beginnings, when our darkness of heart was touched by the Light.

No one can debate the story we have inside.

In the beginning, when we received God’s Word. Power was given. A new creation was born. God the giver of Light came to shine in our empty, formless life.

Jesus the Man took hold of my sin and the guilt all died, with Him.  He breathed His last, on the cross. After three long nights, He rose again.

It’s time to share the stories to this generation today.

Many books could be written throughout the history of man, if each new creation in God told how he was touched by the Light, and it was no longer night.

God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (6)

Is your heart burning within you? Has darkness the guilt of night seen it’s final hour?

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12.

God has given His Son for you and me.

He who believes and receives Jesus today, becomes a new creation. Today can be — your very first day.

While it is day, join me in reminding others of the true Light?

 

 

(1) Genesis 1:1

(2) Genesis 1:2

(3) Genesis 1:3

(4) Genesis 1:4

(5) Genesis 1:4

(6)Genesis 1:5

 

 

How to talk about God in flower seeds

In helping parents and friends talk about God to children as they walk along the way, today we take a Zinnia seed and explore the wonders of God. Let’s talk to the kids and bring God in ordinary things:

Do you see the seeds on the dirt in the picture?

These are Zinnia seeds. In that one flower there are more than 100 seeds. That means 100 Zinnia plants.

But, not until those seeds are put in the soil to grow. Otherwise, they will simple sit, alone.

Do you see the little baby Zinnia’s in the next picture?

Yes, they’re young and growing. All because someone, (well, in this case, it was me), took a shovel and softened the soil and took out the rocks, and then planted the seed. And then, buried it in dirt.

The seed was buried. Then the seed basically died.

Well, you see, the seed loses itself as a seed. It allows itself to become something entirely different. A living sprout.

Yes, after being watered, it starts to grow.

Life bursts forth with water, and sun, from the soil and the seed where it all began.

What a promise in each seed. A possibility of  a hundred plants from only 1 flower!

That’s what the word “glorious” means. Well, maybe not, but at least to me.

This is actually a picture of the Gospel. The Good News of God.

Yes, God speaks to us everyday through everyday things. He is the Creator of all the natural beauty around.  I suppose He’s waiting to see who’s looking for His messages from His many glorious wonders that occur throughout each day.

Well, back to the seed that died in the ground. There’s a verse in the Bible about all this in John 12:24, NLT, Jesus  speaks to those who have listening ears:

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels, a plentiful harvest of new lives.

How is the gospel message hid in this seed? Well, It died. It gave up it’s own identity.

Jesus was God, in heaven from the beginning. God sent His Son, as the Christmas baby, with angels announcing to shepherds to be the Savior of the world.

He came that He might die.

Yes, on the cross. Have you heard the story? He died on the cross. His blood was shed for forgiveness of our sin.

But He rose from the dead! Much like this sprout that came from the seed that was buried.

Yes, Jesus rose again. This is call the resurrection. And for those who believe, He forgives and makes new everything that was old. I know it’s hard to believe, but look at the seed.

There’s a whole new look, and a whole new life, and then with time and water and sun, there’s fruit in the end. This is God’s love and life all shown through nature.

Yes, and when we believe in Him, He makes us new. God’s Word expresses this truth in 2 Corinthians 5:17,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Daily, we need to die to our own stubborn way, and instead of putting ourselves first, we need to seek God, and obey His way. for example, when a guardian asks, “Can you clean up your space.”

Do we whine, and moan and put it off for a time? Or do we simply obey? And, cheerfully?

God is watching. He knows everything!

Hey, the seed picture should help move us to action. The seed died to itself, in a way, that a plant could grow. But more than that, there’s a reward in it for us.

Can you see in the picture, the reward of putting God first and doing things His way?

Yes, fruit. Well, in this case a flower. Beautiful and bright.

Have you prayed to God, receiving Jesus, and His promise of new life? Pray today with no delay, ask Him in your life. He uses a simple seed of faith, and creates beauty and life.

And maybe, you have the Lord, but need to be planted anew. Pray to God. He hears. He waits for us to talk with Him.
“Dear Lord, help us this day make the choice to put You first.

To give You some time, and forget about ourselves.

I bow my head and ask, “Will You forgive me Lord? For the times I’ve been stubborn and not cared about what’s right.

Help me to “die” to my own selfishness, and sometimes, meanness too, and lead me to care and desire about what You say.

Thank You that You gave up Your life that I might have mine. That You, Jesus, went to the cross for my wrongs. That You were willing to pay for my debt of sin. You loved me . . . then.

And You love me now.

Thanks for speaking in a simple seed that was buried in the ground, but didn’t remain like that. No, it changed and grew to something beautiful in time.

Thank You God.

Help me choose You, today. That I might have a flower’s joy.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Proverbs 4:8,9, (about gaining wisdom when we hear God’s Word),

Cherish her, (wisdom), and she will exalt you;
    embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head
    and present you with a glorious crown.”

Aren’t the “heads” of these flowers arrayed with glorious crowns?”

Amen, and when we obey God and seek to obey, we will have His light shining from us.