Galatians 6:15 - New Life 2

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Sometimes what we see is not what is important. Some of the Jews in the formation of the new church thought the new Christians had to follow Jewish laws concerning circumcision, but what is truly important is in the heart, that which is unseen. What we see is not always true.

Which reminds me of a story...

“Has your son decided what he wants to be when he grows up?” I asked my friend.

“He wants to be a garbageman,” he replied.

“That’s an unusual ambition to have at such a young age.”

“Not really. He thinks that garbagemen work only on Tuesdays.”

Lord, thank you for looking at our insides, not our outsides. Please help us to look beyond what we see when looking at others. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - New Life 1

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

This week I am preparing to be the MC for a ladies breakfast with the theme of new life...so I will be sharing some of the things I plan to share here.

Sometimes when we make a change in our life, people don't exactly know what to say. It’s amazing how a person can compliment and insult you at the same time. Recently, when I greeted my coworker, she said, “You look so gorgeous, I didn’t recognize you.”

Lord, thank you for renewal and new life. Please help us to get rid of the old and embrace the new. Amen.

Psalm 119:120 - Fear?

My flesh trembles in fear of you;
     I stand in awe of your laws.

Two days ago, I read a section of Psalm 119 which contained the above verse, then I opened BibleGateway and the verse below was the verse of the day:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 NIV

The two verses reminded me of a Bible study I had heard a few days earlier about fear and love of God. Are these two the same God? My short answer is yes, at different times. When Christ died, the forgiveness he offered rolled back to include the Israelites and rolled forward to include us. As great as the law was, it did not save. Like the verse above says, The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Only the blood of Christ saves.

That may sound a little confusing and it certainly merits more study. Let me know if you would like to discuss it.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to love you. Please help us to understand you and your word. Amen.

Psalm 119:105 - Faithfulness

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
     a light on my path.

This is one of those familiar verses (probably due to the Amy Grant song) and now we know where this verse is found. There are so many gems throughout the 119th Psalm. I am really enjoying going through each of the sections of this long chapter. This sections focuses on being faithful to the word, though all of life's paths, no matter how difficult.

Lord, thank you for the light of your word. Please help us to remain faithful on life's path. Amen.

Psalm 119:103 - Sweet!

How sweet are your words to my taste,
     sweeter than honey to my mouth!

If you are like me and you have a sweet tooth, then this scripture speaks to you. This section of Psalm 119 concentrates on the benefits of the word. The word gives us understanding, wisdom, insight and helps us to avoid evil paths. The word is something we come to crave. We feel it's benefits and see it working in our lives the more we study.

Lord, thank you for your word. Please help us to crave your word like sweets. Amen.

Psalm 119:90 - Forever

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
     you established the earth, and it endures.

This section of Psalm 119 is about how God is eternal. Not only is he eternal, but his word has endured through generation after generation. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His plan for salvation has always been the same. Salvation only comes through his son as the perfect sacrifice. The law is still good and we can learn so much about God from it, but the law did not save. Jesus does.

Lord, thank you for your eternal nature. Please help us to trust you and your enduring faithfulness. Amen.

Psalm 119:81 - Longing, looking and waiting

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
     but I have put my hope in your word.

This section of chapter 119 uses words like longing, looking and waiting. Are you longing, looking and waiting for the Lord? Or is there something else in your life you are longing, looking or waiting for? It is easy for things and people to take the place of God in our life. Only God satisfies, gives real hope and never fails on his promises.

Lord, thank you for being our unfailing God. Please help us to only long, look and wait for you. Amen.

Psalm 119:76 - Unfailing Love

May your unfailing love be my comfort,
     according to your promise to your servant.

Happy Valentine's Day! Today everyone is looking for love, and many do not find it. Whether you are dating, married or single, you may feel unloved. But the true, unfailing love only comes from one source, God.

Lord, thank you for your unfailing love. Please help us to recognize and feel that love. Amen.

Psalm 119:71 - Good from bad

It was good for me to be afflicted

     so that I might learn your decrees.

Sometimes God lets us go through something bad to get to something good.

Lord, thank you for doing what is best for us, Please help us to endure the afflictions in our life. Amen.

Psalm 119:58 - Study and meditation

I have sought your face with all my heart;

        be gracious to me according to your promise.

This part of Psalm 119 is about study of and meditation on the word. The word is our portion or sustenance, Through seeking his face, considering our ways and giving thanks, we turn toward his statues, obey and remember his law regardless of our circumstances, We also connect with others and enjoy the love the Lord offers. 

Lord, thank you for the benefits of seeking you. Please help us to always seek your face with all our hearts. Amen.

Psalm 119:50 - Hope and comfort

My comfort in my suffering is this:
     Your promise preserves my life.

This section of Psalm 119 is about the hope and comfort found in the law. As Christians, we also find hope and comfort in the word. Primarily this comes from the knowledge that no matter what we suffer on this earth, as a follower we know our final destination is with God in heaven.

Lord, thank you for the comfort and hope you give us. Please help us to live every day with salvation in our hearts. Amen.

Psalm 119:46 - Confidence from the word

I will speak of your statutes before kings
     and will not be put to shame,

When we know the word, we have confidence to share the word. In this section of Psalm 119, the author talks about knowing the law so well, they can answer one who taunts them, trust in the word, put their hope in the laws, walk in freedom and speak the statues before kings. Knowledge of the word gives us the confidence we need to go about our lives.

Lord, thank you for your word. Please help us to be confident in life and speaking to others about you. Amen.

Psalm 119:37 - Turn my eyes...

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
     preserve my life according to your word.

I love finding verses which relate to what I am studying or issues I am dealing with. I have mentioned the current study I am in regarding the stronghold of food. It is an idol in my life I go to seeking satisfaction I can only get from the Lord. So I pray...

Lord, thank you for your word. Please Lord, in Jesus' name, turn my eyes away from worthless things. Amen.

John 16:23b-24 - Ask in Jesus' name

Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In our study last night, my sisters and I were talking about deliverance from a stronghold. We talked about the many times we have asked God to remove this stronghold in our lives. We understand that God may actually let this be in our lives for many purposes and it may not be something he "heals" us of until we are made perfect in heaven. But then I remembered this verse. When we pray and ask God for something, are we asking in Jesus'name? We often say "In Jesus' name, Amen" at the end of the prayer, but are we truly asking in his name. I'm not even 100% sure what that means, but it is definitely something worth more thought and study.

Lord, thank you for the gifts and help you give us. Please help us to make our requests to you in the right way and with the right spirit. Amen.

Psalm 119:32 - Understanding

I run in the path of your commands,
     for you have broadened my understanding.

It is one thing to obey a law, it is another to understand the law.  This section of Psalm 119 is about understanding the law. I see this as a bit of a prophecy to Jesus and his teachings. Jesus moves beyond the law by helping us to live our lives by the principals behind the laws, not the laws themselves. Living by Jesus' teachings is not black or white, it is living by two main things: Love God, Love People.

Lord, thank you for helping us to understand you through your law. Please help us to live our lives running in the path or your commands. Amen.

Psalm 119:24 - Wonderful law

Your statutes are my delight;

     they are my counselors.

This section of 119 praises the law. I have never really thought of a list of rules as something wonderful to long for, but the author of this Psalm did. As a Christian and follower of the teachings of Jesus, I am not as familiar with the Jewish Law as I could be. This passage makes me want to go back and study the law to unlock the wonderful things within the decrees.

Lord, thank you for your law. Please help us to read your law in an effort to learn more about you. Amen.

Psalm 119:11 - Your word

I have hidden your word in my heart
     that I might not sin against you.

Today is national Wear Red Day for Heart disease awareness, so this is why I chose a verse with "heart" in it, but this section of Psalm 119 is about studying the word. By studying the word, this is how we know what God wants. This is the way we learn obedience and to be a person after God's own heart.

Lord, thank you for teaching us how to reduce our sin and be more obedient. Please help us to stay in your word and keep it in our hearts. Amen.

Psalm 119:5 - Obedience

Oh, that my ways were steadfast
     in obeying your decrees!

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. This chapter is divided into 22 sections, so it may take me 22 entries to get through it...we will see, This section is about obedience. I have seen a bulletin board that says "Real Christians obey God" and I have heard it said being spiritual means sinning less frequently. We all struggle with sin and obedience, but as a follower of God we are always to continue growing, learning how to please God with what we do not do and what we do.

Lord, thank you for opening our eyes to our sin and showing us what you want us to do. Please help us to obey you. Amen.

Psalm 118:29 - His love endures forever

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
     his love endures forever.

Psalm 118 repeats this phrase over and over: His love endures forever. The whole chapter is about ways God has shown his love.

Lord, thank you for your enduring love. Help us to be open to you and experiencing your love. Amen.