#Psalm 1:1-2

[jesus-is-lord-and-savior]

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

(Psalm 1:1-2, ESV)

[touchofgoddotworld]

The Armor of God (Part 1) (259) - August 17 2024

Choose your Podcast App to Play this episode The first in this series on Ephesians 6, we look at the verses leading up to the instructions of the Apostle Paul to put on the Armor of God in order that we are able to stand up against all the strategies and deceits of the devil. The precursor to putting on the Armor of God is how we should treat others. As children, we should obey our parents in…

[madewithonerib]

Meditation and Solitude P1,2 | Tim Mackie [Romans 8:26-27]

Now what is this meditating? There's the meditate all clear? It's just very clear what it means in English right? Meditate, that's not a clear word in English at all — because it's a word that has been picked up to describe the kinds of practices or spiritual practices in many different kinds of religious traditions.

So what does it mean in the biblical tradition? What does it mean in the Jewish? What does it mean in the Christian tradition?

And of course I have to teach you the Hebrew word because that's what I do, so this is a really good one:

It's the word hagah, which is used a handful of times in the Biblical Hebrew — and actually the majority of times that you learn about or you see this word used

• it's not referring to people • it's referring to animals who are doing this

So in Isaiah, a lion hagahs & it's particularly a lion who has just shredded a lamb to pieces, & is like sitting there over the meat, the fur, & stuff & like beginning to eat it..

1.] Doves Hagah the Most

And that lion is is said to be hagahing over its prey, there's a number actually the most of the passages in the Bible that use this word are describing doves

And what doves do? [1:21]

In other words, this is a word that means to mumble or to whisper or to speak silently or Softly & so a lion hagaz [Isaiah 31:4, growls] over a little slaughtered lamb, doves hagah [Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11 groan] when they're up on the power lines, making noises to themselves; and

Romans 8:26-27 | Future Glory [2 Corinthians 5:1-10] In the same way, the SPIRIT helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the SPIRIT HIMSELF intercedes for us with groans too deep for words; ²⁷ & HE WHO searches our hearts knows the mind of the SPIRIT, because the SPIRIT intercedes for saints according to the will of GOD.

humans [Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2, soliloquize/muse on a subject/thing]. Humans hagah when they have the Scriptures in front of them in these quiet moments —that they have patterned to regularly happen thru -out the day & night of their lives.

1.1] So what does that mean?

Does this mean just like read your Bible & pray?

This is something in between reading your Bible & then like praying & making your request known to GOD —it is this form of relational interaction with GOD & Scriptures as the medium.

……………………………………………………………………………………… The Scriptures as I read them aloud to myself slowly & carefully/prayerfully & they become this way that I have an interaction with JESUS that's what Psalm 1 is referring to & this is the in a way of engaging the Scriptures! ………………………………………………………………………………………

That's actually mentioned quite a number of times in the Scriptures themselves—and it seems to me this is surely one of the things, I think even one of the main things that JESUS was doing in these moments we are called to pray & to read the Bible & to hagah.

And that this is part of the regular practice so that it's not just like you sit by yourself . . . How many of you have tried to pray and you just get utterly lost in your own thoughts, you know & you're just like whoa!

What just happened to me?!

Like somehow, like this train of association disrupted the entire meditation on GOD, so this to me has been one of the greatest gifts is learning and adopting this practice—because you are actually focusing on some -thing that's not your own thoughts.

……………………………………………………………………………………… You're focusing on the Scriptures, but you're engaged with them—not to learn something; so that's why the Book of Psalms, I think has formed the prayer book for this practice for so many millennia. ………………………………………………………………………………………

Now it's because once you pray through it a number of times, it becomes familiar to you, then it becomes the way for you to use these prayers of the Psalms.

But to become your own prayers in some ways, but this is about this experiential engagement with the Scriptures—so I would say go to the Book of Psalms, or go to a passage that you already are familiar with

• because the point is not learning • point is to to read this text slowly & aloud to yourself & then to engage with it, think about what it means to all of life. Why did GOD say it?

[northwoodsfan]

Grace Nugget for10.8.22

Grace Nuggets: Simple reminders of God’s great love for you.

[wiirocku]

Psalm 88:1-2 (NKJV) - O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry.

[walkswithmyfather]

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” —2 Chronicles 20:17 (NIV)

“It’s discouraging to feel depleted and think, This was not supposed to be my story. Whether it’s the doctor’s report we never thought we would receive, the ending of a relationship we thought would last forever, or maybe the job we worked so hard for that is not turning out the way we expected, we often cannot escape the wars we feel raging in and around us. Yet we wish we could hide rather than face them.

Thankfully, God gave us the beautiful story of King Jehoshaphat that can help teach us how to deal with our problems His way.

In 2 Chronicles 20, we meet Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He had just received word that a vast army was coming to destroy him and his people.

Jehoshaphat pleaded to the Lord: “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12b, NIV).

God’s gentle response settled the king’s anxious heart: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

God cares about our safety and well-being, and often He does provide a way of escape from danger; in this story, though, God called the king to face his problem with praise. And as he began to sing of God's glory, the enemy began to fall (2 Chronicles 20:21-22).

God didn’t tell Jehoshaphat to fight his problem, and He didn’t tell him to flee; He told him to face it with God by his side. The king faced his impossible situation and responded with praise before he even knew the outcome. 

In moments where you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation and you’re not sure whether to fight, flee or face it, you can invite God into that space too. Even if all you have left is a whisper, whisper His name.

One simple decision helped me face the battle with my job: I decided to start listening to worship music on my way to work in the morning. Not just as background music — I would sing out loud with the words. You don’t have to have a perfect voice to praise. Praise is a posture, not a performance. The choice to face each day with praise gave me the reminder that God was in the car with me and would walk into work with me every single day. This sounds easier said than done, but as we acknowledge His presence, we then notice His power. Our battle cry is the name of Jesus.

As we begin to sing, we can trust that God has already begun His work. By the time we get to the edge of our battlefield, we will see the Lord has already won.

Father, give me the strength to face this day with praise. Help me to remember this battle is not mine but Yours. Help me to keep my eyes on You through every situation I face. I praise You, Father, for Your goodness. Thank You for defeating all my enemies. Thank You for keeping me safe. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.”

—Taylor Stuart

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

I Will Give Thanks to the LORD

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will recount all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. — Psalm 9:1-2 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Nehemiah 12:43; Psalm 5:11; Psalm 7:17; Psalm 26:7; Psalm 86:12; Isaiah 12:1

[phoenixflames12]

[craigtowens]

Getting Uncomfortable With Staying Comfortable

God has gifted us to soar, but we have mostly limited ourselves to our comfort zone. God is calling us to get uncomfortable with staying comfortable by confronting the lies that have kept us trapped.

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.  https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/getting-uncomfortable-with-staying-comfortable.mp3 We as a Church are underperforming. How do I know this? Look at the way the world treats Christians; specifically, look at what’s NOT happening.  “By this all will know…

[kmac4him1st]

Won't He Do It

Psalms 144:1-2 There is only one strong, safe, and secure place for me; it’s in God alone who gives me strength for the battle. He’s my shelter of love and my fortress of faith, who wraps himself around me as a secure shield. I hide myself in this one who subdues enemies before me. Get A Kingdom Perspective Don’t quit. You are seeing things through the eyes of a worldly viewpoint. God is right…

[aspirant1598]

[jesus-is-lord-and-savior]

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121:1-2, ESV)

[touchofgoddotworld]

Ephesians 6, The Armor of God (Part 1) (199) - June 24 2023

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST Ephesians 6, The Armor of God (Part 1) (199) – June 24 2023 The first in this series on Ephesians 6, we look at the verses leading up to the instructions of the Apostle Paul to put on the Armor of God in order that we are able to stand up against all the strategies and deceits of the devil. The precursor to putting on the Armor of God is how we should treat others.As…

[hollers-and-holmes]

Psalm 41!

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.”

[disneynerdpumpkin]

Scriptures for if you're struggling with anxiety

Psalm 94:19"When anxiety is great within us, God's consolation brings us joy."

John 16:32"I am not alone, for my Father is with me."

Philippians 4:6-7“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 46:10"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!"

2 Timothy 1:7"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

1 Peter 5:7"We should cast all anxiety on God, because He cares for us."

Psalm 42:5"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my savior and my God."

[wiirocku]

Psalm 130:1-2 (CEV) - From a sea of troubles I cry out to You, LORD. Won't You please listen as I beg for mercy?