There is a Wound~

There is a Wound~

There is a wound.  It isn’t a wound that was caused by you, but a choice that someone else made that has harmed you.  A wound that is open and festering at the present time. The wound will close in time. 

A scab will begin to form and periodically the one who caused the wound will rip the scab off by continued negative actions.  Sometimes you will pick at the scab yourself.  Wanting to reach out to the person(s) who harmed you is picking at the scab.  Wanting them to know how they hurt you is picking.  Reaching out to those people and giving them what for is picking.  Nothing you say to make them see is going to change the hurt, and likely won’t make things better for you.  You have the choice to pick at the scab or let it scar. 

The wound will not heal properly if you don’t care for it.  You can’t leave the wound exposed to dirt and germs.  This will cause nasty infection and more harm.  It is going to need to be cleaned out, and to do it properly, it is going to sting very much!  But… is a necessary step in proper healing.

After cleaning the wound, applying antibiotic ointment is a good idea.  It is both preventative and is soothing to the festering wound.  Once the ointment is put on the wound must be covered with clean bandages.  It may be necessary to change the bandages and retreat as the wound begins to heal.  And sometimes it may be necessary to allow others to help change the bandages and apply the ointment.  Let them.  God uses others to help us heal properly. 

There is a wound. 

Jesus had wounds.  His scars bring your healing.  “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). 

The antibiotic ointment is Jesus.  Applying Him to our “wounds” will start the healing process like nothing in this world.  The scar will be there always, it may even have pain associated with it at times, but when people ask you about it years from now, you can share about the healing, not the wounding.  There is so much comfort and joy in allowing God to use our pain to help others.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Father God, thank You that You care about every detail of my hurting and healing.  Thank You that in Jesus’ suffering, You have provided my healing.  He was innocent and suffered more than I will ever come close to.  Thank You that while wounded You use others to help direct me to You.  When I pick at the scabs, remind me of the treatment that I need.  Please continue to hold my hurting heart and heal me.  Use me to help others who need the comfort You provide.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

My Defense ~

 "My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah" (Psalms 62:5‭-‬8).

All around me there is pain. People who have played significant roles in my life have betrayed and hurt me. The very people who should have been the ones who protected me and kept me safe, are the ones who threw me out like the trash. 

Thankfully, the One, the only One, the Great Shepherd calls me His own. He will protect me and be my defense. He is the only constant in life. He has never failed me. He has never left me or thrown me to the wolves. He has never hurt me. He never will. He is my defense. My refuge. I can and will trust Him. 

Thank You, God, for Your love for me and that You care for me. You hear my prayers, You see my tears, and I believe You even feel my pain. Thank You, that You don't leave me defenseless. I trust You, help me to trust You more. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

HOPE

November 3, 2020
Jeremiah 14-17

HOPE

Focus Verses
Jeremiah 17:1-11 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. ‘As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, so is he who gets riches, but not by right; it will leave him in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool.’”

I can testify throughout my life that having my hope in the Lord has brought me through many storms to His blessings.  In those times when the heat comes, and things are bleak, I cling to the one who has never failed and is always ready to bless despite whatever outside forces come.  My hope is in Him.

We have most likely all heard the popular phrase, “follow your heart.”  According to the words we read in Jeremiah, we are fools to follow our own hearts.  Our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Jesus knows that!  Thankfully, God has abundant mercy and gives us great hope. 

He has taken my heart of stone and given me a new heart of flesh.  “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).  He knows the heart that is in me now is His own.  He is daily transforming me into His own image.  Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Halleluiah!

Do you have His heart dwelling in you?  Do you trust and hope in the Lord?  If not, ask Him to live there today.  Simply admit that you are a sinner, believe in Him, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and invite Him to live in your heart.  Tell someone that you did it!  Find a church and go to it.  Talk to a pastor or fellow believer who will disciple you in your new life in Christ. 

Prayer
Lord God, please help me to keep my hope and trust in You.  Please put opportunities in my path to put into practice my hope in You.  Help me to always look back at Your faithfulness and continue trust in You.  Let me be a fragrant aroma to those around me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Repent

October 29, 2020 
Zephaniah 1-3

Repent

Focus Verses
Zephaniah 2:1-3 “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Zephaniah is warning Judah to repent because they are going to be judged.  He is warning them about the day of the Lord… the rapture of God’s church.  Warning them that if they do, they may be able to be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. 

We need to fall on our faces, repent, and seek that which we knew and know to be true from the beginning.  It says in Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place - unless you repent.”  Unless you repent.  Your lampstand can be removed from its place quickly if you do not “gather yourselves together” and repent.  Don’t delay.

How is our walk?  Is Jesus our everything?  Have we lost focus of our first love and fallen into seeking our own righteousness?  Isaiah states, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”  We see here in Isaiah and in today’s focus verses that the day will pass like the chaff.  Seeking our own righteousness can and will cost us dreadfully.

I have had several close friends pass away unexpectedly in the past few months.  We are warned many times to put our houses in order.  None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  Tomorrow will be too late to humble yourself and repent if your time is up today. 

Prayer
Lord, help me gather myself and seek Your righteousness.  Help me to seek humility and do all that You command.  Help me to live my life in honor and submission to Your righteousness.  In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

Permissive or Perfect

October 17, 2020 – Debbie Graham

Isaiah 37-39; Psalm 76

Permissive or Perfect

Focus Verses
Isaiah 38:1 “In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’””
Isaiah 39:8 “So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.”

Just a few days ago we read in 2 Kings 18 that Hezekiah began his reign and “did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.”  Chapter 38 begins with Hezekiah being told to set his house in order because his time was done.  He had served the Lord and it was time to set his house in order and go.  But Hezekiah didn’t want this news.

We read in 38:2-3, “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”  The Lord heard and added 15 years to his life.  Sometimes God allows things to happen at our pleading and it does not turn out well.  We saw this with Saul back in 1 Samuel.  We see the permissive will of God being displayed when He gave both the Israelites and Hezekiah what they wanted.  God will allow His permissive will to unfold, but we must be seeking His perfect will in everything!  Hezekiah was seeking the permissive will of the Lord.

I remember in 1990 asking God to allow things to work out for me upgrade from a no debt, 1978 Nova, to a 1990 Pontiac Sunbird.  He allowed it.  While the asking price for the car was not exorbitant, my interest rate was 17.95%!  The results of my desires were carried over to future decisions.  I got what I wanted… or did I?

How many times do we see situations around us and seek the permissive will of God?  Seeking and demanding our own ways might get us what we want, but we might not want what we get.  We are to pray and seek God, but we must always pray as Jesus did, “nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done (Luke 22:42b).” 

Hezekiah got an extension on his life, but we read in chapter 39 that he didn’t give credit to God for his salvation but was proud of his spoil and showed off all the presents that he had been given when the Lord had healed him (vs.2).  His extension affected future generations negatively.  If Hezekiah had accepted the Lord telling him to put his house in order and that he would not live, Manasseh, the worst king that had ever ruled Judah would not have been born.  

Hezekiah only cared about himself.  Because of his pride and selfishness, he was told of all that would be removed from his house including his offspring, and he responded with: “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.”  All of his possessions, and some of his sons would be taken by the Babylonians by force, but he didn’t care.  It was all good for himself. He was given 15 more years, and in the end, had nothing to show for it.  

Let’s think about others.  We must die to self for the benefit of someone else.  A few verses from the Bible tell us how to do this.  In Matthew 16:24-25, “… ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”  Luke says in 17:33, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”  Finally, we read in 1 Peter 5:6, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”  We must be careful not to promote ourselves but to humble ourselves.

Prayer
Lord, help me not live my life only thinking about selfish gain.  Help me to submit to Your plan and to seek and do Your will.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Pride~

October 8, 2020 – Debbie Graham
Isaiah 13-17
Pride

Focus Verses
Isaiah 14:12-15 ““How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”

Do you ever think more highly of yourself than you ought?  It could be that you went to college and got outstanding grades, graduated with honors, received a title with that degree, and then thought you were smarter and more worthy than others.  Maybe it was getting a promotion at work that came with a prestigious title.  Perhaps your natural beauty and intelligence elevates your thoughts about yourself to a level that you think you are deserved honor and praise.  That is the path that Lucifer took.

We read in the Bible that Lucifer was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 28:12).  He let that go to his head and proclaimed that he would be equal to his creator.  Lucifer does not say he would be greater than God, or be God, he says he will make himself “LIKE the Most High” (emphasis mine).  We read the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis and see that he also used those words to deceive Eve into eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. 

It is good for us to strive to be holy as the Bible tells us in 1 Peter, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).  We are not to strive to be like God in the sense that we expect people to worship us as they worship Him.  We need to strive to be like Him with all humility knowing that He is the creator and we are the created.  

The focus verses today tell of the fall of Lucifer.  His pride was what made him think he was as great as he thought he was.  It was also his pride that was his destruction.  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Proverbs 16:18-19).  We read in Revelation of the final destruction of him.  “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

Writing about this reminded me about a joke I once heard.  Scientists told God that they didn’t need Him anymore because they could just make man on their own.  God said, this will be worth seeing, go ahead.  As soon as they reached down and picked up some dirt, God quickly stopped them and said, get your own dirt.  Lol.  The proud man thinking that he can be like the Most High and create like He did. 

Prayer
Lord God, please help me to always be humble and recognize You as the author, creator, and only One to be praised.  Let me not exalt myself or any other created being above You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Loyal Heart~

September 28, 2020 – Debbie Graham
2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25

A Loyal Heart

Focus Verses
2 Chronicles 25:1-2 “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.”

When I was a kid, I remember my parents telling me to do something and me thinking, “I will do it because you said to, not because I want to.”  My heart and mind were set on doing what I wanted to do, not what they were instructing me to do.  That seems to me what Amaziah did.  He knew what God wanted him to do, and he did it because it was right.  However, because he didn’t have “a loyal heart,” it meant nothing.  Other versions of the Bible use words like, wholehearted, perfect heart, whole heart, and blameless heart.

G. C. Morgan says this about Amaziah, “… but the fact remains, that notwithstanding the general direction of his life, either through personal indulgence, or ambition, or carelessness, the whole heart was not set on doing the will of God.  One room possessed by the foe inside the fortress is ever the gravest peril.  Sooner or later, almost inevitably, the man in that room opens the door for foes without.  Thus it was in the case of Amaziah, and thus it is in the case of all who are not wholly devoted.”  Wow.  Read that line again.  “And thus it is in the case of all who are not wholly devoted.”

I am certain that each of us know someone in our lives who know and say the right things, yet are not wholly devoted and do their own thing to advance themselves in some way.  Their hearts are not set on doing the will of God because they are searching for a certain outcome instead of trusting God.  If I am honest, if we all are honest, we can likely see in our own lives where we do the right things, but do not have a loyal heart.  We should note what happened to Amaziah as we read 2 Kings 14, and 2 Chronicles 25.  “After the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there” (2 Chronicles 25:28).  We must fully surrender our heart to the Lord and do what is right with a loyal heart.

We must be true to God.  We must submit to Him with complete surrender and do what He says without question or thoughts for selfish gain.  We must be all in.  When we hear of good things that are taking place, we shouldn’t just sign up to have our name on a list, for personal indulgence, or do it because someone else is encouraging us to “do the right thing.”  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we need to be prodded, but our heart must follow.  John tells us how the Lord feels about being lukewarm in Revelation 3.  “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (vs.3).  No thanks.  Let us have a loyal heart and not be complacent or willing to compromise for selfish gain.

Let’s ask the Lord to examine our hearts, and change our ways when He reveals any area of us not having a fully devoted heart.

Prayer
Lord God, please help me to be loyal to You with my whole heart.  Help me to trust You in complete surrender and devotion.  Help me to not only do what is right but do it with a loyal heart.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Legacy

September 17, 2020 – Debbie Graham
1 Kings 15:1-24; 2 Chronicles 13-16

Legacy

Focus Verses
1 Kings 15:3-4a “He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless…”

Back and forth we go.  Good King; bad King.  Followed the Lord; did evil in the sight of the Lord. 

Not much is told about Abijah who succeeded his father Rehoboam, who was the first king of Judah, but we are told that in the three years he reigned, “he committed all the sins his father had done before him and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.”  We read in 1 Kings 15, “there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam, and Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David” (vs.7-8).

Abijah “committed all the sins his father had done…”  I love that we read in the following verse, “Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong” (vs.4).  For David’s sake… because of his grandfather David, God gave him success as king.  Something to be said about the faith or our fathers.

Asa followed the Lord and did what was right in His sight.  He banished all perverted people and removed all idols his father had made.  He even removed his own grandmother Maachah as Queen because she had made an obscene image for the worship of Asherah!  He cut down the image and burned it.  It is said of Asa in 1 Kings 15:14, “Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the Lord all his days.”

Please do not let it be said of me that my heart was not fully devoted to the Lord like Abijah.  I want it said of me that, “she did what was right in the sight of the Lord” and “her heart was loyal to the Lord all her days” like Asa.  May the legacy I leave for my offspring be that of faith in the Lord and something that the Lord would be pleased with. 

How about you?  Are you following in the paths laid out for you by someone who did their own thing and did not submit to the Lord, or are you following in the path of what King David, a man after God’s own heart, patterned?  Are you removing all of the idols, everything that could draw you and your family away from our Lord, out of your lives?   What legacy are you leaving for generations to come?

Prayer

Lord God, please help me to always walk in Your ways and follow Your commands.  May I not get caught up in titles, things, or successes.  May my heart be fully devoted to You.  As David wrote in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Help me to leave a legacy for my children and my children’s children that speaks of You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Praise the Lord!

September 7, 2020 - Debbie Graham

Psalm 134, 146-150

Praise the Lord!

Focus Verses

Psalm 134 “Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion!”

Psalm 146:1 “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!”

The passages I get to write about today are about blessing and giving praise to the Lord.  Psalm 134 begins with, “Behold, bless the Lord, …”  Psalms 146–150 all begin and end with the same three words.  “Praise the Lord!”  John Piper says, “Bless the Lord is almost synonymous with praise the Lord,”  and “Blessing the Lord means speaking well, singing well, using your lips and your mouth to say appropriate things about His greatness and goodness.”  King David has taught us so well how to praise the Lord. 

Though everything around us may be troublesome, David tells us in Psalm 146 how to be happy.  If we hope in the Lord who made heaven and earth, we will have freedom in Him.  He opens our eyes and raises us up.  It would do us well to recognize it is in Him that we can truly be happy and freely praise Him.  We read in Psalm 147 that “It is good to sing praises to our God, for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful” (vs.1).  Praise is beautiful.  Who is it that should praise the Lord?

All of creation is to praise the Lord.  Psalm 148 tells us “Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens!” (vs.2-4), “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl; kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children” (vs.7-12).  Wow!  I don’t know about you, but I have never truly realized the magnitude of this passage before.  The trees, mountains, hills, sea creatures, snow, clouds, wind, animals, and earth all are to praise the Lord along with all peoples!  

We praise the Lord because as His own, we are told that He takes pleasure in us and will(has) save(d) us.  “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4).  For this we should truly be joyful, sing aloud, and let His praises be in our mouths! (Psalm 149:5-6).

Psalm 150 sums it all up by telling us who to praise, where to praise, why to praise, and what to praise Him with.  We are to praise Him in His sanctuary, for His mighty acts and His greatness, with instruments, dancing, and with loud and clashing cymbals (boy do our drummers love that!).  Everything that has breath is to praise the Lord!  This passage says to praise the Lord 13 times in the 6 short verses! 

My brother Dan recently preached in one of his sermons that all of our faculties are to be used when praising the Lord.  We are to be fully engaged in active worship, lifting our praise to God by lifting our head, our hearts, and our hands.  Expressive and free worship as described in the Bible may make us uncomfortable.  He wondered if we were all blindfolded and we couldn’t see anyone, and they couldn’t see us, if we wouldn’t be more expressive and freer in our worship and praise to the Lord.  We are a people of praise and need to be doing that!  These passages help us to recognize who God is in our lives so we can praise Him with our whole being. 

I want to encourage all of us (looking in a mirror) when we gather together to join in corporate worship, to worship as if no one in the room is looking our way, leave the cares of the week at His feet, focus on Him who is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory, and sing our hearts out in reverent worship to Him!  Say it with me.  Praise the Lord!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for these passages in Your Word that explain to us how important it is to praise You.  Thank You for Your wonderful works.  Thank You that our praise is beautiful to You.  Please help us to implement Your praise into our everyday lives.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

New Wine~

August 26, 2020 – Debbie Graham
Proverbs 1-3


Focus Verses
Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

The TPT version says it this way.  "Glorify God with all your wealth, honoring Him with your very best, with every increase that comes to you. Then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings from an uncontainable source of inner joy!"  

In all my adult life I have seen the goodness of the Lord in His caring for me.  I remember the late 80’s early 90’s while living with my best friend having pretty much nothing.  She was blessed to be able to eat breakfast and lunch at her work, and me at mine.  One day I was out of gas… How would I get to work?  Guess what came in the mail that very afternoon?  An unexpected check from my insurance company for $19 (gas was only $.97 a gallon), plenty of money to fill my gas tank!!  When things were tight when my boys were young and expenses came up, my family never opted to not tithe, and while our budget did not work on paper, our bills were always paid!  That is a testimony to the Lord!  My trust is in Him.  He doesn’t need my money.  “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills… For the world is Mine, and all its fullness” (Psalm 50:10-12).  It’s All His!  What an honor it is to give to the one who owns it all and gave His all!

We have a giving God.  He gave His one and only Son for us.  He is the ultimate example of giving.  We are made in His image.  His Word has many examples for us to give of our first fruits; to tithe 10% of all we make.  “’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse... ’Says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:10).

I took the Financial Peace University class and was amazed to hear the statistic that Christians “tithe” is only 2.5% - 3% of their finances… which is not in fact a tithe because a tithe means 10%.  Stewardship is the job of supervising or taking care of something such as an organization or property.  God is trusting us to manage what He is so graciously allowing us to have.  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).  God speaks a LOT about money in His Word.   We need to pay (no pun intended) attention to His words and be good stewards with His money!  Honor Him with the firstfruits… your very best… of your everything. 

During these past few months, it is possible life has been tough and finances are bleak (I know this is true of me).  Some might suggest that not tithing or giving as much is an option, so as to make ends meet.  Some may even say (I have heard them), that tithing is an Old Testament law and doesn’t apply to today.  Jesus said in Luke 24, “… ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (vs.44-45).  Everything that was written in the Law, by the prophets, and in the Psalms are to be fulfilled.  Now you may say that this is only talking about Jesus’ crucifixion, but it should show us that the Old and New Testament both apply for all time.  Jesus also said in Matthew 5, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (17-18). 

I encourage you to ask yourself, how am I doing?  Am I seeing the blessings of the Lord?  Are my vats overflowing with new wine?  Am I giving the best of my best back to Him who gives me everything I have?  The blessings are yours if you will be obedient! 

Prayer
Father God, thank You for the blessing that it is to give back to You.  Thank You that with my obedience comes blessings.  Please help me to always trust You and be faithful in giving the best of my best back to You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Awaken the Dawn

August 16, 2020 – Debbie Graham
Psalm 108-110

Focus Verses
Psalm 108:1-5 “O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth;”

Have you ever gone to a sporting event?  Noticed how the crowd gets louder and louder as each person cheers for their favorite team or player?  It is infectious!  One person can begin a chant and in only a few moments the entire room/stadium is roaring.  The same should be true for worship!  Lift up your voice to the Lord with a shout of praise! 

David truly got worship.  In the psalm I am focusing on today, David proclaims his praise for the Lord.  He tells the instruments to wake up and even says that he will awaken the dawn with his praise to the Lord!  That’s pretty determined! 

Some of us have no reservations lifting up our praise for our favorite sports teams (especially our own children’s teams), engaging at secular concerts, and even shouting in our living rooms while watching something on tv… and yet, when we are at church we are somber, quiet, looking around the room at others rather than worshiping the Lord.  Not at all what God wants from us!  Psalm 66 tells us to “Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! (vs.1), and “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard!” (vs.8).

His praise is to be heard by others.  We read in Luke’s gospel that the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples when they were singing praises to Him and Jesus told them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).  “Ain’t no rock gonna cry in my place!  As long as I’m alive I’ll glorify His Holy Name!” (LeMarquis Jefferson, Shout Praises Kids).

How are we with our worship?  Do we worship only when we are feeling it?  When our schedules are not slammed?  When the stars are aligned, and all is right in the world?  Friends, if we wait for all of that we are missing the mark!  Let us be steadfast (unwavering, faithful) to God, and let’s praise Him among the people.

Prayer
Father God, I will sing to You and give You praise for who You are.  Thank You for creating us with hearts to worship You.  May You “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth;”  May my praise be like that of David and awaken the dawn.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

House of the Lord~

August 6, 2020 – Debbie Graham

Psalm 32, 51, 86, 122


Focus Verses
Psalm 122: 1-9 “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! 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. For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” 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.”

After being at home for church services, singing His praises, and meeting in online groups, I was certainly glad to be back in the house of the Lord!  Obviously, we can still study God’s Word, hear sound teaching, join in song, and communicate with others without going to a building, but there is something about uniting with fellow believers. 

While it is only a building, not being able to come together with the body of Christ has made me realize just how much it means when we express our love for Him together.  There are many verses in the Bible that say come let us worship the Lord.  Let us.  Together.  As a worship leader, it brings me great joy to hear the congregation lifting their voices to the Lord.  This often helps me enter into deeper worship to the Lord, knowing we are worshiping the One True God.

David knew of the joy of “giving thanks to the name of the Lord” and encouraged the Israelites to do so.  He also encouraged them to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”  Pray… so there would be peace within, they would prosper, there would be unity and harmony, security, community, and mostly that there would be freedom and fulfillment in joyful worship. 

We should follow the same example and pray for the peace in our church.  Pray for the leadership.  Pray that we would seek the Lord as David did as he led the people to lift their voices to the Lord.  See these examples of the earnest yearning to worship the Lord that David left for us.  “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning - yes, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130: 5-6).  “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Psalm 86:12-13).

I recently heard that worship is not first and foremost to have an encounter with God.  Rather, the first and foremost reason we worship is because He is worthy!  We need to reframe our mentality to that like David.  We then will express true joy and say “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”

Prayer
Father God, thank You for teaching me more about what it means to worship You.  Thank You that as a body we have been able to gather corporately.  Give us a pure desire to pray for peace and Your will in our church.  Make my heart a house of the Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Do The Things~

July 27, 2020 – Debbie Graham

2 Samuel 5:11-25; 2 Samuel 6:1-23; 1 Chronicles 13-16

Do The Things

Focus Verses

1 Samuel 5:12 “So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”

1 Samuel 5:17-19 “Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?’ And the Lord said to David, ‘Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.’”

There is so much in the four verses I have chosen to focus on today.  David went down to the stronghold.  A stronghold according to the online dictionary is “a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack.”  I have always seen myself as a runner.  Danger comes, I get out of dodge!  Looking at David, I might not have it all wrong!  The first action he took upon hearing the Philistines were coming was to get to safety.  An important thing to note is what we read in verse 12, “So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”  David knew his calling and purpose.

If we know our calling and purpose and danger comes to threaten or attack, we need to act quickly and get to safety!  God’s purposes cannot be fulfilled in us if we are careless and do not protect what He has established.  David couldn’t have fulfilled his calling if he had been killed.  Another thing to take from this passage is the first thing David did after getting to safety… he inquired of the Lord. 

David sought the Lord for direction and what action he should take.  When we go to our stronghold, we shouldn’t run away terrified.  We should go knowing our calling and seek His next steps.  David expressed his desire in Psalm 27, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”  I love that David included inquiring in His temple in his desire for the Lord.  He didn’t only inquire though… he listened for an answer.

The following verses talk about listening.  We have to be silent to hear.  Psalm 62:1a says, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation.”  “Be still, and know that I am God;” (Psalm 46:10a).  “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” (Proverbs 1:5).  In our being quiet and listening often comes our direction and next action steps.  God told David to go up.  When we hear our answer, we must follow what we have been told.

Verse 20 begins with the words, “So David went.”  The example we have from a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) is go do the things that He has told us to do.  If God tells us to do something, then He will be the one working through us!  We need to trust Him to do what He says.  I love what Paul shares in these two passages.  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).  “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).  Do the things!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for the examples that You give us in Your Word.  Thank You that You choose to work in me.  Help me to follow the steps of David, knowing my purpose, going to safety, inquiring of You, listening to You, and doing the things You say to do.  Help me not live in fear but run to You speedily and confidently knowing that it is You who works in me to will and to do for Your good pleasure.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

My Soul Longs~

July 17, 2020 
Psalm 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87

Focus Verses
Psalm 84:1-4 “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young - even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah”

Have you ever gone through things in your life that don’t make sense, or are so out of control that you are just done with it all?  Given the last 5 months, I believe we all could say that we have been there!  Between the pandemic, social injustices, and political unrest, there have been many times that make me cry out to/for God as David did.  In the passages for today we hear David’s heart.  In Psalm 43 he asks for God to vindicate him, plead his cause, and send His light and truth to lead him.  He talks to himself, asking (and answering), “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God” (Psalm 43:5).

I go back and forth with my questions as David did (and answering myself at times too).  David asks When…?  Why…?  How long..?  “Why do You sleep O Lord? (44:23a).”  I ask when all of this will end.  How long will we have to endure this crazy mixed up time?  Will people ever see their need of You?

Like David, my whole being cries out to my only hope… the Lord.  “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:2).  I have said so many times in the recent weeks, come quickly, Lord Jesus!  While I say and mean it, I am also reminded of the words of Paul “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  If I am still here, my work is not yet finished.

Do you know your purpose?  David knew his.  His purpose was to trust and praise God and share his trust with others through actions and singing.  I know my purpose.  I will sing joyfully to the God of my salvation and invite others to join me in proclaiming His greatness!  I will share the reason for my hope. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…” (1 Peter 3:15a).

While I echo the words of David in the passage below, I know that I must continue to walk in His ways and trust Him.  I would much rather be in the house of my God than dwell here with all of the wickedness.  Until that glorious day comes, I will trust in Him and give thanks and praise His Holy Name.  “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (Psalm 84:10-12)

Prayer
Father God, thank You for being my dwelling place.  Thank You for being my strength, and hope.  May I readily share You with others.  Help me to walk uprightly and trust You… and help me to trust You more.  I am truly blessed.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Refuge in the Day of Trouble

Refuge in the Day of Trouble

Focus Verses
Psalm 59:16-17 “But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.”

Twice God said He regretted making Saul king (1 Samuel 15:11;35).  The people wanted a king.  They wanted Saul… so God allowed it.  Saul was a prideful man, sought recognition for his achievements, and associated himself with those in prestigious position.  In chapter 14 we read that “And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself” (vs 52b).     

Saul was fine taking David to himself at first, putting him over the men of war.  “David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely;” (1 Samuel 18:5a).  Anger and jealousy quickly rose in Saul when David defeated the giant, Goliath.  There was much celebrating with singing and dancing and the women sang “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7).

Saul’s pride raged within himself.  So much so that he intended to remove David at any measure… specifically death.  He devised a plan to trick David into being killed by the Philistines and was disappointed when David won that battle.  Saul gave his daughter to David as a wife so that he could have easy access to him and could end his life more easily.  Thankfully, Michal (Saul’s daughter) loved David, and he had found a true friend in Jonathan (Saul’s son).  They both helped David flee from the crazed Saul. 

David fled to protect himself and was confused as to what he had done to have Saul so upset and seeking to take his life.  Saul’s pride was so great that he wasn’t willing to give David credit for anything, he just wanted him gone. 

David says in Psalm 11:7, “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.”

Like David, we must trust the Lord’s righteousness and have faith in His faithfulness when people in our lives get angry or jealous when things go well for us.  We should trust the Lord when they get upset when we don’t think like them, agree with them, or when they seem to do whatever it takes to get us out of the way so that they can get all glory.  Pride is an ugly thing.  

It is important for us to recognize that our battle is not against people.  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

David penned these words when Saul was seeking to kill him.  “But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy” (Psalm 59:16-17).  Like David, when we are being pursued, we should sing out to God, rest in His strength knowing that He is our defense. 

Prayer
Father God, thank You for being my defense and refuge.  Please help me to behave wisely and to walk in Your ways.  Help me to trust You when the enemy seeks to destroy me.  I will sing of Your power, mercy, and goodness, and seek to keep my eyes on You in the day of trouble.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

1 Samuel 18-20, Psalm 11, 59

Quick to Forget~

June 25, 2020 – Debbie Graham
Judges 8-9

Focus Verses
Judges 8:33-35 “So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.”

With an army of 32,000, the Israelites set out to conquer the Midianites.  The Lord said there were too many men and that man would get the credit for the victory instead of God.  Anyone scared could go back.  22,000 went back leaving 10,000 men.  Another 9,700 were sent back after being tested by the Lord down by the water (7:2-8).  The Lord delivered the Midianites into their hands with an army of only 300 valiant men! 

These Israelites have seen and heard about the hand of the Lord throughout their entire lives: The parting of the Red Sea, conquering princes and kings, crossing the Jordan, taking over many regions, and entering the promised land, just to name a few. 

They are dumb sheep!  As soon as Gideon who we read about just a few chapters ago, who had been visited by an angel that told him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor” (6:12) is dead, the Israelites are quick to worship other gods rather than the One True God.  They “did not remember the Lord their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies” (8:35).  God sent Gideon to the Israelites because they cried out to the Lord who had delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, because they had done evil in His sight.  These people never learn!  Once again, they return to their evil ways. 

Let us remember to always be faithful to our God who has delivered us from our evil ways and has faithfully been by our side through the difficult seasons in our lives.  If ever our earthly spiritual leader (pastor, parent, mentor, etc.) is gone, may we continue to follow Him and depend on the unfailing promises of our great Shepherd (Hebrews 12:20).  Regardless of what others choose to do, let us follow He who will never leave us and not be quick to forget!

Prayer
Father God, thank You for leading me and being my great Shepherd.  Please help me to not be quick to forget.  Please lead me and guide me in all of Your ways all of the days of my life.  May my life testify to Your goodness and deliverance.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What Do These Stones Mean?

June 15, 2020 – Debbie Graham
Joshua 1-4

What Do These Stones Mean?

Focus Verses
Joshua 4:5-6 “and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you’””

In chapter 4 we read that after 40 years of wandering, the moment the Israelites had all been waiting for finally happened.  They crossed the Jordan into to the promised land.

Twelve men that had been chosen, one from each tribe, were to take stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests had been standing and carry them over to the place where they camped that night.  Joshua set up the stones at the spot where the priests who carried the ark had stood in the midst of the Jordan.  

After all the Israelites had crossed the Jordan, and they were at the camp in Gilgal, Joshua set those 12 stones.  “Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever” (Joshua 4:21-24).

What are these stones?  I have a green marble heart and an envelope made from beautiful paper that was left on my door handle in a plain white grocery bag after a hurricane blew through Florida in the early 90’s.  My four sons and I were home alone while my husband was out of the country on a business trip.  We had a need that I had only spoken to our Lord.  That afternoon I found the bag hanging on the door handle.  Inside was the envelope, with cash that would be used to purchase the groceries needed to feed my family (again, a need that I had only talked to God about), and the green marble heart.

It was left anonymously.  I would venture to say that it was left for the same reason that Joshua gave to the Israelites… that we would know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that we may fear the Lord our God forever, and that we would share that with others.  

I have the green heart sitting next to me now as I write this.  I remember the blessing as if it were yesterday.  It has served as a reminder to me for years of the Lord’s goodness, faithfulness, promises, and provisions.  The stone heart has prompted many conversations and I have shared of His care through it.  In my 35 years of walking with Him, there are several “stones” in my possession that speak of the Lord’s goodness and serve as a testimony to Him that He is able to use for His glory.  

Do you have any “stones”?  How do you answer those who ask about those stones?  Do you share how the Lord has guided, provided for, and been faithful to you specifically?  Are you using those “stones” to testify to all that the Lord has done?

Prayer
Father God, thank You for tangible and visible reminders.  Thank You that I can use them to share Your goodness, faithfulness, promises, and provisions with those in my life.  Help me to always remember, and give You the glory.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Holy Place~

May 13, 2020- Debbie Graham

Holy Place

Focus Verses

Leviticus 16 begins: “Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said to Moses: ‘Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat’” (vs 1-2).

The passage goes on to describe in great detail how Aaron was to approach the Holy Place, what to bring, what to wear, how to wear it, etc.  He would first make atonement for himself and for his house, then make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, concerning all their sins.  We read in verse 30, “For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”  

We read about the curtain in the Holy Place in Exodus 33:31-33, “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.”  The Ark of the Covenant was behind this curtain and was a place where God and man (the High Priest) could meet.  

I am certain that all of us are thankful that the way Aaron was told to approach the Holy Place is not the way we approach God today.  We still come before Him with reverence, and respect His holiness, but can do this any and all of the time.  It says in Matthew 27 that upon Jesus’ last breath “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (vs. 51a).  Friends, that means the curtain is no longer separating us from access to the Most Holy Place!  We can approach our most Holy God directly.  Hebrews 4:16 says: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  And 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  No priest is necessary to make atonement for us.  Jesus Christ, pure and unblemished… spotless, took all of our uncleanness upon Himself and became our atonement… once for all!  

The Lord continues to speak to Moses in chapter 18 about His statutes and tells him to speak to the people of Israel that He is the Lord, and they shall not do as they did in the land of Egypt or Canaan.  They are not to walk in their statutes, but to follow His rules.  This chapter is specifically speaking to sexual relationships within family, and with same sex.  Overall, it speaks about following the Lord’s rules, and what He has set out as right and pure.  

It can be so easy to want to go back and do what we once did or follow the path of those who seem to be successful in their ways.  The Lord is clear.  We should not make ourselves unclean by practicing things outside of His statues.  The law is not unimportant, as Paul tells us in Romans 7, without the law we would not know sin.  Let us recognize the law, pay attention to our sin, and approach His throne with boldness and confidence.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for the atonement for my sins through the shed blood of Your perfect lamb, Jesus.  Thank You that You welcome me coming to You anytime.  Help me to always keep Your statutes and not look to something that looks appealing or easier.  Thank You that when I stray, I can come boldly to Your throne of grace and obtain Your mercy in my time of need.  Help me to never forget the sacrifice You made for me.  In Jesus Name, Amen

Offerings and Dwellings~

May 2, 2020 - Debbie Graham

Offerings and Dwellings

Focus Verses

Exodus 25:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.”

Exodus 26:30 “And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain.”

After Moses had spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai with the Lord, we read in chapter 25 that God speaks again to him and tells him to speak to the children of Israel.  He was to tell them to bring the Lord an offering.  God told him to take the offering to the Lord from whoever gave willingly from his heart.  The Lord told Moses to receive specific offerings from the children of Israel to build His temple.  God had laid out the pattern for the building of the temple where the Lord would dwell. 

We are to give willingly from our hearts to the Lord and worship Him with our gifts.  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”  It is such an honor to get to sow bountifully to the Lord both financially and in serving with what He has bountifully given. 

We read three times in Exodus 25–27 that Moses was told by the Lord to make the items for the temple according to the pattern shown to him on the mountain.  God wanted to dwell with His people and gave specific instructions in the building of the sanctuary so He could dwell with them there.  God was specific with every detail of the building of His temple.  He requested the best materials to be used for His place of worship.  Only the best for Him, and only His best for us. 

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Just as God instructed Moses how to build the temple, He has also instructed us on how to build and maintain our temple where He dwells.  We have been shown how the Lord wants us to live to honor Him.  We read in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” 

We read in Exodus 27: 20 that the Lord told Moses, “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.”  As we live our lives as a temple of the Holy Spirit, may we always use pure oil in our lamps that we may burn continually and so that others might see Him in us. 

How am I giving?  How am I caring for His temple?  What am I bringing to Him to honor Him?  Am I doing justly?  Am I loving mercy?  Am I walking humbly? 

Prayer

Father God, thank You for showing me what You require of me.  Help me to remember that You want to dwell with me, and that I am a temple in which You choose to dwell.  Help me to prepare and preserve my temple for You with only what is pure.  May I always give to You willingly from my heart.  In Jesus Name, Amen.  

Reaching Forward~

April 20, 2020 - Debbie Graham
Reaching Forward
Focus Verse
Genesis 41: 51 “Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: ‘For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.’ And the name of the second he called Ephraim: ‘For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’”

As we have read in Genesis 37 – 40, we see that Joseph was sold into slavery, bought by an officer of Pharaoh, unjustly thrown into prison, interpreted dreams of a couple of prisoners, had asked the chief butler to remember him, and forgotten about for two full years.  In Genesis 41, Pharaoh had dreams and called for all the magicians and wise men to come and interpret them.  None were successful.  It was at this time that the chief butler remembered Joseph.  He told Pharaoh that while in prison, Joseph who was also in prison, had interpreted his, and the chief baker’ dreams. Things happened just as Joseph had interpreted.  Pharaoh sent for Joseph.

I don’t know about you, but if my life looked like that, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have handled it as well as Joseph did.  After 13 years of being a slave and prisoner, he was going to be free.  13 years of remembering what his brothers did to him. 13 years of missing his father.  13 years of living with unjust treatment and punishment… and he’s about to forget it all.
Joseph had two sons.  The first born he named him Manasseh, “for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house”.  He forgot all his toil and his father’s house.  It is not an easy thing to do, but it is good for us to forget our toil and the past that has hurt us.  It can weigh us down and prevent us from being successful.  It is important to note that God made him to forget.  Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13 to “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead”.  It is in the reaching forward, that we are able to forget what was.

Joseph’s second son was named Ephraim “for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction”.  He credits God for the successes he had during his affliction.  We see throughout the passages in Genesis that Joseph was favored.  He was his father’s favorite, Potiphar made him overseer of his house, the keeper of the prison put him in charge of all the prisoners, and Pharaoh put him over all of his house, and all of the land of Egypt.  Matthew 5:16 says “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.  Joseph lived his life in a way that others saw that the Lord was with him.

Joseph’s life is inspiring… not that I want to experience all that he did, but in how he handled everything.  May we live life reaching forward to the things ahead, and always giving credit to God for what He does through us.  The people Joseph encountered saw that the Lord was with him.  May we live in such a way that when we are around people, they see that the Spirit of God is in us. As we go through times of uncertainty, unfair treatment, and suffer at the hands of others, may we remember all He has done, wait patiently on Him, and trust that He has great purpose for our lives!

Prayer
Father God, help me to be patient and trust that You have great purpose and plans.  Help me to remember that ALL things work together for good, and that the trials in my life are shaping me for Your glory.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Seen and Loved~

April 11, 2020 - Debbie Graham
Seen and Loved 

Focus Verse
“So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me” (Gen: 16:13).

Hagar was the maid servant of Abram’s wife Sarai.  Sarai had not given Abram offspring that the Lord told him He would (Genesis 15:4), and so Sarai gave her maid servant to her husband in marriage so that through her, Sarai and Abram would have a child heir.
Sarai decided to “help” God, and in doing so, ended up hurting herself and others.  If she had simply waited on God and not tried to “help” Him, she would have avoided the hurt and the pain she inflicted on herself and others.  The consequences of her actions affected many, including an unborn child and the descendants for generations.

Like Hagar, if you have ever had to pay the consequences for the actions of someone else, then you know it is not a place that you want to be.  That is what happened to Hagar when she did what she was told.  She fled… ran away from what was troubling her.  While she was fleeing, she was visited by an angel of the Lord who comforted her.  She felt lost and unseen, but God saw her.  He saw her, and He loved her where she was (Genesis 16:13).  I have been on the end of the consequences of someone else’s bad decisions.

I didn’t physically run away, but in my darkest times when I felt unseen and alone, I was comforted by God letting me know that He saw, He was with me, and I was not alone.  God meets us where we are.  In the times of uncertainty we are currently facing, we can trust that God sees.

While Sarai took matters into her own hands and harmed others, I find it encouraging that we go on to read in chapter 17 that God changed her name to Sarah and blessed her.  We often make some of the same choices that Sarai did, and God can, and will still bless us.

God doesn’t need our help.  If He speaks and says He will do something, He will!  He has been doing it, well, forever!  If He tells us to go and do, then we must submit to Him and be obedient.  We need to believe, have faith, and wait on Him.

Prayer
Father God, please help me to wait on You.  Help me to be still and listen, and trust that You will do what You say.  Allow my past to remind me to trust You more.  Thank you for loving me and being the God who sees me.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Check On Them~

Check on them~

Do you have single friends who are not working or are working from home?  Check on them.

Do you have single parent friends who are not working or are working from home?  Check on them.

Do you have widowed friends who are not working or are working from home?  Check on them. 

Do you have single parent friends with adult children living at home who are not working or are working from home?  Check on them.  Maybe any of the prior mentioned are still working in an office.  Check on them.

You may look at their Facebook pages, read emails, or see them in a Zoom meeting and think they are just fine because they laugh, smile, and are cheerful.  Some are, but there is still deep pain and concern inside that they don’t want you to see.

 

People who seem to be fine can be battling a whole slew of things.  They don’t have anyone to help them make the critical decisions that need to be made.  They don’t have anyone to help with groceries.  They don’t have a 2^nd income to pay the bills.  They don’t have anyone to co-teach the kids who are doing virtual schooling.  They may have lost their jobs or have taken significant pay cuts.  Some don’t have any way of getting groceries.  Some can’t afford groceries.  Some can’t risk going out in public because of a compromised immune system. 

All of them go to bed alone at night.  No one to comfort them and reassure them.  No one to talk to.  Of course God is always with us, but the tangible being. 

We will say we are fine, we will smile, we will joke, but we still need to be checked on.  The suicide rate has increased significantly since this crisis began (this is not a cry for help, though I cannot lie and say that my Covid mind has not wandered).  We are on an emotional roller coaster and want it to stop.  I fit into several of the categories above and can tell you without a doubt… we need you.  Please do not read this and think that I am only concerned with singles, single parents, and widows.  I know that we are all on the same emotional roller coaster, and all need the comfort, reassurance, support, etc. etc. etc. during this crisis.  I am just sharing from my heart where I am, and know others like me, are with no other adult in the house to share this burden with.  I am sharing so that someone might reach out to someone who is contemplating something none of us want to hear about.