Woody's Devotional: "Be Thou my vision"

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1)

I have frankly not experienced worship like I have been experiencing worship this morning.  Tears just cannot stop flowing, and this at a song written almost 1300 years ago.  I have heard this before and sung this before, but just as with Jesus' Words, each new day can bring a new and wonderful manifestation of our Living Triune God.  Please watch the video below, and listen----- and worship with me.

Woody

KTBTIB Nottingham has shared a video with you on YouTube Be Thou my vision by citrail Traditional hymn.

"Moreover...In Keeping Them There Is Great Reward"

"Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:11)

The thought occurred to me as I read our text this morning: What do I consider as my, "....great reward"?  Can I ask: What do you consider as, "....great reward"? 

It is interesting that money did not come to my mind.  The first thing that I thought of was the affect (yes, the verb, "affect") which Jesus' sustaining, empowering Words, aka, the Bible, has been having on my recovery.  This is in the most literal sense my, "great reward."

I realize again today that there have been many people who gave up, quit, experienced divorce, succumbed to bitterness and despair after the loss of a child.  While the pain of loss has never ceased, while "sorrows like sea billows [can still] roar," I can say today that my, "great reward," is Jesus' Words, or what Psalm 19 refers to as, "the Law of the Lord.., the Testimony of the Lord.., the Statutes of the Lord.., the Commandment of the Lord.., the Fear of the Lord.., the Judgments of the Lord....'----- THE BIBLE.  It is in the faithful submission to, and reading of, and, "in keeping," Jesus' Words, which produces that wonderful, "great reward"? 

First, it really came to me today that my, "great reward," is exactly in what the psalmist said, "Moreover by them," Jesus' Words, "Your servant is warned...."  I am, "warned," that there is nothing but blackness, darkness, an empty void awaiting me, if for one moment I forget that in Jesus' Words was/is my salvation, "born again," yes, and including the moment by moment sustaining I need in Jesus' Words for the remainder of this life's sojourn.

Second, there is the, "....In keeping them...."  Neither you nor I are, "In keeping them," flawlessly all the time.  But there is one thing we can do.  If you and I really believe, "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb", then we will give ourselves daily to the reading, even the hearing of, "the Words of God" (and always remember His great promise, "the entrance of [His] Word gives light.")  The, "More to be desired..," is key.  I consider myself an intravenous user, on literal continual "Life Support," Jesus' Life, Jesus' Support, Jesus' Words.  This, my friend, is my absolutely, marvelous, glorious, "....great reward."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that for too long I thought wrongly about, "great reward."  Thank You for Your Word-Revelation today.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Here's Some "Victory Stuff"

"For sin shall not have dominion over you...."  (Romans 6:14a)

Most have probably never thought of it this way, but perhaps the most powerful sin in the Enemy's arsenal is to get you and me to give up in life.

I read Job 3 this morning and it appears in that chapter that Job was ready to "throw in the towel."  But we know he didn't.  I have known, however, those who have.  The so-called "sins of the flesh" we battle every day.  I think that sometimes the Enemy of our souls knows that religious people focus on the "obvious" sins in life, you know, the ones which most everyone would call sin.

Ah, but my dear friend, there are those sins of self-pity, discouragement, feelings of insecurity, and again, the most destructive, just give up, quit.  Yet many would look at a person enslaved to the self-centered sins and feel sorry for them, put their arms around them, tell them, "There, there."  I have shared with you before what our Lord Jesus said to me one afternoon in the summer of 1970, "You can sit here the rest of your life and pity yourself.  Or, you can get up and follow Me."  I did not need coddled.  I needed the promise that this, "....Sin shall not have the dominion over [you]."  That was a deliverance from the above mentioned sins.

"For sin shall not have the dominion over you...."  Stand on/in this, "God-Breathed," declaration, "....SIN SHALL NOT HAVE THE DOMINION OVER [ME]."  Bitterness, despair, anger, discouragement, self-pity, "....shall not have the dominion over you...."  Too many look at and call "sin" as what the other guy has.  We need to look at, "....the sin which so easily besets us," square in the "face" and say to it, "[You] shall not have dominion over [me]." 

We can walk in the reality of our text, not because of our determination, but because of, "the blood of His Cross", Jesus' Blood, Jesus' Death, Jesus' Resurrection.  There's a lot of talk in these days of "declaration."  We need more of the declaration, "For sin shall NOT have the dominion over you...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, too many times I just seem to accept "sin."  You said I don't have to.  Thank You that Your Truth is, "....Sin shall not have the dominion over you."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Beware The Word "Disillusion"!

"Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment." (Psalm 7:14, NIV)

Everyone must be very careful in speaking the word, "disillusion."  Our text takes it right back to the "speaker."  Notice the progression: "evil," followed by, "trouble," followed by, "disillusionment."

I have read this passage many times in the NIV, but today I saw something which I don't believe I have seen before.  From further study, I get the sense in our text that any, "disillusionment," on the part of the disillusioned is the result of the, "evil," in the said disillusioned.  In other words, "disillusionment," results from, "evil," not from the person, organization, etc., which the accuser names.  Why is this so?

The root of, "disillusionment," is one's expectations.  I go to a local church with one expectation; I get married with one expectation; I prepare for a vocation, and get a job with one expectation.  Then, behold; it just "did not work out."  Why?-- mostly because of self-centered, self-assertion expectations.  I wanted it this way, and it became that way, which really means, I wanted it my way, and "they" got their way.  How many times have you heard the phrase, "I gave myself in that relationship (church, marriage, job, friendship), but they..............  "They" what?  Beware the evil which leads to, "disillusionment."

How does one "protect" him/herself from, "disillusionment"?  Okay, here's a controversial reply: Don't expect anything.  The moment expectations rule, which are usually selfish, the, "evil," of that selfishness, "....conceives trouble."  The only "child" which can come from that is, "disillusionment." 

When Jesus Christ and His Word live and reign in you and me, however, there can be no, "disillusionment."  Everything Jesus tells us, everything Jesus promises is true, because He Himself is Truth.  The cure for, "disillusionment," is to live our lives, "Looking unto Jesus."  Get our eyes (expectations) off humanity and anything "connected" with humanity.  Or, "....Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin (expectation) that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, (not looking to our expectations, but rather) fixing our eyes on Jesus...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are my Only Expectation.  Amen.
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Read one reason I voted for President Trump: jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2