August 29, 2025

“The springs of the joy of a carnal worldling lie in wealth and pleasure; but the springs of the joy of a gracious soul lie in the word of God and prayer.” Matthew Henry. 

As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee. Psalms 87:7 

I won’t deny that the things I have set up around me in my home are delightful and calming, so that we live peacefully. Your home should be a reflection of the things you love, not just a look conjured up by HGTV, building contractors, and furniture companies. However, though these things might be delightful, they do not feed the soul; they are only worldly pleasures. What truly fulfills you and brings you joy is your connection to God and your relationship with Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the spring that feeds our souls, and no amount of wealth can compare to wells bubbling up from within us from that relationship. If you want to fight the good fight of faith, then work on your relationship with Jesus; that battle has already been won. It’s just a matter of applying it to your life. Don’t wait for something better to come along; live your best life now. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within you. Tap into those springs and live in your eternity now. 

August 28, 2025

Some days are meant for nothing more than praising God with heartfelt worship. If you need direction in doing this, open up Psalms 86. David poured out his heart to God, and it is believed that this psalm may have been a prayer or song he recited frequently. I can understand why, because it is beautiful and honors God as He should be honored. It is in the psalm that David asks God to bow down His ear to hear his prayer, which gives us a vivid image of our majestic God, the Imperial being, Creator of all heaven and earth, moving closer to us to hear our humble prayer. Can you imagine that? There are no other gods we can put before Him that even care about our prayers; they are fake and destined for hell, but not our God; he is the only everlasting God who can hear us every time we open up to Him. He is the only one who is interested in everything we have to say. Make it a point to submit every decision to Him, whether big or small, and commit your day to Him every day. Remember, He hears every word you say; make sure those words glorify Him. 

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. Psalms 86:5-8

August 27, 2025

Realize your blessings. Things may not be perfect in our lives; if they were, we may not long for Jesus. However, we are more blessed than we comprehend, because the Holy Spirit lives within us. Yes, we make mistakes occasionally, but for the most part, he helps us maintain our testimony, so our works and words are edifying to others. They can see and hear that we belong to the Lord because of our actions. 

Israel's gratefulness for being released from captivity was recorded in Psalms 85. It is the equivalent of us receiving our salvation through Jesus; it is freedom. Sometimes we go back to our captors and drink from the well of slavery rather than living in the liberty given to us by Jesus. Did you know that the words you speak will tell others whether you are free in Jesus or still a slave to sin? The Holy Spirit gives us a check in our spirit when we venture into sin; if you don't have that, consider that you may need salvation. We must be mindful of our words, because they can either speak life or death. I pray that your words speak life and don't show others your sin and folly. 

I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Psalms 85:8

Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps. Psalms 85:13

August 26, 2025

It doesn’t matter that the enemy traipses around the earth seeking whom he may devour because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. However, we must stay aware of his presence and that of his evil cronies so we are not deceived. The only reason I’m including that information for Psalms 84 is that his aggravating us will only serve to make us long to be in the company of Jesus. It’s another way God can use evil for good. Having our salvation in Jesus is enough to keep us somewhat satisfied until his return.

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Psalms 84:2

Don’t get too comfortable; we have so much to look forward to. Jesus already reigns and is sitting at the right hand of the Father; it’s just a matter of time before God removes evil from amongst us and puts it under the feet of Jesus. There will be so much joy filling heaven and earth when that day comes.  

August 25, 2025

When you are having a rough time, there is nothing better than to read a psalm that gives you hope that God will avenge you and trample on your enemies. As much as I love the psalms, I realize that they were written under the Old Covenant, since we are redeemed from that covenant, our prayers and songs to God should sound a little different. We should glorify Jesus with our words rather than speak so harshly against others who may also be God’s children. If you’re not there yet, it’s okay. At some point, God will open your eyes and reveal His heart to you, and you will begin to pray differently. God sees everything your opponent has done to you, but if you have any inequity, He will chastise you first, and then He will demolish anyone who rejects Him and causes you problems. If you look back on the history of Israel, God would use their enemies to bring them back to Him, but the ones who gave them the trouble would face severe consequences for what they did to His people. We are His people. If your enemy is tormenting you, make sure you do an assessment to ensure you are not in the wrong in any way, then reach out to God for relief. 

Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Psalms 83:16-18

August 24, 2025

Those of us who think we are awake are not awake. There are still lies that need to be uncovered so the truth can prevail. We are not supposed to be in darkness as those tempted by dark forces; however, the delusion is so strong that even the most devout among us are still veiled and are influenced by the deception. It’s not our fault. The enemy is like a roaring lion seeking to devour us, but Jesus shields us and waits patiently for us to awaken. Remember in the garden where Jesus told the disciples to stay awake? That’s us, he’s arousing us, but we keep falling back to sleep. You will start to awaken when you start asking questions about the things that don’t make any sense. Until then, know that the Bible points to the truth, Jesus is the only way, and we are on the threshold of an entirely new way of life in the land of promise. Do your part to spread the good news about Jesus, rejoice, and be glad because the best is yet to come! 

Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. Psalms 82:4-5

Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. psalms 82:8