An Invitation to Abundant Life

Isaiah 55 (NKJV)   

An Invitation to Abundant Life     

¹ “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.

² Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

³ Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.

⁴ Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.

⁵ Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the LORD your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”

⁶ Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

⁸ “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

⁹ “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,

¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

¹² “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Surely in this chapter, The Lord is issuing an invitation to WHOSOEVER WILL, to come to HIM and receive Eternal Life!!! 

Money cannot buy Eternal Life.  Jesus is the ONLY WAY into the Kingdom of God in Heaven!!!

And WHOSOEVER WILL CHOOSE TO ACCEPT HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!!!  

And when you accept HIM, you will drink of the waters and never be thirsty again, you will eat and never be hungry again!!!  For ONLY JESUS can satisfy that hunger within you-that hunger and longing that comes from deep within your soul.  
 

Jesus is that-which every man is looking for-that which every man hunts for.  You can’t find it in drugs or alcohol or sex or in other people!!!   

Jesus paid the price for Our Salvation, Our Healing, Our Return to God the Father on the Cross of Calvary, and He paid it in full!!! 

Did you know that Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father and prays daily for those who have accepted HIM as Lord and Savior???

The message is clear, if you listen to Jesus and follow HIM, then you indeed will have Eternal Life and your soul shall live. 


When you accept Jesus, the everlasting covenant-the promise of life in Jesus-is yours.  It will never pass away and God unlike man will NOT break His Word to you!!! 

God NOT only gave His Son to die for us, but JESUS WILLINGLY DIED FOR US ON THE CROSS.  HIS LOVE FOR US IS THE GREATEST TESTIMONY OR WITNESS OF ALL!!! 

David’s Last Words

2 Samuel 23 (NKJV)

 ¹ Now these are the last words of David.
      Thus says David the son of Jesse;
      Thus says the man raised up on high,
      The anointed of the God of Jacob,
      And the sweet psalmist of Israel:

 ² “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
      And His word was on my tongue.

 ³ The God of Israel said,
      The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
      ‘He who rules over men must be just,
      Ruling in the fear of God.

 ⁴ And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises,
      A morning without clouds,
      Like the tender grass springing out of the earth,
      By clear shining after rain.’

 ⁵ “ Although my house is not so with God,
      Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
      Ordered in all things and secure.
      For this is all my salvation and all my desire;
      Will He not make it increase?

 ⁶ But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away,
      Because they cannot be taken with hands.

 ⁷ But the man who touches them
      Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
      And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.”

David’s Song of Praise to God for HIS DELIVERANCE

2 Samuel 22

Praise for God’s Deliverance

 ¹ Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

 

²And he said:  “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

 ³ The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.

 ⁴ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

 ⁵ “When the waves of death surrounded me, The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

 ⁶ The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

 ⁷ In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears.

 ⁸ “Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry.
    

 ⁹ Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.      

¹⁰ He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet.

 ¹¹ He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind.

 ¹² He made darkness canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

 ¹³ From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled.

 ¹⁴ “The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice.

 ¹⁵ He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.

 ¹⁶ Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, At the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

 ¹⁷ “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters.

 ¹⁸ He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me.

 ¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support.

 ²⁰ He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

 ²¹ “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

 ²² For I have kept the ways of the LORD,  And have not wickedly departed from my God.

 ²³ For all His judgments were before me;   And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

 ²⁴ I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.

 ²⁵ Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in His eyes.

 ²⁶ “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

 ²⁷ With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

 ²⁸ You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

 ²⁹ “For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

 ³⁰ For by You I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall.

 ³¹ As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

 ³² “For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?

 ³³ God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.

 ³⁴ He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.

 ³⁵ He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

 ³⁶ “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.

 ³⁷ You enlarged my path under me; So my feet did not slip.

 ³⁸ “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.

 ³⁹ And I have destroyed them and wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet.

 ⁴⁰ For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me.

 ⁴¹ You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.

 ⁴² They looked, but there was none to save; Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

 ⁴³ Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trod them like dirt in the streets, And I spread them out.

 ⁴⁴ “You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me as the head of the nations.  A people I have not known shall serve me.

 ⁴⁵ The foreigners submit to me; As soon as they hear, they obey me.

 ⁴⁶ The foreigners fade away, And come frightened from their hideouts.

 ⁴⁷ “The LORD lives!  Blessed be my Rock!  Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation!

 ⁴⁸ It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me;

 ⁴⁹ He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.

 ⁵⁰ Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.

 ⁵¹ He is the tower of salvation to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore.”

A Man After God’s Own Heart

David sought The Lord and God answered him.  David was righteous before God and God directed his paths!!! 

At one point, God described David as a Man after my own heart!!!  Acts 13:22 (NKJV) …He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’  Also in 1 Sam. 13:14

David knew and understood that God was in control of every aspect of life. And he gave honor to God at ALL times.  David honored God while he was a young man herding his father’s sheep. 


David honored God in ALL that he did and God was with him.

David slew the lion and the bear because he depended on God and NOT on his own strength. 

1 Sam. 17:37 Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”  And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

David depended on God and he knew that God was his help and his strength. That is how he knew that he could go up against Goliath and win.  He knew that His God would show up and show out!!!! 

1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NKJV)

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

⁴⁷ Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

 

A man anointed by God!!!  When God is directing your paths, you use what HE tells you to use because that is ALL it takes!!!  God anointed David to kill Goliath with a stone and a sling!!!  You can’t miss when God is on your side!!! 

David killed Goliath in the name of the Lord God Almighty!!!

1 Samuel 17:49-51

⁴⁹ Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

⁵¹ Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

 

God was with David in ALL that he set out to do and God gave him great favor with ALL the people. 


1 Samuel 18:5, 14-15 

⁵ So, David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

¹⁴ And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

 

David sought God’s Will for his life and not popularity with men.

1 Samuel 18:30 Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

 

Even when Saul became jealous and repeatedly tried to kill him, David would NOT lift his hand against God’s chosen one.

Even when it seemed that God was giving him opportunity, David refused to kill Saul because he had been chosen by God. 

1 Samuel 26:7, 9-12 

⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?”

¹⁰ David said furthermore, “As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.

¹¹ The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.”

¹² So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

 

David remained faithful to God and he saw ALL that God had promised him come to pass!!! 

David, God’s chosen man, anointed King of Israel at 17, served God ALL of his days. 

1 Chronicles 28:4-5 (NKJV) 

⁴ …the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel.

⁵ And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.

 

King David stands before Israel, and wisely tells his son, Solomon to love and serve God all of his days.   

1 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)  ⁹ “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

 

 

David became King as God had promised and he is still well thought of by people today, because he was a man after God’s Own Heart!!!

2 Samuel 5:4-5 
⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 

⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

 

1 Chronicles 29:26-28 

²⁶ Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

²⁷ And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.

²⁸ So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.

*******

A note of interest!!!  Today, I learned something new, and I wanted to share it with you, but then maybe you already knew this. 

I did not know until today, that God had actually given David the plans for the building of HIS Temple in Israel.  1 Chronicles 28:10-19

I WILL RUN TO YOU!!!

 

This is the most amazing song!!!!!!!!  I kept hearing the words, “I Run To You” from a similar song, and I couldn’t help but feeling that those were words that should be said to God!!! 

When I found the song that I had originally heard, I found that the words were NOT words to GOD. 

That’s how I found this song.  There were several other songs with the same or similar titles, but each song had different words.

When I heard this song, I just fell in love with it, because it said ALL that I could have hoped for!!!  And ALL the WORDS were to GOD, who (by now, you know) I am deeply in love with. 

Click on the Title above and you will be able to hear Artist Darlene Zschech’s and Hillsong performing, I WILL RUN TO YOU. 

I hope you are as blessed as I am by this awesome song of praise to the Lord God Almighty!!! 

The words are below. 

I Will Run To You

Your eye is on the sparrow
And Your hand, it comforts me
From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart
Let Your mercy and strength be seen

You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For Your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For Your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory

Oh let me live in the glory

Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the spirit of God
Yes I will run the race
'Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory

Oh let me live in the glory

Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

Count Your Blessings!!!

Many times we never even thank The LORD for the simple things in life.

The Word of God tells us to give thanks!!! 

Psalm 105 (NKJV) ¹ Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!

Several years ago, I joined a church that was very different culturally than those that I grew up in and around. 

As part of their testimony about how good God was to them, I would hear different people say, I thank God for waking me up this morning and starting me on my way.  I thank God that I am in my right mind.  I thank God for the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet.  

I was truly amazed that even when the children stood to testify, they would start out with almost these same lines. 

For example, one of the children might say, I thank God for waking me up this morning and starting me on my way.  I thank God for the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet.  I thank God for my momma and my daddy.  I thank God for my grandma and grandpa.  I thank God for my house.       

And many times a brother or sister in Christ might get up and say, I thank God for waking me up this morning and starting me on my way.  I thank God that I am clothed and in my right mind.  I thank God that I have money in my pocket and gas in my car.  I thank God for Jesus.    

There are so many things to thank the Lord for every day!!! 

I THANK GOD that I have 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 fingers and 10 toes.  I THANK GOD that every part of my body works as it should.  I THANK GOD that I have a house to live in and food to eat.  I THANK GOD that my truck runs and has gas in it.  I THANK GOD for my 2 dogs.  I THANK GOD that He sent His Son to die for us.   

You know, I could go on and on!!!

Of course, each person is different and everyone has so many different things to thank God for. 

The point is that we ALL need to Thank God for ALL HE has done for us, as well as the things that HE has given us.

I don’t have anything that the LORD didn’t give me!!!  And truthfully neither does anyone else. 

I seldom even hear God's children rejoicing and thanking God for the little things in life.  It is just sad, but true!!!  

Oh, sure, when someone gets a new car or a new house, they will make sure that they stand up in church and tell everyone how God has blessed them!!

But you know, it truly is a blessing to be able to wake up each morning and be in our right minds.  It is a blessing to be able to see, and walk, and talk. 

It is a blessing to have a house to live in, and money to pay the rent and the bills, especially in this day and time!!!  It is a blessing to have a job to go to each day!!! 

And if you have that new car and new house, then you better be thankful that God has made a way for you to have these things and pay for them!!!

So, all I am saying is that we should be thankful for what we have!!!

And we need to take time out to thank the Lord for everything we have!!! 

We need to tell God, Thank You for ALL you have done for me!!! 

Then we should let others know how blessed we are!!! 

Not everyone can say that they are clothed or even in their right minds. Many are blind and sick!!!  Oh what they would give to just be well!!!

So, to those of you who can say, we are clothed and in our right minds; we have eyes to see and ears to hear; our arms and our legs work properly.  Our children and our parents are healthy!!!  We have food to eat and clothes to wear.  We have a place to live and a car that runs.  Just remember to say, Thank You Lord!!!!   

If we began to count our blessings-naming them one by one-most of us would find out how truly blessed we really are!!!

So, I dare you to just stop and count your blessings!!!    

It may sound like a simple children’s song, but it is so true!!!

Count your blessings

Name them one by one.

Count your blessings

See what God has done.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

NAME THEM ONE BY ONE.

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS! 
SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE!      

Everything Is Fine, Fine, Fine!!!

Posted for Oct 25, 2011

I was inspired to write this post by a song called Everything Is Fine.  It’s sung by Josh Turner.  When you read the lyrics at the bottom you will understand why I was inspired by this song.  Before I looked up the lyrics today, I actually only knew the words to the chorus below.

Everything is fine, fine, fine
Through the sunshine and the rain
I got a peace of mind
You know I can’t complain
I make it a point to thank the Lord
When I got Him on the line
I’m feeling good and everything is fine

When I hear this play, it reminds me that no matter what is going on, Everything Is Fine, Fine, Fine!!!

You know, we need to have this attitude ALL the time.  We need to know that God is indeed watching over us and that Everything Is Fine, Fine, Fine!!!

Instead of complaining, we need to tell everyone how good our GOD is!!! 

I have said this before, but we need to start telling ALL OUR MOUNTAINS-ALL our situations, ALL our problems, and anything else that tries to overwhelm us-HOW BIG OUR GOD IS!!! 

Then we can watch as ALL those things pale in comparison to OUR GOD!!!  

When things go wrong, we need to first tell ourselves that everything is going to be FINE!!!  Then we need to assure those around us that God will make a way!!! 

When we not only believe, but know that God is in control and has a purpose for everything that happens, then we can TRUST and REST in HIM!!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. 

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 (TNIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

You can rest and you can sleep peacefully when you stand on God’s Word and refuse to let your heart be troubled by the cares of this old world!!! 

John 14:27 (NKJV) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Psalm 4:8 (AMP) In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

MY SLEEP SHALL BE SWEET BECAUSE I TRUST IN GOD TO TAKE CARE OF ALL MY MOUNTAINS!!!

Proverbs 3:24 (AMP) When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

*******

Everything Is Fine – Lyrics

I got a home down on the river
I’m married to the woman of my dreams
Got a good truck that gets me down the highway
Everything is perfect or so it seems
Momma and Daddy come by sometimes
And everything is fine

My old dog does a little singing
Late at night when the moon gets bright
Sunday morning hear the church bells ringing
Let us go and see who’s getting baptized
We gonna take us a Sunday drive
Cause everything is fine

Everything is fine, fine, fine
Through the sunshine and the rain
I got a peace of mind
You know I can’t complain
I make it a point to thank the Lord
When I got Him on the line
I’m feeling good and everything is fine

Got the same job down at the warehouse
Ain’t never been rich but I sleep at night
Got a little girl that looks like her mamma
She likes it when her daddy tucks her in real tight
One night this week we’re gonna have a fish fry

Cause everything is fine, fine, fine
Through the sunshine and the rain
I got a peace of mind
You know I can’t complain
I make it a point to thank the Lord
When I got Him on the line
I’m feeling good and everything is fine
Wahoo!!

I make it a point to thank the Lord
When I got Him on the line
I’m feeling good and everything is fine
I’m feeling good and everything is fine

My God Watches Over Me!!!

 

How many times have we avoided danger unknowingly???  How many times has God intervened on our behalf???

Do you think that He will tell us when we get to Heaven?

Have you ever felt NOT to go somewhere??? 

Or maybe you felt to leave for a job interview at a certain time, even though you knew you would there really early if you did!!!  But it just seemed very important that you leave at that time!!!

I don’t know why I went that way.  How many times have I heard that???

Or…  For some reason, I just turned and went a different way today.  I just felt to go another way!!!

Well, I do NOT believe in coincidence or happenstance!!!  I do NOT believe that any thing just happens by chance!!! 

The Word says, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CEB) There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens.

When you live for God, HE directs your paths!!!  The steps of a righteous man are ordered by God.  Ps. 3:6, Ps. 37:23

And because I live for HIM, HE watches over me!!!  

1 Samuel 2:9 (AMP) He will guard the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked shall be silenced and perish in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

I really like knowing that God watches over me.  I have seen God move for me in so many ways and in so many situations.  If I told you even a small portion of then, we would be here for well, over a month, if NOT longer!!! 

I want to share with you what God showed me about how HE watched over David.  This is such a wonderful example of how GOD cares for and watches over those who love HIM!!! 

You see, David loved the Lord and he honored God in ALL that he did!!!  If you have read very much about David, then you know that God anointed David to be King of Israel when he was 17 (while Saul was still sitting on the throne.)  1 Sam. 16:1, 11-13 

Saul had disobeyed God and refused to take responsibility for his actions and so God rejected him.  1 Sam. 15:1-26  

But even when Saul threatened David and tried to kill him, David refused to touch the Lord’s anointed man.  David knew that Saul had been anointed by God to be King (1 Sam. 11:15) and he refused to do him any harm. 

In this David was very wise.   

God had given him great favor among the people.  In 1 Samuel 27, we find David and 600 men leaving Israel with their families to go to the land of the Philistines. 

God gives David favor with Achish, the King of Gath.  Achish gives David the city of Ziklag, so that he and his men and all their families might dwell there.  1 Sam. 27:6   

In chapter 28, we find that the Philistines are preparing to go to war with Israel.  Achish asks David to go to battle with him against the children of Israel and David agrees.  It doesn’t tell us exactly what David is thinking or planning on doing. 

But in chapter 29, we see God intervene on David’s behalf!!!  The Philistine Princes do NOT trust David and they force Achish to send David and his men home to Ziklag, to their wives and children.

In Chapter 31, we find that the Philistines go up against Israel in battle and they defeat Israel and kill many men including Saul and his sons. 

Now, let’s look at this for just a moment.  I am going to tell you what God showed me.   

David was willing to go to battle with Achish and would have done just as the Philistines feared.  He would have fought against the Philistines with the Israelites, but God intervened. 

David had no idea that God had totally rejected Saul and that Saul would die in this battle.  David had no idea that his future was about to change drastically!!!  He had no idea that only days after this battle, he would be anointed King over Judah!!!  2 Sam. 2:1-4    

But God knew and HE intervened.

Don’t you know that if David had fought in this battle, someone would have tried to say that he killed Saul!!! 

God also showed me that HE intervened on David’s behalf in another way.  He showed me as I was writing this, that if David and his men had gone into this battle, they would NOT have known until it was too late that their homes had been attacked and burned with fire.  1 Sam. 30 

Don’t you know that God has perfect timing!!! 

When David and his men got home after 3 days of traveling, they found their families and all that belonged to them gone.  David asked the Lord what to do and God told him to go after the invaders.   

God told David that they would recover ALL that was stolen from them.  1 Sam. 30:8 

In verse 16, we find that as David and his men pursue the enemy, they find them (the Amalekites) celebrating.  David and his men attacked the Amalekites and killed all of them except 400 young men who escaped on camels. 

And just as God had told David when he sought The Lord, David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away.  1 Sam. 30: 18-19    

 

I love knowing that my God watched over David!!!  And I know that just as MY GOD watched over David, He will watch over me!!!

Psalm 91 (KJV)

 ¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 ²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

 ³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

 ⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

 ⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

 ⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

 ⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

 ⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

 ⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

 ¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

 ¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

 ¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 ¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

 ¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

 ¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

 ¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Let NOT Your Heart Be Troubled!!!

Do you ever have a problem and just when you think you have it solved or fixed, it comes back?  Well, even if you haven’t ever had this happen to you, I have!!!   

I had an issue come up and it bothered me.  And the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. 

Then I heard THE LORD say, Let NOT your heart be troubled. 

Now, I am very familiar with this scripture.  It is John 14:27 and it says, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

But even after the Lord reminded me of this scripture, I kept letting this issue bother me. 

As I listened to a Joyce Meyer CD, I heard her quote this same scripture.  She actually quoted it one time and then a few minutes later she read the whole verse. 

Then I opened my Daily Grace Inspirations email from Joseph Prince and guess what the title was.  Yep, sure enough!!!     

Let NOT Your Heart Be Troubled

John 14:27
27Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Well, if that isn’t clear enough, then I don’t know what is!!!  So, I finally got the message!!!  GOD was telling ME to NOT LET MY HEART BE TROUBLED about this issue.    

So, finally, I pushed the issue to one side and I began to enjoy the beautiful day outside and get some work done.  I got to visit for a while with some friends who stopped by from out of town.  

I really had just a wonderfully, peaceful day in the Lord, and I even went back inside and took a nap.  

The Lord even sent another friend by after work just to see how I was doing and we talked for a few.  As this person and I talked, I was able to share with him what the Lord was telling me.

Let NOT Your Heart Be Troubled!!!  John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Later, when it got cooler, I went back outside and I finished my blog.  Then I worked on some stuff for my mom.  To me, it was an absolutely beautiful day and an even more beautiful night!  It had been a perfect day, ALL day long. 

As I sat outside knowing that it was time to go in the house, I got to see the lightening crackling through the sky, lighting up the night.  And sure enough, we got some rain!!  It just seemed like the perfect end to a perfect day.  I fell asleep listening to the rain. 

Now, I usually sleep very well when it rains, but for some reason, I didn’t sleep well last night.        

So, I was still tired when I woke up, but I got up anyway.  I took a nap later in the day and when I woke up, I turned on the TV.  I listened to several preachers this evening, and they ALL had good messages. 

Almost every one of them preached something that God has dealt with me about in the last 2 weeks and several preached things that I have written in the past 2 weeks.   

Finally, Kenneth Copeland came on, and what he said really struck home!!!  

He said that one time when he was really beating himself up, God told him that HE knew exactly what HE was getting when HE got him (Kenneth.)   

God told him that HE knew ALL about him and that HE HAD CALLED HIM ANYWAY!!!

And when I heard Kenneth Copeland say that, it hit me right between the eyes!!!  

I realized right then and there, that God was saying to me, KATHY, I KNEW ALL ABOUT YOU BEFORE I EVER CALLED YOU!!!  AND I CALLED YOU ANY WAY!!!

GOD KNEW ALL MY PROBLEMS, ALL MY HANG-UPS, ALL MY JUNK, AND EVERY ISSUE THAT I WAS EVER GOING TO HAVE, BEFORE HE EVER CALLED ME!   

HE KNEW EXACTLY WHO HE WAS GETTING AND HE CALLED ME ANY WAY!!!!

Kenneth went on to say that God had told HIM that there wasn’t anything in his life that HE COULDN’T HANDLE!!!

AND THAT WAS IT!!!  THAT WAS IT FOR ME!!! 

You see, when I woke up this morning, it was back!  There it was (that same issue) like it was trying to haunt me!!!  So, I had ignored it.  I knew that that was why I hadn’t slept well.

AND I KNEW THAT GOD WAS TELLING ME THAT IF I GAVE THIS ISSUE TO HIM AND TRUSTED HIM WITH IT, HE COULD AND HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT!!!

I knew He was telling me that HE knew ALL about it and that I just needed to say, Here it is Lord, please take it!!! 

And so I did!!!  I gave that thing-that had at one time seemed like such a big deal-to the Lord!!!  And you know, it didn’t seem nearly so big NEXT TO MY GOD!!! 

And it’s gone now!!!  :)

Yesterday evening and again today, I saw this posted on a friend's FB page.  He is in rehab and had had problems with his insurance. This is what he said.  WE'RE SHOWING THAT MOUNTAIN HOW BIG OUR GOD IS!!

And you know that is what we ALL need to do!!! We need to quit telling God how BIG our mountains (problems) are.  WE NEED TO START TELLING OUR MOUNTAINS HOW BIG OUR GOD IS!!!   

As I wrote this tonight, part of a song kept coming to me. 

Bigger than all my problems, Bigger than all my fears,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.

These words are from a song called Bigger Than Any Mountain (by Gordon Jensen.)  I found the words on a site called on GreatWorshipsSongs.com.  Here is the link to this song and its lyrics.  The words are below. http://www.greatworshipsongs.com/song_info.asp?return=songlist.asp%3Foffset%3D45%26songtype%3D5&SongId=22   

Bigger Than Any Mountain

Bigger than all my problems, Bigger than all my fears,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.
Bigger than all my questions, Bigger than anything,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.

Bigger than all the shadows that fall across my back,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.
Bigger than all the confusion, Bigger than anything,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.

Bigger than all the giants, fear and unbelief,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.
Bigger than all my hangups, Bigger than anything,
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.

I like that!!!  MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL MY PROBLEMS, BIGGER THAN ALL MY FEARS!!! GOD IS BIGGER THAN ANY MOUNTAIN THAT I CAN OR CANNOT SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I say to you today, GOD KNEW ALL ABOUT YOU BEFORE HE EVER CALLED YOU!!!  

HE KNEW ALL YOUR PROBLEMS, ALL YOUR HANG-UPS, ALL YOUR JUNK, ALL YOUR FEARS, AND ANY ISSUE THAT YOU WOULD EVER HAVE! 

THERE IS NOTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT IS TOO BIG FOR GOD!!! 

GOD KNEW EXACTLY WHO HE WAS GETTING BEFORE HE EVER CALLED YOU, AND HE CALLED YOU ANYWAY!!!!!!!!! 

HE LOVES YOU!!!  AND HE CAN HANDLE ANY PROBLEMS OR ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE!!!    

GOD IS BIGGER THAN ANY MOUNTAIN THAT YOU CAN OR CANNOT SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!