💪Lift Up👆

 Set your affection on things above

Psalms 25:1 (KJV) Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

In order to lift up my soul I need to know what my soul is. We are told to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. When we tell someone that we love them with all our heart what do we mean? 

When I say to my wife “I love you with all my heart” what do I mean? Does that mean?  I don’t love our children? I don’t love my mother and Dad? 

Of course not! Love is something we freely give. I love my wife, no one can makes me do that. When I tell her that, I’m saying, all my affections are for you. That being said, she and I both have affection for our parents, our children, our grandchildren and great grandchildren. When the line is drawn in the sand it’s not that you are my only affection, you are my greatest affection. Everyone will leave our home but she and I have decided to stay together with each other until death. No one makes us do that, we do that because we love each other greatly. So what is the soul? Is this not where everything comes from? My soul has feelings, emotions, concerns. When David said “I lift up my soul” is David not saying I lift up my affections, I’m communicating to you Lord in prayer, I’m drawing close to You O Lord, I’m lifting up my eyes. It’s hard for me to understand what men and women did to Jesus Christ. How did He feel when men slapped Him? How did He feel when He was spit on? How did He feel when men beat Him? How did He feel when people said awful words to Him? What did Jesus look like when He got to the cross before the nails were driven into Him? He could have stopped it with one word, but He didn’t. Instead Jesus in all His pain and disappointment said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Have we ever stopped and lifted up our soul like David? Think about what the Lord has done for us? I think it’s time to lift up our soul. Psalms 25:2 (KJV) O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Psalms 42:1 (KJV) As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Matthew 22:37 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

🥺Who’s Is It’s 🤔

  Wrong thinking will take your life in the wrong direction.

  One may go and lease a store front. After leasing they may go in and change things around or improve it to their liking. The space is not theirs just because they improved it, oh no it still belongs to the owner. Not far from where I live there were hundreds of acres full of trees and all kinds of undergrowth. Then one day I went by and they were clearing the property. After they cleared they fenced it all in. Then they built barns and other things. What it cost to do that I could not even begin to know in my little tin cup mind. Then I read this in the book of Psalms. 

Psalms 24:1 (KJV) The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Now there is a piece of paper at the county court house that says this man who did all those improvements owns the property. Does he? Looks like to me he’s just leasing; “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof;” It’s not ownership we were told that from the very beginning. Genesis 2:15 (KJV) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Dress it, keep it! Clear it, fence it in, build on it but remember it’s not yours. 

🫪Knowing🧠

 Knowing is not enough, we must apply.

Psalms 23:1 (KJV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

That small phrase “The LORD is” shows up 55 times alone in the book of Psalms. It’s mention   

166 times in the Bible, 150 in the Old Testament and 16 times in the New Testament. In those 166 times we are told who the Lord is. 

In  Exodus 9:27 (KJV) the LORD is righteous”

In  Exodus 15:2 (KJV) “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation:” 

In  Numbers 14:9 (KJV) “the LORD is with us:”   

In  Luke 1:28 (KJV) “the Lord is with thee:”    

In  Luke 24:34 (KJV) “The Lord is risen indeed”     In  2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise”                

The Lord is a lot of things but here in Psalms 23 we read that the Lord is “my shepherd” If the Lord doesn’t become personal then He doesn’t become dependable. The Lord doesn’t become my Song, my Strength and my Salvation. He doesn't become my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Helper, my God. And He doesn’t become the one I can Trust on or in, because being personal means that you an I know who The Lord is. It’s impossible to know who someone is if you don’t spend time with them. My wife and I were separated for a long period of time when Uncle Sam decided to send me far away. We wrote letters and then my dad came up with this idea, cassette tapes. Those cassette tapes kept my mind from forgetting what my wife sounded like. You may say that I shouldn’t forget what her voice sounded like. A long period of separation can really mess with your mind. I may not have forgotten but it sure was good to hear her voice. Nothing could have taken the place when that plane landed in Atlanta that December night right before Christmas in 1971.  When I saw her with my eyes, my ears heard that voice I was so familiar with. What rejoicing, not only see her but our son also. Had I not taken time to communicate by letter and also listen to her voice would I have knew her? Imagine meeting someone you say you know but you haven’t talked to them, read their letters or heard their voice. That is why people hold up signs in airports with names on them because they have no idea who they are to pick up. If you say you know the Lord, then we should spend some time with Him, get to know Him so that when you get to Heaven you’ll know who Jesus is. 

1 John 5:20 (KJV) And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

🫪Where did You Go💨

 Where you are is all about understanding your current path.

No help, unheard, yet the cry is clear “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?.” Have we ever found ourselves saying those words? If not openly then maybe in silence. You know what I didn’t read? Were words of why me! We are reading of a day that will not come for 100’s of years. As Dr. M.R. Dehann wrote in one of his books when he said “we see Our Lord on every page in our Bible. Sometimes He is seen as a shadow moving across the pages, At other times He is seen standing behind the lattice and yet at other times He stands boldly upon the page.” Just take time and look for He is always there.  Here is one of those times our Lord is seen standing boldly upon the page. It was that awful day at Calvary. Pilate had Jesus whipped because the hatred of the people was so great. Instead of setting Jesus free the people would rather have a known criminal set free. So they did just that. John 19:1 (KJV) Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

  The beating was so hard and the weight of the cross was so great another had to carry the cross. Here in Psalms 22 Jesus cries out, "My God, My God or Dad, Dad where are you? ”Why hast thou forsaken me?” Why? Because on that day Jesus was making payment for mine and your sin debt. Paul wrote of this payment in Romans chapter 6 verse 23 “For the wages of sin is death.” Here on that day on that cross Jesus paid our sin debt and God had to distance Himself from Jesus His Son. 

 Psalms 22:1 (KJV) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

We at times may feel and even ask God where are you. Job did Job 23:2 (KJV) Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

Job 23:3 (KJV) Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

We at times may distance ourselves from God but God never will distance Himself from His children. 

 Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

On that day at Calvary God left His only Son and the darkness came as Jesus did what we should never have to do “my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” 

🪎Where Pure Gold is Cheap💸

The finest compliment you can pay a man is that his word was as good as gold. — Evel Knievel

David the King. David in the top place of leadership does something different than the leaders of today. We hear what they have done; I was poor but now because of my wise moves I’m well to do. Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. David the King said it well, and we should take what he said and how he said it to heart. 

Psalms 21:1 (KJV) The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

David said he shall joy in the LORD’s strength not his. In the LORD’s Salvation and how great he shall rejoice. 

Psalms 21:2 (KJV) Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

The LORD has given David the King his heart’s desire. 

Count Your Blessings

 When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.    

 When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings, money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. 

I think that was what David the King was doing. It was the LORD that gave victory over the enemies. It was the LORD that gave salvation and it was the LORD that gave peace within. It was the LORD that answered prayer and it was the LORD that kept on giving.  David was no fool; he knew where his help came from, his blessing came from and he took time to thank the LORD for HIS goodness. When we are filled with discouragement, thinking all is lost. When we look around and see the prosperity of others, the wise financial decisions they made and we didn’t. We may lose heart if that’s all we see. Never forget what Christ has done and is doing in your life. Oh we may not see it clearly now but one day we will. I’m reminded of the movie The Wizard of Oz. At the end when the great Oz was seen for being what he really was. But he gave hope to the Scare Crow, the Tin Man and the Lion. When he said this phrase “but they have one thing you don’t.” So when this life looks bad and you get to thinking about what you don’t have. Stop and remind yourself, I have one thing many don’t  and that’s eternal life. Headed to a city where streets are paved with gold. Oh how cheap gold has become in our heavenly city that God paves the streets with it. Get your mind off the cheap things of this life a look further ahead to a place where death is disbanded.       

🤔Words I Learned🧐

 The Word of The Lord came!  

Is not this the word that we did tell thee?  

 Psalms 20:1 (KJV) The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

Psalms 20:2 (KJV) Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;

The LORD hear thee

When: in the day of trouble

Purpose: Send thee help  

The Place:  from the sanctuary

Psalms 20:7 (KJV) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Some put their trust in the wrong thing. The wrong power, the wrong strength. The strength of the horse. The power of the chariot. But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Now that’s interesting wording;  “we will remember.” There is no way on God's green earth anyone can remember if it never happened. Webster said to remember is “To have in the mind an idea which had been in the mind before, and which recurs to the mind without effort.”

When the Lord has done something in our past we remember what He has done, we haven’t forgotten. Just the other day I was driving and my mind was all over the place. I was agitated and I didn’t know why? A quick thought here, a quick thought there. I decided to pull into a small strip mall, I parked and turned the engine off. I then bowed my head and said a short prayer and pleaded for help. The Lord heard my prayer and my  agitation left. I have never forgotten the words of a preacher long ago “what He has done for others He will do for you.” Oh how true that is. Why is that?   Acts 10:34 (KJV) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

God does not have more respect for one person than another. Oh where did I learn that? In the Sanctuary being around God's children. There was one man I learned so much from. James Smith, he has been in heaven for over 30 years. Oh but his words of wisdom still ring in my heart today. The words I learned in the sanctuary from the song leader. Going to the Sanctuary or Church has never been a waste of my time. Oh but I heard one say that all the preacher does is ask for money. You heard from one who doesn’t go to the Sanctuary much. Listen to those who attended on a regular basis and you won’t hear them say that.   

🕶️Sunglasses or Confession?🙏

 It’s during the moments of darkness that we need the Greater light to shine.

Have you ever had the sun get in your eyes that it made it hard for you to see? Without doubt I’m sure; you reach for your sunglasses to help and they do but the brightness of the sun is still there. Your sunglasses have made it better but not taken all the brightness away. We can put on the sunglasses of life. Hoping to take away the bright light God is trying to get to our soul. We may put on the glasses of alcohol, drugs, sex, anger, disbelief, ignorance or another pleasure dimming the light God is trying to reveal. Just like

heading east in the morning you are going to need sunglasses. Sunglasses dim the light but the glory of God is still going to be there making its way above the tree line and into your eyes.   

Psalms 19:1 (KJV) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Wow God shows us His glory every morning then again at night we get to witness His knowledge. Psalms 19:2 (KJV) Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

Who gets to witness God’s glory? God has made His glory available to all. Psalms 19:3 (KJV) There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. The glory of God is seen all over this world. There is no language or part of God’s World that His light doesn’t cover. No matter where you are, the glory of God will shine on you today. 

Psalms 19:6 (KJV) His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

We can run but we can’t hide. For just as you and I will see and experience the sun. So does our Heavenly Father see you and I.   

2 Chronicles 16:9 (KJV) For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth,  

Think you are hiding from the Lord? Think again for you are not. Adam thought he was hiding from God but found out he wasn’t. Psalms 69:5 (KJV) O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

Hiding doesn't help but confessing will.  

Romans 10:9 (KJV) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Sunglasses or Confession? He already knows.