Commit you plans to the Lord

Commit your plans to the Lord

S- Proverbs 16 NASB

1 The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.

3 Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.

O -  These proverbs are from the Lord, given to Solomon the wisest man for all time,  and tell us more about our character and God’s design for us.   Because of sin we often will fall short of living by these proverbs, heck even Solomon fell short of following his own advice.  I am reminded that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom because without a healthy respect that God will hold us accountable for what we know the right thing is now that he has revealed it.   That fear of being disciplined and corrected most of the the time is enough for me to give pause prior to acting.  In the case of these three connected proverbs I am reminded I have plans in my heart but they should not guide my words if the plans are not from the Lord (my plans are sometime selfish and more like wishes).  What comes out of my mouth needs to be from the Lord otherwise it is not true and causes me and others to stumble.   I of course act in a manner I believe to be right and even believe to be righteous, but I am too fall short in these areas as my motives are sometimes coming from a place of hurt and bitterness and with a desire for revenge.     In the end my work is important to me and I make my own plans and then ask God to bless it vice committing my job and efforts to the Lord and allowing Him then to establish my plan. 

A -  The application for me is to recognize that I must commit my life, actions, words, and job to the Lord as the starting point.  If I do this with all my heart, mind, and soul, he will guide my words, motives, actions each and everyday and I will be able to glorify him in all the things I do.   So easily written,  not so easily lived.  Despite that I am excited and encourage to give this my full effort.  

P -  Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for todays lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you would forgive me my transgressions and arrogance as I have made plans that I have not committed to you.  I do that now, lay down my life and ask that you would establish my plans, guide my words, and actions.    I desire to be your light in this world full of darkness.   I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

The house of the Lord dwells in my heart

The house of the Lord dwells in my heart

S -  2 Chron 7 (NASB)

12 ¶ Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

13 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,

14 and My people fnwho are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

15 "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the fnprayer offered in this place.

16 "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.

O -  The temple that Solomon built was intended to be the closest representation of the heaven on earth, and would be the dwelling place of the Lord.  God gave Moses a plan for a mobile temple, and promised him a permanent home in the promised land.  Moses faithfully followed the instructions, but made a few errors a long the way and never got to make it completely to the promised land.   The leaders that followed up to David, stumbled in many and varied ways to provide a home for the Lord.   Eventually David, a man after God’s own heart became a King to lead Israel who had rejected God alone as King.  David through war was able to claim his throne and lead his people.  The Lord told David because of the killing he did and even his sin, David wouldn’t build the temple, but his son Solomon would... and he did.  Solomon sought wisdom from the Lord to lead God’s people and it was granted to him, and when he finished building the temple the Lord was pleased and once again dwelled in it amongst his people.    The Lord though knows mans heart,  that even those called by name to be God’s people would once again sin, but “if they would humble themselves and pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from their wicked ways , he would forgive their  sins and heal their land.   He would entire the temple they prepared and be with them forever.  Now this is a foreshadowing of Jesus to come both the first time to lead God’s people back to him (David),  to prepare a temple (in our hearts),  to help reconcile our sin (the sacrifice on the cross).   

A -  The application for me is this, God has His final plan for me and His people whom he has called by name.     I am free and forgiven, because of the sacrifice of Jesus,  and now I get to invite God into my heart,  a temple which He has prepared that he might lead and guide me, and be the Lord of my life.    Even this is still a mere symbol of what more is to come.   When Jesus returns, after a period, there will be a conquering of sin and death, and Heaven will come down to earth and we will literally dwell in the temple with God.  The application for me is to understand I am both David and Solomon,  but sinful by nature, but seeking after God, and needing to humbly repent and allow God’s Holy Spirit to dwell in me, and to guide me.   

P-  Dear Heavenly Father, I do humbly come before you, repenting for my sins of pride and arrogance, and even disobedience.  I pray Lord that you would forgive me and guide my heart, head , and hands as I get to live this life for you now.    I pray today that you provide for my physical, emotional and spiritual needs today as I go before you with a hopeful and humble heart, full of joy at the opportunity to share your love with those I interact with.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

His ways are better than my ways

Gods ways are better than my ways

S-Psalm 71 NASB

1 ¶ In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed.

2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me.

3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.

4 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,

5 For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.

6 By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother's womb; My praise is continually of You.

7 ¶ I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long.

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

10 For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together,

11 Saying, "God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver."

12 ¶ O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help!

13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek fnto injure me.

14 But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the fnsum of them.

16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.

18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.

19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the fnheavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?

20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me.

22 ¶ I will also praise You with a harp, Even Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed.

24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.

O-  This is a psalm of David, likely written during a period in which Absalom his son, was chasing after him trying to kill him and take his throne from him.  What we know about David, is he is extremely loyal to his family and extremely loyal to God.  So observing him in this tension between what he knows (God has anointed him King over Israel), and what he feels (great love and responsibility to shepherd his own son).   So once again David cries out to the Lord the only place he knows he can go.

A -  The application for me is that it is not important who is coming against you, their motive, and their truth.  What is important is what God wants you to do in the circumstances.   He has the big picture and He knows when I should go or when I should wait.  He knows when I should speak or when I need to bite my tongue.   His ways are better than my ways.  

P - Dear Lord thank you for cementing into my heart and mind that your ways are better than mine. Help me to remember that I to seek your guidance in all things great and small, but especially in those moments when I am feeling attacked by those around me.  Help me to have a heart like David.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.