Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you[.]

Psalm 31

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you[.] Psalm 31:19

I pause my studies of both Isaiah and of Proverbs to listen once again to John Piper's daily devotion Solid Joys on DesiringGod.com. Today's devotion is a promise of future grace for those who are desperate and helpless, and for those who plead to God, depending on Him for refuge.  God desires this dependence on Him - He does not want for us to be self-sufficient. Piper provides Psalm 31:19 as an expression of this promise, and Piper provides the following other scripture examples:

• None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:22)
• He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (2 Samuel 22:31)
• Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:12)
• The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. (Nahum 1:7) 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great indeed and there are none like You.  Only You can the helpless find true and lasting refuge and protection.  Thank You Jesus!  I am certainly not deserving of such a blessing.  My sin is great, it is daily, and I am helpless in face of my sin - without You.  Help me turn from my sin, overcome it, and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.

Isaiah 24-25

Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. Isaiah 25:3

I return to my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, on Lesson 9, Day 4, the focus continues with Isaiah 25, where we see - following judgement of the whole earth in the preceding chapter - messianic prophecies providing eternal salvation for the faithful. My commentary indicates that as part of God's perfect plan of redemptive history, God converts violent nations in Isaiah 25:2-3, and these verses describe the reverence of God as a response from the subdued violent nations. My commentary includes numerous examples of enemies of God converted by Him, including "Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:34-35), the Roman centurion who crucified Jesus (Mark 15:39); [and] Saul of Tarsus, who began the day breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples and ended the day a Christian (Acts 9:1-8)." In fact, all believers were once enemies of God (Romans 5:10). My commentary continues: "[u]ntil the violent are converted, God must protect his beloved people from the storm of their vicious attacks, so verses 4-5 depict the refuge God is from their onslaught. The delight of his people comes when God at last stills the song of the violent by either converting them or crushing them, as he does at the end of [Isaiah 25]." These early verses in Isaiah represent a great example of how believers gain peace knowing that that the forces of this world (Satan) are no match for the King of Kings!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: You are indeed an awesome God whose plans are perfect and who protects and rescues the faithful from Satan from the dark forces of this world, providing salvation and victory over sin and death - glorious indeed!  I am not deserving of such blessings...my sin - of worldly distractions, etc. - continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.

Isaiah 14-18

In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense. Isaiah 17:7-8

I continue with my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, on Lesson 7, Day 4 and 5, the focus is on Isaiah 17-18, where we see an oracle concerning Damascus and the land beyond Cush (Ethiopia). Once again, we see prophecies of God's wrath poured out on Israel's neighbors.  We also see God's disappointment with Israel (Isaiah 17:4-6, 10).  Within these prophecies, we see God's intent for Israel, that they should not seek alliances (as described in Isaiah 7:3-9, 2 Kings 16:1-6, 9) with neighboring lands for protection and not seek foreign gods and the altars of these foreign Gods, but instead look to the One True God - the Holy One of Israel.  With all that is going on in the world today, man is not where we should seek our refuge and assistance. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of love for me, who never leaves or forsakes me, and is my rock and refuge.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings - my sins continue - complaints, worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path.

Psalm 120, 121, 140, 143 and 144

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Psalm 140:4-5

Day 113 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue with "Psalms of the Troubled Soul".

Today's psalms focus on prayers for deliverance from lying Gentiles who press war, praise for the Lord who watches over his people, prayers for protection from violent persons, prayer for preservation of life and protection against trouble, and for God's power.

As motivation to draw near to God, so we can draw upon the strength of God's promises and protect ourselves with a heart of gratitude, we should recognize that there is a battle raging for our soul over sin.  Satan is all around us and on the prowl.  David gets it right - we all need a savior.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

 My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who protects me - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of Your love and protection.  I continue to sin...primarily in the workplace but everywhere in my life.  Please forgive me Lord.  Help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.

1 Samuel 28

Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. v16-19

Saul is bent on killing David, even though he tells David that he will not.  Saul's life becomes what James predicts when we follow sin down the slippery slope: 

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15

 

Lord Jesus, please help me stay near to You.

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has protected me from many sins - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. v9

In the first nine verses of Joshua, the Lord tells Joshua to strong and courageous three times (v6,7,9), including verse 7 where Joshua is told to be "[b]e strong and very courageous".   

God wants Joshua to be strong and courageous because He will be with us wherever we go (v9).  We are also to be strong and courageous because there is temptation and sin in the world and we will face difficulties.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

God give us His Son, the Holy Spirit, His Word, faith, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ who pray and support us, etc.  With all of this we have the armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who protects us and keeps us strong during times of difficulty - You are our Rock.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  My sin continues.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.

Zechariah 14

Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. v3

In "this world", as believers we are surrounded by sinful influences, and at times it can be overwhelming.  In chapter 14, Zechariah prophesizes about challenging times indeed. Yet, we don't need to worry because God will fight for us and He will give us victory...in this life or in Heaven.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.  I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. Psalm 45:4-8

 

But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. Psalm 129:4

 

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God indeed.  You protect me from my Satan and give me victory over sin and death - what a great God You are!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such a God.  I continue to sin...worry, impatience, envy, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and savior. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Micah 7

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. v7

There will be times of turmoil in our lives when we have personal tragedies, challenges, etc. or when we are surrounded by those in the world whose sin and influence gives us great fear.  My hope is that I don't give in to my fear but instead rest in the Lord.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 199:114

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Psalm 3:5-6

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. Proverbs 19:23

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who will never leave or forsake me even during times of trouble.  You are faithful and You are my refuge, strength, shield and rock.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love as I continue in my sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. v114

Where is my hope?  Too often I place my hope in financial security, or in my own abilities, or on the actions of others.  Instead I should place all of my hope in God.  He is the only one who can do anything, at any time.  He is all knowing.  And His motives are pure - He loves me and He promises me that He will never harm me and that He will "prosper" me  and to give me "hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).  And God always keeps His promises (Luke 1:37).

What an awesome God we have!

My Prayer: Lord You are my hope and my shield.  You encourage and protect me from harm - thank You Jesus these blessings and many more!  I am undeserving of such blessings - I worry far too much.  That I do it at all is a sin.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin.  Help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 60

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. v12

We face enemies daily - and Satan is our number one enemy of both us and Jesus. Satan is real...very real.  Even Jesus' chosen disciples (Peter, Judas, etc.) have fallen under the influence of Satan.  We need to be aware that Satan is a very real influence and the God is our only refuge.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

 

See also post here.

Paul provides the same warning as Peter and adds encouragement for us to seek God alone as our refuge.

 

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.                       1 Thessalonians 5:6-8

 

My Prayer:  Lord, You indeed are a great God full of power and wonders...unmatched by anyone or anything, including Satan.  I know Satan exists, is on the prowl, and is the great deceiver.  Yet You are more powerful than anything as You are the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings...able to defeat sin and death.  And You are my God...You know everything about me, You adopted me and suffered and died for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a gift...the greatest gift of all time.  I worry too much.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin....and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, apply Your message for me today and every day.

Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life.

Psalm 17

Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. v13-14

As I posted yesterday, our focus should always be upward, towards the eternal and towards His glory.  When we live a life for Jesus, we are promised to have "trouble".

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Yet trials from God are GOOD for us:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James1:2-3

As I posted here, God is a righteous and perfect judge, so all that we experience, good and bad is by His design and for His glory...and of course, for our good.

So, just as David writes in Psalms, all of us will have trouble in this world when we focus on the eternal and on Jesus.  Help us focus on how these troubles are for God's glory and our good.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love, grace, mercy, etc. for me.  I am not worthy of such a God as I continue to be impatient with people in my life.  Thank You for all the ways that You bless me Jesus and please forgive me for how I lack the grace for others as You have poured out on me.  Please forgive me and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Satan is as deadly as Cancer
Ephesians 6

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. v12

There is certainly no doubt that evil is real, on the "prowl", powerful, and very deceptive - we must protect ourselves.  The devotion today devotes little focus on how.  Yet the verses before and after verse 12 speak directly to how we can protect ourselves and Romans 12 and other verses get more specific in this regard.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11

...

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:13-18

...
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

 ...

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We MUST be in the word, stay rooted to Him, etc. - see also Deuteronomy 6, John 15.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You alone are my protector, in all things and all circumstances.  Thank You for You protect me daily...I know You are slow to anger and abounding in love...Thank You!  I am not worth such protection and love yet You are full of mercy anyway.  I often fail to be the man You intend for me - I should be sharing the Good News about You all the time yet I don't - please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me be more bold.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You!  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

Putting Out the Spirits Fire
1 Thessalonians 5

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. v19-22

As I have posted recently, Satan is all around us and on the "prowl". The only way to defeat sin is through Jesus Christ. 

A vivid example of how Jesus defeats Satan and sin is from Matthew 4 (see also Mark 1 and Luke 4) where Jesus is tested in the wilderness but uses scripture (Deuteronomy) to guard His heart.

See also Proverbs 3 as referenced here and other references here about the importance of staying near to God to guard our heart.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5-8

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God, creator of all things, capable of all things, knowing of all things and full of mercy and compassion for me...I am not worth such a gracious God...I continue to be full of worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me guard my heart by staying near to You, Your Word, the church, and my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer and the remaining side effects of chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 The Wannabe God
1 Peter 5

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. v8

I have previously posted on the need to stay alert and of sober mind as encouraged by Peter.  No doubt, Satan is real and we need protection.  Protection is afforded through God alone - and God arms us with His Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, etc.  

The Bible provides many vivid examples of how God protects us, including how God protected Jesus from Satan in the wilderness, how God protected Daniel from the lion's den, etc.

God is real, able to defeat sin and death, and He always protects us - see also references to other posts here.

Thank You God for how You protect us!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God - full of love, compassion, mercy, etc.  You protect me even though I am not deserving of such mercy - I have sinned in my life and I know that wages of sin are death.  But You have rescued me and You continue to rescue me - thank You Jesus!  Worry is still active in my life so please forgive me Jesus.  I know You tell me not to worry.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer and the side effects of chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 11

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever. v15

In the midst of the end of times, God provides comfort for those who have called God their God and who have obeyed and followed His ways...I am prayerful that I and my family are part of this group.

God protects!

...for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.  Proverbs 2:8

Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:3-4

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

 

Of course there are MANY more scripture references for how God protects me and all of His children but I take great comfort in how God HAS, DOES, and ALWAYS WILL protect me.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love, compassion, patience, etc. for me...You protect me from great harm and You have done so many times and I know You will always.  I don't know what is in store for me but I know it will be for Your glory and my good...as You are just.  I am not deserving of such love and blessing Jesus because I worry...about my job.  I care about my status and this is sinful!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me be worthy of Your protection...now and during the end of times should You return before I die.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation 3

I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. v5

Eternal life in Heaven with Christ the Father can never be taken from us...it is a gift of God.  We should find rest in this assurance.

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God that has provided the greatest gift of all time....Your Son!  Christ has suffered and died for me so that I can have freedom from sin and eternal life in Heaven with Him.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such an incredible gift.  I am lazy.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me find peace and assurance that this gift can never be taken from me.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

Jude 1

Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. v10

This is of course a warning for all believers and it is just as relevant today as it was when Jude penned this letter.  The patterns of this world (Romans 12:2) lead to sin and destruction and we to easily fall into these patterns when we don't understand the character of God and his design and plans for us.  We need to draw close to God so that He can protect us! 

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

See also scripture in Jeremiah, etc. here . 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great and only You can protect me from the sin of this world and how this WILL destroy me if I am left on my own.  I have felt the power of Your hand in my life and want it daily, every day...please help me Jesus!  Thank You for Your many blessings Jesus but please forgive me for my harshness with my family!  Help me please!  Please help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 1

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. v13-15

I have held for sometime that selfish desires are symptoms of our sinful nature (in us but not from God - instead from Satan) and that when we focus on renewing our mind (Romans 12) God transforms our hearts, minds, and lives to the extent that we can recognize these symptoms when they occur and be better equipped to prevent sin from taking a serious hold in our lives...this has certainly helped me.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God that You provide Your Son, Your Holy Spirit, Your Word, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ - all so that we can protect ourselves from sin and gain Your protection.  How awesome!  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not worth such protection - I continue to sin - complaining is my sin today among my many.  Forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa comfort, strength, and freedom from pain.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me put on the armor of God and defeat sin in my life and in the life of others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.

2 Timothy 4

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. v18

There is indeed a battle for my soul, fought by God and the forces of evil.  This battle is being waged not only for my soul, but also for the souls of those in my care - in my household - Lisa, Zach and Dustin.

We have been told many times by Paul, James, and others that we will face trials, suffering, persecution, evil...so we must be prepared.

See Ephesians 6, Deuteronomy 20:3-4

Lord Jesus, Give me strength to fight and win this battle - leaning on you.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE incredible in all that You are and all that You do.  You bless me beyond what I deserve - You are gentle, compassionate, patient, etc....for me.  I am not worth such love and care.  I continue to think harsh thoughts and sometimes act on these harsh thoughts.  Thank You that You are so gentle, compassionate, patient, etc. with me but please forgive me!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Protect me from evil. Give Lisa strength, comfort, and freedom from pain.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. v3

As I posted yesterday, Satan is real and at work in us and around us and we need God's protection.  If we go to God in prayer, through study and application in His Word, etc. then we should take great comfort that He promises to protect us.

Solomon also tells us in Proverbs 2:

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding —
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones. 

  hen you will understand what is right and just

    and fair—every good path.

  For wisdom will enter your heart,

    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

  Discretion will protect you,

    and understanding will guard you. 

  Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse, 

 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,

    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,

  Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

My Prayer: Lord You are a great God, one who came to save and protect...and You chose me, knowing everything about me, including my sin and brokenness and disobedience.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am quick to anger, slow to listen, etc. among my many sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me take great comfort in Your protection through prayer, study of Your word, etc. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength and comfort.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.