Trust in Him 

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. - Prov. 3:5-6

     Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or left; keep your foot from evil. - Prov. 4:26-27

     All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. -  Prov. 16:2 

     When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. - Prov. 16:7 

     All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.      - Prov. 21:2 

Walking the Ways  

     Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.           - Psalm 119:1-3

Commentary: God's ways represent those principles and means by which God relates to his people and advances his redemption in the earth. His ways are contrary to humanistic wisdom and values.

    O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. - David, Psalm 139:1-3. Also, Revelation chapter 2.  

Commentary: God knows all our inward thoughts, motives, desires and fears, as well as our outward habits and actions. He knows all we do from the beginning of the day to its end. In everything we do, he encircles us with his care. 

     The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. - Psalm 145:17

 Tomorrow: Trust

Show Me; Teach Me 

     Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. - Psalm 25:4

Commentary:

     Like Moses, the psalmist longed intensely to know God's ways. It is possible for us to know something about God's acts but never really know God or to understand his ways (the principles by which he works in us and guides us). 

(1) We must have a sincere desire to be led into God's righteous ways and the truth of his Word. 

(2) We must be eager to put our hope in God "all day long." - (v. 5) 

(3) We must humbly submit to God (v.9), commit ourselves to godly living (v. 10) and fear the Lord (vv. 12-14). 

(4) Since sin is a barrier to knowing God and his ways we must forsake sin and be cleansed and forgiven. (vv. 4-8). 

(5) Adversity in our lives is not necessarily a sign of God's disfavor (Psalm 34:15). Knowing God and his ways may lead us into suffering and loss. (Acts 14:22; 20:22-23).  

     The ultimate example is Jesus himself, who followed God's will perfectly, yet suffered sorrow, betrayal and the cross. 

Tomorrow: Who is blessed?

  

  

Walking in His Ways 

     Why O Lord, do you make us wander from your ways, and harden our hearts? - Isaiah 63:17 

     Teach me your ways, so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. - Exodus 33:13 

     What does the Lord your God ask of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. - Deut. 10:12, Rev. 2:4 

     You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. - Deut. 26:17 [repeated in Deut. 30:16]

     He is the Rock; and all his ways are just. - Deut. 32:4 

     His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.- Job 34:21

     All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. - Psalm 25:10

     Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.      - Psalm 37:7 

     Your ways, O God, are holy. - Psalm 77:13 

Psalm 25:4 and commentary tomorrow

 Let's Go for a Walk  

     Even a person who trains for marathons walks most of the time. 

     Enoch walked with God 365 years. Then he was no more, because God took him away. - Genesis 5:23-24

     Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on water and came toward Jesus. - Matt. 14:29 

     It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. - 2 John 4 

     A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.   - John 11:9-10

     He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects (sin), this is the man who will dwell on the heights. - Isaiah 33:15

     The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. - Prov. 13:20 

     He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. - Prov. 13:20 

     God expects us to walk. 

     As for which way to walk, come back tomorrow.

 

Quotables

    "The inescapable conclusion is that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the nation's history and traditions. An unbroken tradition of prohibiting abortion on pain of criminal punishment persisted from the earliest days of the common law until 1973." 

     - Supreme Court Justice Samuel J. Alito

~

     They felt entitled to our vote. The problem is they do not represent our values of faith, community, work ethic, or the desire to seek better opportunities." 

      - U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, on the Democratic Party and Hispanics. Flores won a special election in a House district that is 84.5 percent Hispanic.

~

     "The court affirmed that if you can use God's name in vain...and verbally disrespect and dismiss His existence in public without hindrance, then others should be able to praise Him, thank Him and talk to Him in public." 

     - Deon Joseph, a law enforcement consultant, commenting on the Supreme Court's Kennedy v. Bremerton School District decision. 

Promises for All   

     John the disciple (not the baptist), had the advantage of knowing Jesus before his crucifixion and after his resurrection. He wrote: "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man ... denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father." Strong words.  - 1 John 2:22-23 

     While explaining his mission to his disciples, Jesus said of himself, For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. - Matthew 16:27

     This happens to end the tribulation and begin his rule.    

     Also to his disciples: Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. - John 14:1-2 

     This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - John 15:8 

     Psalm 2:7 - "He said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'" This verse is restated in Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5. 

     This applies to Jesus' public claim to be God's Son and his anointing as prophet, priest and king." Matthew 3:12. Acts 13:33. Hebrews 1:5, 5:5 7:28. 2 Peter 1:13

Commentary: Children of God

     Being a child of God is the highest privilege of our salvation. It is the basis for our faith and trust in God, and our hope of glory. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. He wants us to be aware through the "Spirit of sonship" that we are his children. 

     Being a child of God is the basis for our discipline by the Father and the reason we live to please him. His interest is to conform us to the likeness of his Son. - See Romans 8:29

     Finally, for centuries Christians and Jews held their ground and the relationship was awkward at best. Christians, on their better days, took and still take salvation to the world. Thankfully, there is now an International Fellowship of Christians and Jews that focuses on charity. And in world affairs, America is Israel's best friend.