Psalm 18:1-6 – “He said: “I love you, Lord, my source of strength!  ² The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.  My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.   ³ I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies.  ⁴ The waves of death engulfed me, the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.  ⁵ The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,  the snares of death trapped me.  ⁶ In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried out to my God.  From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was reminded of our only reliable source of strength and guidance. Psalm 18:1-6 is revelatory.  Our real, reliable source of strength is GOD.

We tend to try to do it ourselves until, in utter desperation, life overwhelms us and we can’t fix it. Then, in distress, we call out – “HELP!” God, in His mercy, hears and responds.  In (v 29), because of our total reliance on God, we find the courage and strength to charge any enemy and are empowered to leap over problems as if they did not exist.

In (v 36), a revelation is offered. “You widen my path: my feet do not slip.” Let this picture unfold in your mind.   When God opens a path for us, a forest trail becomes like a superhighway, and we travel confidently.

Psalm 23 offers 12 specific benefits that ensure the condition of “No Lack.” If Jesus is our Shepherd (LORD), these things come with the territory.

• Food (lush green pastures).
• Water (refreshing streams).
• Stamina (He restores my strength).
• Guidance (right paths).
• Hope (walk through darkest valleys; He is there).
• Protection (fear no danger; Psalm 91).
• Grace. (Reassurance).
• Abundant Life (feast in the midst of adversaries).
• Anointing (refresh my head with oil).
• Presence (Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me perpetually).
• Promise (I will live in the LORD’S house for the rest of my life.)

What is in the LORD’S House?  The LORD! All Things! No lack!  That covers every dimension and aspect of life. No Lack!

Psalm 24:1 then becomes our foundation upon which our confidence grows and flows. “The LORD owns the earth, and all it contains, the world and all who live in it.”  If we see the truth and present reality of Psalm 23 and 24:1, nothing can hinder us! We become Overcomers!

LORD, help us to find and navigate the Superhighway of Life!

Psalm 7:1 – “O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter.  Deliver me from all who chase me. Rescue me!”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was reminded of what I needed to remember.   As Psalm 7:1 expresses, sometimes the appropriate prayer is “HELP!”    Sometimes, our only solution is to take shelter in God and make a plea for rescue! “LORD, I’m in a hard place and can’t fix it, HELP!”

We can confidently pray that prayer because, as (v 10) declares, “The Exalted God is my shield, the one who delivers the morally upright.”   That declaration embodies several things.

• Our hope of help is rooted in relationships.
• Our hope of help is based on God’s ability, not ours.
• Our hope of help is anchored on TRUST.

Sometimes, as we muddle through life, we wonder, “God, why would You even care about humanity?”   There is nothing good in us outside You.  We are ungrateful and disobedient.  Then, Psalm 8:10 gives revelation. “O LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is Your reputation (name) throughout the earth!” Our design and our purpose are to manifest God!  Our lives, lived in grace, are testimonials of God’s character.

Psalm 15 is challenging and encouraging.  Who can live in the perpetual presence of the LORD?  Who can have continual access to the Throne of Grace? Then (vv 2-5) lists the character traits of the person God accepts.

• The Blameless.
• The Honest.
• The Righteous.
• The Peaceable.
• The Kind.
• The Holy.
• The Covenant-Minded.
• The Promise Keepers.

These traits open heaven’s portals.  Those are not acts to earn, but evidence of the heart.  Those traits exude from a totally surrendered heart.  You don’t have to force them; they come naturally out of the overflow of love in the heart.

We must guard against being like those invited in of Luke 14.  We must not allow self-interest to become more important than God. We must not let career or the pursuit of economic or social status to become more important than God. We must not let our carnal desires overpower our desire for God.

If God holds our whole heart, we have all we need.

Job 23:8-10 – “If I go to the east, he is not there, and to the west, yet I do not perceive him.  ⁹ In the north when he is at work, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I see no trace of him.  ¹⁰ But he knows the pathway that I take; if he tested me, I would come forth like gold.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, my heart sang with joy and longed for more of God.  Job 16:19-22 reminded me of Jesus’ ministry to us. Here, I saw the ascended Christ’s ministry in heaven, which brought me comfort and joy. He is interceding for us!

In Job 23:8-10, I found great comfort through the revelation of the purpose and results of testing and trial. God is everywhere and fully aware all the time! Then (v 10), “But He knows the pathway I take; if He tested me, I would come forth like gold.”   At the end of the trial, we have victory if we persist and follow His precepts.

Job 29:3-4 reflects on what life is like when we maintain an intimate friendship with God! His presence drives out darkness.   Luke 3:16-17 points us to the truth that in Jesus, we have total cleansing!   In Luke 4:1-2, we see a valuable truth: tests always follow Blessing!

In the temptation of Christ, we see three dimensions of the test. The flesh (hunger), the ego and ambition, and vision and purpose.  In each, the devil offered a shortcut to achieving the goal.   In Luke 6:28-31, we have a revelation and reminder of how to interact with others. How to look at people and how to treat them.   The Golden Rule.

Then, here’s a reality we tend to miss or disconnect from.  Luke 6:38 is not a standalone passage.   It is the answer to (v 37).   It is the revelation of how God views our judging others.  It reveals God’s response to right & wrong judgment.    The inclusion of the Law of Sowing and Reaping is inescapable in every dimension of life!   It is an ironclad rule of the kingdom.

That also ties to Luke 6:43-45, where we understand that our expressed words are reflection pools of our hearts.  My encouragement today is that God knows all, sees all, and hears all.  He will guide us into the place of fullness IF we walk in obedience and seek intimate friendship with Him. When we give God our all, He gives us all we need to be all He designed us to be!

Take heart; the process continues, so persevere; Jesus is near!

Job 16: 18-22 – “O earth, do not cover my blood, nor let there be a secret place for my cry.  ¹⁹ Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.  ²⁰ My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; ²¹ and he contends with God on behalf of man as a man pleads for his friend.  ²² For the years that lie ahead are few, and then I will go on the way of no return.”

We have a new day dawning, and I know in my heart of hearts we are on the brink of the most incredible time in human history.   We are kept by love, and out of that love we have peace and can know and give love.

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, a stirring transpired in my heart, mind, and spirit. In the Book of Job (believed by many to be the oldest manuscript in the Bible), we have some incredible prophetic revelations.

Job 16:19-22 caused me to ask, “Is this a forward look prophetically to Jesus’ Heavenly Ministry?” He said, “My witness is in heaven as my advocate interceding for me before God.”   According to the New Testament, this is exactly what Jesus is doing now in heaven.

Couple Job 19:25-27 to that, and it is convincing that this is indeed prophetic. “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last He will stand upon the Earth. And after my skin has been destroyed (decayed in the grave), yet in my flesh I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold and not another.”   That is a picture of resurrection and eternal life!

In Job 23:8-10, we have insight into the reality that even though we can’t see God with the natural eye, He Is!  He will bring us to fullness through His tests and discipline.   Then (v 13) is Hebrews 13:8, long before Paul received that revelation, and Paul had possibly read Job’s words!

Job knew that we can’t always see God, but that God gives road signs to follow.   Mark addressed that in Mark 14:13.  The man carrying a jar of water.  Men didn’t do that; the women did.  That was a road sign.  God’s road signs are clear if we know what we are looking for, and if He is our focus and the Holy Spirit is our guide, we know!

The temple veil that hid the Holy Place was miraculously torn from the ceiling to the floor (top to bottom).   Symbolism = Access to God was now open to everyone, not just the priests. Also, it is God-initiated, so it is an invitation to enter His presence (Jeremiah 33:3).

Jesus, John, Zechariah, and Elizabeth were all Filled with the Holy Spirit. Simeon in the temple (Luke 2:25) had the Holy Spirit on him; they had the Holy Spirit in them (infilling).  What is my point? We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern the road signs of life and stay the course!

With the indwelling Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we can and should fulfill the commands in Mark 16:15-20.

Our words will have the backing of heaven, the authority of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Signs will accompany us!   Demons will flee, effective communication with God will occur, no weapon or tool of the enemy will prevail, and the sick will be healed.   We have the assurance that Jesus is working in and with us as He confirms His word with the miraculous!

Do you see what is available to us if we believe and receive it?   How can we ever be the same or accept mediocrity or business as usual?  The time is now!

LORD, help us to see and believe in our Advocate!