Psalm 139: 1-4 – “O Lord, you examine me and know me.  ² You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away, you understand my motives. ³ You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do. ⁴ Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. ⁵ You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me.”  NET

God’s Promises are eternal, and His Presence is Perpetual.   He is always there or here, for He is Omnipresent!   He knows!  He sees!  He hears!  He feels!  He cares!  What a wonderful God we have!   One translation renders it as a “wrap-around presence.”   I like that God wraps Himself around us.

My heart and mind overflowed as I read, prayed, pondered, and mused on the Word.  Some of what filled my heart was a personal challenge to me.  It was both a word of encouragement and correction.

As I pondered the scriptures, I noticed that Job’s comforters began describing him somewhat favorably, but as they progressed, they accused him of vile corruption and greed.  He made them uncomfortable in their religious mentality.  They had everything neatly packaged in a box.  If bad happens, it means you sinned.  If good happens, it means you are righteous.   Job’s arguments challenged that, and religion became mean.   It always does.

It almost seems like the Psalmists capture Job’s confusion and reveal God’s heart.  Religion is satisfied if enough rules are followed to outweigh the failures. It’s a balance sheet; all is good if your debits and credits show a net profit.

Psalm 115:4-8 is a powerful reminder of the contrast of mentalities (flesh vs. spirit). 

Psalm 116:12-15, the Psalmist asked a question that presented two doors (legalism and faith.) “So now, what can I ever give back to God to repay Him for the blessings He has poured out on me?”   His answer pulled him through the door of faith.  Praise and Thanksgiving.

Psalm 119:1 – “You’re only truly happy when you walk in TOTAL INTEGRITY, walking in the light of God’s Word.”  Wow!

Psalm 119:15 –“I set my heart on Your precepts and pay close attention to all Your ways.”  The revelation of the Word, the saturation with the Word, brings revelation of the Ways of God.

Psalm 119:24 –“Your commandments are my counselors; Your Word is my light and delight.”

One of my favorite prayers of Psalm 119 is, “Help me turn my eyes away from illusions so that I purse only that which is true; AND drench my soul with life as I walk in Your paths.  (119:37).

That is followed by, “Teach me how to make good decisions, and give me revelation light, for I believe in Your commands.”   In v. 104, “For Your truth is the source of my understanding, not the falsehoods of those who don’t know You…”

Psalm 119:114 – “You’re my place of quiet retreat, and Your wraparound presence becomes my shield as I wrap myself in Your Word.”

For me, the key is God!   If we wrap ourselves and immerse ourselves in His Word, He reveals Himself, and out to that revelation and wraparound presence, we See and Know how and what to do.  He becomes our confidence, hope, and foundation.

He only waits for us to come and yield to Him.   Victory, beyond our most extravagant imagination, is waiting.  Let today be the day.

Have a fantastic day in His victory and allow the Holy Spirit to make His presence known to you; it is liberating!

Job 23:23-24 – “If a man have an angel to whom one would listen once in a thousand times, the angel would show him the way of uprightness 24 AND be gracious to him and say, Deliver this man lest he go down to corruption; he has found salvation…”

God’s presence is permeating the air and my consciousness this morning!    His plans for today are unfolding in brilliance as we embrace His presence and allow His heart and ours to be entwined.    I am praying for the pathway to peace to be expanded before each of you.   I am praying for productivity to be the theme of your day.   I am praying that the Touch of God will produce good fruit and testify of His goodness, grace, peace, power, and love.

God’s incredible love and long suffering were inescapable in my reading, praying, pondering, and meditating. They leaped from every page. Job 23:23-24 was like a new translation this morning.   Let that imagery explode in your heart.  One in a thousand warnings heeded, God is still gracious.   Wow!  That is incredible mercy.

Psalm 121:3b – “God is my keeper; He will never forget or ignore me…”

Psalm 124:1-2 asks, “What if God had not been there for us?”   It would have been total destruction. BUT HE WAS AND IS…

Psalm 125:1 tells us that we are unshakable by any shaking if we trust God.   We are as steadfast as God.  That is the root of God in us, our hope of glory.

Psalm 127:2 should be read, reread, and meditated on every day.  “It is really senseless to work so hard from early morning till late at night, toiling to make a living for fear of not having enough.  God can provide for His lovers even while they sleep.”   That is not an invitation to laziness or abandoning ambition.   It reveals that trusting our ability is futile, but trusting God, following Him, and living life is rewarding.

Psalm 130:3-4 reveals God’s incredible mercy, grace, and love.  “LORD, if You measured our us and marked us with our sins, who would ever have their prayers answered? 4 BUT Your forgiving love is what makes You so wonderful.  No wonder You are loved and worshipped.

God’s incomparable love, incredible mercy, and patience are astounding. We do not deserve His goodness, mercy, or love, but He gives it anyway.

Today, God’s love, peace, power, provision, and presence permeate our atmosphere.  It’s here.   He’s here!  Open your heart, and He will open your eyes to see.  In seeing this, you will discover the right path at the right time for the right purpose.   God is Victory!  God is Present!  God invites us to enter in and receive.   Today!

Have a fantastic day, and rejoice knowing God is with us, in us, and operating through us!  This is your day to become victorious!  Rejoice!

Psalm 135:6 – – “He does what He pleases with unlimited power and authority, extending His greatness throughout the universe.”

Good morning!  I am praying for each of you today!  It is a blanket prayer for everyone who reads and hears this devotional.  I am praying for perfect peace and complete confidence in God and His Love!  I am asking God to lift every burden and infuse His strength into each life. Today is to be a day of peace, power, provision, and God’s wrap-around presence.

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, God’s Omniscience and Unconditional Love gripped my consciousness like a vice and flooded my heart. In Psalm 135, we read of God’s Omnipotence (Psalm 135:6): “He does what He pleases with unlimited power and authority, extending His greatness throughout the universe.”

In Psalm 138:6-8, we see the compassion of God.   The exalted creator of all stoops down to the lowly and lifts them up.  He enables His followers to walk through the rubble and devastation of life with renewed strength and a new infusion of hope, peace, and life.

Then, possibly my favorite, Psalm 139, walks us through our relationship with God and gives unifying hope. Palm 139:1-2 –“Lord, You know EVERYTHING there is to know about me.  2 You perceive EVERY movement of my heart and soul, AND You understand my EVERY thought BEFORE it even enters my mind.”  [Emphasis mine].

He continues, and what He declares blows my mind.  God is intimately aware of every detail of our lives, thoughts, and emotions.   “You read my heart like a book.”  He knows what we will say before it even comes into our consciousness.   He knows every step, deed, action, and motive BEFORE we do it. “You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness, you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past.  You have laid Your hand on me!”   That is beyond amazing.

Psalm 139:10 – “Wherever I go, Your hand will guide me; Your strength will empower me.”  We can go nowhere and do nothing of which He is not aware.   Beginning in verse 14, we see how He created us and wove our parts together before and in the womb.

Psalm 139:16 – “You saw who You created me to be BEFORE I came to be!”   Then, the verses that make my heart leap from my body.  Psalm 139:17-18 – “EVERY single moment You are thinking of me!  How precious and wonderful to consider that You cherish me constantly in Your EVERY THOUGHT!… When I awake each morning, You’re still with me.”  [Emphasis mine].

The concluding verses reveal how we should respond to such love and power.   Psalm 139:23-24.  The Psalmist invites God willingly to thoroughly examine his heart and purge anything and everything that hinders us from complete surrender to him. He cries, “Test me, sift through my anxious cares, fears, worries, and concerns.  Reveal the path of pain I am on and lead me back to the path that leads to You.”

What a God we serve!  He knows everything and still loves to care for, protect, heal, help, guide, and provide for us.   If that doesn’t warm our hearts and bring peace, I know of nothing that can.  We are known and yet loved unconditionally.   How can we not love and serve this God?  This should banish all fear and anxiety.   Be free in the freedom He has given.

Have a fantastic day, and rejoice in the Omniscient God who Loves us despite our flaws!  

Song of Solomon 4:2, the king (Jesus) says to the Shulamite (church), “When I look at you, I see how you have taken My fruit and tasted My Word.  Your life has become clean and pure.” 

As I prayed, read, and mused on God’s Word, my reading took me to the Song of Songs (Solomon).  I saw things I had never seen before and gained a new understanding and appreciation for a book most read with a cursory glance without understanding. It can be applied to human romantic relationships, but that is not the book’s purpose.  God always has a purpose in His words.

As I began reading, chapter 3 exploded in my consciousness. I saw the condition of multitudes who claimed Jesus as their Savior. We call them the church. In Song of Solomon 3:2—The Shulamite (church) searched for Him (Jesus) but could not find Him. The overseers (religious leaders and systems) didn’t know where He was. Once the Shulamite moved past them (she left the form and formula), she found Him.

Her declaration in v.4b is incredible.  “Now I’ll bring Him back to the temple within where I was given new birth – the innermost parts, the place of my conceiving.”   That is impossible to relegate to the human romantic experience.   It speaks of salvation.

In the remainder of chapter 3, it expands even more.  The King’s marriage carriage was constructed for (v.10) “those who will become his bride.”  Not singular, but THOSE! In Song of Solomon 4:2, the king (Jesus) says to the Shulamite (church), “When I look at you, I see how you have taken My fruit and tasted My Word.  Your life has become clean and pure.”  That’s what Jesus said to the disciples.

In v.3, an amazing revelation is presented.   Our words (in the aforementioned condition and position) are as refreshing as an oasis.  “What pleasure you bring to Me!”   We bring Joy to Jesus!  That should change our outlook and view of ourselves.   In Him, we are one with Him, and in Him, we bring Him Joy.

The progression is seen in Song of Solomon 4:6, where the Shulamite (church) makes a decision of total commitment to seek and continue with Him No Matter What.    The king (Jesus) v.8 says, “Come with Me the archway of trust.” The condition and result of that is seen in Song of Solomon 4:13-14, “Your inward life is now sprouting, bringing forth fruit.   What a beautiful paradise unfolds within you.”

Song of Solomon 4:15 is incredible, “You are a fountain of gardens.  A well of living water springs up from within you, like a mountain brook flowing into My heart.”    Whose heart?  Jesus!  Wow!

Notice Song of Solomon 4:16, 5:1.  Taste the fruits of His life in us.  His life in us becomes a feast.  Song of Solomon 6:12 could well be speaking of the Rapture, “Then suddenly my longings transported me.  My divine desire brought me next to my beloved prince, sitting with Him in His royal chariot. We were lifted up together!”

Song of Solomon 7:2-3 speaks of the fullness of the Spirit flowing from our innermost being and birthing a harvest.  Song of Solomon 8:7 cries out what Paul said: Nothing can separate us from God’s love.  Nothing is more valuable than Him.

Here is my simple thought: God treasures us, and as we surrender to Him, we bring Him exquisite pleasure and become rivers of life touching others. Always remember you are not insignificant. You are the Bride of Christ.  Decide to live with that view of life and know that your words are His words, and the fruit in you is of eternal value and brings life to others.   When you speak, you speak with the authority of Christ.   Victory is ours.  

Have a fantastic day in Jesus and rejoice knowing that He is our Bridegroom returning for us very soon!

Jeremiah 17:10 – “I the LORD search the heart and try the reins, and give every man according to his ways and according to the fruits of his doings.”

The love of God is like a blazing fire, giving both heat and light.   I thank God for each of you; His gifts are great treasures.    He gives us people to help us navigate life’s difficult and calm seas with overflowing joy.  Joy is rooted in the choice that is anchored in Him.

As I read, prayed, pondered, and meditated on the Word today, a strong word was impressed upon my heart.  That is the heart and total surrender and obedience!   That is more expansive than I can elucidate adequately in a brief text.

Jeremiah 17:5 & 7 The LORD gave the prophet two paths. 

• The curse for placing confidence in anything other than God. 
• The blessing of trusting God and making Him our hope.

Unpacking that is far more detailed than what I sense I am to share.   If God searches the heart, nothing is undiscoverable or remains obscure.  It is clearly visible to God and us.  We may deny it, but we see it—the true heart.

The reins on a horse guide his direction.  What guides our lives?  Desire, motivation, ambition, preference, perception, belief?   What? God rewards or deposits in us according to our ways.  Ways are routes, roads, or paths, but they signify motive and intent.  God responds to what causes us to be and think what we do. 

The fruits (plural) of our doings (practiced lifestyle) bring God’s response.    Remember, we receive either a curse or a blessing.   There is no ambivalence or ambiguity in God.   In Matthew 3:8-9, this is brought into focus.

John the Baptizer said to those at the baptismal ceremony, “You must prove your repentance by a changed life.  9 And don’t presume you can get away with merely saying to yourselves, but we are Abraham’s descendants!” A truly repentant heart includes and reflects a changed life, outlook, and motivation. It is not just words (e.g.)—I believe—it is evidenced by transformation.

The tug at my heart was and is evidenced by repentance.   God does not desire, nor will He accept verbal assent; he requires total surrender that transforms.   A transformed heart exhibits the heart of Jesus.  Its ways reflect Love and Forgiveness without restrictions.

Love, God’s love, is unconditional and transformational.

Jeremiah 21:8 – “…I have set before you the way of life and the way of death.”   The path we choose is measurably reflected in our lives.

My cry, “LORD, help me to totally surrender my life to You.  Help me to be a living example of a transformed life walking out the demonstrated love of God.   I want to be a visible manifestation of You on this earth.  Not my will, but Yours.  Help me give up my pain for Your Joy so I can infect others with Your love and grace.  I want to die to me so I can truly live.  Amen!”

Today, we each need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He searches our hearts, motives, perceptions, preferences, and purposes.   If we totally surrender, He will manifest Himself in us fully, and we will become who we are and do what He did.   You are powerful, limited only by your hesitation.   Today, right now, is our day!

Have a fantastic day in Jesus, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He searches the heart!