1 Peter 2:23 – “When He was verbally abused, He did not return with an insult; when He suffered, He would not threaten retaliation. Jesus faithfully entrusted Himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously.”

Peter’s description of Jesus in 1 Peter 2:23 filled my consciousness and gave me a longing and understanding of how we should live daily.  The next verse speaks of the full work of His atonement.  But the words, “He FULLY ENTRUSTED Himself to God,” drew my heart like a moth to a flame.   He Fully entrusted Himself.

How is that possible for us?  It is only possible through the new birth and faith.   It is facilitated by “seeing” God.    By that, I don’t mean having a supernatural vision where you literally see Him, but a revelation of Him. 

Psalm 139 is a powerful doorway to that revelation.   Psalm 139:2-4, God is everywhere and knows even our thoughts before we become aware of them.   Before we speak, He knows.   In verse 7, we discover that His presence is inescapable.

Psalm 139:13 – “For You have created my conscience. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”   In verses 14-16, we discover that our lives, destinies, personalities, and features began before we were conceived in our mother’s womb.   This is the God we serve, the Father Jesus fully entrusted Himself to.   It becomes easy to fully entrust ourselves to a God like that.  He knows all, sees all, and is the creator and sustainer of all. He is undefeatable and unfailing. His love is unconditional. His grace is immeasurable. His gift of life is incomparable.

No wonder David would pray, verses 23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Examine me, and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there is any offensive (wicked) way within me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

This means seeing the Father as a loving Father who is seeking our best, not an ogre seeking to punish us. His love seeks to transform, not force us to conform to a set of rules. When we see Him, we know His heart, experience His grace, and are embraced by His love, and we desire to obey and be like Him.

Jesus fully entrusted Himself into the hands of God.  That is my heart’s desire: Full Surrender of Everything I have and Everything I am!    True victory is in full surrender.

Let’s make our objective to entrust ourselves to God and fully trust Him fully!

Psalm 119:66 – “Teach me good judgment, grace, and knowledge; for I have believed thy commandments.”

As I read Psalm 119 today, I was captivated by the emphasis and value the Psalmist placed on God’s Word. In verse 5, he expressed his objective to be steadfast so he could observe (obey and practice) God’s precepts. He then asked the penetrating question, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” (That applies to every gender and age.) The answer is only wholeheartedly guarding it with the Word. If we don’t know the Word, we cannot benefit from it.

In verse 18, he asked for “open eyes” to observe the wonders of the Word. That is a life of expectation. Then, in verses 26-27, he asked to be taught the Word to enable him to develop the spirit of discernment. Meditation on the Word was his source of strength.

In verses 36-37, the prayer is to turn his heart to God’s testimonies and not corruption—revival by the Word. In verse 66, I laughed and then cried, “Teach me good sense and knowledge, for I trusted your Word.” We have information but lack the wisdom of application.

In verse 73, the bedrock acknowledgment upon which our lives must be built, “Your hands have made me and formed me. Give me understanding that I may learn Your Word.” In verses 81-82, he revealed that no matter how difficult things get, the Hope of life is THE WORD! In verses 89-90, he declared the eternality of God’s Word and the impeccable character of God.

In verses 97-100, he gave insight into the power and benefit of meditation on the Word. The byproducts or fruit include wisdom, insight, and understanding. How we need those! They become our life GPS.

In verse 105, we see that the Word is a lamp that enables us to see the path and pitfalls. In verse 114, we realize that abiding in the Word gives us God’s protection as our hiding place and shield. In verse 130, he revealed that the Word provides the light of understanding to the simple.

In verse 133, we have a needed revelation in a prayer, “Direct my footsteps (life) in Your Word, AND let no iniquity get mastery over me.” In verse 154, he cried, “Restore my life through Your Word.” In verse 160, we read, “Truth is the essence of Your Word, AND all Your righteous rulings are eternal.” Remember the words of Jesus, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free, and man cannot live by bread alone but by God’s Word.

We need the Word because the Word is Jesus, and He is the way, truth, and life. Counterfeiters succeed because many don’t have a thorough knowledge of the genuine. We don’t study error to defeat error. Instead, we become so acquainted with the genuine (truth) error that stands out like a sore thumb. Truth is the prize!

If we abide (become one with) in Jesus and His Words, abide (become so much a part of who we are, there is no distinguishing between us) in us, we are not only free but also have the promise of the answer coming. The life of victory is established in Jesus as we are anchored in His Word. The Holy Spirit came to teach us His Word.

We have the source of unlimited victory at your disposal. Make it like a hot tub and soak in it. Become like a sponge and soak it up. Then, when you speak to your problems, you speak with the authority of God.

The Word is Invaluable! Embrace it and allow it to embrace you!

Psalm 103:1 – “Praise the Lord, O my soul.  With all that is within me, praise his holy name.”

Psalm 103 begins with the entreaty to praise God unceasingly and excessively in the minds of some.  (It is not possible to praise God too much.)  It reminds us of God’s awesomeness and extravagant love and blessings.

We are enjoined to praise Him with our entire being (body, soul, and spirit) and to keep His blessings and benefits in the forefront of our minds. How can we not express gratitude when we remember who He is and all He has done?

The “All” inclusion is to be kept in our consciousness day and night. Forgiveness of ALL our sins.  Healing of ALL our diseases.  Redemption, protection, provision, revelation, and guidance are our constant companions. In that Oneness with Him, our grateful hearts and sacrificial offerings from our lips open the door to a coronation where we have permanent residence in His loving-kindness and compassion.   

In that condition, we are satisfied with His goodness and tangible blessings in everyday life. The cherry on the top of the ice cream Sunday is the renewal of our youth (vigor, vitality, strength, energy, enthusiasm, and daring).

Psalm 104:15 is intriguing. God gives His children “wine that makes man’s heart glad, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains man’s heart.”

Let me suggest that, among other things, this is a revelation and invitation to Kingdom life!

• Wine (the blood of Jesus, remember the communication service) to make our hearts glad (free, forgiven, fellowship). Salvation is referred to as containing Joy throughout the Scriptures.
• Oil to make man’s face shine. (Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and the anointing.)   We receive the atoning of the Blood transforming us, then the Holy Spirit to make us glow with His presence and open the door to the revelation and power of God.
• Bread that sustains man’s heart.  (Man can’t live by natural food (bread) alone but by every Word God speaks)

We enter the family by the Blood, are empowered by the Spirit, and are sustained by the Word.   None of the three can be omitted.  I suggest one more thing that is not a gift but an action that is needful if not indispensable.  That is Prayer!   

Prayer keeps us in constant contact with God. It keeps the efficacy of the blood fresh in our hearts. It keeps the pipeline of the anointing open and enables us to feast on the banquet of the Word, which continually instructs us in the pathway of life.

Psalm 107:33-39 contrasts two lifestyles—the barrenness of ungodliness and the fruitfulness of godliness.

In Psalm 108:3, the Psalmist gives us a picture of how to begin each day: “I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, Adonai, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.”   Begin the day with praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 111:10 – “The fear (reverence) of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom. (Beginning is a starting place) ALL who follow His precepts have good understanding.”   Do you want to know what to do?   Be covered with the blood, filled with the Spirit, and saturated with the Word.   Awaken each day with gratitude and praise.  Reverence Him and pursue His precepts. Good understanding is a natural byproduct of that life! Victory is ours; seize!

Learn the Power of Unceasing Praise and enjoy the fullness of the Holy Spirit at work in your life!

Psalm 92:13-15 – “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. PLANTED in the House of Adonai, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will STILL yield fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and freshness.”   [Emphasis mine]

Today, as I read, prayed, and pondered the Word, several thoughts tugged at the cords of my consciousness.   Among them were planting, peace, praise, and presence.

In the natural world, no plant grows without being planted.  It does not haphazardly wander from pot or plot to pot or plot.   The Gardner plants it, waters it, nourishes it, cultivates it, prunes it, and it takes root and produces fruit.   The planted plant does not have the luxury of deciding it would be better off in another pot or plot. It just grows and produces fruit.

That makes Psalm 92:13-15 so powerful!

Psalm 94:9-11 – “He who PLANTED the ear, does he not hear? He who FORMED the eye does he not see? He who CHASTENS nations will He not rebuke – One who TEACHES humanity knowledge? Adonai knows human thoughts – they are but a breath.”  [Emphasis mine]

God Plants, and it is not by our preference or choice but His purpose. It is not about us but the Kingdom.   Psalm 100 gives us a pattern for entering God’s presence, not a formula.

We are instructed to shout joyfully, serve with gladness, and come into His presence with Joyful Singing!    It is not any singing, but Joyful Singing!   It is recognition of Who He is – Creator, Living God!    We enter His gates with an attitude and expression of gratefulness and praise Him!    If we are planted and flourish, it releases a revelation of who He is, and an attitude of gratitude develops overflowing in Praise!  

That condition is what the writer points to in Hebrews 6:18-20. We are reminded that our God is incapable of telling a lie. His Promises NEVER change. Because of that, “now we run into His heart to hide ourselves in His faithfulness.” The place of peace is hiding in the heart of Jesus. This is where we find His strength and comfort, for He empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time – an “Unshakable Hope!”

Our objective should be cooperation with the Holy Spirit to be planted in the pot or plot He desires.   We are cells in the body, plants in His field, not isolated entities.  We are to flourish as threefold chords and cells feeding and being fed by the other cells.

Do you want to flourish?  Then allow the Holy Spirit to plant you where He wants you!  I will leave you and the Holy Spirit to interpret that for you personally.  The planted flourish, the unplanted wither and die!   Therefore, I encourage you to choose Life!

We are the Planting of the Lord, and His Plants Flourish!

Psalm 84:9 – “God, Your wraparound shield is our defense.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word, I was impressed by God’s impeccable timing and coordination.  I read both the Old and New Testaments each day for spiritual nourishment.  Although I study specific areas, my morning reading is from both.

Psalms 84:9 in the Passion Translation says this in a unique way that resonated with me.  What a picture of God’s covering and protection.  He is not just in front of us warding off frontal attacks but surrounding us to protect us from the snipers in the hidden areas.

Psalm 86:11 makes a powerful and purposeful plea, “Teach me more about You, how You work and how You move, SO THAT I can walk onward in Your truth UNTIL everything within me brings honor to Your Name.”

In Psalm 90:12, the request for God to teach us to number our days cannot be “How Many?”    We could never do that, so it must be focused on ordering our lives, for God is always cognizant of our brevity on earth.  We are to make the best use of every day.   It is as we focus on God, aware of our limited time on earth, we become more open to His correction and guidance; therein is wisdom.   That gives a foundation for the incredible revelation and promise of Psalm 91.

Hebrews 3:1 reveals that we are Now made Holy in Christ and have a standing invitation to the ‘feast of our heavenly calling.’   We are called to live the Life of Heaven now!  Jesus, in Matthew 6, said that we should pray for the Kingdom of God to come to this earth.  How do we enter into that Kingdom Life here?  The obvious first step is to accept Jesus as our Savior, then as Lord. Then, we fill our consciousness with Him, His Word, and Purposes.

Hebrews 3:10 reveals Israel’s wilderness experience: “They wandered in their hearts just like they do with their feet, and they refuse to learn My ways.” First, the heart, then the corresponding actions. The Life of Heaven flows from a transformed heart. It can never be produced by willpower or legalistic rules. It flows from Him through our redeemed and transformed hearts.

The guard, warning, or prescription given in Hebrews 3:12 is invaluable: “Search your hearts EVERY DAY…make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief HIDING within you.”  Then, in verse 19, we see their problem and our warning: ” They wrapped their hearts in unbelief.”  That requires effort to purposefully focus on things other than God. It is more than doubt!

If we treasure the Word and seek to make Jesus and His Word our permanent residence, we become equipped and empowered to stand regardless.  Stand victoriously!   Stand authoritatively, become candidates for the Isaiah 61 anointing, and be enabled to do the works Jesus did, manifesting the Greater Works!

We are invited to live the Life of Heaven NOW! Never settle for second best.

May God protect you from all the spiritual snipers and enable you to be fully protected at all times and in all things!