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!

Titus 2:11-13 – “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ¹² It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

I encourage you to be confident that God’s love for you never fails. A new day is upon us, literal in the natural and equally literal in the spirit realm. Doors, crossroads, obstacles, and opportunities are present and about to become more prevalent.  That means that right choices must be made.

• Right choices require right relationships.
• Right relationships require right investments.
• Investment of ourselves into Jesus, His purposes, and others is of supreme importance.

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word, the Psalms, I shouted to my heart, “Trust Him!”   The prayer was a constant cry for reception and preservation. It was a revelation that this life was temporary, and focusing on the wrong things destroys faith and leads to deception. Right focus puts it all in perspective, and we see eternity, and that provides hope!

In Titus 2:11-12, the apostle Paul unveils an incredible revelation: Grace is a Teacher!  Grace is a teacher, not just an experience of unmerited favor!  A teacher requires more than just getting the book being studied but to learn the principles and precepts contained therein.  We must learn to implement the principles and precepts.

God’s Grace introduces us to God, brings us salvation, and guides us in right living.  But it requires our participation.  Actions confirm the impact and presence of Grace. It gives us the information needed and equips us to implement those truths, transforming them into right actions (lifestyles). Our discipline and discipleship release the Power of a Grace Life that not only guides and guards us but becomes a testimony that draws others to Christ. It is not our words but our lives that are our true witness.

People may not remember or be significantly impacted by our words, but they will long remember our lives!  What we do speaks of who we are in a greater depth than our words. It’s easy to hide behind words but not actions. The adage, “The proof is in the pudding,” is applicable.   Saying, “I love you, or I love God, is proven by our actions.” I’m not promoting legalism or earning God’s favor but manifesting our hearts by our lives! God sees the heart!

Grace brings us into His presence, equips us to remain faithful, and guards us. Rest confidently, knowing He never abandons us.  A Grace-filled life is a life of peace, filled with God’s power and overflowing with love!

Let Grace Teach You Who He is and His Purposes, Precepts, and Principles to be applied in your life of present victory!

Deuteronomy 7:11-15 – “So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do. ¹² If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you as he promised your ancestors. ¹³ He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children, with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. ¹⁴ You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness among you or your livestock. ¹⁵ The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead, he will inflict them on all those who hate you.”

Deuteronomy 7:11-15 is capsulized in verse 11 – “Therefore you are to keep the (not a but the) commandment – both the statutes (boundaries) and ordinances (laws).”   In verse 12, we discover that obedience brought the promise of God to keep His Covenant of Kindness.   It promised God’s love (which is never earned), productivity, and fruitfulness.   There was a complete victory over all enemies.

Deuteronomy 7:20-22 reveals that God’s Hornets would lead the way for them, and a little at a time, God would give them possession of their Promised Inheritance.   We get frustrated over any delay.   God explained that wild beasts would overrun them because they were not ready to occupy fully.

God prepares us to receive and maintain blessings before He fully releases them.   If granted too soon, blessings can become a curse, a cause of pride, or an open door for wild beasts (demons).  Therefore, rather than lament and gripe about not having, ask God what preparation we need to make to receive and maintain the blessings!   Focus on our hearts, not the desired blessing.

In that condition, God will give us the desires of our hearts.  It will be a blessing if our hearts are one with His.  If not, He may give us what we ask, but with it will come leanness of soul.  We want God’s blessings in God’s timing so that we can not only be blessed but be blessings.   Deuteronomy 8:3, the wilderness experience taught them the value of God’s words…“In order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of Adonai.”

We need to focus on fully surrendering and developing the heart to receive and maintain, not just getting what we want when we want it.  When done in God’s way, preparation always precedes blessing.  With prepared hearts, we can receive all God has for us and become all He desires for us to be. We can live as overcomers and mighty weapons in His hands!  Today is our day of Victory!

We can have Victory over All our Enemies!