Devotion: Learning to Live

Learning to Live

by Marsha Iddings

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Lately, I've had some tough days physically. There have been some days that I have done very little but sit on the couch because the energy just wasn't there to get up and do much else. One of those days, I was looking at my Twitter feed and saw a wonderful quote by Richard Baxter.

“Weakness and pain helped me to study how to die; that set me on studying how to live.”

It seems the Apostle Paul found himself in this situation. He despaired even of life at times. He said they had the sentence of death in themselves. Paul and his companions learned how to die.

Paul and his companions didn't stop there, however, they went on to study how to live. They learned that to live they should not trust in themselves, but in God who raises the dead.

Notice that Paul says God delivered (past), doth deliver (present) and will yet deliver (future). This brings great comfort to my heart. I can look back and see how God has delivered me in the past. In my present troubles, I can be confident that He is delivering me and I know he will deliver me in my uncertain future.

This is not to say that He will heal me of my ills and that life will be a bed roses and ease. But God has accomplished my redemption in the past through Jesus Christ. He is presently sanctifying me through my trials and He will ultimately deliver me from this world of hardship in the future.

Have you learned how to die yet? Has that taught you how to live? It should teach us to live with eternity in view. It should teach us to have a greater trust in Christ, and to live with a view to doing all things for His glory.

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Quiet Time: God is In Control~Oct. 30

1Ki 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

It amazes me that Solomon was so wise and yet in this one area he forsook God's wisdom and it was his downfall.

1Ki 11:9 ¶ And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Solomon did not keep that which the Lord had commanded. In not keeping God's commands, he was turning away from the Lord.

Are there times when the Lord has showed me through His Word what I am to do and I have not obeyed? In not obeying, I am turning away from the Lord. This is convicting.

1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the older, wiser men, and went instead with he counsel of the younger ones. It didn't turn out well.

In our society and in our nation's government we are seeing more and more the older, wiser citizens being set aside as too old fashioned and the younger ones are giving advice to our president instead. It is turning out to be disastrous for our nation.

How do I treat the older folks? Am I respectful of them? Do ask for their advice? Do learn from their experience?

1Ki 12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; 14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Once again I am impressed with the fact that God uses evil to accomplish His purposes. It says the king did not listen to the people to grant their request "for the cause was from the Lord". God is in control of the evil that comes our way. If our president and his cronies make life extremely difficult for us, we can still be confident that God is in control. He has a purpose for all of this and it is a good purpose...to purify His church, to separate the sheep from the goats, to test His people to see who will be faithful to Him and He probably has plans that only He knows and we just need to trust Him through this.


Lord,
Please help me to be willing to listen and learn from the older people. Help me, Lord to heed your commands and to not turn away from you in disobedience.

Help me to trust when I don't understand. Help me to be faithful to you if persecution comes my way.

Quiet Time: Glory of the Lord~Oct 29

1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. 12 ¶ Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.



I am inclined to think that when it says the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, it means just that. They could not stand on their feet to carry out their priestly duties because they were so overwhelmed with the glory of God in that place.



I really like that statement Solomon makes when he says the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. In the context, I think that the cloud of the glory of the Lord caused the area to be covered with a thick darkness, literally. However, in a spiritual sense, this is meaningful as well. In the darkest times of my life, God dwells there. He is with me in the darkness of my life.



1Ki 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?



Our God is big. Nothing can contain Him. You can't put Him in a box, walk around Him and say what you think of Him. He can not be analyzed, scrutinized and pigeon-holed. He is much bigger than that. He is big enough handle my problems.



1Ki 8:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: {in: or, toward} 34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their father



I see a picture of our nation in these verses. We are in the process of being smitten down before the enemy because we as a nation have sinned and we as individuals have sinned. The answer to our mess is this:



1. Turn again to God

2. Confess His name

3.Pray

4. Make supplication to Him





1Ki 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)



God is all-knowing. He knows all of our hearts. Should this knowledge not make us more wise in what we think, and do?


My Prayer:
Oh, Lord, You are great and awesome. You are faithful, all knowing and you fill heaven and earth. You dwell in the thick darkness. This gives me much comfort knowing that You are with me in my darkest hours. Fill me with Your glory, Lord, that I might be a reflection of You to a lost and dying world.

Quiet Time~Oct. 28: Solomon's Temple

Today I read 1 Kings 4-5. No verses really stood out to me today, however, I was impressed by the building of the house of the Lord by Solomon. It was an enormous job that took 7 years. As I look at all the stuff that needs to be done in my own house, I get overwhelmed with it all. But reading about how Solomon organized the building of the Lord's house, gives me inspiration. He broke it down into smaller jobs and just started with what needed to be done first and worked until all the smaller jobs added up to the whole thing being completed. This is what I need to do with the things I need to accomplish. Break them down into smaller jobs and work until the whole job is finished. Oh, and I noticed too, that he got help with the work. I shouldn't try to accomplish all this stuff by my self. I should enlist the help of my family.

Something else I noticed. Solomon had cherubims, palm trees and open flowers carved on the wall and doors of the Lord's house. There are some religions today that claim they have temples built after the pattern of the temple that Solomon built, but they have occultic symbols carved or molded into the sides of their temples. They have things like pentagrams and sun gods carved on or in their temples.

I did a little research on the cherubims, palm trees and open flowers that Solomon had carved on the temple. Here is what I learned. This is from Ungers Bible Dictionary.

Cherubims: They were placed at the entrance to the Garden of Eden after Adam & Eve were expelled. There were golden cherubim placed on the cover of the ark of the covenant over looking the mercy seat where the blood for sin was sprinkled and they are mentioned in Rev. 4 where "they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"" "They are evidently connected with vindicating the holiness of God against the presumptuous pride of fallen man... Upon the ark of the covenant they looked down upon the sprinkled blood which symbolizes the perfect maintenance of God's righteousness by the sacrifice of Christ."

Open Flowers: It is generally agreed that these flowers were lilies. Not the sort that we see at Easter, but a field flower that grew among the wheat had regal colors and stems which when dried, were used as fuel for the ovens. There were several species. Some grew among the corn and had stems which were suitable for light fuel. The bridegroom in Song of Solomon calls himself the lily of the valley. Jesus talks of the lilies in Matthew 6:28 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

I believe these flowers carved on the temple forshadowed the time when Jesus would come as the light of the world. Jesus being called the bridegroom in Revelation, looks back to the Song of Solomon and He could be called the lily of the valley. The lilies were also symbolic of God's care over His people.

Palm Tree: The palm tree was a welcomed sight to weary travelers because it always symbolized rest, shade and refreshment. Where palms grew it meant that there was water. "The palm is a figure of the righteous enjoying their deserved prosperity (Psalm 92:12)...Palm branches are a symbol of victory."

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 27

1Ki 1:5 ¶ Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, "Why have you done so?" He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)

I see in the verses above, a very spoiled child. He was good looking and no doubt popular. It says his father had never rebuked him at any time. So Adonijah thought he could do anything he wanted and have anything he wanted. He completely disrespected his father.

This is disturbing to me as I see those in our nation who really don't give a rip about the older generation. I saw some disturbing video footage on Glenn Beck last night of adults who are in leadership who say that the elders will just have to do without certain medical treatments as they get older so the rest of us can have what we want. It seems a generation of selfish adults has risen up. Is it because they were not denied anything they wanted growing up and now they have an entitlement mentality? It makes me think, how am I raising my own kids? Am I raising them to be spoiled and have a mentality that disrespects their elders and wants gratification at the expense of others? Do I act in this manner?

1Ki 2:2 "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 "And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;

Here is the test of a real man. 1. they keep the charge of the Lord 2. They walk in His ways 3. They keep His statutes, commands, judgments and testimonies
This should be what I need to teach my daughter to look for in a man that she might marry.

1Ki 2:8 "And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' 9 "Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood."

Further back, David extended mercy to Shimei and seemed to forgive him. So I was surprised when David gave instructions to Solomon regarding him. David says that Solomon should not hold him guiltless for his sin. Does this mean that David really didn't forgive him? No, I don't think so. It just shows that when we sin, God will forgive us, but often He holds us accountable to suffer the consequences of our sin in this life.

1Ki 3:9 "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"

This is a request I should be asking of God. "Give thy servant an understanding heart...that I may discern between good and bad"

Lord, Please help me to take to heart the lessons I've learned from Your Word today. Help me as I raise my kids, that I would not raise up spoiled kids who will create tyranny as adults. Help me to hold them accountable for their actions.

Give me understanding to discern between good and evil.

Help me to teach my daughter the true measure of a man that she might find the right mate for life.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 26

A Promise:

2Sa 22:29 "For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

Timeless Principle:

2Sa 22:4 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

2Sa 22:26 "With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

28 You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

2Sa 22:31 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Other verses that jumped out at me:

2Sa 24:24 Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

How does this apply to my life?

God's way is perfect. Do I really believe this...when I am in pain, when money is tight, when loved ones are ill, when life gets hard, do I really believe it? If I do, do I act like it?

David would not offer God something that cost him nothing. Do I do this? Do I offer God that which cost me nothing? Do I offer God the left overs of my day, my time, my talents, my money?

Devotional: The Mercy of God

The Mercy of God

by Marsha Iddings

2 Samuel 19:18-23 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed? And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.


When Absalom staged a coup to take over the throne, David was fleeing and the man Shemei went along cursing David and throwing dust at him. David's advisers suggested that they should go take the man's head off, but David said to leave him alone because the Lord had bidden him to do it and perhaps later the Lord would requite him good for his affliction. (2 Samuel 16:10-12.)


When David returns after Absalom's death, Shemei meets David and confesses that he had sinned against him and tells David to do with him whatever seems good. Abishai recommends that he be put to death, but David is merciful and spares his life. It seems that he forgives the man.


This is instructive to me. When someone wrongs me and comes and confesses what they have done, asking for forgiveness or mercy, it is my duty to extend forgiveness and mercy to them.


I see in this story, an example of what God has done for me through Jesus Christ. Because I am a sinner, and God is holy, I deserve eternal death in Hell. But through God's mercy in Jesus Christ, He has granted me eternal life as I fall on His mercy and forgiveness. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, would like to have me condemned to death, but God mercifully says, “You shall not die.” And He swears by His own Son who took that punishment for sin for me. Anyone who realizes they are a sinner condemned to Hell and falls on the mercy of God for salvation will have eternal life in heaven. What a merciful God we have!

Quiet Time Reflections~24

2Samuel 19:18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; 19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. 20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed? 22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? 23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

How does this apply to my life?
Shemei was the man who cursed David and threw dust at him when David was fleeing Absalom's coup. When David returns after Absalom's death, Shemei meets David and confesses that he had sinned against him and tells David to do with him whatever seems good. Abishai recommends that he be put to death, but David is merciful and spares his life. It seems that he forgives the man.

This is instructive to me. When someone wrongs me and comes and confesses what they have done, asking for forgiveness or mercy, it is my duty to extend forgiveness and mercy to them.

I see in this story, an example of what God has done for me through Jesus Christ. Because I am a sinner, and God is holy, I deserve eternal death in Hell. But through God's mercy in Jesus Christ, He has granted me eternal life as I fall on His mercy and forgiveness. What a merciful God we have!

My prayer:
Oh, Lord, thank you for Your mercy. I deserve death in Hell for my sin, yet You are merciful and have granted me eternal life.

Good News Related to my Quiet Time Reflections this AM

In my Quiet Time I came to the conclusion that since God is in control of the evil that comes our way, and David just ignored the man who threw dirt on him and cursed him that maybe that should be our stance in regards to some of the dirt throwing the Obama Administration is doing to those of us who have a conservative stand. Maybe some day God would requite us good for our affliction.

Imagine my happiness when I learned that the liberal media has stood with Fox News in opposing the White House's attack on the free press! It gives me encouragement knowing that God is in control and this is just a little piece of it. It's not to say we won't still go through tough times in the future, but I am heartened to see that God is in control and He will use the evil that is thrown our way for His own good purposes. He will be victorious in the end even if we have to go through tough times until then. As the book of Revelation indicates...The Lamb Wins.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 23

Today I didn't find any promises, command to obey or timeless principles but I did learn some interesting things in my reading.

David is fleeing because Absalom his son is staging a coup and a man by the name of Shimei comes out and starts cursing David and throwing dust at him as he goes. The man with David wants to go take the man's head off but David says this:

2Samuel 16:10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

How does this apply to my life?

I had to do a double take when I first read this. It's interesting that David said the Lord had told the man to curse him. Here we see that David believes that God is in control of all things, even the evil that a man does. God uses it for His own good purposes in the lives of His people. David shows extreme patience with the man and trusts in the Lord.

Perhaps this should be our stance with those in power who hurl insults at us. We should should just let them alone by not responding to their insults but continue on the offensive, seeking to do what we can to change the course of events and pray for God to defeat the enemy.

My prayer:

Lord, please help me to take a lesson from the life of David. Help me to do what I need to do to help stem the tide of evil in our nation's government by writing my representatives and getting the word out. Help me to not be distracted by the "cursing and dirt throwing" of the enemy, but to trust in You, knowing that You for some reason have ordained this evil in our government and You will eventually use it for good and You will " requite" Your people good for their insults and evil one day. Help us, Lord to patiently wait for that day.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 22

I finished Psalms so now I am going back and picking up where I left off in 2 Samuel. Today I did not find any Promises, Commands to Obey or Timeless Principles. But some things did jump out at me.

The setting is where Tamar is raped by her brother Amnon. Absalom, two years later carries out a plan to murder him. Absalom is banished from the area and has Joab choose a woman who pretends to be something she is not...a mourner and Joab puts the words in her mouth that she is to speak to the king. The king figures out Joab is behind what she has to say, so Joab begs David to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem, which he does, but he doesn't want to see his face.

For forty years, Absolaom sits in the city gate and cozys up to the people and wins their hearts over to him. Then he carries out his evil plan to stage a coup and take over the kingdom.

Verses that jumped out at me today:
2Samuel 15:12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people
increased continually with Absalom.

2Sa 15:31 ¶ And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

How does this apply to my life?
Those who are apposed to the Obama administration's policies and agenda and those who are exposing the socialist, communist ties that his advisers have are mocked and called conspiracy theorists. They are made fun of for being alarmed at what is happening in our nation at this time.

As I read about the coup that Absalom was trying to carry out, I see that conspiracy was a big part of it. After coming to the conclusions that I wrote about yesterday on my Aroma of Change blog, and thinking about those that President Obama has surrounding him and advising him in the White House, I have to pray as David did, " O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of President Obama's advisers into foolishness."

My Prayer:
Oh, Lord, You know the mess our nation is in right now. You know that our leaders are eroding our freedoms in a systematic, calculated way. Oh God, if it be Your will preserve our nation from this destruction of our freedoms. Please make the advice and policies of those who would turn this nation into a socialist nation foolishness and expose them for what they are. And Father, if this is not in Your will and you have something else planned for us, please help us to stay faithful to You. Forgive us for our complacency, purify Your church, Lord.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 21

A Command to Obey:
Psalm 150:6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

How Does this Apply to My Life?
The last few Psalms center around giving praise to God and focusing on His greatness. I see in the Children of Israel God's displeasure with their complaining. Complaining is the opposite of praise and thanksgiving. How much time do I spend complaining in comparison to giving God praise and thanksgiving? Ouch.

My Prayer:
Lord, I must confess that I am better at complaining than I am at thanksgiving and praise. I've got a stiff neck and headache today. Please help me to not complain but rather find things to be thankful for.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct

A Command to Obey:

Ps 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

How does this apply to my life?

If the Lord's name alone is excellent, then it is He alone that I should praise. When I see my kids doing well or I'm happy about something I've accomplished I should say, "Look what God has helped you to do!" or "God has blessed you with talent." or "God gave me the strength or focus to accomplish this."

My Prayer:

Lord, I often fail to give You the credit and glory. Too often I try to make myself or others look good when it's You that is behind any good or accomplishment that we do. Keep me mindful of who is getting the praise and credit.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct. 19

A Promise:
Ps 147:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

A Command to Obey:
Ps 147:1 ¶ Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

Ps 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

A Timeless Principle:
Ps 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

Ps 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

How Does This Apply to My Life?

• Praise is commanded. God is pleased when I am thankful.
• God's understanding is infinite. In other words there is no end to His understanding. He knows all the stars by name and how many there are. His knowledge is infinite as well. This means He knows all about me too. He knows my struggles, my weaknesses, my sins.
• I'm so thankful He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. This shows His compassion.
• Do I fear Him? Do I hope in His mercy? He takes pleasure in me when I do.

My Prayer:

Lord, praise and thanksgiving have always been hard for me. Complaining is so much easier especially when things don't go my way. Forgive me for my complaining spirit. Help me to fear You and hope in Your mercy.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 18

Ps 146:1 ¶ Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

What do I have to praise the Lord for today? This is a command.

2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

This is a goal I should strive for. I ought to post this on my wall.

3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

There is no real help in man unless God gives man the ability to help us. Rescue workers can do all they are trained to do, but their help is to no avail unless God sees fit to make their work effective. Teachers can teach, but unless God provides them the ability and the students ability to learn, it does no good. Doctors can help us only if God grants them wisdom and means and the patient healing.

Ps 146:5 ¶ Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

Devotional: God Has a Plan

God Has a Plan

by Marsha Iddings

Psalm 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. (KJV)

The NIV renders this verse like this:

"The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever-- do not abandon the works of your hands." (NIV)

God has a purpose for me and you and the Bible says that He will perfect or fulfill it. Consider the following verses:

"For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

It is comforting to me in these uncertain days, to know that God has a specific plan and purpose for my life. Nothing is going to thwart His purposes for me. Death will not take me one hour sooner than what He has planned for me. Our government leaders may move in a direction that takes away my freedoms but this will not derail God's plan and purpose for my life. I may not know exactly what His plan and purpose is and it may include hard times, but I can be confident that even in this, He will continue the good work He has started in my heart and life until He decides He is finished and takes me home to be with Him. God is in control and He is on the throne! Take heart and be encouraged!

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 17

Ps 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

I am so thankful that the Lord is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy! Where would any of us be right now if He wasn't? How long will He be slow to anger? When will His patience run out? No one knows. This is motivation to want to please Him in all that I do and to warn those who need His continued mercy.

Ps 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Here is the answer to avoiding God's anger and enjoying His continued mercy. We must call upon him in truth. What is truth? It's found in the Bible, God's Word to us. We must read it and become familiar with it so we know the truth and can call upon Him in truth.

I'm so thankful for God's Word. So thankful to be able to read and know His truth. So thankful for His compassion toward me, and His mercy!

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct.16

Ps 144:3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

This really puts into perspective man's place. We so often get proud and puffed up thinking we are so good that God can't do without us. It is only of His mercy that He even takes account of me! I am so thankful God is a merciful God. Where would I be if He weren't?

Ps 144:9 ¶ I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

Ps 144:11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

I like the Good News Bible's paraphrase of verse 11. It says, "Save me from my cruel enemies; rescue me from the power of foreigners, who never tell the truth and lie even under oath." I think it fits our situation today in our nation.

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

The nation that isn't ruled by foreigners and those who lie under oath will be a nation blessed with strong families, good economy and plenty. But more than that, they will be truly happy and contented if the Lord is their God.

Our nation has allowed itself to become debtors to foreign nations. We have allowed those into office who idolize Communist and Marxist foreigners and want to pass agendas that include these foreigner's ideas and philosophies. We have in congress, our supreme courts and the White House those who lie under oath like verse 11 talks about. Our leaders mock Christians and what they stand for. They would like to pass laws to keep us from teaching what the Bible says. Indeed, it is a sad time for our nation. As I listen to the news, and watch people around town and hear their talk, it is evident they are not happy. The Bible lays out the solution right here. We need to look to God, look to our history and what made us great to begin with and get back to our foundation.

Oh, Lord, I don't understand what your plan is right now for our nation or for us as individuals. Our nation has strayed from Your Word and guidance. We have sinned and are continuing on a path of sin and destruction even now. Oh, Father, if it be Your will, please intervene and get our nation back on the right track that we might be a blessed nation once again under Your leadership and guidance. And Lord, if you have some other plan that includes hard times and even persecution for Your people, please help me to remain true to You no matter what. If this is what it takes to purify Your church and separate the goats from the sheep, then help me to remain faithful to You through whatever may come.

I love You, Lord, and I know You are in control of all things and nothing will happen to me that hasn't first passed by You.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 15

Ps 143:2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

Sobering statement there in verse 2. "...in thy sight shall no man living be justified." This is the whole reason for Jesus coming and dying on the cross for us. Jesus took on Himself our sin and God judged Him instead of us. It is only through Jesus that we can be justified freely through His grace. We can't work our way to heaven. We can't by our good works make ourselves good enough to be accepted by God. If we are depending on our works to justify us before God we are sorely mistaken. If we persist in doing it our own way, we will not be justified before God. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Him. We have only to fall on His grace.

Ps 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

This is so important in these days of trouble. When things get tough, we need to remember God's work of the past and be encouraged knowing that if He provided for us in the past He can do again. We need to remember the blessings He has showered on us and be thankful.

Ps 143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

What a great prayer! Search God's Word in the morning to start your day off with His lovingkindness. Trust in Him. Ask Him to show you how you should order your day and lift your soul up to Him. I should post this prayer on my walls.

Ps 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Another prayer to add to the one above..."Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God..." I need to be teachable. In homeschooling, my kids need to be teachable or we won't accomplish anything at all. As God's child, I need to be teachable.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today-Oct 14

Here is another prayer of David that is appropriate for the day we live in. The wicked in high places of our government are setting their traps for us. I need a watch over my lips because I would like to say a lot of not so nice things right now. I need to keep my eyes on God and my trust in him. He is sovereign and he knows exactly what he is doing even it all looks bad to me.

Ps 141:1,3,8-9 LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today-Oct 13

This is a prayer for these current times in our nation/world. As I read the news and see what is coming, this Psalm is so appropriate for Christians to pray.

Ps 140:1 ¶ <> Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.

7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

8 ¶ Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

Sometimes I struggle with verse 12 below. It doesn't always seem like the Lord maintains the cause of the afflicted or the right of the poor. Yet He has His own good purposes for everything that happens and I must trust that His ways are not my ways. I can not hold Him accountable to my standard of justice.

12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

There is coming a day when God's people will be able to look back and will see God's perfect plan and purpose and how it all came together and they will give thanks as they dwell in the presence of God. This is what I must remember when I read verse 12 and am tempted to doubt what it says.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

(KJV)

Quiet Time Reflections for Today

Today, in my Quiet Time, I read Psalm 139. This is by far one of my favorites!

Ps 139:1 ¶ <> O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

God knows all about me. In one sense this is comforting, in another it is kind of scary and sobering. It's comforting knowing that He is aware of all that I do and all that happens to me. It's scary and sobering in that there are some things I would rather He did not know about me. It causes me to be more careful about my thought life and my actions.

Ps 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

God knew all about my body before it was ever made. He planned for certain parts to not work properly and He had a good purpose in mind for this...something for my spiritual good. My spiritual good is more important than my physical comfort.

Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

This is my prayer for today.

Devotional: Things Too High for Me

Things too High for Me

by Marsha Iddings

Psalm 131:1-2 LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

When I read this I couldn't help but think of Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

How often have I tried to explain away deep theological things that God has not chosen to completely reveal in Scripture to us? Take for instance the concept of the triune nature of God. It is revealed in Scripture (see footnotes) that the Father is God, the Son (Jesus) is God and the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is God and these three make up the One True God. But how this can be is not specifically revealed to us on a human level of understanding. Yet, we often find ourselves exercising ourselves in things too high for us. Or to put it bluntly, we speak with great authority on things we know nothing about.

We can use human examples from nature, such as the apple to try to explain the triune nature of God. The seeds are apple. The flesh is apple. The skin is apple. They are all different but all apple and they all have different functions but they are all still apple. But these examples all have their holes. It is impossible to put God in a box and explain Him. He is much bigger than that.

The Psalmist says, "my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty..." Isn't it the height of haughtiness or pride to think that we can explain God? I am guilty of this. I have tried to wrap my brain around this and explain it to others, in essence, speaking with great authority on something I know nothing about. God has not revealed all the in's and out's of His nature to us in His written Word, the Bible. What He has not revealed, we shouldn't pretend we know. All we can do is humbly accept by faith what He has revealed about His triune nature and quiet ourselves before Him as a child that is weaned of his mother.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)

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Footnotes

For further study & consideration:

Jesus is God

Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

John 1:1-3 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (note the verse above where it says all things were made by him, referring to the Word)

Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is God

Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {to lie to: or, to deceive} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

The Father is God

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is One True God

Deuteronomy 6:4 ¶ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Isaiah 45:5 ¶ I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

Devotional:Thou in Faithfulness has Afflicted Me

Thou in Faithfulness has Afflicted Me

by Marsha Iddings

Psalm 119:75 ¶ I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

When I read this verse, I had to do a double take. The phrase that surprised me was this: "...thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me."

What? God is responsible for causing me affliction and hard times? How can this be? If you look at Scripture, you find that God often uses affliction to teach His people, grow them up spiritually and accomplish His good purposes. Here are just a few examples:

Joseph was afflicted by his brothers, sold into slavery in Egypt, falsely accused and thrown into prison all in preparation to be promoted to the next highest position in the government to save God's people from extinction. Joseph said later, when Ephraim was born, "For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." (Genesis 41:52) God allowed and used Joseph's trials for good.

Job was the center of a debate between God and Satan. Satan was sure that if God allowed him to afflict Job that Job would deny the faith and forsake God. God gave Satan permission to test his theory out on Job. Notice that Satan was not allowed to touch Job without God's permission. God was ultimately responsible for the trials that Job was put through. Here is Job's response, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." (Job 13:15)

The Apostle Paul was afflicted with what was believed to be a problem with his eyes. He pleaded with God three times to remove this affliction from him, but God said, "No. My grace is sufficient for you." And Paul goes on to say this, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) We see through Paul's life that his ministry went on with great power in spite of his affliction and perhaps because of it. God was ultimately responsible for Paul's affliction. He could have removed it but didn't.

Jesus endured great affliction as he went about his earthly ministry and then the greatest affliction of all as he suffered and died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins that we might be saved from eternal damnation in Hell. God the Father was responsible for Christ's suffering. Jesus even prayed in the garden and asked if the cup could be removed from Him if it was God the Father's will. "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:36)

Too often Satan gets the rap for causing affliction. When "good" things happen God gets the credit but when "bad" things happen Satan gets the credit. We often define good things as things that benefit us and bad things are things that threaten our comfort in life. This is our sinful human perspective. But as we saw above, God often uses "bad" things to accomplish His ultimate good. When we are in the middle of the affliction we don't always see how good can come of it. But this is where patience comes in. Romans 5:3 says, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" We must let our affliction work into us patience so that we might see the good that God is working through our trials.

Notice that it says, "...thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me". Jesus was called a friend of publicans and sinners (Matthew 11:19). Proverbs 27:6 tells us, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." 1 Peter 4:19 says, "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

Joni Eareckson-Tada is a modern day Christian whose life is a testimony to God's faithfulness in affliction. Paralyzed from the neck down due to a diving accident when she was 17 years old, Joni's joy and trust in the Lord is evidence of God's faithfulness to her. God has taken her from obscurity to world-wide ministry as she encourages God's people through her radio ministry, artwork, writing and her missionary efforts of providing wheel chairs and God's Word to those in needy third-world countries. God has used her afflictions as a stage to reveal His faithfulness to a needy hurting world.

It's a challenge to do, but we need to keep in mind when we are afflicted that this is asign of God's faithfulness to us. He is working out something good according to His plan and purpose. We just need to be patient and trust Him.