Numbers 7, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Song of Solomon 5, Hebrews 5

Pain is the price – sacrifice is the offering.

 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. … I go and meet with God…  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. By day the LORD directs His love, at night His song is with me —  a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42

Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell. Psalm 43:3

Bible Gateway – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Num.%207;%20Ps.%2042,43;%20Song%205;%20Heb.%205&version=NIV1984

Numbers 7, Psalm 42, Psalm 43 –           Costly offerings – material wealth offered to the Lord God Almighty – the Holy One. We give from our excess – but You want from what we think we need. You are pleased with what is valuable to us. You want us stripped from even the smallest idol. You want complete devotion and allegiance – for You alone are Worthy!

            Pain is the price – sacrifice is the offering. Living life consciously that all is Yours, nothing is mine. All is for Your glory, nothing is to my credit. (Punny!!)  Paramount, You want a heart desirous to do Your will. (Hebrews 10:8-10, Psalm 51:17, Psalm 37:4) You gave us the example: This is love: “He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10   We are to love as You have loved us! (1 John 4:19, Revelation 2:4, Ephesians 3:14-21)

            Being recently sick, yet without pain, You were close. I had nothing, no energy, no ability, and no squirming. Just peaceful joy knowing I can’t and You can. I wasn’t even conscious of this, for it was all that I could do. Love, appreciate, and yearn for more intimacy with You, the Holy God. You overly filled my longings and needs. Now as I am well, may I love with that deep sense of dependence upon You permeating. Prayerful powerfully for You to Do, Be, and Magnify Yourself in my heart and in others’!! I rejoice in You Jesus!

Song of Solomon 5            You call me Your bride, Your beloved, cherished treasure! You possess me, You bought me at Your most personal cost – Yourself. You write this song of love for me, and for all who belong to You, my Saviour. Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:9; Deuteronomy 7:6; Zephaniah 3:17

            You pursued me with gentleness and understanding. You drew me to Yourself, You were the lure. I caught Your glimpse and saw my defilement. You loved me as I was, cleansing me by Your Sacrifice. You changed me into Your image of righteousness in Your sight. I am forever Yours!

Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 51, 1 Peter 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 3:22, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Philippians 3:9, Philippians 1:9-11

Hebrews 5 –              Christ Jesus, You are the high Priest forever. There is no other. While Your Word says all regenerated persons are the royal priesthood, with no hierarchy between us- You, Lord Jesus Christ, are THE High Priest, forever!   

2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Ezekiel 11:19-20; Jeremiah 31:33-34

            Lord Jesus, You are “the source of eternal salvation for all who obey” You. Cause Your Body to yearn and mature, living live for You, Righteousness!! Have us desirous of solid food, training ourselves to distinguish good from evil during these dangerous times. Isaiah 26:3, John 16:33, 1 John 4:4

            I am weak in many moments. When I am filled with your Holy Spirit, Your power is great. Sin, worry and fear disrupt the flow of Your Spirit. Distrust of You is wrong. You carefully and diligently teach me Your Ways to keep me on Your Path so as to bring Yourself Praise and Glory. I am grateful! Thank You for dealing gently with me when I am ignorant or going astray. I am amazed and humbled that You subjected Yourself to weakness to make me strong. I worship You Lord Jesus! Amen!

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)

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Numbers 6; Psalms 40,41; Song of Songs 4; Hebrews 4

When a friend is hurting and hunkering under the weight of her decisions, it’s easy to feel helpless. Words of comfort and compassion can seem an empty response to her “why?” How do you say, “Give it to God” to someone who doesn’t know him? When she would blame him for an addiction, a heartache, and punishment–it’s hard to say how he loves. She doesn’t feel loved.

She tells me she can ask me, but hopes I won’t take offense–she’s not sure she can buy into this God idea or this book written by men … she resents he made the very drug that holds her prisoner … that she can’t go to him because her life is out of control and all she can do is ask, ask, ask. She doesn’t want to be so needy.

In Psalm 40, I read of David, and I read of God. A God who lifts out of despair and mud and mire; who sets feet on solid ground and steadies to walk along; who gives a new song. And while it sounds so pretty and poetic, these are more than just words. His wonders and plans, too numerous to list, serve as constant witness (of who he is, of what he can do) to our needy hearts.

Hebrews 4 and the rest for those who believe, the rest that is since the creation of the world. Of Jesus, whom we can approach in confidence (boldly) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.

And I think of what I have in Christ. And I want that for her too.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7b (NIV)

Courtney (66books365)

Numbers 4; Psalms 39; Song of Songs 3; Hebrews 3

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence had at first.

In Romans 12:2 we are told; “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Beginning and ending our day with Gods word fortifies our heart and mind keeping us focused on God throughout the day.  Enables us to encourage and hold accountable our brothers and sisters in Christ fuels us so our faith continues to grow. Giving room for the Holy Spirit to work within us.

In Proverbs27:17  we are told; “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”

By surrounding ourselves with other Christians on a daily basis does not mean that we isolate ourselves from others who are non Christians, we should meet and pray with each other, either by phone or in person each day if possible so that we can encourage each other.  Strengthen and prepare each other for the times when we encounter those who have not met Christ or heard the gospel.

And in Ecclesiastes 4:10   we are told; “If either of  them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up”

Having someone close to us, a mentor or an accountability partner keeps us protected from temptations or sinful desires that want to deceive us and lead us away from God.

Father, thank you for the Bible, thank you for it’s rich wisdom that continually points us to your Son, Christ Jesus.  Father I ask that you place in our hearts the desire to read your word daily and the desire to surround ourselves with Godly people so that we can be your warriors in this world. In Jesus name, Amen.

Cindi

Numbers 4; Psalm 38; Song of Solomon 2; Hebrews 2

Scripture:

Hebrews 2:1-4, ¹ We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (New International Version)

Observation:

What a great testimony to the salvation we have in Christ! These verses are loaded with proof after proof of how we know salvation is sure and ours. The last proof, however, is one we may miss. It’s the proof of the Holy Spirit working through us in the gifts He has given us. It is put on the same level as signs and wonders and various miracles. God’s Holy Spirit working through us in the gifts we have is another proof of our salvation! One of the questions that precedes this list is linked here. “How can we escape so great a salvation?” How can we if we have a gift or two or three of the Holy Spirit working in us? They is always with us. As Eric Liddell stated, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

Application:

I’m not sure my mind can comprehend this truth. How wonderful and glorious is this fact that every time we exercise the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has given us it is a testimony to the salvation we enjoy! I am not sure I have been conscious of this fact when I have been teaching, or leading or starting new ministries. That these actions are an outworking, an assurance of my salvation in Christ! The eternal empowers the temporal and makes it eternal not only on the behalf of others, but for us as well.

Prayer:

Father God what an awesome truth You give us! Help us to be conscious of the salvation we have in You the next time we teach, or serve or discharge any gift Your Holy Spirit has given us. Help us to not take lightly the gifts we have received. Give us boldness and grace as we serve You and Your church. We pray these things in Jesus Name, Amen.

dmbaldwin

Num. 3; Ps. 37; Song 1; Heb. 1

Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Ps. 37: 1-4

I can’t begin to express how much reading through the Psalms has meant to me these last few weeks.  The sheer emotion coming from them makes my heart soar.  This one in particular is quite uplifting for me – as many like this have been these last few weeks.  Trouble has made it’s way in to my life. Not particularly big trouble, but enough to make me really turn to him.  And it seems like every morning he presents me with something in his Word that gets me through the day.

Knowing that I don’t have to fret because I have Jesus on my side is simply awesome.  My wife likes to remind me that he is always right there with me – “sitting on my shoulder” she says.  I love that.

Oh great God, thank you for lifting me up EVERY DAY!  Thank you for putting people in my life that pour your love into me.  It is my true desire to delight in you Lord.  I will always be your humble servant.  In JESUS name.  AMEN

Jim (jmitch1)