Psalm 111-11.8.22
Scripture
Psalms 111:1-2
Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Observation
Praise the Lord – He is worthy to be praised – Great are His works – Remember what He has done for you!!!
Understanding
“If we cannot rejoice in our circumstances, we can always rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). This opening verse (vs. 1) is actually a vow; the writer is determined to praise God no matter what happens.” Warren Wiersbe BE Bible Study Series
Worship is my favorite! As I sing His praises I am encouraged and my mind and heart are changed. Praising God ushers me into His presence and prepares me to hear from Him. As I ponder His works, I am encouraged by all He has done for me and the miracles He has performed. He has made a way for me in the past, when there seemed to be no way. And if He did it before, He will do it again!
We worship God because He is worthy and He demands our praise, but when we choose to worship, we are changed.
Life Application
Today I choose to worship the Lord and remember His great works! I invite you to join with me and listen to some of the songs below:
What a Beautiful Name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWFzMvCfLE&list=RDnQWFzMvCfLE&start_radio =1
Behold Him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNsA44-RynU
Promises Never Fail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWzC7DdWbF4
So Will I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT4ABF19oEw
-Debbie Dunn
Revelation 13-11.7.22
Scripture
Revelation 13:9 NLT
“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this chapter, John tells us about the two powerhouses of the Tribulation Period-the Antichrist (political powerhouse) and the False Prophet (the religious powerhouse). These two will merge church and state, and the results will be disastrous! The Antichrist will become Satan in the flesh and will blaspheme God and mimic Jesus in things Jesus did. From performing miracles, to being raised from the dead, the Antichrist will have the world eating out of the palm of his hand. The people of this world (people whose names are not written in the Book of Life) will worship him (vs. 3-4) and wage war against God’s people.
Understanding-What does it mean?
When God speaks, we better listen.
Everyone who has ears should listen to the things from our all knowing God. No one has to go through this Tribulation Period that John speaks of in Revelation. GOD LOVES EVERYONE! He is warning everyone. Will anyone be willing to listen and commit their lives to Jesus before it’s too late?
“So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.”-Romans 10:17 ERV
Life Application
Share the good news with someone who needs it.
I will not be discouraged if they reject it when I do share it. I am there to plant a seed in their heart. It is God who turns and softens hearts. Even if their hearts are hardened, and they reject God’s grace and love all the way up till the Tribulation Period, maybe, just maybe, all the words I shared with them about the things I learned in God’s Word will begin to come to light, as they see the things that were written in the Bible are now coming true. Then Lord willing, they can come to the realization that they need Jesus and need to repent from their sin.
Father God I pray that your warnings, Your words do not fall on deaf ears. May the truth You speak set people free! Give me the courage, the words, and the opportunities to share with people the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray this in Your name Lord, Amen.
-Moses Gaddi
Psalm 109 - 11.4.22
Scripture
Psalm 109:4
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
Observation – What does it say?
David is really struggling. Being hurt and betrayed by people you loved can be incredibly painful. Those he offered friendship and was good to have now paid him back with evil, saying hateful and hurtful things about him, and attacking him without reason.
In the middle of his venting about the situation, almost as a parenthetical statement that doesn’t seem to fit the flow of his thoughts, he says, “But I am a man of prayer.” Then he goes right back to how these people have betrayed him. This psalm, which is really a heartfelt prayer turned song, is evidence that in his moments of intense struggling he went to God.
David was a warrior, a king, an army commander, killer of giants. Yet rather than taking vengeance into his own hands he pours out his heart to God and asks God to take care of his enemies. What a powerful example!
Understanding – What does it mean?
What is your reflex response to pain? I can be tempted to retaliate and have often said things I now regret. Or I can isolate and have a pity party. Or sometimes I just want to turn on the tv or take a nap to escape.
But David shows us that the best reflex response to pain is to pray. Go to God. Share your pain. Then entrust the situation to him and trust him with the outcome.
Your repetition becomes your reputation. And David had repeated going to God in his moments of pain and struggle so many times it became a reflex habit for him. So much so that it became a part of his reputation and his identity, “I am a man of prayer.”
Life Application
God, please help me and help us to cultivate this reflex response to pain and struggle. May we run to you every time, sharing our hurts with you, asking for your help, and trusting you with the outcome. May it become our reputation and our identity to the point that we could say, “I am a man of prayer,” or “I am a woman of prayer.” Amen.
-Levi Thompson