Psalms 127 - 8.16.23

Scripture

Psalms 127:1-2

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to[ those he loves.

Observation

We can choose to struggle to do things in our own strength, even the things we do for God, and accomplish little for His kingdom. Or we can labor with God, under his guidance, and accomplish great things for the kingdom!

Application

As I was deciding what to journal on today, this scripture caught my attention. It’s not new to me, but spoke to me in a different way. So, like I usually do, I started looking through resources to supplement my journal entry – to help me explain what I want to say. And then it hit me – Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Instead of first going to the source for inspiration, I wanted to do it in my own strength. So I stopped and I prayed – Lord speak to me, reveal yourself to me. And you know what? He did. Actually, my mind is kind of blown right now!

Unless the Lord

I can come to church on Sunday and be preoccupied, checking my phone, thinking about the things I have to do the rest of the day - or I can pray and prepare myself to hear from God and encourage others around me.

Unless the Lord

I can try to love others in my own strength – or I can go to the source and ask him to fill me and pour out his love through me.

Unless the Lord

I can go to work each day simply to earn a paycheck – or I can understand that God placed me there for a purpose and choose to partner with Him to be used to make an impact

Am I going to keep doing my own thing – or am I going to let the Lord build the house???

Prayer

Thank you for your revelation to me today. Unless the Lord builds the house, I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to waste time going through the motions. If it’s not with You, I’m not in! Help me to remember to invite you in to every moment of my life. My new motto – UNLESS THE LORD!

Psalm 126 - 8.15.23

Scripture

Psalm‬ ‭126:1-4, 6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev....Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

‭‭

Observation

We’ve been set free from captivity because of Jesus Christ! 

“The Psalmist sang of a time when God set His people free from their captivity, and they were restored to Jerusalem (aka Zion).” -(Source: enduringword.com)

God wants to bring back captives from their sin, not so that He can bless us with more material possessions or fortunes. When this passage talks about restoring fortunes in verses 1 and 4, it is talking about bringing back the captives and being set free from bondage/slavery.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” -1 John‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

True joy is a result of a personal and deepened relationship with Jesus. Being free from captivity to our sin is the greatest gift we have received. 

Application 

Pursue true blessing through Jesus Christ and share that blessing with others. 

May we pursue what truly matters and share the “wealth” He has given us with others so that they would be wealthy in the Lord as well.

Who can I share the Good News of Jesus Christ with this week?

Prayer

Dear Lord, 

Thank You that if we have a relationship with You, we already have every blessing that we need. Please help us to not keep it to ourselves, but to be salt and light to those around us. Please open our eyes to everyone in our circles who need You today. May we be bold to unashamedly proclaim You Jesus. Amen. 

-Michelle Gaddi

Ezekiel 9 - 8.14.23

Scripture

Ezekiel‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT

“Then he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The Lord has abandoned the land!’ So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done.””

Observation-What does it say?

In this vision Ezekiel received from God, Ezekiel sees God instruct an angelic being to mark the foreheads of all the righteous people of Jerusalem. Then God instructs six angelic beings, each carrying a deadly weapon, to go out in the town and destroy ALL people who did not carry that mark of righteousness on their foreheads. It is time for Jerusalem to “pay the bill” for all the sinfulness they brought into their town and in their lives. And God is going to pour out His wrath and judgment upon them.

Application

Nothing but the blood of Jesus can make us right with God.

The Old Testament is known to foreshadow and point towards Jesus in the New Testament. You first have the story of how the Jewish Passover originated. When God sent a plague throughout the land of Egypt to go out and kill the firstborn child of each family. But this plague would pass over the houses that had their doors marked with lambs’ blood. (Jesus is known as the perfect lamb who was slain for us).

“But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”-Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‬‬

Then you have today’s reading where God sent out His angels in Jerusalem to kill anyone not carrying His mark of righteousness on their foreheads. “He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.” Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity!”-Ezekiel‬ ‭9‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭

At the end of the day, we serve a God who is holy, just, and righteous and the Bible tells us that the penalty of our sin is death. And can a God who is holy, just, and righteous still be all that if He allows sinful, unruly, and unrighteousness to continue? 🤔

So here’s the dilemma:

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.-Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭

But here is the solution:

“Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”-Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭

Prayer

Father God, I thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank You for the blood You shed for me. Thank You for washing my sins away when I chose to put my faith in Jesus. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Thank You for seeing me for who I am in Jesus (holy and righteous), and not for who I was and am (a sinner). May I live my life telling others what You have done for me and what You have done for them. May they accept that free gift You are offering. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi