DRAW NEAR: Week 3 - MONDAY

// Monday //

Read – Psalm 19:7-9, Jeremiah 15:16

SOAP – Psalm 19:7-9

"The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair."

In the NLT the words of Proverbs 19:7-9 are a little different, but still the same meaning... "The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.

Of course I pulled out how God's Word was described, the nature of it and of God, & what it gave us or received from it.

Get into the Word • Know the Word • Obey the Word • Live the Word

1) Instructions - perfect - revives our soul

'Instructions' defined: a direction or order. Detailed info telling how something should be done, operated or assembled.

2) Decrees - trustworthy - wisdom to the simple

'Decree' defined: an official order issued by a legal authority

3) Commandments - - joy to our hearts

'Commandments' defined: a divine rule, especially one of the 10 commandments. A rule to be observed strictly.

4) Commands - clear - insight for living

'Commands' defined: an authoritative order

5) Reverance - pure - everlasting (the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7).

'Reverence' defined: deep respect for something or someone. Regard or treat with deep respect.

6) Laws - true - fair/just

'Laws' defined: the system of rules regulating which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

So many facets of His Word... but it all relates to each other. Our Bible... 'Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth'... how to get our earthly spiritual bodies ready for our heavenly spiritual home.

...and the verse in Jeremiah 15:16 "When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies."

Putting the two readings together, I pulled this out... His Words (whether they be Instructions, decrees, commandments, commands, laws or the pure reverent words) are our daily bread... we can "eat" His Word daily and digest and understand it and it can fill us with the spiritual nutrients we need. Just like breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day... the morning Scripture is the most important spiritual meal. Clearly at this quarantine time, we enjoy snacking throughout the day, just like we can glean from the Word throughout the day. We think on what we read & God sends more Scriptures, revelations and thoughts our way. I love a late-night snack as I don't like to go to bed on an empty stomach, and so a Word from the Lord before bed helps me sleep as well.

When I hear the word "devour" -- I immediately jump to the verse in 1 Peter 5:8 describing our enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." He prowls LIKE a lion, as he wants to be like Jesus the Lion of Judah. If we DEVOUR the Scriptures, the enemy cannot DEVOUR us! As Jesus fought temptation from the enemy with the Word, we can do the same!

"Devour" (for our purpose I skipped the eating definition) is defined as: from Latin devorare "swallow down, accept eagerly," ... Read quickly & eagerly....To absorb or engrossed wholly... To enjoy avidly.

(Source: Different online dictionaries)

Eagerly and avidly read the Word. Absorb it... into our spirit man. Get engrossed wholly into it! WOW!

We can trust fully in the Word and the words of our God. His nature is spoken through His word - as it says "for out of the heart the mouth speaks" Luke 6:45. ♡

He is making us more like Him as we read and glean from His Word. We need to guard our gates for sure. We are Ambassadors for Him. We have to walk in reverence (holy fear) of Him, His Name and His Word. This is a BIG eye-opener to the importance of this in these times. Defintely makes me wanna kick my butt into gear. Obey and live the Word!

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Sidenote: Some people just think the Bible/the Word is a list of rules and regulations, of don's & don'ts... thinking that much of the Old Testament doesn't apply to us today. That we don't have to follow the laws because Jesus came. But it says Jesus came to FULFILL the Law. His Word is more than just rules and regulations. It does show us the way to live. But it is a CHOICE. There are way more Do's than Don'ts... and IF we do... He promises to 'do' as well. But we aren't just to 'do' like a rule or law... we are to 'be'. When we become who God made us to be and walk in truths of His Word and His nature (as concluded above) we will naturally just 'do' as Jesus did, & 'be' Jesus with skin on... and then eternally in Spirit.

Leads into the 'be'attitudes...

Wow! God is so good!!

Have a happy and blessed week ahead!

BE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

Draw Near: Week 1 - TUESDAY

TODAY'S READING & SOAP Verse: 

// TUESDAY //

Read - Job 12:7-10, John 1:1-3

SOAP - John 1:1-3

"In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him."

Wow... so many revelations... so many bunny trails through the Scriptures/Word... Job's verses were good of course, but it was the ones in John 1 that hit me...

One main thing I pulled from our SOAP verses was originally nothing new as I have been a Christian forever... so I know and have studied & taught on the verses in John, so I know that Jesus is the Word and that He is God and was at the Beginning... and was at Creation. Everything was made through Him. But it was just made more clearer to me about the ACTS of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son- Jesus and God in Spirit- Holy Spirit. Jesus ONLY did that which He saw the Father doing... and basically SAID what the Father was doing. Holy Spirit is His POWER & WISDOM. (& more)

God is ALWAYS working as we know and has been referred to already a few times in our study notes/revelations... but these verses led me to John 5:16-30 & John 14:10-12... and then to Romans 10:17 & John 10:27...(see my notes or check out the Scriptures yourself if you wish.)

The Word!! Why is 'the' Word and 'THE' Word so important?? Exactly this... our faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Not just 'the' Word (His Bible) but 'THE' Word (Jesus). Do we KNOW His voice? Do we just HEAR it or do we LISTEN to it and OBEY it?? God speaks through HIS WORD (Bible and His Son) which is LOGOS (Ya I love doing word studies too! It's GREEK) but we have Holy Spirit with us to reveal and interpret the Word which is RHEMA (again Greek)! God doesn't just give His Word, He allows us to understand and interpret it and apply it to us.

In this time, my prayer was to OPEN THE EARS OF MY HEART to KNOW, HEAR, LISTEN & OBEY (& now the word RESPOND TO is coming to me)... Jesus SAID/DID what the Father did... and He told His disciples to 'do the work they saw Him do and that they would do greater things than this'... WOW!

SO THANKFUL FOR THE WORD and THE WORD!

Be blessed everyone! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, insights and revelations too! This is a time of GROWTH for us all. Love & Hugs!

"Your Bible & His Purpose"

DAY #120 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
VERSE: "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace..." Psalm 12:6

In yesterday's devotion found HERE, we spoke of 'Give us this day our daily bread', 'bread' being that which we need to go through each day, not just the actual food itself. In Matthew 4:4, it says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God", meaning that we are not to live on just 'bread', but also by the 'bread of life' which is God's Word. God's Word as in the Bible is important for us, but just as in yesterday's devotional, 'Prayer Changes Things & You', God's words in prayer are just as important. When we pray to Him, He may come and speak to us. Now it is not audible everytime, but I guess for some it could be. I usually feel His voice in my spirit or my heart. He reveals things to me like that. If He has spoken audibly, I have obviously missed out because I haven't heard & listened to it. There are times when I think I hear an 'audible' voice, but I'm not sure it's not just someone around me. I know that we all, but I myself have to pray and get deeper into the Word more so that I can discern better, so that I may grow more intimate with Him.

In my teaching classes, I always tell the children/youth how important God's Word is to them, for we are soooooo blessed to be able to have more than one in our homes, where people around the world may only have one page of it, or not be able to have it at all or they will be killed. We need to treat it as a rare treasure, not just another book on our shelf or coffee table... or in our hotel room bedside drawer. His Word reveals His purposes, but His Word becomes 'my' Bible, that brings life, truth and hope to me. Do you want to know what to do with your life? He can reveal that to you through His Word. Are you struggling with pain of the past, or health issues? God can minister to you through His Word. Are you seeking Him for more blessings, whether it be spiritual, financial, physical, emotional, social, mental... for you and/or your family, your friends, your co-workers, your clientelle & their families, or even just those around you who are hurting? It's all in the Word, God can and will do great & mighty things for us, but there are also some things that we need to be doing here on earth for Him to move in great power. He doesn't need us,  but He wants us. Sometimes we think we don't want Him, but we always do truly need Him. We need to fulfill our mission or calling here on the earth, and be the hands and feet of Jesus, completing His mission of bringing everyone into the kingdom. But we cannot find out our mission, if we do not humble ourselves & pray, and submit to Him and read his Word daily.

"Finding one's mission, and then fulfilling it, is perhaps the most vital activity in which a person can engage." ~ Laurie Beth Jones

Maybe you have never heard the GOSPEL MESSAGE, or you don't have that 'relationship' with Christ. That's what it's all about it's not religion, it's a relationship. Here is the GOSPEL MESSAGE simplicity - -



We are ALL sinners - Sin results in Death - God loved the world so much, He sent us His Son Jesus - Jesus came to earth to teach, train, equip, and mentor - Jesus did the work of the Father, praying, healing, performing miracles, teaching of His Father's love - Jesus died ONCE & FOR ALL for our sins, so that we didn't have to die - He rose again, to live with His Father in Heaven - Jesus intercedes for us to the Father - We are commissioned to do the work of the Father, trainging, teaching, equipping, praying, healing, performing miracles, but most importantly sharing His story, 'History' not fiction (the gospel) - Jesus will come back for believers - We as believers get to live eternally in Heaven with Him. (If we do not believe, then we will have eternal death, as we haven't accepted the FREE gift of Salvation).

**If you have never prayed the 'salvation prayer' before (or maybe you did long ago and have drifted away)& haven't experienced the joy of the relationship that is spoken of above, then here's your chance today. The only thing you are giving up is things that aren't going to last long anyway -- which if you don't give up, will only make your own life not last as long as it could (which is eternally). --- You've already made the first step known - admit to God that you are a sinner, because after all - all of us are sinners. (Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God") After that you need to believe that God is God, and that Jesus is His Son. He sent His Son to die for us, so that we as sinners didn't need to be condemned to death. (Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, bu the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.") Then do something a little difficult, and Confess your sins to Him and ask for forgiveness -- and then confess aloud that JESUS IS LORD. (Romans 10:9-10 "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.") We need to daily ask for forgiveness (sometimes more than once a day), because we are human and we will always mess up in some way or another. God is willing and able to forgive us, and welcome YOU into His family. I don't like to write out a prayer anymore to say word for word, as this important step is something that you need to tell God in your own words. (But if you need someone to help you or to chat with, just comment below.) Just tell Him what's in your heart - you're a sinner, you want to believe in Him but it may be hard, you want Him to forgive you of what you've done, and you want to choose life with Him through His Son Jesus. Then find a local SPIRIT-FILLED, Bible believing, covered by the BLOOD church to be a part of, to encourage you along the way. It's as simple as that. ** GOD BLESS YOU!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!