Shalom,
Psalm 72:18-19:
18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wondrous things! 19 Blessed be His glorious name forever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!
He IS the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! And He IS MY LORD! I hope He's yours, too! Look at these verses from the Message Bible:
18 Blessed GOD, Israel's God, the one and only wonder-working God! 19 Blessed always His blazing glory! All earth brims with His glory. 20 Yes and Yes and Yes.
If we can grasp Who He really is, then grasp who WE are IN HIM, our world will never be the same! Make it YOUR goal to get to KNOW Him more every day (Philippians 3:8-10)!
Going right along with that is Hebrews 6:11-2:
11 But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end, 12 In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.
Again, the Message Bible:
11 And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. 12 Don't drag your feet. be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.
It takes diligence to live out this LIFE in the Word and in the Spirit, bringing glory to God and the Gospel of Truth to the people! But the rewards are well worth any price we could possibly pay in this life! PRESS ON (Philippians 3:14)!
Isaiah 58 address the practices of God's people concerning fasting, prayer and worship. They were doing all the "right things" on the outside, but with the wrong attitude and motive! He explains exactly what He is looking for in verses 4-9 (Message Bible):
4 You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won't get your prayers off the ground. 5 Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, GOD, would like? 6 This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. 7 What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. 8 Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The GOD of glory will secure your passage. 9 Then when you pray, GOD will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, "Here I am".
Continue reading chapter 58 in the Message Bible! Very clear and easy to understand so that we can put it into practice, becoming DOERS of the Word, and not just hearers! We'll be blessed, people will notice, and GOD will be glorified! AMEN! Here is the new Hillsong United song: Go:
Shalom in Him!
