We are finishing up the year in FINE fashion with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan by reading Psalm 119! This Psalm is ALL about THE WORD! Take the extra time today to look for the Word of God in every verse! Then we finish the New Testament with Philippians, my favorite Epistle! We finish the Old Testament with the final book, Malachi. I want to look at something that is special to me in each of these selections today! Psalm 119:2:
2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart. AMP
Do YOU desire to be "blessed, happy,fortunate and to be envied" more in 2014? Of COURSE you do! We were designed by the Living God to desire to succeed and do well! It is within our control to do so! What is required? That we "keep" His testimonies! His Word! Let's look at the word "keep". It is the Hebrew word "natsar". It means: to guard, to protect, to maintain, to obey, to watch and to watch over, keeping with faithfulness, and one of my favorites, to keep in view! So the answer for walking in the fullness of the blessing of God in 2014 will be to keep the Word of God first place in our lives! Read it, study it, know it, DO it, and keep doing so consistently and continually! What else? Seek to know Him, spend time in His presence learning of Him and the more you do so, the more you WILL "crave Him with your whole heart"! NOTHING is more important in your life that JESUS!
In Philippians 4 there are three verses to keep foremost in your remembrance and act on them! Verses 4, 6, and 8!
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
Begin every day by rejoicing in all the good that HE has done for YOU! You HAVE joy in you as a fruit of your born again spirit! Stir it up! No matter what the situation, circumstance, test or trial that you are facing at any given time, do NOT let satan steal your joy! YOU are a child of the Living God! YOU have Heaven as your home when you leave this earth! YOU are a Blood Covenant partner with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible through the shed blood of Jesus the Christ! ACT like it! We DO this by being a DOER of verse 6! Cast every care on Him, find out what the Word of God promises you for every situation, stand on the Word and SHOUT the victory! AMEN! If that seems impossible for you to do, then you need to be DOER of verse 8! What we think about continually is what we WILL end up speaking out of our mouth, and what we say with our mouth will eventually come to pass! Don't ever forget that you have all of the power that created the universe, and that raised Jesus from the dead, living IN you in the person of the Spirit of Almighty God! Make full use of all of the wonderful resources that HE provides to you as your Helper, Comforter, Counselor, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby (John 14:26 AMP). HE is waiting on YOU! Then, you need remind yourself of this from Malachi 3:16:
16 Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.
Fellowship more this year with like-minded believers, both for YOUR benefit and for THEIRS! God is watching and HE will NOT forget! I encourage you to make 2014 the year that YOU give more of YOU to HIM! Dare to step out in faith, completely trusting Him to lead, guide, direct, honor, bless and protect you! He WILL! AMEN! Here is a song that, IF you have made this commitment, will help to take you there! it is called "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" by Hillsong United:
Shalom in Him!
