II Peter 2 After Peter's exhortation to us to be diligent in our faith and to strive to increase in those qualities that our Lord shares with us from His own divine nature,  he gives a stark warning about those who would lead us away.

A false teacher can be known by these qualities:

He is secretive.
He "introduces destructive heresies".
He maligns the truth.
He is greedy.
He exploits others.
He indulges the flesh.
He despises authority.
He is daring and self-willed.
He is adulterous..
He loves money more than righteousness.
He is arrogant.
He is sensual.
And he wants to make us all like himself...

Unfortunately, they may have once been believers, but have turned their backs on the Lord.
Their destruction is coming, Peter tells us, for God is the Judge.
He judged the rebellious angels, not sparing them, but casting them into hell. ( v4)
He judged the "ancient world", sparing only Noah and his family. (v5)
He judged Sodom and Gomorrah, rescuing only Lot.(v7-8)
By these examples we can know that judgement of the wicked and rebellious, the false teachers and those who have left the Shepherd's fold - will face certain judgement.

In light of this, how much more vital is it that we are diligent in our faith.. that we abide in Him and partake of His divine nature?  We must strive to keep growing in virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love! To stay on the narrow way, the way of Truth, the way of the cross.. the way of Jesus.  How thankful we can be for verse 9... " ... the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation..." 

Father in Heaven,  we praise Your Name,  Holy One of Israel, Redeemer, Savior, Mighty God!  Keep us in Your will and in Your Kingdom forever.  Open our eyes to see You more clearly and to discern fully those who desire to lead us astray.  Keep us strong in Your strength that we may stand firm and resist evil.  Thank You for the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  Thank You for Your grace towards us through Jesus Christ our Master. In His Name we pray. amen.

2 Peter 1

This letter is addressed to those who have "a faith of the same kind as ours"... a faith that comes by "the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

3 times Peter uses the word "knowledge" ( epignosis)  here:
v2 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
v3 ".. through the true knowledge of Him who called us... "
v8 "... in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"

It is in the context or "true knowledge",  of full acknowledgement and recognition of the supremacy of Jesus Christ as Lord and Master as testified by God Himself when He said " This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased"..  as reported by the eyewitness.. Peter, himself, that we believe and live.

Peter urges us to be "diligent" - to personally give much attention and care - to His calling and choosing of us to this life of faith.  Jesus has given us all we need to live this life:
It comes by His "divine power", not by our own strength or determination .
It is "everything" we need for "life and godliness".
It leads us to partake - to share, fellowship, partner - in "the divine nature". 

All of theses things are secured by His promises.. "His precious and magnificent promises", but we have to be diligent... we need to pay attention to how we live.
We need to keep walking in faith.  It is not a one time commitment, but a daily focus.  Am I exercising faith in Jesus right this moment?  Am I trusting Him for salvation, for life, and for everything I need to live according to His will? Do I trust His promises for myself, for my family... right now, this very moment?
We need to "supply moral excellence".  Am I diligent to be virtuous and honorable? To partner in the divine nature I must not bring any impure thoughts or words or actions. Have I repented of all uncleanness and impurity in my life?  I must be diligent to keep my heart free from evil. The Greek word here also has the idea of valor and excellence. We depend on Christ's divine power to renovate our character to be like His own.
We need to add knowledge.  This is the greek word "gnosis", the act of knowing. Understanding and being aware of truth.  We need to think clearly and to live according to truth as opposed to ignorance or deception or worldly philosophies.  Am I diligent to know God's Word so well that I can recognize a phony teaching?  It is important the I do this!  For my own sake and for the sake of those I love.
We need to add self-control.   Am I diligent to exercise self-restraint?  Do I allow my appetite.. physically, emotionally, or spiritually.. to get out of hand?  Jesus has given us this gift of self-control and I need to practice it daily.
We need to add perseverance.  The greek word is hupomone - cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy.. patient continuance.  Am I persevering?  Do I give up to easily?  Am I hopeful and cheerful in my waiting for His promises to be fulfilled?
We need to add godliness.  He has called us to be holy as He is holy.  Set apart. God focused.  Him first.. His will, His way, and His Righteousness.  Is my life about Him, or about me and mine?  Oh, Lord help me to seek You first and Your kingdom and Your righteousness!
We need to add brotherly kindness. By His divine power at work in me, I am able to show this brotherly love and affection to others... but it is an area that I need to be diligent in.  I have a tendency to be more introverted and a bit distant sometimes.  Lord, I need Your divine power to grow in this area too.
And finally, we need to add love.  Agape love.  Benevolent, giving, generous, grace-filled love. The kind of love we must first receive from our Heavenly Father.  Lord, add more love to my character.

Peter tells us that when we are diligent to add theses traits to our lives in faith.. we will not be "unfruitful" or "useless".  But if we don't work on these, we are "blind or short-sighted", and we may have even forgotten that Jesus saved us from our sins.

Father, we come in the name of Jesus, our Master, seeking Your divine Presence once again.  Lead us in Your ways, that we may abide in You, partake of Your nature, and be good and faithful servants.  Increase these qualities in our lives Lord.  Work on our faith, our virtue, our knowledge of the Truth, our self-control, our perseverance, our godliness, our kindness, and our love.. helping us to grow in the likeness of Jesus our Lord.  Thank You for the reminder from Your Word, that You have given us everything we need, in Jesus, to be all that You want us to be.  May Your will be done to Your glory and honor. Amen.

Psalm 91 This psalm is recited by many people as they go through difficult times.  It reminds us of the greatness of our God and the security we have in Him.

If we "dwell" in His shelter.. if we live in the security of His Presence, we  "will abide in the shadow of the Almighty".   We choose to live either acknowledging God as the Most High.. the One Who is Present everywhere and always.. and find comfort in His nearness, or we don't. We must make that choice.

Lord, Almighty God, You are my refuge, my fortress, "My God, in whom I trust".   This is a statement of faith.  When we make this our foundation and stand firm we will know that:

He delivers us from snares and pestilence( v3)
He covers us with Himself.. ( v4)
He faithfully shields us from the enemy (v4)
He takes away all fear (v5 -6)
He will punish the wicked all around us , protecting us all the while. ( v7-8)
He sends His angels to guard us and help us ( 10-12)

God commits Himself to helping those who love Him.
He promises to deliver us.
He promises to answer us when we call upon Him.
He promises to be with us in the troubles.
He promises to rescue us and to honor us.
He promises life and satisfaction.
He promises that we will see His salvation. ( v14-16)

Father, great is Your faithfulness to us who choose to love You and to dwell in Your Presence.  You are my God and I will trust You.  Lord, I come before You as one who has set apart Christ as Lord in my heart.  He is my Master and I am His servant.  What will You have me to do today, Lord?  I hear the Shepherd's voice in this Word today... trust in Me, find refuge in Me, stay in My shadow.  Help me to do this mindfully, diligently, and completely today.  For I pray this in the Name of Christ the Lord, amen.

Psalm 90  This extraordinary prayer is credited to Moses, a man who was as close to God as humanly possible.  His prayer gives us insight into his understanding and knowledge of God and into the life of men.

v 1 -2- The Lord is "the dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. "

God, the Creator, who "birthed" the mountains and the earth itself,  is our home.  He is the eternal God.  He has always been and will always be the Almighty Lord.  We only have life because He gives it.  We only have the universe because He made it. There is nowhere where He is not .. because all of His creation is in Him.  It ... the world, the earth, the universe is not our habitation.. He is.

This is a profound thought in light of our culture's current philosophies.  It is a truth that hits me anew right now. How often do we think of God as being out there somewhere, looking down at our world? But, Moses understood and we need to understand more clearly the Presence of God.  We want His manifest Presence and pray for open eyes... and we need to.. but, all along He has been and always will be our home.  I need to meditate on this some more.  Lord, give me understanding, please.

v3-12  Moses talks about the life of men.
We are dust... and we go back to dust.
Our births and our deaths are ordered by God's word.
Time is not a concern of God's for it has meaning only for man.
Generations come and go in His sight .. like morning when the grass sprouts and evening when it fades away.
God's focus is not on the length of our lives, but on the quality of it - do we finish our years in unconfessed sin and unrepentant hearts... and be consumed by His anger?  Or do we realize that this life is limited and with a heart of wisdom, fear His wrath and repent?

v13-17 We seek the Lord and He will let us find Him .  He is the One Who shows compassion on us with His great mercy.  He is the One who gives us joy and satisfies our souls.  He is the One who shows favor to us and gives us purpose by confirming the "work of our hands".
We need to see His works and His majesty.
We need to understand Him more, to know Him more, like Moses did.

Father in heaven, Great and Mighty are You!  Lord, our God, we live in You.  You are our HOME.  Father, it is in awe of You that we come and worship.. that we bow before You and praise You.  Your perfect plan for the whole universe is in Your everlasting arms.  We do not need to fear the events or actions of this sin sick world.  But, in holy fear of the One who sweeps away evil in Your wrath, we come to You in repentance and find forgiveness through Jesus, the Lamb of God.  Thank You for the works of Your Hands and the glory of Your grace. Amen!

Psalm 89  The first part of this psalm is full of praise and exaltation:
" I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever !'
God is faithful.
God is kind.
God is awesome.
God is mighty.
God is righteous.

The psalmist recalls the Lord's covenant with David.  He praises the works of His hand.  He proclaims the excellencies of the Lord.  He remembers God's promise to David, a throne established forever.

But, starting at verse 38, the psalmist gives a glimpse of his struggle...  he is holding on to his faith, but he isn't seeing the Lord at work in his day.
He feels cast off and rejected.
He feels that God has broken the covenant.
Israel has become a reproach.
The splendor of David's kingdom is gone.
Where has the Lord gone?

There was no way that Ethan, the psalmist, could see the bigger picture that we have the privilege of seeing.. that the throne of David would be forever the throne of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son.
It is His horn that is exalted.
It is Jesus who cries out to the Father.
It is Jesus who is the highest King.
It is Jesus who was rejected.
It is Jesus who bore all our reproach.
It is Jesus who will fulfill every promise.


The psalmist was diligent to keep on looking to the Lord, even when he felt such despondency.
"Blessed be the Lord forever!" 

May we do the same!

Father, You are mighty and You are faithful.  We do not see the big picture like You do.  We do not know what the future holds for ourselves, our families, or our country.  But, we do know that You have it all in Your hands.  We are so thankful for the living hope we have in Christ Jesus!  He is our eternal King and all of Your promises will be fulfilled in Him  by Your faithfulness.  You are righteous and we put our trust in You alone.  Blessed are You forever and ever. Amen.

I Peter 5  Peter has given us some specific instructions on how we are to live according to God's purposes as we set apart Christ as Master in our hearts:
Be holy
Proclaim God's excellencies
Do what is right
Patiently endure suffering
Bring harmony
Be sympathetic
Be brotherly ( or sisterly)
Be kindhearted
Be humble
Bless and don't curse
Defend our hope with gentleness and respect
Keep our consciences clear
Use sound judgement
Be spiritually sober
Live in the spirit according to God's will
Pray

In this final chapter he addresses those in leadership, the shepherds, to be the example for the flock. Willingly and eagerly living according to God's will.

Then, Peter addresses everyone to "clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. " 
"Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, for He cares for you. " ( 5:6-7)

Peter also warns us once again to resist satan, "firm in your faith".  For, "after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. " (v10)

Father in heaven, You are the God of all grace, and we praise You.  Thank You for calling us, for choosing us, and for the living hope that You have given to us.  Eternal glory... our inheritance in Christ Jesus... lays before us.  You have redeemed us, forgiven us, brought us into the covenant of grace through the blood of Jesus who is our Lord and Master. Perfect us in holiness, Lord, as we submit to Your will and purposes for each of us. Thank You for this Word, this true grace of God. Be glorified Lord Jesus, as we Your servants live in obedience and humility before You. We pray for Your will to be done in us as You have spoken.  amen.

I Peter 4  Peter continues to charge his listeners to follow the example of our Savior and to know His purpose.. and thus our own, the reason we have been chosen..
 Already in this letter he has told us that:

We are chosen "that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood" ( 1:2)
His great mercy " caused us to be born again to a living hope.. " (1:3)
As obedient children... we are called to be like the Holy One " who called you" - to be holy in "all your behavior". (1:15)
We are a "chosen race, a royal priesthood... that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (2:9)
"... such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men." (2:15)
"For, you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps." (2:21)
".... that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;" (2:24)
".. for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing." (3:9)

And he has given us the key to finding these purposes for ourselves, " but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts..." ( 3:15a) 

Now Peter continues to instruct us how to live according to Christ's purposes.  And the next one is a doozy... " Therefore since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased to sin.... so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh... for the will of God." ( 4:1-2)

To surrender our flesh... to die to self and to selfish desires is paramount to this calling that we have through Christ as we set Him apart as Master of our hearts.

It is why the gospel has been preached... "even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God." ( 4:6)

And one more purpose , "the purpose of prayer" ( 4:7) - Because the end of this life is near, we are called to be of "sound judgement and sober spirit" and to pray.
We pray :
For fervent love for each other.
For a heart of hospitality towards those in need.
That we will be good stewards of God's grace
That we are serving God with "the strength He supplies"
That we  will glorify God in all things.

These are the fruit of a life fully surrendered to God's purposes for us. We share in Christ's sufferings, we keep rejoicing in trials, and we await the day when we will exalt in the "revelation of His glory "

Thank You Father  for Your grace towards us.  So thankful that You are patient with us and tenderhearted towards us.  May Your will be done in us. Let Your word fill our thinking and move our bodies in Your footsteps Jesus!  You are Lord, my Master.. and I am Your slave.  Amen.

Psalm 88  Here is a desperate prayer from a man who is at death's door.  He is as low as one can go..
troubled
without strength
cut off
in the lowest pit
in dark places
alone
loathed
wasting away
about to die
terrified

But, he keeps praying.  He keeps crying out to God. He keeps looking for the only One who can help.

Father, You are good.  You are kind. But, sometimes we feel alone and forgotten.  Help us in those times to remember who You are and to keep on trusting You.  Keep us in the shadow of Your wings.
Forgive our lack of trust in You and make our thoughts turn back to the truth of Your Word.  The psalmist here dreads death, but we remember that You have conquered death, Jesus!  Our hope is in You, no matter what we face in this life.  Thanks be to our God and King! Amen.

Psalm 87  Zion - the city of God.   This title is used to speak of Jerusalem, specifically the temple mount.  It is also used to speak of the Heavenly City, the place of God's throne.
Either way, this psalm gives us some facts about this place:

It is the "foundation" of God.  v1
Its gates are loved by the Lord. v2
It is loved more than any other place.
It is highly praised. v3
It is the birthplace of nations. v4
It is established by God Himself. v5
There is significance in  being born there. v6
It is a place of music and joy. v7

This psalm brings to mind the old hymn, "We're Marching to Zion", which is specifically speaking of the heavenly home.  The chorus goes, " We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion; We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God."   Zion is a place of joy, for there we will know the sweetest songs, the greatest joys, and the fairest worlds, according to this hymn.

It also reminds me of a song that Wayne Watson sang a few years back, "Born in Zion".   In it he talks about how the ones born in Zion are those who will never die; those who belong to the Father.

I may never walk in the streets of the earthly city of Jerusalem, but I know that one day I will go home to the city of God, the beautiful city called Zion.  One day, those who have been born in Zion will see it and rejoice forever.   Randy Alcorn writes " If we can fix our eyes on Jesus, to see through the fog and picture our eternal home in our mind's eye, it will comfort and energize us, giving us a clear look at the finish line." We need a "clear view of Heaven", he tells us. This psalm helps us to see it a little more clearly....

Father in Heaven, we rejoice in the wonderful truth of Your Word, that someday we will see You and be with You forever.  We will see Jesus in the glory You gave to Him before the foundations of the world.  We will breathe the air of Heaven, which is love.  How we praise You once again for Your grace towards us.  Thank You.
Amen

Psalm 86  This is a personal prayer that David wrote.  It is another great prayer that we can make our own.

O Lord, incline Your ear to my prayer .
I am afflicted and in need of You.
Will You preserve my soul and save me, for I put my trust in You.
Be gracious to me Lord God.
I lift my prayers to You all the day long.
Make my heart glad and my soul rejoice, O Lord.

You are good.
You are ready to forgive. 
You are abundant in lovingkindness. 
I praise You Lord!

Lord, I bring my pleas to You, please hear me.
When I run into trouble, I will call upon You.

For there is no god like You. 
There are none who can do what You do. 
Every nation needs You Lord and one day they will all call upon You and glorify Your Name. 
You are great and wonderful. You alone are God!

Teach me Your ways, Lord.
I want to walk in the Truth.
I give my heart to You, that I might live in awe and fear of Your greatness .
I give thanks to You Lord, with all my heart.
I will glorify Your Name forever and ever.

Your lovingkindness to me... to me personally, is great!
You are my deliverer. 
You are gracious and merciful. 
You are slow to anger and abundant in love, kindness, and truth. 

Be gracious continually to us Lord.
Grant us strength to serve You.
Show us Your goodness and make the enemy be ashamed because of their hatred.
You are my help and comfort. 

Father in heaven, You are worthy of our praise.  Like David we want to exalt You and lift up Your Name. Thank You for this psalm, for the words that help us to praise You.
You are good.
You forgive us our sins!
You show us compassion.
You alone are God and there is none like You.
No one can do what You do.
You are great.
You do wonderful works.
You deliver us when we call on You.
You give to us what we do not deserve.
You help us.
You comfort us.
You are all we need.
We love You Lord.
Keep us in Your paths and help us to do what pleases You , all the day long.
In Jesus' Name we pray.
Amen.

I Peter 2  On this morning, one of historic significance,  I find this passage to be so appropriate... especially verse 17 " Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."   Respect for each other, especially for fellow christians and for those in positions of leadership , is commanded by the God we fear.  We are called to do what is right, even if we suffer for it.  We are called to follow Jesus and His example in dealing with the world.

Several times in chapters 2 and 3 Peter informs us of our purpose in this world;

2:9  We are His chosen people.. "that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

2:15  We are to submit ourselves to the authority of every "human institution".. "for such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men."

2:16-20 We are called to  - not use our freedom to do evil (v16);
to honor all men, loving fellow christians, fearing God, and honoring the king (v17);
to be respectful and submissive to masters, even those who are unjust (v18);
to bear up even when suffering(v19);
to patiently endure when mistreated for doing what is right (v20)

2:21 "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.."   Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross,  so "that we might  die to sin and live to righteousness;"  (v24)

3:9  "... for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.."  He calls us to live righteously - for example:

3:1  Wives  are to be in proper relationship to their husbands... and yes that means being submissive.
3:2  We are to be chaste and respectful.
3:3-4  We are to value our inward qualities more than our outside ones... gentleness and quietness of heart "which is precious in the sight of God"
3:7 Husbands are to be understanding of their wives and to honor them "as a fellow heir of the grace of life". 
3:8 "To sum it up"... we are to live in harmony, sympathy, brotherly love, kindheartedness, and humility.
3:9  We are to not return evil for evil or insult for insult.
3:10  We must control our tongues.
3:11 We must turn away from evil, do good,  and seek peace.
3:16 We must keep a good conscience.

Most of all we are to "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." (3:15)  This is our greatest purpose.
With gentleness and reverence we give account of this hope that He gives us.

Father, may Your will be done in our lives and in our country this day.  I pray for our new president elect, that he may seek Your face and honor Your name.  I pray for Your people, those You have chosen to be "living stones" and "a holy priesthood".  May we do as You are calling us to do in Your Word... to proclaim Your excellence , to die to sin and live to righteousness, and to sanctify Christ as Lord  in our hearts.  May we inherit the blessings You have graciously given to us.  We praise You O God, for You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.  Amen and amen.

I Peter 1

Like James, Peter writes about the value of true faith, proven faith. This kind of faith is worth more than gold, Peter tells us. Gold is perishable, but faith is not.  We know the value of gold is subjective. Its worth is based on what it can be traded for - food, clothing, shelter.. etc. Its value is temporal.  In eternity we are told, gold is what we will walk on...
But the value of tested and proven faith is - salvation . The result of faith is praise and glory and honor when Jesus comes. Its worth is eternal.

verses 10-12  Peter writes that "this salvation" that we receive as a the outcome of our faith was prophesied by the prophets and longed for by the angels before it was revealed by the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore"... Because of the greatness of God, His mercy towards us, the living hope He gives us, the inheritance that awaits us and the salvation offered to us .. through faith.... we need to :

"gird up" our minds for action..... get our thinking belted in.. under control;
be "sober in spirit" ... clear headed and focused'
"fix our hope completely on .. grace" of Jesus;
 be "obedient children";
forsake the things that we once lusted after when we were unaware of the truth;
"be holy.. in all (our)  behavior";
"conduct" ourselves in righteous fear of the One we call Father ;
and "fervently love one another from the heart".

We have been bought, redeemed "with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ". 
We have obeyed the truth, purified our souls, and believed in God.
We are born again of imperishable seed... the living and abiding word of God.

Father in heaven, thank You for the mercy You have given to us, redeeming us and making us Your own.  Father, fill us with Your Spirit so that we are sanctified through and through.  May we be holy in our thinking, in our actions, and in our reactions.  Fill us with Your love that we might love one another fervently.  We fix our hope on You alone, as we pray in the Name of our Gracious Lord, Jesus.
amen.

I Peter 1

Peter wrote to the refugees that had fled to the north of Israel.  This area is now Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and perhaps some of Iran.  He is writing to the believers who were facing persecution for being christians.

Verses 1-2
To the "chosen" :
 You were foreknown by God the Father.    He has known you since you were in your mother's womb.. and even from eternity, He has known you.
You have been sanctified by the work of the Spirit.  You are purified, restored to the state of purity.
You have been chosen so that you will obey Jesus and be sprinkled with His blood. You have been given ears to hear His Words and to heed them.  Obedience is attentive listening accompanied by compliance and submission. The act of sprinkling in the old testament law was a sign of cleansing and a symbol of a covenant made. So, we are cleansed and brought into a relationship with our Master, Jesus.

As the chosen... as a "christian" we are fully known by the Father and purified by the Spirit, for a covenant relationship with the Son.

Verse 3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...." 
Peter offers up praise to God for:
 His great mercy that "caused us to be born again"
 A living hope that is "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
 An inheritance "which is imperishable and undefiled... reserved in heaven for you." 
 Protection by His power.
"A salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

This is cause for us to "greatly rejoice" Peter writes,  "with joy inexpressible and full of glory." 
For even the trials and distresses of life are producing  "praise and glory and honor.".. when faith is proved and love endures. For the outcome is "the salvation of your souls." ( v9)

Father, You know our every thought and every intent of our hearts.  You know us better than we know ourselves. You have chosen to show us mercy, even when we do not deserve anything at all.  You have cleansed us from all our sin and made us brand new, "born again", purified by Your Spirit and sprinkled by the blood of Your Precious Son, our Lord Jesus.  It is in the covenant sealed by His sacrifice that we have a living hope. Our hope is found in Him.  The hope of an inheritance, the hope of protection, and the hope of eternal salvation.  In these promises we rejoice. O Lord God, help us, help me to grasp the greatness of Your promises and truly rejoice with inexpressible joy and glory!
May praise and glory and honor be to You, Blessed Father.
Amen.

Psalm 86  David's prayers are so personal and give us such an intimate look into his heart.  Over and over again, he shows us what it means to be a man who is after the heart of God... with every problem, every affliction, every terrible situation.. David's first thought is to pray and every prayer ended up in praise to the Lord.  

In our Wednesday night prayer meeting we were discussing Psalm 61 and how David had made a vow, a promise to the Lord that he would "pay his vow" every day... the vow to praise God.  David's many psalms prove that he kept that vow quite literally.  I reflected on a message that I had heard that day on the radio, where the speaker was preaching on the book of Numbers.  The preacher talked about how the people of Israel reacted to their problems and afflictions - they grumbled, complained, and rebelled.  This contrast made quite an impression on me..

David's reactions to his struggles was always to pray and to praise the Lord, remembering what God had done for him and therefore trusting Him once more. 

Israel's was to grumble, complain, and rebel,  forgetting what God had done for them and refusing to trust Him at all. 

Perhaps we need to examine our  own reactions to trials and troubles that come our way... do we pray or do we grumble?

This psalm (86) once again gives us this wonderful example of what a heart for God does:

"Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy." 
David makes his requests known: ( what do we need to ask today?)
Preserve me.
Save me.
Be gracious to me.
Bring gladness to my soul.
Hear me.
Help me.
Teach me Your ways.
Give me strength.
Show me Your goodness.

Interspersed with his requests, David, pours our praise and thanksgiving.. this is the heart of his prayer:
" For Thou , Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." (v5)
"There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; nor are there any works like Thine." ( v8)
"For Thou are great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God." (v10)
"But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth." (v15)
David says, " I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever." ( v12)
"For Thy lovingkindness  toward me is great..." (v 13);
because God had delivered him before and would do so again;
because David knew that God heard his prayers and he trusted that God would answer again.
The Word tells us that God dwells in the praises of His people... when we genuinely praise the Lord like David.. we are in the presence of God! ( Psalm 22:3)

Heavenly Father,  You are good and Your Word is precious as it shows us Your heart and the kind of heart that You desire for us to have... a heart that always seeks You and knows You more and more. Thank You for helping us to remember.. by giving us these psalms of David as guideposts.. as footprints for us to follow in Your ways.  There is no god like You, O Lord.  There is not one who loves us and shows mercy and forgives us when we sin. There is no other truth and no other grace. We bless Your Holy name. Lord, fill our hearts with Yourself, with Your Word, by Your Spirit Who lives in us. May our hearts be Yours forever and Your praise be ever on our lips. Thank You for the privilege of coming to Your throne of grace in the Name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
amen.

Psalm 85 - in my own words;

Lord, You showed Your favor to Israel.
You restored them from captivity.
You forgave their iniquity.
You covered their sins.
You stopped being angry at them.

Like that, Lord, would You restore our nation?
Would You turn Your anger back from us?
Will You revive us again?
May we who follow You, see Your lovingkindness and rejoice?

We pray that You will bring salvation to our land as well as to Israel.
May we hear Your voice once more.
Speak peace to us.
Help us not to be foolish anymore.
May the nations fear Your Holy Name.
May Your glory cover the earth.
Manifest Your Presence once again.
Open our eyes to know Your loving kindness and truth, Your righteousness and peace.
Let Truth spring up from the earth and righteousness rain down from heaven.
Let the goodness of the Lord bring forth good fruit .
Lord, lead us in Your ways.. as we walk in Your footsteps.
Amen

James 5:1-6
James exhorts those who have been unjust to repent.
They have hoarded their money, cheated their workers, and lived for their own pleasures.
Because of this God will bring judgement upon them unless they repent.
Their riches will rot.
Their clothing will be ruined.
Their treasures will rust.
Misery will be their reward.

v7-20  James exhorts the brethren to be patient.
As a farmer waits for his crops to mature before he harvests them, we are to wait for the Lord is coming. We are to wait with patience.
James also exhorts us in these ways:
We are to wait with strength of heart.
We are to wait without complaining.
We are to wait without judging one another.
We are to endure like Job and the prophets.
We are to trust in the compassion and mercy of God for the outcome He will bring.
We are to be honest in our dealings with others.
We are to pray for one another.
We are to seek healing from the Lord and ask for the elders to pray for us.
We are to confess our sins to one another.
We are to turn back those who have strayed from the truth.
We are to pray effectively.

Father, once again we ask that You teach us to pray.  May Your Name be hallowed and exalted in all the earth.  May Your Kingdom Come.  May Your will be done.  Give us our daily bread, for all comes from Your hands and You are our Provider.  Thank You.  Forgive us our sins and cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness. May we be merciful to those who have harmed us, forgiving completely.  Lead us in Truth and purity, away from temptation and evil. Deliver us from the evil one.  For the Kingdom is Yours, the Glory is Yours, and the Power is Yours alone!
Amen.

Psalm 84  This is a song of praise to the Lord.  In it we find truths that we can use to offer our own personal praises to the Lord.

The Lord of hosts ( armies) dwells in beloved places.  The Temple itself was a place that God chose to place His Name.. to be present in.. to dwell with His people in a personal and powerful way.
No wonder those who loved Him longed to be there.  Their hearts and flesh.. inside and out they knew joy in the presence of the Lord.  It was Home to the Lord and those who stayed there were blessed.

The Lord, Who is King, is the God of Zion.  He blessed His people.. all those who lived for Him.
They found strength in Him.
They worshiped Him.
They found shelter in Him.
They received all things from Him with thankful hearts.
They trusted in Him.

God gave grace and glory to them. 
He gave good things to them. 
He shined His face upon them and blessed them. 

When our foremost desire is to be in the Presence of the Lord Most High.. when we make Him our strength, our shield... our everything... we will begin to understand the meaning of this psalm.
Can we say with the psalmist, " I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness." ?

The Israelites had a physical building that was the Lord's Temple.  The New Testament tells us that it is our body that is now a temple - for the Holy Spirit dwells in us who have been "bought with a price." .  Since He dwells in us - we are the beloved places! " How lovely are Your dwelling places.." now applies to us.  He is Present.. Personally and powerfully.  It is His Home and He is our home.

What a beautiful and mysterious truth from God's Word.

James 4 warns us what will happen when we allow a different spirit to dwell in us... one that is hostile toward God..
There will be quarrels and conflicts among us... ( v1)
Our own personal pleasures will wage wars in our members.
We will lust and murder, be envious and fight.. ( v2)
We will not pray for what we need or we will not pray with pure motives but with selfish ones. (v3)
We will have friendships with the world that are not pleasing to God. (v4)

Lust - cravings- strong desires... doesn't just apply to sexual desires as we think of it mostly today.   It is whatever entices us and carries us away ( James 1:14).  It is what gives birth to sin and brings death.  It is what the "world" offers that is hostile to the Lord. It is whatever causes us to be "adulteresses" ... unfaithful to the One we have committed our lives to.  It is whatever "pleasure" that becomes more important than God's Presence.

But, James does not leave us hopeless in our struggle, this war in our hearts.. for he tells us that God "gives a greater grace." !  It begins with humbling ourselves and submitting to Him.  We must resist the devil and he will flee from us. We must draw near to God and believe He will draw near to us. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Repentance includes mourning and humility.

Then, James tells us, " .. He will exalt you." 

As we do this, we will no longer have quarrels and conflicts, for we will learn to allow God to judge our neighbors instead of us. We will learn to submit to His plans instead of boasting of our own.  We will learn what the right thing to do is and then do it.  We will walk by His Spirit who dwells in us and Who blesses us.

Father, may our heart's desire be to dwell in Your Presence and not for the things of this world that will lead us into death and destruction.  Thank You for the "greater grace" that You give to us!
How we long to know Your Presence every day.  Open our eyes and hearts Lord to Your truth and grace.  Amen.