You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. The arrogant smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts. Their hearts are fat and gross, but I delight in your law. It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
DEVOTION
Today I feel like I may be preaching to the choir because I'm going to talk about the importance of having a real love affair with the God, through God's Word and God's Son.
Scripture teaches us that Jesus was the incarnate word made flesh! In other words, Jesus is the WORD of God made flesh.
If we want to know anything about Jesus, we need to read God's Word--the Holy Bible. If we want to understand anything about our faith, we need to study the Bible. If we want to learn how to live a holy and righteous life, we must plunge into the Word. And if we want to have a sweet and loving friendship with God, we must meditate on God's Word.
Our relationship with God, depends on our relationship to God's WORD--Jesus and the Holy Bible.
If your Bible is dusty, sitting on the coffee table, or up on a bookshelf where it never--or rarely--gets opened, today I want to encourage you to make a commitment to reading God's Word!
There is a treasure trove of love, joy, peace, and wisdom awaiting you! God wants to speak to you today and God will do it through God's Word!
Let us pray: Oh Lord, help me to fall in love with Your Word. Help me to hide it in my heart so that I will not sin against you. Teach me judgment and knowledge, for these are of the utmost value to me. I love you and I want to know you more. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have humbled me. Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant. Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. Let the arrogant be put to shame, because they have subverted me with guile; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. Let those who fear you turn to me, so that they may know your decrees. May my heart be blameless in your statutes, so that I may not be put to shame.
DEVOTION
Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant.
Ah! No matter what trials, tribulations, or trouble may befall you today, of this you can be sure, God loves you more than you think, hope, or imagine!
I love that God's love toward us is steadfast; this means that it is sure,dependable,reliable,constant,unwavering, immovable, abounding, never-giving up, never giving in, and fixed permanently in place...
No matter how much we mess up, fail, embarrass ourselves, humiliate others, or fall short of God's glory, God's steadfast love holds us tight.
Because we are held so tightly in the heart of God, we are comforted. We know that we can't out sin, out run, or out fox God's love revealed to us in Christ Jesus.
In the midst of our trouble, we know that we are secure. We know that God is holding us tight. We know that God will never let us go!
Let me tell you a secret--there were sad and ugly days in my life when I ASKED God to let me go. I didn't think that I wanted God's love anymore--I was angry, sad, disappointed, and aggrieved. But, even when I imagined (falsely) that I wanted God to let me go, God would not do it. God just gathered me close, enveloped me in love, and carried me, offering me comfort, until I was again able to walk by faith.
See, God is not afraid of us. God is not afraid of our sin. God already conquered sin, death, AND the grave when Love allowed Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.
Because God is unafraid, God's steadfast love is a comfort to us. Because God's love is unrelenting, all that is required is for us to fall into the safety net of God's grace.
As we fall into God's Amazing Grace, putting all of our hope in Jesus, we are gently cradled into eternity. We have NO-thing to fear, for God is with us, wherever we may go.
Won't you trust the steadfast love of God to be your comfort today?
Let us pray:
Loving God, thank you that your steadfast love is my comfort. I am so sorry for the many times I have rejected your love and turned away from your statutes. Please forgive me. Today, I am putting all of my hope in Jesus, believing that he lived, died, and rose again on the third day to forgive my sin and gift me with eternal life. Please help me to fall into your Amazing Grace and to share your love with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
SPECIAL NOTE
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today you are a Christian! I would be so honored if you would take a moment to let me know that you put all of your hope in Jesus today by clicking YES in the upper right hand corner of this blog in answer to the question, "Did you put all of your hope in Jesus today?"
I also pray that you will tell a Christian friend about your decision, so that s/he can help you find a good Bible believing church to attend where you can be baptized and grow in your faith.
Congratulations! Your salvation is our good news. Please share the good news with someone today!
The Lord exists forever; your word is firmly fixed in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand today, for all things are your servants. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my misery. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. I am yours; save me for I have sought your precepts. The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your decrees. I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
DEVOTION
I am always comforted whenever I remember that God is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
There is NO-thing that happens to me that takes God by surprise. God exists both in time and in eternity. God sees the beginning and the end of a situation simultaneously. God is the knower of all things.
Whenever I am facing difficult, trying, or life changing circumstances, I feel a profound sense of peace whenever I remind myself that "all things work together for good" when we are in relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28)!
Although I sometimes have difficulty seeing the good, it is because I am standing at ground zero, in the valley, with a very poor vantage point. All around me I see tall mountains and deep valleys and I am afraid.
God, however, stands upon the mountaintops, looks down from the clouds, stands in time and out of it, and sees exactly how all of our lives are being woven together to create a beautiful tapestry which is our life together upon the Earth!
Do not be afraid, saints of God! The Lord exists forever...God's faithfulness endures to all generations...You can trust the word and promise of God.
Since God did not withhold Jesus from us, but gave him up freely to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life, then we can be very sure, that God will not withhold any other thing that we truly need.
In today's scripture passage the psalmist says, "I am yours, save me."
Is that your prayer today? If so, please pray with me:
Eternal God, thank you that you know all things and that you have promised never to leave me, nor forsake me. Although I sometimes face difficult circumstances, you are still in control and you are still working everything together for my good. Please forgive me of those times that my faith has faltered. Please increase my faith today and fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit. I need your love, joy, and peace to wash over me today and when it does, I promise to share it with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
THE INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus”http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/
Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word. Let my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. My lips will pour forth praise, because you teach me your statutes. My tongue will sing of your promise, for all your commandments are right. Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let me live that I may praise you, and let your ordinances help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
DEVOTION
I truly love Psalm 119 generally and today’s scripture passage specifically. Isn’t it grand that this psalmist was able to write 176 verses about how much he loved God’s Holy Word?
Most of us rarely even think about God’s Holy Word. For many Christians, it is a rare occurrence to read the Bible at home or spend more than two to three minutes in prayer and meditation each day.
For the most part, I fear that many Christians pray when they eat, before they sleep, and if they are in dire trouble!
Today’s psalmist reminds us that reading the Word of God and spending time in prayer and meditation is a privilege and a delight!
In this vein, I have often said that as Christians we don’t have to read scripture and pray—WE GET TO do these things because we love God so very much!
Today, I want to ask all of us, “When was the last time we said to God, ‘Your law is my delight’? When was the last time we spent time in God’s presence simply saying, ‘My lips will pour forth praise, because you teach me your statues’”?
Oh, that we as Christians would stop taking God’s WORD for granted! God is always speaking to us; we simply fail to listen!
Today, I want to encourage you to go to the nearest bookstore and purchase a Bible that is easy for you to understand! Some versions that may work for you are the New Living Bible, the Message Bible, or even a children’s Bible. Please don’t leave the store until you find something that will work for you and that you are excited to read!
And friends, please do not be embarrassed if you need to introduce yourself to scripture by reading a Children’s Bible. Once you have read the stories once or twice, you will become familiar with the narrative, people, and places in scripture and then you will feel ready to graduate to another more comprehensive Bible. But, in my mind, the most important thing is to learn to fall in love with God’s Holy Wordby any means necessary!
I think it is just grand that God has gifted us with scripture and that God continues to speak to us in a still small voice that whispers to our hearts and rightly directs our paths.
Today, won’t you fall in love with God all over again by reading the Bible and making the time to talk--and listen--to God on a daily basis?
You’ll be glad you did! Won’t you pray with me?
Holy God, I want to learn to delight in Your Word! Please help me to fall in love with you all over again as I read Your Word and spend time in prayer. I ask you to forgive me for neglecting our love relationship. Please forgive my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. I want to share the good news that you love us so much that you gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life! Please equip and enable me to share good news and be good news in the life of others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Yesterday the GOOD NEWS BLOG celebrated 10,000 readers, in 74 countries, and 40 new Christians in just six months! THANK YOU for reading and sharing good news with others! To GOD be the glory, great things GOD has done!
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 119:97-104 (NRSV)
God's word is sweet
Oh, how I love your law!
It is my meditation all day long.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is always with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your decrees are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
I do not turn away from your ordinances,
for you have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
DEVOTION
Every night before bedtime, I sit with my daughter as she has her nightly devotional time. She reads a scripture, we talk about it, and then we pray together. This time is one of the most precious things that I do every day! My daughter is just eight years old, but she is truly learning to love the Holy Word of God! I am so grateful that The Word is alive in her life, capturing her imagination, and guiding her footsteps as she lives in love in God's world!
One of my favorite Bible verses says, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105)."
Another verse says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
Both of these verses constantly remind me that The Word of God is not just a collection of stories about people who lived long ago; rather, it is also a living, breathing, Word from God, that leads me along the path of my life, affirming or rebuking my words, thoughts, and actions!
Wow! Hallelujah!
You know a Christian without knowledge of the Bible, is like a knight without his sword! Do you know that the Word of God is our ONLY offensive weapon against the wiles of the devil? Take a look at Ephesians 6: 11-18. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206&version=KJV)
If you look closely, you will see that all other parts of the "armor of God" are defensive elements used in our fight against darkness and evil. It is only the Holy Word of God--or the Bible--that allows us to strike offensive blows against the enemy of our soul. So, since this is true, we must read and memorize the Bible as much as we are able!
I don't know about you, but whenever I am in trouble, I start speaking The Word of God over my life. I start reciting the promises of God. I start affirming to myself--and others--that God's Word is "Yay and Amen."
When I begin to speak The Word, doors begin to open, obstacles are removed, and depressions are lifted! When I speak The Word, hearts are changed, behaviors are transformed, and Spirit comes rushing to my defense and my aid.
In the midst of trouble I usually start talking to God like this, "God YOU SAID that all things would work together for my good because I love you (Rom 8:28). YOU SAID that if I ask, seek, and knock, the door will be opened to me (Matt 7:7). YOU SAID that whatever I ask in prayer, in accordance with your will, you would do ( 1 Jn 5:14). YOU SAID I could tell the mountains in my life to be removed and they would be gone (Matt 21:21)...
I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get my point. See, if God said it, then it is so! I love to "remind" God of God's promises to me! And I think that God loves to hear me speak Truth to the evil powers of this world!
So, go ahead, get in The Word of God! Take joy in the holy scriptures. Say like today's psalmist, "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long...."
Today, we are reminded that The Word of God makes us wise, gives us understanding, and keeps us from evil!
Who wants to read their Bible today?! (I do!) Won't you pray with me?:
Holy God, thank you for my Bible! I am so sorry that I have taken Your Word for granted. Today, I will find a Bible that I can read and understand. I will begin to read and memorize Your Word so that I can share this good news with others! It is so wonderful that You love us so much that You gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. I love and appreciate you so much; Word of God please speak to me so that I can share good news with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRING PASTOR YOLANDA TO YOUR HOME TOWN--Would you like to invite Pastor Yolanda Lehman to come speak or preach at your church or Christian ministry event? Please use the form to the right. Once you click “submit” your information will be privately conveyed to her email address! Pastor Yolanda is available for church anniversaries, pastoral appreciations, women’s day, missionary day, retreats, revivals, conferences, and so much more! Fill out the form to the right to get onto her preaching or teaching schedule!
LISTEN TO PASTOR YOLANDA’S SERMONS ONLINE--To listen to audio recordings of Pastor Yolanda's Sunday sermons, please visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/57814 or click the widget to the right on this page!
PUT ALL OF YOUR HOPE IN JESUS--If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/
You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda
You are invited to be Pastor Yolanda’s friend on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PastorYolanda
Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews
You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.
EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!
Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.
From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com
My soul languishes for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
My eyes fail with watching for your promise;
I ask, "When will you comfort me?"
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
How long must your servant endure?
When will you judge those who persecute me?
The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;
they flout your law.
All your commandments are enduring;
I am persecuted without cause; help me!
They have almost made an end of me on earth;
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
In your steadfast love spare my life,
so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.
DEVOTION
Hmm…Today’s devotion reminds me that walking in The Way is often a hard and arduous job fraught with great peril.
I often run into people who truly believe that because they are Christians, they are not supposed to experience any hardship, pain or betrayal. They have bought the myth, hook, line, and sinker that if you follow Jesus you will simply tippy toe through the tulips for the rest of your life.
Some Christians believe that praying “in the Name of Jesus” is akin to having a genie in a bottle. You just make your wishes, “in the Name of Jesus” and everything you ever wanted or desired comes to you.
My, my, my! It is my firm assertion that folks who believe this do not read their Bibles very closely, if at all. As Christians, scripture call us to be followers of Jesus! Jesus journeyed The Way of the cross. He experienced great hardship, pain, and betrayal and he told us plainly, “‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Scripture also makes it very plain that God is not Santa Clause, nor a genie in the bottle. Instead, the Bible teaches, “And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.”
WOOT, there it is! Saying “in Jesus Name” at the end of our selfish prayers does not guarantee that God will answer in the affirmative. Rather, it is when our hearts agree with the heart and will of God, that our prayers will be answered!
So, where is the GOOD NEWS in this for Christians? If all of our wishes aren’t granted and we have to go The Way of the cross which is a path of suffering and shame, why would anyone want to be a Christian?
Well, the answer is simple! LOVE is the greatest motivator of any human being. For those of us who are Christians we are motivated by love—to love. God loves every human being so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. In response to God’s great love, we are called to love others, no matter what the cost!
You know, I find that it is easy for me to love people sacrificially, when I remember that what I am able to see today, is not all that there is! There is a whole unseen spiritual world all around us more wonderful than we can even imagine; eternity awaits, my friends! It is beckoning, calling, and summoning us home!
As we love others, we hasten the coming of God’s Kingdom on Earth, as it is in Heaven! As we love and care for others, we become the hands, feet, mouth, and heart of Jesus in the world! Good deed, by good deed, we re-create the world anew in the image of Jesus, the Christ.
Dear ones, this is the highest calling a soul can aspire to! Can you believe that we get to be partners with God in this GOOD NEWS ministry to redeem the whole world to Christ?
It is the greatest honor of my life that I get to say—or do—anything that will help somebody to understand God’s great love and to midwife a soul into an eternal relationship with Jesus!
Although there will be days when we pray like the Psalmist, “My soul languishes…waiting on your promise…as I endure unjust persecution;” be of good cheer! We know how this story ends!
All stories that begin, “Once upon a time JESUS…” end, “and they lived happily ever after!”
Now, ain’ta that GOOD NEWS?!
Will you endure hardship, persecution, pain, and betrayal for the sake of the Cross?
If so, please pray with me:
Holy God, as I seek to follow you, my cross sometimes feels heavy. I hear the taunts and jeers of those who think that my life is a joke. I am persecuted by people who are confused; and who think that my faith is a crutch. Please help me to show forth Your love, joy, and peace in every situation. I know that ultimately I am already victorious because of Your shed blood upon the cross! As Your follower, I have been gifted with forgiveness of sin and eternal life with you. I desire that gift for all of Your children. Please help me to be faithful to the call to bring Your GOOD NEWS to all who need it; no matter what the cost! In Jesus Name, Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html
If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/
You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda
Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews
You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.
EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!
Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.
From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com
Psalm 119:9-16 (NRSV) I treasure your promise in my heart
How can young people keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
DEVOTION
Just imagine that you are deeply in love. Every single morning without fail your beloved leaves a love note on the night stand for you to discover when you wake up. How would you feel? I imagine that I would feel giddy every morning when my eyes opened. I would reach for the letter, and tear it open with bated breath! I would look forward to reading the words and I would think about them all day long. If it was a particularly good letter, I might even share the “juicy parts” with my best friends! (laughing…)
It is hard to imagine being loved this much, but we truly are! God loves us this much and has provided a daily “love letter” on our nightstand. It is the HOLY BIBLE.
Every day, God speaks to us through The Word. God says things like, “I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Fear not, for I have redeemed you (Isaiah 43:1). No weapon formed against you will prosper (Isaiah 57:4) All things work together for God for those who love me…(Romans 8:28) I give eternal life, you shall never perish, no one can snatch you from my hand (John 10:28) For I have so loved the world that I gave my son (John 3:16).
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise! The Bible has been provided to us as a way of climbing into the lap of God and laying our heads upon God’s heart.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would begin to say, “I GET to read the Bible today,” instead of, “I HAVE to read it”?
The psalmist from today’s reading has the right attitude! The writer suggests that we should, “seek God with our whole hearts, treasuring, learning, declaring, delighting in and meditating upon God’s Word.
As we read and believe God’s GOOD NEWS Word to us, we will be filled up with the Holy Spirit and empowered and emboldened to share God’s love with others.
Isn’t it grand that God has given us The Holy Bible?! The whole purpose of the GOOD NEWS Ministry is to make the Bible fun to read and easy to share! Don’t buy the hype! Anyone—everyone—even you—(yes you) can read and understand the Bible. You just need to find a Bible translation that makes sense to you!
Let me suggest that you go to your nearest bookstore today and tell the clerk, “I need to buy a Bible that I can understand.” Then ask him or her to take you to where the Bibles are shelved and help you discover a translation that you can get excited to read!
If you can’t find an “adult” Bible that works for you, start with a “children’s” Bible and graduate up when you are ready! I still read my seven-year old’s Bible from time to time and it warms my heart!
The Bible is chock full of goodies just waiting for you to discover! God’s love letter is waiting…Will you read it?
Holy One, thank you for your GOOD NEWS message to me, found in The Holy Bible. I am excited to begin reading your love letter to me. Thanks for loving me so much that you have given me your words. I will read your words and share them with others! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come To Jesus" found at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
We are celebrating with all of the people who have recently put all their hope in Jesus! Happy Re-birthday!
You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda
Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews
You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.
EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right! Thanks for reading and please come again.
Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.
From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/
