Psalm Blessings Book

8/14/2019 Psalm Blessings Book

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BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRITFROM THE BOOK

OF PSALMS


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INTRODUCTION

Jesus said to his disciples (Jn 6:63) that his words to them were spirit and life. Soit is when God speaks. His Word accomplishes things, such as the Creation of

the world, the destiny of men and nations, and the justification of sinners, whoare then no longer condemned, but free.

Our Heavenly Father is the giver of life and of all good gifts (Js 1:17). ThroughJesus He spoke to us words of life. My desire is to impart to you today words oflife that are based in Gods Word, the Bible.

Our Heavenly Father is the creator of our human spirits. Hebrews 12:9 encour-ages us to submit to the Father of our spirits, so we may live.

We are learning to start where God starts as He makes us and grows us up asHis children: namely, with our human spirit. For what man knows the thingsof a man, except the spirit of a man which is in him? Even so the things of Godno human can know, but the Spirit of God knows Him intimately. (I Cor 2:11)

Gods Holy Spirit has to transform us when we are born again. He has to revealto us what God is really like and He walks with us every day so we can obeyGods will. When we bless peoples spirit, they are touched by the Holy Spirit ata profound level.

I have been studying Gods Word and He has been speaking to my spirit. UsingHis words as my basis, I want to bless you now as you read with your god-given, human spirit fully aware.

Read each Psalm and my notes of encouragement. From Gods Word I blessyour spirit to benefit by the inspired man of God who wrote the text. Read andsoak in Gods goodness to you.

Hebrews 4 says Jesus has gone through everything we have experienced, so wecan go to Him, knowing He understands how we feel. He empathizes with us,but He did not sin then and He can show us how to cope and not sin today. Je-sus used to read the Psalms written by David. Jesus quoted from them, even ashe was dying (Ps 22). Davids experienced provided Jesus with link between hisown human situation and His heavenly Fathers heart.

Now we also can look into Davids prayer diary, the Book of Psalms, to linkwith Father ourselves. David wrote down every trial for us to know God under-stands us as He did the man after His own heart. As we empathize with Davidin his pain, his pain and doubts, we can also be lifted up by his responses of

faith and praise and prayer. Gods living Word rejuvenates our spirit to newfaith and comfort in God.

In each Psalm I have found a theme that may speak to your own experience.Read and re-read the ones you need to rejuvenate your spirit. God bless you!


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NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

David, the writer, knows how abusefeels: You are surrounded by yourtormentors. You are powerless tostop them.Only when you arealone can you letout your true feel-ings of grief at peo-

ple's evil and hard-ness of heart, ofpain in your ownfear and despera-tion and smallness.

Bring your case tothe Lord. He willhear you. He is notlike your father or

mother or others who did not knowhow to love you.Even if they gotmad at you and yelled at you orblamed you andpunished you un-fairly, now you haveSomeone who understands. YourHeavenly Father is not like them.He is gracious and merciful. Hisheart is for the weak and sufferingand He sent His Son Jesus as aMighty Warrior to save you andyour enemies.

If your enemies will not repent andsoften their hearts and stop theirevil ways, the Lord will have to re-move them or remove you from the

situation. The LordGod is our Judge andHe avenges the wrongs done against us. Let us not be-come bitter and hardand vengeful like ouropponents. Let usrely on the Lord: lis-tening to us and ac-tion on our behalf.He has no joy in ourdeath. He sees ourtears. He feels our

pain Himself. He ismoved with compas-sion.

First, I want you toknow you are notalone in your painand despair. Jesus isthere with you. Ask

Him to reveal Himself.

Secondly, He hears your honestemotions and He responds out ofHis own justice and mercy. He willnot change, so you can rely on Him.Then, leave it up to Him to do whatHe wants to do for you. Put yourselfin His hands and thank Him for re-ceiving you.

PSALM 6A David psalm.

-Please, GOD, no more yelling, no moretrips to the woodshed. Treat me nice fora change; I'm so starved for affection.Can't you see I'm black and blue, beat

up badly in bones and soul? GOD , howlong will it take for you to let up? Breakin, GOD , and break up this fight; if youlove me at all, get me out of here. I'm nogood to you dead, am I? I can't sing inyour choir if I'm buried in some tomb!

I'm tired of all this--so tired. My bed hasbeen floating forty days and nights Onthe flood of my tears. My mattress is

soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets ofmy eyes are black holes; nearly blind, Isquint and grope. Get out of h ere, you

Devil's crew: at last GOD has heard mysobs. My requests have all been granted,my prayers are answered. Cowards, myenemies disappear. Disgraced, they turn

tail and run.(Psalms 6:1-10 MSG)

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PSALM 6: RELIEF FROM TORMENT

AND ABUSE


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BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

I call your god-given spirit tolisten in the name of our LordJesus Christ and ask your soul

to learn quietly.

I bless you, spirit, because youknow the true depths of painand fear and despair hurting the body and the soul. During the day you have to let thingsappear nor-mal and ac-c e p t a b l e .

People and the Enemyput pressureon you to ac-cept painand punish-ment as though youare to blameand you de-serve suchabuse.

I bless you with revela-tion of yourHeavenly Fa- ther's love and His feelings toward you of approval and un-derstanding and acceptance. Your Father in Heaven createdyou to know Him even thougheveryone else around you tellsyou lies. He is true and faithfuland He cares.

I bless you with strengthtopresent your whole picture toGod, your King and your Judge.He will listen. He will under-stand. As David did, you can letout all your feelings and pain,let Him know how awful yourabusers are, tell Him your fearsand unbelief, confess your an-ger and nasty reactions, appeal

to Him tosave you form deathand destruc-tion.

I bless you with God'scomforting

p r e s e n c eand comfort-ing words in your needi-

ness. I bless you withconfidence in the Lord'sstrength andjustice for theu n j u s t l y abused.

I bless you with Jesus' bless-

ings of joy promised to every-one who suffers in His name.

Holy Spirit, come and seal thisblessing! In Jesus' Name, I ask.Hallelujah!


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NOTES

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ENCOURAGE-

MENT

Dav i d , t h e writer, knowshow it feels tolive with rejec-tion. You haveexperienced rejection and iso-

lation. Parents who shouldhave loved youfailed to give you what youneeded. Youlong for afriendly, smil-ing, approvingface and wordsto match.

Whether youknow it or not, your Father inheaven is smil-ing at you inlove right now.He is proud ofthe spirit Hegave you andHe is willing tohave His Son,Christ Jesus,

walk with you andstand by your sideand defend you. Allof your failures andsins and selfishnesscannot put Him off.He knows all about you and has won-derful plans tomake you His childand give you a ful-filling life. He is with you in all thechallenges you face.He wants you tosolve problems andgrow up to matur-ity. He even plansto do miracles tomake His designhappen.

David's spirit re-sponded to God'sinvitation to seekHis face and youcan too. All the joy your heart still yearns for is to befound in FatherGod's presence.

PSALM 27

A David psalm.

Light, space, zest-- that's GOD! So, with him

on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and

nothing. When vandal hordes ride down

ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and

toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged,

I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks

loose, I'm collected and cool. I'm asking

GOD for one thing, only one thing: To livewith him in his house my whole life long. I'll

contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet.

That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy

world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz

of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders

above all who try to pull me down. I'm

headed for his place to offer anthems that

will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-

songs; I'm making music to GOD. Listen,

GOD, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Begood to me! Answer me!" When my heart

whispered, "Seek God," my whole being re-

plied, "I'm seeking him!" Don't hide from me

now! You've always been right there for me;

don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw

me out, don't abandon me; you've always

kept the door open. My father and mother

walked out and left me, but GOD took me in.

Point me down your highway, GOD; direct

me along a well-lighted street; show my ene-mies whose side you're on. Don't throw me to

the dogs, those liars who are out to get me,

filling the air with their threats. I'm sure now

I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth.

Stay with GOD! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll

say it again: Stay with GOD.

(Psalms 27:1-14 MSG)

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PSALM 27: RELIEF FROM REJECTION

AND ESTRANGEMENT


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BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

I call your god-given spirit to engagewith my words. It is safe to listen to thegood things God wants to say to you.

Jesus is calling you.

I bless you with strength of heartas youwait upon the Lord to act on your behalf.He is strong when you are weak. He is ashelter when people and the Enemy at-

tack you. God is for you and neither hard-ships, nor persecution, nor danger, nor

war can separate you form the love ofGod in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I bless you with joy as you connect with ourHeavenly Father's joy over

you. He is telling you toseek His face, because He

is looking for you; He cre-ated you and He delightsin what He has made.

When you seek Him, He will be found by you, soseek with all your heart.

You can know He is thereand He will reward you.

I bless you, spirit, to hearand recognize the voice of

your heavenly shepherd,speaking to you person-ally, to give you strength

and protection. Jesus said,He is the good shepherdand His sheep will knowHis voice. He is not harshand unyielding. He knows

your weakness and needand He cares about you.

I bless your hope. Your hope comes outof hiding when you hear the Lord speak

to you in your deepest parts. He is re-sponsive to you when you cry out, "Lord,save! Help me! You see my enemies! I amalone and desperate!" He will answer you.He is your safe place.

I bless your faith. In those times whenyou want to run and hide to save yourself,I bless your faith in the truth. The Lord isGod. He made you for His purpose andHe is faithful to call you and to answer

your prayers. He is greater than your op-ponents. I bless your memory of good

times of encouragement, hope, joy andconnection. I bless you to trustthe Lordeven when things are scary.

Blessed be your desire, your hope, your yearning for more of this loving, holyGod. His love burn up your pain and fail-

ure and fears. He removes your hard shellin the warmth of His home. As you seekHim out, He will hug you and surround

you with light and friendship.

Blessed is your belongingin the Lord's

family. It is safe to let out the goodness you have been protecting. Heavenly Fa- ther invested wonderful, mighty gifts in you. Let them explode in Father's pres-ence. Let out your worship and singing,

your gratitude and praise. Your Saviorlives! Your Father is glad to see you! I

bless you as you worship with the eternal family in heaven. I bless you as you let

out the music of heavenin your heart. Start hum-ming and singing what-ever bubbles up in yourheart. Hallelujah!

I bless you, spirit, inyour search for compan-ions to walk with you andshare and learn together.

The Lord loves to walk with His children. He isgentle but strict. Heknows your needs and

your rebellions. Fatherhas spoken. He has a

word for you today. He is teaching you to go Hisway. He has sent His Son, Jesus, to walk with youand lead you in His rightpractices, so you can bemore like Him.

I bless you with comfortas the pain and injustice

scream at you for revenge. I bless you with confidence in God's mercy andGod's timing. I bless you as you wait for

the Lord and you don't understand. Addyour "Amen" to David's. You will indeedsee the goodness of the Lord in the landof the living.

I bless you with new feelings, positivefeelings, a new sense of passion. GodHimself is a flame of love and holiness.Some of His flame is in you by His HolySpirit.Flame up, O flame of God! Jesus,

Light of the world, light up this spirit! Your home inside this life is warm andsecure. I bless your life you share to-gether, spirit to Spirit.

I bless you in the Name of Jesus theRisen Lord!


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NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

Let me share some lessons from David'sexperience. Some days you need this morethan others, but it's good to know. Some-times you are not sure if God is yourfriend or your foe. Yourlife can get into a mess,so you're not sure howto get out again. Youpray and you can't al-

ways see how it helps.

When you feel over-whelmed, you wonder iffaith really works.

Let me reassure you.God is there. He sees

you and He cares aboutyou. We have records ofthousands of years andthousands of people toknow how He thinks

and acts. Remember,He is good at savingpeople from theirmessed up situations.

Our Heavenly Fatherloves you, but He is

wise and realistic too.He knows your good-ness is inconsistent.

Your good intentionsget waylaid by your

fears and your rebel-liousness. You havecompromised and your conscience both-ered you, so you made up excuses. Onebad decision had to be covered by another.By now you're not sure how you got here,nor how to get out. God won't help youand then leave you in charge. You'll justfind yourself in a new soap opera.

Can you be honest? Will it help? Honestycan be embarrassing. It can be scary too.

You can get hurt. And if people make youfeel embarrassed, ashamed and unworthy,then how would you want to be honest infront of the all-seeing, holy God, who isover all things.

Our failure, our rebel-lion, our excuses havedistorted our impressionof who God really is.Thats why we need anobjective testimony by

other godly people to seehow God reacted tothem. Heavenly Fatheris better and more won-derful than you everimagined. Spirit, you

want to be connected toGod, but you are flooded

with overwhelming urgesand desires, you arethreatened by people

who want you to dothings their way andsome people use Godlike a club to beat you

up. You are confusedand can only pretend tohave a handle on reality.The Lord God is Spiritand He created you to

walk and talk every daywith Him.

Spirit, be encouraged.Today the Lord wants to

strengthen you, teach you and be yourcounselor. He will speak to the problemsdeep within you and work His way out-

ward from there to the circumstancesaround you.


Count yourself lucky, how happy you mustbe-- you g et a fresh start, your slate's wipedclean. Count yourself lucky-- GOD holdsnothing against you and you 're holdingnothing back from him. W hen I kept it all

inside, my bones turned to powder, mywords became daylong groans. The pressure

never let up; all the juices of my life driedup. Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make aclean breast of my failures to GOD." Sud-denly the pressure was gone-- my guilt dis-solved, my sin disappeared. These things

add up. E very one of us needs to pray; whenall hell breaks loose and the dam bursts

we'll be on high ground, untouched. God'smy island hideaway, keeps dang er far fromthe shore, throws garlands of hosannasaround my neck. Let me give you some

good advice; I'm looking you in the eye andgiving it to you straight: "Don't be ornery likea horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to

stay on track." God-defiers are always introuble; GOD -affirmers find themselves

loved every time they turn around. C elebrateGO D. Sing together--everyone! All you hon-

est hearts, raise the roof!(Psalms 32:1-11 MSG)

8

PSALM 32: RELIEF FROM GUILT

AND HIDING


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BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

Let me bless you todaywith the wordsof a man who was freed from guilt anddepression and released to trust and ex-perience joy.

I bless you with hope. God wants you free from rebelliousness and from theshame of failure; free to be honest and

forthright, with no need tomake excuses and fake it.

I bless you with graceand courage. Let the HolySpirit be your guide. Lookinside yourself to see whatHe shows you." Holy Spirit, we ask younow: please reveal today

where You want to startthis path to freedom. Showus Your agenda as we openup to You."

I bless you with light inthe darkness.I bless you with clarity in

the confusion.I bless you with under-standing to name yourrebellion, to recognize your

failure, to spot your conniving.

I bless you with a sense of relief, know-

ing this is the beginning of freedom, anopen door to strength and integrity, God'schance to show you His goodness. Speak

to yourself: "Yes! This is my chance to letGod in on what really motivates me. I will

take responsibility for my failures and myrebelliousness. I will confess my excusesand what I'm afraid of."

I bless you, spirit, with godly sorrow,knowing you have not fulfilled yourdreams and you have not lived up toGod's good plan for your life. You have

brought hurt to the Lord who loves you.

You have hurt yourself and your lovedones. True sorrow makes you human, letsyou feel real emotions. It gives you a cluehow God feels about your sorrows.

I am pleased to let you know that youare free: free to experience what Abra-ham, the father of God's people, experi-enced; what King David, the man afterGod's own heart, found out; and what Pat

the Apostle wrote about. "How happy is the person whom the Lord God treats as

right, not because of doing everythingright, but because they trust in Christ."Heavenly Father is satisfied with His Son,

Jesus', work for you. Are you satisfied with Jesus' work on your behalf? If you are,then you are blessed with forgiveness andfreedom.

By letting yourself experience honesty

and godly sorrow, by agreeing with Godabout your sin and what displeased theLord, because God has put your failureand guilt and punishment on Jesus, He

has said He forgave you. Now, spirit, I can onlyadd my blessing to God'sown blessing.

"How happy is the personwhose rebellion is forgiven,Whose failures are coveredby love.How happy is the person

whose twistedness is un-twisted And whose spirit is strongand sensitive."

Now the Lord is your helpand shelter. From Hisstrength you can tackle lifeagain, looking at yourselfand being set free everyday. He is wise and He

won't take away all theproblems until you replace your old

thinking with His wisdom.

I bless you with God's joy today. Youand He have met in the depths of your

being. He brings His love and forgivenesswith Him, and He will stay there to keepmeeting you.

Now He is saying:"Pray to me before disaster strikes.

Walk with me all day and I will teach youwhat pleases me and makes you success-ful.When you get into a jam, I will be youradviser, 'cause I've got my eyes on you.I don't want you to suffer the pains bad

people do.Just don't be stubborn like a mule, so youcan learn the easy way, not just by hardknocks."

I bless you with new joy, new courage,new faith.I bless you with remembering God'spresence when you are discouraged.I bless you with songs and answers toprayer in Jesus' Name.


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NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

David's advice to us isbased on his extensiveexperience with God andall kinds of people. Hetells us to center on theGod who can save us andshelter us and makes usstable people. Withoutquietness resting our soul,

we will look around allthe time for support and

reassurance.

When we look like wehave something to offer,people will come to us for

what we can do for them.But since they are just asinsecure as we are, theyrejoice over our weakpoints as well as ourstrengths. Even whenthey flatter us with theirlips, in their hearts theyare gossiping about howinadequate we really are.If we are looking forpopularity and approvalto make us feel goodabout ourselves, we maylook for people worse offthat us, so we can feelbetter about ourselves.

We'll also try to get closeto the in-group to make

us more powerful and

respectable. When re-spectability doesnt work, we're tempted to dosomething on the sly that will get us ahead.Even if somebody else may suffer, we tell our-selves, "That's not all that bad."

If you step back and look at this behavior likeDavid did, you can see it's all a house of cards.Everyone is weak and needy, but won't tell the

truth, so we all pretend to be better than wereally are. Without help, we are all just takers,trying to get our "needs" met.

Some day the truth will come out . People willbe exposed. Declining econ-omy will bring down eventhe haves. As David said,it's all smoke and mirrors, apuff of wind. When you'redesperate, money seemslike the answer to all yourproblems, whatever way

you come by it.

Don't let short-term sur- vival end in long-termshame and confusion.

Listen to King David thepsalmist. You have to stepback from your fears andinsecurities, from all thepeople and things youthink you need to prop you

up. Have they reallyhelped? Are your needsmet? Or are you runningand running just to stay in

place? God will have thelast word over your life andover everyone else's'. He

wants to give you glory andhonor. But you won't get itby frantically keeping busyto please people or yourchurch or society around

you.

What do you have insideyou? Can you rest in God'sstrength, in His ability to

save you in the situation you face today? Canyou find peace, pouring out your heart to Godas people attack you or let you down? By trust-ing the Lord for the things that are really im-portant to you, you will find your heart's needsare being met and you are more stable in yourrelationships as well.


God, the one an d only-- I'll wait as long ashe says. Everything I need comes from him,so why not? H e's solid rock under my feet,breathing room for my soul, An impregna-ble castle: I'm set for life. How long will yougang up on m e? How long w ill you run withthe bullies? There's nothing to you, any ofyou-- rotten floorboards, worm-eaten raf-

ters, Anthills plotting to bring down moun-tains, far gone in make-believe. You talk agood line, bu t every "blessing" breathes a

curse. God, the one and only-- I'll wait aslong as he says. Everything I hope for comesfrom him, so why n ot? He's solid rock under

my feet, breathing room for my soul, Animpregnable castle: I'm set for life. My helpand glory are in God --granite-strength andsafe-harbor-God-- So trust him absolutely,people; lay your lives on the line for him.God is a safe place to be. Man as such is

smoke, woman as such, a mirage. Put themtogether, they're nothing; two times nothing

is nothing. And a windfall, if it comes--don't make too m uch of it. God said thisonce and for all; how many times Have I

heard it repeated? "Strength comes Straightfrom God." Love to you, Lord God! Youpay a fair wage for a good d ay's work! A

David psalm, when he w as out in theJudean wilderness.

(Psalms 62:1-12 MSG )

10

PSALM 62: RELIEF FROM INSECURITY

AND PEOPLE PLEASING


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11

BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

Spirit, let me strengthen you with the truths of Psalm 62. I call you to engage with God and His

Word. He will not condemn you.He wants to encourage you andgive you strength.

I bless you with insight into yoursoul's feeling of in-security. You know

the disappoint-ments and let-downs. You knowhow people have

not met yourneeds. You re-member how bit-

ter you becameover lost hope andevil betrayal. I bless

you with courageto confess that Godnever intended

you to be secure inpeople or posses-sions. God in-

tended something better for you and you are still look-ing for it.

I bless you with grace to forgive friends and family who said goodthings to you but did not mean it. They are needy sinners like your-

self and God wants to forgive you,if you are willing to let these sinsagainst you go. If you forgive thepeople, you will let loose of thepain. I bless you in this divinegrace and power. You are free to

be like Christ Jesus, who also for-gave His enemies.

I bless you with the immense joythat Jesus had when His HeavenlyFather said about Him, "This is my

beloved son, in whom I am verypleased." This is the joy that God

wants you to have in His presence when you face the Throne whereHe rules the world. As you reject

everything that lets you down and dis-pleases Him, He cangive you the real thing

that will satisfy you

and bring Him joyover your life.

I bless you with the peace that Jesuspromised, not as the world says it gives, but the peace thatsurpasses under-standing and over-comes the world's

anxieties. In Jesus'peace you will knowGod in truth. You willexper ience Himspeaking to you. You

will find Him teaching you andcoming to your rescue.

Instead of needing things frompeople that they can't give you,

you will have something to give

to them: rightness, peace and joyin God's Holy Spirit. As Jesus said,"Come to us, Kingdom of Heaven!"

Holy Spirit of God, plant this blessing deep in this spirit. Welove you, Lord. Amen.


12/21

NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

Are you excited about the things you see Goddoing in your life andin the world around

you? Maybe you're filled with wonder at Hismiracles.

Or do you see your world as barren andempty instead? You feellike you're on your own.God has forgotten youand abandoned you to

your fate. The Bibleand the churchgoersseem like an alienplanet: no hope for youthere.

Psalm 77 was writtenby a worship leader intough times. He had

witnessed the desecra-tion and destruction of

God's Temple by hate-ful vandals. He waslooking for the Lord

Jehovah to rescue HisPeople by mighty victo-ries, such as God haddone in the past. But itdidnt happen!

He knew the stories. Hebelieved the promises;that is until he was tooexhausted to care anymore. Maybe God feltthe same way, for all heknew.

When you are exhausted and depressed, eventhe Bible and music and prayer dont seem tohelp. They can even lead down to deeper mel-ancholy emptiness. Where do you look forhope? To the present? To the past?

When did you experience goodness? Can youremember?

When did someone care about you? Aphone call, a listening ear, an invita-

tion? When did you learn that God cares

about you? A friend, asermon, something onTV? How did you feelthat God sacrificed HisSon to give you a bet-ter life? That He loves

you and answers yourprayers?

When did you experi-ence Jesus? A healing,a reconciliation, suste-nance, courage, a long-ing to read the Bibleand share with others?

Where have you seenGod changing you?More patience, lessaddiction, more re-sponsible actions?

When did God answeryour prayer?

Remembering goodtimes gives you an an-chor in the bad times.Remembering God at

work in history givesyou hope for your ownhistory, that it can be-come His Story.

Asaph wrote Psalm 77to proclaim how impor-tant remembering is tobring you out of the pitof despair and give youperspective from out-side your own misery.

Let me bless you, spirit, with the lessonslearned long ago by this believer in a time ofhopelessness, when the world looked bleak anddead.

PSALM 77An Asaph psalm.I yell out to my God, I yell with all my m ight, I yellat the top of m y lungs. He listens. I found m yself introuble and went looking for my Lord; my life wasan open wou nd that wouldn't heal. When friendssaid, "Everything will turn ou t all right," I didn'tbelieve a word they said. I remember God--andshake my head. I bow my head --then wring myhands. I'm aw ake all night--not a wink of sleep; Ican't even say what's bothering me. I go over thedays one by one, I pon der the years gone by. Istrum my lute all through the night, wonderinghow to get my life together. Will the Lord walk offand leave us for good? W ill he never smile again?Is his love worn threadbare? H as his salvationpromise burned out? Has God forgotten his man-ners? Has he an grily stalked off and left us? "Justmy luck," I said. "The High G od goes out of busi-ness just the moment I need him ." Once again I'llgo over what GOD has done, lay out on the tablethe ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the thingsyou've accomplished, and give a long, loving lookat your acts. O God! Yo ur way is holy! No god isgreat like God! You're the God w ho makes thingshappen; you showed everyone what you can do --You pu lled your people out of the worst kind oftrouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.Ocean saw you in action, God, saw you and trem-bled with fear; Deep Ocean w as scared to death.Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded withthunder, your arrows flashing this way and that.From Whirlwind came your thundering voice,Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled androcked. You strode right through Ocean, walkedstraight through roaring Ocean, but nobody sawyou come or go. Hidden in the hands of Mosesand Aaron, Y ou led your people like a flock ofsheep.(Psalms 77:1-20 MSG)

12

PSALM 77: RELIEF FROM PAINFUL DOUBTS

ABOUT GODS UNSEEN ACTIVITY


13/21

13

BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

Spirit, you were created by ourHeavenly Father to know Him and learn from Him. I call you to at-

tention now in Jesus Name andask you to let go of anything thatwould distract or interfere.

I bless you with strengthto face the feelings in your heart and soul.The hopes and desires deep in yourheart and the cries of your soul aredisappointed. Yousee the wearinessand fear. Old joys,

old songs, oldSunday Schoolstories no longersatisfy. They feellike God has for-gotten, like He nolonger cares, likeHe has gotten fed

up and left theroom.

Spirit, you can go

to Heavenly Fa-ther to find re-sources of strengthand insight youdont have other-

wise. I bless you with gracetosearch the Fathers heart of love and

find wisdom how to help your heartand soul.

I bless you with new songs to carry you through bitter trials. Your dis-tress and bewilderment are not big-ger than God. Let your heart findrest in worshipping in song. Hum!Strum! Sing to Him!

I bless you to speak strength to your mind. Bring back the memo-

ries of Gods mighty acts, His salva-tion to His People. Once He reacheddown with a strong hand and amighty arm to rescue a million peo-ple from slavery. He even split openan ocean to let them escape a ty-rant. Nobody could see Gods hand,

no one could see His footprints inthe sand. But they felt the wind andsaw the water move. They could see

the leaders God sent to help them.

I bless you, spirit, to see the invisible hand of God in your life; to rec-

ognize His foot-prints in the sandas He carries you

through impossi-

ble situations. I bless you, spirit, with a sense of wonder at Godsgreatness: greater

than any politics,any science, anypsychology, anypill or drink. He isGod and He does

wonders.

I bless you withfaith in place ofdiscouragement. I

bless you withhope as you sol-dier through yourdays.

I bless you with love that had no beginning and will have no end. I bless you with Gods wisdomtosolve your problems and humility

to learn from them. May you seeour Heavenly Father every day andmay you hear Jesus voice wherever

you are. I bless you in Jesus triedand true Name. Amen!


14/21

NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

Somewhere out there...is there a place? A place for me:

where I'm loved, accepted, cared for? A place whereI'm not alone, but other people click, we connect, and

we resonate with each other?

This search, this yearning, thisfragile hope begins deep inside

us. If you listen, you'll find it,or you'll remember feeling thatdesperate cry once upon atime. All of us humans werebuilt with a compass in ourspirits that points us to eter-nity, the heavenly city.

God created us with eternity inour hearts. That's why you andI are on a search. This world isnot our home. Planet Earthgives us a taste of something sogood, nothing else satisfies.

Actually we are pilgrims. TheGod who loves us, wants usdissatisfied, because He fash-ioned us to live and walk withHim. We need to keep moving,from battle zone to battle zone,from tent to tent, from ourhouse to God's House.

Our pilgrimage starts with thehighways in our hearts. Onetaste of the goodness of Godstarts our feet into motion.

Where can I find love, joy,companionship, music anddance?

Pubs, dance halls and tavernsleave a bitter aftertaste anddemand more and more from us, while giving no moreback. Where wewant to go is up to the top of GodsMountain.

The spirit in us says, "Go!" The Spirit of God says,"Come!" The company of pilgrims, underway and atthe peak, all call out "Come join us!"

It turns out you aren't alone. Many many have heardthe call of the Place they want to be. You can join thepilgrims on the hike. They don't wear any badge or

uniform, but they do know Jesus, God's Son, and theykeep looking up the directions in God's field guide,His Word, the Bible.

When you meet another pilgrim, something resonatesdeep in your spirit. They have connected with the samesource of joy. They too have left worldly pleasures forsomething better. Even obstacles become part of theexcitement, seeing Jesus guide us along and God the

Father meet our needs.

Am I talking about church? Isthat where pilgrims gather?Maybe! Look and see; there maybe people ready to climb God'sMountain together. Most likely

you'll also find some who likethe base camp more than theascent to the summit.

I don't know how far along youare on your journey. But I doknow you must trust Jesus

Christ, our guide. He camedown the Mountain to us toremove the baggage of sin that

would have kept us from evermeeting God. If you have placed

your life in Jesus' hands, He willbe there to save you from everystumble and drought and enemyattack. Then you need the Guid-ing Spirit of God in your humanspirit, so you can follow His

whispered guidance. Oh yes andget a copy of the field guide, theBible.

I am climbing the Mountain ofGod too. I know what it's like atthe summit, since the field guidetells me. We get stronger andstronger as we climb; we throwoff excess baggage of bad atti-tudes; we hear some music float-ing down to us and we send ourprayers on ahead.

God has guaranteed His rewardwhen we finish the last push. He

give us glory and honor. He has every good thing on

tap, ready to dispense. That will be where we can rest,not trying to do it all ourselves, but resting in God,our sunshine and shield.

"We come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God,the heavenly Jerusalem and to uncountable armies ofangels, to the general assembly and church of God'schildren where our names are recorded and to God the

Judge of all and to the fellowship of spirits of othercleaned up pilgrims who reached the goal, and to Jesusthe guarantor of God's permanent arrangement, cre-ated by the value of His blood shed on the Cross for ussinners." (Hebrews 12:22-24)

PSALM 84A Korah psalm.

What a beautiful home, GOD of the Angel Ar-mies! I've always longed to live in a place like

this, Always dreamed of a room in your house,where I could sing for joy to God-alive! Birdsfind nooks and crann ies in your house, spar-rows and swa llows make nests there. They laytheir eggs and raise their youn g, singing their

songs in the place where we worship. GOD ofthe Angel Armies! King! God! How blessed theyare to live and sing there! And how blessed allthose in whom you live, whose lives become

roads you travel; They wind through lonesomevalleys, come upon brooks, discover cool

springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the moun tain,and at the last turn--Zion! God in full view!God of the Angel Arm ies, listen: O God of

Jacob, open your ears--I'm praying! Look at ourshields, glistening in the sun, our faces, shiningwith your gracious anointing. One day spen t inyour house, this beautiful place of wo rship,

beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my G od

than be honored as a g uest in the palace of sin.All sunshine and sovereign is GOD, generous ingifts and glory. He doesn't scrimp w ith his trav-

eling companions. It's smooth sailing all theway with GOD of the Angel Armies.

(Psalms 84:1-12 MSG)

14

PSALM 84: REFRESHMENT ON THE WAY

TO THE PLACE YOUR SPIRIT CALLS HOME


15/21

15

BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

I speak to you tenderly, spirit, because Iknow you have been hurt and disappointedmany times. Spirit, I want you the know youare not alone. People have harmed us and theEnemy wants us to give up hope. But, spirit,

there is a loving Father in heaven and Hegave us His strong Son, Jesus, to lead us to a Place that matches the deep desires youwere created with.

You know without a doubt that joy is yourbirthright. You are valuable; you're specialand talented. Some people knew that and re- joiced over what they found in you. But cele- bration is short and disappointment is long.You wonder "Why am I here?" "Where do I fitin?" "What am I sup-posed to do?" Peopledon't have all the an-swers, nor does schoolnor church nor televi-sion.

Spirit, I want to let youin on God's secret. Hehas placed Eternity inour hearts, a piece ofHis eternal home whereHe created us. There- fore we keep searchingeverywhere in this world for something tomeet our needs andmake us happy. But you

have learned nothingdown here lasts verylong. That's becausedeep inside you there isa whisper of a better world, where yourHeavenly Father is incharge and has everything ready thatmatches who you reallyare.

I bless you, spirit, with new hope, newawareness of this divine longing, this nagging

discontent. I bless you with confidence tobring your cries to Father without embarrass-ment. Let Him know everybody else has letyou down.

I bless you to know the difference betweenGod's tender call that awakens your yearningand your anger over people that let you down.

I bless you, spirit, with fresh insight whyGod's perfect Son, Jesus Christ, had to comeinto this imperfect world to show us the way

to the Father. Only by trusting Jesus can youescape your frustration, because Jesus is theway.

I bless you with joyat getting rid of the heavybaggage God calls sin. He wants to forgive youand set you free if you let Him. I bless youwith anticipation, knowing God has a plan for your life that will delight you and fulfill

you.

I bless you to learn God's dreams for you inplace of your own broken dreams. I looked sogood to you, but all was not as it seemed. LetFather replace the dust and wreckage withsomething better: a better you and a new des-tiny.

Heaven is celebrating the goodness of Godand the victory of Jesus Christ. Father rejoices

over you with singing.He sees the spirit Hemade, the gifts He gave

you and how they will unfold. All of the hostsof heaven are excitedover your walk of faith.

Spirit, I bless you withnew excitement overdiscovering what yourobedience will produce:new creativity, new blessings to other peo-ple, new songs of God'ssalvation. I bless you tosee new substance in your heart and soul,even though you have to leave behind old things you thoughtwere good.

Cry out to the Lord, he will hear your heart.Send Him your bur-dens, your questions, your pains and your

search for more of Him. He will answer andyou will experience the satisfactions of know-ing God.

Spirit, I bless you with the experience of thePsalmist:"Better is one day in God's presence than1,000 elsewhere.""I would rather hang out with the Lord thanwith the wrong celebrities.""Father will not withhold any good thing fromme in my growing maturity.""Happy is the person who rests in the Lord ofhosts."


16/21

NOTES OF ENCOURAGEMENT

You are busy, but take a few minutes to think. Youreunder pressure, but take a moment to rest. The LordGod is here with us. Eternity asks only a few secondsto download truth to your spirit. Youre ready. Yourspirit is crying out for more of God, more of His real-

ity in your life.Lets look at your experience.Lets look at Gods experienceand at King Davids and atPauls.

There is so, so much you have todo: money and cooking andcleaning and repairing; the boss, your family, your husband or wife and children and friends;cars, home, doctor, shopping;paying bills, planning get-togethers, vacations.

What is it all for? Who is incharge? I anyone getting some-thing out of all this effort? Am Imy appointment calendar?

Instead of looking around, letslook inside for a moment. Insideyou is a holy place, fashioned byGod our Father as a place for you and He to meet together.He wants to furnish it as ahome, full of light and love. Hewants to plant a garden, freed ofbitterness and growing fragrantflowers and sweet fruit. Let usgo there and meet with Him.

First, we want to ask God toguard this holy place. Lord Je-sus, we claim the cleansingpower of Your blood and ask You to surround this poor,needy soul with Your hedge ofprotection. Meet us here. Thankyou.

Your soul is special to the Lord.He created your spirit to spend

time with Him and learn His ways so He can teach your soul, your mind, your will, your emotions. Hegives you godly, eternal perspective on your life, yourwork, your family, your job, your enemies.

Your soul is a place to talk together, you and God.Your spirit brings insights from the Fathers heart to yours. Your mind thinks over Gods revelation ofHimself. Moses asked God to show Himself and inExodus 34:6 we read what God said, The Lord Jeho- vah, the compassionate and merciful God, slow toanger and abundant in grace and truth.

The truth of Who God is lays the foundation to know

who your are and what you can rely on, no matter howyou feel or how your circumstances look.

Second, your conversation in your soul opens up newfeelings. Ask the Lord for His joy to dwell in you.Imagine lifting your soul up in your hands and askingHim to fill you like a drinking glass. Did you know

the Lord has feelings? He rejoices over your trust in Him. As you feel His approval, youare strengthened. Tell Him,Lord God, Your joy is mystrength. Forgive me for all thethoughts and deeds that standin the way of knowing You andreceiving what You want toshare.

This conversation in your soulwill never stop. There are timesof thanks and rejoicing, timesto release worship of the Lord

for His goodness and His greatdeeds, because He is uniqueand His glory shines through allheaven and will shine in thewhole earth.

Security and peace in your soulreleases your heart to hope andto care. Life is change; life isconflict. You can ask God toteach you His way in the confu-sion of choices. Ask Him togive unity in your heart, wheremany conflicts arise. Let Himhave the last word over yourfeelings, your decisions. Godsway may lead through threaten-ing situations, but you can trustGod has a good purpose. Obe-dience will lead you to praise.Insecurity is not the end, faithis a step toward Gods glory andyour fulfillment.

Now we can check out the land-scape. Are you surrounded byopponents? By hardened peo-ple? By dangerous risks? Callout to God to show Himself:

He is Savior; He is mercy; He is strength. Once Jesussaved you from the darkness and despair of hell. Manytimes He brought you through scary, troubling prob-lems. Ask Him to do it again.

We can look confidently to Him a third time, becauseif you are Gods child, Jesus follower, a servant of themost high God, then His Name and reputation arebound together with your life. Let us go to Him,Heavenly Father, your Name is great in all the earth. We are asking for a token of Your goodness in themiddle of this situation so people may see and believeand be saved, even if some turn away and go to de-struction.


Bend an ear, GOD; answer me. I'm one miserablewretch! Keep me safe--haven't I lived a good life?Help your servant--I'm depending on you! You'remy God; have mercy on me. I count on you frommorning to night. Give your servant a happy life; I

put myself in your hands! You're well-known asgood and forgiving, bighearted to all who ask for

help. Pay attention, GOD, to my prayer; benddown and listen to my cry for help. Every time I'min trouble I call on you, confident that you'll an-swer. There's no one quite like you among the

gods, O Lord, and nothing to compare with yourworks. All the nations you made are on their way,ready to give honor to you, O Lord, Ready to putyour beauty on display, parading your greatness,

And the great things you do-- God, you're the one,there's no one but you! Train me, GOD, to walkstraight; then I'll follow your true path. Put me

together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'llworship in joyful fear. From the bottom of my

heart I thank you, dear Lord; I've never kept secretwhat you're up to. You've always been great towardme--what love! You snatched me from the brink of

disaster! God, these bullies have reared theirheads! A gang of thugs is after me-- and they don'tcare a thing about you. But you, O God, are bothtender and kind, not easily angered, immense in

love, and you never, never quit. So look me in theeye and show kindness, give your servant the

strength to go on, save your dear, dear child! Makea show of how much you love me so the bullies

who hate me will stand there slack-jawed, As you,GOD, gently and powerfully put me back on my

feet.(Psalms 86:1-17 MSG)

16

PSALM 86: KNOWING GOD


17/21

BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

Spirit, I have good things to say toyou. Soul, leave behind your griefand doubt and fear. Spirit, I invite

you to experience more of Gods joy

and strength by seeing more of Hissalvation.

Spirit, I bless you with the revela-tion Moses experienced in Exodus34. The Lord Jehovah

wants you to know He is the compassionate andmerciful God, who is slow

to anger, but aboundingin grace and faithfulness.He pardons wickedness,

rebellion and sin, butdoes not let the guilty go

unpunished. The Lordhas made a covenant

with you through Jesusperfect sacrifice and He

will do signs and won-ders in your life so peoplearound you can see howawesome He is.

Spirit, take a moment to

savor your privilege toget to know this spec-

tacular God, who will be faithful toyou and will answer your prayers

Spirit, this time I bless you with Davids faithexpressed in Psalm 86.Spirit, the Lords grace is great toward

you: He has delivered your soul fromdestruction in hell and from every

threatening danger. In your day oftrouble you will call to the Lord and

He will answer you. God will do greatand marvelous deeds because Healone is God. I bless you to learnGods way and walk in His truth.

I bless you to receive an undividedheart to fear the Lords Name. You will be blessed with signs of Gods

goodness and you will praise theLord your God with all you heart.

Many will see and hear and be trans-formed.

Now I want to let you in on the blessings Paul wrote aboutin II Co-

rinthians. Spirit, God has shined Hislight into the darkness of your heartso you can experience the glory ofGod in the face of Jesus Christ. TheSpirit of the Lord is meeting with

you. I bless you as He transformsyou by lookinginto the mirror of

Jesus glory. Youare becomingmore and more

like your Lord. I bless you, spirit,as you experience

weakness, evendeadly weakness,

with Jesus. TodayJesus is alive by thepower of God andHe will break into

your weakness with His power. Ibless you in weak-

ness and in Godspower as God

shows grace to the people watchingyour life.

Spirit, all these things are for yoursake, that abundant grace might

through the thanksgiving of manyabound to the glory of God. Just as

the suffering of Christ seem to over-flow in your life, He will overflow you with comfort and companion-shiponly He can supply.

I bless you, spirit, with Gods mercyin your need and with Gods gloryin your answered prayers.

17


18/21

NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

We all have an Enemy who hates God

and hates us too. He schemes to dis-honor theL o r dG o d sgood char-acter. Allof us hu-mans areb e i n g duped intoh e l p i n g him injureand dis-c o u r a g eour fellowcreatures. We think were thegood guysand thosemean peo-ple ore theb a d d i e s .

Truth is, you and Iare bad-dies in ourown way,schemingto get what wewant, evenif someoneelse has topay.

Thanks beto theLord ofglory thatall our lives are not nasty, brutish andshort. God made us and we are a mag-nificent work of art and engineering.He loves us and has a wonderful planfor each of us, but bringing it to pass is

like an action movie. You are the star in your own crime-fighting, monster bashing, war movie.For you to make it to glory requires you to have a really big and toughfriend, whos stronger and smarter than

all the bad guyssome of whom arehuman, butsome of whom arei n v i s i b l e ,m e a n i n g they cano u t s m a r t you andsneak upon you un-

a w a r e s .Even a ma-chine gun wont help. You need asuper ac-tion hero with anyarmy at hiscommand. And youhave one.

His name isJesus.

He helps you avoidbooby trapsand landmines. Youcan run forcover andstay in ra-dio contact. When ene-mies attackhe sendsreinforce-

ments and air power. Even though youmay not know whats going on, Jesussees the whole battlefield. He wants you to trust Him. Hell see youthrough, even though youre over-whelmed and scared.

PSALM91(AnexpandedliteraltranslationfromtheHebrew

byMartinVanHorn)1.TheonewhosettlesintheshelterofferedbytheMostHightowhom-everrunsin,willfindlodgingsoclosehellbeundertheshadowoffTheAlmighty. 2.Personally,IhavedecidedtotellJehovahYouaremyprotectionandmymountainfortress;IamtrustingYouasmy

God.[myLawgiver,Teacher,Protector,Defender,ProviderandObjectofworshipandmySourceofidentity]3.[Byrevelationandbymyex-perienceIgiveyouassurance:]Jehovahwillextractyoufromthesneakymesh

of

the

Trapper

and

from

the

pervading

pandemic.

4.

The

motherly

strengthofHisfeatheredwingswillcoveryouandyoucanfindshelterthere.HisfaithfulnesswillstandbetweenyouandyourEnemylikeabroadshieldandbreastplate.5.Youwillnotfearpanicattacksatnight,northeattacksyoucanseeduringtheday.6.[Jehovahwillpreserveyouasyougothrough]theplagueattwilightorthedestructionthatstrikesatnoon.7.Allaroundyou,youmayseeathousandfall[intotrouble,confusion,destructionanddeath]evenagreatnumberrightbesideyou[butdontflinch]8.Becauseyou[willliveto]seethewickedgetwhatiscomingtothem.9.[Alotofthesethingshappeninspiritualrealmswherewecantseethem,but]ifJehovahisreallywhoyougotoforshelterandtheMostHighGodistheOneyouhangoutwith10.thenevil

[that

starts

in

the

spirit

world]

will

not

trouble

you

and

these

poten-tialdisasterswillnotgettoyourearthlylocation.11.ForJehovahhas

armiesofheavenlyangelsHecanordertoguardyouinallyouractivi-ties.12.Theirhandswillbetheretoliftyouover[fears,temptations,ad-dictionsandtraps]thatmighttripyouup.13.Insteadyouwillexercisegod-givenauthority[inJesusName]totreadonthelionandcobra,totramplethegreatlionandserpent.14.[Jehovahknowsyoutoo,sinceyourelyonHimandhaveseenwhatHisauthoritycanbringabout,soHewantstoreassureyou.]BecausethisoneissoattachedtoMe,Iwillhelphimslipthroughtheopponentsfingers.IcanlifthimbecausehehassubmittedhimselftotheauthorityofmyNameandheknowsMe.15.Iwilllistenwhenhecallstome;Iamwithhiminhistroubleandgethimoutoftroubleandhonorhim.[Afterallhehasbeenthrough,]hislonglifewillmakehimsatisfiedandIwillshowhimallthatIhave

savedhimfor.

18

PSALM 91: THE POWER OF KNOWING GOD


19/21

BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

Spirit, let me bless you in Jesus mightyName. Listen to Gods reassurance as youfight your way through the battlefield of life.

I bless you, spirit, to know your own weak-ness, but to grab hold of Gods strength.He is reliable to shelter you despite yourpain and despair. Go to the Lord for Hisstrength, for His perseverance, for His calmin the middle of turmoil. You feel you cantgo on. Call on the Lord; tell Him He is youroasis, your home away from home, yourroadmap and guide. Run to theLord and draw on His re-sources to refresh you.

Spirit, listen when your alarm bell rings. God is warning yousomething is amiss. You maynot understand, but thats allright. His Spirit is letting you inon things going on behind thescenes. Ask the Lord to explain

what to look out for. Dont barge ahead into the Enemystrap. Spirit, take heed!

The Lord is a mighty warriorand he is a motherly nurse. Heknows you need a breather and

He can give you quick cups ofspiritual energy, or eyes to seeHis great goodness. I bless you

to synchronize your needswith His timing. You can relax under Hiscovering, His wings, His canopy. He is there

for you. You dont have to do anything; justrest. Spirit, take His peace!

Spirit, you dont always understand whatGod is doing. You can ask Him for wisdom,

but many times He does not answer thequestion, Why, God? Only He Himself

knows the end from the beginning, sets out the times and seasons to accomplish Hiswill. Spirit, take faith!

The Lord is assuring you that you are special to Him, spirit. You are subjected to moneyproblems, health problems, family problems

just like everybody else. But the Lord knowall about it and He puts all His resources at

your disposal, right in the middle of it alltoday.Take hope!

You are pressured by these problems, but

not crushed. Spirit, you can be pro-active.Guard your mind from the spirit of the

world: seeking selfish advantage, payingback damage for damage, imagining all thepleasures you could enjoy for your self andavoiding the hard work of obeying the trueand living God. Spirit, say, Yuck!

The Word of God is your spiritual food. Lookout for His Spirit to hit you between the eyesas you read or remember what Father hassaid; there are treasures in the Bible waiting

for you to uncover. You will need them fornourishment and for war. Spirit, you are athome in the invisible world of spiritual real-

ity. Everything good startsin Heavenly Fathers heart.

Take graceto explore the wisdom, healing andpower He has ready for

you in Jesus.

Yes, there is opposition.Everything good meetsresistance. Everything evilalso starts in the spiritualrealms. Thank God, notall the evil aimed at youhas reached you. Jesus hassent the armies of heaven

to help His family. Someof these warring angels areshielding you right now.

You pray and they fight.

Take courage!

The Spirit of God will alertyou of dangers. He wants you to avoid them.Evils can also attack you, threaten you, shock

you. Reach out and hang onto Heavenly Fa- thers promises when you are surroundedand get stuck. By the authority of JesusName, spirit, bring Gods power into your

battle. Say, The Lord rebuke you, Satan! In Jesus Name, be gone! I bless you withconfidence in Messiah Jesus.

The Lord Himself says, Because you haveattached yourself to me, the Enemy cannothold you. I will bring you closer to Myself.Because Jesus, my Chosen One, has all au-

thority and you submit to Him, I will hearyou when you call to me. And the Name ofJesus will be mighty to save you. I will honoryou because you honor Him. Spirit, I created you, I am with you now and you shall bewith me forever. You will see all I have pre-pared for you.

19


20/21

NOTES

OF

ENCOURAGEMENT

Seeing violence on television is shocking, hear-ing about crime on the radio is horrifying and

reading about exploitation in the news pro-vokes our outrage. But if you have been a par-ticipant, then you have been traumatized likethe writer of Psalm 94.

Your world has been scrambled, or at least itlooks upside down, The bad guys are winning.Theyre stronger and they boast grand schemesto take over. TheLord God you be-lieved in to makeright prevail seemsto have shrunk anddisappeared.

You want to hidand youd reallylike to lash out andshow them whatfor. How can youmake sense of whathappened? And thetruth better not beall depressing be-cause you need newhope and strength.

You can recover.You can stand on afirm foundationand there are othersalready standingthere too.

Our writer ad-dresses God andhimself; he talks tothe bad guys andthe good guys. Youneed to hear himand you need to

speak out yourself.Tell the Lord Godto set things straight, to pay back the evildoersfor their wickedness. You need to let out yourdesire for revenge, because God told us onlyHe is allowed to take vengeance for us. Weonly make matters worse.

Tell the Lord to show He really does care aboutthe People identified with Him: the believers

who trust Him for life and salvation.

Remind yourself: if you do bad things, you be-come an evildoer, just like the ones you hate.

Rely on the Lord to do what is right and chooseto side with Him. He is going to judge you andthe evildoers both. He wants to give you apeace that overcomes the world while He ispreparing just punishments for the murderers,exploiters, traitors and boasters.

There evil come a time when the swaggeringbullies fall into a pit dug by their own ambi-tion. Inside yourself you can proclaim theirdefeat, their foolishness, their ignorance. Theydelude themselves into thinking they escapeGods justice.

You could slide down this same slippery slope. When you aredisoriented anddepressed, seem-ingly alone andoverwhelmed, it iseasy to give up on

your only anchor:faith in the God

who is faithful. If you grab hold ofthe Lord, he willhold onto you.Not only does Hisgrace support you,but His comfortbrings you inex-p l i c a b l e j o ythrough yourspirit to your soul.

You need protec-tion, a place tohide and rest. TheLord is your for-tress. You needallies to stand

with you and fightfor you. The Lordsent His Son Je-sus to stop thecascade of evil andrevenge by absorb-ing the injusticeand giving for-giveness in return.The Devil gave

Jesus his best shot, but the Lord came backstronger than ever. He will help you rebound as

well.

Jesus Christ and His People need to stand to-gether. Some want to compromise with the

world system to get influence, but GodsThrone in Heaven is pure and unadulterated.Until His righteousness prevails, God will keepsending judgments and the godly will work forrighteousness wherever God makes an opening.

GOD,putanendtoevil;avengingGod,showyourcolors!Judgeoftheearth,takeyourstand;throwthebookatthearrogant.GOD,thewickedgetawaywithmurder--howlongwillyouletthisgoon?Theybragandboastandcrowabouttheircrimes!Theywalkalloveryourpeople,GOD,exploitandabuseyourpreciouspeople.Theytakeoutanyonewhogetsintheirway;iftheycan'tusethem,theykillthem.Theythink,"GODisn'tlooking,Jacob'sGodisouttolunch."Well,

thinkagain,youidiots,fools--howlongbeforeyougetsmart?DoyouthinkEar-Makerdoesn'thear,Eye-Shaperdoesn'tsee?Doyouthinkthetrainerofnationsdoesn'tcorrect,theteacherofAdamdoesn't

know?GODknows,allright--knowsyourstupidity,seesyourshal-lowness.Howblessedthemanyoutrain,GOD,thewomanyouin-structinyourWord,Providingacircleofquietwithintheclamorofevil,whileajailisbeingbuiltforthewicked.GODwillneverwalkawayfromhispeople,neverdeserthispreciouspeople.Restassuredthatjusticeisonitswayandeverygoodheartputright.Whostoodupformeagainstthewicked?Whotookmysideagainstevilworkers?IfGODhadn'tbeenthereforme,Ineverwouldhavemadeit.Themin-uteIsaid,"I'mslipping,I'mfalling,"yourlove,GOD,tookholdandheldmefast.WhenIwasupsetandbesidemyself,youcalmedme

downandcheeredmeup.CanMisrulehaveanythingincommonwithyou?CanTroublemakerpretendtobeonyourside?Theygangedupongoodpeople,plottedbehindthebacksoftheinnocent.ButGODbecamemyhideout,Godwasmyhighmountainretreat,Thenboo-merangedtheirevilbackonthem:fortheirevilwayshewipedthem

out,ourGODcleanedthemoutforgood.(Psalms94:1-23MSG)

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PSALM 94: NEW LIFE AFTER TRAUMATIC SUFFERING


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BLESSINGS FOR

YOUR SPIRIT

The Father of our spirits is speakingto us through His Word. I bless you, Father-created spirit, in Jesus Name with insight from God. He

sees your sufferings, your questions,your trauma.

I bless you with discernmentto see the God who suffers with us, but without sin. The Psalmist asked,who will rise up for meagainst the wicked and

take a stand againstevildoers? Gods an-swer is Christ Jesus, our

Champion and Saviorand King.

All the evil you see anddont see was laid onHim and judged andpunished. In return forevil done to Him, Jesusgave back forgivenessand love. Because He

overcame evil anddeath, He now lives togive us a different kindof life. Our writer declared the bless-ing of this new life. Happy is the re-sponsible person the Lord disci-

plines, though with suffering. TheLord personally gives them insight

from His Word.

I bless you, spirit, to receive disci-

pline from the Fathers hand inyour suffering and to be open to listen to God speak personally to youfrom His Word. I bless you to be more like Jesus in suffering and intriumph.

Until the end Jesus lived in Godspeace, not dependent on circum-stances. He passed His peace down

to us, not as the world gives, but apeace that overcomes the world.Here you too are comforted, pro-

tected, loved. You are like a refugeefrom the evil. You run to the Lord forshelter and He becomes your fortressin the middle of plotters and boast-

ers. You have to wait until His time todeal with the wicked, violent people.I bless you with Jesus peace thatgoes beyond comprehension, thepeace He had from Heaven.

Until the end you can getback at the Lords enemies by launching missiles oflove and prayer-propelled

blessing. Your carin

deeds and spiritual rain falling from heaven will undermine the power ofevil. Your own anger willdissolve as you see theirprison of hate and Jesus

the Liberator. God wilpull out the rug from un-der the cycle of attack andrevenge.

I bless you with grace tobless your enemies. Bless them with revelation o

the Holy One. Bless them with mercyand grace to repent from their sin.Bless them with an encounter withGods love and Jesus Cross. Bless

them with understanding for theGood News of salvation in Christ Je-sus.

Spirit, celebrate the grace of God that saved you from being an evil-doer. Thank Him for His help in yourconfusion and distress. Thank Him

for His gift of peace and joy.PraiseHim for His righteousness and jus-tice and timing.

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