150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 92

Good Morning Everyone!

And a Happy Reformation day to you!!!

Today our Psalm is Psalm 92.  Did you read it yet?  If not, be sure you do!  I found this precious promise hidden in this psalm:

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon."  Psalm 92:12

And my Study Bible had this note on verse 12:

"The palm tree, beaten by the scorching sun and the fierce sandstorm, stands green and flourishing and fruitful in the midst of the desert. . . The tree of the desert is a symbol of what God means the life of His children in this world to be.  They are to guide weary souls, full of unrest, and ready to perish in the desert of sin,to the living water."
Education, by E G. White p. 116

I think it is worth noting that the tree is not exempt from the desert, the scorching sun or the fierce sandstorm.  It is right in the midst of these things--just like Christians are right in the midst of this sin-filled world.  Just because you are a Christian does not mean that bad things will not happen to you.  Cancer still strikes.  Car accidents still happen.  But in Him--we can still flourish and can still point others to the only One who is a refuge.

I also liked these verses, and wrote them in my notebook as well:

"Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing.  To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."
Psalm 92:13-15

Yes--He is our refuge.  And someday, He has promised to come back and take His children home.  And He will right every wrong.

I can't wait!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 91

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Today our Psalm was Psalm 91--a favorite of mine!  In fact, long ago I purchased this Psalm recorded on a cassette tape--yes, I AM that old--and I would play it for our son as part of his home school Bible class.  This song was designed in a simple way, just word for word the Psalm, so that it would be simple for children to be able to memorize the Bible chapter.  It worked well--and worked pretty good for home school moms as well!  There are several Bible chapters that I still have memorized as a result of having them set to music--and Psalm 91 is one of them.  Music has a special pathway to our brains.  In fact, of these chapters I can SING them, but I cannot SAY them.  But that's alright--singing them still means they are hidden in my heart!

From this chapter, I choose two verses to record in my notebook:

"I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.'"  Psalm 91:2

"For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."  Psalm 91:11

How blessed we are, that we can take refuge in this troublesome world in our God.  That we can claim HIM as our refuge and our fortress--that we truly can trust Him!  And that He cares so much for each one of us that He has assigned us our own angel to watch over us.  We are never without help, and when we pray, He answers.

Ask Him to be your refuge today.  Ask Him to guide you and to lead you--and then when He has revealed His will to you, follow it!  Whatever He asks us to do for Him, He will always walk beside us.  I think of Corrie ten Boom, and how God asked her to walk through the prison camp.  Definitely a most difficult task to follow--and yet God walked with her and Corrie came out the other end with a real and living faith in her God who never left her.  She is a witness to me today, even though she has passed to her rest, as I read of her experiences and her trust in her Savior.

Your God is your refuge.  And no one can take that away.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 90

Hello Friends!

Yesterday our reading was in Psalm 90.  Hard to believe how fast the time is flying by!  I really liked verse 17, so that is the one I wrote in my Bible Notebook:

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalm 90:17

I am fascinated by the phrase "establish the work of our hands for us."  I do not often stop and take the time to think about God planning out the work that He wants me to do.  Have you ever thought about this?  I mean, just to think that He really cares at that level of detail is hard to grasp.  Does He specifically want me to encourage someone today?  Am I to support them by helping with their day to day needs such as laundry and food?  Is there an e-mail I should write or a card I should send?  I have read that each day we should lay our plans before His feet and ask Him for His direction, being willing to take up or to leave out as He directs us

My Study Bible had a note on this verse, that is beautiful:

"In every human being (Jesus) discerned infinite possibilities.  He saw men as they might be, transfigured by His grace--in 'the beauty of the Lord our God' (Psalm 90:17).  Looking upon them with hope, He inspired hope.  Meeting them with confidence, He inspired trust.  Revealing in Himself man's true ideal, He awakened, for its attainment, both desire and faith. . . To many a despairing one there opened the possibility of a new life."
Education, by E. G. White, p. 80

Just think about it--when Jesus looks at you, He does not see what is but rather what with His help COULD be!  He sees your possibilities, what you and He together could do and what you could become.

So ask Him today what He wants you to do.  He will never give up on you, and His plans are always going to be good!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 89

Good Morning Everyone!

Did you read Psalm 89 with me today?  It was quite a bit longer than the other Psalms we have had lately!

I loved this acknowledgement of God's power and His personality, right near the beginning:

"O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD?  Your faithfulness also surrounds You."  Psalm 89:8

I like the two things mentioned here--1) no one is mightier than God, and 2) He is ALWAYS faithful.  It wouldn't do us any help if we had a mighty god but he was fickle and didn't continue to love and care for us.  Or even if we had a faithful god, but he wasn't mighty or able to help us much as he would like to.  Are we sometimes putting our MIGHTY and FAITHFUL God into one of these two boxes?  Do we believe that He "can," but He doesn't care?  Or do we believe that He "cares," but can't?

And then I found this gem:

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face."  Psalm 89:14

My Study Bible had a note on verse 14, and I would like to share it with you:

"Satan declared that mercy destroyed justice, that the death of Christ abrogated the Father's law.  Had it been possible for the law to be changed or abrogated, then Christ need not have died.  But to abrogate the law would be to immortalize transgression, and place the world under Satan's control. . . Yet the very means by which Christ established the law Satan represented as destroying it.  Here will come the last conflict of the great controversy between Christ and Satan."
The Desire of Ages, by E. G. White, p. 762, 763

God is both--righteous and also just.  He is truth--and he is also merciful.  And how much we need Him to be ALL of these things!

Spend some time today talking with and drawing closer to your Savior.  He is mighty--and He definitely cares for you!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 88

Good Morning Everyone!

Have you spent time in the Word yet today?  If not--stop everything else, yes, stop reading this post and go spend some time in God's Love Letter to you.  It's o.k.--you can always come back later!

Today we are reading Psalm 88.  In my study Bible, the subtitle given for this Psalm is "A prayer for help in despondency."  The word "despondency" really jumped out at me.  It is such a vivid word--depicting much more than just a little sadness. . .

I looked up the definition of "despondency," and this is what I found:

"a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage"

synonyms:  hopelessness, despair, discouragement, low spirits, wretchedness, melancholy, gloom, misery, desolation, disappointment, disheartenment, dejection, sadness, unhappiness

Have you ever felt this way about something in your life?  I know I have!  But praise God, we are not left alone!

I recorded this beauty in my Bible notebook:

"Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry."  Psalm 88:2

And then later on I found this one:

"But to You I have cried out, O LORD, and in the morning my prayer comes before You."  Psalm 88:13

First thing each day--in the morning, before all else, go to Him.

When we are discouraged, we need to remember where to go for help!  Let our prayers rise to our God, the Only One who can save and help us!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 87

Hello Everyone!

Barely squeaking in here today--been running constantly and am only now sitting down to the computer.  But I DID spend time in Psalm 87 this morning--did you read this Psalm as well?  I hope so!

In my Bible, Psalm 87 had a subtitle of "The Glories of the City of God."  I found a verse to record right near the beginning:

"Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!" Psalm 87:3

I really liked this verse, and I thought for a while about what glorious things "I" have heard or read about the city of God. . . First, I thought of this verse:

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  1 Corinthians 2:9

Do you know what that means?  That means that heaven is SO good and SO glorious and SO wonderful that we can't even imagine the half of how wonderful it is going to be!

Then, I remembered this verse which I felt also went along well with this topic:

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.' " Revelation 21:3

This is the verse that really spoke to me--what I learned from it is the REASON heaven is so wonderful.  What makes the City of God the MOST glorious is that He,  Himself is there!

Don't you want to be there with Him too?  I know I do!  I hope you will accept His invitation.  The cost for you is not free, but it is already paid.  He paid it long ago, on a cross on a hill.

Wouldn't it be a shame to not accept His gift?

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 86

Hello Everyone!

Today's Psalm is Psalm 86.  The first verse I wrote down was this beautiful promise:

"For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You."  Psalm 86:5

Just let those words sink in for a little bit. . .

God is good.  He is not bad.  He is not selfish.  He is not greedy.  He is not angry with us.

Because the next part of the verse says He is "ready to forgive."

We NEED forgiveness, because we HAVE sinned.  "For the wages of Sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 6:23

And He is ready to forgive.  Can't you just imagine that?  If God had a phone, He would be sitting next to it, eagerly waiting for you to call Him.  You would call Him, "Hello--God?" you would tentatively begin, "YES!  Oh YES!  You are forgiven my child!  I am SO happy that you called Me today!"

God is abundant in mercy.  He never runs out!  He does not just extend mercy to the first 100 people who call Him in the morning and then you are out of luck.

I also found this gem, and wrote it in my notebook:

"In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me." Psalm 86:7

God answers us.  No matter what.  No matter how many.  If we take one tiny step towards Him, He RUNS to us!

Turn to Him today.  He is sitting by His phone waiting for you to call!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 85

Good Morning!

Yesterday we were on Psalm 85.  Yesterday morning I was NOT on my computer! ;)  So will try and catch up today.

I really loved verse 10, so that is the one I wrote down in my Bible Notebook:

"Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed." Psalm 85:10

My study Bible had a note on this verse, which I thought was very good so I wanted to share it with you here:

"God's love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy.  Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love.  It had been Satan's purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice.  He sought to prove that the righteousness of God's law is an enemy to peace.  But Christ shows that in God's plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other."
Desire of Ages, by E. G. White, p. 762

If there was no Godly justice--we would have no peace.  When I think of Psalm 85:10, "Mercy and truth have met together," in my mind comes a picture of Jesus.  God the Son, and God the Father--who loved us SO much, that they paid the price for our sin.

"For God SO loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. . . "

THAT is both mercy and truth.

How much He loves us, my mind cannot even wrap around.

Spend time with the One who loves you most of all today.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 84

Happy New Week Everyone!

Today we are reading Psalm 84.  I loved today's Psalm--so many lovely promises!  I started writing in my Bible Notebook the first two verses:

"How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."  Psalm 84:1 & 2

This is how I want to be--I want to long for being with my Creator and Savior!  Then, I found and wrote down these beautiful promises:

"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly; O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!"  Psalm 84:10-12

Did you catch that promise, nestled right in the middle?

"No good thing will He withhold"

That one--and yet--do we not have prayers here on earth for good things that DO go unanswered?  Or at least, seem to be answered with a "No" instead of a "Yes" like we were wanting?  And what possibly could be wrong with us praying for our loved ones to recover from illness--and then they die anyway?

I do not have answers.  I do not understand why sometimes people are healed miraculously and other times such good, Christian people die.  But I do know that He is trustworthy, and so I must trust Him in everything.

My Study Bible had this note in it on Psalm 84:11 and 12.  It was a blessing to me,, so I thought I would share it with all of you here:

"The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised.  When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers.  We are so erring and short-sighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good--that which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are.  When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise, for the tie of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most.  But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption.  God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.  Then do not fear to trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers.  Rely upon His sure promise, 'Ask, and it shall be given you.' (Matthew 7:7)   Steps to Christ, by E. G. White, p. 96

Isn't that beautiful?  I especially love the part that says "God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing."   I am certainly NOT like that--I "err" all the time!  I am SO thankful that I can depend upon God to know what is right and best given each circumstances.  Knowing that He loves me so--and He knows what is best--means that I can give my problems over to Him and then relax, because He is going to take care of it for me.

So give your problems to Him--because He knows the best for you!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 83

Good Morning Friends!

Yesterday our Psalm was Psalm 83.  I read the Psalm in the morning, but did not get on my computer to post as I was running late to get out the door for church!  But better late than never--and of course, the most important thing is that we are spending time in God's Word every day!

I thought it was interesting that this Psalm has as a title "Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel."  So that gives us a clue right at the beginning about what this Psalm is about and what was going on in history when it was written!

It starts right out with an appeal to God:

"Do not keep silent, O God!  Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God!"  Psalm 83:1

Then it tells WHY this is the prayer:

"They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones."  Psalm 83:3

And later on, we are given a clue as to the real reason--which is not to bring glory to ourselves, but so God receives the glory and honor and praise that HE deserves:

"That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth."  Psalm 83:18

For HIS glory!  They are messing with His people--this is not bringing glory to Him and that is a problem that needs to be stopped.

How blessed we are!  How much He loves us!!!  My mind can hardly believe it!

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!"  1 John 3:1a

Have a beautiful day with your heavenly Father!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 82

Good Morning!

Today we are on Psalm 82.  This short Psalm today was written as a plea--a plea for justice.  It really sounds like all these terrible things were going on, and God wasn't doing anything about it.  And finally there is this anguished plea:

"Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations."  Psalm 82:8

A plea for justice.

Asking Him to defend the poor and the fatherless.

Asking Him to do justice for the afflicted and needy.

Asking Him to deliver the poor and needy from the hand of the wicked.

Asking "How long?"

And so it seems in our world today, for all we have to do is open our eyes and look around us, and we see that justice is needed.  The poor and fatherless need help.  People are afflicted and needy.  The wicked are flourishing.  And where is God?

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."  2 Peter 3:9

He is still on His throne.  And at the right time--HIS time--He will judge.

Aren't we thankful that he is patient with us?

How compassionate He is, that He does not want any to be lost!

Talk to your wonderful, compassionate God today--and thank Him for His great mercies!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 81

Good Morning Friends!

I hope you are reading along in the Psalms with me, because today's Psalm was 81 and it had this beautiful promise in it:

"I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."  Psalm 81:10

I just love this verse, for many reasons!  I like how God is declaring that it was He who rescued the people from slavery.  He is not a weak god!  He is not a god who cannot see or cannot hear!  He is GOD! He was powerful enough to rescue His people from the most powerful nation on earth at that time--and I would have to say that He is also powerful enough to rescue you and me from whatever problems we are facing!  Oh I realize not everything is solved the way we would like it on this sin-filled earth.  Sometimes a miracle does happen, and sometimes we have to wait for His coming again for the chains of death to be broken, or other things to be fixed.  But He is still powerful enough, and even if it is something we have to wait for to be completed, often times the miracle still starts now, as we invite Him into our hearts and surrender our lives to His direction. . .

I also love the part in this verse that talks about opening our mouths WIDE. Not narrow--not "here,  will dribble a tiny bit in that will be just enough to keep you alive."  No, God tells His people to open their mouths WIDE!  And this is not just applying to physical food here, but to all sorts of blessings!  It reminded me of this verse:

"Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  Luke 6:38

Kinda sounds like God is a generous God, and He wants US to be generous with each other as well!

As you go through your day today, keep your eyes open to see the things God has done for you.  What has He rescued YOU from?  And as you ask Him for blessings, are you opening your mouth WIDE?  Are you blessing others with a good measure?

We serve an awesome God!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 80

Good Morning Everyone!

Today we are on Psalm 80!  It is hard to believe we are over half way through the Psalms!  I am looking forward to closing my year by spending time in His Word, and if I stay on track I should be finishing the Psalms just about when this old year closes out on the calendar.

But back to today's Psalm!  I choose verse 19 to record in my notebook.  But there is something very interesting about this verse.  In Psalm 80, verse 3, verse 7, and verse 19 are all identical--they are all repeated word for word!  So I take that to mean the author was trying to make a point here!  It reads like this:

"Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine; And we shall be saved!"  Psalm 80:19

I noticed something about this verse.  Not only is it repeated three times in the chapter, but the verse itself has three parts to it as well.  Which got me to thinking more about what each of the three parts mean. . .

1) We need restoration.  We are broken, but we can call out to Him.

2)  He is the ONLY One who can restore us.  We are broken, but He is able and He is willing because we are His people.

3)  We shall be saved.  With Him--nothing is impossible.  He cannot forget us--we are inscribe on the palms of His hands.

So as you go about your day today, take some tie to turn to the Only One who can restore your life.  The One who can restore your soul.  He is oh so willing to save you!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 79

Good Morning!

Psalm 79 is our Psalm for today! :)  This is a Psalm that is talking about all the terrible things that have happened to God's people--how the enemies have come in, the people have been killed, and Jerusalem has been reduced to rubble.
Not exactly painting a happy picture, is it?  This Psalm cries out to God, asking how long until He avenges His people.  But there is running through it a theme that the author--which the Bible identifies as Asaph--knows full well that his God is able to help them.  He knows that God is strong enough to deliver them, and he is crying out for God to do just that.

My study Bible is NKJV, so the text I wrote down in my notebook shown in the above picture is from that version, but I also love how the NIV version reads:

"Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise." Psalm 79:13

This got me to thinking, and I did a quick search for other verses that talk about thanking God or praising God.  I came up with these texts to add to this theme:

"that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.  LORD my God, I will praise you forever."  Psalm 30:12

"I will praise you, Lord m God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."  Psalm 86:12

"I will thank you forever, because of what you have done.  In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good."  Psalm 52:9

And I think that is what our job is--to praise God forever, because He--and only He--is truly good!

How can you praise Him today?  Only He is worthy--Only He has saved us!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 78

Happy Monday Everyone!

The start of a new work week is not usually people's favorite day. But today's Psalm had a gem that is a great one to carry us through the week:

"That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments."  Psalm 78:7

As you face this Monday--and face the week ahead--are you setting your hope in God?  Are you not forgetting the works of God?  If you try and do this week on your own, you are doomed to failure.  But if you are trusting in God to lead, there is no way you cannot win!

This Psalm was all about God's kindness to rebellious Israel.  He divided the sea so they could pass through, led them with a cloud by day and a fire at night.  He gave them water to drink out of a rock--literally--and rained down manna for them to eat.  He brought meat when they complained of not having any.  But they were not faithful to the covenant and left Him to follow other gods who cannot see or hear or help them.  He redeemed them from Egypt.  He guided them in the wilderness.  He drove out the nations before them.  But still they were not faithful.

It is easy to read their story and think of how foolish they were.  But if someone were recording OUR story--are we doing any better?  Are we setting our hope in God?  Are we not forgetting what He has done so that it will give us confidence that He is powerful enough to carry us through the future?  Are we keeping His commandments?

Even if we want to do these things--on our own we fail.  But with Him--we cannot help but succeed!

Remember His power today, and don't forget to go to Him and ask Him to carry you though.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 76 & 77

Good Morning Everyone!

How was your weekend?  Mine was good--but busy!  I thought I would have time to post, but was often either gone at church or gone running errands, so will have to get caught up on posting today.

For Sabbath,, our reading was Psalm 76.  I choose two verses that I felt were significant:

"You caused judgement to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to judgment, to deliver all the oppressed of the earth."  Psalm 76:8,9

Why do I feel these verses are important?  Because it states that God is the judge.  That means WE aren't.  And God WILL deliver the oppressed.  Sometimes He chooses to deliver His people here on this earth right now--and sometimes it will be later when He takes His people to heaven and judges the wicked for what they did to His people.  But judgement is HIS job, and He will do it in HIS timing.

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,' Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' " Romans 12:19

" for this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you--for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye--I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me.' " Zechariah 2:8-9

God's people are the apple of His eye.  After her release from the concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom did not travel around preaching about how terrible the Germans had treated her and her family.  No--she traveled around preaching how wonderful God's forgiveness is, and she left any judgment and vengeance with Him.  She realized that if God could forgive HER sins and make her heart clean, then the same applied to THEIR sins.  Even the very ones who had abused her and killed her family.  Definitely something to think about!

Moving on to Sunday's reading. . . .

On Sunday I read Psalm 77 and found this beautiful gem:

"In the day of my trouble I sought the LORD; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted."  Psalm 77:2

I also loved this one:

"You led Your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron."  Psalm 77:20

Do you realize that God is leading YOU?  He knows exactly where you live, who you are, what your talents and interests are? (after all, HE is the One who gave you those talents!)

My study Bible had this notation in it, which I absolutely love:

"However large the flock, the shepherd knows every sheep.  Every one has its name, and responds to the name at the shepherd's call.  As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine Shepherd know His flock that are scattered throughout the world."

Desire of Ages, by E. G. White, p. 479

Can you just imagine that?  God knows YOUR name!  Literally knows YOU!  You can run to Him, and He will always help you.

Talk with your shepherd today--He is waiting to hear from you!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 75

Good Morning Everyone!

Yesterday started off super busy--as most Friday's do, so while I did read Psalm 75 I did not get a chance to sit down with my compter and post on it.  But oh well--as they say, better late than never! :D

I thought verses 6 and 7 were interesting, so I recorded them in my Bible notebook:

"For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south.  But God is the Judge:  He puts down one, and exhalts another." Psalm 75:6, 7

How often do YOU find youself looking for help--or looking for affirmation--from another direction?   I know I find myself falling into this trap often!  And a trap it is indeed, because we are not to be doing our work here in earth for another person--we are to be doing it for God.  And if we are following His direction and guidance and doing our best for His glory, well, then we can leave the results with Him.  And in that case, it really doesn't matter if we receive praise from someone, because our goal won't be to please man but to please God.  This is a much higher goal for sure!

My study Bible had this note in it, which I thought was excellent so I wanted to share it with you:

"Let those who feel that their work is not appreciated, and who crave a position of greater responsibility, consider that 'promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the Judge:  He putteth down one and setteth up another' (Psalm 75:6,7).  Every man has his place in the eternal plan of heaven.  Whether we fill that place depends upon our own faithfulness in co-operating with God."

Ministry of Healing, by E. G. White, p. 476

Just think about that for a little bit--heaven has a specific place for YOU to be working!  Are you faithfully co-operating with God?  It doesn't matter if you are a janitor or president of the United States--but it DOES matter if you are doing what God has asked you to do.

Spend some time in prayer today--and ask your Creator and Redeemer what He wants you to do today!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 74

Good Morning Everyone!

Interesting Psalm for today, wasn't it?  The writer of this Psalm is not David--it is listed as being written by Asaph.  I am no expert on what was going on during this time period, but this Psalm is definitely a cry to God about what their enemies were doing.  Parts of the Psalm describe the enemy as smashing the carved paneling of the sanctuary and burning it to the ground.

The Psalm starts out with a cry:

"O God, why have You cast us off forever?  Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?"  Psalm 74:1

And what struck me the most, was verse 11:

"Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?  Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them."  Psalm 74:11

Wait just one minute!  Why is it talking about God withdrawing His hand?  It was just in Psalm 73 that we were assured He holds our right hand!

But the rest of the Bible is clear.  God will never leave us!

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; "He will never leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:8  The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Joshua 1:5  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."

1 Chronicles 28:20  David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work.  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished."

Psalms 37:28 For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.  "They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off."

Psalms 94:14 "For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance."

Isaiah 41:17 "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst.  But I the LORD will answer them, I the God of Israel, will not forsake them."

Isaiah 42:16 "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.  These are the things I will do;  I will not forsake them."

Hebrews 13:5  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

We may leave God, but He will never leave us.  Our situation may be bad--but that does not mean He has left us.  And some day, He will rescue His people.  We will live forever with Him--in a world made new.  No more death or sickness. No more pain of any type.  No more evil.  He will not forget us.  He CANNOT forget us!  We are inscribed on the palms of His hands!

So whatever you are facing today--remember that He has not let go of our hand.  Wherever you are, He is right there beside you!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 73

Good Morning!

Did you read Psalm 73 with me today?  It is filled with descriptions of the wicked--and God's watch care over those who love Him.  I wrote down several verses in my notebook.  I love finding promises and claiming them!  The first verse that really said it was "mine" was verse 23:

"Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand."  Psalm 73:23

This brought up the picture in my mind of a loving parent who holds a small child's hand while crossing a busy street.

The next three verses after this one I also loved, so I wrote them down as well:

"You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but You?  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.  My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  Psalm 73:24-26

These verses--these promises--are what I want.  I want God to be continually with me.  I want Him to hold my hand.  I want His counsel and guidance.  He is more important to me than anything this sin filled world can offer.  I claim Him as my strength forever.

As I pondered these verses this morning, and asked myself what it was God wanted me to learn from them--there was only one thought that the Holy Spirit spoke to me:

Jesus loves me, this I know--
for the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
they are weak but He is strong!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Have a beautiful day Friend.  And don't forget how much Jesus loves you!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 72

Good Morning Friends!

Today we are on Psalm 72!  This entire chapter is a word picture of what the reign of Solomon "could" be--if only he chooses to follow God.  I really liked verse 18, so I wrote that one down for my notebook:

"Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only does wonderous things!" Psalm 72:18

I just love how that is worded--we don't have a God who does ordinary things, no--we have a God who only does WONDEROUS things!

My study Bible had this note on Psalm 72:

"With tender earnestness David entreated Solomon to be manly and noble, to show mercy and loving-kindness to his subjects, and in all his dealings with the nations of earth to honor and glorify the name of God and to make manifest the beauty of holiness. . .
Oh, what an opportunity was Solomon's!  Should he follow the divinely inspired instruction of his father, his reign would be a reign of righteousness, like that described in the seventy-second psalm."
Prophets and Kings, by E. G. White, p. 26

This psalm makes me think--what are the wonderous things that God has planned for MY life--if only I will follow His direction?  He is no ordinary God, and he does no ordinary things!  And I know His plans are good ones, because the Bible promises that as well:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

So as you go throughout your day, talk with your wonderous God.  Ask Him what He wants you to do, what decisions He wants you to make.  Follow His direction and you will never be disappointed!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 71

Good Morning Everyone!

I LOVED today's Psalm!  So very many encouraging and precious verses that I want to remember!  I could not possibly limit myself in my notebook to recording just one.  Instead, with GREAT effort, I "only" wrote down four!

These are the verses I choose:

"In You, O LORD, I put my trust:  Let me never be put to shame."  Psalm 71:1

"Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day."  Psalm 71:8

"But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.  My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits."  Psalm 71:14 & 15

I have already mentioned that I have been reading the book "The Hiding Place," about Corrie ten Boom and her family and how they hid Jews from those who wanted to kill them.  I have finished this book, and have started the sequel entitled "Tramp for the Lord."  This second book is about her activities after Corrie was released from the concentration camp.  For many people, they would have spent the rest of their lives bitter about what had happened to them, angry with those who destroyed their family--but not Corrie.  By God's grace, she and her sister Betsy lived these verses while in the camp, and Corrie lived these verses the rest of her life after the camp (Betsy died one week before Corrie was released from the camp).

In the camp, Corrie and Betsy held Bible studies daily in their barracks with the Bible they had smuggled in with them.  The very fleas and lice that made their lives miserable also kept the guards from coming into their barracks--therefore they were able to lead others to Him and point the way to the only source of hope.  And after her release, Corrie traveled and spread the love of her Savior who had carried her through the darkest of days.  In my thoughts, she LIVED these verses--she had stared death in the face, literally, and had found that even then--her Jesus was there.

". . . My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits."  Psalm 71:15

His help--His righteousness--His salvation--there are no limits!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 70

Hello Friends!

Today's Psalm is Psalm 70.  It had some beautiful verses in it, and I choose verse 4 to write down:

"Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let God be magnified!' "  Psalm 70:4

If we seek Him, we will rejoice and be glad!  I take that as a promise--seeking Him is the only way to happiness.  Of course, sometimes when we are seeking something, there is a bit of a problem because no matter how much we seek--we don't always find whatever it is that we are looking for!  Even when we go back to the room we were first in, and retrace our steps we don't always find what it is we are looking for!  (Yes, I speak from personal experience here!)

But praise God--we have a promise that it won't be this way when we are seeking Him!

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13

I am SO thankful for this promise that we WILL find God!  And He is not hiding and trying to make it difficult for us either--when we take just one step toward Him, in fact, I don't think we even need to take that step, I think we only have to WANT Him in our lives--He will come running to us!

Thank you, Father, for loving us so!  For not abandoning us when we have turned away.  For leading us to You, and for filling our lives with Your gladness!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 69

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday our Psalm was Psalm 69.  The verse that I choose to write in my Bible notebook was verse 33, which reads like this:

"For the LORD hears the poor, and does not despise His prisoners."  Psalm 69:33  NKJV

I looked this verse up also in the ESV version, because I was curious about the wording being "His prisoners," and this is how it read:

"For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners."  Psalm 69:33 ESV

I have recently been re-reading the book "The Hiding Place," about Corrie ten Boom and her experiences being held as a prisoner as punishment for her family hiding Jews in their home and helping them to escape certain death from the German invading armies.  Such a terrible terrible time.  People treating other people in such cruel ways, purposely trying to kill them for no other reason than their ethnicity.

Psalm 69 goes on to have this promise in it:

"For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it.  Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His name shall dwell in it."  Psalm 69:35, 36

In "The Hiding Place," Corrie describes the sweetness of her sister Betsy.  How Betsy dreamed of someday being released from prison camp and she and Corrie providing a healing home for people after the war.  A place where they could go and learn about God's love.  A place where they could have peace and love.  A place where they could work among flower gardens.  A place where they could heal.  Betsy never lived to leave the prison camp--but Corrie did, and Corrie carried on the dream of her sister.  She really did open up several homes for victims of the war.  These verses tell us that God, too, will provide a healing place.  And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

Some day, the war and crime and sickness and sin of this earth will be but a memory.  The earth will be made new--and those who love Him shall inherit it, never more to leave.

I want to be there--don't you?

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 68

Hello Friends!

Sorry I have been missing posting the past several days--have just been super busy!  But I have been keeping up with my reading, and I hope you have too!  And I will try and get caught up on my posting today if possible.

Friday the Psalm to read was Psalm 68.  My favorite verse that really spoke to my heart was verse 5:

"A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation."  Psalm 68:5

I have been thinking about this particular verse ever since I read it Friday morning in my quiet time.  You see, Friday some friends of our family buried their 18 year old son, who died from injuries caused in a car accident.  And I can't help but think that this verse applies more broadly here than we may first read it.

Oh yes--I completely agree that it means what it says--that God IS a father to the fatherless, and a defender of widows.  And I am SO glad that He is, because I also have a friend who lost her husband to cancer this past April.  And that means that her children also lost their father.  And I claim this verse for this precious family, and I know God will fulfill His promise.

But I can't help but feel in my heart that this verse also applies to God being a son to those who have lost theirs.  I think about Mary--the mother of Jesus when He lived here on this earth.  When Jesus was hanging on the cross, dying a cruel and unjust death, He still looked after her by "giving" her to His disciple John--therefore arranging for John to care for her the rest of her life.

And so as I watched the funeral on-line on Friday, as it was states away from where I live, I prayed Psalm 68 verse 5 for them.  That God will not only watch over them and carry them in the days and weeks and months ahead, but that He would also be a "Son" to them, until that glorious day comes when the dead in Christ shall rise first and families won't be broken up by the enemy any more.

Thank you, Jesus, for being all that we need!  For making up the lack.  For carrying us when we are too weak or exhausted or weary to go on.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 67

Good Morning Friends!

Have you ever heard the phrase "Have a song in your heart?"  When I was a child, part of a children's club at our church that I was a part of had a little thing we would recite, and a portion of it was that we would "Have a song in our hearts and go on God's errands."

Well, I think I just found here in Psalm 67 where that little phrase originated from--at least, the instruction is certainly here!

"Let the people praise You, O God:  Let all the peoples praise You."  Psalm 67:5

My study Bible had this note in it on this verse:

"Those who dwell upon God's great mercies, and are not unmindful of His lesser gifts, will put on the girdle of gladness and make melody in their hearts to the Lord.  The daily blessings that we receive from the hand of God, and above all else the death of Jesus to bring happiness and heaven within our reach, should be a theme for constant gratitude."
Patriarchs and Prophets, by E. G. White, p. 289

This is what I want to do!  I want to dwell upon God's great mercies.  I want to praise Him!  It is SO very easy to find ourselves in the pattern of grumbling over things that are wrong--and there will always be things wrong in this world of sin.  But if He woke you up today, surely there is SOMETHING to be thankful for?  SOMETHING to praise Him for?  Even if it is the worst day ever--as I think of our friends who have just recently lost their 18 year old son to a car accident--even if it is a day of a funeral, can't we praise Him that He has conquered death and we will not be separated from our loved ones forever?  That Jesus IS coming again?  I am not discounting the sorrow, but let's not discount the promises of God!

So today--let the song in your heart come out.  Let it spill over your lips, and praise God!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 66

Good Morning Everyone!

Psalm 66 is the Psalm for today, and I found a beautiful treasure in it:

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul."  Psalm 66:16

This verse makes me think--am I sharing with others what God has done for me, or do people around me only hear the grumbles and complaints about things I don't like?  Corrie ten Boom tells of how she was able to smuggle a Bible into the death camp she and her sister were taken to.  There--in the flea and lice infested barracks, they held Bible studies and shared with others about God's love.  And when Corrie had trouble being thankful because of their awful living conditions, her sister Betsy encouraged her to be thankful for the fleas and lice.  Later on, they discovered that the reason the guards left them alone in their barracks--therefore them being able to hold these Bible studies--was BECAUSE of all the fleas and lice!  Quite simply, the guards didn't want to become infested themselves, so they stayed out.  God took something bad, and used it for good.  And when Corrie survived the camp to be released, she ended up spending the rest of her life telling of God's love.  She could have chosen to be bitter about the terrible things she went through and the lose of her entire family--but she didn't.  She looked at God instead, and declared what he had done for her.

I looked Psalm 66 up in my Bible Commentary, and found this note:

"Would it not be well to cultivate gratitude, and to offer grateful songs of thanksgiving to God?  As Christians we ought to praise God more than we do. We ought to bring more of the brightness of His love into our lives.  As by faith we look to Jesus His joy and peace are reflected from the countenances.  How earnestly we should seek so to relate ourselves to God that our faces may reflect the sunshine of His love!  When our own souls are vivified by the Holy Spirit, we shall exert an uplifting influence upon others who know not the joy of Christ's presence."
Manuscript 115, 1903, by E. G. White

So as you go throughout your day today, declare what God has done for you! He loves us so very, very much!

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 65

Good Morning Friends!

Have you ever talked with someone and then realized that they were not even listening?  That their attention was instead on reading their e-mail, checking FB, or reading something else?  Or even just that they were lost in thought about something else and really weren't paying attention to what you were saying to them?  I have!  And sad to admit--but I know I have also been on the opposite end of this, with not really paying attention to someone talking to me when I should have!

How does it make you feel when this happens to you?  I know for me, it kinda makes me not want to talk with that person any more.  I feel like they aren't really interested in me--and then I don't want to waste the energy talking with them, because they aren't listening anyway.

I think this has probably happened to everyone.  BUT--there is ONE person who NEVER does this to us.  We can count on Him to always listen!

"O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come." Psalm 65:2

This is the verse I recorded today in my notebook.  But there is more.  Not only does He listen to us--He also answers us.

"By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation,  You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas." Psalm 65:5

Isn't that beautiful?  He listens--and He answers.  THAT is why I love Him!

"I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them.  Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breath!  Psalm 116:1,2 TLB

Talk with your Savior today--right now.  Invite Him into your life.  Ask Him to direct your path today in every decision and action.  He is listening to you, and He promises to answer.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 64

Good Morning Everyone!

Today I thought Psalm 64 was quite interesting in that it is primarily speaking about people--speaking!  About the wicked using their tongues like a sword, and then in the end concludes with a verse of hope--which is the one I recorded in my notebook:

"The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him.  And all the upright in heart shall glory."  Psalm 64:10

But--before this beautiful verse of trust are verses such as these:

"Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked.  From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity.  Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows--bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless. . . "  Psalm 64:2-4

Words reveal what is in our hearts. "I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will e justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Matthew 12:36,37

I want to be careful with my words.  I want my words to build people up--not tear them down.  To encourage them to keep going--not tell them to give up  To point them to Jesus--the Living Word.

Have a beautiful day today--and use your words for good, and not for evil.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 63

Hello Everyone!

Today we are reading Psalm 63.  I loved the imagery in this Psalm, and choose the very first verse in the chapter as the one I recorded in my notebook:

"O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."  Psalm 63:1

Can't you just image a picture of a desert--sun beating down unmercifully, ground cracked and parched.  THAT is our soul when it is not connected with God!  And now think about a beautiful green woods--with a waterfall tumbling down over rocks and all the green plants and wildflowers growing around the edges of the water.  I have been able to visit the Smoky Mountains several times, so this is what I imagine when I think of green and water!  THIS picture is our soul when it IS connected with God!

Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that the verse says he seeks God "early."  Now I know only too well what it is like when one has a baby or small child to take care of, or other responsibilities that make having quiet time in the morning difficult.  But in my own personal experience, I have found that whatever I do first thing in the morning--that is what gets done!  Whatever I do later in the day--well, it may or may not get done!  So if I want to make sure I don't miss my quiet time with the Lord, I have to do it early.  If I don't--the phone rings, the children need something, or SOMETHING  happens and my day just runs out!

I found something (below) talking about this in a devotional book that I wanted to share with you--talking about meeting God first thing in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The very first outbreathing of the soul in the morning should be for the presence of Jesus.  "Without Me" He says, "ye can do nothing."  It is Jesus that we need; His light, His life, His Spirit, must be ours continually.  We need Him every hour.  And we should pray in the morning that as the sun illuminates the landscape, and fills the world with light, so the Sun of Righteousness may shine into the chambers of mind and heart, and make us all light in the Lord.  We cannot do without His presence one moment.  The enemy knows when we undertake to do without our Lord, and he is there, ready to fill our minds with his evil suggestions that we may fall from our steadfastness; but it is the desire of the Lord that from moment to moment we should abide in Him, and thus be complete in Him. . .

Our Father Cares, by E. G White, p. 40, 41

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The very first thing--Jesus.  And yes--the very last thing--Jesus.  And all the in between times as well--Jesus.  This is the only way to survive and thrive in this sin-filled world.

Talk with Jesus tonight--and wake up a few minutes earlier tomorrow morning and talk with Him again.  He will be waiting for you.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 62

Hello Everyone!

Did you read Psalm 62 this morning?  I did not have time to read in the morning, but I did read it this afternoon.  And I am SO glad that I did, because there is a real treasure here just waiting for us.  I wrote down verse 8:

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."  Psalm 62:8

This verse is especially meaningful to me today, because I just discovered that the son of family friends just passed away this morning due to complications from an auto accident that happened a week ago.  He was only eighteen years old.

We were praying for him.  His home church was praying for him.  His extended family and church family and friends from all over were praying for him.  But we did not get the answer we were hoping for.  I cannot say we did not get an answer--because we did.  It's just the answer to our prayers for healing was "No."

At least--I should say it was "No--not yet."  Because the Bible does promise that some day soon Jesus will come, and those who had accepted Him--even though they may be waiting in the grave--will live again.  And so for now, he waits for his Creator, his Redeemer, his Savior.  Someday, this young man will hear the words "Awake!  All you who sleep in the dust!"  And he will see the beautiful face of Jesus!

So now, I continue to pray--but I no longer pray for him, because I know he is resting and waiting.  Now I continue to pray for his family.  I especially pray for his mom.  I pray this verse for her--that she will continue to trust Him, that she will pour out her heart before Him, that she will hide in Him.

In good times--trust Him.
In bad times--trust Him.
In times of death--trust Him.
When you are weary or sick or numb--pour out your heart to Him.
And when you cannot face the world--hide in Him.

~Susan

150 Days in the Psalms--Psalm 61

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend now!  My yesterday started out bright and early with appointments and errands I needed to meet, so I didn't have time to post on my blog--but I DID still read Psalm 61 and choose a verse to record in my Bible notebook!  So I thought I would take a minute to share my thoughts with you now. . .

For Psalm 61 I LOVED verse 2!  It reads like this:

"From the end of the earth I will cry to You.  When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  Psalm 61:2

Has YOUR heart ever felt overwhelmed?  I think if you live in this world, you can certainly answer this with a resounding "YES!"  I know I have felt overwhelmed, and more than once as well!  Sometimes it is big things that are overwhelming to us, and sometimes it may be small things.  But the end result is the same--we know we are inadequate for whatever the problem is that we are facing.

My Study Bible had a note in it linked to this verse, and I really liked it so I thought I would share it with you:

The same beautiful and expressive figures are carried throughout the Bible.  Centuries before the advent of Christ, Moses pointed to Him as the rock of Israel's salvation (Deuteronomy 32:15); the psalmist sang of Him as "my Redeemer," "the rock of my strength," "the rock that is higher than I," "a rock of habitation," "rock of my heart," "rock of my refuge" (Psalms 19:14; 62:7; 61:2; 71:3; 73:26; 94:22)
Patriarches and Prophets by E. G. White p. 413

He is our Rock.  And He is plenty powerful enough to be our strength, our refuge, our Redeemer--and my favorite, the holder of our hearts.

Give your problems to Him today--He will not fail you!

~Susan