Tag: #Psalm103:2

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Justice: Legend & Legacy – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, God highlighted that living justly is to live wise-heartedly, intelligently, skillfully and artfully and that doing so releases fresh beauty (chakam – Strong’s #2450).

Part 2 focuses on the faith factor.

Our key scripture is Hebrews 10:38 NKJV, which says that “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

The Word “just” (dikaios – Strong’s #1342) in this scripture means those who are approved and acceptable by faith, according to God. It means believers, whose faith is in God’s entirety—His identity, character and actions.

God’s standard is justice, to which we are transformed by faith and grace (Ro 12:2). In so doing, we build wholeness in our souls that will be expressed outwardly.

We will know this by God’s revealed wisdom.

Romans 1:17 TPT tells us that “This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith…”

So, faith in God empowers us to live a just life, which is a wise—intelligent, skillful and beautiful life—in agreement with Him.

This faith in us is God’s faith in us, not something we conjure up. It is the substance of things hoped for, the title deed of what will surely come to pass as our inheritance. A guarantee.

Proverbs 1:23 TPT expresses this by asking us, “…Don’t you know that I’m ready to pour out my spirit of wisdom upon you and bring to you the revelation of my words that will make your heart wise?”

God has wisdom to release to us to help us live out our high purposes. So, it’s important to invest dedicated time with Him. God has tangible forms of justice, such as rewards, recompenses and restoration to give to us. So, it’s important to process all the way through what is necessary with God and not waste our growing pains.

Even though the process can feel long and difficult to our flesh, every time we move forward, we build justice into our souls and plant seeds of justice for generations.

Every time we move forward, we come up higher. We are lifted as we grow in grace and wisdom and faith as God reveals both a legend and a legacy of powerful blessing that honors Him, honors us and honors others. We are being strengthened in our Lord, which pleases Him and makes us more useful for greater exploits.

God calls us to go live in His light and sing His praises, not be confined under a bush. We are to blaze a trail with Him, touching others as He leads to set captives free so they, too, can live a captivating life and pass it on. This is freedom. This is true justice expressed as divine inheritance for those whose faith is in God.

So, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for Your gift of Justice, who is Your Son Himself and for life that comes by active faith in You (Ga 3:11).

Have mercy on us, Lord (Ps 86:3).

We desire to live a life of shalom wholeness, full of love, power and soundness of mind (2 Ti 1:7).

Your Word says that if we keep trusting in You, do what is right in Your eyes and fix our hearts on Your promises, we will dwell in the land and feast on Your faithfulness” (Ps 37:3 TPT).

So, help us discern truth from falsehood (1 Jn 4:6).

Help us to listen to Your Word of Truth and respond to it, so that it will always become like poetry written and fulfilled by our lives (Ja 1:22, Ro 2:13).

Open our eyes even more to see the benefits of Your ways (Ps 103:2, Mt 5:8).

Help us to live a just life by faith, where we experience Your blessings of justice in every area of our lives (He 10:38).

Help us to trust You as our Source, the One who brings it to pass (Ps 37:5).

Help us remember that Your burden is light and to remain in the light, leaving the heavy lifting to You (Mt 11:30, Ps 55:22).

Help us to not stray from Your will but remain in our lanes with our eyes fixed on You, the Perfecter of our faith (He 12:2).

Help us to remain confident that we will experience Your goodness in the land of the living (Ps 27:13, 116:9).

Help us to please You above all else by choosing Your righteousness and justice always (He 11:6).

Thank You, Lord, that You are the Rewarder of those who diligently seek You (He 11:6).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

“Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope” (Ro 15:13 TPT)!

To God be the glory.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Sweet Devotion

As I write this week, I am reminded there is beauty everywhere, even in hard places.

On this very day, this very hour, a longtime family friend is laying her husband to rest. At the same time, two of my relatives are preparing to meet our Maker as they near their final days on earth.

And there is more I cannot share.

Yet, God is with them all, and with me and with you.

His Presence is Love, Peace, Joy and Glory.

Undeniably so.

Beyond our understanding.

Our reach for Him is always sweet devotion to His heart.

I am reminded of the prophet and widow, Anna, in Luke 2:36-38, who “never left the temple but worshiped night and day” (NIV). Anna, thanked God for baby Jesus to whom she was drawn. She spoke about Him “to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

She spoke to hope and new life.

Anna encouraged a nation’s redemption.

Anna understood that “God-devotion makes a country strong;” and that “God-avoidance leaves people weak” (Pr 14:34).

Anna understood intimacy and purpose in the precept of 1 Chronicles 16:11 AMPC, which is to “Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!”

No matter what the circumstances, even in one’s latter years.

Other Bible characters knew this as well, such as King David, Daniel, Joseph and so many other disciples.

They all had a sense of identity and their role in God’s command in Acts 13:47 TPT, which says, “I have destined you to become a beacon light for the nations and release salvation to the ends of the earth!”

This blessing, this gift, this calling, the working out of victory-salvation in the hopeful hearts of the truly devoted will never be dashed.

Devotion means “constantly attendant” from sitting near (Strong’s # 2138a). It means “compliant” and “ready to obey” (Strong’s # 2138). It means yielded.

Devotion means “well-persuaded,” already inclined, i.e. already willing (pre-disposed, favorable to); easy to come to terms with” (HELPS Word-studies).

Song of Songs 4:1 TPT says, “…What devotion I see each time I gaze upon you. You are like a sacrifice ready to be offered.”

This kind of devotion our Lord desires is:

Undivided (Pr 3:7 TPT).

Single-hearted (1 Co 11:3 TPT).

Undistracted (1 Co 7:35 TPT).

Loyal (Lk 16:13 TPT).

Obedient (Pr 1:7 TPT).

Lavish (Ma 26:6 TPT).

Passionate (2 Co 8:7).

Extreme (Mk 14:3 TPT).

Undying (So 6:5 TPT).

Let’s also remember the benefits of devotion (Ps 103:2):

We are enriched by our devotion to God (Col 2:7).

“We cross the threshold of true knowledge when we live in obedient devotion to God…” (Pr 1:7 TPT).

Wisdom comes when our devotion to Him is undivided and when we avoid all wrongdoing (Pr 3:7 TPT).

As she put God first and worshipped Him alone, Anna was the picture of James 3:17 MSG, which says, “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

Anna’s intimate Redeemer, no doubt brought comfort, value and purpose to her in her widowed status. Therefore, it was easy for her to share about Him with those waiting in hope.

She was fearless in her devotion to God. She appears to regard Him as not only a Heavenly Father, but also a Heavenly Husband as in Isaiah 54:5 ESV, which says, “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.”

Anna’s attitude appears to be like David’s in Psalm 27:4 TPT, which says, “Here’s the one thing I crave from Yahweh, the one thing I seek above all else: I want to live with him every moment in his house, beholding the marvelous beauty of Yahweh, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace. I want to contemplate in his temple.”

Pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for Your devotion to me. Thank You for watching over my family, my work, my community and my nation. I invite You to awaken my heart to You as I come near to You. I choose to yield myself to Your spirit. My soul and body. You will always be my first, my center, my Heavenly Husband—the source for all my needs. Nothing else compares to You or completes me as You do. As I offer myself to You, may You see perfect, obedient devotion each time You gaze upon me (SS 4:1 TPT).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.