Healing Praise

Extol Him with praise when you feel like it least, and He'll mend your heart and restore what's been lost. He's your hope for tomorrow and the best cure for today.

August's Message, Day 8:

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Psalm 34:1-2 NIV

Sometimes, when we least feel like it, when we're in the dark moments of life, when the pain and anguish is greatest, when life's obstacles seem insurmountable; that's precisely the time when we need to turn to God and rejoice, glory, and extol praise in Him. Turning our attention to Him, giving praise for who He is and what He's done, for His faithful promises to us, and looking forward to tomorrow with hope in our hearts; is the best remedy on earth to mend what's been broken and regain what's been lost. When you least feel like it is precisely the time when you most certainly should. It's healing praise. 

Chosen and Destined to Be His

For Sunday:  Not only has He chosen you and destined you to be His, He is with you and wants to interact with you every step of the way. On this road of life, it’s good to know where you came from, but never stay living there. He has a whole new wonderful future waiting to unfold moment by moment before you.

August's Message, Day 7: For Sunday​

The contemplation of the deep mysteries and awe of God is a worthy endeavor. Even better is knowing that our loving God has you near and dear to His heart, and He'll never forsake you or leave you.

Day 1:

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 NIV

Day 2:

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:10-13 NIV

Day 3:

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:7-11 NIV

Day 4:

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? Galatians 4:8-9 NIV

Day 5:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-10 NIV

Day 6:

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-14 NIV

The Divine Whisper confirms that you are His. He knows the path of your life. Let Him guide you in the way, moment by moment.

You Are the Praise of His Glory

You are chosen by Him because from His perspective, before time began, you had already chosen Him. The Holy Spirit lives within you to guarantee that which He already knows and nothing can snatch you from His hand.

August's Message, Day 6:

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-14 NIV

We are chosen and predestined, according to His plan, since He already knows all of time - past, present, and future, and He knows everyone who will ultimately come to Him. In God's mind, all this already has been. We, as mere mortals, are simply on the timeline playing it out. Remember, time is something we are constrained to and can only move forward within, moment by moment. God has no time constraint, as He is the author of it all. The point to remember here is that when we become believers, we are marked with His seal, the Holy Spirit Himself, guaranteeing that which God already knows and has promised. You are chosen, you are His beloved child, and His prized possession. He knew you would come to Him before time began, and nothing and no one can snatch you from His hand - all to the praise of His glory.

Pondering the Imponderable

Tomorrow is a new day unknown to you, but fully known by God. You must seek the answers from the One who knows the end of time from before the creation of time itself. He has a plan for you, but it’s up to you to find it and walk in it.

August's Message, Day 5:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:3-10 NIV

Yes, a difficult passage theologically and controversial as well, yet it need not be so. The main thing to remember is this; as the Creator of time, God Himself is outside of time and is not limited by it like we are. God knows the very end from the very beginning. All of the entirety of history is ever before Him. His plan of salvation, sending His son Jesus Christ, was in His mind before creation and time itself, and He knows every possible choice of every individual who will ever live and what the ultimate choices made by us will be. There are no surprises for God. Yet each of us is on our own timeline and we do not know what tomorrow brings, so we must make choices based on the best we can ascertain and discern. God already knows what choices we make tomorrow, but we do not. Our free-will is never violated by God, even though He knows each and every consequence. Yes, it's complex, but that's what makes our God, God, and why we can trust in Him for everything, because He already knows and has the answers. It's up to us to discover what those answers are.

Break Free

You’re free, so stay free. Break the chains of your past, demolish old patterns of thinking and behavior, and renew your heart and mind daily with the newness and freshness of Him. You’re not a slave anymore so don’t think or act like one.

August's Message, Day 4:

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? Galatians 4:8-9 NIV

Once we are free as believers, and the new creation in Him, we are expected to continually put off the old self and keep putting on the new. It is difficult sometimes to break free from the chains, patterns, and mindset of our past and move forward with Him. But we must remember that we have been set free, and to go back, repeating the past, continuing in those poor choices, succumbing to old patterns and thoughts, means to be enslaved once more by them. You must choose each day, to be free in Him or slave to your former self. Put the past behind you, once and for all, and forevermore look forward, keeping your eyes on Him, the author and finisher of your faith. 

Co-Workers in God's Service

Christ is the foundation, God is the orchestrator, and we are the laborers of the field and the builders. Together we are the hands, feet, and voice for Him, to promote, grow, and build His Kingdom. This is a team effort, not a solo act.

August's Message, Day 3:

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:7-11 NIV

We are co-workers in God's service, analogous to workers of the field or builders of homes and structures. No single person can effectively do it all. We each have a particular part to play, and for the crop of the field to produce a bountiful harvest, or the building to be strong and lasting, requires the cooperation and efforts of all of our talents. God's not calling you to do it all, just do your part to promote, grow, and build His Kingdom. The most important thing to remember is that God is the orchestrator, and Christ is the foundation, the bedrock on which everything must proceed from. We are just the laborers, the hands and feet, the voices and examples, to fulfil His good purpose and bring any and all who would come to Him.

Suffering for the Lord

Is your life purpose-driven for Him? For we all must bear our own cross till the very end. Evil will go from bad to worse, but that should make us fight even harder, for a multitude of lives are at stake. It's up to us to make a positive difference against all odds.

August's Message, Day 2:

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:10-13 NIV

This sounds quite dismal, but Paul is just being factual, and the facts haven't changed for us in this present time, nor will it change till the very end, for that is how God has decreed it. "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," and, "evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." As believers, at least we can glean some sense of peace knowing that we will all bear our own cross for Him in some way. That is part of our journey. We must also realize that evil will not go away, and despite all efforts, will increase. That is why Christ comes for us at the rapture to take us home before the Tribulation judgments upon the earth. Also note that first statement about Paul's character. We are not here to just give up, but to fight the good fight to the very end, bringing as many people as we can to faith in Christ Jesus. That is the whole point, for God does not want anyone to perish. It is our voice and actions that they must hear and see, for time is short and the end may be very near. Bear your cross well and bear it with honor.