I really like the middle of Psalm 43 and how the last couple verses are the same as the Psalm before it. “Oh, send out your light and your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to your holy hill And to your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.”
This speaks of the Trinity. The Father, God, sends out His light and His Truth. God is Light and in Him, is no darkness at all. He sends out His Truth, which is the Word and Jesus, the Son of God, is that Word. His Truth is also the Holy Spirit, who is known as the Spirit of Truth. It is the Spirit who leads us into all truth. I will go to the altar of God; i.e., right into His Presence and come boldly before the Throne of Grace. We have exceeding Joy in the Fullness of His Presence. This is where I belong; experiencing His Presence in the Fullest Measure. It is in His Presence where His Praises are Perfected.
“Who can stand on His Holy Hill? He who has clean hands and a pure Heart.”
“Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they will see God.” There are definitely parallels here. We must be Pure in Heart, if we have the Desire to see Him.
When we are before the altar of God, we can praise Him in the Fullness of His Presence and His Presence is Beautiful!! What a Wonderful Gift!!
Yearning to be closer to God and thirsting for His Living Waters should be our Greatest Desire, as we were created to live in His Presence and enjoy Him forever. “When shall I come and appear before God?” That is the groaning and longing for the Christian who has the Heart of God and the Mind of Christ. Those who follow Jesus to the end and long for His Appearing, will appear before Him and dwell in His presence for all eternity. They will not face the Judgment of the Unbelievers. We can become cast down when it seems like Jesus is far from us. There was one time when that happened to me and in my desperation, I cried out to Him that He would reveal Himself to me, so I was reassured that even in my trial, He was Close to me. I Saw Him and knew that He loved me. When we praise the Lord, He draws closer to us and we encounter more of Him, His Beauty, a Deeper Measure of His Love, and His Presence, and we should desire that, more than anything because we were created to be in His Presence, glorify Him, and enjoy Him forever. When we are in the Presence of God, our countenance changes, both Physically and Spiritually, and most importantly, the Blood of Jesus has washed us Clean, so we have reassurance that we will be with Him and reign with Him for all Eternity. We are Spotless and Fully Sanctified before Him. This is Unfathomable. What a Glorious Thought and Expectation. Jesus will come back to take us Home to be with Him forever and we will know as we are fully known. Amen!!
Our Father has this way of doing things contrary to what is expected. Here in Genesis 48.13-20 Israel blesses Ephraim the younger son ahead of Manasseh the elder. God chose Isaac to be the son of promise, not his older brother Ishmael. Israel himself, as Jacob, become the heir of the promise of Abraham and Isaac, not his older brother Esau. Later on Gideon who was “least in his father’s house” is chosen to be the deliverer of Israel. And of course there is David, the youngest and “least” of Jesse’s sons, but who out of all his older brothers was the man after God’s own heart. And then there is you and me.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Cor. 1:26-29)
Both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke recount the Lord’s Prayer, when Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray. Luke quotes in this way. “Give us day by day our daily bread.” I think that is significant because when we are sincerely reading the Scriptures and hungry for Jesus, the Holy Spirit reveals fresh insight to us, i.e. Fresh Bread, for our Spiritual sustenance. It’s not the old Bread from the day before, but it’s another piece of our Sanctification, in becoming more like Jesus, until the Day that He Returns. Not only that, but the Fresh Bread of Life, which is Jesus, Himself, if we receive what He says, and seek to apply it to our lives, the Spiritual Bread which sustains us, will be Hot, as we seek to tell others about Jesus and win Souls for Him, to advance His Kingdom on the Earth as it is in Heaven.
… and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. (Leviticus 23:40) This is the heart desire of our God.. it is true that there are times of mourning as in the Day of Atonement which comes five days before this feast.. but He also desires and provides for us to have joy. 🩷
This passage has really stood out to me… it is the place where the second of the two great commandments is first recorded: You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:17-18)
Mark 16… Here is great hope for us ~ Jesus, in verse 14 rebukes the eleven for their unbelief and hardness of heart! And yet following this He immediately commissions them to go into all the world and preach the gospel…He who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned. Their unbelief did not disqualify them from His call. Again, this holds out great hope to us… that we too can come to Him from wherever we are and be restored and even commissioned into His work.
For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light… (Proverbs 6:23) I am impressed this morning as to how His commandment(s) are like a beacon or even a lighthouse shining in the darkness to warn and to direct us that we might avoid utter destruction. Yet, so thankful that if we stumble and fall there is a way back that has been provided. We can confess our sin and seek to turn away from it and be forgiven, washed and cleansed. And restored to the first estate of God’s intent for us.
In Luke chapter IV, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah where it says, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor.” Is Jesus talking about those who are Poor in Spirit, i.e. the ones who are contrite before Him?
@anya.vonderluft - I think that’s a good place to start. But it extends also to those who are poor in this world’s goods. Think of the rich man and Lazarus. The poor are those whose treasures are not here on earth, but in Heaven. Consider Luke’s account of the Beatitudes 2 chapters on in Luke 6.20-26
In Numbers 6.24-26 the LORD gave these words to the Aaronic priests to bless God’s people and to put His name upon them. In Jesus Christ we are all His priests, a “royal priesthood” as Peter says. So as a holy priest to God, speak this blessing over your loved ones, over yourself, over your brothers and sisters.
Day 65 · Numbers 31–32 · Luke 14 · Psalm 43
I really like the middle of Psalm 43 and how the last couple verses are the same as the Psalm before it. “Oh, send out your light and your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to your holy hill And to your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.”
This speaks of the Trinity. The Father, God, sends out His light and His Truth. God is Light and in Him, is no darkness at all. He sends out His Truth, which is the Word and Jesus, the Son of God, is that Word. His Truth is also the Holy Spirit, who is known as the Spirit of Truth. It is the Spirit who leads us into all truth. I will go to the altar of God; i.e., right into His Presence and come boldly before the Throne of Grace. We have exceeding Joy in the Fullness of His Presence. This is where I belong; experiencing His Presence in the Fullest Measure. It is in His Presence where His Praises are Perfected.
“Who can stand on His Holy Hill? He who has clean hands and a pure Heart.”
“Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they will see God.” There are definitely parallels here.
We must be Pure in Heart, if we have the Desire to see Him.
When we are before the altar of God, we can praise Him in the Fullness of His Presence and His Presence is Beautiful!! What a Wonderful Gift!!
Day 64 · Numbers 29–30 · Luke 13 · Psalm 42
Yearning to be closer to God and thirsting for His Living Waters should be our Greatest Desire, as we were created to live in His Presence and enjoy Him forever. “When shall I come and appear before God?” That is the groaning and longing for the Christian who has the Heart of God and the Mind of Christ. Those who follow Jesus to the end and long for His Appearing, will appear before Him and dwell in His presence for all eternity. They will not face the Judgment of the Unbelievers. We can become cast down when it seems like Jesus is far from us. There was one time when that happened to me and in my desperation, I cried out to Him that He would reveal Himself to me, so I was reassured that even in my trial, He was Close to me. I Saw Him and knew that He loved me. When we praise the Lord, He draws closer to us and we encounter more of Him, His Beauty, a Deeper Measure of His Love, and His Presence, and we should desire that, more than anything because we were created to be in His Presence, glorify Him, and enjoy Him forever. When we are in the Presence of God, our countenance changes, both Physically and Spiritually, and most importantly, the Blood of Jesus has washed us Clean, so we have reassurance that we will be with Him and reign with Him for all Eternity. We are Spotless and Fully Sanctified before Him. This is Unfathomable. What a Glorious Thought and Expectation. Jesus will come back to take us Home to be with Him forever and we will know as we are fully known. Amen!!
Day 20 · Genesis 46–48 · Matthew 20 · Psalm 15
Our Father has this way of doing things contrary to what is expected. Here in Genesis 48.13-20 Israel blesses Ephraim the younger son ahead of Manasseh the elder. God chose Isaac to be the son of promise, not his older brother Ishmael. Israel himself, as Jacob, become the heir of the promise of Abraham and Isaac, not his older brother Esau. Later on Gideon who was “least in his father’s house” is chosen to be the deliverer of Israel. And of course there is David, the youngest and “least” of Jesse’s sons, but who out of all his older brothers was the man after God’s own heart. And then there is you and me.
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 11:14
Day 61 · Numbers 22–24 · Luke 11:1–26 · Proverbs 8:22–36
Both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke recount the Lord’s Prayer, when Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray. Luke quotes in this way. “Give us day by day our daily bread.” I think that is significant because when we are sincerely reading the Scriptures and hungry for Jesus, the Holy Spirit reveals fresh insight to us, i.e. Fresh Bread, for our Spiritual sustenance. It’s not the old Bread from the day before, but it’s another piece of our Sanctification, in becoming more like Jesus, until the Day that He Returns. Not only that, but the Fresh Bread of Life, which is Jesus, Himself, if we receive what He says, and seek to apply it to our lives, the Spiritual Bread which sustains us, will be Hot, as we seek to tell others about Jesus and win Souls for Him, to advance His Kingdom on the Earth as it is in Heaven.
Day 47 · Leviticus 22–23 · Mark 16 · Proverbs 6:20–35
… and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. (Leviticus 23:40)
This is the heart desire of our God.. it is true that there are times of mourning as in the Day of Atonement which comes five days before this feast.. but He also desires and provides for us to have joy. 🩷
Day 46 · Leviticus 19–21 · Mark 15 · Proverbs 6:1–19
This passage has really stood out to me… it is the place where the second of the two great commandments is first recorded:
You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:17-18)
Day 47 · Leviticus 22–23 · Mark 16 · Proverbs 6:20–35
Mark 16…
Here is great hope for us ~ Jesus, in verse 14 rebukes the eleven for their unbelief and hardness of heart!
And yet following this He immediately commissions them to go into all the world and preach the gospel…He who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Their unbelief did not disqualify them from His call. Again, this holds out great hope to us… that we too can come to Him from wherever we are and be restored and even commissioned into His work.
Day 47 · Leviticus 22–23 · Mark 16 · Proverbs 6:20–35
For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light… (Proverbs 6:23)
I am impressed this morning as to how His commandment(s) are like a beacon or even a lighthouse shining in the darkness to warn and to direct us that we might avoid utter destruction. Yet, so thankful that if we stumble and fall there is a way back that has been provided. We can confess our sin and seek to turn away from it and be forgiven, washed and cleansed. And restored to the first estate of God’s intent for us.
Day 53 · Numbers 5–6 · Luke 4 · Psalm 35
In Luke chapter IV, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah where it says, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor.” Is Jesus talking about those who are Poor in Spirit, i.e. the ones who are contrite before Him?
@anya.vonderluft - I think that’s a good place to start. But it extends also to those who are poor in this world’s goods. Think of the rich man and Lazarus. The poor are those whose treasures are not here on earth, but in Heaven. Consider Luke’s account of the Beatitudes 2 chapters on in Luke 6.20-26
Day 53 · Numbers 5–6 · Luke 4 · Psalm 35
In Numbers 6.24-26 the LORD gave these words to the Aaronic priests to bless God’s people and to put His name upon them. In Jesus Christ we are all His priests, a “royal priesthood” as Peter says. So as a holy priest to God, speak this blessing over your loved ones, over yourself, over your brothers and sisters.