Strong Guards

On March 21, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Psalm 141: 3                   Index Card 5

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Well, here we are again, back to my mouth. Remember, this series is from my own set of index cards. These are the verses I have transferred to cards so that I can post them in front of my eyes continually.

If I can lasso the words of my mouth, then my entire walk is easier, “For, ‘The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit’” (1 Peter 3: 10). The truth is, though, “no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison” (James 3: 8). So, I failed time after time, and I still fail today if I don’t keep God’s guard over my mouth.

This is a good reminder for me today. I should pray daily for God’s help with my mouth. O Lord, send a big angel to guard my mouth and keep watch over my lips.

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Reverential Awe

On March 18, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 25: 12                                   Index Card 4

Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

First, let us remind ourselves that the kind of fear written of in this passage is more akin to reverence. It is reverential fear. I personally think of it as awestruck wonder and veneration. For those who revere the Lord, who admire and respect Him, there is a multitude of blessing. Among the myriad blessings is that God will instruct you and lead you. 

Understand, though, that God is not withholding any blessing now. His desire is always to help you to choose wisely and to lead you according to His ways. The only reason He does not do so more often is because of our attitudes. He cannot advise a person who does not turn to Him asking for His advice. We fail to seek Him and to seek His advice.  

Look, you are not going to ask advice of someone you don’t respect and God is not going to force His wisdom down your throat. He wishes to instruct you. He longs to lead you. Turn to him with a reverential attitude seeking wisdom and guidance and you shall receive.

 

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Wants Fulfilled

On March 17, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 34: 10                    Index Card 3

But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

Jesus said he came to earth to bring us abundant life (John 10: 10). That implies, doesn’t it, that he wants to fill our lives with good things? So, these two verses (and many others) work together. Jesus wants to pour good things into our lives so he had his prophet teach us to seek him. Didn’t Jesus say it himself during his days on the earth?  “Seek and you shall find” (Matthew 7: 8).

In him is everything pertaining to life (2 Peter 1: 3). Now, if I told you that I had a million dollars for you, you would seek me out, wouldn’t you? Essentially that is our position with Christ. He has it all, he wants to give it to you, you just need to go see him to get everything you want, everything you need. You shall not be in want of any good thing. That’s simple, isn’t it?

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Byways and Highways

On March 16, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 25: 4 – 5                         Index Card 2

Make me know thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me.

Well, I figure if I can know God’s ways, walk in His paths; if He leads me in truth and teaches me, then I will pretty much have it made. Whenever I don’t know what to do; whenever I am overwhelmed with the enormity of a assignment, or a too long task list, I fall back on this verse.

The Bible gives us all of these rich verses and they are to me like taking a magic tonic. Whatever my situation, there is always a Bible pill I can take and I immediately feel better. There is a verse for every woe, every worry and every ailment. When we endeavor to know God’s ways, allowing Him to lead us and teach us, then we always have what we need for the occasion. Our cup is filled and overflowing because He leads us to the land overflowing with milk and honey.

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Heart & Mouth

On March 15, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 19: 14                      Index Card 1

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

I am beginning a new series today. Many times I recommend that you take really meaningful verses and write them out on 3 X 5 index cards then put them in plain sight so that you can review them frequently. Well, it may please you to know that I take my own advice. Today’s verse is the first in a series of Ivey’s index cards. I hope you enjoy seeing which verses I have recorded in my scripture deck of cards.

This verse is first and foremost in my mind and, in my stack of cards, because my failures so often come out of my mouth. In truth, it is what is in our hearts which bubbles up and out of our mouths (Matthew 12: 34) and often in the most inconvenient of times. So, this verse reminds me to check the content of my heart and set a guard over my mouth (Psalm 141: 3).

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Knowing and Trusting

On March 14, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 13: 5

But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.

This is a psalm of David described as a prayer for help in trouble. This part of the psalm certainly does not sound like he is praying for help though. The structure of this prayer is so insightful. David begins with his woes but by verse three he is making his petition to the Lord. Then by verse 5 of this six-verse psalm, he has shifted into trust, thanksgiving and praise. David knows that despite the appearance of some problems in his life, his God will rise up and save him. He confesses that his trust is in the Lord and that ends his troubles. He knows what the end of the story is going to be and he sings his praises to the Lord.

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Provisioned

On March 11, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 6: 7 – 11

And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs; and He was giving them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belt; but to wear sandals; and He added “Do not put on two tunics.” And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town.

Jesus sent out his disciples to preach the gospel. He sent them out without worldly goods yet with all they would need in order to fulfill their commission. Apparently, they had means, i.e. gold, silver, etc., otherwise he would not have instructed them to leave those things behind. Jesus provisioned them with the might and power of God. I notice that they still wore their money belts though. Did he expect that they would acquire money along the way?  

Jesus was teaching them a very important lesson while he was still here on the earth to help them if they failed. He was teaching them that the Lord, our God, would provide for them. When God calls you to a task, it is His responsibility to provision you. It is his job to care for all your needs. They were sent to preach the Word of God and minister to the needs of the people in the name of the Lord. That was the sum total of their responsibility. Whatever God calls you to do, put your eyes on that and take them off of your worldly needs. Learn to trust him for your daily needs and spend your energy going about the task He has set you.

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