Sunday Morning Reflections_August 10, 2014

God says:

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

My prayer:

Father God, only You can heal our land; what we need cannot come from Government; it can only come from heaven.

Father, give us the wisdom and the strength to do what we can do; help us by the power of the Holy Spirit of God to humble ourselves, pray, seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways.

Father, I'm praying, and watching to hear from heaven. Father, stir the hearts of Your people around the world to cry out to You in prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

 

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Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_August 8, 2014

Title: Which Pathway Are You Walking?

Text:

Psalm 16:9-11 (ESV)
⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. ¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. ¹¹ You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Observation:

How comforting and assuring it is to know that you are in a good place when you are in the hands of the Lord; that you are on the right path when you are walking with the Lord. I delight to identify with Peter as he recalled this Psalm.

Acts 2:25-28 (ESV)
²⁵ For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; ²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. ²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. ²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, Sovereign Lord, my dear Father, I am so grateful that those of put their trust in You can rely upon You to keep Your promises. Father, I am so thankful that my life is in Your hands. Father, I thank You for the joy I have today, and the hope that it is only going to get better, and last forever.  In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Psalm 73:24-26 (ESV)
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Despond then no longer; the Lord will provide:
And this be the token—no word He hath spoken
Was ever yet broken: "The Lord will provide."

Source: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/705

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Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_August 7, 2014

Title: What is Your Greatest Fear?

Text:

Psalm 112:1-8 (ESV)
¹ Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! ² His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. ³ Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. ⁵ It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. ⁶ For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. ⁷ He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. ⁸ His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

Observation:

There are two meanings to the word fear; one means to be afraid, and the other means to feel reverence for somebody or something.

In verse one the Psalmist speaks of the fear of the Lord; that is reverence. In verse two he mentions some of the things that we may have fears about. That list includes family and finances, and in verse four he mentions fear of the dark; these are things people are afraid of.

This is one list of the top 10 fears that people have:

1.       Flying

2.       Public speaking

3.       Heights

4.       Dark

5.       Intimacy

6.       Death

7.       Failure

8.       Rejection

9.       Spiders

10.   Commitment.

No matter what you fear; not matter what you are afraid of; there is hope for you to overcome these fears. What the Psalmist found to be true, you can find to be true in your life.

Psalm 112:1 (NLT)
Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that when we fear the Lord that we don't have to be fearful or afraid of anybody or anything. Father, I ask you to help each of us to learn to lean on the everlasting arms of the Lord. O, the blessings for those who fear the Lord, and trust in Him with their whole heart. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
I have peace complete with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/558#ixzz39hrLvByC

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_August 6, 2014

Title: Are You Prepared for the Days of Darkness?

Text:

Psalm 119:11 (ESV)
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Observation:

It is startling when you think about some of the burdens people are carrying in their lives. It reminded me of a poem by Longfellow.

"Be still sad heart and cease repining;

Behind the clouds the sun is shining,

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life a little rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary."

Then, I recalled the scripture listed above; our text for today. This scripture planted the thought in my mind of the realization that God plants in our hearts during the hours of light what we will need in the hours of darkness. Are you storing up the word of God in your heart? You will need it when the days are dark and dreary.

John 9:4 (ESV)
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

All of us will experience days of sadness and days of joy; days of sunlight, and days of darkness; days of hopelessness, and days of hope. The Word of God, and the God of Hope will be with you; His Word will sustain you.

Psalm 27:1 (ESV)
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Prayer:

 Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful and grateful for the Word of God, and for Your power to use it to transform our lives. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Psalm 119:130 (HCSB)
The revelation of Your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.

Oh, strengthen my spirit, Lord Jesus,

Oh, strengthen my spirit, I pray;

Oh, strengthen my spirit with power

And spread to my heart today.

Into my heart, into my heart,

Spread into my heart, Lord Jesus;

Make home today and have Your way

In all of my heart, Lord Jesus.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1134

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_August 5, 2014

Title: Where Do You Turn When You Need Help?

Text:

Luke 5:15-16 (HCSB)
¹⁵ But the news about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

Observation:

This passage fits in very well with where I am in my life at the present time; it has been a time of looking back, within, without; and most importantly looking above. I have lived long enough; seen enough, and experienced enough to know where my help comes from.

Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)
¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? ² My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

We are in good hands when we entrust our lives to the hands of the Lord. That is what the Psalmist did, and that is what Jesus did.

Luke 5:16 (HCSB)
Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful for today's Word that reminds me where my help comes from. Father, I am comforted by the words of the Psalmist who said; "My times are in your hands".

Father God, I need You, and thank God, I have You. Lord, I am so thankful for Your presence and power in my life. Lord, I trust You; give me faith to trust You more.

Jude 1:24-25 (HCSB)
²⁴ Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/371#ixzz39WCqaw1m

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_August 4, 2014

Title: The Promise and Power of the Listening Ear

Text:

Psalm 34:15-16 (HCSB)
¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help. ¹⁶ The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth.

Observation:

As I read my bible it becomes obvious that God makes a distinction between the righteous and the wicked.

One of the areas that the Lord makes a distinction is prayer. However, there is some good news for the wicked. God's heart is tender toward you; He offers forgiveness for all of your sins. There is nothing that you can do that will diminish God's love for you. He is relentless in his desire to give you the gift of righteousness.

2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB)
The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

The heavenly Father is waiting to hear the prayer of the repentant sinner. He desires to clothe you with the righteousness of His only begotten Son so that you don't have to die for your own sins. He has His eyes on you, and He is waiting for you to come to Him, and be clothed with His righteousness. Then you will be in a position to live in His presence forever.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (HCSB)
He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank you that you are a righteous God. However, I am grateful for your love for and forgiveness of sinners like me. Father, I thank you for the blood of Jesus that covers all of my sins, and gives me access to the throne of God.

 Father, I ask that you hear the prayer of faith that I pray for my family and my friends today. Father, for any that are not righteous in your eyes I pray that they will pray this prayer, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner". In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
 All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
 Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
 O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/789#ixzz39QHA2vWN

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_August 1, 2014

Title: This World is Not Heaven

Text:

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 (ESV)
¹³ Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? ¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

Observation:

In this world life will never be perfect; we live in the world, and it is not heaven. In this current world there exist affluence and adversity. God knows what you are facing, and what you are going through. We don't understand everything that happens in the world. However, there is a God in heaven who knows, and who cares about His people.

"Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand."

                Iris Stanphill's hymn "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow"

The Apostle Paul writes to the church at Philippi about the source of being able to live a balanced life in the world.

Philippians 4:10-13 (ESV)
¹⁰ I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

This world is not heaven; we are just pilgrims down here. However, we have a purpose for being here, and our time is in the Lord's hands. When things get hard down here, remember this truth; this world is not your home; you have dual citizenship, and you are on your way to heaven.

Philippians 3:20 (ESV)
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am so grateful that in You we can find the strength that we need to live a godly and balanced life in this world with contentment. Father, help me to be a worshipper, and not a worrier. Lord, I am so thankful to be a citizen of this world, and of heaven. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

 

Song:

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

http://hymnal.calvarybaptistsv.org/376.html

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/