Great, Glorious, Majestic

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Psalm 111

1 Praise the Lord.

I will extol the Lord with all my heart
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
    giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.

Worship

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WORSHIP according to New International Version (NIV) Life Application Bible Study is "to express praise and devotion."

NIV's concordance:

1 Chronicles 16:29

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Psalm 95:6

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

Psalm 100:2  

Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.

Praise the Lord! Praise Him! Praise Him!

Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the skies.

Bring Out The Orchestra

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15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.- 2 Chronicles 20:15


17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.- 2 Chronicles 20:17-19

He is Sufficient

Father God,

It is during these times...during my spiritual lows that I am able to experience fully the sufficiency of Your grace.

Father God,

Even in my waiting time and in my spiritual lows I will exalt Your Name. God, be glorified! May Your Name be glorified in my life!

Romans 8:28 this I claim:

"For all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according for Your purpose."

These low times will never go to waste. God has His purpose for allowing me to experience this. I trust You on this, God.

[September 5, 2011]

Today, I Am Grateful

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Today, I am grateful for every favor I have received which I do not deserve, and for every punishment I deserve, which was withheld. ~Grace ~Mercy

Today, I am grateful for every trespass, for every mistake, and for every wrongdoing which was blotted out and was remembered no more. ~Forgiveness

Today, I am grateful for every expression of confidence towards me despite my shortcomings. ~Faithfulness

Today, I am grateful for every danger, every harm, and every accident against me which was hindered and cancelled out, and for every shield, every covering, and every defense which was provided for me against evil. ~Protection

My Rock, My Fortress, My Salvation

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 PSALM 62

1Truly my soul finds rest in God;
   my salvation comes from him.
2Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

 3How long will you assault me?
   Would all of you throw me down—
   this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4Surely they intend to topple me
   from my lofty place;
   they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
   but in their hearts they curse.

Great, Glorious, Majestic is He!

All honor and praises belong to our God. He alone deserves our highest and best praises!  He alone deserves the glory! Mighty is our God! Holy is His Name! Majestic are His deeds!

Psalm 111

1Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.
9He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever --
holy and awesome is his name.

10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Fear Not, God Cares

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.

- Luke 12:7

Countless as it is, God knows the exact number of hairs that each person has.  He knows the very details of our lives.  He cares for us for we are worthy to Him.  We are worth more than anything.  Yes, we are.  God even gave His Son, Jesus to die for us!  That’s how worthy we are to Him.  The world sees our worth differently.  If one has power, fame, possession, and beauty, the world calls it worthy.  But God does not base our worthiness on those things.  He bases our worth and all of His creations on HIS LOVE.

Because God calls us to be worthy, He commands us not to be afraid.  Yes, it is a command.  We can face life without fear for He cares for us.  All we have to do is to come to Him, depend on Him, and trust Him that we are in His good hands.

I am worthy in the sight of God, and I am His precious one.  I need not to look at my self-worth on how the world perceives it rather on how God sees me.  I am worthy. I am being cared for.  I have a Father in heaven who watches the minute details of my life.

God commands not to be afraid; I should follow Him.  Only by the grace of God I am able to face life without fear.  I should not be troubled by what’s happening around me because God is in control.

[PRAYER]

Father God, thank You for putting worth in us.  Thank You that You care for us, mankind.  You are a Father who really cares and who really loves me.  Lord, teach me to trust in You and to submit to You all areas of my life.  Thank You, Lord, that I need not fear for You are there watching over me and even my household.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Journal entry: April 20, 2011]

The Conviction for the Calling

As I was singing during the worship service, I was convicted to devote myself wholly to God, and to commit into His calling.

I declare today that:

My eyes will only look at You.

My lips will only speak of You.

My ears will only listen to You.

My hands will only serve You.

My feet will only go to places where You lead me to.

My breath will only breathe for You.

My strength will only exert for You.

My heart will only beat for You.

I cried not because I was so moved by the song, but because the conviction in my heart is so strong.  The calling of God for His work convicted me to say ‘Yes’ – to obey.  My ‘yes’ will only be for Him, and He wants an undivided heart.

Lord, I offer my body, soul, heart – my whole life for Your work, which You have called me to do so.  “What’s really important to me? What really matters to me?” I questioned myself.  Then my heart was captured by God again.  It is HE.

[Journal entry: May 1, 2011]

A New Day to Give Thanks

I will fill my day with thanksgiving to the One who gives me new beginnings every morning.  Thank You, God for a beautiful, cold morning.  Thank You, God for a good night sleep last night.  Thank You, God for preserving my life for another day.  Thank You, God for I am able to breathe today.  Thank You, God for I am able to give thanks to You.

Today is another day to worship and praise You for who You are.  Today is another day to listen to You through Your Word.  Today is the day that I anticipate mighty things that You will be doing.  Today is a new day to meditate on Your Word. Today is a new day to receive Your love, Your faithfulness, and Your mercy.  Today is another day to be filled with Your Holy Spirit.

This is a new day to do the work You have assigned me to do...all for Your glory O Lord...all for You alone!  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

[Journal entry: November 16, 2011]

Standing Firm, Unwavered

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, o king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

- Daniel 3: 17-18

The king commanded to the people to bow down and worship the gold image he built.  But these three friends of Daniel stood up to their conviction not to.  They would worship only one God and that is the God of Heaven.  They made a bold statement that whether God would rescue them or not, they will never bow down to other gods except to God.  Wow! That's integrity.  An indestructible one.  Fully tested into the blazing fire. Literally!

What if it were to happen to me?  What if I were one of those who will be put into fire for not following the king's instructions? I'm thinking if I were one of those men, I'd probably be afraid.  But God's mercy and power would be displayed for I believe He would strengthen me and give me courage to stand up to my conviction: to worship God alone.

These men showed incredible faith in God that He is able to save them from fire.  And if not, these men would never change their minds from worshiping the Lord.  These men are worthy of respect and honor for they have shown great faith and total dependence on God.

[PRAYER]

Father God, You are real and alive and You are able to save Your people from danger, even from death.  I pray Lord that You would strengthen my faith in You so that when my faith is put to test like this, I will stand on my unwavering conviction to worship only You.  Great is Your name!  Mighty is Your name! You alone deserve worship and honor!  In Jesus' name. Amen.

[Journal entry: June 2, 2011]

Nothing is Impossible

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Yes, Father God, all things are possible with You.  Nothing is impossible with You. Nothing is too hard for You.  There is no illness so incurable that You cannot heal. There is no relationship so broken that You cannot restore.  There is no debt so big that You cannot pay.  There is no need so big that You cannot provide.  There is no person so sinful and dirty that You cannot forgive.  There is no problem so big that You cannot solve.  When everything seems impossible and when everything seems endless, YOU lift a finger of Your hand and do what is impossible to us!  You are the God of impossibility! Nothing and no one can stop YOU!

Not even death could stop you, God! Not even death! Death is not a dead end.  And You have proven it 2,000 years ago on the cross!  Thank You, God for You have sent Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross.  Through His death and resurrection we gained life in Him.  See, not even death could stop You. Not ever! You are the God who says who You are!

We were once dead, but through Your Son, Jesus, You offered us new life! Who in this universe could ever do that? Nobody.  It is only YOU!

Praise You, Father God!  I exalt Your name! You are worthy of our praises! You deserve all glory and honor!

[Journal entry: September 26, 2011]