Power Of Intention~Part Two

What is the number one enemy of intention? Distractions. Daniel purposed in his heart long before he was ever faced with the temptation to defile himself with unclean foods. What are you doing to ensure that you follow through with your intentions?

I have heard “Well they had good intentions” many times in my life. Intention failed. I like to remind myself often of 1 Chronicles 28:9. David was instructing his son Solomon. 

It says, “…serve Him with a loyal heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intents of the thoughts…” Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s word, “…is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

As we hide God’s word in our hearts, we are ensuring that our intentions will be followed through with. When we are attentive to the Holy Spirit’s direction, our flesh will be silenced. Galatians 5:16. 

Power Of Intention~Part One

David often used two words in his psalms that stated his intention. “I will” primes the pump. It signals our brain that we intend to do something, then our brain instructs our body for action. 

I was thinking about this as I started to memorize David’s Psalm 111. Verse 1 says, “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart…” Our flesh can be the enemy of our intentions. “I will” states intention, but David’s use of ‘whole heart’ involved his reliance on the Lord.

Case in point is Psalm 86:11. David was looking to the Lord. It says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” David’s intention remained focused on the Lord. Verse 12 says, “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.”

Worship Is A Lifestyle

Worship is not an event ~ it is a lifestyle. It is also a life-skill. I love the four-prongs of Psalm 98:4. It says, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.” The first three indicate spontaneous worship. Each one could be describing worship with a new song.

To sing praises in Hebrew means to sing songs accompanied by musical instruments. I love the picture of David. He was full-on worshiping the Lord as they brought in the ark. 1 Chronicles 15:29 says that King David was whirling and playing music.

We have so much to be thankful for. When we focus on what the Lord has done for us, it sets the stage to shout joyfully, break into song, or just rejoice in Him. Paul encouraged his readers to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4.

Created To Praise ~ Part Two

As I was memorizing Psalm 96:11-13 I thought back to Romans 8:22. It says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” Think now of the verses in Psalm 96 and 98.

Creation is excited that the Lord is coming to judge. Romans 8:21 says, “Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

How much more should we, who are created to praise, be joyfully anticipating the Lord’s return. Our praise glorifies the Lord. Isaiah 43:7 says, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

We were called out of darkness into His light. 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “Who has saved us and  called us with a holy calling…according to His own purpose and grace…”

Created To Praise ~ Part One

I memorized Psalm 96. Next I started memorizing Psalm 98. It starts out like Psalm 96 did. Verse 1 says, “Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things…” He is the subject of our new songs. I love to wake up singing little songs that bubble up when I focus on Him.

Here is something that I noted in both psalms. Creation gets involved. Psalm 96:11-12 incorporates the heavens, earth, sea, field, and all the trees of the woods. In Psalm 98 it is the sea, the world and all who dwell in it. I love verse 8. Just picture it as you read the words. “Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together.”

What is creation’s focus? Psalm 96:13 says, “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and  the peoples with His truth.”

What Do You See?

Last night I read the story of Jesus healing the blind man. It made me think of another account. Jesus touched a man’s eyes and asked what he saw. The man replied, “…I see men like trees walking…” Mark 8:24.

What do you see with your eyes? I am often reminded of Habakkuk 1:13. It says, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness…” What we see goes into our eye gate and enters our heart.

What we read, watch, and remember in our minds affects every aspect of our being. When you look into the closet of your mind what do you see? It is time to remember that at salvation we were clothed with a new garment.

Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Isaiah 61:10 says, “…for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…”

Sin’s Stain ~ Part Two

Is the clothing in your memory still carrying the stain of another’s sin against you? If so, then it is time to forgive. Unforgiveness allows the stain to remain in our minds. The past cannot be changed. Our present attitude towards it can.

It is all through our thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” If you continue to believe that someone’s sin against you stained you for life, it is time to reckon it dead.

Jesus’ death on the cross paid for every sin done against us, as well as our own sins. Every believer has been fully forgiven. God’s word commands us to forgive AS we have been forgiven. With the same forgiveness we have received, we can fully and freely give it to the one who stained our garment. Does yours still hang in the closet of your past?

Sin’s Stain ~ Part One

Years ago I went to a salad bar type restaurant on my lunch break. I had loaded up my plate and turned to go to my seat. The unexpected happened. The fellow across from me shook the mustard bottle. However the lid was not on tight. A big glob of bright yellow mustard landed on my pale pink cotton skirt.

He was mortified and I was shocked. I set my plate down and raced into the bathroom. Too late. The stain was permanent. When we sin against others, we leave a stain that can only be removed one way.

Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Jesus’ shed blood removes the stain. Nothing But The Blood of Jesus hymn, end of 2nd verse says, “For my cleansing this my plea: nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Trials Purify Our Faith~Part Two

Let’s look at Peter’s purifying trial. In Luke 22:31, Jesus told Peter that satan desired to sift him as wheat. Chilling words. Then Jesus assured him in verse 32. Jesus said, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Jesus’ words indicated to Peter that he would leave Jesus. Yet in verse 33 Peter boldly proclaimed, “…Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”

Three times in the following verses Peter denied that he knew Jesus. How does our faith deny the Lord? One way is when we turn to our flesh. Galatians 5:16 is a command. “…Walk in the Spirit…”

Crucible. Refiner’s fire. Trial. Test. The words are synonymous with loss. 1 Corinthians 3:13 says, “…the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” Trials often expose and reveal what was formerly hidden from our conscious mind.

Trials Purify Our Faith~Part One

1 Peter 1:7 says of our faith, “…though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” John 14:21 says that the Lord reveals Himself to those who love and obey His word.

God’s strategic and divinely orchestrated trials are tools in His hands. Think of Malachi 3:3 as your own life. It says, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”

Let’s review righteousness. It is conformity to God’s will and ways in purpose, thought, and action. Our trials reveal the hidden dross that contaminates and weakens our faith. Things that are hidden from us, are wide open and exposed before the Lord.