174th Week, Psalm Chapters 62-66 (Click on Title for Video Introduction)

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 Click on Title for Video Introduction


Monday, Psalm Chapter 62
Theme:  Placing all hope in God.  Knowing that God is in control allows us to wait patiently for Him to rescue us.  True relief does not come when the problem is resolved because more problems are on the way!  True relief comes from an enduring hope in God's ultimate salvation.  Only then will all trials be resolved.
Author:  David, possibly written during the days of Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 15-18).  
Psalm 62
CFA testimony
Verse 12
Bart Strayer

Verse 12: and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

THOUGHT
Good news! I passed Level 2 of the CFA. I feel very blessed that God provided this victory, knowing that most candidates failed. If I were to summarize this great testimony, it would go like this.

Passing the CFA is a testimony about God choosing to reward hard work and answering our prayers. Over the years my prayers were that God would give me the desire, strength, and preservation to study and LEARN the material.  My prayer was never, ‘Lord, please have me pass my exam.’  Passing the exam without knowing the material would have been a big waste of time. At times I find that my prayers are much too focused on the end result and not focused enough on the process of getting there. It is true that God is concerned with the end, but many times it is the process of getting to the end that carries the most meaning. That is why strategic prayer is so important. Another thing I have learned in my ministry is that God rewards diligence, wholehearted servitude, hard work, and active prayer. These are a few of the small things that I can do for God. From these small actions comes God’s favor.

At the heart of this great story is that God provided me the desire and concentration to study 18 months for one exam. He helped me LEARN. He was not going to allow a passing score had I not done my part by working hard.

The purpose of me writing this testimony was to give God all the glory he deserves.  Also, I hope that this can be an encouragement to you all to face challenges in your life. We can accomplish great things for God when we pray and BUSY ourselves in the Lord’s work.

PRAYER
Lord, we thank You for this great victory. I thank You for the many times that You carried me through the countless hours of study. May this testimony give You all the glory that You deserve. May I use the knowledge that You have provided to bring honor to Your name. In Jesus Name. AMEN


Tuesday, Psalm Chapter 63
Theme:  A desire for God's presence, provision, and protection.  No matter where we are, our desire should be for God because only He satisfies fully.  
Author:  David
Psalm 63
Matt Strayer
Verse 6

Verse 6: “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.”

THOUGHT
The footnotes in my study Bible talk about the night being divided into three watches. Someone aware of all three would be having a sleepless night. So it is made obvious to us that David is scared and having trouble sleeping while being chased in the desert. 

I guess the reason I chose this verse is because on occasion over the years I’ve had a few times of rough sleep.  Furthermore, I get questions everyday about sleep. “Matt what do you have that will knock me out, I can’t sleep for nothing.” It’s probably a sign of the times. But I think it’s also worth asking the question, “What’s up with this pandemic? What’s God trying to tell us? How can we use this for our relationship with Him?”  

It’s funny but my sleepless times have been so very peaceful. (Wish that they wouldn’t be in the middle of the night.) It was almost as if God woke me up to just say, “Hello, I’m here... today you were too busy so I thought I would get your attention now.”  I can say that I now use these times for reflection and worship. I would encourage any of you to do the same if the opportunity arises. 

PRAYER
Dear God, we thank You once again for the Salt Shakers group and all the wisdom that they share. I pray that everyone of us sleeps well each night knowing that You are in control of our lives. If, however, we do wake in the night, allow us to connect with You. We love You.  AMEN


Wednesday, Psalm Chapter 64
Theme:  A complaint against conspiracy.  When others conspire against us, we can ask God for protection because He knows everything.  
Author:  David
Psalm 64 
Verse 1 & 7
Matt Strayer

Verse 1:  “Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy”

Verse 7:  “But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.”

THOUGHT
We hear David ask God for protection from his enemies. (I love the way David asks. I have found myself asking with this frankness as well, “God, will You hear my complaint?”) Verse 1 shows us how to simply ask for protection, and verse 7 comes back with a resounding and reassuring answer. God will truly shoot down our enemies with arrows, and they will be struck down.

The spiritual battle that rages outside of what we can see here on earth is real. So the question of trouble (physical or spiritual) coming to us in our lives is not a question of if, but when. David once again, for the gazillioníth time, reminds us to ask (pray), believe with all our faith (trust) and triumph when God brings down our enemy in His time. The victory is His, and He lives within each one of us making the victory ours as well.

I would love to see God’s archery skills. I’m sure He could shoot a longbow better than I can shoot my compound with fíber-optic sights, fall away rest and vibration stabilizer.

PRAYER
Dear God, allow us to trust in You when we face our enemies. We know that You are near to protect us.  AMEN


Thursday, Psalm Chapter 65
Theme:  God provides abundantly.  We can be thankful to God for His many blessings.  
Author:  David
Psalm 65
Verse 3
Mindy Strayer

Verse 3:  When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.

THOUGHT
This single sentence shows us how much God loves us. We alienated ourselves from God by violating His laws and going against His will. We should have been punished. But He took our punishment and forgave us before we even asked Him to. When we are at our worst; God is at His best. We are full of sin; He is full of Grace. 

Thank You, Jesus, for going to the cross. Praise God because He sent His Son, Jesus, to be a friend to sinners like you and me. Thank You, Lord, for Your Grace and Mercy.

Sometimes I pray to God without truly remembering and giving thanks for what Jesus did for me on the cross. My prayers are full of calling on God for this person or that nation or this situation or direction in some area of my life.  Sometimes I miss really praising Jesus for His sacrifice and for His forgiveness of my sins. 

PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your Great act of love. We love You.  AMEN


Friday,  Psalm Chapter 66
Theme:  God answers prayer.  Individually and as a body of believers, we should praise and worship God.  
Author:  Anonymous, written after a great victory in battle.  
Psalm 66
Verse 18
Mindy Strayer

Verse 18:  If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

THOUGHT
When we ask for forgiveness, we need to ask with a truthful heart, a sincere heart, a heart that longs to obey the Lord and wants to get rid of all the sin that distances us from Him. We cannot ask casually. If we ask for forgiveness just because we know that what we have done is displeasing to God, then we continue to place some value in the sin. God will not listen to us, because He knows that we are not being honest with Him. 

He sees our deepest desires and our future actions before we do. So if we ask for God’s help but don’t plan on following through on our part, God would be wasting His time. Christ died a brutal death on the cross to rid us from sin and its bondage. To ask him to forgive us for sin, but secretly plan on doing it again, makes a mockery of Jesus and His sacrifice. We have to have truthful hearts when we ask for the blood of Jesus to wash us clean.

On the positive side of this, the Bible says in verse 20, that when we are truthful and sincere, God listens to and accepts our prayers. He will love us the only way He can, completely.

PRAYER
Lord, You are awesome! We love You so much! We want to live our lives out in Your Truth. We want to live lives that are honoring to You, that bring glory to You. We thank You for the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us, helping to show us the way that leads to You. We pray for honest, open communication with You. If there is sin in our lives that we are cherishing, Oh God, would You shine Your light of truth on it, that we may see it as You see it and hate it as You hate it. Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price. AMEN


 








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