Our God Has Given Us Purpose According To His Will and To His Counsel

Today's Focus Scriptures: Psalm 20:4 - 1 Peter 2:20-24 - Romans 8:26-28

Psalm 20:4

May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!

1 Peter 2:20-24

20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;

23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness...

Romans 8:26-28

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

LAGNIAPPE:

PURPOSE

Romans 8:28

Strong's G4286 – prosthesis - πρθεσις

1) a setting forth of a thing, placing of it in view, the shewbread

a) twelve loaves of wheaten bread, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel, which loaves were offered to God every Sabbath, and separated into two rows, lay for seven days upon a table placed in the sanctuary or front portion of the tabernacle, and afterwards of the temple

2) a purpose

COUNSEL

Psalm 20:4

Strong's H6098 - `etsah - עֵצָה

1) counsel, advice, purpose

Holy Lord - Our Bodies Are Yours - By Grace You Are Master Over Us

Today's Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

(NASB)
12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 
13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.”
17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.


(NKJV)
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 
13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Warrior Laborers - Going About Our Days - Doing What We Need To Do - But Never Without The Word of God in Our Hearts - Our Sword

Today's Focus Scripture: Nehemiah 4:9-23

Nehemiah 4:9-23

9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
10 Thus in Judah it was said,
“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”
11 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.”
12 When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,”
13 then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows.
14 When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16 From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.
17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.
19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.
20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.”
23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.

The Welfare of Israel Is Within the Good Hand of God, As Too Is Our Welfare

Today's Focus Scripture: Nehemiah 2:2-10

Nehemiah 2:2-10

2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?”
4 Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
6 Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.
7 And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah,
8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.
9 Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

Commandments, Statutes, Ordinances, Testimonies - Final CauseTo Revere and Take Pleasure In His Name

Today's Focus Scripture: Nehemiah 1:5-11

Nehemiah 1:5-11

5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 
6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 
7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 
8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 
9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 
10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 
11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

For I was the king’s cup bearer.


LAGNIAPPE:

Verse 11 - "desire to"

"Desire"  - Strong's H2655
חפץ - chaphets - khaw-fates'
delight in, desire, favour, please, have pleasure, whosoever would, willing, wish.

"Fear" - Strong's H3372
ירא - yare' - yaw-ray'
A primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten: - affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end), X see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

God Loves Us. God Forgives Us. God Accepts Us. Now We May Freely Kneel Before Our Maker and Worship Him

Today's Focus Scripture: Psalm 95

Psalm 95
1 O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9 “When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
10 “For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
11 “Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Bless The Lord, Magnify The Lord, Taste and See He Is Good, Be Blessed By Taking Refuge In Him

Today's Focus Scripture: Psalm 34

Psalm 34

1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

What Are You Doing Here? - What are you really up to? - What is your ambition?

Today's Focus Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18 (Devotional Day Reading is below)

"God's Daily Word" by Steve Troxel with God's Daily Word Ministries


In the last several messages we considered the prophet Elijah as he was used by God to miraculously confront the 450 prophets of Baal, but then sank into a deep despair when threatened by Queen Jezebel; "I have had enough Lord, take my life" (1 Kings 19:4). We saw how God demonstrated His compassion, sent Elijah on a forty day journey through the desert, and revealed His presence in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12). But after all this, God had a very serious question for Elijah.

1 Kings 19:13
"Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'"

Obviously, the question was not in reference to Elijah's physical location. Elijah was standing on the mountain because God had called him to that exact location. Though God already knew the answer, His question was asking Elijah what had brought him to this spiritually defeated condition. Elijah had been given the opportunity to talk with God, witness His power, and actually stand in His presence; yet he was filled with doubt and felt terribly alone; "I am the only one left" (1 Kings 19:14).

Once again, God could have lectured Elijah on his lack of faith. Instead, in His mercy, God gave Elijah the reassurance he needed to continue; "I reserve seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal" (1 Kings 19:18). God encouraged Elijah that there were many others fighting this same battle. He also gave Elijah a companion who would walk with him for the remainder of His ministry; "Anoint Elisha to succeed you as prophet" (1 Kings 19:17).

Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice for our sin so we could be restored to a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father. This relationship saves us from an eternal death and separation from God; but it also allows us to be saved from the despair, fear, loneliness, and lack of purpose which surrounds us today. As we trust God for our eternal salvation, we must also trust Him to daily save us from the effects of a fallen world as well as our own weak and sinful nature. He is there to hear our cry and we must never be afraid or ashamed to tell Him exactly how we feel: "I'm weak and lonely, frustrated and discouraged. Lord, I need You! ... please hold me!!" Nothing we say will ever surprise God or cause Him to let us go.

Our Heavenly Father has called us to examine our heart, confess our condition, and trust Him for the solution - He has called us to be saved! When we recognize and confess our weakness, we actually demonstrate our strength in the Lord. Let's strive to live each day in His presence; but let's also be prepared to respond honestly and without fear when God asks: "What are you doing here?"

Christ Is The Foundation of Our Works - The Lord Brings Increases Through Our Labor For Him - Rewards Need Not Be Considered - Serve With Love

Today's Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-11

1 Corinthians 3:1-11

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Those Who Worship Our Father In Spirit and Truth Are Those Whom Our Father Seeks

Today's Focus Scripture: John 4:21-26

John 4:7; 4:21-26

7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water...
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 
22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 
23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 
24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”