Have you read Psalm 139 recently? You should, it is so encouraging and brims with God’s love for us. Let’s look at some of what King David wrote for us in this Psalm. God knows us, our thoughts, and our words before we say them; he understands us and all we go through. He knows where we are, we cannot hide from him and he will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5).

He formed us before we were born; we were: “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139:14; KJV). God designed a plan for each of our lives. We are his workmanship (Eph 2:10). Workmanship in that verse can be expanded to mean work of art or his poem. Our Father thinks only good for us: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jer 29:11). God desires to hem us in and guide and direct us into all he has for us: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov 3:5-6).

We need to still ourselves before God and hear his voice (Ps 46:10) so we can walk in his ways. His ways are perfect and only living the life he has for us will satisfy. We need to stop our strivings in the flesh, cast our cares on him (Peter 5:6-7), draw near to him (James 4:8) and allow his fullness (Eph 3:19) to flow through us. Now that’s abundant life (John 10:10).

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Matthew 6: 25-34 is a wonderful exhortation for us not to worry about our needs. God says look at the beauty and magnificence of my creation; the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, see how I created them and care for them. If God can do that how much more will he care for us. God says, you focus on me and being like me and pleasing me and I will take care of the provision.

God is not short on supplies for our provision. Everything on this earth belongs to God. “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Ps 50:10). “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts” (Hag 2:8).

I like his instruction to us to leave the worry with him.

In 1 Peter 5:6-7 we are told to humble ourselves before God, cast our cares on him and he will care for us. Now this does not tell us to sit idly by and wait for God to provide; no, we are to work with our hands to provide our needs. In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians he wrote: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess 3:10). But, if we trust God and do our part we don’t need to worry, we need to trust God that everything will be taken care of; ends will more than meet. Trust God, take the limits off of him; he will provide.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others. 

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13; KJV).

This is one of those special verses for me. The Greek word for temptation has a wider meaning than just temptation to sin; it can mean trial and adversity. So, what this verse means is that the trials you face are no different than from what everyone faces, so don’t feel you have been picked out for unique treatment. Be encouraged as the apostle Paul teaches us in this verse that God will not allow the trial to overwhelm you and he will provide the way out; praise God.

So how will God help? Well first of all he exhorts us to cast our cares on him as he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Be patient (Heb 6:12), get into the word and prayer so you can hear from him. One of the main ways he will show us the answer to our tests and trials is in his word. Find the direction for your situation in the Bible. For example, if you need healing, meditate, confess and build up your faith with scriptures such as: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by E-sai-as the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matt 8:17) and “by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Focus on God’s promises, speak them and the answers will come. We serve a faithful God who never changes (Heb 13:8).

The other day I was reading in the eighth Psalm and verse 5, where king David wrote about man, that God has: “crowned him with glory and honour” (KJV). Well none of us are earthly kings or queens so it’s nice to think that we can still wear a crown. However, I got thinking about CROWNS and realized that the Bible actually contains a lot of verses about crowns.

King Solomon taught about wisdom that she will give us a: “crown of glory” (Prov 4:9). In Psalms it is recorded that the Lord: “crowneth the with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Ps 103:4). Wow, crowns of glory, honor, beauty, loving kindness and tender mercies.

Let’s take a look in the new Testament. If we love God and stand up under tests, trials and temptations we will receive: “the crown of life” (James 1:12). The apostle Peter, in addressing leaders in the church, promised them an eternal reward: “the crown of glory that will not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4). God has saved a crown of righteousness for Paul and all of us as Christians that we will receive at the second coming of Jesus or when we meet him at our physical death (2 Tim 4:8). If we live for Christ and endure the pressures and sufferings of this life, we will reign with Jesus in the life to come (2 Timothy 2:12).   

Praise God. I don’t know about you but that sounds better to me than having a worldly king or queen’s crown.

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“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Josh 1:8-9; KJV).

In the old Testament men and women lived under a law they could never completely keep, but God was merciful and blessed them when their hearts were right toward him. This was their relationship with him.

Now, if we have given our lives to him, we have Christ in us (Gal 2:20) and through his death we were justified (made just as if we had never sinned) (Rom 3:24). We are new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), we have his forgiveness (Eph 1:7). We no longer live under the law, driven by the dictates of the flesh, but by faith we live in obedience to God as the Spirit leads us (Rom 8:1-2). We are redeemed (purchased at a great price) from the curse of the law, poverty, sickness and death (Gal 3:13). God has adopted us as his children (Rom 8:15), he is our Abba Father (Daddy). He has taken us out of the power and authority of darkness into his wonderful kingdom of light (Col 1:13-14). We are more than conquerors in Jesus (Rom 8:37).

Let’s commit to grow into all God has for us. If we press into him, he will work in us through his word and power to change, transform, use and bless us (James 4:7-8; Phil 1:6).

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