Tag: Psalms

Embrace Daily Bible Reading

Published on by amylinnea2 Comments

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

How often do you read the Bible?

Do you open His Word every day or only when you happen to have the time?

Have you made devotions a daily habit?

Morning, noon, or evening – whenever you have carved the time each day?

I can remember wishing I wanted to have devotions. This was years and years ago. When the children were small.

I consciously wanted to dive into the Bible, but that desire never materialized as I always pushed it off for later.

About five years before my family fell apart, God mercifully dropped into my head, creating a desperate need to know Him more.

I craved His wisdom. His mercy. His strength.

I began to get up earlier than the others, sitting with God and His word.

Reading through the Bible, I became familiar again with God’s heart and His faithfulness over the ages.

Looking back now almost 16 years later, my time with God has been an anchor during the aching years of my life.

Where would I be without God? Certainly not sitting upright, wearing my crown as God’s daughter.

Come with me this year and read through the Bible.

Journey with me as we navigate His word.

Me, I’m reading straight through. Genesis through Revelation.

Last year I read through choosing some from the Old Testament, a Psalm or Proverb, and a New Testament portion each day.

Other times I’ve read the Bible chronologically.

And another year it was the New Testament only with Psalms and Proverbs.

What’s your decision? Pray about it then jump right in when you know which plan to choose. The year’s still young, so you can easily catch up.

I have many listed on my Media page (link below), but there are hundreds of choices other places. There are even audio versions from the YouVersion Bible app.

The precious Bible is easier than ever to access – you just have to choose to do it. So let’s go!

You won’t regret it. 🙂

Amy’s Bible plans: Click on Media, scrolling down to Bible Plans. Choose from Psalms/Proverbs/NT; Chronological; Genesis through Revelation (Bible straight through); 365 Bible ( OT, Psalm/Proverb, NT).

Photos by Kristaps Ungurs, Aaron Burden, Joel Muniz, & Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Rock & Refuge

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I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. Psalm 31:7-8

Isn’t God good? He sees our affliction. He knows our distress, yet He keeps us safe and sound.

Not only does He keep us safe, He sets us in a strong place.

Psalm 31 begins by David declaring refuge in God.

Putting his trust in God, and asking God to rescue him.

David declares “You are my rock and my fortress”, meaning God is his anchor and protection.

He reminds God “You take me out of the net…for You are my refuge”.

God has continually rescued David, like God has continually rescued you.

God has seen all of it. All of your life, God has seen.

Every moment of every day.

He has seen your deep distress wrapping your mind.

He has seen this, that, and every little bit.

But even while afflicted, David was not handed over to the enemy. God did not allow it.

And while you’ve been afflicted, God has not allowed you to be given over to the devil.

What do I mean?

While in deep dispair, are you still alive?

While struggling with the persecution of others, is your soul still rejoicing in the Lord?

While surrounded with impossible situations, are you still placing your hope and trust in God Almighty?

God has protected your soul from leaving the safety of His refuge.

God has kept you with Him, not allowing the devil to take all of you.

It might seem like the devil has had his way, but it could always be worse.

God could abandon you, and He has not.

He will not.

Instead of allowing the devil to take you away, God has set your feet in a broad place.

Meaning, you are safe.

Yes, keep asking God to rescue you.

Yes, keep begging God to redeem your situation.

But in the midst, thank God for His rock of refuge.

Thank God for seeing your affliction and the distress of your soul.

Thank Him for standing with you in his strong fortress.

Paul reminds us we are more than conquerers in Romans 8:37.

Are you?

You are if you keep yourself hidden in God as He works everything out.

We are more than conquerers through Him in all things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. (Oswald Chambers).

Photos by Ben Karpinski, Sead Dedić, Tim Oun, & Simon Berger on Unsplash

Squashed Bug

Published on by amylinnea2 Comments

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

When someone talks down to you, how does that make you feel?

How about if you become the fall out and it wasn’t even your fault?

When you’re surprised at someone’s reaction as they share none of the blame?

When you don’t feel heard, and you realize your voice is barely above a whisper?

How does it make you feel when the conversation leaves you smaller than you were. Tiny, in fact. So tiny, you feel like a bug that was just squashed completely flat?

I know how you feel. Because I felt that recently.

Had a hard conversation, and let’s just say they were only interested in one thing.

Their opinion.

Their right to state their opinion.

Their right to state their opinion in a way that left me squashed.

Interestingly enough, I’ve been taking an education leadership class.

Well, three actually, but who’s counting!

Anyhow, because I am taking these classes at a Christian university, there is always a filter of God through each concept.

How would this response or that decision reflect God and how He operates?

Brings me to that hard conversation.

The conversation directed towards me was missing understanding, grace, and a humble spirit.

Left me thinking thoughts I will not admit, but God has allowed me to see the point beyond the conversation.

God allows yuck to happen, and when it comes, we should ask ourselves what must He be teaching us?

I’ll tell you what I learned.

How not to treat other people.

How not to respond to filth.

How not to bring another person down as I lift up my own self.

Because I know how that felt – terrible.

And I never want to make someone else feel that way. Ever.

When having tough conversations, make sure you are tuned into God’s mind. God’s ways. God’s voice.

Yes, sometimes we might have to deliver unwanted messages, but we can season our talk with understanding, empathy, and love.

And when the other person feels heard, our message will be received, leaving the other with their dignity intact.

Ask God to keep filling you up with Himself.

His words of life.

As we are responsible for the words of our mouths, “may the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our STRENGTH and our REDEEMER” (from Psalm 19:14).

And then when we talk with the world, our words will leave a lovely taste of God as we represent Him with all we do and say.

Photos by Charlotte Descamps &  Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Bible Plan

Published on by amylinneaLeave a comment
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Ever read the Bible all the way through?

I have 3 times.

First time was as a 5th grader.

The boy who liked me at the time challenged me to read it.

He read it too.

Didn’t understand everything I read, but it was a start.

Fast forward a few years and I read through another time.

And this past year again, finishing a few days ago.

While I love reading the whole way through, going forward, I decided to take more time.

I adore the Psalms, Proverbs, and New Testament, so that’s what I’m trying this year.

Couldn’t find one that simply required a chapter per day, so I made mine up.

It’s simply 1 chapter from Psalms or Proverbs and 1 chapter from the New Testament.

That’s it.

No breaking up long chapters, no chunking smaller ones.

Simple.

Hoping this idea will allow more time to simply think about what I read.

To ingest the wisdom, grasping the understanding just a bit more.

The Psalms and Proverbs will be read twice through each.

Just allow yourself a few more minutes when Psalm 119 pops up. 🙂

Join me?

PsalmsProverbsNewTestamentPlan

If not this plan, choose another.

I challenge you, too.   🙂

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Photos by Aaron Burden, Bethany Laird, & Ben White on Unsplash

 

Restore

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Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12

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Is it alright for Christians to bend to themselves?

Bend to the world?

No, but we do it anyway.

We forget about God.

We forget about His incredible sacrifice and salvation freely given.

David forgot.

In Psalm 51:12, he asks God to “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation”.

That tells me he needed to be reminded.

Needed to focus on what was important.

Verse 12 closes with this request: “…uphold me with a willing spirit.”

What?

David sometimes lacked a willing spirit to follow God?

David, who wrote the most beautiful prayers and praise to God in Psalms, at times lacked a willing spirit?

We know he did because he messed up.

Royally.

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Do you lack a willing spirit?

A willing spirit to follow what God wants you to do?

Ask Him to help you.

Ask God to uphold you with a willing spirit.

Means you want Him to fill you up with His power, keeping you firmly planted in what is right and good.

Before you do anything else, ask Him.

Ask God for a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit.

Ask God to restore the joy of your salvation.

David, a man after God’s own heart, knew when he needed God’s intervention.

And so do you.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Photos by jana müller on Unsplash