Archive | December 2014

Psalms 11

Good Afternoon y’all. Today we looking at psalms 11. In this psalm, David is affirming and declaring that in God he has taken refuge.

I will be using the SOAP method. Be blessed 🙂

S – Scripture that stood out for me

Psalms 11:1 NLT – I trust in the lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!

O – Observations

O1) God is our only place of safety and we dont need anything else. All that we need and want is found in God. Even in the midst of trials and tribulations, we need to remind ourselves that God is all we need, to get us through.

O2) Don’t fret when trouble comes. As long as we know we are on Gods side, we have nothing to fear.  Psalm 27:1 says:
“The lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” (Psalms 27:1 NLT)

O3) We should be careful of the  people we take advice from. In this psalm, David was being told to go hide because of the enemies plans, but I love David’s response which was “I trust in the Lord for protection” (Psalms 11:1a NLT). Basically he was saying, I don’t need to look for any place of safety or protection. I already have my safety and that is God. He is the best fortress or place to hide.
This should be our response as well, when people and situation around us are telling us to look for alternative solutions to God.

O4) Irrespective of what is happening around us or what is being reported in the news, God is still on the throne. He hasn’t changed or lost control. He sees everything thats going on and He pays attention to the righteous. Knowing this should fill us with confidence, joy and hope. Our God is still All Powerful and All Mighty.

O5) God detests wicked people. Psalm 10 : 2-11 describes the wicked. These are people who have no regard whatsoever for God. They are proud and boast in their own ability and oppress the helpless.

O6) God is a righteous God and those who are in right standing with him, will see his face. Matthew 5:8 says “God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him!” (CEVUS06)

A – Application

A1) Be confident in God’s ability to save, deliver and protect us.

A2) Meditate on scriptures that talk about God being our refuge, hiding place and fortress.

P – Prayer
Dear Lord we thank you for today. Thank you for reminding us that we are safe in you. Give us grace to trust you and not look to other sources for our help. Thank you Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen

Thank you for joining today
Have a blessed day 🙂

***With God all things are possible***

Psalms 10

Good morning y’all. Today we looking at Psalm 10. In the psalm, we see David asking God why He is far from him and avoiding him especially now that he is in trouble. He describes the folly of the wicked man. He proceeds to ask God for help and punishment for the wicked.

Be blessed 🙂

Psalms 10:1 CEVUS06 : Why are you far away, Lord? Why do you hide yourself when I am in trouble?

From this verse we can sense David was feeling dejected and alone. He felt God was far off from him and avoiding him. As believers, there are times when we too find ourselves in the same situation like David. Times when we feel alone and dejected. Times when we pray and feel our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and that God has forgotten us.

Just because we feel somehow doesn’t necessary mean what we feel is true and  because God is not doing what we expect at the time we expect it, doesn’t mean He is far away. The truth is that God never leaves us, He is always there for us. Psalms 46:1 says He is a present help in time of trouble.

What we know to be true should not be based on how we feel, rather based on the truth in Gods word. God has not forgotten us, He knows our name and address. Lets Keep praising and trusting him inspite of our feelings.

Psalms 10:2-11 CEVUS06: Proud and brutal people hunt down the poor. But let them get caught by their own evil plans!  The wicked brag about their deepest desires. Those greedy people hate and curse you, Lord.  The wicked are too proud to turn to you or even think about you.  They are always successful, though they can’t understand your teachings, and they keep sneering at their enemies.  In their hearts they say, “Nothing can hurt us! We’ll always be happy and free from trouble.”    They curse and tell lies, and all they talk about is how to be cruel or how to do wrong.  They hide outside villages, waiting to strike and murder some innocent victim.  They are hungry lions hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch some helpless passerby. They trap the poor in nets and drag them away.  They crouch down and wait to grab a victim.  They say, “God can’t see! He’s got on a blindfold.”

Here, David is describing the wicked man. They are proud and brutal. They deceive themselves by saying there is no God. They boast in themselves and are too proud to turn to God or even think of him. They believe they can do whatever they please and God wont call them out or punish them.

Let’s examine ourselves today. Do we exhibit any of these traits? Are we too proud to give God time of the day and do we feel we don’t need him? Are we boasting in our strength and ability as opposed to boasting in God?

Lets ask God for forgiveness and turn back to him in all sincerity of heart.

Psalms 10:12 CEVUS06: Do something, Lord God, and use your powerful arm to help those in need.

David believes God is strong and powerful enough to defeat the wicked and at the same time help those who are in need. Whatever it is we are going through today, God is powerful enough to do something about it and turn it around for our good. Be encouraged :). Zephaniah 3:17 says “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Psalms 10:14 CEVUS06: But you see the trouble and the distress, and you will do something. The poor can count on you, and so can orphans.

God sees our pain and our trouble. He is aware of all that we are going through.
Psalm 34:17 says “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles“.

Let’s cry out to God today and He will surely answer us.

Psalms 10:16 CEVUS06: Our Lord, you will always rule, but every godless nation will vanish from the earth.

God reigns forever and ever. His Kingdom is everlasting and He does as He pleases. He is the sovereign God. 1 Chronicles 28:11-12 says “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all“.

Psalms 10:17-18 CEVUS06: You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help.  You defend orphans and everyone else in need, so that no one on earth can terrify others again.

God is our hope and He pays attention to us. He is not blind to our sufferings or deaf to our cries. He is a loving God who is always ready to defend our cause.

In summary, God is always present. He is never far from us. Even if we don’t feel him near, truth is, He is always there.

He sees us, hears us, listens and delivers us from our troubles. He is not deaf or asleep. No! Psalms 121 says He never sleeps nor slumber…Our God pays attention to us and always working on our behalf.

Be encouraged today :). You are not forgotten and God will hear your cry for help. Keep praising and trusting him. He may not come when you want him to or how you want him to, but be rest assured He will surely show up for you.

Prayer:
Father we thank you so much for today. Thank you for reminding us that you are always near and see us and hear us. Thanks for reminding us your arm is powerful enough to defeat the enemy and at the same time defend us. Today we pray for grace to continue to trust you and praise you even in the midst of trials. Lord, please encourage as many as are weary right now. Let them know you are near and feel your loving arms around them. Thank you Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Thanks for joining today.

Have a blessed day and remember God’s sees you and hears you 🙂

***With God all things are possible***