Ps. 25:1-22 (A Psalm of David.)  UNTO thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake, O Lord. 8 Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy names sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. 19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

UNPACKING: In a time of “trouble” David remembers his sin, salvation, the “tender mercies and …lovingkindnesses” of the Lord.  He asks for “forgiveness” and “pardon” for his “iniquity” at least three times in these verses.  He recognizes that there is a “cause and effect” relationship involved in most of his troubles.  This Psalm illustrates the dichotomy that exists in all believes.  There is a constant wrestling between the troubles that seek to get our attention off of the Lord and our faith.  In the end, as always, he commits himself to keep his eyes ever toward the Lord and to continue to wait for Him.

All humans have some things in common. One of them is trouble.  No one escapes all of the storms of life.  I have found that sometimes I can’t control what happens to me. What I can control is my response.  It is my attitude and ultimate response that the Lord will hold me accountable for.  Much of our problem is our own sin, yet we may suffer from the sins of others.  Our greatest need is forgiveness and acceptance from God.  I must keep my eyes on Him and trust that He will supply, ultimately, the salvation or deliverance that I am in need of.

PRAYER: Lord, teach me and guide me daily.  I remember Your great salvation, Your covenant, Your testimonies and Your faithfulness to honor Your Word.  Let this Word build my faith so it can move the “ mountains” in my life.   In Jesus’ Name, amen.

COMMITMENT: The “secret of the Lord is with” me because I fear Him.  I will wait on the complete salvation provided in Jesus Christ and fight to keep my eyes focused on Him.  I will battle every attraction and distraction that seeks to get my spiritual eyes off of the Lord.

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment?  What will I do about it?

Ps. 1:1-6  BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

UNPACKING: There are clear distinctions between the “righteous” and the unrighteous or “ungodly”.   They are different while in this world and they will spend eternity in different places.  Who they fellowship with, what they spend their time on and their attitude toward God and man are absolutely opposite one another.

David illustrates the characteristics of the “blessed” man in both negative and positive ways.  The “blessed man” doesn’t do some things, while he is very active at others.  The ultimate promise is that what he does will prosper, it will come to a good finish.  He makes it clear that the ungodly are constantly undoing their own hopes by their actions.

Too often we try to get blessed.  Instead, we should be doing what God has already promised to bless.  Right fellowship, thought and actions are what brings blessing.

PRAYER: Father, teach me to walk closely with Your children and to abhor the way of the world that is passing away. Help me to keep my mind as if I were keeping my life and guide me to live my life based on Your promises.  In Jesus’ Name, amen.

COMMITMENT:  I will focus my attention on the things of God.  I choose to have right associations.  I commit myself to put into action the principles of God’s Word, daily. (Mt. 6:33)

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment?  What will I do about it?

1 Sam.15:22-23  And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

UNPACKING:  Saul waited for Samuel as long as his character could stand it.  Then he took things into his own hand and presumed that circumventing the commandment of the Lord regarding the “sacrifice” was his kingly right.  After all, he was a king.  The situation was bad and he had a privileged position.

God takes willfulness very seriously.  Israel’s first King lost his crown because of  “rebellion” and “stubbornness”.  God desires faith that is willing to be obedient to His Word.  Saul found out the “hard way” that disobedience to God, no matter what the reason, is never acceptable.  If God chooses to wait that is His business.

Disobedience will always end up costing much more than it is worth, no matter what we may call it.  Saul thought of it as “sacrifice”. God calls it “witchcraft’ and “idolatry”.  I teach people that sin is worst than Satan.  God will take care of the devil by prayer and faith.  But, sin will destroy me forever.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to believe that Your Word is Your will.  Bring me to the highest level of faith and that the highest level of faith is obedience.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

COMMITMENT:  My spirit is the “knowing” part of me, the seat of intellect.  My soul is the “feeling” part of me, the seat of my emotion.  My body is the vehicle to physically transport my spirit and soul.  I make a commitment  to let my spirit dominate both, my soul and my body.  I will obey the Word of the Lord.  The Bible is the clearly revealed will of God.

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment?  What will I do about it?

Josh. 21:45  There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

UNPACKING:  This verse is closely related to the promises made is the last passage we unpacked.  This is Joshua’s testimony.  God kept all of His promises to the letter.

The record of the promises of God and His faithfulness to what He has said is the reason I can trust Him to keep His promises to me now.  The literal fulfillment of hundreds of very precise prophetic statements are what make the difference between Christianity and the world’s religions.  Believers have faith because of the evidence not just the tradition. (Rom. 10:14)

PRAYER:  Lord God, First, help me to find the promises of Your Word.  Guide me to the principles and precepts that I need to apply in my life.  Lord please me to develop absolute confidence in You, to keep that You have made.  As I apply these promises to my daily life, grant me the experience of seeing the prophetic Word come to pass in my life in the same manner that Joshua did.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

COMMITMENT: I will read the Word of God to find the promises and “flesh them out” in my daily life.  I will live in constant expectation that God will fulfill every promise in His Word.

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this

Josh. 1:5-9  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt 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. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

UNPACKING:  Moses the servant of the Lord has died.  Joshua must now “fill the shoes” of the world’s greatest pastoral leader.  God promises to be with Joshua in the same ways that He had been with Moses.  But, Joshua must be “strong” have “good courage”, “meditate” on God’s Word and do it in order to prosper.

God is “no respecter of persons”, He will do for you what He does for others. (Rom. 2:11) You and I must meet the same conditions of active faith in order to reap the same rewards.

PRAYER:  Lord, I desire greatly to be a vessel for You to bless others through.  Do a great work in my life so that I may do greater work for You.  Help me to be strong, very courageous and to observe Your Word, in order to do all that it teaches.  In Jesus Name, amen.

COMMITMENT:  I will, with the help of the Holy Spirit, do greater thing for my God. (Jn. 14:12)   I determine to be strong and courageous in the face of adversity, trusting Your promise that You will be with me wherever I go and bless what I do for the Kingdom.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment?  What will I do about it?

Duet. 28:1-14  AND it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. 10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. (KJV)

UNPACKING: Blessings!  No one knows how to “bless” like God!  Re-read, these wonderful promises and remember God never changes.  As you re-read be sure to recognize the operative statement,  “…if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”  vs. 13-14.

I hope by now it has been evident that God’s good blessings come, not to everyone in the same fashion but to those who listen and are obedient.  As we have seen, the emphasis of God’s Word is teaching man who He is and the wisdom of following Him without hesitation.

It is God’s desire and therefore His design to “bless” His people in every way.  No one has to leverage God into concern or willingness to do good for His children.  All I have to do to appropriate these incredible promises is believe His Word and be obedient.

PRAYER: Gracious, loving Father, let Your blessings flow through Your Word to me.  I long for Your purpose to be fulfilled, from seed to fruit, in my life.  In Jesus’ Name, amen.

COMMITMENT: I trust the nature of God.  He is good and His mercy endures forever.  I believe and therefore confess that He truly loves me and wants to bless me with every good thing.  I believe, I confess and I obey, therefore I receive.

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment?  What will I do about it?

Duet. 7:15  And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

UNPACKING:  God has a purpose for everything in creation, even sickness.  God may use sickness and disease to help us to see the consequences’ of rebellion before it is eternally too late.  Any time God disciplines His children it can be directly attributed to sin and rebellion.  It may not always be our own personal sin but, may be the result of sin in general manner.  Sin tears the fabric of God’s plan for our lives and the lives of others and places us under the nature law of sowing and reaping.

I must obey the Word of God in order to reap the benefits of health and healing, and avoid the ramifications of rebellion, sickness and disease.  It is God’s desire that I be well (3 john 2), just as it is His will that I listen and obey him.

PRAYER:  Lord, help me to see my sin problem as forgiven in Christ, while at the same time recognizing that there are physical effects of any continued sin.  Only You can make me Holy.  In Jesus’ Name, amen.

COMMITMENT:  I lay claim to the promise of the Word and choose to “prosper and be in health, even as thy (my) soul prospereth”. (3 john 2).

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today?  Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment?  What will I do about it?

Ex.23:25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

UNPACKING: God wants to bless me, but blessing is closely related to action. What we call “cause and effect” or the “Law of the Harvest” is called “sowing and reaping” in the Bible. It is the oldest law in the Bible. God said after the flood that “seedtime and harvest” would last as long as the world would.

Hearing God’s Word is where I must begin. It nourishes my spirit, soul and body. The “blessing” pronounced is incredible, “bread and water” the things most needed for my physical existence, and healing for my “sicknesses”. In order to claim this vast promise I must take the guidance God gives me to the next level and that is the level of service. I must be doing the Word. I must give in order to get! “Sickness” is taken away as I “serve” the Lord.

PRAYER: Gracious God, I want and need Your blessing on my life. I especially need it at the level of my body. My physical needs require much attention. Please, provide my daily needs and grant healing as I continue to serve You. (3 John 2) In Jesus’ Name, amen.

COMMITMENT: I will make myself available to serve God by serving others. I will trust Him to meet my needs as only He can.

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today? Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment? What will I do about it?

Ex.15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Unpacking the Meaning: “Hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God”, means to “hear the voice of the Lord”. He is a Healer in both testaments. It is His will for His children to be whole. (3 John 2)

God certainly wants me to be whole, but the operative is “obedience” to His “voice”, or Word. I must obey His Word to receive His blessing. Do you believe that God wants your healing? If you do not you should not be seeing doctors or taking medicine. In that case you are seeking to repeal the will of God. You can’t have it both ways. If God wants you well then seek wholeness by whatever means available. If you believe He wants you sick then seek to be sick to the fullest degree. I am certain that you can see the irony in such statements and yet they represent truth. Make up your mind about God’s will for your wellness and do it now.

Prayer: Father, speak to me through Your Word. Holy Spirit, teach me Your will. I listen, I desire to hear Your Word and let that Word construct my faith. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Commitment: God will speak and I will hear and obey the voice of the Lord today!

Are there any other lessons in this Word for me today?

What will the consequences be, if I don’t apply these truths in my life?

What else do I need to confess today? Pray about?

Is there anything in my life that will keep me from honoring this commitment? What will I do about it?