Psalm 20 Today w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B

Psalm 20
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel F22 keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. F23
3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Interlude
4 May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, F24 but we boast in the LORD our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help.

FOOTNOTES:
F22: Hebrew of Jacob.
F23: Hebrew Zion.
F24: Hebrew chariots and horses.

Lena's Journalin'

What does man deserve? (from God’s righteous true and holy hand)
Does he deserve to be blessed unconditionally?
Has he done all he can to give God a good name, a good reputation and a good representation? I mean if the picture of man is the very reflection of God, How has man done in painting this picture?
I hear people all of the time say, I hate hypocrites.
Are many men hypocrites? Who of us has not said a thing and done another?
So what does man really deserve? No, not our neighbors, bosses, or ex-“whatevers”. I mean me, you, personal “men” - me.
Look at this:
"Justice - When you get what you deserve
Mercy - When you don't get what you deserve
Grace - When you get what you don't deserve"
- Unknown
I had a lady say to me, I hope I get what I deserve! Oh wow. I hope NOT.
Why? Because all men since Adam have sinned, either willfully or not understanding the ways of God, and so sin separated man from God’s eternal security system and man knowing and fulfilling earth’s purposes for God here, therefore man needed someone to stand before God for Him and ask, if God would accept Him even through his mistakenness?
The answer was Yes, but…Yes “but” what?
There was only one way. It would take someone giving up their life. A life for a life. A life given in order to save a life! If someone would do that then God would accept an undeserving man. The laws showed us we could be temporarily forgiven sins, of various degrees through sacrifices made, and restitution paid, but what would it take for unrighteous humanly mistaken man to be made right even if he continued to make mistakes? Another man, a spotless Lamb, a man who chose right on purpose, for the ultimate sacrifice. Otherwise man deserved death, and eternal death at that!
Now that Man has come, He willingly stood in that gap between men and God, for He gave His spotless life freely for us all, so that anyone who will believe and receive, and will change and choose to live for and as Him in the earth could be saved. It is a life changing decision made.
Did man deserve it? No, but God loved Him so, He gave up His life to undeserving ones.
Did God blot out the penalty man owed for what he did deserve in turning his back on God? Yes, to everyone who believes along with life following evidence, receives Him with great respect to the work He’s done for us, as us.
Is man gonna get what he deserves? (death) Not, if he realizes enough what God did sending His Son for him and makes a decision to turn and also live this same dedicated way for others to also follow Christ and be saved too.
Do we deserve to be kept safe form harm? No, except for the love that God has for us, and it is so strong in nature that He’d send His Son to redeem unworthy, undeserving man, man who makes mistakes and does not follow God all the way, and with a whole heart…
So the question now is – Are we acting as He is, do we pray God will keep undeserving men safe? Do we pray for our enemies?
We were God’s enemies, when we decided to walk another way than the way He set out for us to walk.
Why would the Psalmist pray, may He accept your gifts and offerings?
What are you giving God? Glory? All of your heart? All of your mind? All of your body? Like a marionette puppet? He isn’t asking that, but it could be given Him anyway. What are we giving? Like 3.5 hours per week? If so, I also pray He’d accept your gifts and offerings.
What about our whole life? What about doing what He wants and maybe never doing what you thought you wanted, because the world trained you to want stuff we don’t need, or to “become what He doesn’t really care about? They also told us certain behaviors that offend God are ok, and some of us arrogantly say to God,” here I am, just as I am, take or leave it”….Ew boy, one should re-think that one for sure!
The funny thing, is if we give it, He does take us as we are, but never ever to remain as we are…
I’m gonna pray now, May all of your heart’s desires and plans become the same ones His are.
May all of our prayers be asking Him what He’d like to see happen, and to put us in that picture of unfolding as much as He desires to , even if it takes us out of our comfort zone or requires we make even radical life changes.
Remember how the anointing comes to us in concentrated form? We love what is right in us, we do what God deems is right to do, and we hate what is wrong, we do not constantly excuse unholy behaviors in our own lives. I did not say look at others and say, did you see how they do this and that, no say, I’m not gonna do that, even if I know I have freedom to. I don’t want to quench God’s spirit and I don’t want my eyes to see unholy things that could become so easily my meditation. I may be able to not do what I see others do, but I also choose to not watch them do what they are choosing to do that is wrong (i.e. TV shows, media, etc.) I choose and thus God anoints me more, He knows I’ll protect what is valuable to Him. If He gives it to me to use, I’ll not abuse it. I’ll honor Him and keep it pure.
What are we boasting of? I pray it is God and His wondrous works, in our personal lives, our family lives, in our career fields of harvest, and it’s not what He gives us, but who He is to us in all of these places.
Who loves you today and who do you love, with all of your heart, soul and strength? Can others tell that about your life without any words spoken? Is there something about your life that tells them out loud enough for them to hunger and thirst after the same righteousness Today?