Who can apprehend the favor of God!

We are almost ready to say goodbye to Liviticus! Hopefully, you are continuing on in reading. I have been impressed with how important the law is to God. How serious He is with obedience way back then and now! God spoke to Moses and Aaron, they instructed the people and the people made choices to obey or not obey. I am so thrilled to know that we serve a God Who has a plan and who speaks!

In reading Leviticus 26 there is a beautiful confirmation that God blesses obedience. I am so thrilled to be living on this side of the cross knowing more fully the grace of God! "Trust and Obey there is no other way to be happy (blessed, favored) in Jesus but to trust and obey." It is by grace that we trust in Jesus. The walk of faith is by grace. The filling of the Spirit is by grace through faith. I am very grateful to be favored by God.

"I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers and I will keep my covenant with you. You will be eating last years harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put My dwelling place among you. I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I broke the bars of yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high." Leviticus26: 9-13

Are you experiencing the favor of God? Be grateful! If not, seek the Lord while He may be found. His grace and favor are just a prayer of faith away. His blessings to you and your. These verses are grand to pray for yourself and your dear ones!

Discipline AND Creativity

Good morning! As we plow through Liviticus let's take heart believing that "no discipline is pleasant but afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness." Today I read in "Slice of Infinity" a piece on the value of routine and discipline.
I thought it might interest and encourage those of you who are continuing. Press on!

http://www.rzim.org/resources/read/asliceofinfinity/todaysslice.aspx?aid=10807

Singing with Moses

This week our pastor called Liviticus "the graveyard of the one year bible readers! May I encourage you to hang in there pursuing God and His Word for it is able to bring such joy to our hearts. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." Spend an extra few minutes and take a look back. Sing with Moses today when he had crossed the Red Sea in Exodus 15. It is often helpful in a desert place to remember passed victories. What was your greatest battle won by the Lord? You may even want to write your own song of deliverance and sing it to the Lord.

• What God has done
• Who He is
• What I will do in response to Him

In discussing enemies it is important to note who our real enemies are (The devil, our flesh, etc.) and focus on what God has done and will continue to do to give us victories in the battles of life.

In verse 13 Moses begins looking toward the future focusing on what God will do. What was he expecting God to do? What are you expecting God to do in your future? What is your hope? It has been said that biblical hope is faith focused on the future or confident expectation. These verses are wonderful to pray over for ourselves and for others we care about who are facing life's challenges.

Elizabeth Elliot relates in her book Through Gates of Splendor of a band of men traveling into the jungles of Ecuador to share God's Word with the Auca Indians. As they went they sang a song.


We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

More later on Liviticus but sing today and enjoy our Savior!

A Great Faith Builder!

As you read through the bible this year consider underlining with a wavy line everything God is or does. It is an amazing exercise. This is my second year to so mark and I am finding more and more that I am discovering how really big our God is! It is thrilling to look back at the end of each day to my "wavy lines" and praise God for all He is and does! Wonderful to confirm that nothing is too hard for God!

On the Journey with Moses

Some of the things we learn about God from the account of the travels of Moses -

• God has a plan for nations, families, individuals and generations and His plan works together for good for His people and His glory.


• God wants to make a distinction between His people and others.


• God is the ultimate Deliverer but will call people into leadership in the process.


• God will use signs and wonders to show Himself to hard hearts and strengthen the faith of His people.


• God sometimes gives detailed plans (The Tabernacle).


• God gives promises and guidance in the fulfilling of His promise. (cloud and fire)


• God gives His presence to go with His people.

* A project for the future and an extra blessing

An interesting way to study the account of Moses is to mark the conversations of Moses and God and then think about how his kind of praying can be incorporated into your prayer life. (to get you started look at Exodus 3:1-21, 4:1-17,5:22, 32:11-14, 33:7-21, 34:8-9 and many more)

Joseph stands

Joseph stands in stark contrast to Jacob! As you read through his life notice the number of times he stands his ground regardless of the things that come along. He seems touched by God from an early age. Through the account it is often said that his success was a result of his God. Regarding the interpreting of dreams he said, "I cannot . . .but God can" giving God the honor.



The big lesson from Joseph's life is found near the end of Genesis when he looks past what was done to him by others to the hand of God over their actions.{Genesis 45 & 50} What a lesson in forgiveness! Consider the hardest mean thing ever done to you. Have you come to the place that you can look beyond the hurt to the hand of God Who works everything together for your good? {Romans 8:28} Even if someone means it for evil God will turn it for your good. Only the Almighty God can do this.

Jacob the deceiver

When we read about Jacob and his family we find a study in humanity! It is almost impossible to overlook the character of the family members and the interpersonal relationships that occur. As you read particularly note the character of Jacob, his wife, and his sons. Jacob certainly lived up to his name but God in faithfulness remembered His promise and formed a race of people through him. In God's providence what did God use to deal with Jacob's propensity to deceit? What do you think of Rachel as a wife? In spite of all this sin God graciously continued on with the descendants of Abraham.

Old Father Abraham

It is hard to overlook the often repeated word "promise" in the book of Genesis as it relates to Abraham. In reading it is interesting to mark the promises of God to Abraham. Would God ever fail to keep His promise? No, because it would go completely against His character. He is faithful - failing never. Consider the elements of the promises because they are God's desire for His people. Of course, historically they are for Abraham but might we ask God to bless us and the next generations through us for His glory in effect praying the promises of God back to Him? There are several benefits of praying God's promises back to Him -It brings certainty of praying according to God's will. God's will and God's Word are synonymous. God's Word builds trust {Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God according to the book of Hebrews.} and so we are more able to pray in the faith that God requires. We begin believing in our inmost being that God really can do anything. Who is on your heart today? Pray the promises of God for your dear ones.Do you know this song by the Gettys? It is one of my favorites right now because I too want to be part of children of the promises!

By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation's grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight
By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God's own hand
A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave
By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth

We will stand...

By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name

We will stand...

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend

These words have blessed me with a stronger resolve to stand on the promises. The music is wonderful as well and you might find it by "googling" Keith and Kristyn Getty.

Up 'till now in 2011

A New Year A New Beginning

My Purpose is that all who read the Bible, God’s Word, be encouraged in the whole person to believe the promises of Almighty God and live a life of love and good deeds for the glory of God alone.

Hebrew 10:24-25

And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

My Plan is to share reflections on God’s Word (The One Year Chronological Bible NIV Tyndale House) and from time to time projects for future study.

Genesis The book of beginnings

How far reaching is the certainty that God is the Creator of all things. What are the implications for me that He spoke the world into existence? How will this fact affect my prayer life? IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD?

What does it mean to me personally that the Creator, Master Builder, of all created me “in His image”? In what ways are men and women “in His image”?

In what ways are men and women distinctly different? (Physically, roles, etc.)

As a Christian wife to a particular husband how can I fulfill the mandate of being the helper? Do you believe in your heart of hearts that it is not good for man to be alone? How may this knowledge change the way you spend your time?

Noah and the Ark - First Rain and Rainbows!

When you consider Noah’s life which came first God’s favor or Noah’s righteousness? What is another word for favor? As you “trace rainbows” what do you remember about God? Do you believe that God always keeps His promises? What promise or promises are you believing God for today?

The Tower of Babel – a new start

When man built the Tower of Babel what was his purpose? Why did God confuse the language? Do you believe that God is still in the business of giving His people impossibilities? Why might this be so? What seeming “impossibilities” do you see today?

*Project for the future and an extra blessing!

At the top of a page in your notebook write out verses that encourage you to believe God for hard things. Then list “impossibilities” (your own life, the lives of family members, your church, society as a whole). Pray over your list often in the next year with anticipation and faith. Prepare yourself for great surprises from God! Pray your verses in relationship to your impossibles and your faith will grow. The book of Hebrews states that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. What can God’s word do for you? It builds trust in God!

Job - understanding the heart of the sufferer and the true nature of God

Job’s words are the deep expressions of the longings of the sufferer. Reflecting on his words helps me understand the sufferer’s heart.

The book of Job is filled with questioning. As you read mark in the margin the questions of Job the sufferer with a small ? then mark the questions of God for Job with a large ?

Neither Job nor his friends ever questioned the sovereignty or power of God. Their error was in questioning God’s goodness and His purposes. What did they think of the justice of God? These ancient men were good observers of life but not of causes and effects.

God has much to teach us through observing His creation. (“ . . . Consider the lilies of the field . . .”) Am I a careful observer of His world?

Job spent days self absorbed and occasionally had a flash of clarity regarding the true nature of things and asked the right questions of his friends and God. His pain was so great that he seldom thought of anything else. He mistakenly thought that blessings were over and God had abandoned him.

Reflect on the differences between Job and his friends. In the end Job “spoke of God what was right”. That phrase appears indicative of repentance. (Job 42:8) Job asked many questions of God and then in Chapter 38 God begins to question Job. Spend some time asking yourself the questions that God asked Job. Perhaps this will put us in the right position before God – on our faces before Him in repentance and humility.

*Project for the future and an extra blessing

• interpret the sufferings of Job in the light of New Testament scriptures on suffering.


• Mark with a star where the true nature of God is mentioned. Spend some extra time praising God and thanking Him for all that He is.