Heart condition

Titus 1:15-16

To all who are themselves pure, everything is pure. But to those who are defiled and without trust, nothing is pure—even their minds and consciences have been defiled. They claim to know God, but with their actions they deny him. They are detestable and disobedient; they have proved themselves unfit to do anything good.

It is the condition of our heart, whether we are pure in our trust in ADONAI or selfishly appointed to seek only our own gratification, that determines if we are defiled. If our hearts are for God then our minds and spirits can only dwell on what He wants for us. But if one is base and self-centered then one cannot help but to dwell on what is good only for him at the expense of others. Lord let me never lose sight of the path that You have for my life, keeping my feet stable by dwelling on Your will. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Word of God speak!

‘Amos 3:6-7

When the shofar is blown in the city,
don’t the people tremble?
Can disaster befall a city
without ADONAI’s having done it?
ADONAI, God, does nothing without
revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

God does nothing without telling us and by us, I mean everyone on the planet, before He does it. Sometimes He tells us so we can know it was by His power such as the plagues of Egypt that led to the freedom of Isra’el. Sometimes He tells us so we can turn from our ways and be reconciled back to Him such as Ninvah did. God being true to Himself does nothing without telling us first so that no matter what we, those that hear and obey, can see His hand at work among us. Lord I get so caught up in the moment and loose myself in my personal worries, clear a path for me so I can see clearly Your work in my life. Let all Your Words hit me like the blast of a Shofar so I can be like Sh’mu’el and never let them hit the ground but carry them all in my heart. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Write the Word on your heart daily

2 Timothy 3:14-15

But you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; and recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to deliverance through trusting in Yeshua the Messiah.

It is not enough to just spend a couple of hours a week listening to someone preach a word at us, we must delve into the Word ourselves daily so that it becomes written on our hearts and lights the path of our lives.  By being like Timothy with a foundation of daily reading our trust in the salvation that Yeshua gives us built up word by word until it is the strong tower of how we relate to the world around us.  Lord do not let me fail to read Your Word daily and seek its application in my life.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

By our deeds

Yonah (Jonah) 3:10

When God saw by their deeds that they had turned from their evil way, he relented and did not bring on them the punishment he had threatened.

Not by listening to Yonah, not by just saying a prayer, not by decree of the king of Ninveh, but by the actions and deeds of every individual in that city did ADONAI relent in His judgement and not punish them for their sins.  Each had a change of heart so that they didn’t dwell on the differences that kept them from ADONAI but on the need for ADONAI in their lives to unite them with Him and with each other.  Lord let there be such a revolution in Your people send us a Yonah who by Your word unites us all with You! I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Even in the darkest times, God is there

2 Timothy 1:15-18

You know that everyone in the province of Asia turned away from me, including Phygelus and Ermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he was often a comfort to me and was not ashamed of my being in prison. On the contrary, when he came to Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant it to him to find mercy from ADONAI on that Day. And you know very well how much he helped me in Ephesus.

Even though Sha’ul laments that he has been abandoned by everyone in Asia, as he writes ADONAI brings to mind Onesiphorus who continues to stand by him.  As believers it is the same for us, in our darkest times God in His mercy will send people to support us.  Many will be for just a time and a season, but a few will diligent from the get-go and no matter how deep we may get in despair search us out and find us to bring us back to ADONAI.  Lord, bless the friends and family You have put in my life to remind me daily of You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Self separation leads to destruction.

Devrie-YahHamin (2 Chronicles) 24:17-22

After Y’hoyada died, the leaders of Y’hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them; and they abandoned the house of ADONAI the God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God’s] anger fell on Y’hudah and Yerushalayim. In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back to ADONAI; they warned them, but they wouldn’t pay attention. The Spirit of God covered Z’kharyah the son of Y’hoyada the cohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: “Thus says God: ‘Why are you transgressing the mitzvot of ADONAI and courting disaster? Because you have abandoned ADONAI, he has abandoned you.” But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house of ADONAI. Thus Yo’ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y’hoyada, [Z’kharyah’s] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, “May ADONAI see this and take vengeance!”

ADONAI in all His power and glory will never abandon us unless we first abandon Him. I know many times I have screamed into the wind “God why have you abandoned me to (fill in the current hardship)” when in truth I had already left God just like King Yo’ash for my own selfishness and was forced to face the world in a place that God chose not to follow because He will not abide with sin. ADONAI wants to walk with us, but He will not leave the narrow path of His own righteousness. We must choose to walk with Him and as Yeshua has said over and over again “Go and sin no more.” Lord forgive me for my wanderings off Your path to reconciliation with You, help me to keep my eyes on You in all things so I never wander into my own selfishness. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, ame

We stand on the Rock of Salvation

Divrei-HaYamim Bet (2 Chronicles) 22:9b-12

At this point there was no one in the house of Achazyah strong enough to rule the kingdom. When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family of the house of Y’hudah. But Y’hoshav’at the daughter of the king took Yo’ash the son of Achazyah, stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered, and sequestered him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Y’hoshav’at the daughter of King Y’horam, wife of Y’hoyada the cohen and sister of Achazyah, hid him from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed. He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land.

As believers we should be like Y’hoshav’, disregarding the chaos around us caused by evil people like ‘Atalyah the idol worshiping, self-destructive queen mother and know that our salvation is hidden away in our hearts until that time and season when He shall come bursting forth in power and glory restoring righteousness to us and the land just as Yo’ash restored the kingdom of Judah to worship of ADONAI. Lord let Your reign come now, bring justice to our land! I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Throw Yourself

1 Timothy 4:14-15

Do not neglect your gift, which you were given through a prophecy when the body of elders gave you s’mikhah. Be diligent about this work, throw yourself into it, so that your progress may be clear to everyone.

All of us have a purpose in the body of believers and like Timothy, we must throw ourselves into it so that by example of actions we can show the world who we trust.  It is by accepting and acting in the commission that ADONAI has given us that the words of our testimony will ring true.  Lord let me be as committed as Timothy to the foundation of Your Word in my Heart.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Stand firmly in your positions

Divrei-HaYamim (2 Chronicles) 20:17

You won’t even need to fight this battle! Just take your positions, Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, stand still, and watch how ADONAI will deliver you! Don’t be afraid or distressed; tomorrow, go out against them; for ADONAI is with you.'”

Even though this is about King Y’hoshafat standing against Moav and Aman, we can follow his example. As long as we as believers stand firmly on the rock that is our salvation, our trust in the sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach and place ADONAI as Lord of our lives, there is nothing that can defeat us in this world or the next for God fights our battles for us, we just have to be in position to receive the blessing of it. Lord help me to stand firmly in all Your ways. Thank you for surrounding me with like-minded men and women to encourage me in these days, bless them in their faithfulness to You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Embrace His strength in our weakness

M’lakhim Bet (2 Kings) 5:9-14

So Na’aman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, who said, “Go, and bathe in the Yarden seven times. Your skin will become as it was, and you will be clean.” But Na’aman became angry and left, saying, “Here now! I thought for certain that he would come out personally, that he would stand, call on the name of ADONAI his God and wave his hand over the diseased place and thus heal the person with tzara’at. Aren’t Amanah and Parpar, the rivers of Dammesek, better than all the water in Isra’el? Why can’t I bathe in them and be clean?” So he turned and went off in a rage. But his servants approached him and said, “My father! If the prophet had asked you to do something really difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So, doesn’t it make even more sense to do what he says, when it’s only, ‘Bathe, and be clean’?” So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Yarden, as the man of God had said to do; and his skin was restored and became like the skin of a child; and he became clean.

Na’aman came with all the pomp and circumstance that bespoke of his position as a leader and general in the army of Aram. Elisha didn’t even answer him but sent a servant to give him the answer he was seeking. When that answer was something so normal as bath in the river Na’aman was incredulous and insulted but ADONAI when He calls us to service, He calls us in our weakness so that there can be no doubt that He called. For Na’aman he had to overcome his pride and conventional understanding, for Moshe he had to overcome his stutter, Yonah his hatred for a pagan people. ADONAI uses us in these times so that in our witness there can be no doubt who granted salvation. Lord let me recognize Your leadership in my life and follow without question or concern. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.