Who Can You Really Trust To Never Let You Down?

Who can you turn to?

So many people let us down, family friends, bosses and our leaders. Who can you turn to? Who can you trust?

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7.

BLESSED

We do not use the word blessed much these days, but it can be thought of as "Happy" or to be in a place of contentment. It can mean that you have God's favor.

IS THE ONE

This is the ultimate singular. The one is not someone who is looking at God and faith as an extension of a family, culture, a formal religion that is inherited, or someone who is observing traditions for social reasons. This one is an individual who himself has personally chosen to trust; he would say it is a "Me and God thing." It is personal in the sense of ownership but it is not secretive or hidden.

WHO TRUST

Trust is unwavering faith. Believing in someone and looking to them with hopeful expectation. It is based on knowing the person and knowing that they are trustworthy.

IN THE LORD

Your faith is only as good as the thing you trust in. If you trust in a statue then your faith is only as good as that statue. If you trust in a person then your faith is only as good as that person. To trust in the Lord is the most secure trust you can have. He is ever able to save and provide.

The title of Lord reminds us of how God is the one who rules over all things. He is the ultimate authority and no one is higher in rank than he is As Lord of all he can command the stars and the seas the wind and flowers.  If you were to trust anyone there is no one better.

He is worthy of our trust, not only is the Lord the All-Powerful-One, he is one who never breaks His word and always keeps His promises found in the Bible. He is the Creator Father who loves you and sent his Son to be our salvation by sacrificial death.

WHOSE CONFIDENCE

Confidence here is like trust in action, it is to trust with experience, trust that has been tested, and is based on knowledge. If you do not know anything about someone it is almost impossible to trust them.

IS IN HIM

There is no one more worthy to put your trust in than The Lord. Express to him that you are trusting in him and that you are confident of his help. And whenever doubts occur reaffirm your trust in The Lord.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God CLICK HERE.

© Adron  1/15/17

What Happens When You Trust God? Jeremiah 17:8

To trust God more- it sounds like a good thing but how will it help us in the real world of hard knocks?

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:8

BLESSED
To be blessed is to be happy or to have God's favor or grace.

TRUST THE LORD
To trust the Lord is very personal, you don't inherit it from parents or get it from your country, and it doesn't come on you in some magic way in your house of worship.  It is a conscious decision you have to make yourself.

CONFIDENCE
This is trust that does not waver.  It is the result of spending much time getting to know the one you trust in.  As you spend time with God you will not only trust Him but also have a trust that is based on God and not based on some lesser thing like human philosophy or even religion.

Tree with roots in a stream.

THE TREE
This blessing is likened to a tree that is well watered.  Since the psalmist lived in an arid country the image of a tree by streams of water is powerful and desirable.
     * It is planted by water and is well nurtured by the roots.
     * It does not fear the desert heat because it has a source of water close by.
     * It's leaves are always green, it will not wither or go dormant.  A tree with green leaves is beautiful.
     * It has no worries in drought because the water is near.
     * It never fails to bear fruit, so it is a blessing to those around it.

It is the picture of everything a tree should be.

THE METAPHOR
As the tree grows deep roots it is protected, nourished, healthy and fruitful; the same can be said for those who develop deep roots in the Lord that we have a source of spiritual nourishment, protection, and peace.

YOU CAN BE LIKE THAT TREE
Trusting the Lord blesses you in many ways, like the tree you will be free from worry, have a source of strength, and confidence, and you will be a blessing to those around you

A deep faith comes from deep roots in the Lord.  Spend time with God in prayer, thoughtful reading of His Word the Bible, spending time in private and community worship and in acts of serving him.

If you do not know the Lord as savior then see this other post.

(c)Adron Dozat 4/12/15

Where Can I Look For Blessing In My Life? Psalm 87:7

This short post has some inspiring thoughts to help you find the blessing in your life.

***

We feel dried and empty and we ask ourselves, "Where is the good and where can we find some good in my life?"

"As they make music they will sing, 'All my fountains are in you.'" Psalm 87:7.

This verse concludes a Bible passage that celebrates a people's identity with their place of worship and faith.

ALL
All excludes nothing; it is not most or some but every single one.  The word, "all" gives an idea of abundance- not just some or a few but a limitless all.

MY
Blessings are in storage waiting to be given to each of us.

FOUNTAINS
The Bible used various metaphors such as the fountains and rivers, these refer to sources of life and blessing.

In all literature, a fountain illustrates a source or a place of origin.

This fountain picture makes us think of spring in the desert where desirable, delicious, refreshing water is overflowing out toward us. This source cannot be contained or limited nature.

ARE IN
This is an absolute statement and a point of reference. If you said, X marks the spot, the X would be Him.
     * He holds our blessings,
     * He is a source of blessing,
     * He is administering our blessings.
     * He is able to give limitless blessings.

YOU
Only God can be the source and giver of such blessings. He is rich in blessing and can never be used up.

LET THE BLESSINGS FLOW
Our sin may block blessing from filling our lives. God has already given the greatest blessing when he sent his son to die to pay for our sins and give us eternal life. If he has already given the biggest and best the other blessings we need are small by comparison and he is clearly willing to give them too.

God offers to be the fountain of blessing in your life, Jesus put it one way when he said, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10. And he invites us to him when he said. "Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

To learn more about how you can have a relationship with God see my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat

How To Be Blessed By God, What the Bible Says, Psalm 1:2

Who doesn't want God's blessing, but how do we get it?

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on is law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

THE BLESSED MAN
This verse is part of Psalm 1 which describes the character and habits of the man who is blessed. Beginning with relationships he does not entertain it progresses to the difference in how he thinks and what he thinks about.

HIS DELIGHT
The man blessed by God takes delight in the things of God- it should not surprise us. When you delight in something you...
     * Give it time,
     * Make room for it in your life,
     * Value it,
     * You talk about it,
     * Your thinking becomes consumed with it.

LAW
The law is not so much all the commands and regulations of the Bible but the truths about God, which the laws were to teach us, (Galatians 3:24).

MEDITATES
The man blessed by God has the Word of God on his mind. He ponders it and turns it over in his mind. This blessed man is always thinking about the scriptures. He must memorize much of it, spend time reading it, and studying it.

DAY AND NIGHT
Clearly, the Word of the Lord has a place in every part of his day. The day and night suggest that the Law of God is constant in his thoughts.

BLESSING
No doubt his decisions and actions will be filtered by God's commands he will be careful to do what pleases the Lord and his life will be in tune with the will of the Father.

Find ways to put God's Word in all the parts of your day and your life, there are many resources around today to help you.

To learn more about finding salvation and eternal life see my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 11/26/13

What is the Key to Finding Blessing? 2 Kings 23, 19,20

Some things are keeping us from knowing God's blessing. One of the most important is the easiest, and the hardest- but the most necessary.

“’Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace, your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’ So, they took her answer back to the king.” 2 Kings 23:19,20 NIV

BACKGROUND
The scriptures were lost and forgotten, but workmen refurbishing the Temple found them. The king’s secretary read it to King Josiah, who mourned for his sin and that of the people; he ripped his robes, wept, and sought the Lord.

THE KING
We cannot experience much, if any of God's blessings, without humility, and here we see an example, for "He humbled himself before the Lord." There was outward evidence of inward response when he wept and tore his robes. This came from deep in his heart. This was not an accident; it was a decision to be humble. King Josiah had a responsive heart; he must have accepted God's word and believed it. He had the correct reaction to God's word, not resentful, angry, or bitter. King Josiah took God's word then God's word took King Josiah.

US
What if we were like King Josiah? It is a wonder that we do not weep over our sins and the sins of our loved ones. We need to be responsive to God's Word inside and out. Being humble is hard, it is to say that someone is better than me. Humility says, “You are right, I am wrong.” It is hard to bend our will to the other person, or in the case of sin, to bend to God.

HUMILITY
Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride is the attitude that I am more valued than the other person or even God. Pride was Satin’s chef sin, (Isaiah 14:13-15), it has no place in the Christian’s character profile.

POWER OF HUMILITY
Humility can be a powerful lifestyle. Especially since this Bible passage and so many others show how God cherishes and rewards humility. Let us walk humbly with God, with humble, repentant hearts, and may we pray that God creates in us responsive hearts.

(c) Adron (c) 9/4/13

Why Can I Trust God During This Bad Time?

Maybe the Almighty takes care of saints but we say, "I am not one of those who have earned His blessing; what hope do I have that God will take care of me now?"

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:4

HE WILL
Our heavenly Father wants to protect and care for you. This verse does not say He might or he'll think about it, but that he will defiantly act. He gave his son to pay for your sins against him what is left to him, he already gave the best and dearest.

FEATHERS
This does not mean that God has feathers and wings but it is a poetic picture of the loving sacrificial comfort he offers. The picture is of a mother bird becoming the shelter for her young in the nest. The baby birds are defenseless, weak and feeble they have not done anything to earn or merit the mother bird's sacrifice except to exist, we are like that before the Almighty One, there is nothing we can do to earn his sacrifice.

REFUGE
A refuge is a hiding place where you flee to in trouble. It is a fortress-like place that the terror can't enter, either because of the physical barrier it provides or the moral and legal protection it gives. He is willing to be the refuge for you; in Jesus' death, we have found refuge from our greatest terror- that of sin's eternal punishment.

SHIELD AND RAMPART
God is basically all the defense you need. A shield offers immediate protection for close combat, and a rampart is a wall around a fort and is the greater defense. He is the shield that will not split or buckle when you are face to face with trouble and the wall that will not fall when you are sheltering behind it.

FAITHFULNESS
It is his faithfulness that is the shelter. The Father has avowed his loving kindness and care. He is the reason He will take care of you, not because you are so special or better than others, no matter how much you have sinned He will care for you because He promised to not because you earned it.

The biggest thing the Lord has done to provide for you is that He sent His son to die for your sins. To learn more what this means and how to have eternal life follow this link, click here.

©Adron 8?11/13

How To Start Worshiping God

We know we should worship God and praise him; there are so many styles and approaches what is best? Do we need an altar, a temple, or do some ritual? Psalm 103:2-3 is a good place to start

David in his psalm keeps it straightforward.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity and who heals all your diseases," Psalm 103:2-3.

BLESS
Can we give blessings to God? We can- in our praise and worship with love and adoration. We bless him by honoring his name and obeying his commands. Here it is to proclaim his goodness, it may be by a prayer to The Lord or a public declaration of his goodness.

O MY SOUL
Our worship should be deep, heartfelt, and engage all of who and what we are; as if it went all the way down to our soul.

We should include in that worship praise for his mercy, forgiveness, his son Jesus who paid for our sins by his death, his provision, and care.

FORGET NOT
We should make a practice of remembering the good Our Father in Heaven has given to us and done for us. We should recount his many blessings and include in that worship. We can praise him for his mercy, forgiveness, his provision, and care. We can thank him for his daily blessings and the many ways he has worked in our lives.

BENEFITS
In this usage, the word "benefits" is not how we use it today but is the idea of favors that are enacted. It is how God deals with us, he has dealt with us patiently and with love holding back judgment and granting goodness that is not deserved. We should remember these things in prayers of thanksgiving and adoration.

FORGIVES ALL OUR INIQUITIES
Of all that we should be thankful for the forgiveness of sin is the topmost. We can't buy forgiveness but He gives it by virtue of what he did in his son who died to pay for our sins. The work is done, there is nothing left for us but to receive what has been done in our behalf.

If you want to learn more about how to have your sins forgiven follow this link: Click here.

(c) Adron 8/5/13

Is There Hope For When We Despair and Mourn?

Bad things happen, and we suffer loss and personal disaster when they do. We look for hope and meaning in our time of darkness. Where is it?

"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." Isaiah 61:3. NLT.

These beautiful words of hope and promise come from Isaiah. They were a promise to a select people, but now we understand the One True God loves all people, and He may grant blessings to whomever He will.

HE WILL GIVE
We look for comfort, but it is not found in our efforts. Instead, it comes when we bring God into view. We start with the awareness that God is purposeful and his purposes are good.

ASHES
Ashes symbolized extreme sorrow. It was the ancient custom to toss ashes onto one's head during grief. The Lord says he will exchange the ashes of sorrow for a crown, meaning the time of mourning will be gone. Instead of mourning, it will be a festival party of honor.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
We cannot make ourselves righteous, but God gives it. The great oak is a wonderful picture of strength, beauty, and purpose. When we come to God to receive the blessing of righteousness, we also find these other blessings.

BLESSING
This Bible verse illustrates God's desire to bless, comfort, and heal. We are in a sinful world of rebellion and are far from God, but he sent a message of hope through the prophet Isaiah.

COME TO BLESSING
We cannot reach up and find God, but he did what we could not do and sent his Son to do for us what we could not do ourselves.

Centuries after the verse was written, the fulfillment began; Jesus came to show the way to the blessings of God. Christ said, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."* He also said, "I am the truth, the way, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me."* Paul the Apostle said of him, "There is only one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus."* When we come to God through Jesus, we come to new life and blessing

(c)Adron Dozat 7/22/13

Does God Care When You Feel Alone?

Sometimes we feel alone in our struggles as if no one sees and no one cares. We wish someone will come alongside to give support.

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18, NIV.

This verse is taken from the Bible where The Lord describes future judgment, and then in the middle of doom and woe he says, 'yet...' it is a turning point where the heart of God shines through to give comfort and hope. Though his people have sinned and rebelled, "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious."  We cannot excuse sin and wrongs but in life's mess, but we can know that God longs to be gracious to us.

LONGS
To long for something is deeper than just a desire. It fills up your thoughts until everything else is pushed out; it is "a heart-deep preoccupation," or even an obsession. It is wonderful that God longs this way to be gracious to each of us.

GRACIOUS
One may see gracious as the forgiving kindness of God to those who are far from him. When God is gracious he is giving mercy to those who do not deserve it and love to those who are lost from love.

RISES
The Almighty is never complacent. From his heavenly throne he "rises" to show us compassion. Ancient kings always sat, you did not want to be in the room if the situation called for the king to stand up- it meant war or death. God doesn't just sit in heaven wallowing in mushy feelings- he acts.

COMPASSION
Compassion here seems to be love-inspired acts of kindness to those who are helpless. Who isn't helpless in some way? We all have hurt, or guilt, or have experienced injustice, but God longs to be gracious and compassionate to us.

WAIT
Many find it hard to apply faith in some situations; we may hurt too much, or face high mountains of difficulty. This verse ends with an encouragement, "Blessed are all who wait for him." The ancient passage quoted above may have referred to a coming Messiah, but we wait daily for victories small and great. We wait for the Lord to reveal himself in a situation, we wait for the Lord to answer prayer, and we wait for him to deliver us from a situation. We must not give up on God we must continue to hold on in faith; and according to the above promise, we will be blessed.

To learn more about finding God see my other post follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/6/13

Where Is The Good In Life. Psalm 16:2

Where is the good in our lives? Where does it come from and how do we get more?

"I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart form you I have no good thing.'" Psalm 16:2, NIV.

These words come from an ancient psalm written by David.

GOOD
David acknowledges the good he had rather than seeking good.  We should acknowledge the good in our lives.  We have many good things in our world, at this time in human history.  We have advances in technology, and science to give safety, health, comfort, personal meaning, and peace in our communities.  Even the poorest person has material possessions undreamed of by earlier generations. Of course, God is the All-powerful Author of all good things, and it is by His will these good things are permitted to exist.  Therefore, we should be grateful to the Lord for all these blessings we currently have, and we should give Him thanks.

GOD
The author was so wrapped up with God that any good he had or knew was one and the same with God.  He was saying, "God is good- if something is truly good it must come from God."  When he says, "Apart from you I have no good thing," he does more than just acknowledges that God is in all, but God and good are one.  Often we see the good in our lives as being the result of our own sweat, creativity, and work, but it ultimately is from God.  The good things we have are God's expressions of Himself to us.

THE PSALMIST
He felt that if The Lord left him there would be noting good left.  He clings to God saying, "You are my Lord." He is not passive but takes ownership of his relationship with a commitment to God; he will not be separate from God.

We should see the good things in our lives as from The Almighty, and the best thing we can do is to be close to Him.  We should say like the psalmist, "I do not want to be apart from God."

We want good things, a good job, a good marriage, a good home, a good reputation, good health, and a good bank account, etc. but we need to find those things in and through God. It begins by  saying, "You are my Lord."

(c)Adron Dozat

What Does Thanking God Do For Me?

It is good to thank God for blessings when they arrive but sometimes it is better to thank Him when we are finished with the blessing.

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you."/ Deuteronomy 8:10, NIV.

WHEN YOU HAVE EATEN
It is well to ask God's blessing on a meal before we eat but it is also good to thank the Lord when we are satisfied. God has given us many blessings. We have food, shelter, family, shoes, etc. We are wealthy by many standards and this is all from the hand of God. When we use these blessings up and we are satisfied is a good time to thank God.

THE NEED
We are struggling in our lives and then God blesses us with some material good.  At that moment we are grateful and then we give God thanks as we should.  As we use the blessing God provided we begin to have a new focus, it is normal human behavior.  We now have the blessing that may require some actions on our part, so as we go about enjoying the blessing we start to lose sight of the one who gives the blessing.  We are just forgetful.

This is the beginning of a decline in pride.  When we forget the one who has given us such blessings, we begin to attribute the blessing to our own good abilities and our own actions.

THE GOOD LAND
These three words speak of prosperity, wealth, and material good.  The people it was addressed to depended on agriculture and good land was everything.  Many today live in a "Good Land,"  places of opportunities, liberties, and wealth.  It is just like that place that Moses spoke of.  We must remember as we enjoy our blessings to be thankful to God.

THE BENEFIT
Everybody knows thankful people are happier, healthier, more optimistic, and just nicer to be around. Yet the benefit goes beyond these things.  We thank and bless God so He is honored.  We do not manipulate God with thanksgiving to get favors; even though we have promised in the Bible that He rewards those who honor him.

Thankfulness protects us from the danger of pride; that sin which caused Satin's fall.* When we forget to thank God we are making a statement to ourselves that we have nothing to be grateful for, or that we are above gratitude, and what could be more prideful or arrogant?

Thanksgiving should be as common as eating.

*Isaiah 14:12-17

(c)Adron Dozat

Can God Live With Man?

Obed-Edom

What would happen if God lived in the guest room of my house? Would I have to make allowances for him or would he even be welcome at all?


"The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had." 1 Chronicles 13:14. NIV. *


WHY WAS THE ARK AT THE HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM?
The ark was supposed to be carried by the Levites but they put it on a cart instead. The oxen stumbled and a man reached out his hand to keep the ark from falling. Since the ark was holy God struck the man dead, and in fear the people of Israel took the ark to the house of Obed-Edom.


The point in this verse is clear. Obed-Edom received the ark and while it was with him the Lord blessed him. We do not have the ark today, but instead...

     * We have the Holy Spirit,
     * We have the promises of the Lord to be with us,
     * We have the Father holding us in His hand.

You might say we have something better than the Ark!

RECEIVED
Obed-Edom received the ark; it was a decision. He could have said "No, that is dangerous. I don't want it around my kids." Instead, he received the representation of the Lord and he was blessed.

The ark remained, with them. In the same way, we must allow Gods spirit to be welcome, maybe we have pushed him out the window while we do a little "sin." or we say to God, "You can live in my house on these days but on others, you stay in the garage," Or we say," You can come in but I keep the keys." Such attitudes are not allowing God to be welcome.

1 Chronicles 13:14

FAMILY
The ark was with the "family of Obed-Edom." We need to make the Lord part of our family. Serving God was a family affair for Obed-Edom. It wasn't just Dad's priest job. We should remind family members that God is with us and to behave in a respectful way.

A DOUBLE BLESSING
The blessing was double, it was "his household and everything he had." Who would not want God's double blessing? Obed-edom had it easy, he only needed to allow the ark into his family's home and make sure no one used it for a coffee table. We have God's Spirit living in us; a living relationship that needs attention, respect, communion, and basically a lot of work. If Obed-edom was doubly blessed in that distant time, how much more will God Bless us if we allow Him to come all the way in and stay unconditionally?


* To read other translations of this verse follow this link: 1 chronicles 13:14.

© Adron 11/19/12

How Mercy Leads To Happiness. Matthew 5:7

We all want to be happy, the Bible has much to say about happiness and most of it is surprising.

"Blessed are those who are the merciful for they will be shown mercy." Matthew 5:7.NIV.

HAPPINESS:
The word blessed can be translated happy, it has a sense of happiness being given by God. This scripture does not say we become happy is by getting something, accomplishing something, or marrying someone. Instead, it tells us that we will find happiness by doing something, it is a rare thing too- showing mercy.

Anyone can be merciful. You don't have to be wealthy, wise, educated, or upper-class to be merciful. We can be merciful to the clerk in the store by being polite, merciful to the service person by showing hospitality, and merciful to every person we meet by extending grace and sacrificial compassion.

MERCY IS:
Mercy is an action, but to be merciful is more, it is a habitual demonstration of the attitude of mercy.

Mercy is a choice to be actively compassionate, not just to feel sorry for someone, but to do something to lift their burden that they cannot do themselves.

MERCY DOES FOR US:
Being merciful prepares us to receive God's favor. God wants us to be merciful to others, and he has already prepared blessings for it; it is when we fail to be merciful that we fail to receive the blessing.

Being merciful imitates God. We are made in God's image; part of that image is the ability to dispense mercy, grace, forgiveness, and kindness. By our actions, we fulfill God's image, and that brings happiness.

WHEN WE ARE NOT MERCIFUL:
If we are not merciful, it is vain to expect to receive mercy. Our actions show disregard for mercy as a principle. Since God honors those who honor him, if we don't honor him in mercy, we might not expect to receive mercy.

GOD'S MERCY:
We are not saved by our good works but by the mercy of God. God has shown us mercy by not punishing us for what our sins deserve. In fact, God has made the most merciful salvation available by sending his son to die in our stead so that we may have salvation and righteousness in Jesus.

Only faith saves us, but our mercy toward others will determine our blessings since all God's blessings are truly gifts resulting from his mercy.

To learn more about the plan of salvation, see my other blog and follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/22/12 

The Simplest Source Of Happiness. Proverbs 16:20

Who doesn't want to be happy? King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived had much to say about happiness. His wise advice was simple to understand but hard to do.

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord." Proverbs 16:20 NIV.

WHOEVER
This verse is addressed to "Whoever," in other words- anyone. Prosperity and happiness is available to everyone; not just the wise, smart, educated, rich, a certain class or race but whoever does what this verse teaches.

HEED
What does it mean to heed? To heed something is to listen to instruction or advice and to yield to what you listened to, it is more than hearing but doing. There is much in God's word that we find difficult and contrary to our modern thinking. We read it and say that is outdated, and that our modern ideas are more open and progressive. Then why are we not happy? Why do we spend our lives searching for something more and better and satisfying?

The Bible is the Creator's instruction manual for the created-us, it makes sense to heed it.  Children do not heed their parents because of immaturity; our spiritual immaturity keeps us from heeding the Bible. As adults we heed the instructions of someone we have a relationship with like a teacher or boss, perhaps we have not come to a relationship with God through Jesus that explains why we do not heed God's word. We heed the civil authorities because we recognize their authority over us as citizens; maybe we have not recognized the authority of the our Creator and lover of our souls; if we did it would cause us to heed His Word. Whatever the reason the fact is if we do heed we will be happy.

BLESSED
The word "blessed" often equates with the word happy; the popular paraphrase of the verse says, "Whoever listens to what God Teaches and believes in him will be happy." Trusting The Lord makes us happy for many reasons,
     *We are made to trust God by design.
     * His power on our behalf gives comfort.
     *  He delights to bless those who trust in him.
     * Trusting in God takes away our worry, fear, and stress.
     * When we trust in God our plans are governed by his grace.
     * When we trust in God we start to see his hand working in our behalf.

It is not blind trust it is happy trust, let us heed God and trust him.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God follow this link: Salvation.

(c)Adron Dozat 6/3/11

What Is The Bible's Key to Happiness? Psalm 115:13

God Loves You

We look at those that are well off and think they are blessed.  Where do blessings come from, and how do we get them?

“The Lord remembers us and will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the Lord- small and great alike.” Psalm 115:12-13, NIV.

BLESSED
The Bible uses the word bless, blessed, or blessing many times; it is to have favor with God, gift or virtue that only God can give.

FROM GOD
This verse says "He will bless" four times. Blessing comes from God. You can look anywhere you want for blessings such as a relationship, job, wealth, marriage; success in something or in some way but blessing comes from Him. It seems Our Heavenly Father wants to bless without regard to status for the verse says "small and great."

FEAR THE LORD
Many are confused by the idea of fearing the Lord, and ask if He is a God of Love why he demands we fear him? But it is because He is a God of love...

• It is wise for us to fear his power. 
• It is good for us to live within the boundaries of his commandments. 
• It is safe and healthy to do right and not to do evil. 
• He is awesome and mighty and if he chooses he can execute unpardonable judgment. 

Whatever other reasons for fearing God the fact remains he does require us to fear him.

The paraphrased version helps a little here, it uses the word "Obey," giving the sense that fear of God is close to obeying Him. "The Lord will bless those who love and obey him from the smallest to the greatest." Psalm 115:13 Paraphrased.

ANYONE
Blessing is not just for a special people but anyone who fears the Lord will be blessed. "He will bless those who fear the Lord- small and great alike."

The Bible tells us that blessing is available to any who fulfill God's requirement. This requirement is not out of reach of any person, God asks us to “Fear the Lord.”

Besides who would not want to have the blessing of The Almighty? Though He asks for obedience, service, respect, and an appreciation of His awesome power, He is worthy of all these things and we should be glad to give it.  That He is going to bless us for it is incredible!   He does not need to but He has promised to.

To learn about how to have a relationship with God follow this link to my other blog.

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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(c)Adron Dozat

God's Purpose For Trials in My Life James 1:12

There are many blessings in the Bible and some are difficult to understand, the strangest may be the blessing in trial.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12, NIV

BLESSING
"Blessing" seems to mean happy and there are many examples where the two words are interchanged in the Bible and in literature.

SUFFERING
Suffering itself is not a blessing, it is the one who perseveres under trials and testing who is blessed. To persevere is to not give up, it is to persist determinedly over a period of time in defiance of difficulties.

TEST
We think of a test as being something done to discover; such as a school exam where we measure our knowledge of the subject being taught. God already knows everything; His purposes in our testings are not to discover but other things such as teaching us through the test- often patience or trust. A test can be applied to prove or demonstrate what is already known. The classic example is Job where God already knew Job’s devotion and faithfulness and allowed trials in his life to demonstrate it to Satin.

PURPOSE
It is clear that God has many purposes for us in our trials and like Job we may not get the answer in this life but here we see a revelation of one of God's purposes in our trials. God will give a reward to those who endure trials- a crown. A crown has always been a symbol of merit, wealth, status, heritage, rule, and many more things. We do not have the slightest idea what this crown will be but considering the One who is giving it this reward will be FANTASTIC!

CONDITIONAL
There is a condition for the crown, it is the condition that we must love God. This verse puts the crown of life, perseverance under trial, and love of God together; this shows one of God’s purposes in our trials. Trials are an opportunity to demonstrate love for God in a powerful way one which alone merits the reward of a crown.

LOVE
Never will you show you love God better than being faithful to Him when you are going through a trial. Let us all resolve to persevere during these trials we face today and prove to those who are watching what is the depth and firmness of our love of God.


If you want to know more about having God in your life see my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat

What the Bible Says to do During Times of Peace And Quiet 1 Chronicles 22:17-19a

Are you looking forward to a time of peace and quiet, or a time of relaxation, maybe a vacation or a retirement? If so, how should you spend that time?

"Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, 'Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has handed the inhabitants of the land over to me, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God..."

1 Chronicles 22:17-19, 

A LITTLE CONTEXT
The words above conclude King David’s life. He explained that God is with them and has granted peace or rest to them on every side. So, in other words, they were entering a golden age; all the battles were behind them, they had peace on every side and on every level. They were entering a time free of enemies, dept, woe, famine, and fear; it was a time of prosperity, rest, and plenty- a time of blessing.

TIME OF PEACE
What were they to do during this time of peace? Were they to improve their golf swing, vacation on the beach, or scrapbook? No, they were to seek the Lord. In times of trouble, even the hardened seek God, but there is a purpose for peace and plenty; it is a time to seek God. We want to take our rest and use the golden days to enjoy ourselves and reward ourselves for our toil, but God's design is for the time of peace to be a time of seeking Him. It is in the time of peace that the temple was built.

DEVOTE
The words above leave no doubt about the emphasis in words, "Devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord." This is not a halfway measure. It is not just a Sunday morning thing, but to devote yourself is giving yourself something. There is no stronger emphasis than to devote heart and soul to the task at hand. This means all our intellect, strength, emotions, time, energy, and resources are exclusive to seeking God.

Maybe we come to some days or seasons of peace and quiet in our lives. They are the golden opportunities to seek God. Indeed they are days designed by our very Creator to be used for seeking him. No matter what season you are in, a place of danger or a golden day of blessing, the purpose of God is that we seek Him.

To know more about finding God, read this other post. CLICK HERE.

© Adron  2/23/11

To Proclaim the Lord, A Forgotten Beatitude; Psalm 89:15

God Loves You

The Bible pronounces many blessings, but one of the most important may be one of the most overlooked.

"Blessed are those who have learned to proclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence."
Psalm 89:15 NIV.

BLESSING
The word “Blessing” can mean “Happy,” or “Glad.” It is more than being fortunate, it means God has given His approval, assistance, and favor.  Scripture makes it clear that God wants to bless us.

PROCLAIMING
This blessing begins with proclaiming God.  To proclaim something is to shout it from the rooftops. We should boldly declare in the marketplace, streets and wherever the greatness of our Great God.

To proclaim God is a skill to be learned.  The gift of evangelism is the kind of gift that gets developed and matures with use, yet if we don't have this gift we may still learn to declare God's greatness. When we get frustrated with sharing our faith we should press on to discover how.

God blesses us when we proclaim Him, and we experience joy, just ask any who are faithful to share their faith and they will tell you how much joy it gives them.

GOD IS OUR BLESSING
The second part of this blessing is God himself.  It is awesome to walk in the light of God's presence, We long for mountaintop experiences with God but shouldn't we long to "walk" in his light? Walking sets us apart, humans walk in a way that no other creature does. It is a daily and common experience for any healthy person.  To walk in the presence of the Lord must become our daily habit and choice.

LIGHT
God's presence brings light.  Light reveals sin, shows the way and clarifies what we see.  Light gives safety and comfort. We know God is omnipresent but to walk in the light of God’s presence is to choose to count on, recognize, and honor God's presence.

CHOICE
Blessings almost always involve choices on our part.  We must avoid things that darken His light in our lives.  Disobedience and sin do what no other power in the universe can accomplish- it can darken God’s light, at the very least in our lives and at most in the world around us.  Let’s put away even the most minor sin and choose to walk in His light.

TWO TRUTHS TOGETHER
These two truths go together for you cannot do one without doing the other.  We cannot proclaim Him if we are not walking in the light and if we are walking in His light we will be compelled to proclaim Him.

Resolve to walk in his light and to proclaim Him.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God CLICK HERE.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  
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(C) Adron 2/9/11

The Lord Was With Him, But Who Was He? 1 Chronicles 9:20

You might say someone is talented, smart, or attractive; but nothing beats the statement made about the ancient gatekeeper, Phinehas.

 "In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the gatekeepers, and the Lord was with him." 1 Chronicles 9:20. NIV.

What does the scripture mean when it says "The Lord was with him?" We know it means some blessing on Phinehas. Was the Lord like a companion to him? Was this ancient gatekeeper somehow more holy than the rest of us?

I AM WITH YOU
If a friend says "I am with you," it means he is supporting your cause or activity, or he agrees with your actions or ideas. If it gives courage and comfort to think our friends are with us, what if that friend is the Lord Almighty?

JUST PHINEAS
Phinehas was the chief doorkeeper, not a king or a prophet. It was a humble position in the community of the temple staff. He did not get to offer up sacrifices or prayers, he did not officiate any ceremonies or minister to the king, he was just a gatekeeper. In spite of the lowly position of gatekeeper Phinehas, son of Eleazar received the commendation that the Lord was with him.

GATEKEEPER
What is a "gatekeeper?" A gatekeeper did a lot of the menial tasks; such as cleaning up, locking doors, lighting lamps, sweeping floors, that is what today's gatekeepers do, we are ushers, nursery workers, building trustees, church janitors, and parking lot attendants. Even though our service is a meager one in the eyes of men it matters not to the Ruler of the Universe, He may still be with us.

GOD
Phineas must have been in tune with God. He must have had an ear to God's heartbeat, and meditated on God's laws and ways. No doubt he considered God his in decisions and made choices that were right by God's standard. He was careful to not do whatever offends God and thereby shut God out.

HUMBLE
Phineas stood outside the place of worship and held the door for others, yet he must have been inside in his heart. God does not come uninvited and Phineas maybe had a daily attitude of inviting God in. Perhaps opening the door for others to enter for worship was a model that he himself should have an open heart and invite God in. Perhaps in simple faith, Phineas just asked God to be with him.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have people say the Lord is with you?  May we all aspire to be like Phinehas.  Let's turn away from that which shut God out and keep open the door for the Lord to be with us.

(c)Adron Dozat 2/4/11

A Reason To Sing. Psalm 135:3.

No matter what happens some truths will always be the same. We all have problems and struggles but to languish self-pity and sorrow will accomplish little.

“Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name for that is pleasant.” Psalm 135:3 NIV.

It is good to praise the Lord, and it is right even though we don’t feel like it. We praise Him for who He is- He is God, and He is Good.

GOD IS GOOD
This goodness of God requires faith on our part. God is good, no matter what our suffering and sorrows suggest. We can't answer all the questions of suffering but God has a purpose, and it is a good purpose because He is good. When we say that God is good we mean God is without sin, He acts without evil purposes, and His actions are based on love and holiness. So, we should rejoice and sing His praise.

God made us for Himself and His purposes. We benefit when we fulfill those purposes, one of which is that we are blessed by worshiping Him. We are psychologically made to praise our Creator, and I suspect we even have a need to praise God.

PRAISE HIS NAME
We still have many reasons to praise God, no matter what trials we face. He gives us life, food, sunlight, air to breathe, friendships, and an intelligent mind; we should praise Him for these and our many other blessings. Above all, we should praise Him for His Love which compelled Him to send His Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins, so that by faith we may have eternal life through Him. And not only eternal life but many spiritual blessings such as His Word, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of His church, the blessing of prayer, the fruit of the spirit, the list goes on, and on.

THAT IS PLEASANT
To praise His name is “pleasant,” some even it is enjoyable, satisfying, and enriching. My own experience si that to praise God is pleasant. Sometimes it starts out dull, but that is my fault, not God’s. It is my fault because I lack faith, or am impatient for blessing, or I have some sin to confess that has hindered God’s blessing. When I confess and repent I am freed to receive His blessing and experience worship to be pleasant even joyous.

Let us regularly take the time to express praise to our Lord, if we don’t we are settling for much less in our lives.

(c) Adron 4/15/10