2-4-06 Genesis 49:24

Genesis 49:24 (KJ21)
But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,

Genesis 49:24 (NAS)
But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

Genesis 49:24 (NIVUS)
But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

Genesis 49:24 (NLT)
But his bow remained strong, and his arms were strengthened by the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

There are natural things that you can do to keep your physical body strong and healthy. You know the benefits that you receive from eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and drinking plenty of water. However, even in doing all of this, you do not have the ultimate control over how long you will live and remain strong. That right is held by Adonai, the Most High God.

Since you have made the Most High God your God, you can expect Him to help and strengthen you. As you look to Adonai, He will give your hands and arms ever flowing and enduring strength. You will be able to constantly sow and scatter seed, which will keep you constantly filled and satisfied. The Lord gives you the power and might to always have abundance.

He also arms you to do battle. When you lift your bow against the enemy, you will always have the ability to release the arrows. As you rely on God, He will pour new strength into your hands and arms to bring the battle to its victorious completion; for you will be agile, supple, and nimble. You will fly on the wings of the Lord.

Jehovah, the Lord, is your Shepherd. He is your associate, companion, and special friend. He always tends to your needs, leading you to the best pasture, where you can graze and feed in peace.

He is a large Stone, your Rock, Who is firm, stable, and solid. He is the one who builds and establishes you. He is your wall of protection. With His strength, you will always prevail.

2-3-06 Proverbs 23:17

Proverbs 23:17 (KJ21)
Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in fear of the LORD all the day long.

Proverbs 23:17 (NAS)
Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.

Proverbs 23:17 (NIVUS)
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 23:17 (NLT)
Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD.

In our society, it seems as if there is always someone trying to keep up with someone else. The media dictates what success in the USA is and often you may not fit that image. Then you may feel yourself beginning to be envious and jealous of those who are made in that mold. This may even provoke you to anger. In your heart, your thoughts and feelings, you begin to believe you are not as valuable nor as beautiful as someone else. When you compare yourself to the alleged best, you always come up short.

However, you should not judge yourself according to the standards that society and the media establish, for they have been determined by sinners. These are already under condemnation and are offensive to Jehovah the Lord God. They make a practice of turning away from the right way. Their goals are to satisfy their own wants and desires at any cost.

You have learned the secret of true and enduring success, which is the fear and reverence for Adonai, Almighty God. You know He is the truly great One and if He approves of you, then the opinions of others are of no consequence. Therefore, continue daily to give God the honor and respect that He deserves. When you do this, you will be successful in all that you do; then sinners will begin to envy and be jealous of you.

2-2-06 Psalms 101:3

Psalms 101:3 (KJ21)
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Psalms 101:3 (NAS)
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.

Psalms 101:3 (NIVUS)
I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

Psalms 101:3 (NLT)
I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them.

You have probably heard the expression, "You are what you eat." This is true to a certain extent, but there are many other factors that contribute to who and what you are. You are influenced by what you see, what you hear, and the company that you keep. All of these are things that you control.

It is important that you do not make it a practice to look at nor consider wicked and destructive things. They are without profit and worthless. These things originate from Satan, who desires to wear you out and use you up. Following after these things will only bring complete and total ruin.

Those who have swerved away from Adonai, the Almighty God, fashion and do things that are not pleasing to Him. You should hate their works, for they are opposed to the One you worship and serve. These have fallen away from the Truth. Do not join in their unfruitful and sinful ways, but cleave and cling to Jehovah the Lord. Follow after His words and ways, for in them you will find life.

2-1-06 Deuteronomy 11:16

Deuteronomy 11:16 (KJ21)
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;

Deuteronomy 11:16 (NAS)
Beware, lest your hearts be deceived and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them.

Deuteronomy 11:16 (NIVUS)
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.

Deuteronomy 11:16 (NLT)
But do not let your heart turn away from the LORD to worship other gods.

There are many things that compete for your time and attention. Some are valid and noble, but some have little value and worth. Your thoughts and feelings can be bombarded with various outside stimuli and at first glance, many can appear good; however, not everything that seems good is actually good.

It is important, therefore, for you to guard and protect your heart, that part where your mind, will, and emotions emanate. Build a hedge of thorns around it; in this way, you will save and preserve yourself from harm. Take heed to what you see, hear, and think. Allowing yourself to have an empty and open mind can place you in a position to be easily deceived and deluded. The enemy will use everything in his power to allure, entice, and flatter you, so that he can persuade you to go the wrong way. As you take time to wait and watch, the Lord will be able to speak clearly to you.
Satan's goal is to turn you away from Adonai, the one true God. If you rebel, revolt, and withdraw from your Heavenly Father, you will find yourself on a decline that leads only to grief. Instead of the sweetness of the Lord, you will be left with a sour taste in your mouth. If you begin to serve other, strange gods, you will be enslaved and hindered from success. Bowing down to idols, your flesh, or the devil will only keep you in bondage.

Therefore, guard your heart with all diligence in doing so you will find freedom and life everlasting.

1-31-06 Exodus 3:3 ,4

Exodus 3:3, 4 (KJ21)
And Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses." And he said, "Here am I."

Exodus 3:3, 4 (NAS)
So Moses said, "I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

Exodus 3:3, 4 (NIVUS)
So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight— why the bush does not burn up."When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."

Exodus 3:3, 4 (NLT)
"Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied.

You can sometimes become preoccupied with the details of your life. Keeping up with daily living, providing for your family, and taking care of yourself can be overwhelming. In the going to and fro, you can lose sight of things that are truly important and worthwhile, until something catches your attention.

Moses, one of the patriarchs of Israel, was busy keeping his father-in-law's sheep, working to provide, as was expected. Suddenly, he saw something that no one had ever seen before and he decided to turn away from his work to investigate this great and marvelous sight. If front of him was a thorny bush that was burning, but was not being consumed.

Jehovah, the Lord God, had actually set Moses up. He knew that this awesome sight would be one that Moses could not resist. When God saw that He had gotten Moses' attention, He called his name from the midst of the burning bush. Adonai really wanted to meet with His servant, but Moses, like so many of us, had gotten preoccupied. Therefore, the Lord provided an opportunity. You can almost hear Him saying, "I made you look!"

Before the Lord has to get your attention with a burning bush, you should make the decision to spend time with Him and allow Him to speak with you. Although seeing a burning bush could be really cool!

1-30-06 Psalms 40:4

Psalms 40:4 (KJ21)
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Psalms 40:4 (NAS)
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

Psalms 40:4 (NIVUS)
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

Psalms 40:4 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud, or in those who worship idols.

You may have believed that you would never find a straight path for your life. Every trail that you tried had crooked turns and sometimes you thought you were lost. You never seemed to advance nor make progress. You felt weak. You knew that you were anything, but happy and blessed.

However, a day of change came. You were confronted with Jehovah, the Lord. You found a refuge and security in Him. You began to feel safe. Through your trust in Him, you have developed boldness and confidence. You have become a strong warrior with the ability to fight. When Adonai extended His compassion, you were fixed and established on the right path. You have found determination to go forward.

You have turned away from the proud and the defiant, for they storm against the Lord and act arrogantly. They swerve away from the Truth; their lives reflect nothing but lies and deceit. All that they do and say is vain and disappointing. They have not discovered the blessing and happiness that you have received from the Lord. Their paths are still dark and twisted, whereas you walk in the light on a straight path.

1-29-06 Psalms 102:13

Psalms 102:13 (KJ21)
Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favor her, yea, the set time has come.

Psalms 102:13 (NAS)
Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come.

Psalms 102:13 (NIVUS)
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.

Psalms 102:13 (NLT)
You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem—and now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help.

You do not need to question if Adonai will fulfill what He has promised. As you wait for Him, He will confirm and ratify His word, for He loves you deeply. He wants to be merciful and compassionate to you. He has tender affection for you. Even though you were a parched place, you are now the dwelling place of God, a bright and excellent home. The Lord has made you preeminent and enduring. Through Him you are a chief, and an overseer, who is able to direct others in His way.

Now God is gracious to you and shows you His favor at all times. It is His usual and perpetual practice to show you consideration. He bends down to meet with you, for He desires to betroth you to Himself. Your good fortune depends on Him. You are designated and appointed as His own. He has gathered you into His bosom so that you will always be near. Now is the time of His favor and mercy.