7-8-06 Psalms 6: 6, 8

Psalms 6:6-8 (KJ21)
I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim, I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

Psalms 6:6-8 (NAS)
I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries. For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

Psalms 6:6-8 (NIVUS)
I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

Psalms 6:6-8 (NLT)
I am worn out from sobbing. Every night tears drench my bed; my pillow is wet from weeping. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my crying.

When you go to bed at night, you are supposed to rest, but there may be times when it seems like you are toiling and laboring all night long. You feel like you are constantly climbing up a set of winding stairs and you cannot see the end. You sigh and groan in grief or physical distress. Even though you are stretched out on your bed, you still feel weary. You cry so much that you think you are swimming in your tears and your bed has become liquid.

Your eyes spring with water and begin to waste away in your grief. You are angry and vexed; frustration keeps you from rest. You feel as if you are growing old and weak before your time, for your enemies are pressing hard against you. They treat you with enmity and harass you. Abundance has fled and your possessions have become scant.

You do not need to despair. Jehovah the Lord has heard the sound of your weeping. He always perceives and understands when you shed tears and lament. Whether you cry in grief, humiliation, or bitterness, the Lord your God pays attention. Your voice summons His presence.

You, therefore, can command the wicked, who cause you trouble and sorrow, to depart and leave you alone. You know that the Lord your God is with you and He will fight for you. Your enemies will come to an end and you will rest in peace.

7-7-06 Psalms 6:5

Psalms 6:5 (KJ21)
For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks?

Psalms 6:5 (NAS)
For there is no mention of Thee in death; In Sheol who will give Thee thanks?

Psalms 6:5 (NIVUS)
No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?

Psalms 6:5(NLT)
For in death, who remembers you? Who can praise you from the grave?

You probably have good memories and bad memories. Thinking about and recalling the good times brings warmth and comfort; however, remembering the bad can produce feelings of hurt and disappointment. The only time that there is no sting in these recollections is after you die, for in death there is not even the scent of the past.

Therefore, it is important to set up memorials to the Lord while you live. You should mark and recognize all the good things that He has done for you. Recount and record these for you posterity. From the grave, you cannot praise and thank God. You cannot extend your physical hands in worship after you die.

So make your confessions of gratitude now. In this you revere the Most High. As you remember Him, He will remember you.

7-6-06 Psalms 6:3 4

Psalms 6:3, 4 (KJ21)
My soul is also sore vexed, but Thou, O LORD, how long? Return, O LORD, deliver my soul! O save me for Thy mercies’ sake!

Psalms 6:3, 4 (NAS)
And my soul is greatly dismayed; But Thou, O LORD—how long? Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save me because of Thy lovingkindness.

Psalms 6:3, 4 (NIVUS)
My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

Psalms 6:3, 4 (NLT)
I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until you restore me? Return, O LORD, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love.

Are you alarmed and agitated right now? Is your soul--your mind, your will, and your emotions--anxious and dismayed? You may want to make haste to do something, for the noise around you is getting louder and louder. However, if you speedily give in to what you hear, you may find only vexation and trouble. In your fear, you could be making rash decisions and end up being burned as with a brand.

Instead of asking the Lord Jehovah "How long is this going to take?” look to Him for relief. He has already decided to rescue and restore you. He will reverse what needs reversed and He will reward what needs rewarded. He will deliver you again. You, however, should realize that He has already equipped your for the fight and has strengthened your arm.

In His kindness and mercy, the Lord your God will save you and give you victory. He will bring you into a wide and open place, where you will be free to worship and serve the Most High God. It is a place of beauty and favor. Even though you are inferior to the Almighty, as the created is inferior to the Creator, He still treats you as His equal and gives you abundant blessings.

7-5-06 Acts 22:28

Acts 22:28 (KJ21)
And the chief captain answered, "With a great sum I obtained this freedom." And Paul said, "But I was free born."

Acts 22:28 (NAS)
And the commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."

Acts 22:28 (NIVUS)
Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.

Acts 22:28 (NLT)
"I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!" "But I am a citizen by birth!"

Most people diligently strive to better their lots in life. They struggle to live the life-style of the rich and famous. Often instead of being born into the status and position, they try to buy their way. It was no different during biblical times.

The Apostle Paul was confronted with this very situation. A commander of thousands of soldiers spoke to Paul of how he had gained his rank and power. He had to pay a great sum of money to acquire what he had, a Roman citizenship which gave him a freedom that others did not possess. Paul, however, possessed his citizenship naturally; he was born a Roman. In this he had many benefits and the protection.

Like Paul, you have been born again into the family of God. You did not have to pay anything for your citizenship. Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, paid the price. Through His blood you were adopted. Now you have the freedom and liberty of a son in the household of your Father!

Is the United States doomed?

Today we celebrate our freedom. Unlike some nations around the world, we the people of the United States of America are free to come and go as we please. We are free to decide what we will do with our lives. We can choose our professions. We are free to worship the "god" of our choice or we are free not to worship at all. Our faith and our freedoms have made this a great country.

Many of us have seen the downward trend that our nation has taken over the last few decades. Crime and violence have increased. Sexually transmitted diseases are at epidemic proportions. Those of us who believe in the One True God, the Lord Almighty, have been discouraged and disappointed by the things we have seen. We have been quick to bewail and bemoan the state of the nation, while at the same time praying that God would change things. Praying and complaining are actually opposing attitudes. Complaining cancels out the positive effects of our prayers. We tie God's hands so that He cannot work. WE are dooming our country through our double-minded words and attitudes.

What should we do then? As we pray, we should believe that God is healing our land, like He said He would. We should refuse to continue to look at the negative, but continue to believe God's word. Kenneth Copeland expressed this very well in his devotion for today. Please refer to the following link to read this devotional in its entirety.

http://kcm.org/studycenter/devotional/f2f/index.php?l=eng

2 Chronicles 7:14 --If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

7-4-06 Romans 6:22

Romans 6:22 (KJ21)
But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end, everlasting life.

Romans 6:22 (NAS)
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

Romans 6:22 (NIVUS)
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Romans 6:22 (NLT)
But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

Even though it is 230 years since the United States of America declared her independence from Great Britain, we still celebrate our freedom and liberty every year. None of us alive today fought for that independence and yet we still enjoy its benefits. The same is true in your Christian walk. It is over 2000 years since Jesus Christ willingly went to the cross to purchase your freedom and salvation from sin. That act, completed once and for all, is sufficient and you can continue to celebrate it daily.

You, like the rest of the human race, were born into sin and you were sin's slave. Offense and error were normal. You continually missed the mark that the Lord God had made for you. You were not able to share in all of the blessings that He prepared. Your faults always led you to trespass against the Almighty and other people.

However, you have been delivered and liberated. You are no longer restrained by sin. You neither have an obligation nor a liability for it, for you been set free. You now have the liberty and ability to grow. You are able to come and go as you please, for you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

Since you are no longer in bondage to sin and darkness, you can choose to be a servant of the Most High God. You have the ability to produce fruits that grow from purity and holiness. You have been set apart to reign and to rest. You can enjoy your life, for you are on the road to recovery. Your goal is everlasting, eternal life. Death is not your end because God has breathed His life into you.

7-3-06 Psalms 6:1, 2

Psalms 6:1, 2 (KJ21)
(To the chief musician: On Neginoth, upon the eight. A Psalm of David.)
O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

Psalms 6:1, 2 (NAS)
(For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-stringed lyre.) (A Psalm of David.)
O LORD, do not rebuke me in Thine anger, Nor chasten me in Thy wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.

Psalms 6:1, 2 (NIVUS)
(For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to <sheminith.> A psalm of David.)
O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

Psalms 6:1, 2 (NLT)
(For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.)
O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my body is in agony.

If you have been called to music, the Lord has created you to excel, to be bright, and pre-eminent. He has given you a song, whether you sing or play an instrument as a minstrel. From one octave to another, you now glorify the Lord God with your rich and robust sound. The Almighty has given you special melodies of praise, for you are His beloved son.

You, however, realize that Jehovah the Lord is also your judge, with the authority to reprove, rebuke, and correct you. You do not want to see His nostrils flare in anger nor do you want Him to convict you for your sin. When the Most High instructs, disciplines and admonishes you, you pray it is neither in rage nor wrath. You do not want to incur His displeasure at all.

You are weak and feeble and need the grace and favor of God; you, therefore, seek and implore Him for His mercy. There are many times when you are exhausted and languishing. Your whole body droops; even you bones seem disturbed and anxious. Then you look to the Lord who restores you in your distress and heals you of all your hurts.

7-2-06 Psalms 5:12

The Lord Jehovah has always had it on His heart to bless you. He adores you and is your benefactor. He has an abundance stored up just for you. As a beacon, He guides you into the right way, where you are cleansed and made righteous in His eyes. He has breathed into you and given you eternal, ever-lasting life.

You are now a child of God, a royal prince, who has been crowned with His glory. You are always encircled with God's protection. You are joined and united to Him as the joints of your fingers unite with your hand. As they are one, so too are you and the Lord. He keeps you near to His side. You are His delight and desire. Not only are you acceptable, but you also give Him pleasure. Since your debt has been satisfied through the blood of Jesus, God bestows His favor and affection on you. He has pardoned and reconciled you to Himself forever.