10-14-06 Jeremiah 31:9

Jeremiah 31:9 (KJ21)
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.

Jeremiah 31:9 (NAS)
With weeping they shall come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they shall not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My first-born.

Jeremiah 31:9 (NIVUS)
They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

Jeremiah 31:9 (NLT)
Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my oldest child.

Sometimes there is nothing that you can do except weep and lament. Even when you come before the throne of God, your eyes may overflow with mourning. Your heart is sore. However, this is not the time to draw back. You should continue your earnest prayers and entreaties to Adonai. You need not fear to approach Him. In kindness He will bend down to you and will give you favor in your petitions. He will always be gracious and merciful to your complaints.

Jehovah the Lord will lead you into a valley and beside a stream that has been fed from the cool, crisp waters of melting winter snows. There you will find your inheritance and the possessions the Lord has bequeathed to you. Your road will be pleasant and prosperous, for the Most High God will lead you on a straight course. You will not faint or stumble. Failure and ruin are not your lot, for the Almighty is your Father. He will cause you to prevail against your enemies and you will not be overthrown. What seemed to be decaying will come back with double fruit. You will see growth and increase, for you have received Jehovah's (Jesus') birthright, the right of the first born, through God's favor.

10-13-06 Jeremiah 31:8

Jeremiah 31:8 (KJ21)
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child together; a great company shall return thither.

Jeremiah 31:8 (NAS)
Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they shall return here.

Jeremiah 31:8 (NIVUS)
See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.

Jeremiah 31:8 (NLT)
For I will bring them from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the expectant mothers and women about to give birth. A great company will return!

In today's world there are many things that try to tear you down. You are bombarded with advertisements stating that you will be better if you use a certain product. You are constantly seeing younger and more fit bodies, which are touted as the norm and standard of perfection. You know you are not even close to this standard and you begin to see yourself as less than these. You begin believe that you are not as beautiful as, not as handsome as, or not as successful as. These thoughts and feelings do nothing except bring you down. When this happens, you need to remember that God wants to lift you up. He will not run you down, but wants to lead you to higher ground.

Perhaps you think you are hidden, surrounded with gloom and darkness. Your only companion is the cold north wind. Even in this place, you can see it positively, rather than negatively. The Lord God is actually protecting and holding you in reserve until the time He has chosen for you. He has kept you as a well guarded secret. Once you are revealed, you will be highly esteemed by others. They will see you as Adonai see you now.

You may see yourself in the rear, recessed away from others in your field. Maybe you are right on the border of your dream and vision. If you patiently wait on the Lord, He will gather you from that border, bringing you from the sidelines. Those who have previously been blind to you and your gifts will begin to see you in a new light. You will no longer be skipped over. Even if you think you are blind and lame, with nothing to offer, the Lord Jehovah will not pass you by.

Like a pregnant woman, you have conceived and will give birth to all that God has given you. You are of His lineage and you will bear much fruit. After you have travailed, you will be delivered. Your dream will come to full fruition.

Since you are united and joined to Jehovah, you have a great and noble pedigree. He will continue to build your life; He will recover all that was lost or stolen. You will return to the place that Adonai designed specifically for you. He will reverse the curse spoken against you and bring you recompense and reward.

10-12-06 Jeremiah 31:5

Jeremiah 31:5 (KJ21)
Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

Jeremiah 31:5 (NAS)
Again you shall plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters shall plant And shall enjoy them.

Jeremiah 31:5 (NIVUS)
Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.

Jeremiah 31:5 (NLT)
Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there.

If you have ever attempted to plant a garden, you know that there is a lot of work involved from before the time the seed is put into the ground until the time to harvest the crop. First the ground must be prepared to receive the seed. Even if the soil is good ground, there must be sufficient moisture and a moderate temperature to raise a good crop. Throughout the growing season, weeds must be removed to keep them from stealing vital nutrients from the plants. It is also important to keep pests away from the garden.

Your walk with Adonai has many of the same aspects. If you want the seeds of God's word to produce for you, you should first make sure that your soil is free from rocks and weeds. The earth must continually be watered, as you speak the promises of God over your land. You must keep the enemy from stealing the seed and consuming the immature plants before the fruit is formed. And you must protect the young seedlings from the violence and ferocity of storms.

However, this is not a hopeless and discouraging challenge. With God's help, you will grown and flourish, for He is the Master Husbandman. He will show you how to cultivate crops that remain fixed, in spite of the harshest elements. Adonai will show you how to grow the most fruitful vineyard or garden, even on a mountain where only the heartiest plants survive. The Lord God will be a hedge of protection to preserve and save you.

As you grow and prosper, you should continue to respect and esteem God's blessings in your life; you should not treat them as common things. This kind of thinking will force a wedge in your faith and trust; it will defile and profane the goodness of the Lord. When you gather the grapes of your inheritance, you should do so with thanksgiving. Otherwise you may face weakness, sickness, and grief. No longer will you dance with Joy, but you will writhe in pain and agony, like a woman who is about to give birth.

Therefore, be sure to plant your seeds with joy and soon you shall reap your fields with thanksgiving. As you sow, waiting and trusting Adonai for the increase, you will receive an abundant harvest, which is not polluted, broken, or common. Your yield shall come from the very mountain of the Most High God.

10-11-06 Jeremiah 31:3, 4

Jeremiah 31:3, 4 (KJ21)
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; thou shalt again be adorned with thy timbrels, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

Jeremiah 31:3, 4 (NAS)
The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you shall take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers

Jeremiah 31:3, 4 (NIVUS)
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.

Jeremiah 31:3, 4 (NLT)
Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with tambourines.

Jehovah the Lord has never wished to be remote or far away from His people. When the distance between you and Him was a wide space, Adonai was the One who first chose to draw near to you. Since He had regard and respect for you, He appeared so that He could provide all that you need. He loves you affectionately as a friend. You are never out of His mind and will never vanish from His sight. His love for you lasts for eternity; it advances to the furthest point of the universe. His kindness and beauty draw you and cause you to develop. The Lord's good favor and mercy make you sound.

It is the Almighty's will to build you up and to surely repair your life. Even though you were like a bride separated from her husband, now you are the Israel of God, a prince with the power and strength to prevail. The Lord God has adorned and bedecked you with the precious ornaments of His glory. In joy you can take up a tambourine and dance as you go forth. You will play and laugh with pleasure, for you escaped the enemy's hold and no longer are condemned. You will rejoice in restored hope. Your seed shall shoot forth and spring up as you wait patiently on the Lord in whom you trust.

10-10-06 Jeremiah 31:2

Jeremiah 31:2 (KJ21)
Thus saith the LORD: "The people who were left from the sword found grace in the wilderness, even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest."

Jeremiah 31:2 (NAS)
Thus says the LORD, "The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness—Israel, when it went to find its rest."

Jeremiah 31:2 (NIVUS)
This is what the LORD says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel."

Jeremiah 31:2 (NLT)
I will care for the survivors as they travel through the wilderness. I will again come to give rest to the people of Israel."

One of today's popular reality shows is Survivor, in which tribes of people are put through various tests and trials. Each week someone else is eliminated from the contest, until there is only one person remaining, who is the survivor.

Through out the earth there are different tribes and nations of people who associate and huddle together. They congregate as a unit, so that individuals can be hidden among the crowd. In their collective groups, they find safety and protection from those who attack with swords and knives. They know that if they work and war together, many of the tribal members will survive and remain, although some will be destroyed and killed.

In the spiritual realm, the kingdom of the Lord Jehovah, there are many people who have escaped the parching drought that the enemy has brought. You are one of these, a part of the remnant who has slipped out of the enemy's traps and has not succumbed to his destruction and desolation. He has not and will not lay waste to you and leave you in ruins.

You, however, have not escaped in your own strength. You actually have found favor with Adonai, who is your security. He found you in the wilderness and gave you His grace and acceptance. Because he pitied you, He showed you mercy and consideration. As the Lord spoke His promises over you, your enemies were put to flight. You are now His possession. In Him you have all sufficiency and more than enough. God has brought you into a place of rest and repose. You are settled and quiet, with no fear of the enemy's sword.

10-09-06 James 1:5-8

James 1:5-8 (KJ21)
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, never wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. , A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8 (NAS)
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8 (NIVUS)
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

James 1:5-8 (NLT)
If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.

God has provided for every need that you have and if you do not understand what you need, He has provided for that as well. If you feel inferior and destitute in any kind of knowledge or wisdom, you should ask Him for it. And He will give, supply and furnish it in abundance. He will generously extend His open hand to you. He will not shame you or revile you as undeserving, but freely give.

However, when you ask the Lord for anything, you must believe that He will hear you and answer you. You must be convinced that He will do what He said. Put all your trust and confidence in Him and His words. You should not try to decide if what the Lord tells you is right or wrong; it is not your place to judge God's words. Do not hesitate in carrying out His instructions. If you doubt, you appear hostile to the Lord and are in opposition to Him. You are like a dashing, surging wave of the sea that is driven and violently agitated by the wind. When you waver between hope and fear, you are as destructive as those wind tossed waves.

If your thinking is ruled by your emotions, which are as changeable as the winds and the waves, you will never receive anything from God's hand; you will never possess any of the promises that the Lord Jehovah has spoken to you. Your mind is divided and wavering; you are unstable and restless wherever you go and in whatever you do. The Lord your God is not able to appoint you to administer any of His offices; for He cannot trust you to stand firm in the face of opposition.

Therefore strive to believe what Yeshua tells you. You will possess the land that He has given you through His word. You will receive His blessing in every area of your life.

10-8-06 Lamentations 3:58

Lamentations 3:58 (KJ21)
O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.

Lamentations 3:58 (NAS)
O Lord, Thou didst plead my soul’s cause; Thou hast redeemed my life.

Lamentations 3:58 (NIVUS)
O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.

Lamentations 3:58 (NLT)
Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case! For you have redeemed my life.

If you have ever been sued, you knew that you wanted to find the best lawyer that money can buy. However, if your funds were limited, so were you choice of attorneys. Often in this arena, you do get what you pay for.

Did you know that there is a lawyer who is absolutely free and yet He is the best that you could retain? Adonai, the Lord, is the Master and Superintendent of all of your affairs. Yahweh, another name for Jehovah or Adonai, is King, who rules your life with benevolence. He is far superior to all other kings and you belong to Him.

When you find yourself in the midst of a dispute or controversy, you should ask the Lord to come to your aid. He will plead your case and bring you the perfect settlement. When your emotions and passions are involved in quarreling and strife, you should make a decision to let your Attorney handle the situation. He will calm your soul and bring you peace.

Not only does Yahweh go to court for you, but He also redeems and avenges you. Your accuser will not be able to keep you in slavery or take your lands. The Lord your God will exact vengeance on him. Jehovah will restore every aspect of your life. You will be revived renewed, fresh and flowing. You will live prosperously and in health.

Therefore, do not allow yourself to become discouraged, for you have an Attorney who will bring you acquittal. Instead of faintness, sickness, and death, you will be preserved and continue to grow