1-6-07 Jeremiah 15:16

Jeremiah 15:16 (KJ21)
Thy words were found, and I ate them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart; for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Jeremiah 15:16 (NAS)
Thy words were found and I ate them, And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Jeremiah 15:16 (NIVUS)
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT)
Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

According to the Bible, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. You demonstrate your hunger and thirst for righteousness when you study and consume God's words. When you do this, you will find that Adonai’s words bring joy, exultation, rejoicing and gladness. His words encourage your heart.

Not only do you have access to the words of God, but you are also called by His name, which carries all of His reputation, fame, and glory. That name is Jehovah, the Lord God of Hosts. Jehovah the Lord is the One who wages war against your enemies and He is always victorious. He makes a show of them openly, triumphing over them in all things.

With the Almighty’s words in your heart and His name on your lips, you can do no less than triumph, even as He has triumphed before you.

1-5-07 Zechariah 10:11

Zechariah 10:11 (KJ21)
And He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up; and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.

Zechariah 10:11(NAS)
And He will pass through the sea of distress, And strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt will depart.

Zechariah 10:11(NIVUS)
They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away.

Zechariah 10:11 (NLT)
They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back. And the waters of the Nile will become dry. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end.

We all go through transition times. Some of them are good and some are not so good. Usually during these times change occurs. Adjusting to change is often difficult, but adaptation is necessary for survival. Perhaps you are experiencing transition now.

The enemies of Israel faced transition when Adonai the Lord stepped into the situation to bring positive change for His people. However, that change was usually not beneficial to those who were opposed to God and His ways. In His anger, the Lord God would provoke and alienate those who did the same to His people.

When the Lord God passed through the seas, Israel's foes knew that soon they would see trouble and adversity. Affliction, anguish, and distress would be their lot, for the Lord would squeeze them into a narrow tight place. If the Almighty's wrath was stirred, He could strike the rivers and seas of their lands, so that all of the waves and springs, no matter how deep they were, would dry up and wither away.

Assyria, one of Israel's enemies, had become exalted in pride, for they had always proved successful in advancing against and conquering other nations. However, the Most High promised to bring them down. For a long time Egypt ruled over Israel, besieging them and holding them captive, but the Lord God removed the scepter from that land. The Lord brought all of Israel's enemies to an end. Their strength was broken and they were defeated.

Therefore, if you are going through transition, you should know that the Lord will bring you through in strength and those who are coming against you will be defeated just like Assyria and Egypt.

1-4-07 Psalms 14:7

Psalms 14:7 (KJ21)
Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD bringeth back His people from captivity, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

Psalms 14:7 (NAS)
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Psalms 14:7 (NIVUS)
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalms 14:7 (NLT)
Oh, that salvation would come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel! For when the LORD restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Having just gone through the holiday season, you are well aware of the concept of giving gifts to those you love. You spend time, energy, and money looking for just the right one for each individual. Doesn't it please you when your gifts are received with joy and thankfulness?

Almighty God, your Father, has given you the greatest gift of all. Through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, you have received salvation, deliverance, and victory. Health and prosperity are also included.

The Lord your Savior is also your defender, the One who rescues and preserves you. You are safe and free in the wide open area that He has provided for you. Jehovah the Lord has prevailed against your enemies and has lifted you up, so that you can occupy all of the land that He has ordained for you. He has willingly restored you. He will never withdraw Himself from you.

Now you are able to rule, for Adonai, the Most High God has given you the power of a prince in His Kingdom. In the dry and barren wildernesses of the world, you are conspicuous and eminent among men. You glitter with the splendor of God's truth and are strengthened through the confidence that you have in Him.

You once were a captive in exile, but God has brought you back to Himself. Your heart has been circumcised and you now are able to rejoice in the restoration and refreshment that you have received. Sometimes your emotions are so overwhelmed with the Lord's gift that you spin around in joy and cheer. Your whole countenance is bright with His great salvation.

1-3-07 Psalms 14:6

Psalms 14:6 (KJ21)
Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

Psalms 14:6 (NAS)
You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the LORD is his refuge.

Psalms 14:6 (NIVUS)
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.

Psalms 14:6 (NLT)
The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the LORD will protect his people.




Often enemies use a simple thing to demoralize each other. Today it is called propaganda, but it comes down to the same thing, shame. They try to emphasize all of the other's weaknesses, while building up their own strengths. Whether it is a nation or an individual, if they become ashamed, they lose their sense of self-worth and value. They become disappointed and disconcerted and lose the spirit to fight. Then they are easy pickings for those who attack them.

You have an enemy who wants to make you ashamed of your purpose. Even if you receive the best and wisest counsel, your adversary wants to disrupt your plans, making you believe that they will all come to naught. Your foes want to think that you will always be poor, afflicted, and weak. If they can make you see yourself as wretched, then wretched you will be. You will remain bowed down and low; depression will set in.

Unlike others who share this fate, you have a place to flee for refuge and protection. Jehovah the Lord is your shelter from rain, storms, lies, and danger. When you confide in and trust the Lord, you will be safe from the attacks that try to shame you and you will have your hope renewed.

1-2-07 Psalms 14:4, 5

Psalms 14: 4, 5 (KJ21)
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the LORD? There were they in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.

Psalms 14: 4, 5 (NAS)
Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon the LORD? There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation.

Psalms 14: 4, 5 (NIVUS)
Will evildoers never learn— those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD? There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

Psalms 14: 4, 5 (NLT)
Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread; they wouldn’t think of praying to the LORD. Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him.

There are people who seem to work very hard to cause trouble and sorrow. They are wicked idolaters who only know how to commit iniquity. These actually do not have knowledge or perception. They cannot discern or distinguish the truth from the lie that they are living. They possess no wisdom

These evil ones think that the only answer is to eat and devour others, especially the people of God. They consume and destroy with pestilence and oppression. Since they live in darkness, they are opposed to those who live in the light of the Lord, fighting against them and engaging them in battle. They do not know how to call upon the name of the Lord Jehovah.

Even though these evil doers inspire fear in others, it is only because they live in great fear themselves. They actually tremble with dread and awe of God, for they do not belong to the circumcised of the Lord; they know that they have been cut off from His presence, while the righteous dwell before the Most High God. Unlike the righteous man, they are not justified or vindicated by the Lord. They know they are facing judgment and condemnation.

So if you feel like someone is trying to eat and devour you, you need not fear. The Lord your God will come to your rescue, for you are His habitation. You are justified and vindicated in His sight, but they are not.

1-1-07 Ecclesiastes 2:26

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (KJ21)
For God giveth to a man what is good in His sight: wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NAS)
For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NIVUS)
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NRSV)
For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

When the Lord God looks at you, He is pleased, for you are His son. Because you believe in and call upon the name of the Lord Yeshua, God sees you as good and righteous. You are someone who does well and are agreeable to the Lord. Therefore, His favor rests upon you.

As a result, He bestows wisdom and knowledge on you. You have good understanding, discernment and perception; you are shrewd in all of your dealings. Your fear of God and obedience to Him are evidence that wisdom reigns in your life. That wisdom gives you a deeply rooted joy and gladness.

The sinful man, however, is not so blessed. He is constantly occupied and busy, gathering and collecting all that he can. He trusts in himself and, therefore, has to provide for himself. He is bowed down, afflicted and depressed from his never ending toil and labor. He does not realize that soon he will perish and what he has stored up will be given to others. What he has produced is designated for the man on whom God has granted His favor.

And you are that man, favored of the Lord and blessed!

12-31-06 Zechariah 2:4, 5

Zechariah 2:4, 5 (KJ21)
And said unto him, "Run, speak to this young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle therein. For I,’ saith the LORD, ‘will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. "

Zechariah 2:4, 5 (NAS)
And said to him, "Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. ‘For I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’"

Zechariah 2:4, 5 (NIVUS)
And said to him: "Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

Zechariah 2:4, 5 (NLT)
The other angel said, "Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people that it won’t have room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls, with all their livestock—and yet they will be safe. For I, myself, will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the LORD. And I will be the glory inside the city!’"

In ancient times towns and villages would build walls around themselves. These walls provided protection and safety from outside enemies and marauders. Cities without walls were easy prey for anyone who chose to attack them.

Perhaps you have built walls around yourself. You may have been hurt many times and you thought by hiding behind those walls you would always be protected. However, the walls you have built may keep enemies out, but they also hinder those who would be friends from drawing closer to you. This is not the best the Lord has for your life.

Adonai has sent His anointed servants and ministers to you to speak of His plans and purposes for your life. In fact He has instructed and commanded them to run quickly to bring you His promises. The Lord your God has planned that you be like the city of Jerusalem, walking and living in His covenant of peace. Through this you are complete and sound. In God's peace you are safe and more protected than being behind the thickest wall.

The Lord's best for you is that you dwell without walls, living openly before Him and others. He has made you to be a chieftain, leader, and warrior who is not afraid. He wants to give you greatness and abundance. You will be like a rancher with tens of thousands of head of cattle.

Instead of the walls that you build, Jehovah the Lord will be like a wall of fire around about you. You can be open and unafraid, for He surrounds you with His hot and burning protection. You will live in His glory and honor.