6-9-07 Psalms 18: 16, 17

Psalms 18:16, 17 (NIVUS)
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

Psalms 18:16, 17 (NLT)
He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

Psalms 18:16, 17 (NRSV)
He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

Psalms 18:16, 17 (NAS)
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

So many natural things have positive aspects, as well as negative ones. Electricity has the power to give you light, but if you approach it incorrectly, it has the power to kill you. Water is something you need to live and the power of water can be so forceful that it brings death and destruction. Hurricane Katrina is a perfect example of the power of natural elements gone wrong.

Sometimes the circumstances of your life may seem like a hurricane set against you. An abundance of flooding, wasting water seems to be rising all about you and you believe that you are going to drown. Satan wants you to thinks that he is more powerful and mighty than God, but he is not.

Adonai is the Most High God, who is elevated above all else. When He looks down from His lofty altitude, He sees that you need His help. He will not forsake you or push you away. Instead He will stretch out His hand to take you out of your trouble; He will pull you out of the flood.

Perhaps instead of bad circumstances, you are surrounded by hostility. You have strong, greedy, and harsh enemies. You actually have people who hate you. You know that they are stronger and harder than you. Without the Lord's help, you know you will never be saved. But God wants to save and rescue you from your foes. He wants you to prevail and not cower in fear and weakness. Therefore, the Almighty snatches you away from their grasp. He delivers you and even recovers the spoils that your enemies have taken from you. You do not need to fear their power and strength any longer, for your God is more powerful than any of your foes.

6-8-07 Isaiah 3: 10, 11

Isaiah 3: 10, 11 (NAS)
Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.

Isaiah 3: 10, 11 (NIVUS)
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.

Isaiah 3: 10, 11 (NLT)
But all will be well for those who are godly. Tell them, "You will receive a wonderful reward! But say to the wicked, "Your destruction is sure. You, too, will get what you deserve. Your well-earned punishment is on the way.

Every day you hear words. Some are good and encouraging and many are not. Listening to the daily news broadcasts, you rarely hear good news. Sin, crime, and wickedness are the usual stories of the day.

Since you are a righteous man, there is one place that you can go and you will hear good news. You can go to Adonai the Most High God, who tells you to expect things to be well. He has planned your life to be beautiful and bountiful, fair and fine, and cheerful and pleasant. Prosperity and precious treasures are just part of the wealth that is ready for you. As God's child your life should be sweet and you should be well-favored.

The Lord your God has created you for special endeavors and wonderful works. Through your faithful acts, you shall glean fruit. In whatever you do, you will increase and grow. Not only will you eat from your efforts,
but you will also experience fine dining. Your platters will be plenteously filled and you will be rewarded.

The reward of the wicked will not be the same as yours. They will experience crying and lamentation, for their lives are full of coveting and lust. The ungodly man, who sows bad seeds, will receive a harvest that is evil and grievous. The hurt and harm that he gives out will return to him in full measure. He will have sorrow and trouble. He shall receive a just recompense for the work of his hands.

You, therefore, should continue in your good works, for your righteousness and purity have made you a fisher of men. Perhaps your pure and clean life style and its bounteous rewards will cause the wicked and unrighteous to hunger and thirst for what you already have.

6-7-07 John 4:14

John 4:14 (NAS)
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

John 4:14 (Philips)
But whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again. For my gift will become a spring in the man himself, welling up into eternal life.

Without water every living thing would eventually die. Water is necessary to maintain life on every level. Likewise, there is water that is necessary to your spiritual life. Jesus told you that He is the Living Water. Once you have had a drink of the Living Water, you develop a thirst that only the Lord can quench. He is the one who refreshes, strengthens, and nourishes you
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When the Lord gives you the Living Water, He is giving from His very own being. And He does not give in small measure. Yeshua floods you, raining upon, and filling you like natural water fills rivers and seas. If you go through a dry season and are unable to obtain this water, you become parched and shriveled. You need to thirst for the Living Water daily. As you cannot long survive on an occasional drink of water in your natural life, the same is true in your spiritual life. Spending a few minutes, once in awhile with the Lord leaves you spiritually dehydrated.

However, the Living Water is always available. It is a permanent gift that the Lord will not take away from you; He freely supplies all that you need. What you have received is like a deep well that is fed by a fresh spring. Sometimes the water bubbles up of its own accord, with the force of a fountain. Sometimes you have put your buckets down into the well and draw up the water for yourself, digging into the Word and spending time in His presence. But there is always provision.

This leaping gushing Water makes you vital and animated spiritually. Your life is active and vigorous, devoted to God. You have a blessed, endless life in the Kingdom of God. You are strong, powerful, and efficient in whatever you do because you partake of all the nutrients that the Living Water contains.

So get yourself a refreshing drink today. And if one drink is not enough, go back again and again until you find your thirst being quenched!

6-6-07 Joshua 1:8

Joshua 1:8 (NAS)
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Joshua 1:8 (NIVUS)
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Adonai has given us His Law, His Word, for our instruction and direction. His words, like arrows, hit the mark to teach and instruct us in His ways. His words, like rain, are available to the just as well as the unjust.

Continue to speak His words to others and to yourself. Do not remove them from your speech or depart from their teachings! Utter them aloud as a roar or in whispers and murmurs. Meditate on, muse over, and imagine what God's word can do in your life. In the morning, in the evening, or throughout the day, let His words be what you feast on continually!

Keep and treasure His words in your memory. They will guard, protect, watch over, and save you. Observe them and celebrate them! Do what they say and they will produce what God wants in your life. Act upon and attend to everything that the Lord has written, everything He has recorded and decreed.

As you act on the Word, you will advance and make progress; you will prosper and succeed. No matter where your way goes as you tread along, you will find profit and prosperity. The Lord will give you insight and comprehension for whatever you face. His word will cause you to act wisely and prudently. And you will be successful!

6-5-07 James 1: 12

James 1: 12 (BBE)
There is a blessing on the man who undergoes testing; because, if he has God’s approval, he will be given the crown of life, which the Lord has said he will give to those who have love for him.

James 1: 12 (NAS)
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1: 12 (NIVUS)
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 (Philips)
The man who patiently endures the temptations and trials that come to him is the truly happy man. For once his testing is complete he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to all who love him.

You are a happy and satisfied man, for the Spirit of the Living God dwells inside of you. You are a man of faith. Because of your faith, you know that you will face trials and tests. Your faithfulness, integrity, virtue and constancy will be on continual trial. Your enemy will try his best to make you slip from your life of faith and holiness back into the realm of sin. He wants to disgrace you and show that you cannot maintain your godly character.

However, you, by your faith, continue to abide in God's word and His word dwells inside of you. You do not flee before the trials coming against you. You persevere and continue to hold fast to your faith in Christ. You do not perish in times of testing, but you last and endure. You do not change, but continue in your stand of faith and trust in God.

The trials that you undergo prove that you are not a counterfeit. The Lord your God holds a high opinion of you and He desires to reward your steadfastness. He wants you to receive a crown, which is the mark of royalty and an exalted rank. This crown proves to the world and to the enemy that you have partaken of the life of God and have become His son. Your love for God remains constant. Therefore, He keeps His promises to you.

6-4-07 Isaiah 55:12, 13

Isaiah 55:12, 13 (NAS)
For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up;
And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.

The Lord your God has brought you out of sin and darkness. Now He is taking you forward to the purpose He has planned for you. As you yield to Him with joy and gladness, He leads you into a state of completeness, soundness, welfare and peace. Here you also find safety, restoration, compensation, and reward. You have tranquility, health, contentment, and prosperity.

Even the mountains and the hills rejoice with you for what the Lord has done in your life. They will burst forth with singing and a joyful ringing cry. The trees of the fields and the plains join with the mountains and hills. They clap their hands in exultation before you. Where you had thorns, you now have fir trees or cypresses, the building material for a strong temple of God. What used to cause pain in your life has been exchanged for what is noble and stately. Where you had briars and nettles, you now have a myrtle tree, a type of evergreen. What used to be a prickly, dry and burning place is now a place of greenness, growth, and everlasting life.

Jehovah's name is exalted in your life. The way He has transformed you and fashioned you brings glory to Him. His reputation and His fame are extended through the witness that you are and always will be. When others look at you, they see a sign of the faithfulness of God; for they observe the miracles He has done and continues to do for you. You are a distinguishing mark of the covenant that He has established with mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ!

6-3-07 Jeremiah 33:9

Jeremiah 33:9 (NAS)
And it shall be to Me a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good that I do for them, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.

Jeremiah 33:9 (NIVUS)
Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.

God from the beginning has established a people and a nation for Himself. He has desired someone to set His love upon. And those He chooses, whether it be a city or an individual, are extremely blessed. Those called by His name, who carry His reputation, fame and glory, bring Him great joy and gladness. He rejoices and exults over them. He has made them a sign and memorial of His greatness. They give Him praise, adoration, and thanksgiving, for they shine with His favor. He is worthy of honor and glory.

You are one whom the Almighty has chosen. God has blessed you so much that you can do nothing else except praise His name. As you speak and sing of His wonderful acts, those who hear give attention to and understand what you say. You declare the good and the benefits that the Lord has extended to you freely. Others see how He has favored you and filled you with joy. They observe how productive your life has become.

They know that their lives are not the same as yours and they begin to fear and tremble. They stand in awe of God, for they begin to realize how good He is. They see that He has made your life better. You live in delight and have been made rich and prosperous. They know that you are valuable in His sight.

He has made you complete and you are content in His covenant of peace. He has restored you and made you whole. You are prosperous in every area of your life. There is nothing missing and nothing broken. You are God's handiwork, formed and fashioned to make others hunger and thirst for the Lord Almighty!