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2 “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is to wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.” Psalm 139:2-6
Are you a cup that is half-full or a cup that is half-empty kind of person? If you are a half-empty cup, you might read verses 2 through 4 of Psalm 139 and be fearful. “Oh my goodness, God knows what I’m doing every second of my life as well as every thought and action! I am saved, and yet thoughts sometimes pop into my mind that even I don’t like, much less God! I wish He didn’t know those things! And then there are my words; some are said in anger or thoughtlessness, and they’ve hurt others. I’ve asked God for forgiveness, but Satan continually points his finger at me saying, ‘Shame on you!’ and guilt raises its ugly face. The half empty cup gets even emptier. Being half-empty is one way of looking at things, but I prefer the half-full cup version! Because God knows everything about us, He knows what we need at all times—the things that we need both to discipline us and those to encourage us—things that will grow us to become more like His Son, Jesus. When we do mess up and sin, God’s correction helps us recognize that; then, when we repent and confess our sin, God promises to forgive, to make us whiter than snow, and tells us we are no longer to feel shame or guilt because Jesus has paid the full price for all sin. On the other hand, when we need encouragement, when we feel low, we may find God brings peace to our hearts when we spend time studying and meditating on His Word or when we spend time glorifying Him through the splendor of His creation. Then there are those times when He’ll have a friend write or phone with an encouraging word; or when He brings to our doorsteps one who says not much, but listens well; or when others arrive who encourage us by relating how we've touched their lives. How wonderful to know God understands us even better than we understand ourselves, so He knows our every need. Thus when we read in verse 5 that God goes before and after us, we know He has our welfare and eternal lives in mind. He is therefore with us in the best of times, cheering us on and rejoicing with us; and in the worst of times, grieving when and if harm is done. The important thing to remember is that God is THERE—with us—at all times! Capping off all this wonderful information is v. 6, “You place Your hand of blessing on my head.” Blessing—on our heads! YES! We are God’s beloved! “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.” No truer words ever have been said! May you and I always be thankful that God knows everything about us; in fact, we should rejoice in this fact! Who could we trust more to love us unconditionally or direct our paths more truly than our triune God? Psalm 139 tells us how great the Father’s love is for us—total, complete, agape love—unconditional and ever present. Let us rejoice in our God who loves us beyond what any words can describe! VERSES: Psalm 51:7 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Isaiah1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be whiter than snow.” Romans 8:1 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” I John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to Him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You do know everything about me. Even though Satan would use the knowledge to cause me to feel guilt or shame, You have shown me that because of my belief in Jesus and His death for me on the cross, I am not to feel condemnation. So when Satan would fire arrows at me, let me physically point to the palms of my hands, indicating Jesus’ wounds and that I’ve been justified through His obedience when He died on the cross in my place. Thank You, also, Father, for being with me always and everywhere! I need never feel alone or hopeless, for You are everything a Father should be—loving, compassionate, full of mercy and grace; You are the supplier of all my needs and my ever-present King and friend. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Psalm 139:1-4 “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.”
God—knowing everything about us—from sitting to standing; from our every thought; and from our every action—God knows all these things! This can be a scary thought sometimes, right—having an all knowing, all-powerful God who sees all? Yet the state of our hearts is vital to our relationship to the Lord, for “a good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 You have most likely heard the expression, “This is the heart of the matter.” Well, in Christianity, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart! God’s Word makes this very clear: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 God knows the motives behind our actions, and one day when our works are run through fire, we will be receive rewards based upon whether or not our actions were based on pure motives. Therefore, God directs us in the following verses: “Guard you heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 and “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Proverbs: 27:19 When we look at the fact that everything we do in life flows from our hearts and that how we live projects what is in our hearts, we can understand why it is so important to regularly examine them. Are the motives behind our actions pure? Is there sin I haven’t faced or renounced in my life? “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” Luke 15:21 The prodigal son examined his heart, repented of his sinful ways, and returned home. “I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow Your laws.” Psalm 119:59 It is believed King David used these words to teach Solomon his son, Solomon. A great daily habit, then, would be to purify our hearts by confessing sin, asking God for His forgiveness, and examining the motives behind our actions so that we can make certain they are meant to glorify God and not ourselves in the eyes of others. Let us also ask ourselves how obedient we are being to God’s laws, not because of the commands themselves, but because of our all-consuming love for our Savior God. Then let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us until we overflow with the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—so that through us, others can see Jesus' hands, feet, and heart in action. VERSES: Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Job 13:23 “Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.” PRAYER: Father God, when I stop to pray and examine my heart, let me listen carefully for your voice. It is often all too easy to ignore or disregard the sin in me, make excuses for it, or blame someone else. This is not Your way! You long for us to be pure in heart! So, Father, If there is a log in my eye, I ask You to expose it, whether that knowledge hurts or not. “How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:4-5 Always help me confess every sin You reveal to me and to examine the motives behind my words and actions. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I may grow in Jesus’ way. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! 1 John 3:1a “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!
As Father’s Day approaches, I am drawn to memories of my earthly father. To me, as I grew up, he was a hero. He was there every time I needed him, protecting me from my mother during my teenage years when she was either cold, not speaking to me for days or weeks at a time, or raging, perhaps due to hormones. “I think this would be a great time to go golfing,” he would say, and off we would head for the links. Then there was the time I called him late at night telling him I thought I had tonsillitis, and Dad drove from Portland, Oregon, to Corvallis where I was in college, bringing me medication. It was late when he left Portland and much later when he returned home…approximately 1:30 AM, proof indeed, that though not spiritually nourished by my father, I always felt love and commitment from him. Then came the day, when I was 65 years old, a cousin whom I had not seen for years stopped in for a visit—with a purpose in mind. She told me that for much of her life she had needed to seek out counseling, and that to help with closure, her therapist recommended telling me how my father had sexually abused her in her youth; she then described in some detail what had taken place. I was devastated. I went for long walks with my husband, tears streaming down my face. Who was my father, anyway? I thought I had known my him, but I hadn’t. I’m certain that some of you reading this devotional had loving, Christian fathers who helped you walk through life and nurtured you in your faith; but there are others, I am equally certain, who not only treated you unfairly or harshly, but even abused you in one way or another. This was and is not the intent of your true Father God, who always has had your welfare in mind. While human fathers come in all sizes, shapes, mentalities, goodness, or propensity for evil, you can rely on the fact that your true Father God is always good and never changing; He is the very definition and essence of love. While in our humanness we cannot understand God’s ways, we must understand that although we live in a fallen world with all its consequences, we can trust that God’s justice one day will prevail. From the moment Eve succumbed to the temptation of Satan, God’s plan of salvation was put into action, and God promised a Redeemer from Eve’s seed: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 As we read the Bible, we can see that each book points to our Savior, Jesus, because from the beginning God’s desire was for life and the redemption of every man possible. We will see God’s plan of salvation coming to fruition when one day it plays out as foretold in the book of Revelation. Oh, glorious day! If you have had a father who has abused you in any way, Satan will attempt to turn you from your true Father God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, telling you that He is just like your earthly father…that He will punish you for every sin you’ve ever committed and deny you all that is good. He would make you feel shame and/or guilt. What great lies! Your true Father, the One who created you, treasures you so very much that He sent His only Son to die for you and will protect you eternally if you call upon the name of Jesus as your Savior. When you choose Jesus as your Savior, you become God’s child, and He gives you great promises as your Father: “And I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18 “The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:13 And when you ask your Father’s forgiveness, He readily forgives: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…” 1 John 1:9 Your God is not a punisher; He is your warrior, your eternal protector, and your life-giver. He sees you not as guilty, but as redeemed; He sees you through Jesus, whose blood has purified you, cleansing you from all sin. To God, you are as fresh and pure as newly fallen snow. When Father’s Day arrives, be thankful if you’ve had a loving earthly father, and if you’ve not, forgive by placing into God’s hands the father who has harmed you; then remember to thank and praise your true Father for all His glorious works and for what He is accomplishing through your life. What a joy it is to remember that God finds you worthy of His everlasting care and love and that you are an inheritor of His eternal kingdom. What more could a child ask for? VERSES: Jeremiah 31:3 “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.’ ” Psalm 103:10-14 "He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, for His mercy toward those who fear and honor Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth." Exodus 15:1-3 “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; He has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him—my father’s God, and I will exalt Him! The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name!” Deuteronomy 31:6 “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Isaiah 55:8-9 “ ‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ ” PRAYER: Father, I don’t understand how my earthly father could have been so loving to me and yet so abusive to my beloved cousin. I, as all mankind, will never know what lies in the hearts of man! What I can always rely on, however, is who You are: steady, unchanging, promise keeping, and One who defines unconditional, agape love. You will never leave me, fail me, or forsake me. When I don’t understand the things of this world, I will keep my eyes focused on You and choose to trust You fully and completely, for I acknowledge that my understanding, ways, and thoughts could never approach Yours. I thank You with all my heart that I don’t have to rely on an earthly father for love , understanding, or acceptance; I have You! Thank You with all my heart for being my true Father. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! “Then God said, ‘Let Us make human beings in Our image, to be like Us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground. So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.’ ” Genesis 1:26-27
It was in 1965 that Morris Rosenberg first initiated the term self-image.1 Since that time, hundreds of books have been written about self, which make us ask questions such as, “Who am I? Do I have worth? Do I have value?” The focus is entirely on self. But is this what God taught and intended? I don’t believe so for several reasons. As we read Scripture, we discover that Jesus never was focused on self. In every way, He exemplified placing others before Himself. He put His Father’s will above His own when He said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” Luke 22:42 He taught His disciples that serving was more important than being served: “ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28; And He taught that others were more important than self: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 When some focus on self-image, they possibly strive for status gained through wealth and/or power to demonstrate their importance in the world; but not God! “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:9-12 “The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at Him. Then He said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:14-15 God does not want us to focus on self or feel valued because of cultural status, wealth, or power, nor does He want us to focus on ourselves to the extent that we question who we are and whether or not we have worth or value. God never intended that we judge our worth by the world's standards! God wants you and I to remember that we are created His own image! Imagine, God’s image! Would we ever question God’s worth or His value? NO! If we started to list proofs of His worth and value, His character, and how much He loves us, the list would go on indefinitely! Therefore, because we are made in God’s image, we NEVER should question our worth and value. I will have to admit that one time I did exactly this, when I was a mature enough Christian that I should have known better! I questioned my value because my life situation had changed and I felt I lacked purpose. I’ll never forget that it was as if Jesus reached down and held me when I expressed this to my husband, for Terry reached out, took me by the shoulders, looked me in the eye, and said, “Candice Mary Thomas, I love and value you not because of what you do, but because of who you are.” This is the knowledge God would have you and I place deep within our hearts. God gives us our worth; He loves us; and He is happy that we are who He made us to be! He never values us because of what we do, but because of who He made us to be! So let’s discard the term self-image, remembering that we are made in God’s very own image and we are God’s treasures indeed! 1. https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-image.html VERSES: Philippians 2:3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Matthew 19:30 “But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” Matthew 20:16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” Mark 10:25 “In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 1 Timothy 6:11-12 “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.” PRAYER: Father God, I thank You that You made me who I am. When I have doubts about that, please remind me that You created me in Your image! When I think of the depth of all this implies, I honestly admit that this truth is almost incomprehensible to my mind! Yet I know the like You, You have given me a will, emotion, and intellect; please, help me always use these for Your glory. Let me never forget that what You have given me in these areas as well as talents and spiritual gifts are to be used not for my gain, but for use in the spreading Your Good News of salvation through belief in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let me always find my value and worth in You, Father, and not in anything in this world. Amen. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Have you ever thought about the blessings God has given you through the people He has brought into your life? Have you thought about how different you would be had they not been there? As I look back, I clearly see God’s hand at work, day after day, year after year, placing people and events in my life that thankfully changed me forever and still continue to do so. I was 29 when God blessed me with Terry as my husband, and as I begin writing this devotional today on my 45th wedding anniversary, May 28th, I praise the Lord for bringing him to me. Without Terry, I might never have learned about the love Jesus has for me and how He wants a relationship with me that is personal and intimate; and because of Terry, I was introduced to a generous and loving family who were the hands and feet of Jesus—living examples of true, genuine Christian faith. It’s a long story, but God provided a miracle which led us to a very small church where Pastor Vaughn Nelson (now with his beloved Jesus) taught the Word, verse by verse, using an overhead projector. He gave us meat, and we were like desperate lions roaring for it! God was giving us His living water: “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 Pastor was following Jesus’ words to Peter when Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” John 15:17 It was in this church I first saw Jesus’ Spirit being demonstrated, and it was something I had never experienced before. The pastor regularly visited us, answering our many questions, and as we grew in the faith, urged us to share Christ with our neighbors. Also, within the first several weeks of our attendance, Christ’s love was displayed to us in more ways than I can describe. Examples: One dear woman surprised me by knocking on our front door and handing me my first Bible study. “Work through this, then let’s talk!” Then there was the family who invited us for lemon meringue pie to get to know us, while another had us to dinner, talked of Jesus, and introduced us to Christian music. Others had us to their homes many times to talk with us of Jesus. Very importantly, the entire church drew together in unity and began a new believer’s class on our behalf. There we learned the basic truths of Christian faith—the Good News: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9 This describes only the beginning of the blessings God’s family has been in our lives. As we moved several times, our Lord always placed us in churches and careers where there were faithful followers of Christ: pastors teaching His Word, their lovely wives, devoted Christian brothers and sisters, fellow teachers, and best friends—all whose examples grew us then and continue to grow us now in our faith. How can one begin to describe that?! Truly, there is no way, but there are no people dearer than God's people, and I thank Him for each and every one of them and pray His abundant blessings upon them. I also pray the same for you! I would urge you to take some time and think about those God has placed in your life. Who were the people who led you to Christ as Savior? How have they influenced who you are today, and who are those who continue to bless your life? Take a little more time and thank God for how He has directed you on your journey and brought to you those who build you up, grow you in Christ, and walk with you through life’s many ups and downs. May those people be blessed, and may God be glorified through all He is making you to be! VERSES: Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!” John 15:17 “A third time He asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” PRAYER: Father, thank you with all my heart for blessing me with the people you know I needed and still need in my life to teach me and daily transform me more and more into your image. You have provided pastors, church members, and those who have become my dearest of friends…all demonstrating your love and spirit, shining with the heart of Jesus. As You have been clearly glorified by their love and care, may my life—all I say and do—also glorify You, Father. Indeed, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased.” Revelation 4:11 DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! |
Author Candice Mary Thomas writes about loving God and loving people! Coming to Christ at age 32 and now in her 70's, Candice knows what a difference it makes living with or without Christ as one's personal Savior. Archives
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