Tag: Bible

Sword Fighting Class – Stay in the Light

On By Judy GlasserIn Sword Fighting ClassLeave a comment

We are memorizing Proverbs 2 together and we are watching in amazement as God blesses our faithfulness and write all of these words on our minds:

My child, if you accept my words and store up commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and you will find the knowledge of God.Proverbs 2 1st page - this one

For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.  He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.  Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you.  Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.  Who leave straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil.  Whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

Great job!  We are through the wicked men section and now we’re going to start memorizing about wayward women.  I put the next 2 verses together because it made more sense as I was memorizing it:Proverbs 2 -13-3-11

It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words who has left partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.

As we read this, the obvious message is that wisdom will save us from partnering up with someone who is going to be unfaithful to us.

God is also talking with us about being wise in avoiding sexual sins and the things that will draw us away from his light.  Our world is full of sexual messages and its hard to avoid all of the invitations to go down this dark, slippery path.   As Christians, God’s Spirit lives in us – our bodies are his temple – and he wants us to take that responsibility seriously.

We will be memorizing a couple of more verses warning us to avoid the wayward woman who represents sin.

Please give us wisdom, Abba Father.

Audio file of Proverbs 2:

A Hope and a Future

On By Judy GlasserIn AugustLeave a comment

We love this famous passage in Jeremiah 29 where God tells us he has a plan to prosper us – to give us a hope and a future.  We often stop quoting this section of scripture right there and we miss it!August 11 2015 a hope and a future

We miss the ‘how’ God is going to do this.

Because God goes on to say that, when we call on him and come to him and pray to him, he will listen.

When we seek him with all of our hearts, we will find him.

THIS is how he plans to give us a hope and a future.

Our part of this equation is to call on God, to pray to him and seek him with all of our hearts.

He asks us to do this because this will bring all of the success and joy and purpose we are looking for.

Today and on into eternity.

Thank you, Abba Father.

Maybe We Will Understand

On By Judy GlasserIn AugustLeave a comment

Maybe we will turn away from our bad choices.

This is what God wants for us. August 7 2015 maybe we will get it.

He wants to forgive us.

He wants us to know him

– to feel his love.

– experience his peace.

– live in his joy.

– rely on his strength for each day.

– and anticipate all of the good things that are coming to us tomorrow because he is already there.

God wants all of this to happen in our lives.  That’s why he had his wisdom and guidance for us written down in the Bible.

As our Bibles lie open on our laps with our minds actively seeking God, his truth is soaking into our souls, changing us, renewing us.  Helping us make better choices.  Enabling us to build better lives.

This is what God wanted for the people of Judah in Jeremiah 36 when he had Baruch write down all of the words he had given to Jeremiah.  Maybe when the people heard all of these directions and predictions together, they would actually get it.

Maybe they would understand it.

Maybe this would help them decide to turn away from their sin and turn toward God.

God wanted this to happen for the people of Judah and he wants this same thing to happen today.

Right now.

For us.

As we read his word.

Please open our eyes, Abba Father, so we can turn away from our sins and turn to you.

Sword Fighting Class – Walk on the Straight Path

On By Judy GlasserIn Sword Fighting ClassLeave a comment

We are partnering with God as we memorize Proverbs 2.  As we review the scripture 2 or 3 times a day, God writes it on our hearts.Proverbs 2 1st page - this one

“My child, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and you will find the knowledge of God.  For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.  He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you.  Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.  Who leave straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil.”Proverbs 2 -13-3-11

Great job!  We are almost done memorizing about the wicked men.  Here is the last verse of this part:

‘Whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.’

Dear Father, thank you for helping us to soak your word deep into our hearts and minds.  Please help us straighten out any paths in our lives that are not honoring to you.  Help us see any of our thoughts or motives that are devious.  Help us change, dear Father.  Transform our thoughts and desires so we can walk more closely with you.  In the redeeming name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Audio file of Proverbs 2:

They Found the Book

On By Judy GlasserIn AugustLeave a comment

The Book of the Law.

Moses’ book.

God’s words.

King Josiah knew it was time to repair the temple of the Lord.August 2 2015 They found the book

So he made it happen.

While they were cleaning and fixing the temple, they discovered “the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses.( 2 Chronicles 34:14)  The book was read to the King who immediately tore his robes and asked the prophetess Huldah to tell him what God wanted to say to him.  Her message from God can be boiled down to on word, ‘disaster’.

The king reacted immediately by having the Book read to all of the people and then leading them in renewing their covenant with God.   The king cleared out all of the idols from the temple along with the idolatrous priests.  He destroyed all of the places for idol worship and altars.  He got rid of the mediums and spiritists along with all other ‘detestable’ things.

When everything was done, they celebrated the Passover which had not been celebrated properly for hundreds of years.

Is it true that some of us need to ‘find’ the book of the Lord?

Are there ‘things’ in our lives that we put a higher priority on than our relationship with God?  These are our idols.

Do we look at sources other than God for our guidance and direction?  These are our mediums and spiritists.

Is our Bible sitting on the shelf more than its been sitting open on our lap?

We need to read it.

And let God transform our lives through it.

King Josiah’s cleansing of the land of Judah was a high point in their history.  He heard God’s word, he listened and he obeyed.

King Josiah found the Book.

The book led him to God.

God led him to renewal and celebration.

Is it time for some renewal and celebration in your life?

Maybe its time to REALLY find the Book.

Thank you for revealing your truth to us, Abba Father.

In the Wastelands……

On By Judy GlasserIn August1 Comment

dwelling in the parched places of the desert,July 31 2015 in the wasteland

in a salt land where no one lives.

Since I live in Phoenix, these verses from Jeremiah 17 have a special meaning for me in the summer.  It’s a killing heat if you get lost out in those parched places where no one lives.

God is telling us that we are choosing to live in the wasteland, in the parched places when our heart is turned away from him.

And he promises, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,” (vs 7 ).

When our confidence is in God, not ourselves, we become like a tree planted by the eternal stream of living water, sending our roots deep into God.  When we live there, we have no reason to fear when the heat comes.

And we know the heat will come – unexpected issues, problems and crisis.

When our lives are planted firmly in God, our leaves stay green – even when the heat hits.  We have no worries about a drought because God is always faithful.

And we never fail to bear fruit because God is with us….

and we are drinking deep……

as we live firmly planted by his stream of living water.

Dear Abba Father, please help us grow our roots down deep into your truth and your grace.  We love you!

Sword Fighting Class – What do We Delight In?

On By Judy GlasserIn Sword Fighting ClassLeave a comment

We are experiencing the power of God in a new way in our lives as we memorize Proverbs 2.  We go through our scripture every day while God actually does the work of writing in on our hearts.  Awesome!

“My child, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and you will find the knowledge of God.Proverbs 2 1st page - this one

For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.  He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.  Who leave straight paths to walk in dark ways,”

Amazing!  I’m finding it interesting to memorize these verses about wickedness.  God is bringing new awareness into my mind as these words roll around in it.  Here is the next verse:Proverbs 2 -13-3-11

“Who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil.”

It always surprises me.  Someone I’m having a conversation with describes a behavior or a situation where they did something obviously wrong but they smile and look like they think it’s smart – they got ‘over’ or they were more clever than everyone else at cheating the system, or they didn’t get in ‘trouble’ for doing it so now they are bragging about it.

These are all dark paths and crooked ways.

That’s our world.  Our culture.  And it will be our thinking unless we let the truth of God lead us and transform us.

What do we delight in?  And rejoice in?

Please open our eyes, dear Father, to our own behaviors and thoughts.  Shine your light and help us turn from any darkness on our journey towards your truth.  We love you!

Audio file of Proverbs 2:

Know How to Blush

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

Conflict.

Unresolved issues.

Things that are going on that are just plain wrong.July 28 2015 Know how to blush

God tells us in Jeremiah 8 to not ignore these things.   There were many issues at this time that the leaders needed to address.

But they looked the other way and acted like these were not serious problems.  They called it ‘peace’ when there really was no peace.

This way they could avoid having to confront any of the behaviors going on.  They ignored it all, acting like it wasn’t anything big.  As a result, they didn’t have to face the shame they should have been feeling.

Do we ever do this?

Avoid the issue?

Act like it isn’t a big thing?

Say something is ok when it really isn’t ok?

Ignore the problem so we don’t have to deal with the shame of our behavior?

God said, “They do not even know how to blush.” (vs 12)

There was no shame.

No turning to God for help in getting their problems solved.

No repentance.

As a result, no renewal.

No fresh wind of God’s spirit.

Only a false peace which was leading them down a path to punishment for their sins.

And they didn’t even know how to blush.

Please open our eyes, Abba Father.

We Are Vulnerable

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

When our lives are not anchored daily on the Rock who is the God of our salvation, we are vulnerable….

to anything and everything.July 22 2015 we are vulnerable

I love how Nahum describes this in his 3rd chapter – “The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies.” (vs 13).

If we don’t have God protecting us and shielding us every day, we are wide open to whatever the Evil One wants to throw at us.

Whatever we think will keep us secure – if it’s not God – it will fail when it is shaken.

Whatever we put our trust in – if it’s not God – we’re in trouble.

Our jobs can disappear tomorrow.

Our bank accounts can disappear tomorrow.

Our health can disappear tomorrow.

Our possessions can disappear tomorrow.

Nahum tells us to ‘Look at your troops – they are all weaklings,” (vs 13).

We are weak and vulnerable when we aren’t walking hand in hand with God.

So Nahum challenges us – ‘get your act together’. (my version of vs 14).

Draw close to the Living Water.

Strengthen your spiritual disciplines of reading and meditating on God’s Word, regular participation in worship and prayers.

Do the hard work of forgiving others and repairing relationships.

Or “the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down – they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.” (vs 15).

Nahum reminds us that our security is in God – nothing else.

Nahum tells us the truth – that all of the ‘things’ we put our security in will ‘fly away’ someday.

Only our relationship with God is secure.

Thank you, Abba Father.

People the Lord Has Blessed

On By Judy GlasserIn JulyLeave a comment

They will be called Oaks of Righteousness.July 20 2015 oaks 1

A planting of the Lord.

A display of his splendor. (vs 3)

I want to be an Oak of Righteousness.  A planting of the Lord.

May my life display even a tiny portion of his splendor!

God points out to us in Isaiah 61 the things that are keeping his Oaks of Righteousness busy.  As I read this, it relates directly to our culture today.

Have you noticed the ruins of our moral structure?

It’s hard to miss the devastation of healthy, strong family foundations.

God’s Oaks of Righteousness are leading the way in rebuilding these ruins within their own sphere of influence.  They are so dedicated to God’s work that they have taken their focus off of a lot of things that distract us every day so they pay more attention to the work God has given them.

God is calling each one of us to rise up and be this Oak within our piece of the ruins.July 20 2015 oaks 2

Yes – we can point fingers at politicians and lawmakers.  That’s the easy way out.

Sure – we can get upset.  We can say all kinds of things about how bad our culture has become.

But what part of this do we own?

And what are we doing about it?

How often are we praying about it?

As we obey, we become this solid planting of the Lord with our roots sunk deep into His truth.  God hates wrong-doing and injustice.  He righteously fights these battles using us when we are in line with him.

God promises that our obedience will bring us double portions of his blessing and everlasting joy.    He extends these blessings to our children (awesome) and tells us that we will be acknowledged as ‘the people the Lord has blessed’. (vs 9).

Amen, let it be so, Abba Father.