Quiet Time : even more much needed wisdom!

Okay, so here is basically a list of other verses I found interesting (although this certainly isn't all of them, by far). Just one more chapter to go, then on to Ecclesiastes!

Proverbs 18 (KJV)

4The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

Note: deep waters. i.e., obscure, hidden. Flowing brook. i.e., clear. Although some men's words are obscure. Others are sources of wisdom and convey the clear truth.

8The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Note: wounds...go down. Better, morsels greedily swallowed. Hearing gossip, like eating a delicacy, gives you something others do not have, and it is remembered in the inmost parts.

14The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

Note: sustain his infirmity. Better, endure his sickness. wounded=broken.

20A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Note: A man's tongue can yield satisfaction, life, or death. Those who are prone to use the tongue must take the consequences of their words.

Proverbs 19 (KJV)

3The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.

Note: The foolish man blames the Lord for failures he has brought upon himself.

21There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

23The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Proverbs 20 (KJV)

9Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Note: The implied answer is "nobody," thus teaching the impossibility of sinless perfection.

13Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Me: !!!!!

24Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Note: God's sovereignty over man's ways is beyond our full comprehension.

Me: What I assume is probably wrong; especially someone else's motives, or even my own!

27The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Note: The conscience searches the inner part of man to convict of sin.

Proverbs 21 (KJV)

2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

21He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
31The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

Note: Do not fight against the Lord, and, if you want safety (victory), do not fight without Him.

Proverbs 23 (KJV)

18For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Note: an end. Better, a future. Don't be unduly burdened by the problems of the present, but allow a proper prospective on the future to help you maintain a buoyant attitude in the present.

Matthew Henry commentary: Under troubles we are apt to despair of relief. But be of good courage, and God shall strengthen thy heart.

Proverbs 24 (KJV)

10If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Matthew Henry commentary: Under troubles we are apt to despair of relief. But be of good courage, and God shall strengthen thy heart.

13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
14So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 25 (KJV)

14Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.

Note: The gift of the braggart does not compare with what he promised.

20As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Note: Just as it would be heartless to take away a garment on a cold day or put vinegar on soda (nitre), rendering it useless, so would it be to sing to a sad person. heavy heart. Lit., evil heart; i.e. a sad heart.

27It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Note: The proverb warns against becoming too engrossed in one's share of honor. Excess, even of a good thing, is bad.

Proverbs 26 (KJV)

19So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

Note: in sport = joking. The person who makes a joke of his thoughtlessness is a dangerous person to be around.

Proverbs 27 (KJV)

8As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

Note: Leaving the security and guidance of one's home may lead to the experience of a prodigal.

19As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. answereth. Better, reflects. to man.

Note: Better, reflects man. As water reflects the face, the heart of man reflects and reveals his inner person.

21As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.

Note: A man's response to praise is a test of his character. Self-deprecation may reflect false pride. fining = refining. his praise, i.e., the praised accorded to him.

Proverbs 30 (KJV)

6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Note: Supplementing God's Word with man's speculation is foolish business.
Me: this reminds me of something in Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World - by Carolyn McCulley, about how Eve added to what God said in Genesis 3:3 (The Fall), and how we as fallen creatures are apt to do the same.

11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Note: A picture of four kinds of evil men: the disrespectful, the hypocrite, the proud, and the greedy.

18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

Note: These four ways are difficult to understand either because their movements leave no track to follow or because they relate to things not easy to master. The way of a man with a maid refers to courtship.

24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

Note: Four small creatures that manifest wisdom. Ants have foresight to make provision; badgers (conies) find protective shelter; locusts have an ordered (by bands) community; and the lizard (spider) is bold and fearless. taketh hold with her hands. Better, you can take hold of with the hands; i.e., you can catch in your hand.

Quiet Time : Much Needed Wisdom

Sorry to all of you readers (Mom!) about my lack of quiet time posts. The good news is that I have been having them regularly! Well, the real Good News is that Jesus Christ died for my sins, so that I might be justified by faith alone, in Christ alone - repent of my sins and believe, and therefore saved from God's ultimate wrath, and have a relationship with Him through His Son, by the help of the Holy Spirit... the way He intended it from the beginning...

Anyway, I have been really good about staying on course. And the interesting thing is when I have missed (like I did one day last week), I've noticed what a difference it makes for me spiritually. How that one day I did struggle more than on those other days that I started off in the Word.

I have been reading Proverbs, and let me just say WHOA! Every single verse has so much... good advice! I have been keeping a list of those that jump out at me, and will share some of them below.

But first I want to share this with you. If you have been reading my blog, you know that I have struggled with waking up in the morning. Last week I actually woke up early enough to go to Theology Breakfast (will explain what that is later), and I went back to sleep! When I got up to get ready for work that morning I was so disappointed in myself. I told myself 'next week, I just have to go, no excuses.'

This past Wednesday night I made sure to go to bed at a decent time, and set my alarm for 6 am. I prayed that God would help me to get up in the morning, because I really didn't want to disappoint myself again. Lo and behold, I got up! Got ready for work and went to Theology Breakfast! And it was so edifying... I got to sit in my pastor's study with other church members, and listen to him read from Martin Luther about Romans 4. And then to hear the thoughtful discussion that came from it was just... great! I mean so great that I can't find adequate words to express it... let's just say it's such a breath of fresh air to hear men speak about theology and doctrine so passionately, so much so that they have made it their life's work.

Afterwards I went home to have my quiet time. I read this:

Proverbs 26:14 (KJV)

14As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

Ryrie Study Bible note: The slothful person is as attached to his bed as a door is to its hinges.

That perfectly described me exactly one week before. It's not pretty, and it's definitely not how I want to be.

Soooooo, on to some verses: :)

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Proverbs 3:11-20 (KJV)

11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Proverbs 8 (KJV)

22The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Note: The passage shows wisdom is older than creation and is fundamental to it (v. 23), that it assisted in creation as a master workman (v.30), and that it rejoiced in creation (vv.30-31).

36But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Proverbs 9 (KJV)

7He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Note: scorner = scoffer. The wicked person will not only not receive criticism but will turn on the one trying to help him. blot. lit., his blemish; i.e., an insult.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Proverbs 10 (KJV)

5He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

12Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

21The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14 (KJV)

14Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Proverbs 12:15 (KJV)

15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

These two on seeking counsel are terrific! Oh what a difference it has made in my life to have people who I can go to, who I am accountable, who know God's Word and Truth, and can help me to see where I am struggling/sinning/improving! :)

Proverbs 13 (KJV)

12Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

19The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.

Note: Nothing is so sweet as gaining some desired thing, but fools won't leave their evil ways to do that.

Proverbs 14 (KJV)

12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
13Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

Proverbs 15 (KJV)

13A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

Proverbs 16 (KJV)

3Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Note: Commit. lit., roll. Roll your burdens on the Lord; although they may cause you anxiety, they are not to great for Him.

6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Note: mercy. Loyal love. truth. Faithfulness. purged. lit., atoned for. The atonement for man's sin is the result of God's loyal love and faithfulness. The fear of the Lord motivates a man to turn away from sin when he is tempted.

17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
20He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.

22Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
(calls to mind Proverbs 4:23).

25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 17:16 (KJV)

16Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

Note: wherefore = why. hath no heart to it. Better, has no understanding. This picture of a fool trying to buy wisdom is satirical, for wisdom cannot be purchased at any price. Nor is it reveived through some mechanical formula, but only by a proper heart attitude.



Whew! Okay, I have more, but will post them later. :)

CSL: "the devil laughs"

Last night, I was looking over my blog posts, and read this (from here):

"Self-pity is pride in response to trial (I am paraphrasing Mark who was quoting John Piper). On the flip side, boastfulness is pride in response to prosperity."

I know that I can have little pity parties when things aren't going my way; and how I can yearn for prosperity in many different forms. And although I heard this is a sermon LAST YEAR, and the above statement made perfect sense to me ... it makes even more sense to me know. Pride is ugly and it's sinful. And I don't want anything to do with it.

Then this morning, I read the following:

24 March

Dictatorship of Pride

It is a terrible thing that the worse of all vices [Pride] can smuggle itself into the very centre of our religious life. But you can see why. The other, and less bad, vices come from the devil working on us through our animal nature. But this does not come through our animal nature at all. It comes direct from Hell. It is purely spiritual: consequently it is far more subtle and deadly. For the same reason, Pride can often be used to beat down the simpler vices. Teachers, in fact, often appeal to a boy's Pride, or, as they call it, his self-respect, to make him behave decently: many a man has overcome cowardice, or lust, or ill-temper, by learning to think that they are beneath his dignity - that is, by Pride. The devil laughs. He is perfectly content to see you becoming chaste and brave and self-controlled provided, all the time, he is setting up in you the Dictatorship of Pride - just as he would be quite content to see your chilblains cured if he was allowed, in return, to give you cancer. For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense. (emphasis mine)

- from Mere Christianity

1918 Edward "Paddy" Moore, Lewis's army roommate and friend, is reported missing in action. It is later learned that Paddy had been killed in action on March 21, 1918, resisting the German attack on Pargny, France.

C.S. Lewis, A Year With C.S. Lewis: Daily Reading From His Classic Works, Harper Publishers, 2003.

I read Mere Christianity a few years ago, and it's still so amazing to read the thoughts of such a great mind. And it makes me sad when I see the sin of pride in fellow Christians - makes me sick to see it in myself. The last sentence about pride being spiritual cancer and the effects of that sickness really stuck out to me. I don't want to be wrapped up in it, and I want to help others who seem to be so stuck that they don't see the situation that the are in.

Okay, now I'm tired and gave a migraine, so good night!

*I'm leaving the typos in, even though I realllllllly want to fix them... could that be my pride!??! Eh, I had a bad migraine, and it really doesn't matter. :)*

CSL : How Marriage Reconciles

21 March

How Marriage Reconciles

Lewis, grieving the death of his wife Joy:

'It was too perfect to last,' so I am tempted to say of our marriage. But it can be meant in two ways. It may be grimly pessimistic - as if God no sooner saw two of His creatures happy than He stopped it ('None of that here!). As if He were like the Hostess at the sherry-party who separates two guests the moment they show signs of having got into a real conversation. But it could also mean 'This had reached its proper perfection. This had become what it had in it to be. Therefore of course it would not be prolonged.' As if God said, 'Good; you have mastered that exercise. I am very pleased with it. And now you are ready to go on to the next.' When you have learned to do quadratics and enjoy doing them you will not be set them much longer. The teacher moves you on.

For we did learn and achieve something. There is, hidden or flaunted, a sword between the sexes till an entire marriage reconciles them. It is arrogance in us to call frankness, fairness, and chivalry 'masculine' when we see them in a woman; it is arrogance in them to describe a man's sensitiveness or tact or tenderness as 'feminine.' But also what poor, warped fragments of humanity most mere men and mere women must be to make the implications of that arrogance plausible. Marriage heals this. Jointly the two become fully human. 'In the image of God created He them.' Thus, by paradox, this carnival of sexuality leads us out beyond our sexes.

- from A Grief Observed

1957 Jack Lewis and Joy Davidman Gresham, united in a civil marriage the previous year, are married in an ecclesiastical ceremony in Wingfield-Morris Hospital by the Rev. Peter Bide. Bide also performs a healing service for Joy, who is believed to be dying of cancer.

C.S. Lewis, A Year With C.S. Lewis: Daily Reading From His Classic Works, Harper Publishers, 2003.

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This really struck me, because of how I often tire of "us verses them" talk. You know the kind. All guys are this way, and all girls are that. It's completely unfair and unconstructive. When I hear this, I just want to say 'we should REJOICE in our differences, not see them as liabilities.' It just seems like a waste of time, and is definitely unedifying. 90% of the time I just keep my mouth shut. So, just thought I'd share this quote. :)

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : "sweetness of my lot"

March 16, Morning

Psalm 39:12
I am a stranger with thee.

Yes, O Lord, with Thee, but not to Thee. All my natural alienation from Thee, Thy grace has effectually removed; and now, in fellowship with Thyself, I walk through this sinful world as a pilgrim in a foreign country. Thou art a stranger in Thine own world. Man forgets Thee, dishonours Thee, sets up new laws and alien customs, and knows Thee not. When Thy dear Son came unto His own, His own received Him not. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. Never was foreigner so speckled a bird among the denizens of any land as Thy beloved Son among His mother's brethren. It is no marvel, then, if I who live the life of Jesus, should be unknown and a stranger here below. Lord, I would not be a citizen where Jesus was an alien. His pierced hand has loosened the cords which once bound my soul to earth, and now I find myself a stranger in the land. My speech seems to these Babylonians among whom I dwell an outlandish tongue, my manners are singular, and my actions are strange. A Tartar would be more at home in Cheapside than I could ever be in the haunts of sinners. But here is the sweetness of my lot: I am a stranger with Thee. Thou art my fellow-sufferer, my fellow-pilgrim. Oh, what joy to wander in such blessed society! My heart burns within me by the way when thou dost speak to me, and though I be a sojourner, I am far more blest than those who sit on thrones, and far more at home than those who dwell in their ceiled houses.

"To me remains nor place, nor time:
My country is in every clime;
I can be calm and free from care
On any shore, since God is there.

While place we seek, or place we shun,
The soul finds happiness in none:
But with a God to guide our way,
'Tis equal joy to go or stay."

Whoa, that ROE? Yes, that Roe.

I remember reading somewhere about Norma McCorvey (better known as the "Roe" in Roe v. Wade). That she in fact did not have the abortion that started the lawsuit. That she eventually became pro-life. After posting about stem-cell research, I decided to google her. I came upon her website and read her testimony.

First of all, it's pretty powerful. Click here to read it, I highly encourage you to.

Second of all, it reminded me of something I thought about this morning. First, here is an excerpt:

"When I reached Pastor Sheats, I saw Jesus in his eyes. It made me feel so incredibly sorry for all my sins, especially for my role in legalizing abortion. I just kept repeating over and over, "I just want to undo all the evil I've done in this world. I'm so sorry, God. I'm so, so sorry. As far as abortion is concerned, I just want to undo it. I want it all to just go away." Finally, I stopped crying and broke into the biggest smile of my life. I no longer felt the pressure of my sin pushing down on my shoulders. The release was so quick that I felt like I could almost float outside."

I was thinking this morning about swimming. Please hang in there with me, this is relevant! I started to think of what we can learn about God from swimming. About how it could be a glimpse of Heaven. (please, just stick with me here). Being in/under water is the closest we can naturally get to weightlessness. Now I don't think we will be up in Heaven, literally weightless, like you see astronauts in space (although we might be, who knows?). But I quickly thought of it as a weightlessness from sin. That the feeling of sin would be lifted off our shoulders. How it will feel like the weight of 10 Empire State Buildings LITERALLY being lifted off our shoulders! (basically, it's indescribable). How even the most convicted of sinners will be surprised and delighted at the sensation. It's beyond comprehension!

Praise God for the day when all believers will be freed from sin! :)

Thirdly, I was just about to read a post on Desiring God, but hadn't read it yet. I had it open, but decided to look up Roe first. Here is a quote from McCorvey:

"When my conversion became public knowledge, I spoke openly to reporters about still supporting legalized abortion in the first trimester. The media was quick to use this to downplay the seriousness of my conversion, saying I typified the "general ambivalence" of our culture over abortion. But a few weeks after my conversion, I was sitting in O.R.'s offices when I noticed a fetal development poster. The progression was so obvious, the eyes were so sweet. It hurt my heart, just looking at them.

I ran outside and finally, it dawned on me. "Norma," I said to myself, "They're right." I had worked with pregnant women for years. I had been through three pregnancies and deliveries myself. I should have known. Yet something in that poster made me lose my breath. I kept seeing the picture of that tiny, 10-week-old embryo, and I said to myself, that's a baby! It's as if blinders just fell off my eyes and I suddenly understood the truth--that's a baby!"

Here is the post I had ready to read on my monitor, Pray for Blessed Eyes. Here is a quote:

"Do you have “blessed eyes”? The new birth is the gift of “blessed eyes.” This is what Paul was sent to do in the power of Christ: “I am sending you to open their eyes” (Acts 26:18).

And once we have “blessed eyes,” we pray for the fullest use of them every day.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalms 119:18)"

Praise God for the apparent conversion of this women; the power of her testimony, those she can reach out to, and most importantly - that God is ultimately glorified!

Stem-Cell Research : I'll let others do the typing...

I almost didn't post anything about this, because I'm trying to be positive about things, but this just really bothers me. So, instead of voicing my own concerns (which I probably wouldn't do very effectively - I would rather pray about it than complain about it), I am posting links to what others have to say:

Al Mohler, The Floodgate is Now Open -- President Obama and the Vulnerable Embryo.

Quote: "The vulnerable human embryo is now at greater risk than ever before. And this, inevitably, means that every single human life is devalued by this decision."


Two articles I found linked on theologica:

First Things, Stem Cells: A Political History.

Quote: "Perhaps the recipe looks like this: Take the always-present human hunger for magic—for medicine as a kind of witchcraft, delivering thaumaturgical cures. Add the vague sense, shared by most people, that ever since the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953 we have been living in something like a golden age of biology. Include the strong sense, among political liberals, that religious believers must be discredited before they undo the abortion license. Now, wrap the whole thing up in money, the competition for trillions of dollars in research grants and the biotech companies’ stock dividends."


The Weekly Standard, Perpetuating a Needless Stem-Cell War.

Quote: "President Obama today fulfilled his campaign promise to lift federal-funding restrictions on research involving the destruction of human embryos. He couldn't have done so at a more inappropriate time, for just last week scientists made headlines again announcing yet another breakthrough in what is known as "induced pluripotent stem-cell" technology. Following up on the initial breakthrough in November 2007 that allowed scientists to produce the biological equivalent of embryonic stem cells without creating, using, or destroying any human embryos, scientists have continued to refine their methods. Last week's announcement was the latest in a long string of developments. If Obama truly wants to find honorable compromises that the entire nation can accept in good conscience and even endorse, he should be promoting these alternative sources."

Here are some Notes on Early Human Development, for your instructional pleasure.

Quiet Time : all good things must come to an end

I have finished the Psalms. Yes, all 150 of them. And what a blessing they were to read! :)

Seriously, my heart is overjoyed. I thank my God for His instruction and encouragement through His WORD!

I got behind on posting about my quiet times, but here are a few snippets:

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I will sigh and with all creation groan/As I wait for Hope to come for me*

Psalm 96:11-13 (KJV)

¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

¹²Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

¹³Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Ryrie Study Bible: All creation will flourish when the curse is reversed in the Millennium.

See Romans 8:22 (KJV)

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Psalm 98:7-8 (KJV)

⁷Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

⁸Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

Ryrie Study Bible note: Nature will rejoice in its release when Christ rules in His millennial kingdom.

*lyrics from Brooke Frasers', "C.S. Lewis Song."

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Psalm 117 (KJV)

¹O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

²For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Ryrie Study Bible note: This shortest and middle chapter of the Bible is a hymn in its simplest form - a call to praise (v. 1) and the cause for that priase (v. 2).

Yep, only two verses, and isn't that cool!?!

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Psalm 119 (long, but awesome, did you expect any less?). The following verses really caught my eye:

⁶²At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

⁶³I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

⁶⁴The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

⁶⁵Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

⁶⁸Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

⁶⁹The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

⁷⁰Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

⁷²The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

and these three:

¹⁰³How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹³⁶Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

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And then there is the last verse of the last chapter:

Psalm 150:6 (KJV)

⁶Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

I didn't copy the note from my study Bible, but something about how appropriate that the last verse of the Psalms has to do with everything praising God!

SOMEONE wants me to be a morning person... already...

I'm not a morning person. It's no secret. Also, it's no secret that I feel as though the Lord wants me to wake up early. See here and here for previous posts.

Well, last week I got another jolt. You see, I was getting pretty good about waking up early, then last week it all went downhill. I could blame a resurgence of my migraines, but still... no excuses! Although I still made time for quiet time, I still want to wake up early!

Rewind to last week; last Wednesday specifically. I slept in just about as late as possible to still fit in a quiet time. This is one verse that I read that morning that REALLY got my attention:

Psalm 108:2 (KJV)

Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

(if you have time, read the whole Psalm. It's a short one. As always, I have a link to the whole Psalm above - or hey, go ahead and read all of them! ;) ).

I read that and thought to myself "whoa." That's about it, because I didn't have time to think of anything else! I blame that on me giving myself little time to read, and wanting to read to much. I read 10 Psalms that morning. I was sleepy, but I read them. (note: I'm thinking that if I wasn't so sleepy, I would get so much more out of them - so although I still got my quiet time in, I still need to wake up earlier!).

Last Thursday I woke up at 3 am. That was too early (and sooo not cool), so I went back to sleep. Then I woke up at 5 am. A-hem, as in 5 am CLUB! Still, my lazy flesh convinced me to go back to sleep. Then I woke up at 7 am. Geez! I then slowly got myself ready to have a quiet time.

I started out by reading Morning and Evening (another note: I usually read that days' Morning and Evening before my quiet times. I feel like I'm getting a mini-sermon before I dive into the Word). Although the devotion is about "Christian wakefulness" (not an argument for waking up early, per se), it really caught my eye. The verse for the devotion was:

1 Thessalonians 5:6 (KJV)

Let us not sleep, as do others.

It kinda felt like a slap in the face. A gentle, encouraging one, but still... an attention-getter to be sure! If you would like to read the full devotional, click here.

(just an aside: that morning I read Psalm 119, which consists of 176 verses!).

So, despite the time change (which I'm loving because of the extra hour of sunlight), I will AGAIN try to persevere to wake up early. I bought three Carolyn Mahaney books to start reading in the mornings, too. I'm starting out with Feminine Appeal, then I will follow-up (in no particular order, yet) with Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations Biblical Womanhood and *cough cough* Shopping for Time: How to do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed.

*Awesome photo courtesy of Google Images/Washington Post, not my camera*

Addendum: Check out what Spurgeon has to say about the latter part of Psalm 108:2:

I myself will awake early. I will call up the dawn. The best and brightest hours of the day shall find me heartily aroused to bless my God. Some singers had need to awake, for they sing in drawling tones, as if they were half asleep; the tune drags wearily along, there is no feeling or sentiment in the singing, but the listener hears only a dull mechanical sound, as if the choir ground out the notes from a worn out barrel organ. Oh, choristers, wake up, for this is not a work for dreamers, but such as requires your best powers in their liveliest condition. In all worship this should be the personal resolve of each worshipper: "I myself will awake."

Quiet Time : "thy comforts delight my soul"

<sup>Psalm 94 (KJV)

8</sup>Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?

⁹He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?

¹⁰He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?

¹¹The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Had to add what Spurgeon said about verse 9:

"He fashioned that marvellous organ, and fixed it in the most convenient place near to the brain, and is he deaf himself? Is he capable of such design and invention, and yet can he not discern what is done in the world which he made? He made you hear, can he not himself hear? Unanswerable question! It overwhelms the sceptic, and covers him with confusion. He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He gives us vision; is it conceivable that he has no sight himself? With skilful hand he fashioned the optic nerve, and the eyeball, and all its curious mechanism, and it surpasses all conception that he can himself be unable to observe the doings of his creatures. If there be a God, he must be a personal intelligent being, and no limit can be set to his knowledge."

and some that he said about verse 11:

"How foolish are those who think that God does not know their actions, when the truth is that their vain thoughts are all perceived by him"

...

¹⁷Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

¹⁸When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

¹⁹In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Can't help myself; here is some of what Spurgeon said about verse 19:

"When I am tossed to and fro with various reasonings, distractions, questions, and forebodings, I will fly to my true rest, for thy comforts delight my soul."

+++

Psalm 95:8 (KJV)

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Some of what Spurgeon said:

"Today is too good a day to be profaned by the hardening of our hearts against our own mercies."

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : PRAYER

February 19, Morning

Ezekiel 36:37

Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.

Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication. You have found this true in your own personal experience. God has given you many an unsolicited favour, but still great prayer has always been the prelude of great mercy with you. When you first found peace through the blood of the cross, you had been praying much, and earnestly interceding with God that He would remove your doubts, and deliver you from your distresses. Your assurance was the result of prayer. When at any time you have had high and rapturous joys, you have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your prayers. When you have had great deliverances out of sore troubles, and mighty helps in great dangers, you have been able to say, "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing's shadow. When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or, to use another illustration, when God piles up a hill of mercies, He Himself shines behind them, and He casts on our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest certain, if we are much in prayer, our pleadings are the shadows of mercy. Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until we have sought for them earnestly.

"Prayer makes the darken'd cloud withdraw;
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love;
Brings every blessing from above."

Quiet Time : "my song"

Psalm 77:6 (KJV)

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Reminds me of the serious prayer(s) I had to go through about 2 years ago. Check out the whole Psalm if you have the time.

words matter

No doubt that guy Blagojevich is everywhere. I saw today where he's said something to the affect of - I'll pull out my crayons and write a book about politics in Illinois. And yes, I know he's innocent until proven guilty. But what I want to talk about are our WORDS.

Like it or not, our words matter. There is a reason for Jesus having said, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No." (Matthew 5:37 (NIV)). Blagojevich's words may have been taken out of context (he voice may have been dripping with sarcasm, perhaps he was rehearsing for a comedy skit..., I digress), but he still said those words. Those words. Words that earned him an impeachment. Words that embarrassed his state. Words that, although I don't believe he's involved in any way, certainly were not helpful to President Obama in the first days of his historic presidency. Every word that comes out of our mouths... matters.

I don't want to harp on this man, but he's setting himself up as a prime example to anyone who is willing to pay attention. No matter if our words are caught by a FBI wiretap, said in the company of trusted friends, or just whispered in our hearts; they matter.

Luke 6:45 (NIV)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Quiet Time : Enemies and Lies

More from yesterday morning:

Psalm 62 (KJV)

³How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

⁴They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

Ryrie footnote: ye shall be slain. Better, that you may slay him. Through lies David's enemies attempted to overthrow him in his weakened condition (bowing, i.e., leaning, and tottering).

Psalm 63 (KJV)

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Psalm 64 (KJV)

³Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

⁸So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

The 64:3 footnote mentioned Psalm 59:7. I read it, went back to 64. Decided to go back to 59, but went back to 55, and was drawn to 55:21

Psalm 55 (KJV)

²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Psalm 59 (KJV)

⁷Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

And from this morning. The opposite of enemies and lies:

Psalm 66:16 (KJV)

¹⁶Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : be Christ-like : "rounds the day with joy"

February 11, Morning

Acts 4:13

And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of His people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, "Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness;" but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, "He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of Him; he is like Him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and every-day actions."

A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness. Never blush to own your religion; your profession will never disgrace you: take care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus, very valiant for your God. Imitate Him in your loving spirit; think kindly, speak kindly, and do kindly, that men may say of you, "He has been with Jesus." Imitate Jesus in His holiness. Was He zealous for His Master? So be you; ever go about doing good. Let not time be wasted: it is too precious. Was He self-denying, never looking to His own interest? Be the same. Was He devout? Be you fervent in your prayers. Had He deference to His Father's will? So submit yourselves to Him. Was He patient? So learn to endure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture of Jesus, try to forgive your enemies, as He did; and let those sublime words of your Master, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," always ring in your ears. Forgive, as you hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on the head of your foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is godlike. Be godlike, then; and in all ways and by all means, so live that all may say of you, "He has been with Jesus."

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishing, 1997.

+++++

From my quiet time this morning:

Psalm 65:8

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: though makes the outgoing of the morning and evening to rejoice.

This is what Spurgeon has to say about the "morning and evening" part of this verse:

Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. East and west are made happy by God's favour to the dwellers therein. Our rising hours are bright with hope, and our evening moments mellow with thanksgiving. Whether the sun go forth or come in we bless God and rejoice in the gates of the day. When the fair morning blushes with the rosey dawn we rejoice; and when the calm evening smiles restfully we rejoice still. We do not believe that the dew weeps the death of the day; we only see jewels bequethed by the departing day for its successor to gather up from the earth. Faith, when she sees God, rounds the day with joy. She cannot fast, because the bridegroom is with her. Night and day are alike to her, for the same God make them and blessed them. She would have no rejoicing if God did not make her glad; but, blessed be His name, He never ceases to make joy for those who find their joy in Him.

Quiet Time : Shelter

Psalm 56 (KJV)

1Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

2Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

3What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

4In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

5Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

7Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

9When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

10In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.

11In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

+++++

It was at about verse 9 that I started reading this Psalm differently. So much so that I had to go back and reread it with my different way of thinking in mind. I started seeing these enemies as the "world." Or one might say our culture. How to not let culture influence my life. I read this last week.

Then last Friday, I listened to the previous Sunday's sermon that I missed because I was teaching the little ones. Click here to listen to A Psalm for Wintertime - Psalm 49. Before I listened to this sermon, I read Jonathan's post on the 9 Marks blog about the new book Wordliness. Then, wouldn't you know it, I mentioned to my roommate that I want to read it, and she loaned it to me! :) (I didn't know she had it...) I started reading it Sunday, and it is so good; a must read!

+++++

Psalm 59:16 (KJV)

16But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Which sounds like:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)

22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Praise God that His mercies are new every morning. Because I certainly need them; every day, anew.

+++++

Then on to:

Psalm 61:2-4

2From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my h eart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

4I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

My Ryrie Study Bible said:

Footnote 2-4: The rock that is higher than I. An asylum

that David could not reach in his own strength and that gives protection and security. God is the asylum, pictured by four figures of speech: shelter (refuge), strong tower, tabernacle (tent), and covert (shelter) of your wings (the Lord is the protective shade for His people).

I am grateful to have a shelter in the storm.

Quiet Time : "Beautiful for situation"

Psalm 46 (KJV)

1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Footnote: A refuge provides shelter from danger. Strength gives us courage in danger. Very present help. Can also have the idea of "well-proved help." God's help is both present and proven, ready and reliable.

My thought: This goes to show how meditating on how God has helped me in the past (shown Himself to be Faithful), helps me to trust Him with the future.

10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Footnote: Be still (i.e., cease from warlike activities) and acknowledge God's supremacy.

My thought: This is the one verse that popped into my head about 2 years ago, when God was really speaking to me. It helped me when I was struggling with things. It's a pretty well known verse, but I meditated on it a lot!

Psalm 47 (KJV)

4He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

My thought: According to the foot note, the inheritance is the Promised Land of Canaan. This verse made me think of God as a definite authority figure. Have you ever noticed how we humans always rebel against an authority figure? How we resent that they think they know better than we do? As with unbelievers, who reject God's good plan for them, who see it as an imposition to the point of denying Him.

Psalm 48 (KJV)

2Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Footnote: On the sides of the north. In heathen lore, the abodes of the gods. See note on Isa 14:13-14. Thus this is a claim that Jerusalem is the place where the true God reigns.

My thought: I really like "Beautiful for situation." NIV says "It is beautiful in it's loftiness." ESV says "beautiful in elevation." Read what Spurgeon had to say about this verse (and Psalm) here -"The elevation of the church is her beauty. The more she is above the world the fairer she is."

Speaking of Spurgeon, definitely check out this morning's Daily Dose of Spurgeon. It's about God's Love and Faithfulness -

"When thou hast thus looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey His love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and blood have something more in them than the past. He who has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love and pardon."

+++

Quite Time : Belated

I'm a little behind on my quiet time posts, but am quite sure no one is waiting with bated breath for them! However, here is one verse that I meant to look into more, and well, now is as good a time as ever.

Psalm 44:19 (KJV)

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

Check out what Spurgeon has to say about this Psalm and verse -

"To be true to a smiting God, even when the blows lay our joys in ruinous heaps, is to be such as the Lord delighteth in. Better to be broken by God than from God."

Here's another commentary (see comments on verses 17-26) by Matthew Henry -

"While our troubles do not drive us from our duty to God, we should not suffer them to drive us from our comfort in God. Let us take care that prosperity and ease do not render us careless and lukewarm. The church of God cannot be prevailed on by persecution to forget God; the believer's heart does not turn back from God. "

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : wake up!

January 30, Morning

2 Samuel 5:24

When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself.

The members of Christ's Church should be very prayerful, always seeking the unction of the Holy One to rest upon their hearts, that the kingdom of Christ may come, and that His "will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven;" but there are times when God seems especially to favour Zion, such seasons ought to be to them like "the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." We ought then to be doubly prayerful, doubly earnest, wrestling more at the throne than we have been wont to do. Action should then be prompt and vigorous. The tide is flowing-now let us pull manfully for the shore. O for Pentecostal outpourings and Pentecostal labours. Christian, in yourself there are times "when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." You have a peculiar power in prayer; the Spirit of God gives you joy and gladness; the Scripture is open to you; the promises are applied; you walk in the light of God's countenance; you have peculiar freedom and liberty in devotion, and more closeness of communion with Christ than was your wont. Now, at such joyous periods when you hear the "sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees," is the time to bestir yourself; now is the time to get rid of any evil habit, while God the Spirit helpeth your infirmities. Spread your sail; but remember what you sometimes sing-

"I can only spread the sail;
Thou! Thou! must breathe the auspicious gale."

Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale for want of preparation for it. Seek help of God, that you may be more earnest in duty when made more strong in faith; that you may be more constant in prayer when you have more liberty at the throne; that you may be more holy in your conversation whilst you live more closely with Christ.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

Whoa. I read this this morning, and felt as though Charles Haddon Spurgeon was telling me to "wake up!" I've seriously been scanning it just now to see if those words are really there, because I thought they were! (maybe it was the "now... is the time to bestir yourself"). See a recent post I wrote about, well, being lazy. Not good! I cannot waste one moment of being nearer to Christ than I have ever been. Not one. For it is only through His Grace that I am in this place. Thank You.

Leaped for Joy

John Piper does it again: The Baby in My Womb Leaped for Joy. Here is an excerpt:

"So I pray that this message will awaken and intensify your joyful, grateful reverence for the gift of human life from conception to eternity. The beginning of human life is a magnificent thing—it is the only newly originating life in the universe that is in the image of God. It is the only newly originating life in the universe that lasts forever. O what amazed and happy reverence we should feel for the beginning of every human life!"

Scripture:

Luke 1:39-45 (NIV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Keep in mind, the pregancies of both Mary and Elizabeth were both seen as impossible. Just read the Piper post to learn more about that, and more; such as the author of this book (Luke) recognized these in utero babies as people.

...


I just can't comprehend calling abortion "women's health." It certainly is an attempt to "pretty up" abortion, make it sound compassionate. It's actually offensive to me; as a woman and as a Christian. What many call a mistake, God blesses with as a gift.

Quiet Time : Trust

By God's amazing mercy, the three Psalms I read this morning reminded me about trusting Him.

Psalm 31 (KJV)

Psalm 31:6 (KVJ)

I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

Reminded me of...

Jonah 2:8 (KJV)

8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Back to trusting God...

Psalm 31:7 (KJV)

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

and

Psalm 31:19-20 (KJV)

19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
20Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 32 (KJV)

Psalm 32:5-6 (KJV)

5I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Psalm 32:11 (KJV)

11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Psalm 33 (KJV)

Psalm 33:15 (KJV)

15He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Psalm 33:18 (KJV)

18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

Psalm 33:21-22

21For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

The last two verses and 31:7 reminded me of this...

Psalm 90:14 (KJV)

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

I pray that I will perservere in being faithful to reading God's Word, and that He will keep revealing Himself to me through it.