Last time we meditated on Psalm 119:1-8 which introduced us to the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet Aleph which means the ox. The first stanzas of Psalm 119:1 and 2 assures us that we are blessed when we align our hearts and actions in obedience to our heavenly Father.
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." -Romans 2:13 (NIV)
When we worship God with faith and assurance, when we place Him at the absolute center of our lives, we invite His love into our hearts. In turn, we grow to love Him more deeply as we sense His love for us. Saint Augustine wrote, "I love you, Lord, not doubtingly, but with absolute certainty. Your Word beat upon my heart until I fell in love with you, and now the universe and everything in it tells me to love you." Let us pray we, too, will turn our hearts to God, knowing with certainty that He loves us and that we love Him.
Heavenly Father,
When I turn my thoughts away from You and Your Word, I suffer. But when I obey Your commandments, when I place my faith in You, I'm secure. Let me live according to Your commandments. Direct my path far from the temptations and distractions of this world. And, let me discover Your will and follow it. Dear Lord, this day and always. Amen
-Ava
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The Ox
Learning the Hebrew alphabet found in Psalm 119 opens a whole new dynamic when studying Scripture. We started our study of the Hebrew alphabet last class by meditating on the first letter of the alphabet, Aleph; which means The Ox. Each letter will be given two weeks to study and meditate on. It blows my mind how dynamic God is even in the tiniest details! He deserves all our time, first fruits, and attention if we expect to learn more about Him each day.
-Raquel
Hebrew Word Pictures
by Dr. Frank T. Seekins
Aleph, The Ox
The letter Alef is used in the Hebrew words for: Father, God, Fire, Love, Blessed/Happy.
Psalm 119:1-8
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies
and that seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgements.
I will keep Your statutes
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
Each of the verses in the first stanza of Psalm 119 starts with the letter Alef. Because the letter Alef symbolizes what is first or strong, these eight verses tell us that blessing and happiness belong to the person who makes God first in their life and who turns to God and His word for strength.
I Speak Deep into the King David of Your Hearts
by Olga Savitsky
I speak deep into the King David of your hearts
I sing deep into the King David of your hearts
I dance deep into the King David of your hearts
I have searched your hearts
And found them wanting, wanting...
Wanting Me with a passion that passes understanding
As My appearing is nearing
I find your hearts wanting wanting wanting Me
more more more and then some more
I AM your All in All
I AM your Everything
I AM your Everyone
I AM your Everyplace
I AM your All in All
I AM your Deepest Desire
I AM your Consuming Desire
I have searched your hearts
And I find your hearts wanting
wanting
wanting Me
with a passion that passes understanding
For whille you were praying
I was planting orchards and
orchards
of passion fruit
deep in the soil of your hearts
For while you were crying
I was watering orchards and
orchards
of passion fruit
sprouting in the good soil
of your hearts
For while you were waiting
I was cultivating orchards of
orchards
of passion fruit
blooming in your fruitful hearts
I have searched your hearts
only to find your hearts
searching My heart
with a passion that passes understanding.
-Raquel
Hebrew Word Pictures
by Dr. Frank T. Seekins
Aleph, The Ox
The letter Alef is used in the Hebrew words for: Father, God, Fire, Love, Blessed/Happy.
Psalm 119:1-8
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies
and that seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgements.
I will keep Your statutes
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
Each of the verses in the first stanza of Psalm 119 starts with the letter Alef. Because the letter Alef symbolizes what is first or strong, these eight verses tell us that blessing and happiness belong to the person who makes God first in their life and who turns to God and His word for strength.
I Speak Deep into the King David of Your Hearts
by Olga Savitsky
I speak deep into the King David of your hearts
I sing deep into the King David of your hearts
I dance deep into the King David of your hearts
I have searched your hearts
And found them wanting, wanting...
Wanting Me with a passion that passes understanding
As My appearing is nearing
I find your hearts wanting wanting wanting Me
more more more and then some more
I AM your All in All
I AM your Everything
I AM your Everyone
I AM your Everyplace
I AM your All in All
I AM your Deepest Desire
I AM your Consuming Desire
I have searched your hearts
And I find your hearts wanting
wanting
wanting Me
with a passion that passes understanding
For whille you were praying
I was planting orchards and
orchards
of passion fruit
deep in the soil of your hearts
For while you were crying
I was watering orchards and
orchards
of passion fruit
sprouting in the good soil
of your hearts
For while you were waiting
I was cultivating orchards of
orchards
of passion fruit
blooming in your fruitful hearts
I have searched your hearts
only to find your hearts
searching My heart
with a passion that passes understanding.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Honorable Humility
"The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility." -Proverbs 15:33
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word humility as "the quality or state of being humble." Jesus's life was nothing more but obedience to the Father. The only way He was able to obey was to completely humble Himself and live a servant's life here on earth by serving His Father and serving us. How much are we willing to be like Jesus and deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him? Until we are willing to surrender our lives completely to Him are we then able to experience the complete joy found in serving the God of the universe who paid the penalty of our sins by the humility of His son, Jesus Christ.
-Raquel
Humility in the Life of Jesus
by Andrew Murray
It is in this state of mind, in this spirit and disposition, that the redemption of Christ has its virtue and efficacy. It is to bring us to this disposition that we are made partakers of Christ. This is the true self-denial to which our Savior calls us, the acknowledgement that self has nothing good in it, except as an empty vessel for God to fill. Its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. It is in this, above and before everything, that the conformity to Jesus consists--the being and doing nothing of ourselves that God may be all in all.
Here we have the nature of true humility. It is because this is not understood or sought after, that our humility is so superficial and weak. We must learn of Jesus, how He is meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us where true humility begins and finds its strength--in the knowledge that it is God who works all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and to do nothing of ourselves. This is the life Christ came to reveal and to impart--a life to God that came through death to sin and self. If we feel that this life is too high for us and beyond our reach, it must all the more urge us to seek it in Him. It is the indwelling Christ who will live this life in us. If we long for it, let us above everything seek the secret of the knowlege of the nature of God, the secret of which every child of God is to be a witness: nothing but a vessel, a channel through which the living God can manifest the riches of His wisdom, power, and goodness. The root of all virtue and grace, of all faith and acceptable worship, is that we know that we have nothing but what we receive, and bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word humility as "the quality or state of being humble." Jesus's life was nothing more but obedience to the Father. The only way He was able to obey was to completely humble Himself and live a servant's life here on earth by serving His Father and serving us. How much are we willing to be like Jesus and deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him? Until we are willing to surrender our lives completely to Him are we then able to experience the complete joy found in serving the God of the universe who paid the penalty of our sins by the humility of His son, Jesus Christ.
-Raquel
Humility in the Life of Jesus
by Andrew Murray
It is in this state of mind, in this spirit and disposition, that the redemption of Christ has its virtue and efficacy. It is to bring us to this disposition that we are made partakers of Christ. This is the true self-denial to which our Savior calls us, the acknowledgement that self has nothing good in it, except as an empty vessel for God to fill. Its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. It is in this, above and before everything, that the conformity to Jesus consists--the being and doing nothing of ourselves that God may be all in all.
Here we have the nature of true humility. It is because this is not understood or sought after, that our humility is so superficial and weak. We must learn of Jesus, how He is meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us where true humility begins and finds its strength--in the knowledge that it is God who works all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and to do nothing of ourselves. This is the life Christ came to reveal and to impart--a life to God that came through death to sin and self. If we feel that this life is too high for us and beyond our reach, it must all the more urge us to seek it in Him. It is the indwelling Christ who will live this life in us. If we long for it, let us above everything seek the secret of the knowlege of the nature of God, the secret of which every child of God is to be a witness: nothing but a vessel, a channel through which the living God can manifest the riches of His wisdom, power, and goodness. The root of all virtue and grace, of all faith and acceptable worship, is that we know that we have nothing but what we receive, and bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Shepherd's Love
As Christians, we have a duty: to share the gospel to others. How are we to share such a powerful , yet controversial truth to a broken world? Jesus did it in love. Each one of us shares a similar story of how we came to know the living God. Mine was through a woman at my previous job who did nothing more but live a life with influence, integrity, and love for others. This type of lifestyle attracts others who notice the difference you live: set apart from the world, but close enough to reach out and share the love of Jesus to them.
-Raquel
His Commission To Us
by Oswald Chambers
"Feed My sheep" (John 21:17)
This is love in the making. The love of God is not created--it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the Father? He had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when His Father sent Him down here to be poured out for us. And He says to us, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21)
Peter now realizes that he does love Him, due to the revelation that came with the Lord's piercing question. The Lord's next point is--"Pour yourself out. Don't testify about how much you love Me and don't talk about the wonderful revelation you have had, just 'Feed My sheep.'" Jesus has some extraordinarily peculiar sheep: some that are unkempt and dirty, some that are awkward or pushy, and some that have gone astray! But it is impossible to exhaust God's love, and it is impossible to exhaust my love if it flows from the Spirit of God within me. The love of God pays no attention to my prejudices caused by my natural individuality. If I love my Lord, I have no business being guided by natural emotions--I have to feed His sheep. We will not be delivered or released from His commission to us. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by following your own natural human emotions, sympathies, or understandings. That will only serve to revile and abuse the true love of God.
-Raquel
His Commission To Us
by Oswald Chambers
"Feed My sheep" (John 21:17)
This is love in the making. The love of God is not created--it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the Father? He had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when His Father sent Him down here to be poured out for us. And He says to us, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21)
Peter now realizes that he does love Him, due to the revelation that came with the Lord's piercing question. The Lord's next point is--"Pour yourself out. Don't testify about how much you love Me and don't talk about the wonderful revelation you have had, just 'Feed My sheep.'" Jesus has some extraordinarily peculiar sheep: some that are unkempt and dirty, some that are awkward or pushy, and some that have gone astray! But it is impossible to exhaust God's love, and it is impossible to exhaust my love if it flows from the Spirit of God within me. The love of God pays no attention to my prejudices caused by my natural individuality. If I love my Lord, I have no business being guided by natural emotions--I have to feed His sheep. We will not be delivered or released from His commission to us. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by following your own natural human emotions, sympathies, or understandings. That will only serve to revile and abuse the true love of God.
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