Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

Sunday, 6/15/14  Ps 119:134 Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Would you obey and serve God better or worse if you had no problems?              Ps 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Remember that at heart we all are wicked so lying is our native language.  1Don’t be surprised when any human speaks lies.  2Remember words may not be the lie: underlying hurts may be speaking.

Monday, 6/16/14  Ps 119:153  Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. Oftentimes, if an affliction is very long, I do find myself forgetting His word. Patience is enduring under a load. If we’re changing our beliefs (“God’s no longer being good.” “Serving God isn’t worth it.” “Maybe sin isn’t so bad.”) we’re not enduring.             Ps 119:156 Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments. “Tender mercy”  Many can extend mercy. Few do it with tenderness: understanding and seeing the hurt behind the offense; looking for the remorse through the embarrassment or defiance; in all of it, realizing that next month, it’ll be us who’ll need mercy.

Tuesday, 6/17/14  Pro 11:5a The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way. We may be perfect (legally, in Heaven), but our righteousness is still as filthy rages; our best still has a lot of bad in it. Use His righteousness: WWJD in your shoes?               Hos 10:12a Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy.  Take whatever time you need to keep yourself going: spiritually, emotionally, and physically. (Recreation is for re-creation -- making yourself new again). And, oh, yeah, be merciful to yourself too.

Wednesday, 6/18/14  What time is it? Hos 10:12c ...for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Keep on seeking...I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. “Just keep swimming!!”               Pro 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth his betimes. Just a reminder that God is for corporal punishment. But the 2nd half of the verse says there is proper timing involved.

Thursday, 6/19/14  Num 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. Notice that they prayed for deliverance from the penalty of sin and not deliverance from the sin. Which do you pray for?            Ps 69:1-2a Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire... When you’re feeling overwhelmed, to whom/what do you go? Sin? Self-indulgence (“I deserve this...”)? Self-pity? Take a few hours, no phone...and go pray and cry and confess and beg and wait on God.

Friday, 6/20/14  Acts 23:11b ...for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. Paul had been repeatedly warned not to go to Jerusalem and disobeyed. Now, right after he blew it, God devised a new will for him, and He’ll do it for you too.               Ps 129:1-3 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed long upon my back: they made long their furrows. What a painful description!! V4: The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. Notice that God cut the cords of the whip. God’s righteousness is shown in His limiting our problems. He knows our limits and carefully governs our load: you CAN take what is on your plate...don’t quit. Get tough!! Be resolved!!

Saturday, 6/21/14  Matt 23:2-3 Saying, The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do. Though consummate hypocrites, Jesus told the people to follow and obey what their spiritual leaders said. The leaders’ faults were no excuse for disobedience.           Acts 23:11a And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul... We’re only ever told to do what we’re not doing, so...Paul needed encouragement, and God gave it. One big lesson to learn: Bible characters weren’t Spiritual Supermen...they were like you and I, going through bad circumstances. Learn from their actions and situations.

Thoughts from some others
Pro 17:3 the fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts. We need to do a spiritual heart check regularly: for if our heart is right, our actions will be pleasing to our God.
Ps 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. To the degree that we delight in and love Him, we get from Him our desires.
Pro 19:5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. This is a verse that our politicians and the press ought to read often, and a principle that we need to teach our children.
Pro 21:4 An high look and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sin. Pride and arrogance are as repulsive to God as all activities of the wicked. Our attitudes affect God and all those with whom we come in contact.
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