Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

-Tuesday, 2/2/21  Psalm 19:10, More to be desired are they than

gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. This is David’s and God’s opinion of the Bible. Sadly my valuation seems a little less. Yours? What would an examination of your life indicate?                            Psalm 19:12, Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. “Secret faults” are those actions that we don’t even know are sinful. We all have them, but the question comes: how do we react to having a fault pointed out to us? “They have NO right!!!” “What business is it of YOURS?” “What’re you: my mother?”  Forget HOW things were said and concentrate on WHAT was said.

- Wednesday, 2/3/21  Malachi 1:2a, I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? “He says-we says.” He says He does in the unchanging Word; we say He doesn’t in our fickle heart. He gives daily tangible, visible evidence; we give...words and feelings. Who’ya gonna believe?                            Psalm 97:1a, The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice. “The Lord reigneth”: “But, but, but...the Democrats stole the election!” “The Lord reigneth.”  “But my job is going to be eliminated...” “The Lord reigneth.”  “But my health is failing...” “The Lord reigneth.”  “But gas prices are going to skyrocket...” “The Lord reigneth.”  “But my kids won’t talk to me...” “The Lord reigneth.”  “But our country is going to Hell in a hand-basket...”  “The Lord reigneth.”  Our problem is...that our buts are too big.

- Thursday, 2/4/21  Psalm 21:5, [The king’s] glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. Maybe if we’d do more of the first half of the verse, God would do more of the second half. Why would He give trinkets if we don’t revel in the bottomless gold mine He’s already given?                               Psalm 22:1, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Anyone who is even close to being a decent parent would never forsake their small child when they are afraid and going through a trial, so we can rest assured that God won’t forsake us. Now, we may not perceive Him, but we must trust that He is near. “Thank You, dear Father, that you are NOT ‘so far from helping me;’ thank You that I’m in Your sight and on Your mind. Please give me the strength and courage to go forward.”

- Friday, 2/5/21  Psalm 22:25a, My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation. Growth is daunting. Oft-times, we never take the first step because we focus on the 999 next steps. David said he’d praise publically in a large crowd. If that is our goal, then let’s do Step 1: praise Him in front of your most trusted friend. Then, Step 2: among more casual friends. Step 3: in SS class. Step 4: on the job among unsaved friends. Little by little, inch by inch, you’ll get to Step 999. It’s like exercise: first we have to acknowledge that we need to start, and then each subsequent stretch/exertion hurts a little...until it becomes normal...then you’ve got to reach a little farther, do a little more. Go to it!!

- Saturday, 2/6/21  Psalm 100:1, Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. If it’s anything, true Biblical religion is a vocal religion. Are you “noisy”? We are to be noisy in private to Him; we’re to be noisy in our homes; noisy at church, and noisy to the world at large. Very simply, will you get louder?                           Genesis 5:22, And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. For 21 verses, God had simply listed names, when they had a son, and how much longer the man lived. Here He pivots and said Enoch walked with Him. Hmmm...it must be pretty rare for someone to walk with God. “Oh Lord, help me to be one of those people.”

- Sunday, 2/7/21  Genesis 9:16, And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. God made rainbows to remind Him of His promises. What promises have we made that need to be kept before us, what could we put in front of us to remind us? Suggestions?                                  Genesis 6:3, And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Before the Flood, people lived several hundred years. Here God says He’s going to reduce that. I wonder if, as we age, that we get more set in our ways, and since our hearts are corrupt, the tendency is to get worse and worse. And, before the flood, people were procreating for hundreds of years, the children from their later centuries would be trained by more wicked parents and so the negative trend would’ve been accelerated. ‘Just my ponderings, but, based on your current direction and speed today, how will your relationship with the Lord be in 10 or 20 or 30 years?

- Monday, 2/8/21  Matthew 5:25, Agree with thine adversary quickly... Very bluntly, we each must ask what’s more important: being right or getting along with? With your spouse, your boss, your kids, your friends, GOD...do you insist on showing 10 ways what you’re saying is correct, or do you obey this verse?                                   Philippians 1:9-11, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. For what should we pray for our loved ones?  A growth in discerning love; that they learn and prove what’s better; that they simply act better; and live more holy.

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