Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

- Tuesday, 12/3/19  1 Samuel 9:27b, ... Samuel said to Saul...stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. Do you have “a while” in your schedule today?

Take “a while,” and see what God says. Quote/pray Psalm 119:18 first, and then open your mind, heart, and Bible. Take “a while.”                             Romans 11:21, For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Looking at how God judged Israel with the many foreign nations afflicting them (Egypt, Philistines, Moabites, etc., especially in Judges) and the Babylonian Captivity, we should sit up and take notice that He will not tolerate our sins today. The OT is to learn from!!

 

- Wednesday, 12/4/19  Psalm 25:1, Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. When you come to God, do you bring Him your entire soul, with all of its warts and wickedness? Or, do you attempt to hide it and somehow portray yourself as relatively good? (As if we could hide anything from Him?)                               If you were offered the proverbial Aladdin’s lamp, one free wish for anything, for what would you wish? Here’s David’s:  Psalm 27:4, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. He simply wanted to get to know his God better and to get closer to Him. Lord help us: we are such shallow, peripheral Christians playing a game!! We are barely getting our toes wet in the ocean of His awesomeness. Lord, revive thy people in the midst of our days.

 

- Thursday, 12/5/19  We all have trouble obeying, both God and man. We all have sin-filled, corrupted, selfish hearts. However, this verse may give some insight as to how to make obedience a little easier. Psalm 26:3, For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.                           Psalm 27:13, I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  “How not to quit!” Simply get your eyes off of your problems. Force yourself to trust that there is some purpose behind the problem. And, by keeping our eyes on the Lord, we will be more alert to obeying His next wishes (He calls it “waiting” on Him), which helps us keep our eyes off the problem again. In short, we must forget our problems, and obey Him. How does the song go? Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

 

- Friday, 12/6/19  Proverbs 1:1-3a, The proverbs of Solomon...To know wisdom and instruction...to receive the instruction of wisdom... Knowing something is vastly different than receiving it. Receive the love of God today. Receive some heavenly guidance today. Receive acceptance, forgiveness, worth today. God said you were worth the life of Jesus: THAT’S how valuable you are...receive that.                                  The world teaches intimidation and gruffness, loud talk and arrogance to get your way. Look at God’s method of intimidation:  1 Samuel 18:12, And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. Walking with God has lots of benefits.

 

- Saturday, 12/7/19  Probing question: can you honestly say that you’ve done everything that you can do to reconcile that relationship? Psalm 69:4, They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head...then I restored that which I took not away. David fixed what someone else broke.                         Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. We know this verse; we can quote this verse; we say that we believe this verse; so why do we live our lives so devoid of the Word of God? Why are we so ignorant of Its contents? Why are we so dismissive of Its directives? Why are we so quick to explain away what is so clearly stated in Its pages? I am, you are, and we are going to be very red-faced one of these days.

 

- Sunday, 12/8/19  Proverbs 4:7a, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. Wisdom is simply seeing things from God’s perspective and acting accordingly. Today, learn it. Tomorrow, use it. Look at your problems, your job, your family, your dreams from God’s perspective.                         Here’s a prayer that most of us have never thought about praying:  Psalm 71:8, Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. “Lord, help me to open my eyes and see things that You’re doing and have done, and remind me to brag on You, to You and to others. ‘Open thou mine eyes.’” Copy and post this verse &/or thought where you will see it today.

 

- Monday, 12/9/19  Joy is not just a long-term happy state of mind or a positive outlook.  Psalm 33:1, Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. The sentence structure indicates that joy is equated with praising God. So, are you happy or joyous? For what have you praised Him for in the last hour?                           Psalm 34:4-5a, I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened... David endured the trial...but “they” were lightened. God is so awesome, with one trial he can teach us deep lessons or correct us or mold us...but He can also point out our struggles to another brother, and because of us doing well in our struggles, He can “lighten” them. Your problem isn’t all about you; others are watching you, and need to get some of whatever it is keeping you going. Don’t fail them. Accept, take, and prosper with whatever is on your plate today.


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