If you fear God and hope in His unfailing love, then you are giving God pleasure. It’s not the naming of stars that gives Him this pleasure but seeing lowly mankind choose to praise Him! – Teresa #pleasantandfitting

Psalm 147: 1-11 (ESV)

147 Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

    for it is pleasant,[a] and a song of praise is fitting.

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars;

    he gives to all of them their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

    his understanding is beyond measure.

6 The Lord lifts up the humble;[b]

    he casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

    make melody to our God on the lyre!

8 He covers the heavens with clouds;

    he prepares rain for the earth;

    he makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He gives to the beasts their food,

    and to the young ravens that cry.

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,

    in those who hope in his steadfast love.

 When Jehu came to take the kingdom of Israel from the evil domain of Ahab and Jezebel, he was focused on completing the mission. Although she was a king’s daughter and had taken time to adorn her head and paint her eyes, Jezebel did not stand a chance in diverting this man from his mission. In fact, every word that Elijah the Tishbite prophesied came to pass.  In this case, Jehu’s ability to complete the work was more important than negotiating with false pretense. -Teresa

2 Kings 9:30-37 (ESV)

30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” 32 And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. 34 Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 35 But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, 37 and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’”

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In the Netfix documentary “Lose sight of the shore”,  four women rowers accomplished crossing the Pacific with the power of their bodies. It was the strength in their souls, however, that kept them sane throughout the agonizing feat of endurance. How do we gain strength when the shore of life disappears? King David culivated thanks to Creator God and His purposes. – Teresa #enjoyHispresencewithyoualongtheway 

Psalm 138:1-3 (ESV)

138 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

    before the gods I sing your praise;

2 I bow down toward your holy temple

    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,

    for you have exalted above all things

    your name and your word.[a]

3 On the day I called, you answered me;

    my strength of soul you increased.[b]

When is our granddaughter most satisfied and calm? …after her mama feeds her! All her needs are met for that moment. Even so, we are full of hope and calm pervades our stormy circumstances after taking in the body and blood of Christ.  We can experience spiritually abundant life, which is more than enough, when we partake. – Teresa #communion # onewithHim #Christinthecommonplace
Psalm 131: 1-3

131 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

    my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

    too great and too marvelous for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

    like a weaned child with its mother;

    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

    from this time forth and forevermore.

How do we know we are blessed? God turns us from our wickedness through the powerful love act of His Son, Jesus Christ the LORD. Some interpret this passage as referring to another prophet but the Holy Spirit (through Moses and Peter) has encouraged our hearts by explaining that it has to be God (aka His Son).  Only He can capably turn us from our sin once and for all. – Teresa #allotherprophetsfallshort

Acts 3: 22-26 (ESV)

 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

In the midst of multiple ways to gain spiritual assistance, the people are reminded of Creator God’s unfailing ability to keep them protected. Although we all like sheep have a tendency to go astray, we can return our eyes to His ever present help and call to Him. – Teresa #Omnipotent#Omniscient#Omnipresent

Psalm 121: 1-8 (ESV) (bold added for emphasis)

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved;he who keeps you will not slumber.4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Thank you, King of the Jews, for paying the penalty for my sin. Thank you, LORD, for your amazing love…Go to Him, in your weary state. Go to Him, and He will give you rest. Give up striving, give up figuring it all out and let Him lead the way. – Teresa #followingChrist’slead

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The beautiful flowering cactus represents beauty amidst adversity. David recognized this in Bathsheeba as he was truthful with himself re: who he was- a fallen man who took Uriah’s life and wife, unmercifully. The consequence of his sin was difficult for Bathsheeba, as she mourned the death of her baby.  After David repented, he was able to see beyond himself and comfort his new wife vs. use her for his own pleasure. This action was blessed, resulting in a baby who was named “beloved by God”, Jedidiah (aka Solomon). – Teresa

2 Samuel 12: 24-25 (ESV)

Solomon’s Birth

²⁴ Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him ²⁵ and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah…

Footnotes

1. 2 Samuel 12:3 Hebrew bosom; also verse 8
2. 2 Samuel 12:14 Masoretic Text the enemies of the Lord; Dead Sea Scroll the word of the Lord
3. 2 Samuel 12:25 Jedidiah means beloved of the Lord

The type of peace that Jesus gave brought His disciples safely through witnessing firsthand cruel and unjust deeds done to the One they loved. He was about to leave them but not abandon them, for the Holy Spirit would come to indwell them.  The Holy Spirit would act as a seal (or authorizing mark). He would be sent from the Father in Jesus’ name as a significant downpayment or deposit, guaranteeing their eternal inheritance. Although at times it appeared as though the ruler of this world had won (aka Satan and the demonic presence that blinded the minds of those running “the world system”), Jesus said that Satan had no claim on Him. Rather, Jesus laid down His life for us in obedience to the Father’s command. – Teresa #Lovewasinourfavor

 John 14: 25-31 (ESV)

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

When we are tempted to throw in the towel or take our irritation out on those closest to us, I propose that we sing. In His provision we are never lacking. He loves when we recognize Him as our strength and our song. If we truly rely on God’s salvation, then His right hand valiantly rescues us from sinful solutions to His righteous ways. – Teresa #worshiptheLORDwithgladness

Psalm 118: 14-16 (ESV)

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

    he has become my salvation.

15 Glad songs of salvation

    are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,

16 the right hand of the Lord exalts,

    the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”