The day with dianne Louise

God Your have heard my vows; You have given a heritage to those who fear Your name. Psalm 61:5 The most startling example of this comes from the gospels. Luke 23:39-43 Jesus was crucified between two criminals, one vilified Christ the other believed and asked to be remembered. The key: ask and believe. No matter what you have done, he died for you. All you have to do is ask for forgiveness, show genuine repentance and believe. Amen! Jesus' responses was: 'today you will be with me in paradise.' He came to seek and save that which was lost. Tonight I met a lost man,6 he is not happy. He used to walk with the Lord and offense took him out. He is a changed man but one request will restore him, it is as simple as that.

God hear my cry; Pay attention to my prayer. I call to You from the ends of earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, For You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. I will live in Your tent forever and take refuge under the shelter of Your wings. Psalm 61:1-4 Like David, my God is the first stop. No one else has His answers. I must find Him and then I am safe. His word is my rock. I build my life on it. I am safe, in Him. I can rest, in Him. I have abundance, in Him. I trust Him! Amen! When my heart has been battered, He is the balm, when it is fearful, He is my safe house. When my heart rejoices, He is the first I thank. When the rivers of abundance flows, He is the one I love to thank. He is in everything! Amen!

With God we will perform valiantly; He will trample our foes. Psalm 60:12 Ever heard the saying: 'I am just going along for the ride.' well, I think that applies here. If I really do get it, that the Lord has ALL the power, then I will know that I can rest in Him, then I give Him, ALL the glory. As I rest in Him, I must be diligent to do what I am given to do. Creating is his department, protecting is His department, provision is His department, judgement is His department, vindication is His department, revenge is His department. So, what then is mine? Love and obey! Love and obey! Love an obey! Very, very, very restful! Amen!

Save with Your right hand, and answer me, so that those You love may be rescued. God has spoken in His sanctuary." I will triumph!"Psalm 60:5,6 Our prayers are heard. We may not always know this but He hears and answers. Gods answers are broad. 'I will triumph'. We are facing a huge problem and the next request of ours will be, "how Lord?" We cannot suspect that the Lord is like the earthly father who promises:'it is going to be all right." and does not know what the next move is. God does not get the title for nothing. He will wait for trust and faith. Am I willing to go with a God who says: 'trust Me!' Will He come through? Definitely,if I get out of the way.

...Lord our shield. Psalm 59:11b You my God are my strength and my shield. I have had an unusual week so far. I am having to be at rest, be quiet but be diligent at the same time. Creativity is flowing! Relationships are growing, You I am knowing!!! Rest is best; trust I must! Walk the talk; stand with truth at hand. Praise I raise; love to You above! God is my rod; the beast, my feast. God You are best; I stand the test.

But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. To You my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold-my faithful God. Psalm 59:16,17 These verses come after a psalm full of full of talk about his enemies coming at him like snarling dogs, morning and evening. When our enemy comes at us he is relentless, but like David we are safe in our God. Furthermore, unlike David we have the power to tell him to leave, because of the cross. See how Jesus dealt with him in the gospels. He submitted to God and used scripture to rebuke the devil. My champion has gone before me, He is blazing a trail for me.

Then people will say, "yes there is a reward for the righteous! There is a God who judges on earth!" psalm 58:11 So much wrong happens, so many wicked and devious plans are birthed, but God! Give room for the miracle factor! My God goes before me. Today it appeared that nothing would go right but I sensed a breeze, a beautiful presence had come and I wanted to go to a quiet place to meet. I went for a walk and spoke to Him. "I will not fear, I release You!" I bought two coffees (one for me an one for David-my employee) and a piece of banana bread to share. I shut the door and sat down and spoke to David about what was happening. We prayed and them broke bread and enjoyed our coffee. The presence of the Lord filled the office! He enjoyed our prayers! We then worked quietly. At lunch time I went for another walk and to talk, "I release You to be great!" I whispered. The phone wrang and when I returned to the office it wrang again, the wall had fallen i...

Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones? Do you judge people fairly? Psalm 58:1 Absolute power corrupts absolutely! We see this again and again. In fact David did the same. He had Uriah the Hittite killed because he (David) had committed adultery with Uriah's wife. As parents, business owners, political leaders we can become deceived by the euphoria of power and then say and do things that are arrogant and crush those under us. There is no one who does not sin, except God. He alone can be trusted. There is none like Him, faithful and true full of unchanging integrity. Amen! In Him I am safe. Amen!

My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises, wake up, my soul! Wake up harp and lyre! I will wake up at dawn. Psalm 57:7,8 My heart is confident that I am in the right place, doing the right thing, at home in the country. Today I drove to Gunnedah, I like that place. The drive there was incredibly beautiful, thank You Lord! The drive home was at 6:45pm and there were no kangaroos on the road, praise God! What a good day! This morning in the office with a bunch of giggling girls next door, they know how to lighten things! The weather is warming and I was able to wear a new red dress, new is fun! I kept hearing a song, 'up from the grave we rose again, We will rise up, rise up, rise uuup!' (something like that). Needless to say I sang most of the day while doing office work. My God is bringing the new, nothing will be the same. The fresh, new thing is coming! Amen!

Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in You. I will seek the refuge of the shadow of Your wings until danger passes. I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me. He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. Psalm 57:1-3 My God is in the process of fulfilling His purpose for me. As I hide in Him and make Him my refuge I am safe. He reaches down and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. On Friday night I had a horrible headache, to bend down was excruciating, I went to the Lord. Saturday was awful. Yesterday it was still sore but I went to church and then to visit some folks who are new to Tamworth, then I went to a bonfire/Bbq/fireworks at church and came home at 9pm. Today I am well. I would say He heard my prayer, went before me and trampled my enemy. I can speak disaster into my world or 'it is well'! I am off to Gunnedah this evening for an appointment and was awake at 4:40...

When I am afraid I trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me. Psalm 56:3,4 I am blessed to be reading a Max Lucado book: 'Six Hours One Friday'. He paints beautiful word pictures. The Jesus He presents is the Jesus I thought was there but as I read I am enjoying someone else presenting Him to me. I like this Jesus. He is whole, confident, nicely normal and best of all He knows His Father; who He is and what He came to do. I am feasting and enjoying my God. Thank You Max. By the way this man writes great kids books. I also enjoy the writer PUl the apostle and his take on the above scripture is in Romans 8:31 'if God be for us, who can be against us!' yay!!! Verses 38,39 clinches it: For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have power to separate us from the love of God that is in Ch...

They twist my words all day long; all their thoughts against me are evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps while they wait to take my life. Will they escape in spite of such sin? God, bring down the nations in wrath. Psalm 56:5-7 As I read this psalm today I think of Christ. As soon as he started His ministry the Pharisee and Saducees were after His blood, they dogged His steps, questioned His behavior and judged Him as a sinner. My Lord went through all this because of love. He came to give all men and women a way back to the Father. If I am suffering is it because of my own lack of faith or stupidity? Why then rail against the Lord when He is innocent? Things go wrong in this life when we are mistaken as to how life works. We often take one principle and are extreme in it and neglect all others. Eg working hard and neglecting family and friends, not going to church. Jesus shows us the full picture, listen to Him, cherish the word today. Amen!

Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never allow His righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22 1Peter 5:7 reiterates this: 'cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you.' So what do you think folks? Is He worthy to be trusted? Is His word true or is your experience in command? Would you rather settle for what you see with your natural eyes or what you could see in the spirit? What is the spirit saying? Let Him loose in your world! He is God! It is He who creates and gives life to the lifeless. My God loves me with a love that is not fickle, it does not change. He is consistent when I am not. He is greater than all the powers of hell. He wins!

When I afraid, I will trust in You. In God, who's word I praise, In God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:3,4 In God who's word I praise, In the Lord who's word I praise, In God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Psalm55:10,11 David knew what to trust in, God's word. His word never fails or returns to Him empty. God might speak over nothingness but life comes forth and something that was not, now is. Why trust in my own understanding? Of what benefit is that? I cannot control without damage, I have to trust. David had just been seized by his enemies. His strength could not save him, only God could save him. The Lord showed me that He works with what is broken, dead, nothingness, void because then He gets the glory. We don't like all of those things because they scare us. But God is God and He works differently. Give Him Your failure and emptiness and watch Him move. Be ready for a miracle! Amen!

Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.Psalm 55:22 All the preceding verses have been full of great anguish, David had been betrayed. Yet here in verse 22 he praises the Lord. Mind you he vents for 22 verses, 21 before the above verse and 1 after. David was a man who knew how to vent and he did it before the Lord. He probably paced up and down, tearing his clothes and perhaps pulling out his beard. How about you? Do you stuff it down inside or vent? I found writing poetry a good form of venting. I also worked at a medical rehab ward for a few years and the dear old folk commiserated with me beautifully (after divorce), but the day came when the angst was gone. I find the Lord the best listener as He does not agree with bad attitudes and I know, inside, when the attitude is bad and repent. Others may listen but often their counsel is unwise, the common one was 'move on'. Most people have a low tolerance of...

Now it is not an enemy who insults me- otherwise I could bear it; it is not a foe who rises up against me- Otherwise I could hide from him. But it is you, a man who isy peer, my companion and good friend! We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. Psalm 55:12-14 Betrayal must be the hardest thing to bear, when it is someone you care for. I remember an older man who I in my church many years ago, he was like a father to me. There came a time when he asked me for help to bring out a woman from overseas who he wanted to marry. After much work on his behalf, when sitting in front of the tribunal, I discovered he had lied to me and used me, I was devastated. Another time I had a woman become very friendly to me and I helped her and managed her affairs while she went overseas for 6 months. This was during a difficult time in my own life. When she returned she had nothing more to do with me. I felt used and betrayed. We all have stories about s...

I will sacrifice a free will offering to You. I will praise Your Name, Yahweh, Because it is good. For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked down on my enemies. Psalm 54:6,7 Another offering, this time a free will offering. I am not obliged to give this, in fact I want to give it when it is not required. My praise I give as a free will offering. It is hard to express at times, especially in difficult times. Yet as I do I release Him to rise up like a great eagle. The Lord is my deliverer, I trust Him to bring me through. Amen!

God save me by Your name, and vindicate me by your might! God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth. For strangers rise up against me, And violent men seek my life. They have no regard for God. Psalm 54:1-3 I, personally am not being pursued by violent men, I know my enemies are spiritual. However, there are those in Christendom who are suffering, some terribly. What do they do? The same as me, cling to the Lord. He is safety indeed. Corrie Tem Boom, a Dutch woman who hid Jews during the second world war, was herself imprisoned. What brought her through? Her faith and trust in the Lord. I have read of preachers imprisoned in China. Watchman Nee spent most of his life in prison. What brought him through? His faith and trust in God. Did his faith make his enemies leave him alone? No! His faith sustained him. In my world my God takes me through many things, my faith sustains me, He alone is good! Remember you are being watched by a great cloud of witnesses, hear t...

.... Because God will scatter the bones of those who besiege you. You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them. Psalm 53:5 We are involved in triumph. On the one hand God scatters the bones but then we put them to shame. How does this play out in the lives of the godly? The bible tells me righteousness exalts a nation. Living God-centered lives establishes the kingdom of God here on earth. As I submit all of my life to Him, I allow Him to take my life and use it as a banner. There is no argument with Godliness. Sure there are those who mock, but hey who cares about their opinions! In the heart of hearts the godless have to acknowledge right. Plug into Him, stand your ground.... And sing the song of the redeemed, fill your mouth with praise! Amen!

The fool says in His heart, 'God does not exist.' they are corrupt, and they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is anyone who is wise, one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have been corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one. Psalm 53:1-3 These verses are reflected in Romans 3:10-12 The concept of sin is not recognized in today's society. Vice is something done against oneself; crime is something done against society or an individual but sin is something done against God. Since modern culture is essentially atheistic, 'sin' has become a meaningless term. (footnotes- HCSB bible) How the does the Christian keep a tender conscience? Staying close to God, in vital union with Him. You may ask why do I want to be mindful of sin! That is not the goal, but as I stay close He shows me when I break fellowship with Him and I do this when I sin. Fellowship with Him is most...

I will praise You forever for what You have done. In the presence of Your faithful people, I will put my hope in Hour name, for it is good. Psalm 52:9 Our steadfastness has to be public, in the presence of God's faithful people. Steadfastness speaks to others, in encourages the weak to remain strong, to stand and trust. Words alone do not convince but example speaks. I know I am constantly watched by God's people and also those He is drawing. They must see Christ in me, not me; myself; and I. How do I refrain from falling in a heap, crying in my pretzels? By trusting! I just had the most trying week, right in front of a disciple. This woman is about to go through her own trying time, she needs to see God's faithfulness and He did not fail me. He is good! Today I spent time with two lovely cousins in Newcastle, one is a milliner. (guess who loves hats?) I had the opportunity to encourage the milliner to believe. She grew up a catholic, she knows, but now she...

But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of my God; I trust in God's faithful love forever and ever. Psalm 52:8 This a Davidic psalm. The first seven verses he pours out his angst against a man who betrays him. Yet he knows where he stands, in the house of his God, trusting his faithful God forever and ever. David pours out his heart to his God in a psalm. I wonder if he also complained loudly to his friends? I know I can complain to friends and family but it is God who has the power over men's hearts, to resolve a matter. I know that if I live in complaint then the matter goes unsolved but if I praise my God for the outcome it becomes solved in the heavenlies first then the natural. I know that as I confess how I am in the courts of my God then I release Him to go into God mode, the realm of miracles, the world of power. What will my confession be today? Life or death?

Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of Your salvation to me and give me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Psalm 51:11-13 There is nothing worse then experiencing God's back. Sometimes it is our behavior, sometimes He needs to leave us to work through an exercise He has given us. Either way it is not fun. Experiencing the joy of salvation is the highlight. Knowing I am saved and that He is working for me is priceless. I love the sentence: 'give me a willing spirit'. Are you ever unwilling? I am. However a willing spirit accomplishes more than an unwilling one. What causes the rise of the unwilling spirit in you? Stubborn rebellion? Hurt? Disappointment? All? Whatever the cause we could join with the psalmist in asking for a willing spirit, so that, like the psalmist we could teach the rebellious and see sinners return to the Lord. Good move! Now you kn...

You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit; God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. Psalm 51:15-17 Today me heart is squeezed, and a wire brush has been taken to it. My emotions are tumultuous but I know rash behavior will not do so I have determined to praise my Lord. At times to keep going is hard, the hill steep but first I will find You my Lord. In You is safety for my heart, You alone are steadfast and know me well.I can trust You for You do not change. Amen! Thank You!

Call on Me in the day of trouble;I will rescue you and you will honor Me. Psalm 50:15 Today was one such day. I travelled back to Sydney and at Golburn went to buy petrol. My bank had been working on the website and although they were supposed to finish at 9am they kept revising it. At 1pm I was stuck unable to access it. I prayed and was prepared to wait until 5pm(the new completion time but was rescued. Fortunately I was able to complete my trip, for which I am truely grateful. Thank You Lord! Amen!

Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors me, whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of His God. Psalm 50:23 In the preceding verses God is rebuking the wicked for reciting His statutes and hating his brother. He was also telling His people He wasn't into all the slaughter of animals. God has never been into ritualism. Why do I go to church? If is only because 'I should' then that is not enough. God wants me to visit Him. If church is a social outing just to see friends, then that is not enough, I am missing an opportunity to see the greatest, most perfect one of all. If I give at church it can't be ritualistic it has to be a sacrifice of praise or I waste my money. If I give to Him expecting Him to use it for His glory, care for it and bring blessing into my world, through His ways and means then I trust Him with it and do not hold the church to ransom. It keeps my attitude right. I have spoken to many who were jaded with God because the...

A man with valuable possessions but without understanding is like the animal that perishes. Psalm 49:20 Today Harry the cat was put to sleep because he was in a bad way with cancer. A cat, often portrayed as a proud beast above, say the cow, passed away just as a cow would pass away (perhaps not such a good example as cows get eaten more often than cats). My friend had to make a decision, which she had delayed longer than many others would have. Harry was bleeding from his ears and nose. I knew Harry, he only had three legs but he loved my friend. Possessions, status, friends and family cannot stop the inevitable, death. A man or woman who refuses to acknowledge Christ is considered no better than a brute beast. Animals do not have an eternity, we do. The choices we make determine where we spend it. Death for us is not the end, rather a transition into eternity. Wise up! Make the right choice!

Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surround me. They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches. Yet they cannot redeem a person or pay their ransom to God- since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying- so that he may live forever and not see the pit. Psalm 49:4-9 No matter how wealthy we are we are unable to stop the typhoon, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, famine. We cannot pull back from death those we love when it is there time to go. I have a dear friend losing one of her loyal and favourite pets to cancer today, only last month she farewelled her best friend to the same. I see her grief and want to heal her pain, but cannot. I am faced with the reality that I am limited whereas my God is limitless. This afternoon we plan to paint a picture, when painting we go to the quiet place. A place of healing. I pray my friend finds the one who heals in that space. Amen!

Your name, God, like Your praise, reaches to the end of the earth; Your right hand is filled with justice. Mount Zion is glad. Psalm 38:10,11 Beautiful One, You are the best. If I think of waterfalls, You creates them; if I think of baby chicks; baby lambs; in fact babies, You created the wonder. As I look into the heavens I see Your greatness, You created it all. When I dive into the deep blue sea and see all the beauty therein, I am in wonder of You. When I hear a beautiful voice, again I rejoice. You made the voice and me able to rejoice. When I hear beautiful music, the harp; the cello and clarinet I know You made this all possible, thank You! Put it all together and I see You. Be glorified by me Lord! Amen! Mount Zion may be glad but I am more so. Amen!

Look! The kings assembled; they advanced together. They looked and froze with fear; they fled in terror. Trembling seized them there, agony like that of a woman in labour. You wrecked the ships of Tarshish with the east wind. Psalm 48: 4-7 Ever felt like everything was against you? Did you run or did you stand? If you ran your enemies won yet if you stood and said: 'I trust in the Lord, He is my champion!' then you would have felt their fury but they would melt because the Lord of Hosts has come and blown away their argument. This past week I had to stand, I felt squeezed but I stayed standing, I wanted a box seat. My God's movements are the best ever. For the past few weeks we have watched the Olympics and many would have paid high money to have the seats in the stadiums. I had prayed that I would know the Lord more. To have that I have to go through something so He could display His love and faithfulness, and He did. I am consumed with a passion to be somewh...

God ascends among shouts of joy, the Lord among the sound of the trumpets, Sing praise to God, sing praise, Sing praise to our King song praise. Psalm 47:5,6 Nothing get our God going like shouts of joy, shouts of praise. When the armies of the Lord went out to battle they were instructed to sing praise. If it was good enough for them it is good enough for me. When I have to stand and see the salvation of my God, singing is a good pastime. When I know not what to sing I sing in the spirit. Release your spirit in praise and watch and see God move. Amen!

For Yahweh, the most high is awe inspiring, a great king over all the earth. He subdues people under us and nations under our feet. He chooses us for His inheritance- the pride of Jacob whom He loves. Psalm 47:2-4 We see here that the Lord had chosen a people to be with and in and how He behaved towards those He loves. In Christ He expanded those He loved to all and any who choose His Son. I am now one of His chosen because I made a choice. God is disposed to those who choose Him and listen to Him just as I am disposed to my children and grandchildren. There are others who are mine as well. They are those who have ears to hear, those my God has given me responsibility for. I love these dearly. Yesterday I met with clients whom I cherish. They are not those who have given me anything, except relationship. These dear folk have faced the horrors of cancer, again and again. Yet still they shine. I was not able to give them what they wanted directly but was able to inspire them wi...

Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is out stronghold. Psalm 46:6,7 I sometimes think about how the world thinks it has things down pat and ignores God. He only needs to lift His voice and things change. I know many, many old people departing the faith. Their houses contain Indian images, Budahs and the like; they have swallowed the lie and become useless. Irregardless of the faithlessness of the creature our God is still faithful. He will always be available for the repentant, always. He changes not, He is dependable, always! He is teaching me how good He is. He has not failed me yet. Amen!

God is with her she will not be toppled, God will help her when the morning dawns. Psalm 46:5 This scripture is referring to God's dwelling place yet I am claiming it for myself as He dwells in me. When God establishes Himself somewhere and pours our His favour on it, it is blessed. He lives in me and I am blessed. I invited Him in at 19, now I am 58 and I trust He is well at home. May He enjoy this house, may all that is in it honor Him, release Him, bless Him. As the morning comes I expect His help, His presence in my world. As He goes before me, all things are made good. Amen!

You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of joy, more than your companions. Psalm 45:7 I believe this psalm is a prophetic psalm about Christ but as I read the above I see how I can appropriate it for myself. If I can hate wickedness and love righteousness (right living before God and man) then I can expect to be anointed with the oil of joy. I love His courts; His ways; His thoughts; His preferences; His delight is my delight. Out of my love for Him comes boundaries of constraint into my world. Love conquers all. True love enables obedience. Because I am loved and love in return I want His ways, they are my greatest pleasure. His hand on the door to my world excites me. The sense of His presence thrills me, His plans cause me to laugh for joy, His abundance causes me to dance in the rain. How blessed am I?

Your throne, God, is for ever and ever, The scepter of Your Kingdom is a scepter of justice. Psalm 45:6 God reigns forever and forever. He does not change, He is faithful and loves justice and mercy. Where is justice and mercy in my day? Who can I extend justice to? You often hear: 'that is not fair!' usually from the mouth of children. In my dealings in business I am learning God's estimation of fair. What does He want me to do? I must walk fairly in His Kingdom and touch others with His fairness. As I do this His grace and mercy can flow. En!

You are my king, my God, who ordains victories for Jacob. Through You we drive back our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory. But You give us victory over our foes and let those who hate us be disgraced. We boast in God all day long; we will praise Your name forever. Psalm 44:4-8 We really must get it! We have victory through our God, not our own methods. His ways are sure, lasting, permanent unless we ourselves tear them down by turning away in unbelief. Where is He going? What is He doing? He is great! I don't need to be great, I am His daughter and as I relate to Him I am a part of His greatness. Greatness is not an end in itself. I am great when I live out of Him and give Him the glory.

God we have heard with our ears- our ancestors have told us- the work You accomplished in their days, in days long ago: to plant them, You drove out the nations with Your hand; to settle them, You crushed the peoples. For they did not take the land with their swords- their arms did not win them victory- but Your right hand. Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You were pleased with them. Psalm 44:1-3 My constant struggle is to not bring out the sword. I can see the obstacles in the way and want to smash through them but in the process human beings will be hurt and only God knows the right way. We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers in heavenly places. Spiritual problems need to be solved spiritually not by natural means. Lord give me divine insight into Your ways and to the keys of victory. Blessed be The name of the Lord, blessed be His name, blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be His holy name. (song)

Vindicate me, God, and defend my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man. Psalm 43:1 When we are being trained to walk a godly path, all manner of things will come against us, to hinder and slow us down or want to stop us. Our recourse is our God, He is bigger, greater, higher, more powerful, loves us passionately and is ever faithful. Remind Him! Release Him! Praise Him! Let Him loose! He is our only answer! He will give us the victory!

Send Your light and Your truth, let them lead me, Let them lead me to Your Holy Mountain to Your dwelling place. Psalm 43:3 There are times when I am desperate to find my God, often driven by circumstance if I am honest. Desperate times cause us to run to Him. It is good if we also see our need in good times for then our need is greater for our enemy constantly prowls looking for a way to bring us down. In good times our guard can be down and because we are not as desperate for our God we can not be as close and as safe. In desperate times I cannot get close enough, I want to see my God's face, feel His breath on my neck. Lord may I always know my need for You. Amen!

As the deer longs for streams of water so I long for You God! Psalm 42:1 I remember the story about a preacher who was teaching a young bible student about passion for God. He took him for a long drive out into a lonely place and then down to a pool of water. He bid the student to get into the water, then submerge under the water. The preacher then held him under the water and the young man began to struggle. Finally the preacher let him up, gasping for air. The preacher said, ' when you long for God like you did for air you will see the greatness of God.' The more I press into God the more He takes me to a desperate place and says: 'trust me.' I know that if I do trust Him I experience a deeper level of His love and I stand on the cliff and watch Him to great things in my life. My challenge is not running, in panic to others or my own efforts. What a challenge! But I know, if I can just hold on, hang on, I know Him more and then He moves in delight. Such a love...

Send Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain to Your dwelling place. Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the lyre, God, my God. Psalm 43:3,4 Psalms 42 and 43 are co-joined, thang is they flow on together, psalm 43 does not have a heading, which the psalms usually do. The tone of both psalms are the same: where are You God, my enemies are taunting me and I am so depressed. Yet, as with most psalms there is hope and an answer right there in the midst of all the turmoil. My God wants me to know Him more and as I take my angst, my depression, my turmoil to Him, and wait, an answer comes. His presence is where the answers lie, not in the darkness of depression, not din the mouth of enemies. Enemies taunt, only God heals and gives life. His answers are truth and life to me. He is all I need! Amen! The psalmist knows the answer, as do I. The psalmist praises God for who He is. Praise rel...

By this I know that God delight in me; my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. You supported me because of my integrity and set me in Your presence forever. Psalm 41:11 Tonight I watched two Aussie sailors outmaneuver the Brits, they did a magnificent job. They kept to the plan, they had practiced and sailed time and again and they remained focused, they did not fear because they knew what they had to do. There was one spot where the Brits were causing the Aussies to tack back and forth, allowing others to sneak ahead, yet, the Aussies broke free and took off. (please be aware that I not a sailor yet I can admire the tactics). We have an enemy and at times he plays us hard, what we have to remind ourselves is; 'stay focused, watch the Lord, listen to His voice'. I have manual, I must know it and practice. I learn the ropes by hanging with the Lord and trusting Him to lead, giving Him room to move, especially in difficult times. I can become proficient as a Chri...

Happy is one who cares for the poor; the Lord will save him in a day of adversity. The Lord will keep him and preserve him; he will be blessed in the land. You will not give him over to the desires of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed; You will heal him on the bed where he lies. Psalm 41:1-3 Here is a Psalm with a promise. If you are one who gives to the poor then you will be cared for by your maker. The word poor does not necessarily mean financially destitute alone, it means those who are brought low by their own circumstances or others. Be generous even when it hurts, give the time, the smile, the listening ear, the finance, the effort and it will keep you. Mind you do not do it as if you are paying rent but with a heart that loves to bless. Amen!

You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; You open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering. Then I said, 'see, I have come; it is written about me in the volume of the scroll. I delight to do Your will, My God; Your instruction lives within me." psalm 40:6-8 God delights in relationship and out of that relationship is a desire to give and obey. He is not into ritual. David caught the importance of relationship and loved the word of God. He found his relationship with the Lord alluded to in scripture then, just as I do now. My greatest delight is to know I am in His will and that He is near. His ways mean more than personal fulfillment. I want what comes out of Him not myself. I want to find Him in my experience and want to make room for Him to move. When I do I see His glory and it is awesome to behold! David knows that God opens his ears to listen, this is so good. I can hear Him, I can experience the spirit of faith as I...

I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. How happy is the man who has put His trust in the Lord and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies! Lord my God, You have done many things - Your wonderful works and Your plans for us; none can compare with You. If I were to report and speak of them, they are more than can be told. Psalm 40:1-5 Trusting in the Lord as opposed to men is the crux of this. The bottom line is: is my God able to rescue me, establish me, bless me with abundance? Yes!!! In fear, we run to others yet the proud will gloat over us and the liars will promise much and not deliver. God is faithful, and well able to deliver me, bless me, honor me. Praise His name!

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin, that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfect or of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured the cross and despised the shame and has sat down at The right hand of God's throne. Hebrews 12:1,2 Tonight I watched the replay of Sally Person's 100m hurdle and the subsequent interview after the race. Sally was asked questions about her focus and her preparation and she basically said she was focused on gold and the Olympics, everything she did for the last 4 years was in preparation for that race. Her fellow Olympian Anna Meades won gold in the cycling. Anna said she had to refuse to watch the media leading up to her race because previously they has been full of reports about comments of her English rival and it un-nerved her. We are seeing, firsthand, what...

Certainly a man walks about like a mere shadow. Indeed they frantically rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them. Now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Psalm 38:6,7 Sounds like 2012 and not 1000BC. It seems that running around collecting stuff is an affliction of mankind, permanent. David then says, 'now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You!' In futility we can have our sights on getting, 'to make us happy' or know that true happiness comes from God. In Matthew 6 we are exhorted to seek first the Kingdom of God, then 'all these things will be added'. We can allow ourselves to become morbid with want and determine that we are not blessed because of the lack of stuff. If our eyes are on that which is fleeting, we will become governed by the having of that stuff. Yet as we look to the Lord and give Him our needs He provides in abundance all we need. God is good and His blessings are best, they last and...

My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness, I am bent over and brought low; all day long I go around in mourning. For my loins are full of burning pain and there is no health in my body. I am faint and severely crushed; I groan because of the anguish of my heart. Psalm 38:5-8 Who has ever been like this? I would hazard to guess all at one time. Foolishness is something we all indulge in at one time or other in our lives and yes we pay the price. Drinking, eating, driving, all in excess brings a payday. Headaches, belly aches, wallet aches are just a few consequences. Yet we cannot escape the cost of sin. We know the price of murder and stealing, what about adultery, gossip, jealousy, criticism? These all carry a penalty. The payment may not be required for a long time, much like: 'buy now and pay in 12 months time'. You might enjoy the interlude but the price is greatly inflated when pay day comes. David knew well the answer. In verses 21,22 he says...

I am like a deaf person; I do not hear. I am like a speechless person who does not open his mouth. I am like a man who does not hear and has no argument in his mouth. I put my hope in You, Lord; You will answer, Lord my God. For I said, 'don't let them rejoice over me - those who are arrogant towards me when I stumble'. For I about to fall, and my pain is constantly with me. Psalm 38:13-17 Is this you? Do you feel put down and crushed by sickness, by others opposing you? I know many who are and have been there myself, not a good place, yet God is there! He is using the heat you feel to mould you. I still remember a saying of Ps Phil Pringle when he said:'when you are going through difficult times you in the fire and when you are in heat you are melting and you will become what you are looking at.' If you are looking to the Lord you will be changed into His image but if you are looking at your negative circumstances and feeling sorry for yourself you will...

Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the man of peace will have a future. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their refuge in a time of distress. The Lord helps and delivers them; he will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in Him. Psalm 37:37;39,40 This passage tells me that as I trust Him and look to Him, I will have a future because as my eyes are on Him, I am at peace because I trust Him. My God is my savior and when I am distressed He is my refuge. Because I trust Him, He saves me. He is good and His mercy endures, endures, endures.........forever! amen!

Trust in the Lord and do what is good, dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans. Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated- it can only bring harm. For evil doers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.psalm 37:-9 There are key words here: trust; commit; wait; refrain. These are matters of the heart. I must hold onto my heart and look to Him for His promises to perform. When I am frustrated I want to rush; complain; do and yet I am bid to refrain and wait. The Lord's promises are on trial here, will He come through? What has He done in the past? He has come thro...

Spread Your faithful love over those who know You, And Your righteousness over the upright in heart. Do not let the foot of the arrogant man come near me or the hand of the wicked one drive me away. Psalm 36:10,11 I am at a place where I cannot save myself by being diligent, I cannot work any harder and I now need a miracle. I want to see the Lord in His greatness in my health, my family, my business. Now is a good time to stand still and see the salvation of my God. I cannot beat myself up; abuse others for non-performance; now the Lord has the next move, all to Himself. Go Lord go!! Amen!

An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked person: there is no dread of God before his eyes, for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to discover and hate his sin. Psalm 36:1,2 You could say there is no hope for such a person but these are the very people that my God reaches out to with the offer of salvation. Yesterday I had afternoon tea with a woman who had sunk into the addiction of gambling in a big way, she was far from God, she was destroying her family but God reached out and saves her from her sins and now she preaches the gospel. The writer of 'Amazing Grace' , John Newton, was a wicked slave trader. I know countless stories about God's mercy and grace. He is good and loves the unlovely. You may be a sinner and think that He would not bother with you, He will. In fact he has someone like me praying for you that you might find His grace and know that 'though your sins be as scarlet they will be white as snow' as you...

Malicious witnesses come forward; they question me about things I do not know. They repay me evil for good making me desolate. Yet when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer was genuine. I went about grieving as if for a friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning a mother. But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; They gathered against me. Assailants I did not know tore at me and did not stop. With Godless mockery they gashed their teeth at me. Psalm 35:11-16 Do you know anyone going through this? I do! If I look to man to do right I am disappointed mostly always. I have come to expect people to be their basest, selfishiest at all times and when they are not I am grateful, to the Lord because He controls all hearts. God uses the evil man for His purposes. I can trust Him to get things right. Then my heart does not rage against others. Human being can be very base and tools of our enemy. They will j...

Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who fight me. Take Your shields-large and small- and come to my aid. Draw spear and javelin against my pursuers, and assure me: ' I am your deliverance.' Let those who seek to kill me be disgraced and humiliated; let those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed. Let them be like chaff in the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away. Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. Psalm 35:1-6 David spent a time being chased by those who had a warped intent. The king, Saul, was filled with jealousy because God's anointing had left him and was upon David. He rages against David and sought to kill him. I can imagine being on the run; living in caves and in foreign lands; wet, frozen, hungry at times; would constantly test David's faith. Yet David kept looking to the Lord demanding His deliverance because He was the One in whom He trusted. I look to the Lord for His protection...

Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:19 There you have it folks! Even David disagreed with many old testament believers who thought only sinners suffered, the difference is though trouble may come, the Lord delivers me out of them all. Amen! All I have to do is keep my eyes and ears trained on Him. There's the rub! That takes training and discipline. (pain) He is good as I put my trust in Him and not the ways of man. As I watch Him and obey I am safe. I cannot afford to listen to naysayers, to fearful, to arrogant. I must listen to Him and those filled with Him. I need faith not faint, hope not horror, love not lillyliver. He is the source of all my strength, all my life, all my supply. Praise Him! Amen!!!

I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips, I will boast in the Lord; the humbles will hear and be glad. Proclaim Yahweh's greatness with me, let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:1-3 It is good to have a good report. Yesterday I went to visit a client and talk about a medical condition we both had struggled with and I told her how my God had been there for me. More importantly His word was my centre, not how I felt. I love sharing what God has done in my life, He is good and worthy of praise. Speaking about His goodness draws Him near. Give Him praise, allow Him to be great and. Bless others with your confession. When I went to see my client I had to sensitively explain the need to sign a document, before I went I prayed for His help and He was there for me. I had waited to allow Him to prepare us both to talk, I needed my God's perspective so that life was brought to my client, not death. I love how He is here for me as I wait o...

The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by it's great power. Psalm 33:17 The previous verse is similar: ' a king is not saved by a large army, a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.' We place a lot of trust in our money, our own fitness, our own ability, our families etc yet we have a jealous God, He wants all of our trust. I have come to know that I can trust Him and now I would rather go to Him than, say, the doctors, the banks, the government. He is totally on my side and is totally able to save me. His power is greater than anything else, He uses all things for His glory. He will use the market, the bankers decisions, he will move on governments to make decisions that favour me. He did that with my business, I, little old me, was given an opportunity to start an AMP practice without any financial backing of my own and they backed me. When I lived in Sydney he caused a lender to give me favour and they backed me to run semin...

Now the eye of the Lord is on those who depend on His faithful love to deliver them from death and to keep them alive in famine. We wait for Yahweh, he is our help and our shield. For our hearts rejoice in Him, because we trust in His Holy name. May your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh, for we put our hope in You. Psalm 33:18-22 There are many who complain that God did not help them in their circumstance yet did they put their hope in Him, is their lives dependent on His blood coursing through their veins, His breath for their air? Yahweh, our God, is our savior, our God, our protector, should we choose to be His. I can trust Him with my life, I run to Him for safety, I depend on His wisdom for my insight and He never fails. He is looking for those whose hearts are solely His. When He finds them He is there. Pardon the comparison but dogs remind me of Him. They are faithful and when they know they are loved by You, they won't leave, they want to be where you are. Yet He ...

I will instruct you and show you the way to go; With My eye on you, I will give counsel. Do not be like a horse or mule that must be controlled with a bit and bridle or else it will not come near you. Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him. Psalm 32:8-10 My God has His eye on me, He instructs me and I am surrounded with faithful love. How blessed am I? As I trust, wait, stand and allow him to be God, He is! His greatness, His peace, His faithfulness surround me, I am blessed, truly blessed! I am having the best time, I pray and He moves, not because I am praying selfish prayer but we are in sinc together. I pray what He is wanting to do. I wake in the early hours of the morning, while it is still night and interceded for those He is bringing back, the lost, the injured, the wounded. I read His word and write so that all might hear and believe He is good and worthy. In my world I pray for my needs and He ans...

For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home. "this is my resting place forever;!i will make my home here because I have desired it. Psalm 132:13,14 Zion represents the church. Jesus came and showed us how God will dwell within us, and as a group of people who share His presence and His spirit when we gather there is He in our midst. However, just as Israel wrongly assume that God would never leave we cannot assume that the Lord would find the behavior of His people distasteful and not want to be around. I remember being in a large church as sensing the Lord walking in, looking around and leaving. He was looking for those who's hearts were really His. Great music, great performance from the front are not what makes a great church. Hunger for God and a genuine seeking of His face, touching others with genuine concern rather than a 'go your way brother and be warm', when they are poor and destitute, is not His way. What is his way? Genuine love ...