The Storm

They were together in the House. 

Just the two of them.



It was a cold, dark, stormy night.

The storm had come quickly


 and 

each time the thunder boomed he watched her jump.





She looked across the room and admired his strong appearance...and

 wished that he would take her in his arms, comfort her and protect her 

from the storm.





Suddenly, with a pop, the power went out.... She screamed...

He raced to the sofa where she was cowering.



He didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms.



He knew this was a forbidden union and

 expected her to pull back.




He was surprised when she didn't resist but instead clung to him.

 The storm raged on...





They knew it was wrong...

Their families would never understand... So consumed were 

they in their FEAR that they heard no opening

 of doors...just the faint click of a camera......



Psalm 94:16-19 (Msg) 

Who stood up for me against the wicked?

    Who took my side against evil workers?

If God hadn’t been there for me,

    I never would have made it.

The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,”

    your love, God, took hold and held me fast.

When I was upset and beside myself,

you calmed me down and cheered me up.

The Lord Knows...

We know that the Lord knows everything – He is omniscient…but here are 9 things that the Bible says the Lord knows. If you look over this list, you may notice that these things are about us – He is watching us and protecting us at all times; He knows what is in our hearts and thoughts; He knows every path we take and how to bring us through the darkest of trials.

Somehow I find this very comforting today:

• The Lord knows when we are in the wilderness – He is with us all the way and provides for us - Deut. 2:7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing." '

• The Lord knows the path we take – we are His righteous ones - Ps. 1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.


• The Lord knows all of our days and He leads us to His eternal inheritance - Ps. 37:18 The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.


• The Lord knows all the thoughts of man - Ps. 94:11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.


• The Lord knows who is humble and who is proud - Ps. 138:6 Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.


• The Lord knows all those who trust in him and He makes a place of refuge for them - Nah. 1:7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.

• The Lord knows when we are lying - 2 Cor. 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

• The Lord knows all those who follow Him - 2 Tim. 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

• The Lord knows how to rescue His people from trials and temptations, and how to bring the ungodly to eternal justice - 2 Pet. 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

May The Lord bless you and keep you today

7 Things - We Delight In...

Psalm 1 highlights the benefits of delighting in the law of the Lord. I was interested to find out what else God wants us to set our hearts upon – here are 7 things we are called upon to delight in from the Book of Psalms:

• The Lord wants us to delight in His laws – and to meditate on them day and night: Ps. 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Also Ps. 40:8 – when we have His laws written on our hearts, we will delight in doing His will; Ps. 119:70, 77 …and we will receive His tender mercies. Ps. 119:92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction; Ps. 119:174


• The Lord wants us to delight in Him – and He will grant the desires of our hearts: Ps. 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.


• The Lord wants us to delight in peace – Ps. 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.


• The Lord wants us to delight in the comfort He gives – Ps. 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.


• The Lord wants us to greatly delight in His commandments – it seems that the fear of the Lord is foundation for delighting in His commands – Ps. 112:1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
Also: Ps. 119:35, 47; 119:143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.


• The Lord wants us to delight in His statutes: His Word – Ps. 119:16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.


• The Lord wants us to delight in His testimonies – where we obtain wise counsel – Ps. 119:24 Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.


…And the Lord delights in these 3 things – He delights in His people in general, me (you) specifically, and every detail of our lives:

• The Lord delights in His people – Ps. 16:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”


• The Lord delights in me (you) – Ps. 18:19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.


Ps. 22:8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”


• The Lord delights in every detail of our lives – Ps. 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.


        

...And The Lord Wants Us To Delight In These Things

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

What an amazing promise! If we delight in Him, He will grant the desires of our hearts. By delighting in Him, His desires become our desires – we become one with Him. I encourage you to meditate on each of these areas and increase the way you live each of these points day by day.

• Delight in the ways of the Lord 2 Chron. 17:6
And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah (Also: Is. 58:2)

Ask the Lord to remove all the things in your heart and life that can sometimes become idols: sport, entertainment, relationships, attitudes and opinions, etc. These may not be evil in themselves, but can grow to a place where they take over and crowd out our devotion for the Lord.

• Delight in peace Ps. 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Ask the Lord to make you a peacemaker – not just a lover of peace. Being a peace make sometimes requires difficult decisions.

• Delight in doing the will of God Ps. 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.


Ask the Lord for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Bill Johnson: What is the will of God? On earth as it is in heaven. If it does;t exist there, its not supposed to exist here. If it does exist there, its supposed to exist here.

• Delight in the comfort of God Ps. 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.


Ask the Lord to comfort you so that you can be a comfort to others.

• Delight in the law of the Lord Ps 1:2 
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.


…and in His statutes Ps. 119:16; testimonies 119:24; commandments 119:35, 47; law 119:70, 77, 92, 174; Rom. 7:22

Ask the Lord to give you a love for His Word and His ways

• Delight in the spiritual nourishment and provision of the Lord Is. 55:2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.


Ask the Lord that you might taste and see that He is good. We have to open up all of our spiritual senses to His presence, so that we might know Him deeply.

• Delight in the Sabbath Is. 58:13 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words,


Ask the Lord to help you carve out this day (any day) to wait on Him. Make His presence your priority and delight.

• Delight in the presence of the Lord Is. 58:14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken."


Also: Job 22:26
For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.
(Job 27:10; 33:26; Ps. 37:4)

Song of Sol. 2:3 The Shulamite Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.


Ask the Lord to give you a burning passion for His presence. In the end, He is our greatest delight.