Nahum 1:7 & Joshua 1:9

So much for me keeping my blog up to date😄, but I do realise that the Lord guides me in what to write about and it is not something I should just do for the sake of it. After all the whole idea of this blog was really a spiritual journal for myself. Please also not the August main picture above (Romans 12:16) is not the KJV version and just a summary of the verse, however I could not resist the picture.

Today's verse of the day on the phone was this one from Nahum. When Lance read it  out to me it struck me as such a comforting verse, that no matter what our situation is, even in the moment of death that the Lord knows those who trust in him.

The verse of the day on my watch is Joshua 1:9 and perfectly compliments the other verse in only a way that God can do. The Lord is so amazing to us and gives us so many promises throughout the whole bible that even in times of absolute distress or discomfort he is with us and our great comforter.

It is no coincidence that these 2 verses came up at the same time today and as a result they both make great verses of the week for my blog. These are two good verses to have at a Christians funeral as they cement how we do not need to fear or be afraid as our hope is set on the Lord, however "the fear of the Lord is the beginnig of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10)

It was a real encouragement to us last week when our brother and sister in Christ (Simon & Ruth) paid an importu visit to us. Whilst it was under sad circumstances it was wonderful to share in fellowship with them and then we were discussing how the Lord is always with us and comforts us in times of distress or when we are feeling really down. He also provides friends to help during these times as well and Christians can be there for one another.

I am so thankful that the Lord chose me and that is not to sound arrogant but just very truly grateful.

  

Jeremiah 13:4 & Mark 1:6

For some reason I keep thinking I will have more time to add to my blog, then time seems to just fly by. This morning I was reading from Jeremiah and came across a verse that captured my interest. I then went on to read the first chapter of Mark to find what appears to me to bear significance to what I read in Jeremiah. God is truly amazing on how he expounds his word to us. Therefore as it is has been a while I am having 2 verses of the week this week.

I am no biblical scholar and even my KJV bible did not have Jeremiah in the footnote of Mark or vice-versa, however interestingly in Mark 1's footnote it quotes Zechariah 13:4 which is around prophecy, but I do wonder if it should have been Jeremiah 13:4.

Even though I have read both verses on many occasions I had never made the link before, but when reading them straight after each other it is so clear how the Old & New Testaments work so well together forming the whole word of God, with clear links. This is not a link that I had previously connected but when you read further in to Jeremiah 13, God speaks very clearly to how the girdle represents his people cleaving to him.

I do consider this description in Mark 1:6 also demonstrates how John The Baptist cleaved to the Lord and was chosen by him to pave the way for our Lord and Saviour.

Unfortunately the house of Israel and Judah did not listen to the Lord, hence the whole example of Jeremiah burying the girdle and finding it to be marred.

The lesson I get from this is that we should cleave to the Lord in all ways, giving him all the honour, glory and praise, listening to him and hearing what he says to prevent us from straying from the path and to remain faithful and a "holy people". As sinners this is not easy, but I am so thankful that God sent his son to save me from sin so that I can be a new creation and hope to cleave to the Lord as instructed in both Jeremiah 13 and Mark 1.

It does not matter how many times we read the bible the Lord can still open our eyes to something we may not remember or considered before, he is truly amazing in how he works. 

Even though the summer is going quicker than I had realised I hope to add more to my blog over the next few weeks so look out for future articles.
 

Exodus 20:8

This post follows on from my thoughts post 2 days ago. In that post I spoke about the result of the MEP elections etc. This got me thinking about something that I heard that was encouraging and refreshing about 2 areas of our country and reminded me of the 4th commandment (Exodus 20:8) which I have chosen as my verse of the week.

Both Northern Ireland and the West of Scotland refused to count votes on the Lord's day which is testament to the fact they still have respect for the "Lord's Day" and what is set down in this verse. It is really encouraging that quite large areas of the country still feel this way, despite England being swayed by modern pressures and seem to totally discount this "Holy Day". West Scotland has a strong "Reformed Presbyterian" presence and I assume this is why they stood by their beliefs in not counting the votes until the Monday.

In my last post I compared Nigel Farage to Oliver Cromwell; it was timely as our friend Simon pointed us to a blog by Bishop Cranmer (on my links)  where he compared Nigel to Martin Luther and the whole reformation situation. This really does feel like a time of major politically change in our nation as it was in Oliver Cromwell's day and the reformation period.

Whilst considering key characters of Brexit, Nigel seems to be the front man and a strong personality  but there is also Arlene Foster from the DUP. I do not know much about her but what I have seen and heard I do believe that she is someone who sticks to the truth and does not waiver on what she feels is the best for Northern Ireland and will not compromise.  I am aware she is a member of the Church of Ireland so hope that she does stand for the Christian faith. She is a pro-life campaigner as well so it is such a shame we cannot vote for the DUP in England as this parties policies appear to be based on biblical values.                

Going back to Exodus 20:8, in the early 90s the UK government passed the Sunday trading law to allow all shops to trade on the "Lord's day" and since that time we have seen a decline in Church attendance and any general respect for this day. Lance even had to change his job in the 90s due to extra pressure to work on that day. Thankfully he stood by his belief's and was rewarded with another job.  Many Christians in retail suffer immense pressure to conform to what their employer wants and it can be very difficult for them.

    
It is important that we do set this day aside and remain faithful. It is something we should want to do as a holy people rather than something we HAVE to do. Lance and I over the years have come to appreciate more and more how important setting all wordly activities to one side is  and to keep our focus on the Lord. However, this is not an excuse to behave differently the rest of the week and we should always strive to be a "Holy people." So when you hear news like we did over the MEP count it reminded me of what an important witness keeping the sabbath holy as per the 4th commandment is.   

Proverbs 15:1

This verse  has made a big difference to me and how I respond to people. I notice that in our modern day society it seems that people are unable to take responsibility for their own actions and are quick to go on the defensive. If only everyone kept to this verse then our society would be a much more pleasant and calm one, where matters were dealt with and addressed in a responsible way.

I have had periods of my life where I have been quick to go on the defensive and not take responsibility, getting worked up when someone has highlighted an issue and then this response causes them to get annoyed. A few years ago our small fellowship started reading through Proverbs each Lord's day and we came across this verse. This was a stand out verse to all of us and is something that we attempt to keep to.

How strange that it seems it is easier to react in an abrupt or selfish manner than to take a moment to consider the impact of our response. The majority of arguments that I have been involved in can be put down to not thinking about how I answer. How so many arguments could have been avoided just by simply remembering Proverbs 15:1.  

I now often find myself saying this verse over and over in my head when I want to react defensively and I have noticed that Lance to has made every effort here as well.

The Lord is so amazing to us that even just by responding in a soft and loving way can actually deflect confrontation and help us to be wise in our response, rather than reactive. The Lord reminds us later through the book of James he supports this view of taking care on what we say. This shows how consistent the bible is throughout and how we should behave. The Old testament works beautifully with the New.

Writing this article actually reminds me of what an important verse this is and how a few wise words from Solomon & James given to them by the Lord can make all the difference to our quality of life and harmony with others.  Proverbs 15:1 does not mean you have to be a "door mat" or stand up for what is right but to be more considerate about the words that come out of your mouth.  

I am thankful to the Lord that  he has guided me through this verse and it has helped me to try and be a less defensive and more considered in my responses in my biblical walk. Through God's strength he has helped me and when I fall down he picks me up. 

Psalm 150:6

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. What a wonderful positive verse this is to end the book of Psalms. Whenever I read or hear this I always think of our pets as I do believe that all of God's creatures have an awareness of him and the animal world accept this.

It may sound sentimental or not even biblically supported but I do truly believe that the Lord made all creatures to be aware of him but he made us in his own image. Why would the Psalmist say let everything that has breath if it was only referring to humans.

This verse was our go to verse when we buried our pets, it give hope that they have knowledge of the Lord and is supported with talk of the new earth in Revelation.

As I have grown in faith and understanding of the bible I have come to see the Psalms as an amazing book that covers every aspect of life and all the emotions and trials that go with it. I often find comfort in the various psalms and  see something new in them  whenever I sing or read from them.  The Psalms are just as relevant today as they were when they were first written and really show true human nature and both the struggles and joy. I never really appreciated the Psalms in my early Christian walk  but have come to find them to be a great source of encouragement in recent years.

Psalm 150 is such a joyous Psalm as a whole and gives us an insight to what it must have been like to live in the days of the temple when they did use instruments to praise the Lord. 

I have chosen this as verse of the week as it is easy to overlook specific verses in Psalms as there are so many of them but this verse is a special one for Lance and I.    

Revelation 21:4

I have chosen Revelation 21:4 as this week's verse, as it is such a comforting verse and speaks of God's promise. It also happens to be one of Lance's favourite verses due to its reassuirng nature of the life to come.

It does not matter what we face in this life as long as we put our trust in God and repent of our sins. We have something so much greater waiting for us and all the sin of this world will be wiped away. 

Over the last month or so I have noticed both in the news and people I have been acquintated with have been dying at a similar age to both Lance and I. Some of these due to suicide because they see no way out from the desperate situations that they are in; nothing or no-one in a worldly sense can help them. Many people try to fill what I would call a "spiritual vacuum" with wordly things and this is why so many people suffer and get depressed because they do not address their spiritual side. I will address this issue more in my next "thoughts" post.

Sin is overlooked and quite often embraced in this secular world and all the while it continues more people will suffer and feel depressed. 

Trusting in God and Christ as our saviour does give us hope and a way out of this sinful life. The verse of the week gives us that hope and an indication on how wonderful our eternity as saved sinners it will be.

Revelation 21:4 continues to be a verse we regularly turn to, espescially when our pets died. It helped us understand more about God's promise and I thank the Lord every day for his words. 

      

This verse emphasises our total relience on the Lord and this not something we can earn or work for ourselves.  

Psalm 84:3

I have chosen Psalm 84:3 for my verse of the week. I find this verse to be quite humbling under our current circumstances. The Lord is so wonderful that even the little sparrow has a home.

As mentioned in another post there is a large housing estate proposed in the fields just behind our house. So many of the beautiful trees have already been destroyed in preparation of this estate. when I read Psalm 84:3 it makes me feel sad that our current generation has little regard for green space and the beauty and wonder of God's creation.As these housing estates continue to get approval and built all across the UK there becomes less and less space for the humble sparrow to nest.

Lance and I have been very blessed with a lovely home and thankful to God for providing this to us for all these years. I do not want my current concern to be a selfish one and am genuinely concerned for our own community and how the increase in traffic, footfall  and noise; reduction in air quality and decimation of our green space will impact on our communities quality of life. More importantly greed has taken over and God has been pushed out.  These estates are not for the good of the community and whilst under the guise of "affordable housing", often or not the majority of the houses built are not affordable for the vast majority of those who need them.

Psalm 84:3 helps remind me of a thought I had the other day when I remembered this is just our temporary home where we won't have any of these issues in our eternal one.

This situation has also given us the opportunity to meet quite a lot of people in our local community that we would not otherwise have met, so it has been a great way of us to highlight our concerns from a Christian perspective.

The whole of Psalm 84 is a reassuring Psalm for me at this time. It is all about dwelling places and God hearing our prayers.

   Psalm 84:11-12 King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
¹² O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

This Psalm follows on nicely from last week's verse of the week as I know that God will work for the good of those he has chosen and I need not concern myself with this current situation, especially when I am reminded that even the sparrows have a home. God is with us whereever we live.

Romans 8:28

This verse has featured in many sermons that I have listened to over the years. It is such a reassuring verse that no matter how low you feel or what you go through all things are working together for our good. What a wonderful loving God who has chosen us before the foundation of the earth. 

It confirms to me the sovereignty of God and the doctrine of election.  

I find myself coming back to this verse time and time again. Paul's epistles to the Romans reminds me that even 2000 years ago people had similar issues and concerns that we have today. Paul sums up so well the state of a sinner but the wonderful redemption of our saviour.