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My Portion

Jul27

Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV1984)

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 

How can I get this some days, most even?

But then there are days when it is far from me?

Some days my flesh overwhelms me and I feel like my heart is not near to Him at all.

 

I know that I know,

That is to say I know in my knower,

That whatever I feel, means nothing.

What matters is that I act on what I KNOW to be true.

 

Here is what I know to be true.

The earth holds nothing for me.

Oh there are momentary pleasures.

They are hardly worth losing fellowship with my Heavenly Father over.

I may feel weak in my heart and mind,

But as stated earlier in this post,

God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 

I so want to look at that word portion.

 

Portion.

 

The Encarta English Dictionary defines it like this;

 Fraction, a part or a section of a larger whole

               Fate, an unavoidable event or part of somebody’s life

 Inheritance, a part of an estate that has been bequeathed to an heir

 

The Thesaurus (English) calls it a piece or a share.

 

The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible is quite a bit more descriptive.  

(Strong’s tells the root meaning of the original words in the Bible, verse by verse.)

Part of it reads as follows;

Result of search for “2505”:

2505 chalaq khaw-lak’ a primitive root; to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate:–deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, take away a portion, receive, separate self.

2506 cheleq khay’lek from 2505; properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotment:–flattery, inheritance, part, X partake, portion.

 

I still don’t know everything in this description, but I know that lots were like dice.  So how they were thrown and how they landed determined how goods would be distributed.

Now according to verse 25, this world has nothing I desire.

Only God is my strength, and my portion.

(The unavoidable part of my life, my fraction, my inheritance, my part, my piece.)

 

Another verse I look at a lot is this one;

Psalm 16:5-7 (NIV1984) 5 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.  7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

 

There!

 

See it?

There is that portion word again and this time it tells me that God has assigned my portion, and that He has made me secure.

The boundaries He has secured for me fall into pleasant places.

Mine is a delightful inheritance.

I praise Him, He councils me, and instructs me even when I sleep.

 

So.

Let’s talk about what we know in our knower.

What we need to see, learn, know is that regardless of how we FEEL, God has assigned us our inheritance.

 

We do not have to earn it.

We do not have to look for it.

It has been assigned to us.

We simply have to receive it.

 

If I have a gift for you, you need only choose to receive it from me.

It would not do either of us any good if we left it in the box.

 

If you have relationship with God,

It does not automatically mean that everything,

Every day will come up roses.

Quite frankly, we see the opposite a lot.

People in deep relationship with God endure some pretty tragic stuff,

Just as those who do not profess His name.

The difference is that we know in their knower,

That even in deep sadness,

We can rest in pleasant places.

We can choose to receive our portion from Him,

We can watch Him use it for the greater good of those around us.

We can see it as an opportunity for growth.

We can use it to grow our “Faith muscle”.

And God will receive glory.

Then, assign some to us as part of our portion.

 

I needed to hear these words today.

So I preach them here to myself.

 

I don’t FEEL it, but I know it.

My portion from Him is enough.

The world has nothing to even compare to His peace.

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If you NEED a relationship with God the Father,

And would like help learning how to receive His incredible portion and gift,

Please click on the “Rescue” tab above for further assistance,

And always remember,

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

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Voice

Jul20

 

I heard a story the other day.

It was one I’d heard before.

I’m sure it struck me the first time.

This time however it left a tear in my heart.

A tear for those who refuse to hear.

 

The date was September 11, 2001.

The place was a smoke filled hallway in a doomed high rise tower.

The people were trying to move quickly to escape the inferno in which they found themselves.

There was so much confusion mixed in with the acrid smelling smoke that no one could see the way out.

 

One man, in all that terror, found an exit.

Calling to his fellows behind him, he kept repeating just one sentence.

“Come to my voice.  Come to my voice.”

 

I don’t remember how many exactly, but I do remember that many were saved that day.

They were saved because they heard a voice in their wilderness.

They heard a voice and they followed it.

Fast forward.

Today.

Do you find yourself in a wilderness of confusion?

Are you in a place that your vision is so obscured that you cannot find the exit that you seek?

What voice are you hearing in the acrid smelling smoke of your circumstances?

 

Is it a voice of defeat?

Saying give up, give up, what’s the use?

 

Or is it the Voice of Hope?

One that simply says

“Come to my voice.  Come to my voice.”

 

I urge you to listen only to the voice that gives you life and hope.

 

It is never too late to hear it.

The voice of our Father in Heaven that wants us to live!

 

Here are some scriptures that I found helpful.

 

John 10:27-28 (NIV1984)

My sheep listen to My my  voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life,

and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

 

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV1984) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

 

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV1984)   whether you turn to the right or to the left,

your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

 

Hebrews 3:1 5 (NIV1984) “Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

 

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV1984) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,

plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

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Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

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4 Reasons Why You Need Manna from Heaven

Jul13

 

What is it and

Why do we need it?

 

A recent conversation with a dear friend, brought to my mind the manna mentioned in the Old Testament.

I know what it means, but thought I’d look it up just the same.

I checked the Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)

There are four entries.

Only the first one was not a surprise.

Manna – noun

1. Divinely provided sustenance

In the Bible, food provided miraculously to feed the Israelites in the wilderness

When mentioned in the Old Testament, we are told that when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, the food was scarce.

God therefore provided food for them supernaturally.

I’m not friends with numbers, but I’ve heard estimates that there were most likely well over a million in that wilderness.

A million people and their livestock.

Daily, God would provide food for them.

It looked a bit like little white stones or tiny rounds of bread.

When the Israelites woke up from their sleep,

All they had to do was gather it in baskets from the ground.

It sustained every living creature with them.

On the sixth day of the week, they would gather enough manna for two days.

The seventh day was saved to honor God by resting.

Now here’s the thing;

 If they tried to save it at any other time,

When they returned to it, the manna would be full of worms and maggots.

It was only good for one day, except for the last day of the week.

 

2. Unexpected benefits

Something very welcome or of great benefit that comes unexpectedly

Think of it.

The very same food.

Every day for forty years.

So I’m thinking not maybe so welcome after a long while.

Yet it was food that sustained them,

Filled them,

Kept them from starvation.

 

3. Sweet substance from ash tree

A pale yellow sugary gum exuded by the European ash tree. Use: formerly, as a laxative.

Now that would be an unexpected benefit!

Everybody would be regular.

Cuts down on some general crankiness you know.

 

4.  Sweet substance exuded by a tamarisk tree

A sweet substance exuded by a tamarisk tree when its bark is punctured by a scale insect.

So the Israelites even got their “sweet tooth” taken care of also.

 

Ok, so why did I tell you all this?

I saw some very interesting connections here as compared to our lives today.

 

1.  These folks were in the wilderness.

They had absolutely no idea what to do next, much less trying to figure out how to feed all these folks until they reached their destination. 

They knew they were to end up in the Promised Land, but could see no earthly way for that to happen.

Do you feel like this might be you?

Don’t despair.

God’s Word tells us this inLamentations 3:22-24 (NIV1984)

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

His compassions for us are new EVERY morning.

We have to take time to gather it daily.

Matthew 6:8b (CEV)

Your Father knows what you need before you ask.

-He gives us what we need when we have need of it

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2.  This mass of people were milling around, no doubt very concerned about what would become of them.

Then, as if out of nowhere, their provision is made.

The instructions were simple.

Gather every day, for that day.

Toss the leftovers.

Tomorrow morning, do it again.

Gather.  Eat.  Toss.  Repeat.

 

3.  Now I can’t say for sure, I certainly wasn’t there, but I’m fairly certain that after frying, boiling, blanching, simmering, baking that same food every day, you might come up with some gastrointestinal distress.

Leave it to God to give “Sweet relief”.

Are you looking for some of that relief for yourself today?

Maybe the relief you seek is the physical kind, as in an ailment.

It could be a brain twister you need relief from,

Thoughts that are so baffling that you cannot figure them out,

And you are exhausted in trying.

Maybe it’s a heart issue.

Your heart has been so trampled and damaged that you have no visible means of making it whole again.

Whatever it is,

God has made provision for it.

 

4.  After you have been “punctured by a scale insect”,

Your Heavenly Father will see that the “sweet substance”,

The oil of His Spirit,

Will come and dress your wounds.

He is ABLE to make you whole again.

So, you see?

The instructions are simple.

 

Seek Him every morning.

Use what He gives you for that day.

Seek Him every morning.

You will receive unexpected benefits.

Seek Him every morning.

You will find joy and peace.

Seek Him every morning.

Even when the road is in the wilderness.

Seek Him in the morning.

He will clean out the debris that is causing you to be irregular.

Seek Him in the morning.

His Spirit will give you the oil of gladness in spite of your pain.

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After all ….. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

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