Delight In the Law of the Lord

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).”

This Psalm continues to tell us that if we obey verses one and two, we will be like a “tree, planted by rivers of water,” and we will “bring forth fruit.” What is this fruit? It is what comes from being obedient to the Word of God. It brings about love, joy, peace, faith, kindness, patience, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are the attributes of Jesus, and we are to strive to be like Him, “whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 2:6).” Our first priority then is to pray that we become more like Jesus, with the same attributes, and to keep His commandments.

Psalm 4 is a prayer for safety of the faithful. When praying Scripture, pick one or two verses that speak to you, and pray them back to God.

“There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”  You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:6-8).”

In these verses we see the following truths:

1)   The Lord will show us good and not harm

2)   The Lord’s face is light that shines upon us

3)   The Lord puts joy in our hearts

4)   The Lord gives us peace

5)   The Lord provides our safety

Praying this Scripture might go like this:

“Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word and promises to show me good and not harm. I pray you will shine the light of Your face upon me, and put joy in my heart. Thank You for Your peace in my life, and for providing safety for me and my family. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

Prayers don’t have to be long and involved, especially when we first begin praying Scripture. Short prayers are just as effective as long, drawn out ones. Being repetitious and droning on in our prayers doesn’t impress God. It is the fervent prayers of a righteous man that availeth much (James 5:16).

From "Keys To The Kingdom" by Marie McGaha © 2018 
Available from Dancing With Bear Publishing Fall 2018

Read Proverbs 21-31

Very Good

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

~Genesis 1:1-2

When I was a kid, the series Star Trek was the greatest sci-fi show on TV, with the most up-to-date special effects. People disappeared in the transporter, we saw the Enterprise fly through the stars at warp speed, and of course, we saw really strange people and creatures from other planets. Sometimes, the planets were inhospitable and wouldn’t support life as we know it, so the crew moved on. Of course, it didn’t take long for technology to leap forward and when I watch the old Star Trek episodes now, the special effects seem so antiquated they’re something we laugh about. We can take what is already there and turn it into something better, something brand new and more efficient but we can’t take nothing and turn it into something. Only God can do that. When God’s Spirit hovered over the face of the waters, He didn’t think it was inhospitable or that nothing could ever come from it. God looked at the waters and thought, I can make dry land. I can make light. I can take some of that dirt and form a human being. And that’s exactly what He did. But He didn’t stop there, He formed that human being from a pile of dirt and then, He did something remarkable, He breathed His own Spirit into that pile of dirt and gave it life. That pile of dirt became the first man—a living, breathing, moving, thinking person. And God said it was “very good.” Up until then, everything created was called “good” but man and woman were “very good.”

“He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-17).”

However, man and woman weren’t the point of Creation. Christ has always been the point of Creation, the point of all that ever was or ever will be. We were created for the Creator, to partake in His glory and dominion but never to be above who He is or what He’s done. But the problem is that we like to be first. We like to be at the top. We like people to look up to us. We like people to think we know everything, can do everything, and never fall down. The truth is, we like to feed our egos with the adoration of others and that’s a trap that will keep us from seeing the truth of God in our lives.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him (Colossians 2:8-15).”

Read Proverbs 11-20

©2018 Marie McGaha

Fortitude and Strength of Character

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

~Psalm 103:1-5

David had a lot of ups and downs in his life, some of his own doing, and some due to the jealousy of others. He often found himself alone, abandoned by his friends, and pursued by his enemies. David gave in to his own fleshly desires on occasion, he whined and complained, and sometimes, he felt like giving up. I think we can all identify with David in one way or the other. I know I can. But the what I take away from David’s life isn’t that he sinned and did stupid things that caused a lot of pain in his life and the lives of others, but that David always, always came back to God with a contrite heart and repentance. He never let foolish pride stand keep him from confessing his sins and asking forgiveness. To me, it takes more courage to admit you’re wrong and in need of forgiveness than it does to commit those sins in the first place. In fact, I think committing sin only takes pride and a lack of humility. When I was living according to the flesh, it didn’t take any courage at all to sin. In fact, I think sin shows a serious lack of fortitude and strength of character. Standing up and saying, “I was wrong, and I’ve sinned against Jesus Christ, and made a mockery of all He did on the Cross,” takes a whole lot more guts than living with sin does.

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power (1 Corinthians 6:12-14).” 

We were given free will and can choose what we do, when, and with whom but that doesn’t mean it’s good for us. In free will, we can also choose that which will save our lives not just here on earth, but for eternity. Our lives were bought with a hefty price and when we honor our lives, we are honoring God. When we make the choice to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are also making the choice to give up the world around us. No one can ride two horses with one saddle. We can either live in this world as a testimony to what Christ did for us, or we can live as if the world is all that matters. And with either choice, we have chosen the consequences—eternity with Christ, or eternity without Him. When we choose Christ, we are choosing to live a life that takes courage, conviction, fortitude and strength.

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does (1 Peter 4:1-6).”

Read Proverbs 1-10

©2018 Marie McGaha

Liar, Liar

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

~Genesis 3:8-13

When my kids were little, I heard a lot of excuses, and I heard a lot of blaming. It was always someone else’s fault no matter what happened. Or they flat out lied to me, even when I caught them doing something. But passing the buck, making excuses, and lying goes all the way back to the beginning of mankind. It’s part of our nature to want to share the blame and therefore, share the punishment. Adam and Eve did it. They stood face-to-face with God Almighty and straight up lied to Him! Every time I read that portion of the Bible, I’m struck by their audacity to lie to God’s face but one day, I read that and thought, wow, we are still lying to God’s face. Every single one of us lie to God’s face every time we deny that we need His help, His grace, and His forgiveness. Every time we blame someone else for our situation, we are lying to God. I’m not saying others don’t affect our lives, but we are ultimately responsible for our own lives and how we live them. We might follow the crowd but that doesn’t make it right. We make choices every single day that affect how our lives are going to be tomorrow and there’s no one to blame but ourselves. We are all big fat liars who don’t want to take responsibility for ourselves. It’s just so much easier to wallow than it is to stand up and say, “It’s my own fault. I did this. I’m the one who messed up my life.” There is no action that does not have a consequence, good or bad. Choose the action, and you are choosing the consequence.

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight (Proverbs 12:22).”

I’ve lied. I’m just as guilty as everyone else. But what I came to realize it that lying does nothing good. It doesn’t help, in fact, it just digs a bigger hole that gets deeper and deeper until you can’t climb out. Lies hurt the one being lied to and the one doing the lying. Lying erodes the very foundation of every relationship we ever have. And those lies always come to light one way or another. To me, lying is just not worth the trouble. Another thing I’ve discovered is that the truth is a lot more fun. People seem geared to handle lies but the truth will throw them for a loop. But lying to others is one thing, lying to God is impossible. God sees all, knows all, hears all, and every time we lie, it breaks His heart. And there is no room for liars in Heaven.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:5-10).”

Read Psalm 119

Weekend reading Finish Psalm 119

©2018 Marie McGaha

Walk of Faith

“As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”

~Philippians 1:20-26

For a law abiding citizen, I’ve spent a lot of time in prison. My late husband was in both state and federal prisons, where I met and married him and spent the last four years of his stretch in visiting rooms all over the country. The feds like to move their charges around a bit. One of my sons is in the federal system, and is also moved around quite often, but never close to me. Sometimes I think it’s a conspiracy to keep us as far apart as possible. I don’t get to see him often. I have also worked as a drug and alcohol counselor in the prison system, and I’ve been involved in prison ministry, so I’ve seen prison from every side. But no matter how much prison I’ve seen, I’ve never seen it the way the Apostle Paul did. There was no judge or jury, no three hots and a cot, no visiting days, TVs, weight piles or boneyards. It was a dark, dank cell with rats, insects and a prisoner chained to the floor. There was no early release or parole, and prisoners often died from disease or malnutrition, unless the governor of the province released them. But Paul, bound and chained to the floor never lost his joy. Instead, he dictated letters to be sent to the churches he established so the congregations wouldn’t lose heart over his situation. He knew sheep scatter when the shepherd is gone. He also knew that no matter where he was, Christ was with him. His only goal in life was to see Christ glorified and preach the gospel. Imagine if today’s prisons were full of prisoners like that!

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27).”

Paul wanted the people to continue their walk of faith whether or not he was present. The same thing Christ wants of all of us. We cannot physically see, hear or touch Jesus Christ, but we can see, hear and touch Him through the Holy Spirit, in our inner being, in our own spirits. He is alive and real, living within our spirits through His own. It’s a mind-bender but it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced. When we get that into our minds and hearts and understand the full implications, we can rejoice like Paul. No matter what happens in this life, the important thing is that Christ is glorified in our lives. In prison? Death of a loved one? Cheated on by a spouse? Talked about by a friend? Left behind by the crowd? Fired? Got a failing grade on a test? It doesn’t matter. Is Christ glorified in your life by what you do no matter what’s going on? That’s the important question and the only that matters. Life sucks. It sucks bad. Life will knock you down, jump on top of you and beat the crap out of you. And when you try to get up, it’ll kick you in the face. But that isn’t important either. What’s important is when you were on the ground, was your manner of life worthy o the gospel of Christ?

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:9-14).”

Read Psalm 131-150

©2018 Marie McGaha

The Potter's Hands

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So, I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so, the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me.  He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord.”

~Jeremiah 18:1-6

When we come into this world, we are like the clay in the potter’s hand waiting to be molded and shaped into a vessel that God can use for His glory. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy for us to be molded as it is clay, and it also has to do with who is doing the molding. We don’t always get an experienced potter in life. Sometimes, we get an untalented potter without a clue as to what they should do with the clay in their hands. Sometimes, we wind up with the chore of molding ourselves into some semblance of a productive human being. It can be a rough start for many of us.

I wasn’t raised by Ozzie and Harriet and we didn’t live like The Brady Bunch. We were more like Married With Children without the humor. I was always envious of those Brady kids though, with parents who were kind, loving, and understanding; siblings who were helpful and considerate, and a maid to do the cooking and cleaning. I would’ve killed to have Alice in our house! Even though we are products of our childhood, and we don’t always get the skilled potters as parents, we can still come out of it in pretty good shape.

“But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:10-12).”

The Amplified version of this verse reads:

“But when that which is complete and perfect comes, that which is incomplete and partial will pass away. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].” 

Only God sees things as they are. He sees us for who we can be in Him, not for all the mistakes we’ve made in our lives, not for all the names we’ve been called, and certainly not for the dim view we have of ourselves. He sees us through the lens of the blood of Jesus Christ. God sees us wrapped in the light of His glory, flawed human beings who have been saved by grace and justified by His Son. If we could only take a moment and look into the mirror and see what God sees in us, we would have a completely different take on who we are and what our true worth is. 

Look into the mirror and repeat God’s words in Jeremiah: “Can I not do with you, (insert your name here), as this potter does?” Let the Potter mold and shape you from the inside out. You are what the Lord says you are, and no matter what has been said about you, or to you, it's what God says that matters. Be the clay in God's hands, take the shape He wants you to have and you'll become a beautiful piece of art.

“The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you (Jeremiah 31:3).”

Read Psalm 120-130

© 2018 Marie McGaha

God's Grand Design

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.”

~Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Being in love is a heady feeling, which is why people pursue love. It’s why writer’s write songs, poetry, books, and movie scripts about it, and singers croon about it. It’s something we all want and desire, dream of, and cry over. That feeling of falling in love, being in love, and searching for love is a driving force that has created a billion-dollar industry in dating sites. We want to fall in love and live happily ever after, yet, divorce is at an all-time high, infidelity is at an all-time high, and more people are living together without the benefit of marriage. So where did the human race go wrong when it comes to finding love? I suppose that is a question easier asked than answered.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).”

God designed marriage; it is a covenant between one man, one woman, and God. When God is removed from the equation, love and marriage no longer have the meaning they were intended. God is god of all—over all, above all, in all, around all, through all. And when we remove God from any part of our lives, chaos ensues. We see it all around us today in all parts of our society. God was removed from our schools and governments and the end result has been disastrous. There is no longer a clear-cut idea of right and wrong in society or in our personal lives. So, if society can’t handle life without the clear presence of God, how can we expect to handle our own lives without His presence in every aspect, including love and marriage? Our threefold cord in marriage is God, husband and wife. Remove any one of those members from the marriage, and it falls apart. We must be all in when it comes to our marriages—100% in the marriage 100% of the time because marriage is God's grand design.

“You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex. Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers (1 Peter 3:7).”

In a godly marriage, the husband is expected to do the heavy lifting in supporting his family, being a godly leader, showing his family how to live instead of telling them one thing and doing another. The husband is to follow Christ’s lead in loving and caring for his family, and when he does that, the wife and children will follow that lead. The contrary is true, if a husband is not leading by godly example, whether he knows it or not, he is still leading his family and they will follow the path he’s on. A man who abuses his wife will have children who learn that abuse is acceptable. Those children are likely to become abusers, bullies, and violent people, while those who are raised with love will likely become loving, caring people who put others’ needs before their own. Love is a learned concept just like everything else.

“Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to God. That kind of deep beauty was seen in the saintly women of old, who trusted God and fitted in with their husbands’ plans (1 Peter 3:4-5).”

God created everything in perfect harmony, including our marriage relationship. Each husband is to love his wife and lead his family with caring and concern. Wives are also leaders in the family, a different kind of leadership role, but no less important. Women are to be gentle with their husbands, follow his lead, and to be kind and loving to her family. While men are leaders of the family, it is often the wives who are the spiritual backbone of the family teaching the ways of the Lord by what she does and how she expresses her love to her family. Women are gifted in ways men can never be, and while women may not have the physical strength of a man, they are gifted with stamina, endurance, strength of mind, courage, and fortitude. In the same way that Christ is the head of the church, and church leaders lead the congregation, it is a representation of the family. God is a family man, the ultimate father to us all, and He leads by example—being kind, faithful, patient, loving, and never giving up on any of us no matter how far we wander. It is His plan for His family to follow His lead and model our lives in the same way.

“If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever. Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him (1 Corinthians 13:3-7).”

Read Psalm 100-118

© 2018 Marie McGaha