July 2019 Passages
July 1, 2019
Wisdom surrounds us everywhere we go. Any sinful enticement has wisdom calling out a warning to stop and be redirected back to God. The key to hearing this wisdom is to learn God's word, practice God's word, pray and quiet yourself to know the direction to go.
If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.
July 2, 2019
When you place obtaining wisdom from God the #1 priority on your daily to do list - a whole new world will open up for you.
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.
July 3, 2019
Seeking God's wisdom above all your desires is a lifetime game changer.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that he may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of his faithful followers.
July 5, 2019
It can seem at times God is distant when evil plaques His people. One could wonder why doesn't God just stop what is going on. Yet God does see and those who defy for evil plots will not stand. Pray to him for clarity. See how he will work what was meant by others for evil that He will use for good.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with you. The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all evildoers.
July 7, 2019
Joy comes from expressing deep sorrow to God from sinful rants and expeditions because God promises forgiveness. Jesus, having conquered death, bridges the gap between sinful people and our very Holy God. Hallelujah!
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
July 8, 2019
Joy comes with the decision to practice gentleness. Rather than asserting over others to suit a personal agenda or insisting your way of doing something /thinking is the best and only way; one chooses instead to trust God to direct outcomes and guide you to speak and act on His authority to bring about his will.
Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.
July 9, 2019
Joy comes from recognizing true righteousness is God and of God. Be careful to not hunger and thirst for personal agendas and desires, but rather learn God's agenda and seek His guidance to exemplify a life worthy of Him who fills our every need.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
July 10, 2019
Joy comes when able to let go and forgive- to be compassionate when tested, to be kind hearted when others are not that way, to be generous with time, resources and skills. Happiness comes showing mercy to others as God has shown to you.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
July 11, 2019
Joy will be in those who live righteously as Jesus modeled in every area of his life. Like Him we too are called to model this whether at work, school, socially, sports, and especially at home. Sometimes we tend to take out our frustrastrations on those we are closest to. But by modeling Jesus we will see him clearer.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
July 12, 2019
True joy seeks peaceful solutions to otherwise aggressive, hate - filled and/or oppositional situations. Striving for personal and communal well-being shows others our sonship and daughtership in the family of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
July 13, 2019
Joy results even when teased, alienated, shunned, forbidden, terminated, verbally or physically accosted as a result of your faith in Jesus because the value of eternal life with Him is held higher than the temporary value of life on Earth. Courage to stand in midst of opposition overshadows fear.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
July 14, 2019
Joy understands no one is above the Lord. Just as He was hated, so will we who love and follow Him.
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
July 15, 2019
Be the hope with choices you make daily, moment by moment, and long range goals. These have the opportunity to fulfill God's plan meant for you which will result in a great celebration with Jesus and those who have gone before you and those yet to come.
For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
July 16, 2019
What a privilege to have your identity as a co-worker of Gods! Just like Timothy you can bring hope and encouragement to others in the faith dealing with situations and consequences of a self-destructing, self-serving world.
And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith.
July 17, 2019
As salt influences the flavor of food, so you too can influence people and their faith with the power of God. To turn away from this role to a self serving purpose, the influence is lost and you are not useful to God.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
July 18, 2019
Be a risk taker! Step out in your faith and share Jesus and His Gospel within your sphere of influence.
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.
July 19, 2019
Practice honesty, choose the righteous way of living. Remember deception is a liar.
I will sing of faithful love and justice; I will sing praise to you, Lord. I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will you come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house. I will not let anything worthless guide me. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me. A devious heart will be far from me; I will not be involved with evil.
July 21, 2019
In reverence to our Holy God,we bow in humility and obedience because we are His creation made in His image; loved beyond human capacity. Live each day as a song of praise and Thanksgiving, giving Jesus the highest honor.
My soul, bless the Lord! Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
July 22, 2019
Light allows sight. God is light. It is only through Him and with His word you see truth which establishes boundaries. To see His truth you need to read scripture, pray scripture, go to small groups to study scripture.
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy, laying the beams of his palace on the waters above, making the clouds his chariot, walking on the wings of the wind, and making the winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
July 23, 2019
God is in charge. He sets the boundaries and at His word it is done. Yet God is very patient and gently provides guidance. And when we don't obey he will get our attention because he desires us to want him and be with him forever.
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
July 24, 2019
Our needs and wants are not the same, unless what we want is what God says we need, which is Him. He is the One who breathes life into us. He is the one who nourishes us and quenches our thirst. Be grateful to be His chosen one.
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
July 25, 2019
His provides food to sustain us. The calories, protein, fats, vitamins, and mineral he strategically created to nourish our bodies just as His Spirit and His Word nourishes our souls, hearts, and minds. Together we are fully equipped for every good deed.
He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate - bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.
July 26, 2019
God provides places of refuge ; our homes-to rest, to enjoy family, to fill the soul.
The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
July 27, 2019
We have been given time. Time to work, time to eat, time to replenish our soul, time to socialize, play sports, do hobbies. Time to worship, and time to rest.
He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening.
July 28, 2019
Bad things happen, evil persists, people bicker over words and ideologies, but you and I are called to remain steadfast in God to do what is pleasing to Him; meditate on His word, praise and give thanks, and obey him with a cheerful heart.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works - he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord , my soul. Praise the Lord .
July 29, 2019
There is a tendency to put things off - until a more suitable time - typically a time more convenient for you and me. But God instructs us when we know we are called to do something or say something, the time to act is now. Do not put it off, just do it!
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you” - when you already have it with you.
July 30, 2019
As people we are quick to judge, want immediate resolution or answers, plow through at all costs to "get 'er done." Yet Jesus is not that way, thankfully. He is patient. He takes us on a journey, step by step, offering opportunity after opportunity to learn and understand better the life He chose for you and me; to choose him and live with him forever.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
July 31, 2019
Anyone who makes you afraid to speak up, you walk on eggshells when you are around them, or cause you to rethink your course of action because of fear, remember stand firm in Jesus...speak up if he tells you to, be who Christ calls you to be, and do what he asks you to do. Being a doormat is never God's plan for you.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”