Early in His Presence: Spending Time in Fellowship with the Lord.

By Joyce A. Harris

Early in His Presence is a devotional book designed to encourage Christians and non-Christians to devote at least two hours and forty minutes a day for reading the Bible and prayer for spiritual growth and maturity. The time mentioned was derived from the twenty-four hours a day that God gives to each of us. Its like the tithing principle: 10 percent of all your income to be given to the Lord. If God gives us twenty-four hours a day, giving Him 10 percent of our time is two hours and forty minutes a day. Dont try to do it all at once, but gradually grow into it a little at a time until you can do it. Keep track of the time you spend with the Lord, even if its only fifteen minutes. Gradually keep adding on to it until you have accomplished your goal.

These devotionals should encourage you to desire a closer walk with the Lord and to develop a closer personal relationship with Him. Before you begin your quiet time in His presence, pray and ask God to open your heart and mind to receive what He has for you each day. I am confident you will be inspired, revived, recharged, and blessed as you spend time Early In His Presence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490858500

Joyce A. Harris

Joyce A. Harris is a Christian and a life-long member of the Church of Christ (Holiness) USA (COCHUSA), where she serves as secretary, prayer ministry leader, and Bible teacher in her local church. She served as impact editor/historian for the COCHUSA National S.S. & HYPU newsletter for many years. She resides in Gary, Indiana.

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Copyright © 2015 Joyce Harris.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-5851-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-5850-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014919371

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/11/2015

Contents

TIME ALONE WITH GOD

THE REPORT CARD

BEING ROOTED IN CHRIST

THE BIBLE—THE WORD OF GOD

A PSALM OF PRAISE

GOING…TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

BE USEFUL

SEARCH ME

BEING DEVOTED TO THE WORD

ARRESTED AND DELIVERED…BECAUSE HE PRAYED

THE STAIN OF SIN

ACCEPTING YOUR FATHER’S ADVICE

REJOICE! HE IS RISEN!

GOD, OUR PLACE OF REFUGE

CELEBRATE THE SAVIOR

WHAT IS YOUR NEED?

GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

GOD IS LIGHT

A TRUE HEART

LIVING AS A CHRISTIAN

THE BLESSING OF CONTENTMENT

LOVING THE LORD

HE’S COMING BACK

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PRAY

YOUR DAY IN COURT

FAITH

THE HEART CONDITION

WHAT COMES BY FAITH?

PRAISING GOD

HE CARES FOR YOU

THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS

THE BUILDING INSPECTOR

GOD’S SEARCH LIGHT

GOD WATCHES OVER THE RIGHTEOUS

MAKING PRAYER A PRIORITY

GOD’S DIVINE CARE

GOD’S CREATION

PUT GOD FIRST

GOD KNOWS HOW

RESPONSIBLE FATHERS

THE LIFE OF VICTORY

LIFE IS IN THE VINE

THE PURE HEART

THE GOD OF CREATION"

IT HELPS TO PRAY

DON’T BE TANGLED UP WITH SIN

GOD NEVER FAILS

THE CALL TO GO DEEPER

CELEBRATE JESUS

JESUS IS THE LIVING WAY

THE EXCELLENT WAY OF LOVE

YOU ARE MINE

EXPOSED TO DANGER

THE COMFORT OF THE WORD

FOLLOWING HIM

REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE WHO DWELL WITH THE LORD

THE ULTIMATE EXTREME MAKEOVER

STOP AND TAKE TIME

LORD TEACH ME

THE ASSIGNMENT

HIS HOUSE

GOD: THE ALMIGHTY

WAIT ON THE LORD

PLUGGED IN

UNDER HIS PROTECTIVE CUSTODY

KNOWING GOD’S WORD

IT’S A LIFETIME GUARANTEE

HE DID IT ALL FOR YOU

THE PROOF IS IN THE RESURRECTION—HE LIVES!

HOW TO TREAT OTHERS

THIRSTING FOR GOD

THE THREE ‘H’S’ OF JESUS

SELF EXAMINATION

THE PRACTICE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

GIVE THANKS

DON’T LIVE A LIFE WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

DISCONNECTED

REJECTED BY GOD

DON’T FORSAKE THE LORD

EXPERIENCING GOD’S BLESSINGS

DEDICATED TO PRAY

SAFE IN JESUS

WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY FOR

THE TRUTH

HE SATISFIES

WORKING TOGETHER

KNOW HIS VOICE

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

THE BLESSING OF BELONGING TO HIM

PRAISE BELONGS TO GOD

HE RULES

CRITICAL THINKING

OUR EXCELLENT GOD

CONFORMING TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S MERCY

THE OPENED GIFT

INSTRUCTIONS TO PRAY

WE ARE REDEEMED

THE CLUTTERED HEART

CHRIST, THE TRUE VINE

THIRSTING FOR GOD

CHRIST IS OUR HOPE

MY HIDING PLACE

FOLLOW JESUS—HIS WAY IS SAFE

PRAYING MOTHERS

KNOWING GOD

BE WATCHFUL

THE GLORY OF GOD

TRAPPED

WAITING ONLY ON GOD

THE LORD NEEDS YOU

MY FRIEND

GOD KNOWS THE HEART

HOW YOU CAN WITHSTAND THE STORM

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

THE BLESSING OF THE RIGHTEOUS

ASK HIM

DIRECT MY STEPS

THE LORD’S REQUIREMENTS

MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION

THANK GOD FOR HIS PRESENCE

DENY YOURSELF

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

THE DIVINE KEEPER

PRESSING MY WAY

IT’S LATER THAN YOU THINK

A GOD WHO NEVER FAILS

LIVING A LIFE OF GODLINESS

GOD’S WORD

THE RENEWED MIND

DON’T LOSE YOUR FOCUS

THE CARELESS CHRISTIAN

PRAISING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS

DON’T BE TANGLED UP

GOD’S PROTECTION

IT’S SPIRITUAL INVENTORY TIME!

BEING CONTENT

BLESSING THE LORD

LIVING VICTORIOUSLY IN CHRIST

KNOWING THE LORD

THE UGLINESS OF SIN

GOD IS NOT PARTIAL NOR PREJUDICE

OUR FAITHFUL GOD

NEW LIFE

WORSHIP

YEARNING FOR GOD

GOD IS SPEAKING… ARE YOU LISTENING?

BEING LIKE CHRIST

WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?

SPENDING TIME IN THE WORD

THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S WORD

LIVING HOLY ON PURPOSE

OUR ULTIMATE VICTORY

TROUBLED ABOUT JESUS BIRTH

THE LAST DAY

CALL ME

LIVING A RIGHTEOUS LIFE

PREPARATION FOR A BLESSING

JUDGING BY APPEARANCE

AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION

AN IMPORTANT REQUEST FOR LIFE

RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL

THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS

IT’S TIME TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD

THE PROMISE TO THE OBEDIENT

YOUR INSTRUCTIONS

GOD, THE ALMIGHTY—ELOHIM, THE CREATOR

YOU MUST BE READY

TRUST IN THE LORD

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE GODLY

LEARNING TO WAIT ON THE LORD

OUR EXCELLENT GOD

LOVING THE LORD

DON’T BE SO BUSY YOU CAN’T PRAY

ARE YOU IN CHRIST

THE GODLY EXAMPLE

THE BLESSING OF BEING OBEDIENT

WORSHIP

THE POWER OF THE WORD

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

HUNGERING AND THIRSTING FOR GOD

HIS COMMANDMENT

A SURRENDERED LIFE

WHAT HAPPENED TO SUNDAYS?

BE READY

THE JOY OF BEING STILL

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

AFTER THE PRAYER…AN EARTHQUAKE

THE LORD SATISFIES

FOLLOWING THE LORD

GOD’S PLANS

THE SOVEREIGN GOD

THIRSTING FOR GOD

BEING KNIT TOGETHER IN LOVE

JESUS CHRIST STRENGTHENS ME

YEAR END CLEANSING

THE WOMAN CHOSEN BY GOD

BE A SHINING LIGHT

IN HIM WE LIVE

DON’T BE SELF-RIGHTEOUS

HE CHOSE YOU

THE WITNESS

HOW CAN I SAY THANKS

BETRAYED…ALL FOR $19.20

THE NEW LIFE

OUR HELP

GOD’S WISDOM—PREACHING

HOLINESS—THE LIFESTYLE OF A CHRISTIAN

GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS

THE GREATNESS OF GOD

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

COVETOUSNESS

GOD NEEDS WILLING PEOPLE

WHAT IT TAKES TO PLEASE GOD

GETTING TO KNOW HIM

JESUS IS LONGSUFFERING

GOD SPECIALIZES

GOD IS IN THAT TOO!

IT IS GOD’S FAVOR

GOD KNOWS US

UNITY IN GOD’S FAMILY

PREPARING FOR FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER

IT’S TIME FOR A SPIRITUAL CHECK-UP

PRAYER

BE USEFUL

OBEYING THE WORD

THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS

HE CARES FOR YOU

PRAISING GOD

WHAT COMES BY FAITH

GOD’S CREATION

LIVE IN LOVE

GOD’S MERCY

THE DIVINE GRACE OF GOD

THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS

GOD’S SEARCH LIGHT

MAKING PRAYER A PRIORITY

GOD’S DIVINE CARE

THE BUILDING INSPECTOR

HE CHOSE YOU

SPIRITUAL SPRING CLEANING

BE STILL…LISTEN FOR HIS DIRECTIONS

LORD, TEACH ME

LOVE

A CLUTTERED HEART

LIVING AN HONEST LIFE

WALK WITH ME, LORD

THE HOLY CALL

THE CLOSED BIBLE

DON’T FORGET

SPENDING QUIET TIME WITH GOD

WHAT’S IN YOUR MOUTH?

THE LORD’S REQUIREMENTS

THE ANSWER IS JESUS

WHAT PATH ARE YOU TAKING?

THE IMPORTANCE OF EVANGELISM

THE GREAT GOD

IT’S BEST TO FORGIVE

THE TRUTH

HONORING THE LORD

OUR GOD IS…

HIS PERFECT PEACE

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

WHAT GOD IS TO US

BE A GENUINE CHRISTIAN

BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS

IT’S BY HIS SPIRIT

JESUS THE ONLY SAVIOR

GOD’S INEXHAUSTIBLE LOVE

BE SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY

GOD’S AWARDS DAY

SPIRITUAL HEART FAILURE

SPRING CLEANING

THE WORD OF GOD

FOLLOW JESUS, HE IS THE WAY

NOTHING TO FEAR

WAITING ON GOD

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHRISTIANS

HIS INSURANCE

WE ARE JUSTIFIED

WHY DO WE PRAISE GOD

PREPARING FOR A BLESSING

KNOWING GOD’S WORD

JESUS, OUR EXAMPLE

DEPENDING ON GOD

HE IS THE WAY

CHOSEN TO SERVE

THE POWER OF THE WORD

MEN DEDICATED FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD

BLESSINGS

WHAT IT TAKES TO WAIT ON GOD

SEEK THE LORD

THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

WALKING IN THE LIGHT

NOW HIRING

WHAT IT TAKES TO PLEASE GOD

GOD’S ABUNDANT MERCY

THE WORD OF GOD

FINDING STRENGTH IN GOD

THE PROMISED BLESSINGS OF FAITH

GOD’S DIVINE CARE

WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?

GET A NEW HABIT

SIMPLY TRUST GOD

YOUR SPIRITUAL DNA

RUNNING THE RACE

RUNNING TO WIN

GRATITUDE: A THANKFUL SPIRIT

SHOWING KINDNESS

WHAT GOD SEES

HOW TO SEEK GOD

THE GIFT

WITHSTANDING THE STORM

THE MASTER RESTORER

JESUS’ PRAYER REQUEST

WASH ME

EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF THE LORD

GOD IS TRUTH

THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH

THE VALUE OF LIFE

THE SIGN

BE THANKFUL

GOD IS MY ROCK

THE WORTHLESS PERSON

CREATED FOR GOOD WORKS

LIVING TO PLEASE GOD

THINGS WE NEED TO FORGET

IN HIS NAME

THE SEARCH WARRANT

LIVING BY THE WORD

WHAT DEFILES A MAN

CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST

THE PURCHASED POSSESSION

HAVING CONFIDENCE IN GOD

THINK ON THESE THINGS

DON’T FRET

HOLD ON TO THE LORD

THE SLAVE TO SIN

IDENTITY THEFT VS. SPIRITUAL IDENTITY

THE WAY TO ESCAPE

TWO DESTINIES

GIVING THANKS

HE ABIDES IN ME

A TRUE DISCIPLE

CREATED IN HIS IMAGE

OUR GREAT GOD

THE WORD OF GOD

SPIRITUALLY ANEMIC CHRISTIANS

AN UNFAILING LAW

A STRONG DESIRE

BROTHERLY UNITY

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER

WAITING ON GOD

THE GRACE OF GOD

TRUSTING GOD

WORSHIP: PART OF THE GIFT

TIME OUT

SO, WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE?

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

AFTER THE PRAYER…AN EARTHQUAKE

GOD NEEDS WILLING PEOPLE

IT IS GOD’S FAVOR

DISTURBED ENOUGH TO PRAY

This book is dedicated to

my pastor,

Bishop Dr. Dale L. Cudjoe

It is also dedicated to my children:

Curtis F. (Renee’) Harris

Deaconess Valetta J. Harris (Deacon James A. Tony) Ross

Deaconess Joi L. Harris (Trustee Wendell) Adams

Carmelita T. Harris

and

my six grandchildren: Antonio, Andre’ and Alyssa Ross,

Phillip, Jordan and Jasmine Adams

IN MEMORY OF:

my husband, the late

Roy Lee Harris

May 28, 1930—February 6, 1986

our youngest daughter, the late

Saundrea Lynnette Harris

December 5, 1972—January 14, 2003

&

my parents:

the late Elder Rayford H. Cherry &

Deaconess Celestine D. Bradley Cherry

This is a devotional book written to encourage others to get up early in the morning before day and spend some time with the God as Jesus did.

When I was very young, I was always encouraged by my aunt, Mary Alma Givens to attend 7:00 A.M. prayer meetings with her before she went to her job. While school was out during the summer I would meet with her at the church every day to pray.

After I married, and had children, I needed a time to pray and read my Bible. I asked the Lord to give me a time so that I would not be disturbed by the children. He kept waking me about three mornings in a row at the same time about 3:00 A.M. I ask the Lord, why am I up and awake this time of morning. His Spirit said, Didn’t you ask for a time to get up to read your Bible and pray? I answered Yes Lord. He said to me, This is your time. And from that time which has been many, many years ago, He still wakes me early so that I can spend time with Him. This is where the title of my book came from… Early in His Presence.

I have made it a practice to read the Bible through every year and after my reading, devotions and prayer (not necessarily in that order) and I’m usually ready to go back to bed until time to go to work. I thank God for the time that I can spend with Him before I talk to anyone else. Spending time with the Lord has helped me to grow spiritually and I love reading God’s Word, hearing God’s Word and allowing Him to live in me.

I thank God for the times that I have spent in prayer all night. It appears that I work and feel better that day than other days.

It is my prayer that as your read these devotionals (one for every morning), you will be blessed, encouraged and grow stronger in your walk with the Lord.

Joyce A. Harris

TIME ALONE WITH GOD

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works (Psalm 73:28 KJV).

In this fast pace world, it is difficult to take some personal time to spend with the Lord. In fact, most of us say, I just don’t have the time to do it. Those of us who have made an effort to carve out some time to pray and read God’s Word, have found it to be both refreshing, a blessing and it has helped us to grow spiritually. Spending time alone with the Lord will make a difference in your life—your relationships with others will improve and it will help you keep focused on the Lord.

Jesus found it necessary to spend extended time with God. Mark 1:35 (KJV) tells us, And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayer. Jesus found the time and a place to talk to His Father alone. If you can make an effort to put your personal matters aside and spend time with the Lord, you will be blessed beyond measure. I believe the time of day chosen by Jesus is the best time to pray and spend time in God’s Word. Think about it…the phone is not ringing, no radio or television noise, no outside noise nor children running rampant through the house. It’s quiet and you can stay focus on the Lord.

Why do we need time alone with God? We need time for a deeper more intensive fellowship with the Lord. When we come to church we have fellowship with others and the Lord. But early in the morning, He has your undivided attention and you can go boldly into His presence. Our text tells us, It is good to be near God. Extended time alone with the Lord gives you time to reflect on your own personal life so that you will know if you are living up to His standard of holiness. We face major decisions and we don’t know which way to go…It is then that we need to soak ourselves in the Word of God and prayer asking for directions. It’s a time to draw close to God.

Spending time with the Lord will help you to seek His will for your life. It will help you to know the knowledge of His will and ask for spiritual wisdom and understanding. Time alone with God will prepare you for His service.

Ask God to prepare your heart for time to be alone with Him. He is ready, willing and able to meet your needs and to prepare you for your journey each day. Focus on God and go before Him with a thankful heart. Thank Him for His love, compassion, protection and power. God knows your needs and is more than willing to take care of you. Your relationship alone with the Lord will draw you closer to Him.

THE REPORT CARD

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV).

During the course of the school year comes report card time. The report on this card gives your attendance record, your behavioral conduct and your grades. And there is room for the teachers’ comments and for the signature of your parents. On some cards you have E for excellent; which means you are at your best. S for satisfactory; which means you are ok but there is room for improvement. And NS for not satisfactory; which means you are a long way from doing your best.

Now just suppose that God gave us report cards every three months…I wonder what they would look like. Our attendance record would show for this three month period: for twelve Sundays, we only attended three worship services at 11:00 A.M. Thirteen Tuesday evening prayer services; attendance—none. The behavior conduct for some has been NS and we are a long way from doing our best. No, we are not perfect (NS), but there is a lot of room for improvement; we are nowhere near excellent. It seems that we keep taking the same test and failing it every time.

Our God is a holy, excellent God…His name is excellent and He wants us to be excellent in all we do. Our text tells us that we have this treasure (God’s power) in us, and we don’t have to be failures…we don’t have to fail in everything we do. God’s power is the Holy Spirit that He gave to help us. The power in us has to be activated in order for us to pass our test. When we seek the Lord, His power will give us the grace to stand and pass our test, but we must trust Him and be totally surrendered to Him.

2 Corinthians 1:5 tells us, …our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (KJV) Our faith is not based on human skill but in the power of the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts. Yes, we will go through tests and trials, but we don’t have to fail every test. He promised to be with us always—even to the end. So what is your report card going to look like… all S’s or all NS…There is room for improvement, don’t give up!

BEING ROOTED IN CHRIST

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him: Rooted and built up in Him and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7 KJV).

When we confess our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior, we must also accept Him as Lord of our lives. Our main purpose should be for the Lord to make us holy and blameless in His sight. We should have a desire to do things God’s way, finding the full meaning of life and the proper way to live. We belong to Him; Jesus Christ redeemed us with His own precious blood and this therefore gives Him complete ownership of our lives. He should be in complete control; the ruler of our lives.

Our text tells us, Since we have received Christ Jesus as Lord to walk in Him. To walk in the Lord means to conduct ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to God. We are taught to obey His commandments and be guided by the Holy Spirit. Our text tells us to be rooted and built up in Him and stablished in the faith as we have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Being rooted means to be firmly established in Him; to be able to withstand the storms of life. To be deeply grounded in the Lord. When our roots are deep and we are connected to the Lord we receive all the nutrients we need to grow. As long as we are connected to the Vine we can bear much fruit. Roots are kept watered by the Word of God and the Word causes spiritual growth. To be built up is to form an integral part of a structure…to enlarge permanently. Be built up like a strong beautiful tree. As we grow, we are to stay built up in God’s Word and we will become strong. To be established is to hold steady or to make stable. We are established because we are holding on steady to the Lord. He is in complete control of our lives. Abounding is to be fully supplied; plenteous. We continue to thank and praise God daily for being fully supplied with His Spirit so that we can bear full measures of fruit.

This is the secret to victorious living in Christ Jesus. When you become a new creature in Christ and walk in Him, He will always keep you safe from stumbling and falling. You can’t walk in your own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit. You must not only walk in Christ, but you must abound in and be continuously rooted, grounded and established in the faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember how happy you were when you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord…continue to be joyful and happy that He lives in you guiding and directing your path. Let your life be filled with thanksgiving and praise because of what He has done for you.

THE BIBLE—THE WORD OF GOD

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV).

The Bible was given to us from God and it reveals Jesus Christ the Son of God; the only Savior. In John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me. Jesus is the only way to God and heaven. He is the center and circumference of the Bible and is the inspired Word of God. Reading the Bible will help you live right and establish your faith in God’s Word. If you really want to grow as a Christian, began reading the Bible and ask the Lord to give you a spiritual understanding of His Word (Colossians 1:9 KJV). Christians live weak lives because they don’t read and study God’s Word.

The Bible is a book of oneness. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21 KJV). It is a library of sixty-six books, written by holy men of God. The authors of the Bible are a cross section of humanity, educated and uneducated, including kings, fishermen, public officials, farmers, teachers, and physicians. Some of the subjects of the Bible include religion, history, law, science, poetry, drama, biography and prophecy. Yet its various parts are as harmoniously united as the parts that make up the human body. The Bible does not contradict itself.

The Bible has special power. For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). The Word of God is alive; it is effective and accomplishes God’s purpose and judges our deepest thoughts and intents. And it is important that we obey the Word and keep His commandments. The Word of God is nourishing to our souls as food is to our bodies.

No Christian can remain strong in the Lord and not study the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) tells us, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. When you study and know God’s Word, you will not be easily persuaded by false doctrines and teachers. I love to read God’s Word so I can get to know Him better. Psalm 119:140 (KJV), Your Word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it. When we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we won’t sin against Him.

A PSALM OF PRAISE

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3 KJV).

Every morning, I read several Psalms for inspiration and comfort and it is amazing how some of the Psalms that David wrote encourages and lifts your spirit. Psalm 145 is entitled David’s Psalm of Praise. I can imagine that this Psalm was dear to his heart.

First he gave praise to the Lord—in verse two he vowed, "Every day will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever" (KJV). This is a good habit that we need to embrace…to bless the Lord and praise His name every day; as long as we live.

Our text tells us that the "Lord is great and greatly to be praised—His greatness is unsearchable." Generations shall praise the works of the Lord, declare His mighty acts, and speak of His wonderful works and sing of His righteousness. No man can search out the greatness of God. We cannot advise Him, we cannot think as He thinks and we don’t know His ways. God is an awesome God. He is a sovereign God and He is over everything—even our lives and He deserves our praise. Psalm 47:2 (KJV) tells us, For the Lord Most High is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.

He is our God, our King, He is great, He is gracious, He is full of compassion, He is slow to anger, He is great in mercy, He is good to all, He is tender and merciful to all the creation, He is righteous in all His ways, He is holy in all His works and He is near to all who pray in truth. Psalm 145:13 (KJV) tells us His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion endureth throughout all generations. What a mighty God we serve!

The Lord upholds all that fall, raises up all that are bowed down and all eyes look to Him for life. He opens His hands and satisfies every living thing. He listens to our cries, our prayers and preserves all that love Him. There is nothing that we need that He can’t supply. He is a prop for those who need to lean on Him. When you rely on God, you are relying on the strongest power in the universe—nothing is too hard for Him.

Simple praise is not enough—we must live a life that is pleasing to Him so He can accept our praise. When we put Him first in everything there is nothing that He won’t do for us. This is why we should make His praise glorious and we should not cease to praise Him. Don’t blot God out of your memory for our God is a great God and nothing—no one can be compared to Him.

GOING…TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’ (Psalm 122:1 KJV).

There are a lot of reasons that people don’t come to church, but we should not allow all of the cares of this life, stress from our jobs and the fact that we think that we are too tired to keep us from coming to the house of the Lord. Hebrews 10:25 (KJV) tells us, Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. When we come to the house of the Lord, we receive encouragement and love from our brothers and sisters in the Lord. And the most important thing we receive is the word from the Lord. We ought to be glad to be in the service.

When we come to the house of the Lord, get out of our cars we should begin to praise the Lord, giving Him thanks. Psalm 100:4 (KJV) tells us, Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His name. We should come in thanking God because there are a lot of people who can’t come that would like to come. We should be glad and thankful to go into the house of the Lord at all times.

Not only that, but we should make a joyful noise and sing praises to our God. He is worthy of all the praise that we can give—it’s all about the Lord, not about us. We should thank the Lord for our families, our health and strength and for saving us from our sins. Those are just some of the things we ought to thank God for. But make sure that you are always glad to be in the house of the Lord. It is a blessing to be able to be in the worship service.

BE USEFUL

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men (Matthew 5:13 KJV).

Salt has a significant place in the Bible and in our lives as Christians. Salt is a mineral of sodium chloride, a white crystalline substance mainly for seasoning and as a preservative. Salt is a necessity of life. Salt is used for animals, foods, to preserve meats, for medicinal purposes, etc. Salt is also important to us during the winter months to melt the snow and ice on the streets and highways. Salt also give us a thirst.

Jesus described His disciples as the salt of the earth signifying to them that they must be useful in this world as salt by imitating Him. He told them if the salt loses its savour or saltiness, it is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. Since we are the salt of the earth…we should live so that the world will be thirsty for the Living God.

We are to be useful Christians in this earth as salt. Our lives should be salted to draw others to Christ. The salt in our lives should make others thirsty for God. Mark 9:50 (KJV) tells us, Salt is good, but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another. If we are at odds with one another, we have lost our saltiness and we are good for nothing. No Christian is useful in this world if they have lost their saltiness.

A salty Christian is one who is useful—he will make an impact in the lives of others. People should desire to be in your company because of the salt that is in your life. In other words, the Holy Spirit should be in such control of your life that others will know that it is something different about you. Whatever you do in word or deed should always be done for the glory of God. You should make up in your mind to be more like Jesus in your every day walk of life. Allow the Holy Spirit to have full control so that you can be useful to the Lord.

SEARCH ME

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:18 KJV).

During the arrest of criminals, the police normally do a routine search for weapons; read them their rights; cuff them and take them off to jail if they suspect that they are guilty. As a Christian, we should daily seek the Lord asking Him to search our hearts to make sure that we are living up to His standards.

Our text states, If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? The righteous—is a person who is blameless, just, good, honorable and upright. The ungodly is a person who is blasphemous, profane, disrespectful, sinful and wicked. The sinner is a person who sins continuously, an offender, a reprobate, an outlaw. God uses our trials and persecutions to purify and discipline the righteous and His final judgment will be worse on the ungodly and the sinner because they refuse His forgiveness and discipline.

This is why we need to have the Lord search us completely every day. If we do the searching, we might overlook something that we feel is an unnecessary part of our lives. Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV) tells us, I the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even go give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. The Lord is fully aware of our condition and He will judge justly the righteous and the unrighteous.

We cannot hide from the Lord…there is no place on this earth that is hidden from the eyes of the Lord. The Lord is able to easily find and expose us for who we are. Some of us even today are putting up a good front by being faithful in attendance, doing church work, faithful to prayer meetings on Tuesday, but our hearts are not right before God. We need God to turn His light from heaven on our souls…Nothing can be hid when His light shines on us. Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV), reminds us to ask the Lord to Search us, know our hearts, try us…know our thoughts and see if there is any wicked way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. We should have the desire to be searched everyday so we can be clean before the Lord…We should repent daily and make sure our thoughts and actions are not contrary to the will of God. Remember, He searches every man’s heart.

BEING DEVOTED TO THE WORD

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV).

The Bible is the inerrant word of God, written by holy men who were inspired by God. It is useful for our daily lives; it is our instructions for holy living. The Bible is God’s way of making Himself known to us. It is God’s Word, written under His direction and guidance. The biggest problem we have with the Bible is, we don’t read it. Many of us read the Bible more on Sunday than any other time and that’s because the Scripture is read in the worship service.

It is a blessing to read and meditate on the Word of God. Psalm 1 (KJV) tells us that the man is blessed whose delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. God’s Word is important and will keep you from sin (Psalm 119:11 KJV) when we read it, obey it and applied to our lives.

God’s Word is pure and holy. The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Psalm 12:6 KJV). God’s Word is whole, absolutely clean, and unadulterated…needs nothing added to it; never needs to be diluted. Psalm 19:8 (JKV) tells us, The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. God’s Word will become a cleansing agent for your heart when you devote yourself to reading it.

If we desire to be close and intimate with the Lord and get to know Him fully, we must read His Word. God will speak to you through His Word and we need to listen and respond to His call. God will accept nothing less than holiness—that’s His standard for living. God’s Word through the Holy Spirit will keep us available for His use.

ARRESTED AND DELIVERED…BECAUSE HE PRAYED

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime (Daniel 6:10 KJV).

Daniel was chosen by King Darius and served a high political position above the other 120 presidents and princes because it was stated that he had an excellent spirit in him. The others looked for ways to find fault against him concerning the kingdom but found none. The only way they felt they could hurt Daniel was concerning his devotion to the real true and living God. They got together and established a royal statue and to make a firm decree "that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save King Darius himself, shall be cast into the den of lions" (Daniel 6:7 KJV). The king signed the writing and decree that it be not changed.

Now Daniel knew that this law had been signed by the king, yet he went into his chamber, knelt down and prayed three times a day and gave thanks to God as he had done before the writing was signed. He could have protested against the others but it would not have done any good. Daniel was bold in his walk with the Lord. He used his best defense. He knew if he prayed, God would hear him and get him out of trouble. This reminds me of the Scripture. Psalm 55:16-17 (KJV), David said, "As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice." Daniel was following through as the Scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV), Pray without ceasing. Prayer is always our best defense against the enemy.

His custom was to pray and Daniel did not increase or decrease his prayer time because of what had happened. He did not even try to hide or close his windows…but he continued to pray and give thanks before His God daily. Of course they tried to prove he was disloyal, but the king was displeased with himself because he listened to them. Daniel was arrested and thrown into the den of lions and a stone was placed over the mouth of the den, sealed by the kings’ ring and his lords.

But the king could not sleep that night and on the next morning he rushed to the den and called to Daniel…Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? Daniel said to the king, My God has sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you" (Daniel 6:20, 22 NKJV). After Daniel was taken out of the den, his accusers were thrown in the lion’s den along with their wives and children and the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den. Saints, when you pray, believe God and trust Him. He deliver will out of the hands of wicked and cruel men. Remember Daniel was arrested and delivered because He prayed.

THE STAIN OF SIN

…Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered (Romans 4:7 KJV).

While I was hospitalized a few weeks ago, every time they drew blood from my vein, they blotted it and covered it with a band aid. After returning home I noticed that the band aids left imprints of where the tape had stuck to my arms and wrist. It took some time to get rid of the imprints of the tape; and soap and water did not help. Later I was told that it is a certain solution that would cleanse the imprints of the tape from my arms. It reminded me of what sin will do to your body and life.

Sin will destroy your life, your mind, spirit and body. A lot of people think that they are not having fun unless they are sinning and destroying others lives. When we sin, we offend God who loves us and sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. Sin has devastating consequences and we need to be aware of them. Sin is no laughing matter. All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17 KJV). When you are trapped in sin you cannot live the holy lifestyle that God intended for us to live. Sin will leave discolorations of the skin, bruises, scars and stains and nothing, absolutely nothing, can cleanse sin but the blood of Jesus. Jesus’ blood contains all the cleansing solution that is needed. 1 John 1:7 (KJV) tells us, …the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. His blood cleanses us and keeps us clean from all sin.

We need to learn to repent of our sins…confess them to the Lord and ask Him to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 (KJV) tells us, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we confess, God will forgive because He promised to do it and He always keeps His promises. We must understand that God forgives and cleanse all sin…

Sin cannot be covered up…What is done in secret will become public; what is done in the dark will come to light. We cannot hide our sins from God. He is sovereign, the absolute God and there is none like Him. He is omnipotent; all powerful and unstoppable and He knows everything. So when we confess our sins, we must be serious about it and surrender everything to Him. Our text states, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. We should not be sad but joyous knowing that our iniquities are forgiven and our sins covered…washed away, cleansed…not even a spot is left because of Jesus’ blood. Our sins have been cast in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19 KJV) because God made it all possible. We should rejoice because our sins are forgiven.

ACCEPTING YOUR FATHER’S ADVICE

My father told me, Take my words to heart. Follow my instructions and you will live (Proverbs 4:4 NLT).

There are many children in this world that don’t know anything about being obedient to their parents, especially their fathers. David gave good strong instructions to Solomon about the Lord because he had in his heart to build a house for the Lord. But the Lord did not want David to build the house because he was a man of war. However, the Lord told him that his son Solomon would sit on the throne after him and he would build the house.

David’s advice to Solomon, And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it (1 Chronicles 28:9-10 KJV).

If the young people today would take the advice of their fathers, especially Christian fathers, and follow their instructions, they will live. The book of Proverbs has a lot of instructions for the young people today but nobody wants to listen. Proverbs 3:1-2 (KJV) tells us, My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee. When young people honor their parents and obey them God will bless them with a long life (Exodus 20:12 KJV). And when you become adults, you won’t find it hard to obey the commandments of the Lord. Just as your parents correct you, the Lord will chasten you and correct you because He loves you (Proverbs 3:11-12 KJV). When a young person surrenders to the Lord a soul is saved plus a life. Whatever you do, please learn to obey your father and take his advice. Do it today!

REJOICE! HE IS RISEN!

And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18 NKJV).

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have many rituals, customs and traditions that go along with the celebration of our Lord rising from the grave. And Resurrection Day should be very sacred to us and it should help us focus on why this happen or what was the real reason for it. Easter is not about wearing new clothing, the bunny rabbit or egg hunts. It is about the plan of salvation that God has to redeem us from our sins. It’s about having new life in Christ Jesus.

After the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus, our text tells us that He told His disciples that He had ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth. Since His resurrection Jesus reigns sovereign over heaven and earth. Then Jesus left a commandment for us in Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV); Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. The main task of the church is to make disciples of all nations. If we are members of the body of Christ, we are to make disciples…tell others about the saving grace of Jesus. Remember, He promised to be with always even to the end of the age. The Lord keeps His promises!

All who follow Jesus Christ are to be taught to obey the truth and keep His commandments. Since all authority and power is in His hands, He will give us the strength to complete this task because He has given us His power to do it and He will be with us. We are to continue to worship and praise Him for saving us from our sins and bridging the gap between God and man.

We have a reason to rejoice because the Lord is with us. We can rejoice because He conquered death, hell and the grave and delivered us from the power of sin. We can rejoice because He is risen from the dead. We can rejoice because He is Lord over everything. We can rejoice because He promised to be with us always…even to the end.

GOD, OUR PLACE OF REFUGE

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1 KJV).

This Psalm begins with the very encouraging statement that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. We also have other places in the Bible that tells us that God is our refuge, our fortress, a place of safety and the strength of our lives. Psalm 91:2 tells us, I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in Him will I trust. (KJV) I believe the main purpose of the statements are for us to learn to obey and trust in the Lord.

Now let’s look at the words in the text. A refuge is a place of protection or shelter from danger or hardship. A shelter is described as a safe haven a place to take cover. A fortress is a fortified place, a large permanent stronghold. Since God is all of that to us, we should have no problem obeying His commandments and trusting Him to help us. God is more than enough; He knows all things, is everywhere at the same time and knows the end from the beginning. We serve an awesome God who loves to take care of His children. Psalm 56:3 states, What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. (KJV) To be able to trust in the Lord at all times is the privilege and right of every believer. When we are afraid or in a place of circumstance that seems to block us in and offer no way of escape, we can confidently call out to the Lord for help.

Trusting in the Lord means to completely rely, depend and count on Him for help. It means we have complete confidence in Him because He is reliable and we know for sure that God will hear us. Psalm 62:7-8 (KJV), In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. When you trust in the Lord you must trust in Him alone. You cannot trust in the Lord and rely on your own strength at the same time. When God is your rock, you have both feet on the rock because He will not let you slip or fall…His foundation is sure. You may be afraid, but trust Him; He is gracious, slow to anger and abundant in mercy. He is always available to help us; He is a present help.

When you are in trouble, don’t be afraid to call on the Lord, and let Him know exactly how you feel. Psalm 145:18 (KJV), tells us, The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. We can come close to God and know Him better when we call upon Him. Since Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, when we call on Him, we call by faith in the name of Jesus. We also must realize that there are great benefits in being a Christian. We are protected and kept by the power of the Almighty God. When the enemy is on our track and we feel afraid and alone, call on the Lord and He will hear us. He is our refuge, our fortress, our deliver, a safe haven…He is our place of refuge.

CELEBRATE THE SAVIOR

And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11 KJV).

Every year we celebrate December 25th as the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Although no one knows what day He was born; we celebrate by giving parties, giving gifts, singing special music—Christmas Carols-Handel’s Messiah, the Hallelujah Chorus and other songs. However, this is a very special season for Christians.

Prediction before birth—Isaiah 9:6 (KJV), the prophet Isaiah said, For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. God’s answer to the world is a child…His very own Son. He will be unlike the human kings that had lived previously because He is the Mighty God and