Maker of Heaven and Earth is Our Help

15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. Psalm 89:15-17 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Just like beauty, big is in the eye of the beholder. Big and small are useful labels for comparison between things that differ in size. At least two things must be in view to make a comparison. Our problems in life are not the problem. The problem is in the reference used to make the determination of it as a big or small problem. If we compare our problems with the problems of other people, our problems can easily be seen as bigger or smaller. If we compare our problems with our ability, they will be as big or as small as our ability to handle them. The problem is not in the comparison, but in our frame of reference used for the comparison. Nothing is bigger than God and all problems are small in comparison to Him. The universe is bigger than we can imagine, yet God is bigger still. It is easy for our problems to be too big for us, yet everything is small when compared to the infinite God. Remember God in all things. Lean not on your own limited understanding and ability. Trust God and rely on His love. (Acts 17:16-34; Isaiah 53:1; Hebrews 11:6; Mark 16:9-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; Matthew 7:7-8; Romans 8:32-39; Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 21:34; 1 Timothy 4:16; Acts 20:28; Psalm 92:1-2, 18:1-3, 30:12, 89:52)

Strong in the Presence of the Lord

15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. Psalm 89:15-17 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

To be human is to be born swimming in a sea of error with truth being our only life preserver. Errors of opinion, errors of thought, and errors of speech surround us like blood thirsty sharks ready to attack. Knowledge of the truth is the first essential, and following the truth is the next equally essential action. Without the first the second cannot be taken, and without the second, hypocrisy rushes in to devour. Truth is a life preserver. It cannot be grasped without simultaneously letting go of error. Righteousness comes from ordering life in accordance with the book of Truth and the righteous increase strength. This book, the Holy Bible, is it from God or from man? Answering this question correctly is the first stroke toward wisdom. (Matthew 13:18-23, 44-51; Luke 6:46; Luke 20:1-8; Psalm 33:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Job 28:28; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 8:31-32; John 15:16; James 1:21; Proverbs 24:5; Romans 13:7-14; 2 Peter 1:21, 1:3-11; Revelation 22:21)

Happiness Starts Here

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:10-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Muscles and faith both become stronger only after they are exercised. It is easy to overload a barbell with way more weight than you are able to lift safely, but with the Comforter as your personal trainer, He will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able to handle. Faith grows to match the level of our trust in God. When you can say with complete confidence like Job, “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” your faith will be strong enough to do the greater works Jesus promised. (John 14:12-14; John 11:40; Matthew 17:19-20; Luke 17:5-8; James 4:3; Hebrews 4:9-16; 1 John 5:14-15; 1 Corinthians 9:7-10; Hebrews 11:1-6; John 14:12517; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2-4; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Habakkuk 3:17-18; Job 13:15;Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Peter 5:6-10; Philippians 4:8; Philippians 2:13; 1 Peter 5:11).

My Lips Will Sing with Joy

21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. Psalm 71:21-23 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Aging with strength is a process, not an event. This distinction is important because a process requires continuous action and an event happens once and is done. Aging with strength requires fundamental knowledge, careful preparation, and proper execution of both knowledge and plan. Youthful strength is so uncommon among the aged because most don’t understand that it takes a process to achieve and maintain such a state. It is easier to drink the poisoned Kool-aide that to get old and weak is normal. Everybody likes flat guts and big butts, but they come from a process. Stop looking for short-cuts to the easy finish line of big gains. The only finish line is an event called death and there is no short-cut to finishing this life well. The only way is straight and narrow. Resist any temptation to believe otherwise. (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:14-21; 1 John 2:15-17; Genesis 4:1-10; Hebrews 11:4; Matthew 7:12-14; John 14:6,  17:3; 1 Samuel 15:22; Mark 12:30-33; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:5-15; Jeremiah 45:5; Mark 8:34-37; Psalm 49:20, 42:5; Proverbs 16:3, Proverbs 3:6-8; 3 John 2; Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 3:14-21)

Precious Is the Steadfast Love of the Lord

5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Psalm 36:5-10 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Ora et labor. Latin for pray and work. Pray because everything depends on God, and work like everything depends on you. These are not contradictory statements. They are merely opposite sides of the same profound truth. God gives and we receive. God, the Most High, is the only true sovereign and source of all. Therefore, everything depends on God. The grace of God is like a wind. Do we put up the sail and go to work, or do we take it in vain to power the wheels of our lusts? We are given the free choice, therefore everything depends on our response to the grace of God. (Philippians 2:12-14; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; John 3:27; Revelation 2:18-29; 1 Corinthians 10:1-14; James 4:1-10; 2 Chronicles 16:11-12; Isaiah 50:10-11, 55:6-7; James 1:2-5; Matthew 7:7-8; James 5:13-20; Psalm 32:5-11; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Lead Me, Lord, In Your Righteousness

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:4-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Strengthen the body with exercise. The way to do this is not always easy, but the way is well known. Strengthen faith by fighting the good fight. The way is not always easy, but the way to do this is also well known. Renew the mind daily with the Word of God. Resist the faithless thoughts suggested by the inner tempter designed to avert the gaze from the Spirit and truth. Let faith in God be non-negotiable, and humbly hold on to the truth to the very end. The Word of God is truth and it will never fail. Faith doesn’t add anything to God. Faith receives from God. Know beyond merely understanding that there is a placed predestined for you before the world began at the table of the wedding feast of the Lamb. This present world is only a preparation for the next. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and trust God to lead you to that paradise He has prepared for you. (Proverbs 12:10, 14:4, 22:13; Matthew 16:23; Colossians 3:2; Luke 14:15-24; John 6:27-29, 4:19-26; Matthew 17:19-21, 18:1-3, 7:9-11; Ephesians 1:3-5; Romans 8:12-19; Hebrews 11:6; Mark 11:22-24; James 4:10; 1 Kings 3:7; 1 Peter 5:6-10; Revelation 22:14-21)

My Help Comes From the Lord

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Results and consequences come from what we do and don’t do. Diet and exercise are perhaps one of the easiest to understand examples. The inner life is comprised of the integrity between our actions and what we know. Lifelong learning is important, and even more important is the knowledge of truth expressed in speech, motives, and deeds. Truth is the essential knowledge at the center of life that remains unchanged by what we think, feel, or believe. Divine facts are divine facts whether we choose to believe them or not. Those who know what is right and do it are call blessed. Those who know what is wrong and avoid it are called wise. Those who know right and don’t do it are lost. Therefore, what we do and don’t do is just as important to us as the truth we know. Let no one deceive you concerning this essential: Prerequisite for being set free by the Truth is a willingness to be conformed to it. (Genesis 2:8-9; Genesis 4:6-7; Galatians 6:7-9; Job 28:28; Proverbs 9:12; Proverbs 27:12; Psalm 119:9; Psalm 86:11-12; Matthew 23:37; John 8:31-35; Hebrews 4:12; John 17:14-17; Hebrews 12:1-2; Romans 12:1-2; Psalm 1; James 2:19; Ephesians 3:8-21)

God Is Our Only Dependable Refuge

21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
28 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 73:21-28 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Muscular faith is based on the gospel truth of Jesus Christ.  It is necessary for faith to be frequently exercised in all things without the need of pleasant feelings always providing support. Just as lifting heavy bars and plates builds bodily strength, a strong muscular faith in God requires the frequent practice of lifting heavy feelings and right thoughts. (John 8:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 5:1, 2:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-32; James 2:26; James 1:2-8; Colossians 2:19-23; Romans 14:1-2; Hebrews 12:1-2; Romans 14:16-23; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:1-6, 6:1-6; 1 John 1:5-10; Hebrews 5:14, 6:12; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, 10:31; 1 Peter 5:6-11).

Divine Protection

91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. Psalm 91:1-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

True fitness makes us whole. Good health is the foundation for the physical part of fitness and being born again is the foundation for the spiritual part.  Together good health and the new birth become the foundation for fitness of the soul. If we live as only physical, we perish like the beasts. If all spiritual, we limit our usefulness in this world. We need development of each part of our triune nature to be whole. (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 32:8-9; Proverbs 3:6-8; Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 10:4; Luke 12:16-21; Psalm 49:20; Matthew 6:33; Isaiah 50:10-11; 2 Corinthians 11:2-3; John 3:1-15; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Luke 19:31; Galatians 5:1; 1 Proverbs 12:10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; 3 John 1:2; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-28)

Live in prosperity

12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
    He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
    and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
    He teaches them his covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
    for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies. Psalm 25:11-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

One of the surest roads to unhappiness for a Christian is to want to live for Christ and still allow self to take pleasure in sin. Having been cleansed from past sins by the precious blood of Christ, never allow yourself to look back with fondness at any of the sins in your former way of life. To do so allows the adversary of our soul to gain a foothold. To entertain a single wrong thought in the mind seems like a little thing, but great wild fires often start with a single spark. Faith the size of a mustard seed is a small thing, and yet by it mountains can be cast into the sea. This is why Scriptures instruct us to be diligent about guarding our hearts. Guard the heart by using conformity to the Word of God as the standard to determine the rightness or wrongness of every thought. Let faith in God be our rule. Rather than listening to the fiery darts from the wicked, make Satan listen to your high sounding praises to God. Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Accept what is good, cast away what is not. Prosperity is sure to follow. (3 John 1:2; Luke 4:16-21; Matthew 16:13-26; Luke 9:59-62; Matthew 28:18, 17:1-21; Ephesians 6:16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:15-21; Romans 4:3; Hebrews 11:8-12; Romans 4:16-25; 1 Timothy 6:12-15; Psalm 145:3-5, 138:2, 103:1; Ephesians 3:20-21)