Psalm 20 | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Hello friends. Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible Study. We are continuing our series through the book of Psalms this year and we are in Psalm 20 today. It is a short chapter, only nine verses. This is another psalm of David. If you have not taken the time to read today's passage, please do so. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear what He wants to teach us. Let's allow Him to plant this precious Word in the fertile soil of our hearts. As I typically do, today I will break the verses down and share what God is giving me to share with all of you.

Verses 1-4

David begins this chapter, in the first three verses, telling us about God. He says this:

1. God hears us in times of trouble.

2. By His name He defends us.

3. He will send us help.

4. God will strengthen us.

5. He will remember what we offer Him.

6. He accepts our burnt sacrifices.

7. He will grant our heart's desire.

8. God will fulfill our purpose, or another version says He will make our plans succeed.

In verse three, it tells us to pause and think about that. I think this is a great time to stop and reflect on all of these things. How many of us can honestly say that we have experienced these blessings as we walk with our Savior, Jesus? I know that I can look back over my life and see God doing all of these things for me. I have not offered burnt sacrifices but I have sacrificed as much as He told me to do.

Verse 5

What will we do about this knowledge of what God is doing for us, has done, and will continue to do? David says we will rejoice and set up our banners. We will praise God and lift up the banner proclaiming He is our Savior. Then in this same verse it says, The LORD will answer all our prayers. What a promise! What encouragement! This is awesome!

Verse 6

Now David is convinced and has confidence that God will save His anointed people. He will hear our cries from His Holy heaven and will save us with the strength of His right hand. Isn't this such a rich message today? We know God is listening to us, answering our prayers, helping us and delivering us in the day of our distress and times of trouble! What peace that comes from knowing that!

Verse 7

I was walking last night and I was praying; just asking God for an increase of faith and wisdom about some things He told me. My life was not matching up with what He said and I know that life is crazy and God is never wrong, so I needed Him to help me make sense of some things. It is not something I can understand in the natural with logic and reasoning. I said this as I was walking, "I will not trust in chariots, or horses, because I know You are with me and will deliver me with Your righteous right hand." And when I read this verse I had such joy in my soul because I did not know this verse was going to be in this particular chapter that I would be studying with you all today.

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! In Isaiah we see that God says woe to them who trust in the strength and force of other humans and things that seem like they are secure. Why? They are not looking to God, the Holy One of Israel to fight their battles and bring them victory.

It may seem scary when we see the enemy in great numbers against us. We may not be popular because of our faith and morals, but God gives us a word of encouragement in Deuteronomy. He tells us not to be afraid of them. Deuteronomy 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. We do not need to fear because God is with us and He has delivered us from trouble and distress before.

Verse 8

The things the world puts all their trust in will be brought down and fall. We will rise and stand because God is with us and He cares about us. Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.

Why would God do this for His children? Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Keep working for God and keep honoring His name. He will not forget the things we give up, sacrifice, or let go of for the cause of Christ. He will not forget the work we do in love to further His Kingdom on this earth.

Verse 9

David ends the chapter with hope. "Save LORD! May the King answer us when we call." He will absolutely answer us when we call and I am so thankful for that.

I have been strengthened and encouraged with today's Bible study. I hope that you are blessed and encouraged as well. It is my prayer that something you read on this blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Reprobate Silver | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It is my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

During my Bible study time this morning, God led me to Jeremiah chapter six. What a timely passage of scripture for this day and age we are living in. The word reprobate means rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. It is crucial that we understand that those who are called reprobate silver is a terrifying title that none of us should ever hope to have. I have created a video about this today. I usually do not share a lot of videos here because I enjoy the writing process, but the anointing of God was upon me on this video and I felt compelled to share it here.

Please watch this video, open up your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter six and read along with me. Share this blog post, the video, or scripture reference with those you think might need to hear this message. Allow this video to start a dialogue with you and those around you this weekend. May it create a desire inside you all to pray for this nation we live in and for the world. It is a wake up call for the wicked and a word of encouragement for God's people. I hope and pray that something you heard me say will be strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Answered Prayer | Thankful Thursday

It's Thankful Thursday; time to count our blessings. What has God been doing in your lives lately? What blessings are you counting today? I read a really encouraging passage this morning. I opened my Bible and there it was on the page. Don't you love how God does that? I want to share the verse today.

1 JOHN 5:13-15 (13)These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (14)And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us; (15)And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of Him.

This encouraged me when I read it because it tells me that I have assurance in Jesus that if I ask anything in line with God's will He will give me what I am praying for. Why is this so important to know? It is important to know that when we pray for things that God wants us to have, we will get them because it increases our faith. We do not have to doubt or fear that God will say no or ignore us. The enemy likes to torment us and say that our requests are trivial and God is too busy to be bothered. He makes us believe that God does not care about the cares and passions we have but that is a lie.

Today I am excited to know God loves me. He hears my prayers and He is going to answer me! That is something to be thankful for!! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 19 | Bible Study Wednesday

Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 19. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 14 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!

Verses 1-6

The heavens declare God's glory. What is glory? It is the Hebrew word kabod and it literally means "heavy" indicating a weightiness. It is His signature on our world. Like any artist that signs their work, God's glory is His name on all He created. When we see God's magnificent creation, we should pause and praise God our Creator. We should not worship idols, carved figures or nature itself. Why worship the creation when the Creator deserves the credit?

ROMANS 1:20-25 (20)For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21)Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22)Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23)And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (24)Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (25)Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

JOB 12:7-9 (7)But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: (8)Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee: (9)Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

JEREMIAH 5:20-25 (20)Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish (proclaim) it in Judah, saying, (21)Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: (22)Fear ye not Me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at My presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? (23)But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone (departed). (24)Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in His season: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. (25)Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

It is very clear throughout the Bible that God deserves praise, honor, and glory. He alone is our Creator. We know that when we read the first book of the Bible. Genesis begins with God as our Creator. We must not forget that He made us and fashioned us to be like Him and to serve Him. We should appreciate the beautiful things He made but we are not to worship the sun, moon, and stars, or the planets and all that dwell therein. Let's remember God is Holy and worthy of all adoration and praise.

Verses 7-11

God's Law is perfect. It provides protection and help to us when we heed the warnings. God is a loving Father and He wants to protect us, so He gave us rules and mandates to tell us how we should conduct ourselves, interact with others, and fellowship with Him. When we veer off the path He has placed us on, we will get into trouble. There is danger and evil lurking on the sidelines and when we stray away from the road God wants us to walk on, we are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.

DEUTERONONMY 29:14-29 (14)Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; (15)But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day; (16)(For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; (17)And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:) (18)Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; (19)And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: (20)The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. (21)And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the Law: (22)So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it; (23)And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger, and in His wrath: (24)Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? (25)Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their father, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: (26)For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom He had not given unto them: (27)And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: (28)And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. (29)The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law.

David says this about the Law: it is perfect, restoring the soul; sure, making wise the simple; right and makes the heart rejoice, pure and enlightens the eyes; clean, endures forever, true and righteous; more to be desired than fine gold, and sweeter than a honeycomb. By these laws we are warned and when we keep the law we are rewarded.

The psalmist says in chapter 119 verse 72, "The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Wow! What a great verse. The statutes and ordinances found in God's Word is worth more than all the wealth in the world. Why? Because it brings life and blessings and promises. In the same chapter, verse 127 he says he loves God's commandments more than fine gold. Do we love God's Law that much?

Verses 12-14

David ends this chapter with a prayer. It is something I believe we all should pray. He says:

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins.

Don't let sin have dominion over me.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight God.

You are my strength, my rock, my redeemer.

Secret faults are those things hidden away. We may have forgotten about them or maybe we did not think they were that serious. They are secret faults that can separate us from God. David said, "Cleanse me from them." Lord cleanse me today from these secret faults as well.

Presumptuous sins are arrogant, bold, brazen wrongdoings that will most certainly send us to hell if we are not forgiven of them. These are things done intentionally and most likely driven by emotions. David said, "Don't let these sins have control over me."

Lastly, David wants God to look at his words, his thoughts, and his heart. His desire is that it would be acceptable in God's eyes. He recognizes God is his source of strength and the One who delivers from sin and frees from captivity.

Sin is a suffocating cocoon. It wraps around us and holds us hostage. We are no longer free to come and go as we please. We are enslaved to sin and must serve it until we are freed by the power of God. It leads to spiritual death and eternal separation from God. John 8:24 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) of sin. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I hope that as you joined me in diving deeper into this spectacular chapter of Psalms, you would be encouraged, enlightened, and empowered to live a life that honors God. I hope something you have read on my blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Show Up Anyway | Fuel For The Weekend

Each Friday God wants me to share my faith in such a way that it causes you to think, ponder, consider, and reflect on all weekend long. My desire is that each Fuel For The Weekend post is so thought-provoking that you begin a dialogue with your family and friends and discuss the ideas further. I may never know on this side of heaven if I am making a difference in anyone else's lives, but these blog posts strengthen me, stretch me, and encourage me to keep going in this race.

A friend asked me to do something for them recently. At first, I hesitated. I have not been feeling the best and did not want to do it, but I did not say no. I thought about it and was just not sure how to politely decline. I did not have any good reason not to do what was asked of me. So, I finally said I would do it. I was fasting at the time and that really takes a lot out of me physically. It is really draining and I already was not feeling well. I knew agreeing to do what was asked of me would be a good thing to do, but I did not fully understand the impact I would make.

I was able to minister to my friend, share about something deeply personal, and watch as tears filled their eyes. They found hope again and a different perspective than they had before. Sometimes it helps when someone who has walked in your shoes before gives you a glimpse of how your story could end.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-7 (1)Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: (2)Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (3)Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4)Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (5)For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. (6)And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. (7)And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Paul, Javan, and I went out to look at some land. We thought it might be a good option for us and we were full of hope and excitement. We saw the property and it was nothing like we saw in the photos online. It was a disaster and even though our hopes were dashed for that particular property, we knew it was a definite "No" from God. That is encouraging because we got our answer immediately. We continue to believe there is something coming for us very soon. Until God answers, we will keep trusting and hoping.

PSALM 31:24 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

PSALM 71:5 For Thou art my hope, O LORD God, Thou art my trust from my youth.

What do you plan to do this weekend? Who do you hope to bless? Whose situation can you speak life into? What encouragement can you give? Have you asked God to make plans for you this weekend? It is Mother's Day weekend. Some have lost their mothers, others are estranged, and some have toxic relationships with their mother. Not everyone has a Hallmark experience and I understand that. I hope that you will celebrate this weekend, thankful for a good mother, or a good mother figure, in your life. Was there a neighbor, friend, grandparent, or elder at your church you looked up to? If you are a mother, I want to wish you a very happy Mother's Day. Some have wayward sons and daughters. This Sunday may be hard for a lot of mothers who mourn their children in one way or another. I pray that God allows you to feel honored and loved like you deserve. Remember Jesus loves you so much. He will be your anchor, strength, refuge, Mighty Fortress to run to when times are overwhelming and hard. Don't miss the chance to bless someone else this weekend. You never know when your words can speak life into a dead situation and cause someone to hold a little tighter to God's unchanging hand.

EPHESIANS 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

National Day of Prayer | Thankful Thursday

Hello friends. Today is National Day of Prayer. It is a time of fasting and prayer for many of us. Some may have prayed in a group before work or school; others may have a special ceremony at church or elsewhere. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. That is very possible to do. It is to have a direct line of communication with our Heavenly Father who will meet our every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus according to Philippians 4:19.

In our world today, we have so much to pray about. There are issues in our cities, states, our country, our government leaders, and in our world. We have personal issues we are dealing with as well. There is no shortage of things to pray about.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. Whatever we are facing, we can, and should, take it to God in prayer, asking our Heavenly Father, with gratitude. We are promised that when we take our problems to God and spend time with Him in prayer, we will receive the peace of God to keep our hearts and minds through Jesus. What kind of peace is it? It is the peace that does not make sense. It is peace that will cause others to look at you and wonder, "How can you go through all that and still have peace?" It is only peace that comes from God. Jesus said in John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. We may be facing some scary situations and we begin to allow fear to take up residence in our hearts, but Jesus is telling us not be worried or afraid because He gives us His peace.

We can confidently go to our Lord Jesus and ask anything we need and we know that He is listening to us and will help us in our time of need. 1 John 5:14-15 reads, And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, we know that we have the petitions that we desired Him. The key to this verse is that we ask according to the will of God. We cannot ask for selfish requests so we can be popular, have more money to spend on vain things, or to promote ourselves. We are here to carry out God's plan for the world and if more money or material possessions will cause us to stray or glorify self then we already know we are not going to receive those things. We must be in line with God's will.

A very popular verse, one that many of us have heard and/or quoted many times is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. I feel that it is so important to include in today's blog post. It says, If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. It is no secret our land needs healed. If we take the confidence we just read about and humble ourselves, pray, seeking God's face and not His hands, and repent of the evil and wickedness then God in heaven will hear us and forgive us and heal our land. America is a very sin-sick nation. It is time we return to our Savior Jesus Christ and repent of the wicked ways we have done and allowed in this nation. It is time to honor and bless God as a country. We must become humble again. We need to seek the face of God, not to get more blessings and things from Him, but to spend time with Him and honor Him and love Him.

I am so thankful there is a day set aside to pray and fast, for those of us who will do that. I am going to spend time praying and seeking God about some big needs in my life and in this world. I know He will hear and answer me. I have confidence that He cares about us and the things we care about. I hope that you will be praying, too.

There is nothing like praying to God and Him answering prayers. I love to prayer journal because there are so many things that we can look back on and see God's fingerprints all over. We see how we struggled and how God answered and how we grew. Many of you know that we, at Blue's Blessings, have three prayer journals available on Amazon now. You can see the Men's Prayer Journals here. We have a Women's Prayer Journal here. And we have Youth Prayer Journals which is an interactive workbook with devotionals, prayer prompts, memory verses, SOAP Bible study pages and room for note taking, plus so much more. It is a wonderful gift for graduations, Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, or anytime.

This Thankful Thursday I am thankful for the gift of prayer. I know God hears and answers the prayers of His children. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 18 | Bible Study Wednesday

We are 18 weeks in to the study of Psalms. Today we have a long chapter to cover! Have you read it yet? There are 50 verses and we are going to divide it up into six sections. If you have not read it, please do so and be in prayer to ask Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. I know it is a long text today but it is so important that we dive in deep to glean everything we can from today's passage. Let's get started.

Verses 1-5

David is celebrating the victory. This is a psalm he sang the day the LORD delivered him from the hand of Saul. He says in verse three, "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." What has God delivered you from? I can feel the jubilation David is singing this psalm. He is elated that God spared his life.

Verses 6-19

David remembers that he called upon God to deliver him and God answered his prayer. He says God swiftly went to David's side to rescue him from danger. In verse 19 he says, "He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me." Can we say the same thing? Can we say God is delighted in us?

Verses 20-29

David shares about his lifestyle, his character, and his walk with God. He says, in verse 23, "I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from iniquity." He stayed away from sin. He lived a life to honor and please God. He obeyed His laws and statues because David loves God. Are we doing the harder right or the easier wrong? David did not wait for trouble to come before he got his heart right with God. He did not wait for danger to surround him before he chose to obey God. In David's obedience and disciplined lifestyle, he was ready for God's protection and provision to be granted. He was in fellowship with God.

Verses 30-39

This section of scripture is David bragging on God. He is giving God the credit and the glory for strengthening him and teaching him what to do to be successful in battle. He says in verse 32, "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." He wants everyone to know that this victory was nothing David did. He glorifies and honors God with this incredible answer to prayer.

Verses 40-45

David recounts the victory. He says in verse 40, "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me." We have the full armor of God according to Ephesians chapter 6 to battle our enemies. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We claim the victory over enemies today, too. Our victory was won by Jesus!

Verses 46-50

In verse 47 David says, "It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me." It is God. That is the key to the whole thing. It is only God that can bring us the victory. In Zechariah 4:6, the Word of the LORD came saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." It is not anything we can do in our own ability. Our victory is comes from the God!

Whatever we face in our lives; the struggles, the challenges, and difficulties, God is able to conquer it all. He gives us the victory and like David we can sing His praises and be glad that He has delivered us from the hand of our enemies.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens