Marvine's Thoughts

I love the many scriptures that God has given us regarding His protection!  It is absolutely amazing that we can worry and be consumed with fear over the future when Almighty God has given us such tremendous promises.  And then He adds that He always keeps His promises.  Look at these two verses and be blessed.

“How blessed are those who care for the poor!  When calamity comes, ADONAI will save them.  ADONAI will preserve them, keep them alive and make them happy in the land.  You will not hand them over to the whims of their enemies.”  Psalms 41:1-2  Complete Jewish Bible

God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind.  When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it.”  Numbers 23:19 Complete Jewish Bible

I love the Complete Jewish Bible that Ken bought me last year.  I have compared it with the King James and, so far, have found the meanings in the King James but just not as vivid and clear as in the CJB.  I was blessed during my devotions this morning as I prayed the following Scripture from the CJB version.

“Help me to keep my life free from the love of money; and help me to be satisfied with what I have; for You, Adonai said, ‘I will never fail you or abandon you.’  Therefore it is with confidence that I declare: 

This is the confidence we have in his presence: if we ask anything that accords with his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – then we know that we have what we have asked from him. 1Jn 5:14-15

I have spent a number of years now praying Scripture.  I love the confidence inspired by claiming the Scripture for the need we are bringing to our Lord.  This year I received as a Christmas/Birthday gift a book by Beth Moore “Praying Scripture.”  What an awesome gift!  I have SO enjoyed it!  She has inspired me to write Scriptures out in the form of a prayer and pray them.  I want to share with you here a couple of my Scripture prayers that have encouraged my faith.  My hope is that you will write out some prayers to the Lord and be blessed as well.

“Thank you for forgiving all my offenses.  Thank you for healing all my diseases.  You have redeemed my life from the pit.  You surround me with grace and compassion.  You content me with good as long as I live so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  Psalm 103:3-5

“Help me Abba to behave wisely toward outsiders, making full use of every opportunity.  Abba let my conversation always be gracious and interesting so that I will now how to respond to any particular individual.”  Col. 4:5

God spoke to Noah after the flood and gave him instructions.  One very interesting thing was regarding food.  He had already specified to Noah which animals were clean and which were unclean when He had Noah load up the animals onto the boat.  Look at this from the Complete Jewish Bible.

“Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything — only flesh with its life, which is its blood, you are not to eat.”  Genesis 9:3

I thought this was interesting as I have begun reading my bible through this year again from the beginning.  Before the flood, they ate plants.  After the flood, they needed meat.  It is also in the King James Version but is much clearer in the CJB.  I will probably ask Jesus when I get to Heaven if the reason we had to start eating meat had anything to do with the drastic changes brought about by the flood.  Suddenly the sun’s rays got through to mankind and mankind’s life span went from almost 1000 years to 120 years.  Interesting.

Wives should submit to their husbands as they do to the Lord; because the husband is head of the wife, just as the Messiah, as head of the Messianic Community, is himself the one who keeps the body safe. Just as the Messianic Community submits to the Messiah, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24) Complete Jewish Bible

As I was reading this passage this morning, I was blessed by what a marvelous God we serve!  He arranges things so beautifully.  What is one thing a woman likes to feel?  Safe.  We like to feel safe!  What did God do?  He arranged marriage so women could not only be safe but feel safe.  Notice in this passage that Jesus keeps the Messianic Community — Body of Christ — Church — SAFE.  In the same way the godly, loving husband provides safety for his wife.  Ladies, it is truly awesome to do things God’s way!  Men, how awesome to be able to do this loving thing for your wives!  I think we are all blessed when we follow God with joy in our hearts.

“From my being hemmed in I called on Yah; he answered and gave me more room.” Psalms 118:5 (Complete Jewish Bible). Don’t you love it! When you feel ‘hemmed in’ you can call on God and He will give you more room. Even if … it means just not feeling crowded. Our God is a Wonderful God!