Friday, January 3, 2014

THE TWELVE DAYS OF PRAISE


 
DAILY WORSHIP THROUGH PSALM 84 
DAY 1- VERSE 1 "How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts!
We have all heard the worship song by Chris Tomlin "Lord of Heaven's Armies". Well, this is a blunt translation what this mighty phrase which is mentioned 270 in our Holy
Scriptures mean! The great Reformer Martin Luther made the words "Lord Sabaoth" even more popular in the great hymn of the Reformation "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" (a BULWARK never failing). Jehovah Sabaoth or the Lord of Hosts is JESUS, the KING OF KINGS, Whom the Father has appointed Lord of the Universe.

What does this mean? It means our God is Almighty, Sovereign, Self-Existent God over ALL Creation - from the snows of New England to the ice of Antarctic to the wonderful beaches of Hawaii and EVERY star in the Galaxy. He is a Mighty God, the Great I am. He is YHWH. When we, as mere mortal created beings acknowledge that Truth, we are on the path to true enlightenment.


The great prophet Isaiah said of Lord Sabaoth, His Name being Lord of Heaven's Armies and Lord of Hosts, Isaiah said this “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)" Because our Lord is Holy, Holy, Holy this signifies that He sits in His Temple to be worshiped. The bible says the tabernacle that Moses and later on in the Jerusalem temples were only mirrors of the true tabernacle in heaven. Yea, and this scripture confirms the Divinity and Majesty of not just the Warrior Lord Jesus, the real Commander in Chief of the world but His other role as High Priest:“The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (Hebrews 8:1-2)


We will never grasp how awe-inspiring that scene right now is in Heaven, but suffice it to say, that worship in Heaven, in the Loveliest and most magnificent temple/tabernacle ever, is nothing we can experience here on earth. 


Therefore, our meditation today is on the two Attributes of Jesus Christ described here in this one verse of Psalm 84 - the High Priest of Heaven, the Commander of the Armies of Heaven and the TRUE OBJECT OF EVERYTHING WE LOVE, ADORE, MAGNIFY, PRAISE AND WORSHIP!

In Jesus' Holy Name, amen.

DAY 2 - VERSE 2 "My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
The opening verse of this Psalm 84 gave us the stunning image of our Great God and Commander in Chief of the entire Heavens, this World and the next - i.e. the LORD of Heaven's Armies.  We are allowed to know YHWH (Jehovah or Jesus) and His other titles as well, from this verse. When you and I contemplate or meditate of just WHO this Lord of Heaven's Armies, Lord Saboath His Name, we are reminded to gave and grasp the power and majesty of the Heavenly Tabernacle. Every Tabernacle needs a High Priest - Whom, Scripture tells us is, Jesus.

This is one High Priest, Prophet, King and God we SUPPOSED to worship with EVERY FIBER IN OUR BEING! This is the essence of verse 2 today! We humans are made of soul, spirit and body. We examine in detail:

"My soul" -  the soul  is where the mind, emotions, will and conscience reside. The original Greek language word for Soul is Psyche, (where we get the word "psychology") and "Soulcare" derives out of a longing for relationship. Some say that we have a hole-shaped vacuum in our heart which only God can fill. This verse proves it, but the Holy Spirit directs us to the ONLY SOURCE of the only true filling which counts - God
"Longs" - there is something within each of us which yearns for something....even if some people choose the wrong relationship, the wrong purchase, the wrong friends, the wrong time to do something etc....we all long for something. Here God says "everything you think, feel, and will should need and call out for Me and Me alone....with a clean conscience.
"Faints" - and that longing/yearning should not just be to fill that so-called "vacuum in your soul" but it should be strong enough to push you to the extreme of your pursuit of My Shalom, My Blessing.
"Courts of the Lord" - are the parameters of His Dwelling Place. We are challenged to "abide in Christ"- "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you"...John 15:7. You will find in at His Throne and this is where the "abiding" begins. How can we do that when we are on earth and He is in Heaven? WE PRAY!
"My heart"- this is the other third of the three parts of a human being (soul, spirit, body). The heart is the spiritual heart - the one that is in tune with His Spirit. When a person is saved, God sends His Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity to live in/abide in us forever. We are meant to be in sync with Holy Spirit at all times and to never grieve Him...if we love Him. This love should spur us to not just SAY we love God and Jesus, but to assign full time, our spiritual hearts to Him!
"My flesh"- this is the third of the three components of a man or woman of God. Our soul, our heart (spirit) and now our entire body has to be in complete submission to crying out in praise, worship and supplication.

This is true worship - in Spirit and and Truth! This is true praise with every fiber of every part of who we are, inside and out. This is our due to the Living God, the God of Heaven and Earth. Amen.


DAY 3 - VERSE 3: "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God"

These lovely little birds seem to have a special mention in the Scriptures as the Lord has taken a real liking to them. If you look at the beautiful sparrow, you are immediately able to see just how intricately detailed it was crafted, beautifully designed, yet full of frailty with a brevity of life which serves as an illustration for mankind. Jesus uses that beautiful creation and its existence to its demise, as a metaphor for the Personal God Who loves us so much! Jesus said in Matthew 10:29-31 "29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows"

Christianity is the ONLY belief system with a personal God Who interacts with His people. He is so powerful and busy, yet He has time to know not just what plans He has for our lives to deliver us, but its details. He knows every hair on our head that goes grey and today - He knows everything and cares about everything. One of the greatest hymns of our Faith is "His Eye is on the Sparrow". This song is based on those two verses from Matthew 10:29-31 and was written in 1905 by Civilla Martin after she visited a sweet saint who had fallen ill.


Civilla said that when she and her husband visited the Doolittles of upstate New York (Elmira), they were struck by not just how strong the Doolittles' faith was, but the Christian joy and inspiration they brought to all those who knew them for years and years! You see, Mr. Doolittle was confined forever to a wheelchair yet had to take care of his bedridden wife, Mrs. Doolittle, who had been bedridden for two decades! Mr. Doolittle also had to run his own business, in order to provide for their daily needs, food, shelter and clothing.


One day, while visiting, Civilla Martin asked Mrs. Doolittle, to describe the secret and source of all this joy and hope (in light of both the Doolittles' physical disabilities). Mrs. Doolittle immediately said  "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." Civilla Martin was so impressed, thus came one of the greatest hymns of all times:

His Eye is On the Sparrow (Words: Civilla Martin; Music: Charles Gabriel, 1905)
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me 
Are you in a similar place of hurt and despair this day? If misfortune or hard time were to befall you, would you have the same sunny outlook and perseverance as the Doolittles? If so, would you put your trust and faith completely in Him to have your back, just as His Eye is on the Sparrow? 


DAY 4 - VERSE 4: "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You".
A blessing is described by Webster's Dictionary as something that helps you or brings happiness. A blessing can take the form of a friend calling you at the right moment to invite you to lunch. It can be an unexpected gift card in the mail for $25 gas at the local filling station, just as you were wondering how you were going to pay the garbage bill tomorrow AND drive to work when the car is on empty. Then again, it can be the sudden rush of peace which floods your soul, as you feel weighed down by a decision or condition of a loved one.

In this verse, the word which the Lord uses for "Blessed" is "asre". It is conditional in the sense that true happiness can only be found in those who abide, dwell, rest, trust and give it all over to the Lord. The word which follows it is "yowosebe"....or "inhabitants, occupants, residents" of his "Beteka" - Temple or Throne Room! 

The Word says that the rain, meaning God has a macro-type of Grace which every human being gets. But the special blessing of shalom - His Peace, His Rest - only comes to His own children. Those who are His are the ones allowed into the Throne Room, period. 

"They will still be praising You" confirms this Eternal Position in the Kingdom of God, because only a son or daughter of God - you and I - are capable of true worship to our Great God. 



So what does all of this mean? The action point here for anyone wishing to be blessed as one who has a permanent reservation in the Kingdom to come is to abide! Yes abide!

Still not certain, well then, please meditate on the Words of the Savior Who is worthy to be praise, (from John 15:4-7) 
 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throwthem into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you".


DAY 5 - VERSE 5: "Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion."

We all know "Oz" as the mythical land of fantasy made popular in the historic movie "The Wizard of Oz". The "Oz" of the Hebrews is far from that - it is the real strength of the person who is intentional in a daily, earnest walk with the Lord.

The difference is, we are not just not in Kansas anymore, but we have this strength because of one thing and one alone - we have put our faith and trust in Lord....and we are in a better place than a plains state. We are now situated in the eternal realms with Christ Jesus! Our death to self; rebirth and regeneration and then baptism into the life, death and burial of the Savior has caused the Great Impartation of God's Kingdom immediately into our lives. 


This is confirmed in John 1:12 where the Word says "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God". The word "right" here is the immediate source of our strength! The Scripture calls the original word for "right" here "Exousia"....meaning power. The blessings is this Strength which we then acknowledge is IN HIM! Let us key in on this truth because this is the true Blessing of being a Christian - everything we are, do, thing, and more - is because we have His Inner strength and peace, only because of John 1:12


Let us then ponder the rest of this verse "in whose heart are the highways to Zion." because it should be an integral part of our entire being. The original Hebrew definition is so beautiful in English. When taken in its full context, the sentence could be re-described as Happy and contented is the person who derives all his strength because the pathways of our hearts and all its steps, all lead to the Great City of our God  - heaven.

Therefore, the pathway to even more spiritual blessings is to intentionally travel closer and closer to the King Who will literally be sitting on the Throne in Mt Zion for 1000 years one day, while recognizing He has already empowered us to do this...and more!!

DAY 6 - VERSE 6: "Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings".

On the surface, this seems like a really confusing verse – but it most definitely is not!  I will explain today’s Praise Meditation by quoting another verse to get us going. Psalm 30:5 says “though weeping may last for a night, joy cometh in the morning”! Even more confused now…please don’t be.  The term in Verse 6 “pass through the Valley of Baca” literally means the Valley or a season of Weeping.  We all go through these times, whether we are saved or not…whether we are children of the King or not. The question we need to ask is – are we fully reliant on the Person and Promise of Almighty God to get us through it or are we following every piece of noise from a mixed-up world, and looking inside ourselves?

When your “Baca”  time (or time of weeping) comes, do you write everything off and erect a personal tombstone on that subject, or are you looking to the God of Heaven to instead make this a stepping stone to victory? This verse does not even contemplate staying in the valley. God leads the writer – King David – to instruct us to let the tears well up into Springs of water!  A spring of water is a good thing. Whether it is the natural hot springs of the mountains in Colorado or in Arkansas, or the season of Spring, the word “spring” signifies life!

So what about the second part of this verse? It says “the rain also covers it with pools”. Look at it this way – “when it rains it pours”. Sometimes folks just cannot seem to extricate themselves from either a downward spiral or a prolonged period of the doldrums. But in this case, the Spirit is instructing us to look at rain as a blessing. Much of the United States and many parts of the world are under drought. Some have even resorted to pagan rain dances. Why? They need rain!

Without rain - nothing grows. Without rain - dust blows. Without rain - no dirt goes. So, embrace the rain, just as you and I view our weeping as the next in the sequence before the rainbow!

DAY 7 - VERSE 7:"They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion”.
The soul that rests completely in the Lord WILL go from strength to strength as we have been made whole before Him, at the point of repentance and rejuvenation. The soul that rests completely in the Lord through daily and constant praise will grow in the wisdom and joy of the Lord.  The soul that rests completely in the Lord not only knows when he/she is in His Holy Presence, but can sense immediately when something is wrong and the Fullness of Joy is not there! The soul that rests completely in the Lord will wait, even in tears, for the dawn so that the spirit will soar with wings, like eagles, when the darkness clears.

This is the natural progression of the true Christian, who lives according to the plan and purposes of God.  This is the preferable road because each and every believer will really have to appear before His Throne one day! This is now poetry – this is reality! Since the beginning of time, God has called men to account. In Genesis 3, the Lord was walking in the cool of the Garden and looking for Adam (Genesis 3:8-9). This shows that Jesus, the Last Adam  was accustomed speaking with the First Adam, who was actually given several jobs to do in the Garden of Eden There are other examples of God’s created beings – men and angels – who have to show up for an appearance before the LORD!

Deuteronomy 16:16 reports God as instructing Moses firmly that “three times a year all your males will appear before the LORD your God in the place where He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover); at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Tabernacles; and they will not appear before the LORD empty-handed”! This is an amazing verse! Of these three major Feasts, Tabernacles will return in the 1000 Year Reign of the King of Kings (Jesus) in Jerusalem (Zion) and ALL nations will be required to go up – annually, and without fail (Zechariah 14:16-19 ). This is serious business and apart from our appearance before the Judgment  Seat of Christ to be judged for our works, as His servant/disciple, we will be going up to Zion, each year for 1000 years!

This is a hard concept for the average western Christian, who is more tuned into this perishing world than the world to come. But it is the now and future challenge for each person, who claims the Lord as personal Savior. Are you and I going from strength to strength or just  occupying theoretical pew space?  Kingdom protocol is more demanding and amazing than your current state.

DAY 8 - VERSE 8: "O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!
Are you like a lot of believers who think that God does not listen when you pray? Are you of the opinion that even if He listens, He does not care? While these are understandable sentiments, they are incorrect and we have to be very careful about things we attribute to God. Job and his friends found that out in Job chapter 42, when the LORD Himself showed up and was furious at them for saying incorrect things about Him.

We should also be extremely cautious about criticizing the Commander in Chief of the Universe - Jesus Christ (the Lord of Hosts).  When you and I pray, let us remember to WHOM we are praying and believe not just that He HEARS, but He will respond. 


The first thing to know about asking the Lord of Heavens' armies, which can swat away any of our super powers like the US and Russia in the blink of an eye, is that God does not hear the prayer of the unrighteous.  That means - all the chanting; bowing down to a middle eastern city five times per day or dovening before an ancient temple wall ruin means nothing without the individual being accepted as a regenerated soul and child of Christ. Only those whose sins are forgiven and who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior are qualified to approach Him in prayer. Jesus Himself said as much by the way He prayed for all HIS believers in the Great Priestly Prayer of John 17. He said He was NOT praying for the world but for those who are His! 
Jesus prays in John 17:9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
Jesus prays in John 17:15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 
Jesus prays in John 17:20-21 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me".

The second thing, after knowing that Jesus has prayed and is praying for those of us who are His, is we can and must pray....and when we pray - He hears and responds. He responds each time. All we have to do is stay tuned into and in sync with - the Holy Spirit. He also said in John 14:13-14 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. This is the command to PRAY IN JESUS' NAME! Many in public life, public events and even some churches are refusing in recent times, to not pray "In Jesus' Name", so as not to "offend" anyone! By doing this, two things are occurring - they have offended Jesus Himself and therefore short-circuited their blessing!

Which brings us to the second part of today's verse "give ear, O God of Jacob". Jacob wrestled with the Lord Himself all night and refused to give up and leave until the Lord blessed him (Jacob).  This is the perfect example of persistent pressing in, and pressing in with prayerful and an intentional spirit, so as to get the desires of your heart. Should that desire be beneficial and not violate the Laws of God and His plans, I am here to say that He does "give ear"! He does hear! He does bless. He does care! Why? Because He loves us!

Do you believe that? If you do - you have Faith!


DAY 9 - VERSE 9: "God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed".
On the surface, this is a complicated verse to wrap you because it seems to contain two different trains of prayerful thought. But as we dig deeper we find something beautiful.  We find something amazing in the Plans and Purposes of God which we will never comprehend this side of Glory.

You see, when God gave His only Begotten Son - Jesus Christ - because He so loved the world. Then when God punished Him on the Cross for ALL the sins of the World. Then when God turned His Face away from Him so much that it caused our Lord to cry out "My God, My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?"....when all of that happened, it was a one-time act to set up the Anointed as the Prophet, Priest, King and Commander of the Universe through which EVERYTHING will flow for ALL eternity!


By the single act on the Cross, the Anointed's Position on the Throne was expanded to the point where Psalm 110:1-2 is fulfilled when He says "
The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!


This is true power. This is not some tinpot dictator in Africa or Cambodia or Syria...This is Jehovah Nissi! This is God our Protector. Therefore with that in mind from Verse 9b, we can now cry out "God, behold our shield"....or "Help us oh God, look at us with Your Favor...shine Your Holy Countenance upon us and protect us - be our shield and buckler, oh God of Heaven and Earth!

Do you know what God, the Father does...the same God you and i cry out to? He looks to His Son - the Anointed One. Now the Anointed One, here in the Original Hebrew language means Messiah! This is the same Messiah Who died on the Cross for all our sins!  Given all that I said before about Abba Father punishing the Son for ALL the sins of ALL mankind for ALL time, God therefore only hears the prayers and pleas of those who belong to His Son!!

We know that is true because Scripture says that the prayers of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b)  and God does not listen to those who are not saved...unless they are crying out for Salvation, so in this verse we have a perfect illustration of the PROCESS of how our prayers are answered! 


The process is exactly as the verse states - we cry out and the Spirit says "look to the Messiah (the Anointed), to see if we are one of His". If we are - our prayers are answered,  period! This should be our encouragement to first of all - realize just how fortunate we are to be saved and a true child of the Savior and secondly, that we have access to the Messiah, and therefore His and our Father, Who art in Heaven, at any time, because Father looks to Son to get confirmation that we are truly His!

Wow - what a reality to wake up to daily!


DAY 10 VERSE 10: "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
When the objective eye looks at the world today, it is sees an entire of many billions loath to look at the obvious. There is more unseen around us than that which can be seen, yet the majority of people would rather grab for what they can now, regardless of the circumstances. 

The world that the majority of perishing mankind sees are the physical things in front of their eyes. The natural human tendency is to go for the sensual - things we can see, feel and touch. The supernatural, however, has been embedded in every human spirit, which yearns for something which cannot be supplied by the natural.

Still more and more, albeit the majority,  seek after the shiny new objects appearing on billboards, or TV screens or on their smartphone apps. They are dazzled by the gods of this world who tell them that possession of these shiny objects will make them happier and that they MUST have it NOW. This paradigm is designed to make the increasingly spiritually dead majority fix their gaze horizontally.


Because of that fact, the gaze of those rule by the flesh will never grasp the magnitude of what lies just above their eyes and their heads....i.e, the Vertical. All one has to do is look up and look at the sky and all things unseen. If one has any reasoning, it is obvious the length and breath of what cannot be seen from the vantage point of standing on the ground is unfathomable and far outweighs what lies beyond one's limited horizon! You and I, the remnant and minority who put our Faith and Trust in the Supreme Being Who lives beyond the blue, testify in our own spirits that our portion and future lie out there. Our brief lives, are but an interlude, to the calling of what lies beyond the Blue Sky to an abode where those who belong to Him will live forever.

But, yet, this is incomprehensible to more and more generations of those who are willing to sell their very souls and birthright of that kind of freedom, for the bondage of the equally perdition-bound powerful, who can dole out just enough largess to keep their stomachs full, and their eyes distracted by the shiny objects from the advertising agency. It is time for the people of God and those who aspire to be, to tell this kind of stinking thinking "depart from me, I do not want to know you!"

Why would anyone look at those who daily appear on our TV screens in newcasts, entertainment shows or even religious programming and sporting events,  and want to be like them or have what they have? They dwell in multi-story houses of wickedness, spiritual wickedness, which deny the God of the Unseen and embrace the god of this world - the source of all wickedness - the archenemy of Christ. They will deny it, but rejection of the Son of God as Lord and Savior is acceptance of the fallen angel who taught he could be like God Himself. Rejection of the Son of God is a reservation in the abode of utter devastation, separation and regret for all eternity.

Therefore the choice is clear. Either one operates one's life on a completely horizontal level, seeking comfort and solace in the fancy tents of those who are just as in need of a Savior as anyone else - or one can look up and wonder what lies beyond what we can see. I once heard a person say that they worried about being a street sweeper in the Kingdom of Heaven. That is a good problem to have, albeit very prideful. 

Verse 10 here should be our portion and our hope and joy - because I would rather sweep the streets of heaven than sit in the thorny rose gardens of the wicked. I would rather be a doorpost in the Temple of God, than a Roman column in the mausoleum of mankind. I would rather be servant of the Living God Who gave His Son, my LORD AND SAVIOR, Jesus Christ than a soon-to-be destroyed pedestal of the kings of this earth. And I would rather live one day in God's Courtroom holding the door for someone else than to plan every moment of this uncertain life, for a day that may never come.

DAY 11 VERSE 11: "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
When we think of the sun, we think of bright light, warmth and the backdrop to a wonderful photograph. The sun is provides daylight and the energy for crops to grow that feed the world. When you're cold and down and depressed, there is nothing like a bright sunny day to lift your spirits. The Lord my God is the same kind of life- giving energy. He is the Light of the World and the Light of my life. Malachi 4:2 says about Him "But for you who fear My name, the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall".


Not only is He the Light of our lives but our Shield and Buckler. We will never know what He shielded us from in this life, until we get to Heaven (if we have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior). When we missed getting in the crash on an icy road....when we almost drowned in the currents of the ocean at age 18 and felt an unknown hand pull us to safety....when a brick miss falling on our head outside the construction zone downtown....when....when.... But the Shield of our Salvation is the biggest Shield of all! 

The Lord has shield us from the Wrath of the Father against the majority of evil mankind because we have believed in His Son - the Savior Jesus Christ - Who has forgiven us our sins and brought us into the Kingdom for eternity! The Shield of Salvation has protected us from the lake of fire and eternal separation from Abba Father. The Shield of Salvation is ours because of His Great Grace towards you and I.

Grace - the unmerited, unearned, undeserved free gift and the standing offer to everyone else - is ours that we may share in this Glory! All free! All to unworthy people like you and I! Do you get this....can you and I truly wrap our minds around what this really means?! This is God of Eternity, the One and Only God ever. There is no Allah, no Buddha or Zoroasta, Zorro or Zeus. There is only Abba Father the Almighty and Adonai the LORD and Lord His Son who sit on Thrones from Long ago...knowledge of which is too much for our puny little minds to bear at this time!

As if this were not enough, He gives more! Yes, we deserves less, but He gives more! James 1:17 reminds us that "every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Heavenly Lights" confirming Verse 11b which says "No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly"!!! There are numerous scriptures which confirm this Truth about our Loving Heavenly Father, Whose Name is Praised Forever!  When He says no good thing- He is not talking about our earthly longings for a fancy vacation or car or ipad...which He may do at His will. What He is means by no good thing - He gives us His all encompassing Shalom. He gives us His everlasting Joy. He gives us His eternal company as we get to be in His Holy Presence forever!

DAY 12 VERSE 12: "O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!
To wrap up these 12 days of praise, the best way to do so, in honor of our Great God and Savior - is to honor Him this way: pray the Scriptures He wrote right back to Him!

Therefore, to underscore today's theme of Blessings, I submit two Psalm of Blessings from the Lord's Prayer Book in the Bible - Psalm 1 and Psalm 128:

Psalm 1

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a]path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord [e]knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish
Psalm 128
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of Ascents.

128 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
When you shall eat of the [a]fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
[b]Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Indeed, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

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