Today's Reading:
Philippians 3
Ezekiel 23
Isaiah 51
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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading
Once someone told me a short saying that has stuck in my mind. It went like this: "when I look at myself, I don't see how I can be saved. But when I look at Yahshua, I don't see how I can be lost." Certainly, this is an oversimplification. It is possible for us to backslide and lose our salvation (1 Corinthians 9:27; Revelation 3:11).
Sometimes it's easy to get bogged down with the disheartening things we see in the Body of Christ... in ourselves... And when we look at these things, we truly cannot see how we can be saved. But Yahweh calls us to look higher. Yah is mighty and able to save. His promises and power on the behalf of His people are great!
Yahweh has given many beautiful promises for things concerning Zion and Israel... Please know, I am referring to Zion and Israel in the spiritual sense - these terms refer to Yahweh's people - His Body on this planet. Prayerfully, all that have "put on Christ" have become "Abraham's seed" (Israel) and "heirs according to the Promise" (will share in the Eternal future promised only to Abraham and his seed) - Galatians 3:16 & 28-29. In our reading from Isaiah 51, we find a few of these powerful promises:Isaiah 51:1-2 "Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek Yahweh: look unto the Rock whence ye are hewn... Look unto Abraham your father... for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For Yahweh shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Yahweh; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."
How about you, dear member of Zion? Are you comforted? Is your barren wilderness so abundantly blessed that it is transformed into Eden? This is what Yahweh promises to do for you! The promises are there. But we need to claim them. They don't do us much good, left waiting in the Book. So, to help in the process of claiming those Promises and to open Heaven's floodgates to bring you soul-Eden at last, I invite you to pray the following Scripturally-formulated prayer:
Dear Yahweh,
Right now, I do confess my sins and ask for the precious Blood-covering of Yahshua Messiah to cleanse me. Please clothe me in Your Righteousness (Revelation 19:8). I choose to serve You this day.
For Your Name's sake, I ask that You will not allow my soul to famish. As You promised in Proverbs 10:3, let not my substance in You be cast away.
Father, today I cast my burdens on You, and claim - by faith - Your promise to sustain me. In Your Righteousness, Yahweh, I plead that You will not allow me to be moved (Psalm 55:22).
In Your Righteousness alone I ask that You will make me into Your jewel to Your glory, according to Your promise in Malachi 3:17-18.
Oh Father, in Christ alone, please let me be counted worthy to be a citizen of Your Kingdom this day (2 Thessalonians 1:5). I confess, that I choose for this world to not be my home.
Yahweh, please bring my soul out of prison, as You have promised in Psalm 142:7. You have promised to deal bountifully with me and I do praise Your holy Name!
Oh Father, because You have promised, and for the sake of Your glorious Name, please hear me and act (Psalm 34:15). Condemn the wicked that afflict my life and impede Your Will for me. According to Your Word in 1 Kings 8:32, bring the way of the wicked one down upon his own head and please justify me according to Your Righteousness.
Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. Let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil. Let my head not refuse it (Psalm 141:5). Let me not dwell in foolishness to refuse the rebuke of the righteous. But let me be nourished in Your rebukes that I may grow in Your Grace.
I hunger and thirst for Your Righteousness, Father. Please fill me as You have promised in Matthew 5:6. Let me walk in the Way of Goodness and keep me in the paths of Righteousness (Proverbs 2:20).
Because You have promised, let Your blessings be upon my head (Proverbs 10:6). Let Your righteousness guard my way so that I will be found blameless (Proverbs 13:6).
According to Your good promises, let light and gladness be sown for me (Psalm 97:11). Take the desert areas of my soul and life and turn them into Your blessed Eden (Isaiah 51:1-2).
My afflictions are many, Oh Yah, but I praise You for You have promised to deliver me out of them all (Psalms 34:19). And I claim Your beautiful promise right now, in Yahshua's Name, I ask it all, Amen.
