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Precious Promises



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Memory Scripture: Psalm 121:1-2

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

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W
hen we are feeling down and out of sorts, we should look to our Lord and Savior for our “pick-me-up.” Far too many of us look to substances such as alcohol or drugs for a “pick-me-up” when feeling down. Besides not being good for our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit, these are only temporary fixes. 1st Corinthians 3:16 explicitly states: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

In our Lord, we find a constant source of peace, comfort and joy. God has promised to keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3). We are told in Philippians 4:6-7: “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 minds through Christ Jesus.” It is through the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross that we have ready access to help from our God.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” We can find rest and renewal in Jesus at all times. In Isaiah 40:30-31, we find this promise: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

As we rest in God, He will renew our strength, making us stronger than before. You see “The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). The promises of God to His people are exceedingly great and precious and they are abundant.  We find this in 2 Peter 1:3-4: “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

When we are feeling down, we should look up to God and “Hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised” (Hebrews 10:23). When we are feeling alone we can feel the presence of our Lord by simply praising Him, for God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). We find in Isaiah 61:3 that God has given us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

In every situation that we face, we have a ready defense in our God. When we are facing the enemy, we can hold our peace knowing that God will fight for us (Exodus 14:14). There will be difficult days, for Jesus tells us: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Also in 2nd Timothy 3:12b, we find these words: “…All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Our task is to make sure that we remain fully clothed in the armor of God so that we may stand in the face of the enemy, as we are instructed in Ephesians 6:11-17.  We have the “helmet of salvation;” we belong to God and we are under His umbrella of safety. We have the “truth of God” on our side along with the “breastplate of righteousness” and the ‘Gospel of peace.” With the “shield of faith” we can quench the fiery darts of the wicked. The “Sword of the Spirit,” the Word of God, is a sure defense for us when we are attacked. “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 

There is tremendous power in His Word, which is why It must be a steady part of our daily diet.  We must constantly feed on His Word if we are to utilize Its power in our lives. Along with all of this, we must remember that “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18) is very important. When feeling down and out of sorts, we must look to our Heavenly Father and His promises. In this study we will delve into His Word, looking at some of the many promises that He has made to us; remembering His Words in 2nd Corinthians 1:20: “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

Scripture Passage for Weekly Meditation

Psalm 121

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.
 
A Prayer for the Family of God

“Search us, O God, and know our heart: try us, and know our thoughts: And see if there is any wicked way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). 

Father God, in the name of Jesus, we praise You for Your mighty acts: we praise You according to Your excellent greatness (Psalm 150:2).

Father, as we embark upon the study of Your Word, please open our eyes that we might behold wondrous things out of Your law (Psalm 119:18). Dear God, please give us wisdom and understanding as we proceed. 

We thank You that the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy (James 3:17). Thank You, Father, for every opportunity to study Your Word to show ourselves approved unto You, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth (2nd Timothy 2:15). Please help us to understand and obey Your Word, being doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves (James 1:22).

Father, it is in the name of Jesus that we pray. To You, Father, be the Glory, power and majesty both now and for ever. Amen

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When you cry to God, rest assured that He will hear.
He stands ready to comfort and give the best of care.
God will be faithful; to you He does not lie.
Because of His Son, in your sins you will not die.
Jesus the Son is the One that you should follow.
Without Him leading, your life will be hollow.
God made you and He will surely deliver.
Your blessings will come as the flow of a river.
God will comfort you each and every day.
He will lovingly hold your hand along the way.

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Isaiah 59:1
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

Psalm 139:9-10                                                                   
 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;                                                             
10 Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.
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Your Scriptures of Promises

Select 2 or 3 Scriptures of Promises that spoke to you in a special way this week. Explain how you were encouraged by these scriptures.

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[Reprinted from the book GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES: Looking Up When Feeling Down by Daisy Buckner; copyright © 2014; Published by Lulu.com.] - The book is available at the links below. An accompanying journal is also available.
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/bucknerschristianbooks

Great and Precious Promises: Looking Up When Feeling Down Great and Precious Promises Journal

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