II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 92; Galatians 5:22-23 - "Listen to Our Hearts"

Every time I was awake during the night God told me to read Psalm 92. The second time He told me I thought I should get up to read it but fell back asleep. The same thing happened the third time but this morning when I read it I realized He wanted to remind me of some things found in this Psalm. One commentator wrote that it is believed Adam wrote this Psalm on the very first Sabbath. Most believe David wrote it. No matter who wrote it, the Psalm is on of praise to our Heavenly Father. The New King James Version reads:

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your loving kindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

5 O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.
9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10 But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Woo hoo! Yes! I will praise Him in the morning for every opportunity He puts before me throughout the day. I will praise Him at night for giving me another day to live as His servant. I will praise Him with my words and by my actions. Plain and simple. I will praise Him. Woo hoo! As I live such a life, He will bless me with His wisdom, guidance, peace, and love. This morning I am reminded as I live a life surrendered to Him I will have the fruit of His Spirit. Love, peace, patience, joy, self-control, goodness, righteousness, kindness, and faithfulness. I like how The Passion Translation gives these in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:

joy that overflows,

peace that subdues,

patience that endures,

kindness in action,

a life full of virtue,

faith that prevails,

gentleness of heart, and

strength of spirit.

Woo hoo! Yes! The only way to have these fruit evident in my life is to live a life that is dead to self so the Spirit reigns in me. This type of life sees God's anointing in mighty ways. Psalm 92:10 reads In The Passion Translation:

Your anointing has made me strong and mighty.
You’ve empowered my life for triumph

Yes! It is His anointing that empowers me every day. The Holy Spirit empowers me to live life of power and love instead of fear (II Timothy 1:7). Fear has no room in my life when I stay focused on God. Instead His love will pour out of me in a mighty way. The word 'flourish' is used in Psalm 92 to describe how a believer can live. The meaning of this word is: "grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment." We will be spiritual healthy when we live in His presence. It is there we will not only hear His voice but walk in obedience to it. A life lived in His presence is a life that is full of His fruit. Woo hoo! The desire of my heart is to flourish for Him with much fruit pouring out of me. Oh my! God sure prepared me throughout the night to be anticipating what He had for me this morning. I love living in His presence with His fruit flowing from me. All I need to do is repent so His Holy Spirit can fill me up with more of Him. Woo hoo! Oh how I love times like this. I'm so excited I feel like I could burst. I will praise Him today in a more intentional way. I will praise Him for the 'good' and the 'bad' that happens throughout this day. I will praise Him for strengthening me today. Plain and simple. I will praise Him.

Dear Jesus,
You are so, so good! The way You prepare my heart for what You have for me is awesome! Thank You so much for all the ways You show Your love to me! Thank You for cleansing me so Your Holy Spirit can fill me to overflowing with more of You! Thank You for going before me today and protecting me! Lord, I pray for Your love to encompass Doc in a new, different way today as he goes for chemo. I pray Your protection over both of us from the virus as we go to the doctor and then to the infusion center. May You be greater than anything that comes our way. Father, I also pray for Your will to unfold in our lives today in a new, different way. I pray for Your strength in our physical, mental, emotional, financial, and most of all our spiritual beings. Once again, may You be greater than anything that comes our way. Lord, may Your wisdom be ours with decisions that must be made today. Thank You for continuing to be with us every step of the journey we are on. May You continue to provide exactly what we need. I also pray for Pastor Tim's family in these days of mourning. May You be so very close to them and comfort them. Thank You Jesus for being My Rock! Amen.