Apologies to readers who received the draft version of this post last week. Let’s blame the goblins in my computer for it.

A lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

The Scripture Verse quoted above is from one of my favourite psalms in the Bible. Psalm 119 is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible.  Psalm 119 can be found smack bam in the middle of the Bible and the whole psalm relates to the truth, power and energy of GOD’s Word and how we can benefit by following and sticking to GOD’s Holy Word and law. Because it is such a wonderful psalm I’ve copied and pasted all of it below courtesy of Bible Gateway.

Psalm 119

119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

² Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

³ They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

⁴ Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

⁵ O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

⁶ Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

⁷ I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

⁸ I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

⁹ Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

¹⁰ With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

¹² Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.

¹³ With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

¹⁵ I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

¹⁶ I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

¹⁸ Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

¹⁹ I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

²⁰ My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

²¹ Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

²² Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

²³ Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

²⁴ Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

²⁵ My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

²⁶ I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

²⁷ Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

²⁸ My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

²⁹ Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

³⁰ I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

³¹ I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame.

³² I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

³⁴ Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

³⁵ Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

³⁶ Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

³⁷ Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

³⁸ Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

³⁹ Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.

⁴⁰ Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

⁴¹ Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

⁴² So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

⁴³ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.

⁴⁴ So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.

⁴⁵ And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

⁴⁶ I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

⁴⁸ My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

⁴⁹ Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

⁵¹ The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.

⁵² I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself.

⁵³ Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

⁵⁴ Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

⁵⁵ I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law.

⁵⁶ This I had, because I kept thy precepts.

⁵⁷ Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.

⁵⁸ I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

⁵⁹ I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

⁶⁰ I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

⁶¹ The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law.

⁶² At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

⁶³ I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

⁶⁴ The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

⁶⁵ Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word.

⁶⁶ Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

⁶⁸ Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

⁶⁹ The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

⁷⁰ Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

⁷¹ It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

⁷² The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

⁷³ Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

⁷⁴ They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

⁷⁵ I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

⁷⁶ Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

⁷⁷ Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

⁷⁸ Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

⁷⁹ Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

⁸⁰ Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

⁸¹ My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

⁸² Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

⁸³ For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

⁸⁴ How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

⁸⁵ The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.

⁸⁶ All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.

⁸⁷ They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

⁸⁸ Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

⁸⁹ For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

⁹⁰ Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

⁹¹ They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.

⁹² Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.

⁹³ I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.

⁹⁴ I am thine, save me: for I have sought thy precepts.

⁹⁵ The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.

⁹⁶ I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

⁹⁷ O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸ Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

¹⁰¹ I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

¹⁰² I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.

¹⁰³ How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴ Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷ I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments.

¹⁰⁹ My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.

¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.

¹¹¹ Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.

¹¹² I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

¹¹³ I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

¹¹⁴ Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

¹¹⁵ Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.

¹¹⁶ Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

¹¹⁷ Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

¹¹⁸ Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.

¹¹⁹ Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.

¹²⁰ My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

¹²¹ I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

¹²² Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.

¹²³ Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

¹²⁴ Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.

¹²⁵ I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

¹²⁶ It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

¹²⁸ Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

¹²⁹ Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.

¹³⁰ The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

¹³¹ I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.

¹³² Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

¹³³ Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

¹³⁴ Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.

¹³⁵ Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.

¹³⁶ Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

¹³⁷ Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.

¹³⁸ Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.

¹³⁹ My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.

¹⁴⁰ Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

¹⁴¹ I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

¹⁴² Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

¹⁴⁴ The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

¹⁴⁵ I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes.

¹⁴⁶ I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.

¹⁴⁷ I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

¹⁴⁸ Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment.

¹⁵⁰ They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.

¹⁵¹ Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.

¹⁵² Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

¹⁵³ Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.

¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.

¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.

¹⁵⁶ Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments.

¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.

¹⁵⁸ I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.

¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.

¹⁶⁰ Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

¹⁶¹ Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

¹⁶² I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

¹⁶³ I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

¹⁶⁵ Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

¹⁶⁶ Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

¹⁶⁷ My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸ I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.

¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.

¹⁷⁰ Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

¹⁷¹ My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

¹⁷² My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

¹⁷³ Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

¹⁷⁴ I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Great Peace

What I share with the author of this psalm, which by many scholars is thought to be King David, is the love for GOD’s Word and law. This psalm highlights the valuable instruction we receive by following GOD’s guidelines and direction.

By reading this psalm we learn that those who walk in GOD’s law are blessed and find the way of mercies, life, truth and salvation. We find out that sorrow may get us closer to GOD and the author tells us that GOD’s law is more valuable than gold and silver. GOD’s Word is forever settled in heaven. The author of Psalm 119 is convinced that, if it were not for GOD’s law, the author would have perished.

Believing in and following GOD’s Commandments gives people understanding and makes them wiser than their enemies, their teachers and wiser than the ancients. Following GOD’s Word causes a joyous heart, and hoping in His Word provides us with light, a hiding place and a shield. GOD’s Word is pure, righteous and His law and commandments are the truth.

Psalm 119 tells us that; Great peace have they which love GOD’s law.

All about love

We now have an epic post to which I will add a little more. What’s GOD’s law all about?  It’s all about love. Click on the next post to find out what makes me say that GOD’s law is all about love.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG – We’re researching the truth of living forever according to GOD’s Holy Word; Sola Scripture. Popular opinion tells us that everyone who ‘believes’ and has ‘faith’ will go to heaven. Is this true? I decided to ask the prophets about the truth of it all.

ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on this website is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. Please also read the disclaimer about my authority and qualifications.

ABOUT SCRIPTURE CARDS – If you want to send free Scripture Cards to your friends click here and you want to buy hard copies of Scripture Cards you can click here. To download a free copy of my Story of Survival click here.

Why Positive Thinking doesn’t work.

Below  8 short points why Positive Thinking doesn’t work.

Russell Bishop from the Huffington Post on why it doesn’t work.
Lifehack give us 4 reasons why positive thinking doesn’t work.
Laura Newcomer Senior Editor at Greatist on the subject.
Mark Morgan Ford mentions a study by Julie Norem.
None of these writers addresses the ‘faith factor.’
About the ‘believe’ factor.
It is written men shall not live by bread alone.
Perfect Peace.

Why Positive Thinking doesn’t work.

I make no secret of my love for the Word of GOD. Last week I wrote how my faith and reliance on the Word of God helped my family when we had to move house and weren’t able to find suitable accommodation. After praying and relying on the Word of God we received so much more than we ever imagined possible.

I like to share with you a little more about my history. I used to study Wicca, mythology, mysticism, various Eastern religions as well as every New Age practice under the sun, particularly the New Age positive thinking kind.

What I discovered is that positive thinking is the only way to go as long as this goes hand in hand with regular reality checks. But the crucial factor is that positive thinking on its own doesn’t work. Well it didn’t for me. Why doesn’t positive thinking on its own work? The following is what people in the know have to say about this.

Russell Bishop, author of ‘Workarounds that Work,’ wrote for the Huffington Post ‘Why Positive Thinking Just Doesn’t Work.’

Our friends at Lifehack give us 4 reasons why positive thinking doesn’t work and what to do instead.

Laura Newcomer Senior Editor at Greatist tells us that the trick is finding the balance between being optimistic and being realistic.

Mark Morgan Ford mentions a study by Julie Norem in her book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking.

All of these writers came to the same conclusion and that is that positive thinking on its own doesn’t work.

None of these writers address the faith factor.

Interestingly enough, none of the writers mentioned above address the faith factor. What it boiled down to for me in my life is that I discovered that many of the ‘New Age Thinking’ is as ancient as the earth but has been rehashed and regurgitated without the faith component. This may indeed work for some but it does not work for me.

About the ‘believe’ factor.

For instance the ‘believe’ factor is huge in New Age positive thinking and religious faiths alike. My book shelves were littered with dozens of how-to manuals telling me to ‘Believe and it will be so.’ Believe in what? Myself? That goes without saying doesn’t it? The universe? Believe in who or what?

What this kind of positive thinking is lacking is the support of HE Who is in Charge. If your objectives and endeavours aren’t blessed by our Creator you’re simply wasting your time. That is if you plan to ultimately end up in a good place.

Jesus says ‘Whatever you believe in your heart will be so.’ He says this to His followers, the people who believe in Him.
See, that’s the kind of instruction manual I can work with. Jesus says, follow me and then when our heart is being remodeled to do good for humanity as opposed to be self centered, we can ask Him for anything at all and the promise is that our Father will hear and respond.

How will our heart be remodeled? By following the prophet’s teachings and Jesus’ example, through prayer and by reading and applying the Holy Word.

It is written men shall not live by bread alone

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

True wisdom and knowledge is found in The Holy Word and without this, no amount of positive thinking will get you anywhere you want to go. Yes, it may do so for you in this lifetime and if that’s all you’re after, all is good in your hood. If you believe in an afterlife however, I doubt that positive thinking on its own will show you the way.

Wordly wealth is not that hard to obtain but if you’re after a different kinda profit prophet, you’ll find that just the positive thinking on its own is not going to cut it.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.

Perfect Peace

Why do we utilise the power of positive thinking and prayer? Because we’re either trying to get away from a situation we’re in, or we’re aiming to go to, or we’re trying to attract to ourselves a more desirable place or situation. On the odd occasion we may utilise prayer to give thanks for all our blessings. Ultimately we all want peace, love and happiness in our life and we’re either actively working to achieve that or actively working to get away from where we don’t want to be.

It is without a doubt that some people become hugely successful in life without having a faith of any kind.

When I say that positive thinking does not work, I’m am talking for myself here and for me no amount of positive thinking ever got me the result I was after. Relying on God’s Holy Word however, is a different ballgame altogether. It has taken the anxiety out of everything because ultimately I pray that in all things God’s will be done. That means that all is in good order in my life because He is in charge.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.

I’d love you to share with me if positive thinking works for you and how.

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ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on this website is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. Please also read the disclaimer about my authority and qualifications.

ABOUT THIS BLOG – We’re researching the truth of living forever according to GOD’s Holy Word; Sola Scripture. Popular opinion tells us that everyone who ‘believes’ and has ‘faith’ will go to heaven. Is this true? I decided to ask the prophets about the truth of it all.

ABOUT SCRIPTURE CARDS – If you want to send free Scripture Cards to your friends click here and you you want to buy hard copies of Scripture Cards you can click here. To download a free copy of my Story of Survival click here.

 Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord their God.

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a little while, you may know that I did not always rely totally on the Lord. Even though my Mum fed me regular ‘Jesus’ stories,’ it was not till later in life that I recognised Jesus for the Saviour He is.

An enormous amount of anxiety falls away when we stop relying on people and realise that everything is in God’s very capable hands.  All we need to do is remember at all times who is in charge, get out of the way and excercise those knees.

Help please!

it was Gods Word and my hope and trust in Him which helped my children and I move house and find a place one hundred times nicer than the one we were in, as well as more than one hundred bucks a week cheaper. This was in the year 2008 when we lived in Noosa and our rent was to go up from $280/week to $450 or something. To be honest I cannot quite remember what the rent exactly was, or was going to be raised to, but it was by that much that I knew we had to move elsewhere.

In the end we told our friends that it was time for a sea change. But the reallity was that Noosa had become a popular place and house prices as well as rentals were going through the roof. After nearly a decade in that wonderful place we just weren’t able to find a suitable rental. I was in no postion to go out and find something, having been confined to bed for some years due to various health issues. My daughters did a few trips here and there to find a place  but overall it was pretty miserable and seemingly hopeless. In that area rents were just around those prices and for us had become unaffordable. To move to a different area seemed impossible because I had just, amongst other things, experienced a major pancreatic attack,  wasn’t very mobile and any kind of travel was potentially life threatening to me.
What to do?

My Rule of FIVE

On our knees, that’s what we did. We lived in a very pleasant three bedroom place near the centre of town, ten minutes away from the beach with a relatively small garden. I just wanted a place which we could afford and where pets were allowed. But I thought that if I was going to put in a request, humble as I tried to be, I might as well ask for what I wanted. So I decided to be bold. I have a rule of FIVE which in a nutshell goes like this; to determine if something is a ‘goer’ we apply five rules. For instance, with regards to work;

1. Can I significantly contribute to this company?
2. Happy  with the wages?
3. Location of work?
4. Who are my colleagues, do we hold similar values?
5. What is the workload? Am I a natural match or will it be an effort?

If I get three out of five that is a good match and I take whatever is on offer, anything more is a bonus and anything less I can only take on if there is no other choice or I can somehow create improvement in the near future. When I get fussy I may go up to ten points and add in; possibilities for advancement, does the job description match my qualifications and so on, you get the drift.

My FIVE wishes

What my girls and I settled on with our wishes for a rental was that we put in a request on High as follows, 1. light and spacious, 2. pets, 3. affordable, 4. tiles not carpet, 5. near town.

The situation was absolutely hopeless, we asked all our friends in town to keep an eye out for us, rang every real estate agent, combed through local newspapers and internet sites which advertised rentals and with only two weeks to go, nothing! Asked my brother in the next town a couple of hours away; nothing!

In a final desperate attempt, I phoned in response to an advertisement in a town a few hours away and yep they were happy to show us their abode. We climbed in the car and as soon as I arrived in town the owner of the caravan park where we were staying phoned for an ambulance to take me to hospital because I was as sick as a dog and he was not going to have me die in his caravan park. Well, praise the Lord I didn’t give his caravan park a bad name and we eventually saw the rental which was advertised, liked it and signed a rental agreement.

My hope  is in the LORD

What is so special about this story? We knew that we had to move six months in advance and couldn’t find anything no matter how we tried.
During the process of looking for suitable accomodation I found appropriate scripture verses in the bible and I wrote these verses on bits of paper to memorise. Remember how we’re  told  that trusting  in the Lord will keep our mind in perfect peace?  Well, this certainly worked for us.

We read these verses out and sang them and my girls and I, we meditated upon these verses, putting our trust in the Lord. This resulted in me signing a rental agreement for a place which had not three of our wishes come true, nor four or  five. No, our new place has 100, ONE HUNDRED!!! features over and above our old place. Not only that but it ended up $100/week less rent than Noosa which was a jolly good thing because shortly after we settled in our new home I lost my income. But that’s another story.

Our old place was really nice but it didn’t have a HUGE veranda, wasn’t overlooking a bay, on one acre of land with extra amenities, white tiles (which happens to be my favourite colour) all through the house, a chef’s kitchen with a zillion cupboards and surfaces, which made my brother (a chef cook) drool, guest accomodation, views from each and every window in the house, beautiful wooden shutters, large tinted windows, a spa in the main bathroom. I’ll stop here or it will make you jealous too.

You can tell that I’m in love with this place and eternally grateful to the owners for allowing us to live here and buy it, if the Lord will, some day would be good. When we added up all the features we truly came to one hundred of lovely features that we like in this place, over and above what we had in our old place.

We wished for five features and would have settled if we had received three of those five. We received so much over and above what we asked for that it made me cry. Thank you Lord. My hope is in the LORD.

Free Scripture card H

The story about our house is just one of many explaining why we like our Scripture cards so much. Without God’s Holy Word and His support I was pretty lost. Nowadays we’re always comforted by our Father’s Word, it has never failed me. Feel free to share these cards with anyone you like.

Below is the free Scripture card for this week. If you would like to send free Scripture e-cards to your friends visit our sister site.

I found more Scripture verses below on ‘hope’ for those moments when a mintie just doesn’t cut it. Enjoy!

 Scripture verses on Hope

Psalm 31:24

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

Psalm 33:18

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.

Psalm 33:22

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Psalm 38:15

For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

Psalm 39:7

And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Psalm 71:5

For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

Psalm 119:166

Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

Psalm 130:5

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Psalm 130:7

Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Psalm 146:5

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

Psalm 147:11

The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Jeremiah 17:7

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Lamentations 3:24

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Lamentations 3:26

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Joel 3:16

The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Let me know if I missed any Scripture verses which you would like to share.

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ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on this website is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. Please also read the disclaimer about my authority and qualifications.

ABOUT THIS BLOG – We’re researching the truth of living forever according to GOD’s Holy Word; Sola Scripture. Popular opinion tells us that everyone who ‘believes’ and has ‘faith’ will go to heaven. Is this true? I decided to ask the prophets about the truth of it all.

ABOUT SCRIPTURE CARDS – If you want to send free Scripture Cards to your friends click here and you you want to buy hard copies of Scripture Cards you can click here. To download a free copy of my Story of Survival click here.

GOD’s Word lives forever!

The seventeenth time we find the words ‘live forever’ in the bible is when they are mentioned in 1 Peter as follows,

Being born again … by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever …  the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

The context is as follows from 1 Peter 1:22-25 ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.’

The author of the book of 1 Peter is encouraging those who are born again by the word of GOD to love one and other fervently and sincerely. And we are to have an appreciation for the fact that as people we come and go, much like grass and flowers do too.

GOD’s Word is eternal

It is pointed out to us that in contrast to our bodies, God’s Word is eternal and goes on forever and ever which makes it more precious than anything else. It is this precious Word that we follow and the guidelines in this Word, given by God our Father, that we adhere to.

The Word of GOD liveth and abideth for ever.

There is much debate about the books of Peter and the question remains if they were written by Peter or not? Regardless if these books were written by the apostle Peter all those years ago, when the writer of the book of Peter links the truth with love and GOD’s Word being eternal, he echoes the words of the prophets of old. And when he mentions, ‘The word of GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever,’ these words are as true now as they were then.

The word of the LORD endureth forever

Around one third of the world’s population lives by and holds unto His Holy Word.

The writer then reiterates the words of the prophet Isaiah when he continues with,  ‘For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever …’

Of all the celebrities in the world, of all the designers, sports people, writers, politicians etc etc. whose word lives on and on?

It is the Word of GOD, his prophets and His SON which lives on and on and is adhered to by over a third of our world population. Long after Jesus was crucified on the cross, His and His Father’s Word and actions live on in the hearts and minds of a couple of billion people world wide.

Around one third of the world’s population lives by and holds unto His Holy Word.

So yes, GOD lives and abides for ever, as does His Word and the legacy of His SON who promised those who follow him eternal life.

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ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on this website is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. Please also read the disclaimer about my authority and qualifications.

ABOUT THIS BLOG – We’re researching the truth of living forever according to GOD’s Holy Word; Sola Scripture. Popular opinion tells us that everyone who ‘believes’ and has ‘faith’ will go to heaven. Is this true? I decided to ask the prophets about the truth of it all.

ABOUT SCRIPTURE CARDS – If you want to send free Scripture Cards to your friends click here and  you want to buy hard copies of Scripture Cards you can click here. To download a free copy of my Story of Survival click here.

The words of our LORD are pure words.

My words fail miserably in comparison.

Prior to reading the bible I had been writing poetry as a cathartic exercise to get certain things of my chest. Once I discovered GOD’s Word I decided that my own words fail miserably in comparison. My biting sarcasm did not do much to sooth my aching soul, and winning the odd prize here and there with my poems as listed below only added to my collection of hollow victories.

Thank You Dear In-laws
the year 2000

Thank You Dear In-laws
Thank you for your consideration
Inviting me into your family
I can hardly bare the elation
Such honour for someone like me

Unfortunately …

The warm glow of acceptance
Eluded me
When you hung me of your
Family tree
And watched me die with glee

Even though at the time I felt that these poems allowed me to take some of my power back and gave me a certain measure of control over my life, eventually I realised that victimhood is for losers.

I Majored
the year 2005

After two decades
Of intense study
I majored in victim hood

Chances of success
Not so good

In fact they’re very slim
When you win, you lose
And when you lose,

You win.

Now don’t go telling me that nobody chooses to be a victim.  All I am saying is that once I realised the situation, I picked a different team to play in.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

GOD is in control

My own words come from my own limited understanding and the same goes for any other living soul on this planet. Who am I to think that I can add anything useful to the debate, any debate, unless the word I speak is grounded in truth? Who am I to argue with the Creator of the Universe?

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

In contrast to my prior struggles I made the choice to join the winning team and haven’t looked back. The following verses we sang most days to remind ourselves that GOD is in control. I cannot express the relief I felt when I discovered that I did not have to carry everything myself. I felt a hundred kilos lighter and that is a big feat for someone who only weighs slightly more than half that at the best of times.

These days when something upsets us, I no longer write sad and biting poetry but instead we call on The LORD and just as with King David, the LORD hears and helps us. Particularly when certain situations, such as described in earlier posts with regards to illness and depression, become overwhelming; the verses below give us the comfort and peace we need to be able to deal with whatever needs taking care of.

 The Lord Is Our Rock

The LORD Is Our Rock And Our Fortress
And our deliver
Our GOD, our strength, in whom we will trust
The horn of our salvation.
Psalm 18:2

Hear Me When I Call O GOD
Have mercy upon me for I am weak
My soul is vexed as are my bones
Heal me O LORD.
Psalm 6:2-3

In Our Distress We Called Upon The LORD
and HE heard our voice
The earth shook and trembled
The hills moved and were shaken.

There Went Up A Smoke Out Of HIS Nostrils
And fire out of HIS Mouth
HE bowed the heavens and HE came down ..
With darkness under HIS Feet..

HE Rode Upon A Cherub – And He Flew
Yea, HE flew upon the wings of the wind
The LORD HE thundered and gave HIS Voice
Hailstones and coals of fi-re.

The LORD Rebuked
HE took me; and drew me out of many waters
HE delivered me from my strong enemy
For they were too strong for me.
2 Samuel 22

The LORD HE Hears
When we call unto HIM
Stand in awe, and do not sin
Commune with your heart upon your bed,
And be still.
Psalms 4:3-5

We Offer The Sacrifices Of Righteousness
And in The LORD is our trust
He hearkens unto the voice of our cry
The LORD receives our prayers
Psalms 4:5, 5:2, 6:9

The LORD Is Our Light And Our Salvation
Whom shall we fear?
The LORD is the strength of our life
Of whom shall we be afraid?
Psalms 27:1

O LORD Our LORD
How excellent is THY Name in all the earth!
In THEE do we put our trust:
Save and deliver THOU us.
Psalms 8:1, 7:1

Thou Hast Put Gladness In Our Heart
We will lay us down in peace and sleep
For THOU LORD only.
Makest us dwell in safety.
Psalms 4:7-8

The LORD Looked Down From HIS Heaven
Upon the children of men,
To see if there were any
That seek HIM.
Psalms 14:2

For THOU LORD Hast Not Forsaken
Them that seek THEE
THOU judgeth that the man of the earth
May no more oppress
Psalms 9:12, 1:18

There Is No Peace For The Wicked
Saith Our LORD
The wicked, said HE, Shall be
Like the troubled sea.
Isaiah 57:20-21

The Words Of Our LORD Are Pure Words;
As silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times
Praise ye our LORD.
Psalms 12:6

I Had Fainted, Unless I Had Believed
To see the goodness of The LORD
In the land of the living.
Psalms 27:13

Surely Goodness And Mercy Will
Follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell
In the House of The LORD
Forever.
Psalms 23:6

The Lord Is Our Inheritance And Our Cup;
THOU maintainest our lot.
The lines are fallen unto us in pleasant places
We shall not be moved.
Psalms 16:8

Wait On The LORD; Be Of Good Courage,
And HE’ll strengthen thine heart
Wait, I say on The LORD
Wait on The LORD.
Psalm 27:14

The LORD Is Our Rock And Our Fortress
And Our deliverer
Our GOD, our strength, in whom we will trust
The horn of our salvation.
Psalm 18:2

We like God’s Word

We like God’s Word because it is alive and truth and from where I am sitting GOD’s Word is incomparable to new age positive affirmation and positive thinking. I’m all for positive thinking but in my case optimism only yielded encouraging results once my positive attitude was solidly grounded in trust and faith and the knowledge that the Creator of our universe hears us and He cares.

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted …

It is solely my faith and GOD’s Word which kept me alive and turned my life around for good. I have returned to my first love and the roses have never smelled sweeter.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Yehovah is everlasting strength.

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