Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

In the Old Testament, you'll find that the Israelites were often engaged in battle - most of the time for land or for freedom from oppressors. They gave credit to the Lord for their victories, for delivering them from the hand of their enemies. In Psalm 24, the priests inside the temple would ask, "Who is this King of glory? The people outside would respond, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." Then the gates to the temple would be opened and the people would enter to worship and offer their thanksgiving to God.

Today, you can give credit to the Lord for your victories. The battles may be large (your triumph over an unhealthy or self-destructive habit) or small (you didn't lose your temper during the traffic jam). He is the one who delivers you in every situation. He provides patience or self-control when you need it the most. He hears and answers every time you call. He is the King, He is the Lord. Praise His name, the name of Jesus, the strong and mighty ruler of the kingdoms of this world - and of the kingdom of your heart.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

2 Samuel 22:2-3 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior.

When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the people shouted their praises, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Luke 19:38). They were praising God for giving them someone who, they thought, would be their king - a man who would become ruler of Israel. They had the wrong idea.

Jesus came not to overthrow the government, but to overthrow the powers of hell and their ruler. He came to rule in people's hearts. He came to be a cornerstone on which the church would build its faith - He came to be the rock of our salvation.

Blessed be the rock of our salvation! This mighty rock provides a solid place on which to build our faith as we read the Scriptures and learn more about Him every day. His great love saved us - giving us victory over anger, doubt, fear, and death because He is on our side. For that, He is worthy of our parise.

Blessed be the rock!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 138:3  While working at a small, public school, a Christian teacher handled the stress of the environment with a positive attitude and a calmness not exhibited by his co-workers. Because of the way he responded to volatile situations, he was respected by his students. They went to him with their problems and concerns, and listened intently to his advice.

One day, another faculty member asked him, "How do you do it? How do you maintain your positive outlook with everything we go through each day?"

His answer was simple: "Jesus." He told of his daily quiet time in which he asked God for strength and wisdom for what lay ahead. He told of the peace he receives when, in his uncertainty, he relies on Jesus. And he told his co-worker how she could also find this peace and the strength to handle the day.

Where do you go when you need peace, help, and hope? How do you face each day with all of its uncertainty? When you go to Jesus in prayer, He will answer your call. He will not leave you to gp it alone - He can, and will, carry it all.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Why do you love Jesus? What causes you to rely on Him and trust Him enough to give your heart and soul to Him?

Those trying, stressful days when everything seems to be closing in on you sometimes feel like more than you can handle. You fall into bed at night wondering how you made it through. Then you remember that you spent time with God at the start of the day. You recall how, when the pressure was on, you called out to God for strength and serenity. And in the quiet of your heart, it hits you: He was there with you all day long!

That's why you love Jesus. All you had to do was ask, and His mercy was poured out upon you; grace was freely given. Now His presence surrounds you day by day. He is there, listening to your prayers and answering when you call. He is there, lending His strength, He is there, providing a place of refuge from the stormy day. He is there!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Ephesians 1:5,7  He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ...In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.

We all want to feel like we belong. We are conditioned from birth to need to belong to someone. We experience belonging in our families, with our friends, with a spouse, in our church. And although each of these relationships fills that need to a certain extent, we can never feel truly satisfied, we can never truly belong, until we belong to Jesus.

The reason is simple. Life changes. We grow up and move out of our parents' home. Some of our friends move away. We may lose our spouse to divorce or death. There is only One person to whom we can belong forever - in this life and beyond. 

His life and death were meant for the purpose of giving all people a chance to belong to the family of God. He took your sin upon Himself as He was nailed to the cross. He bought your freedom with His blood. This is an intense, all-encompassing freedom - freedom from Satan's power, from sin and destruction, freedom to live your life in the joy of belonging to Christ the King. Rejoice that you can proclaim "I belong to Jesus!" now, and forever.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

1 Corinthians 2:9  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Even in your wildest daydreams you could never imagine what eternity with Jesus will be like. The inkling John gives us in Revelation 21 only serves to heighten the mystery and our anticipation. John describes a city made of precious and rare jewels, with gold so pure it is transparent.

Because we are all unique in our perception of written descriptions, each one of us will picture something different in our mind's eye. You may have a detailed image in your mind of what you think heaven will be like. When you finally arrive there, no matter what your preconceived ideas, you will not be disappointed.

Until then, live each day seeking to know what God has planned for you right here, right now. He has much in store for your life. When you pray daily for His guidance, the Holy Spirit will lead you. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah encouraged God's people by telling them God's promise: "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). Just as God was with the ancient peoples, He is with you today, leading you all the way. His plans are good, bringing hope for the future in this life and beyond. God has prepared something wonderful just for you!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.

God alone is holy! The only being in the universe worthy of our praise is our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are silent, the whole creation will rise and shout praises to the Creator, Most Holy God. In Jerusalem, the Pharisees told Jesus to tell the crowds to be quiet, to cease their praise. Jesus replied, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40).

In the Book of Revelation, John is blessed to see the holiness of Jesus revealed to him in a dream. The heavenly beings never cease in saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Revelation 4:8). How wonderful to know that we will someday join with the nagels is proclaiming the holiness of God face to face with our Savior!

Until then, we can live life in His presence, worshiping and offering our hearts to Him. He loves us so much! Loving Him in return is what He desires; as the song says, "it's the least we can do." And when we live in praise we find great blessings. He will keep us safe in the shadow of His wings (Psalm 17:8), watching over us as a mother hen would protect her young by spreading her wings over them. He allows us to drink from the "fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9).

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,