DELIGHT IN GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE NEW YEAR - When we apply God’s wisdom, the fruit – the results – we bear will be good and will receive God’s approval. Just as a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we are to soak up God’s Word and produce actions and attitudes that honor him. To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our hearts. Let your imagination soar with the grandeur, majesty, wisdom and unsurpassed love of God. Delight yourself in singing along with the psalmist and plant your roots deep in the nourishing living water of God’s Word. What gives you delight? You know, that sense of unparalleled joy, that amazing degree of enjoyment and pleasure, even to the point of rapture. That’s how the dictionary defines delight. But how do you define delight? Is it playing with your children or grandchildren, reading a good book, walking on the beach at sunset or working on scrapbook pages? Maybe you delight in running through rain-washed streets in the early morning or hiking in the mountains on a sunny autumn day. Maybe your delight is playing games or listening to music. The psalmist defines delight as immersing oneself in the law of the Lord. He sings of the person who finds joy in listening to God’s voice in Scripture, who discovers with pleasure “the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” This “law of the LORD” refers to all of Scripture. In it God reveals to us his will, his absolute truths, his love for us, and his divine nature.

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Delight in God’s Presence in the New Year

Delight yourself in singing along with the psalmist and plant your roots deep in the nourishing living water of God’s Word

.

When we apply God’s wisdom, the fruit – the results – we bear will be good and will receive God’s approval. Just as a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we are to soak up God’s Word and produce actions and attitudes that honor him. To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our hearts. Let your imagination soar with the grandeur, majesty, wisdom and unsurpassed love of God. 

thenivbible.com

 

Psalm 1

“Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

— Psalm 1:1-6

What gives you delight?

You know, that sense of unparalleled joy, that amazing degree of enjoyment and pleasure, even to the point of rapture.

That’s how the dictionary defines delight.

But how do you define delight?

Is it playing with your children or grandchildren, reading a good book, walking on the beach at sunset or working on scrapbook pages?

Maybe you delight in running through rain-washed streets in the early morning or hiking in the mountains on a sunny autumn day.

Maybe your delight is playing games or listening to music.

The psalmist defines delight as immersing oneself in the law of the Lord.

He sings of the person who finds joy in listening to God’s voice in Scripture, who discovers with pleasure “the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33).

This “law of the LORD” refers to all of Scripture.

In it God reveals to us his will, his absolute truths, his love for us, and his divine nature.

The more we know of the whole scope of God’s Word, the more resources we will have to guide us in our daily decisions.

Meditating on and understanding God’s Word are the first steps toward applying it to your everyday life.

“Meditates” means spending time reading, thinking, marking, and reviewing what we have read.

It means asking how we must change and grow so we will live as God wants.

And what is the result of this constant delight in God’s Word?

One becomes like a tree planted by a river.

You’ve seen them — tall, vital trees, well-watered because they are rooted deep in the stream.

This tree is resplendent with foliage in rich shades of green. It’s a tree that can withstand biting frost, harsh winds and blazing sun.

The more we delight in God’s presence, the more fruitful we will be.

Conversely, the more we allow those who ridicule God and faith to affect our thoughts and attitudes, the more we will be cut off from our source of nourishment.

We must engage and welcome unbelievers if we are to witness to them, but we must not adopt their sinful behavior and scornful sarcasm.

If you want despair, spend time with cynics and critics; if you want God’s joy, spend time with those who love God, his Word, and his people.

A person who delights in God’s Word will prosper and have integrity, will speak truthfully and exhibit stability and strength.

This is the person who will reflect the face of God like a river reflects the sun in dappled waves. This one is truly blessed.

The phrase “whatever they do prospers” does not mean that God’s people have immunity from failure or difficulties.

Nor does it guarantee health, wealth, or happiness. What the Bible means by prosperity is this: When we apply God’s wisdom, the fruit – the results or by-products – we bear will be good and will receive God’s approval.

Just as a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we are to soak up God’s Word and produce actions and attitudes that honor him.

To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our hearts.

What joy to know that God is watching the paths we walk each day.

We may feel like he keeps his eye on us to criticize us for what we do wrong along the way, but this is not true.

God sees us with loving eyes, protecting us, caring for us, and keeping us from stumbling on the journey (Psalm 121:3-5).

Look for signs of his care for you today, and bask in the thought that he is guiding and helping you on your daily journey.

Let your imagination soar with the grandeur, majesty, wisdom and unsurpassed love of God.

You will see him as a rock, a fortress, a strong tower, a nurturing mother and so much more.

He rides on the wind and shows himself in the starry heavens.

Delight yourself in singing along with the psalmist and plant your roots deep in the nourishing living water of God’s Word.

Content drawn from the NIV Woman’s Study Bible. and the NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition.

https://store.faithgateway.com/products/niv-the-womans-study-bible-hardcover-full-color-receiving-gods-truth-for-balance-hope-and-transformation        

The Woman’s Study Bible

A perennial best-seller, The Woman’s Study Bible is relied on by women of all ages as the go-to source for Bible study needs. Now beautifully redesigned – and the only full color study Bible for women – its timeless content speaks God’s life-giving truth to women today. Learn More

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NIV Life Application Study Bible, 3rd Edition

The phenomenally bestselling NIV Life Application Study Bible includes over 10,000 Life Application® notes to help you apply God’s Word to daily life. The 3rd edition has been updated with 30% new material including even more notes, personality profiles, and a two-color design throughout. Learn More

https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/psalm-1-delight-in-gods-presence/

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FOR DREAMS TO COME TRUE - There was nothing stopping me from approaching God's presence -- nothing except the multitude of things I had to do and responsibilities that, in truth, ruled my life more than the voice of God. Today God is awakening us to the reality of His presence. Indeed, if we truly want Christ to shine upon us, we must arise from the distractions that entomb us. The Lord's promises must become more to us than dreamlike realities reserved only for the hereafter. Right at this moment the presence of the living God is near enough to reach; we can enter the outraying of His presence. But if we want our dream of standing in God's fullness to come true, beloved, we must wake up. In a dream I saw a temple standing in an open field. My view of the temple was from its side, about two hundred yards away. I could not see its front, yet it must have been completely open because great light flashed out from the inside. It pulsed like lightning yet was solid like sunlight. I knew this light was the glory of God. The temple was so close that I knew with just a little effort I actually could enter the glory of God. His holy presence was clearly within my reach. There were also others directly in front of me whom I recognized as people from church. And while the temple and its light were visible and readily accessible to all, every head was bent downward and turned away from the light; each was occupied with other things.

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"For Dreams to Come True"

If we want our dream of standing in God's fullness to come true, we must wake up

,

There was nothing stopping me from approaching God's presence -- nothing except the multitude of things I had to do and responsibilities that, in truth, ruled my life more than the voice of God. Today God is awakening us to the reality of His presence. Indeed, if we truly want Christ to shine upon us, we must arise from the distractions that entomb us. The Lord's promises must become more to us than dreamlike realities reserved only for the hereafter. Right at this moment the presence of the living God is near enough to reach; we can enter the outraying of His presence. But if we want our dream of standing in God's fullness to come true, beloved, we must wake up

By Francis Frangipane

In a dream I saw a temple standing in an open field.

My view of the temple was from its side, about two hundred yards away. I could not see its front, yet it must have been completely open because great light flashed out from the inside.

It pulsed like lightning yet was solid like sunlight. I knew this light was the glory of God.

The temple was so close that I knew with just a little effort I actually could enter the glory of God.

His holy presence was clearly within my reach.

There were also others directly in front of me whom I recognized as people from church.

And while the temple and its light were visible and readily accessible to all, every head was bent downward and turned away from the light; each was occupied with other things.

I heard one voice say, "I have to do laundry."

Another said, "I have to go to work."

People were reading newspapers, watching televisions, and eating.

I was sure everyone could see the light if they wanted to -- even more sure that we all knew His glory was near.

There were even a few people reading the Bible and praying, but everyone maintained the downward thrust of their gaze; each had a mental barrier of some kind between themself and the place of God's presence.

No one, though, stood up and steadfastly walked into the nearby glory of God.

However, as I watched, suddenly my wife lifted her head and beheld the temple.

She stood and walked without pausing toward the open front.

As she drew closer to the light, a garment of glory formed and thickened around her; the closer she went, the more dense the light surrounding her became.

Finally, she stepped in front of the temple, turned, and stood in full view of the blazing glory of God.

Then she entered the temple.

Oh! How jealous I felt. My wife had entered the glory of God before me!

Suddenly, I realized that there was nothing stopping me from approaching God's presence -- nothing except the multitude of things I had to do and responsibilities that, in truth, ruled my life more than the voice of God.

Pushing the weight of these pressures from me, I determined to rise and enter the temple myself.

But, to my great regret, in my dream as I rose up, I suddenly woke up!

The longing and disappointment within me seemed unbearable. I had been so close to entering God's presence.

How I wanted to stand in the temple and be swallowed up in His glory! I cried, "Lord, why did You let me wake up?"

Immediately the word of the Lord responded.

He said, "I will not have My servant's life fulfilled by a dream. If you want your dream to come true, you have to wake up."

Today God is awakening us to the reality of His presence.

Indeed, if we truly want Christ to shine upon us, we must arise from the distractions that entomb us.

The Lord's promises must become more to us than dreamlike realities reserved only for the hereafter.

For this reason Scripture says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14).

Right at this moment the presence of the living God is near enough to reach; we can enter the outraying of His presence.

But if we want our dream of standing in God's fullness to come true, beloved, we must wake up.

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, I Will Be Found by You, available at www.arrowbookstore.com. 

Francis Frangipane was born in 1946 and grew up in Lodi, New Jersey. After graduating from high school in 1964, Frangipane entered the U.S. Air Force, where he was discharged honorably as a sergeant on February 2, 1969. He relocated briefly to Berkeley, California and then Honolulu, Hawaii before returning to the mainland U.S. These were the days when the hippie movement was emerging, and Frangipane, like countless other young people, was searching for meaning. He traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Eventually his travels brought him to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where he became a Christian on November 26, 1970. Five months later he met his wife-to-be, Denise Piscitelli, and led her to the Lord. In October of 1971 they were married.

In 1972 Francis and Denise received ministerial training at Grace Chapel in Southern California; by early fall they had moved to Hilo, Hawaii to start a church. Their little work grew to about twenty-five people, most of whom they had personally led to Christ. They also had their first child during this time.

After fourteen months, however, they felt their time in Hawaii was complete. A church in the Detroit, Michigan area offered them a pastoral position. For the remainder of the seventies, they led a small church of approximately 100 people; they also planted eight churches and home groups in southeastern Michigan and Ontario, Canada.

They relocated to Iowa in 1980 where, with the addition of four more children and a Vietnamese foster child, their family grew to eight. These were hard times. Francis was self-employed and the family was very poor. It was during this time that Francis began to develop his writing skills. It was also a three year season of being shut in with God; the only spiritual food that nourished him came from the words of Christ in the Gospels.

https://francisfrangipanemessages.blogspot.com/2020/11/for-dreams-to-come-true.html