Friday, February 12, 2016

The Sword of the Spirit


Upon my arrival to Korea in December I was trying to decide what to study next.  I felt lead to read through the Psalms and so I began reading them my first day in Korea.  Little did I know they would bring me great reassurance during a sorrowful, hurtful, and depressing time in my life. 

I am only about ¾ of the way through the Psalms but I feel this darkness beginning to lift.  These scriptures have helped me deal with sorrow caused from an obstacle that seems to have defeated me! They were the light that has gotten me through each day.

While praying this past Friday at F418 House of Prayer, I decided to type out all the scriptures that I wrote in my journal which have spoken deeply to me these past 2 months of struggle.  After typing them I read through them to see how the Lord spoke to me during this time. What a powerful message!

 There are also other scriptures that God has given me from friends, mini devotionals, or corporate worship times.  Here is my “collage” of scripture I have journaled from the past 2 months!  May the name of the Lord be glorified!!!

God Said….

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.  But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.  I cried aloud to the Lord and He answered me from His holy hill. “  ~Psalm 1:2, 2:12, 3:3-4

“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  The LORD has heard my plea: the Lord accepts my prayer.  I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord the Most High.” ~Psalm 4:7, 6:9, 7:17

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” ~Psalm 13:5-6

“The Lord is my refuge.  The Lord is my support.  This God-His way is perfect the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.” ~Psalm 18:18, 30

“None who wait for You shall be put to shame…He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble his way.  Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.  Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.  Oh guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame for I take refuge in You.” ~Psalm 25:3, 9, 16-18, 20

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults and with my song I give thanks to Him.  The Lord is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His anointed.” ~Psalm 28:7-8

“Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection.  Out do one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight.  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.  To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be over come by evil, but over come evil with good.” ~Romans 12:9-21

“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my moth.  My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together! I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him.  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.  Oh taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  Oh fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear the LORD have no lack!  The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.  Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good:  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.  The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  When the righteous cry for help, The Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.  Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.“ ~Psalm 34

“Be pleased O Lord to deliver me; Make haste, O Lord, to help me.” ~Psalm 40:13

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why have you become disturbed within me?  Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.“ ~Psalm 42:11

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” ~Psalm 51:16-17

“Save me O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your power.  Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.  I said, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.  As for me, I shall call upon God, and the Lord will save me. He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me.  Cast Your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” ~Psalm 54:1, 4, Psalm 55:6, 16, 18, 22

“All day long they distort my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.  I will cry to God Most High to God who accomplishes all things for me.” ~Psalm 56:5, 57:2

“But as for me, I shall sing of your strength; yes I shall joyfully sing of Your loving-kindness in the morning.  For You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress.  O my strength, I will sing praises to You; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me loving-kindness.” ~Psalm 59:16-17

“O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain.  How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You.  To dwell in Your courts.  We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.” ~Psalm 60:11, 65:4

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation.  God to us is a God of deliverances. O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary, The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.  Blessed be God! Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick.  And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.  But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high. I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.  When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.  For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise His own people, who are prisoners.” ~Psalm 68:19-20, 35, Psalm 69:20, 29-33

“Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified.’ For You are my Rock and my Fortress. For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence from youth.  O God do not be far from me. O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation O God who is like You? You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the Earth.  My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul which You have redeemed.” ~Psalm 70:4, 71:3, 5, 12, 18-20, 23

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. Do not fear, for I am with you. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me. I even I am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me.  And there is none who can deliver out of my hand; I act and who can reverse it? Behold I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I even I am the one who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.  I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me. Who is like Me? A deceived heart has turned Him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?’” ~Isaiah 43:1-2, 5, 10, 13, 19, 25, Isaiah 44:6-7, 20

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on Earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.” ~Psalm 73:25-28

“In my day of trouble I sought the Lord; in the night my hand was stretched out without weariness; my soul refused to be comforted.” ~Psalm 77:2

“We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generations to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.  But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; and often He restrained His anger and did not arouse all His wrath. Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.” ~Psalm 78:4, 38-39

“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord: My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.  How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the force of your anointed.  For the day in your courts is better than a thousand outside.  I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, then dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man that trust in You.”~ Psalm 84: 1, 2, 5, 8-12

“But you beloved building yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourself in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” ~Jude 20-21

“Then Job answered the Lord and said, ‘I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know.  Hear, now and I will speak: I will ask You and You instruct me. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract and I repent in dust and ashes.’” ~Job 42:1-6

“Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. Abide in My love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” ~John 15:2, 5, 9

“O Lord, the God of my salvation. I have cried out by day and in the night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry! For my soul has had enough troubles. I have become like a man without strength.” ~Psalm 88:1-4

“I will sing of the loving-kindness of the LORD forever; For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving-kindness and truth go before You.  Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes! Establish the work of our hands!” ~Psalm 90:17




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