Psalm 4:6-8

Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see some good!” Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord. You have put joy in my heart, more than (others know) when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety and confident trust. 

The joy of the Lord and His benefits are more significant than the abundant harvest and new wine. Because of God’s presence in our lives, we can live in peace and sleep. Nothing on earth can make us feel as secure as God’s protection of His people.  

Matthew 9:13

Go and learn what this means: I Desire Compassion (for those in distress) and not (animal) sacrifice for I did not call (to repentance) the (self-proclaimed) righteous (who see no need to change) but sinners (those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness).

Sin is missing the mark and transgressing against God’s law. Jesus came to help the sinner find their way back to God. The Law couldn’t show the love of God toward the people who recognized their sin but did not know how to cross the gulf between them and God. Jesus came to breach the gulf for the sinner. 

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to (everlasting) life, and there are few who find it.  

We have two roads, which are the way of life or death. The wide road rejects God and His salvation and follows a sinful nature, searing the conscious as it goes, closing the gate to a connection with God. The narrow road accepts Jesus and salvation, being washed clean of sins and finding fulfillment for the spirit and soul. It accepts the Word of God as a liberator and not a burden. 

Matthew 6:20-21

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart (your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers) will be also. 

If a list were made, where would Jesus or eternity be on it? A treasure is something that has taken time to build and requires investment. We invest our thoughts, hearts, and time because it is of value to us. When we invest in savings with Jesus in Heaven, we will be rewarded beyond what we can comprehend. 

Micah 7:7-8

But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch; I will wait (with confident expectation) for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me (amid my tragedies), O my enemy! Though I fall, I will rise; though I sit in the darkness (of distress), the Lord is the light for me.  

When we repent, if we have sinned, our salvation will come from God. Our confidence and expectation for deliverance from our tragedies come from the Lord. And even though we fall, with God redeeming us, we will rise. The darkness will be removed and replaced with the light of the Lord. 

Psalm 30:10-12

Hear, O Lord, be gracious and show favor to me; You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. 

One word from God changes everything, whether it be a word of encouragement or an answered prayer. Nothing is too complicated for God, and answering our faith-filled prayers is at the top of the list. When God turns our captivity, our praise and thanksgiving reflect the joy of our release and gratitude.  

Psalm 25:12-13

Who is the man who fears the Lord (with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with submissive wonder)? He will teach him (through His word) in the way he should choose. His soul will dwell in prosperity and goodness, and his descendants will inherit the land.  

The Lord sets before us the pathway to life success. The Bible shows us God’s grace and rewards for believing and following His words. We don’t have to struggle to find the answers. We have to read the book. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10-17. The more we study the word, the more our faith will increase.

Psalm 24:3-4

Who may ascend onto the mountains of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, nor has sworn (oaths) deceitfully.  

God judges the intent of the heart, whether we keep our hands clean and hearts pure. When sin comes knocking at the door, God is there to help. God tells us to resist all sin and submit to Him, and the devil will flee. Our hearts and actions will follow when we keep a faithful attitude toward God. 

1 Peter 4:1

Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh (and died for us), arm yourselves (like warriors) with the same purpose (being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing to God), because whoever suffered in the flesh (being like-minded with Christ) is done with (intentional) sin (having stopped pleasing the world).

We need to be intentional when we think about our faith, not that it is something we read about in the Bible but that we act upon it in principle. Our lives are not separated from the teachings of Jesus; we are co-warriors in the faith doing what is right and pleasing to God. Society imposes pressure to conform to sin because if a majority does it, then it is okay. No. We, as Christians, are done with sin. 

James 4:6

But he gives us more and more grace (through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation). Therefore, it says “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but (continually) gives (the gift of) grace to the humble (who turn away from self-righteousness).

When we seek a closer relationship with Jesus, we are rewarded with a strengthened spirit. In the world we live in, a spirit strengthened by Jesus to resist sin is a phenomenal benefit. Grace increases our faith and grows our faithfulness to the word of God. The more we are obedient to the word of God, the more our faith grows and is rewarded.