Psalm 5 ... Prayers to God & Promises from God to the Church

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord,
consider my meditation.
2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God:
for unto thee will I pray.
 
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord;
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
 
4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:
neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight:
thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing (lies):
the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
 
7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy:
and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
 
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies;
make thy way straight before my face.
 
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
their inward part is very wickedness;
their throat is an open sepulchre;
they flatter with their tongue.
 
10 Destroy thou them, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions;
for they have rebelled against thee.
 
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
 
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

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Comments by Joan Boney


Psalm 5:2 ... Unto Thee will I pray

To WHOM do you pray?  

On TV, I often hear announcers say:  "Our prayers are with you ..."  I always wonder to whom they pray, if they really pray and are not just speaking good sounding words.  And their prayer being with a person doesn't sound right to me.  Prayers are to God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Paul.  The God who created heaven and earth.

Jesus said:  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  Mt. 7

I Jn. 5 ... 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

If you have this confidence, why do you ask another to pray for you?  If you believe you belong to God, won't God answer your prayers?

Heb. 11 ... 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him:for he that cometh to God must believe that HE is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.


Recently I had appointment at 11 am for TV installer to come to my house and complete the installation of my new TV.

I didn't feel at all well when I awoke.  My stomach was upset.  I was almost vomiting and had diarrhea.  The installer was due in 30 minutes.  I asked God to help me, to please cause me to recover before installer showed up at my house.  I specifically prayed that during installation I wouldn't even remember being ill.

The installer was more than an hour late in arriving for the appointment!  This really helped me.  By the time he arrived, I was able to concentrate on the project.

During the installation I never once thought of the physical problem I had been having that morning!

After installer left, I was fine physically.

My prayer was answered in every detail.  Isn't that what we expect of God when we pray? Isn't that what Jesus said would happen when we pray?

 Jesus said:  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  Mt. 7

And the apostle Paul instructed the church:


Phil. 4 ... 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

And the apostle Peter instructed us, the church:


I Peter 5:7 ... Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

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Psalm 5:5 ... 5 The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight:Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing (lies):
the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Iniquity  is defined as: immoral or unfair behavior

By the Bible standards, immoral would apply to adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, homosexuals, and other sins against the WORD.

I Cor. 6 ... 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (cheaters), 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you:but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

People who take advantage of other people curse themselves in their attempt to gain advantage to themselves.

God will deal with such.

Romans 12 ... 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

People who do these wrong things will not stand in the sight of God.

- will not remain upright and entire rather than fall into ruin
- will not be able to endure 
- will not be able to hold their ground against opponents

Therefore in their desire for personal advantage through deception, they bring a mighty curse upon themselves. 

Deceitful people mislead others deliberately thinking to gain advantage to themselves.  Instead they do themselves great harm.  As they cheat others, they curse themselves.

But those who deal fairly with others bring blessings (divine favor and protection) upon themselves.

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Psa. 5:8 ... Lead me, O Lord, in THY righteousness because of mine enemies;
make THY way straight before my face.

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in THY righteousness:  in the way that is right in the sight of God

God's way is not man's way ... man wants to please humans and is often going the wrong way as a result ...

Isaiah 55

God says ... 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
 
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
 
12 For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
 
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:
and it shall be to the Lord for a name,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.



We as humans have one desire for the word of God but when we deliver that word from God's Spirit, it accomplishes that which God desires.

Pharaoh is an example ... God had Moses go to Pharaoh.  God even hardened Pharaoh's heart concerning the word Moses delivered.  Exodus 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

Our desire might have been for Pharaoh to repent at the word.  But God had created Pharaoh for another purpose.  Romans 9 ... 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? 

Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
 
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

So the way that seems right to a man might not be the way of God at all in the matter at hand.

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The goal of most men is to please men.

But we are of God and our goal is to please God and to do what is right in the sight of God.

Paul said ...  Galatians 1:10... For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

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Psalm 5:8 ...  Lead me, O Lord

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Lead  means:
- cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, or rope, while moving forward.

Heb. 8 ... 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

And to show us exactly what HE wants us to do in the specific issues of this life, God put HIS Spirit in us to bring to our mind scriptures and examples in the time of need so we would know what to do.

Jn. 14:26 ...  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jn. 16:13 ... 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:and he will shew you things to come.


An example:  A neighbor became offended at me.  I was considering writing her a note to try to explain what had happened.  I asked God what HE wanted me to do and immediately the Holy Spirit reminded me of a scripture to show me what God wanted me to do in this case.

Matthew 15:14 ... Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

I knew God was showing me to let her alone ... don't try to explain to her ...

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Psalm 5:8 ... Lead me, O Lord

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Other definitions of "lead" ...
- set in motion

By the Holy Spirit bringing a word to my mind, I am "set in motion" ... immediately ... My direction is often changed completely from what I was planning ... Sometimes I am taken in a way that I never considered before ...

An example:  I had purchased a TV and I believe the man who sold me the TV practiced deception with me.  The TV was a problem almost from the beginning.  There was no way to get it fixed.  I struggled with the picture to try to adjust it to no avail.

After a year of living with this TV problem, one day, while I was trying once again to adjust the picture, it was as if God was standing there beside me watching my struggle, and by HIS Spirit I heard words which changed my direction completely.  I heard (by a gentle thought):  "You don't have to put up with that."  I had never considered changing TV's until that second.

The TV was only a year old and had been very expensive.  The human way would be to keep trying to get the TV fixed.  The human way would be to take the dealer to court to force him to make good on the TV.  God's way was to simply eliminate the TV and get another TV.  And that is exactly what I did immediately.

I was going to put this TV a storage area of the house for future use, but I decided to give the TV to the installer.  Every time I even looked at the TV I was troubled by what I believe to have been deception of the dealer who sold the TV to me.  I just had the installer carry the TV away.  I believe this was also the way of God for me. (a way of peace)  But it certainly is not the way of man!

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Psalm 5:8 ... Lead me, O Lord

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- cause one to have or experience a particular way of life


I Peter 2 ... 1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he (THE WORD) is precious:but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:whereunto also they were appointed.
 
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Col. 3 ...  1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:6 For which things 'sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:but Christ is all, and in all.

Romans 6 ... 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once:but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you:for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
 
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

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From these examples, we see God's way is very different from man's way.

Man is often ruled by money and by the wisdom of men.  And often man is ruled by what he think will make him seem wise.

God's way is a way of peace.  God doesn't want us to be troubled needlessly.

The only thing that matters to me is:  What does God want me to do?

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Psalm 5:8 ... Make THY way straight (before my eyes)

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Straight means:
- extending or moving in one direction only without a curve or bend
- going directly to the intended target
- bold and steady with no delay or diversion
- at once, immediately, without hesitation or deliberation

In 1982, I was traveling all over USA, speaking to radio audience in the various cities.  One night, in a dream, God showed me I was in serious danger of harm coming to me.  And at the end of the dream I heard:  "Don't go until you see Ex. 15."

Immediately, I cancelled all meetings that were scheduled for 1982.  I also cancelled both of the TV talk shows that I was scheduled to be guest on for that year.

A woman who worked for me at that time said, "Joan ... you have to go out and speak ... if you don't go out, people will not give money."

I replied:  "God told me not to go out and I'm not going out."

I never went out again to have meetings.  I just stayed home and wrote for the people who communicated with me by mail.  Later in a dream, God showed me to go on Internet and do writings on this blog,  no materials printed on paper.  That is much easier and immediate. 

(God removed that woman from our church group.)

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I do not call everyone and ask what they think I should do.  The ONE who knows what I should do is God.  When I am persuaded God has shown me what to do I just do it immediately.

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God often gives me a dream to show me what to do.  This is how I went on radio in the 1980's.  This is how I started the blog in 2012.  Over and over God has given me a dream to show me what to do.

Sometimes God will speak a word to me in the form of a thought to show me what to do.

Sometimes a scripture will be called to my mind by the Holy Spirit and by that I know what God wants me to do in that specific case.

Sometimes God will speak a word by another person and by that I recognize what I am to do.

God speaks to me in various ways to show me what to do.  And I just do what the word tells me to do in that situation when I am persuaded it is God who is speaking to me.

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When my mother died in 2003, my cousin wanted me to move to the city where she lives.  But God had given me a dream showing me I could not go out through my cousin's house.  So I did not move where my cousin lives.

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God is faithful to lead HIS children just as HE led Moses with Pharaoh and as HE led the children of Israel in the wilderness.  God showed them exactly what HE wanted them to do.  God shows us what HE wants us to do.

James 3 ... 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

...let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: 

Recently some memories of my past works in the secular world came to mind and while they seemed to be accomplishments at the time I did them, now I see they were vanity and of no real value... busy work ...

As I thought on the past, I stopped myself and said:  "I don't want to think of my works.  I want to think of that which is lovely ..."

Phil. 4 ...  8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

God's works, not my works, are full of loveliness.

I turned my mind from my secular "achievements" in past years to God's works and began to think of the various things God has done.

- HE caused me to be a new creation in Christ (in the Word)
- HE delivered me from the nonsense of my past 
- HE set me in body of Christ, the Church, to do HIS Works, to serve HIM
- HE caused me to die to sin and serve HIM instead of serving my own flesh and reputation
- HE caused HIS greatness to be seen through me (not in my works but in what HE did in me)
- HE delivered me to HIS kingdom as I walk on this present earth

As I turned my mind to the works God has done, I rejoiced in HIM and not in my works.

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Psalm 5 ... let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Nehemiah 8:10 ... Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD (The WORD) is your strength.

Be joyful in the Word God has given you!  Think on that Word.  Think on the things God has done in your life.  Think on the recent things God has done and has said to you.  See that God is with you by that Word HE has given you.  See that you are HIS Child by that Word HE has given you.

This causes us to rejoice in HIM and not in ourselves for we know we were hopeless until God revealed Himself to us.

We were involved in vain, hopeless pursuits of our own minds in this present world.

Then God changed us and pulled us out of ourselves.

Psalm 40:2 ... He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

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Psalm 5:11 ... let them also that love THY NAME  be joyful in thee.

The name of Jesus is "The WORD" ...

Jn. 1 ... 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The WORD is truth.

Mt. 13 ... 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Nothing equals The WORD.  It is our pursuit, our love, our desire ...

Proverbs 3 ... 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies:
and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

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Psalm 5:12 ... For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

The "righteous" are those persons chosen by God to be HIS children.  The "righteous" are those to whom God has revealed HIMSELF.

Mt. 16 ...  13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

God reveals HIMSELF to HIS chosen ... to HIS Children ...

God "blesses" HIS children ...

Bless means:  divine favor and protection

God watches over us continually when we belong to HIM.  God never sleeps.  HIS protection is day and night.

Psalm 34:7 ...The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear HIM, and delivereth them.

Fearing God means that we know God knows best for us and we refuse to go against that which God chooses for us.  We love the WORD more than our own lives.  Therefore we will cling to the WORD given us by God knowing no matter how it looks by holding to the WORD, no matter if it seems by the WORD we are going to be destroyed, we know it is by that WORD given us by God on the matter at hand that we will overcome on this earth and be saved from our own flesh and the flesh of men.

We do not dare to go against that Word that we believe to be from God.

An example:  At the time I was born again in 1975, I owned in business in Dallas, Texas.  A young woman made a charge against me and took me to court.  As the trial approached, I heard:  "Don't testify."  I believed that word to be from God.  I told my lawyer and he said he thought we could win the case even if I did not testify, but if I would testify he was sure we would win.

The man I was dating at the time was upset with me because I was not going to testify.  Bob said, "You're not doing this girl any good by not testifying."  I replied:  "I'm not trying to do this girl any good.  I'm just trying to obey that which I believe God said to me."

A woman who worked for me became angry when she learned I was not going to testify.  She had witnessed the happening and was going to testify.  She felt all the burden was going to be on her.  I explained I believed God had told me not to testify so I couldn't testify.


We got to court.  My lawyer came to me and said, "Flo's testimony wasn't as strong as I had hoped but if you will testify I know we will win."

I replied that I would see ... I went into restroom at the courthouse and prayed, asking God what I should do.  I heard:  "Don't testify."

(I would have been terrified to go against this word which I believed to be from God.)

I went back into the court room after praying and just shook my head "no" and the lawyer continued with the case without my testifying.

(I recall how shocked the judge was when he learned I would not be testifying.  He said to me, "You're not testifying?"  I just shook my head "no".)

We won the case.

This is example of the fear of the Lord ... the fear of God.  I would have been afraid to go against that which I felt God instructed.

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Thus we enter into the kingdom of God by THE WORD.

How precious is The WORD to us?

I Peter 2 ... 1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
 
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
 
7 Unto you therefore which believe HE (The Word) is precious:

but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed (they did not think HIM important enough to consider), the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:whereunto also they were appointed.
 
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of HIM who hath called you out of darkness into HIS marvellous light:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

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Psalm 5:12 ...  with favour wilt THOU compass him as with a shield.

favor:

- overgenerous preferential treatment

Think of the great favor God showed the Children of Israel in bringing them out of the bondage of the Egyptians.  It wasn't because the Children of Israel were good or worthy but rather it was because God chose them as HIS people and God said before time that HE would deliver them at the appointed time.

- act of kindness beyond what is due or usual

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Psa. 5:12 ...  with favour wilt Thou compass him as with a shield.

compass means:
- show direction
- surround

shield means:
- protect

The root meaning of shield is:  divide / separate

God, by HIS Word, separates us from evil and from evil doers to protect us.  HIS WORD divides us from the world to protect us.


When Joseph was second in command in Egypt, just under Pharaoh, his father and brothers came down to Egypt because of the famine.  When they arrived Joseph told them to say they dealt in cattle ... because that would cause them to be an abomination to the Egyptians and the Egyptians would want nothing to do with them ... thus they would be kept separate from the Egyptians.

Gen. 46 ... Joseph said to his brothers ... 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34 That ye shall say, Thy servants 'trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers:that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Gen. 47 ... Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. 

2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 

3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? 

And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan:now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. 

5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell:and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle...

11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 

12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

God caused them to be blessed (favored/protected) in the land but God kept them separate from the people of the world.  Because they were HIS Chosen, God's own chosen children.

And they lived in light while the Egyptians were in darkness.

Ex. 8 ... 20 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses:and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. 

22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which MY people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. 23 And I will put a division between MY people and thy people:to morrow shall this sign be. 

24 And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants 'houses, and into all the land of Egypt:the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

... Ex. 10 ... 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 

22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days:but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Each time we read the chapters in Exodus we see the difference God made between HIS Chosen and the people of the world.  It is similar to the way you make a difference between your own children and other children.  Your children stand out to you whether they do good or not.  They are your children.  Therefore there is a difference.

We are God's children by HIS own will.  HE leads us, protects us, keeps us.  The examples in life and the examples in the Bible show us this over and over.  As we think of that which God has done for us we are greatly helped and greatly rejoice in HIM.

God keeps us by the WORD HE gives us by HIS Spirit.  When we speak that word and do that word the world separates from us because in us we are an odor of death to the world ...

II Cor. 2 ...  14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 

15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. 

And who is sufficient for these things? 

17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.