Tag: Righteous

365 Days of Worship – Week 8 – Exult

Do you like it when people exult you and tell you how great you are? I like it. In this week’s lesson, you will learn why those with an upright heart exalt God. When we exalt God, we lift our praise and extol (worship) His name and virtues (qualities). Psalm 34:3 states, “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

Why does the righteous rejoice in God?

The Bible says in Psalm 64:10, “Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!” At the time King David wrote this verse, the righteous one was the person who obeyed God. Why do the righteous rejoice in the Lord but not the unrighteous? Just thinking, if the righteous obey God, that means the unrighteous are giving in to their sinful, fleshly desires and do not desire to rejoice in the Lord. Romans 8:8 says, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” If our lives are not pleasing to God, we will not want to worship Him. How about you? Do you desire to please God, rejoice in the Lord, and take refuge in Him?

Who is the upright in heart?

The last phrase of Psalm 64:10 says, “Let all the upright in heart exult!” Why are the upright in heart encouraged to exalt? Who is the upright in heart? Someone “upright in heart,” is in right standing with God by repenting of their sin. Psalm 119:7 explains, “I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules.” And Psalm 32:11 states, “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” When we realize how God saved us from the control of sin and showed us mercy by forgiving us, we will rejoice and be glad. King David says in Psalm 35:9, “Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation.” Are you in right standing with God, or do you need to repent of sin?

As you worship God this week, remember to exalt God in your worship. Psalm 99:5 encourages us to “Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!”

WEEK 8 – February 19-25

Day 50—Worship God’s abundant goodness.

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! –Psalm 31:19

Day 51—Worship God that He watches over us.

The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned, he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. –Psalm 33:13-15

Day 52—Worship God, that we can hope in His steadfast love.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him (repent of sin), on those who hope in his steadfast love [loving kindness; mercy], that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. –Psalm 33:18-19 and Psalm 41:2-3

Day 53—Worship God, how He delivers us from all our fears.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. –Psalm 34:1-4

Day 54—Worship God’s goodness, deliverance, and provision.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. –Psalm 34: 7-10

Day 55—Worship God’s deliverance of the righteous.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. –Psalm 34:15-17

Day 56—Worship God’s steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments, and He is our refuge.

Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. 7How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. –Psalm 36:5-7

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, go to the 365 Days of Worship Page. This material is copyright protected.

2— God Promises to Deliver Us from Our Troubles

Dear Friends,

Are you concerned, maybe worried, about what is happening in America and around the world? Do you wonder how God will deliver you from your troubles? I have been pondering God’s promises, which gives me peace. But if you don’t know His promises, you can’t claim them.

Never forget that God keeps His promises. 2Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” Also, Romans 4:20-21 states, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” But for you to claim God’s promises, you need to be reconciled to Him by believing that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sin and was raised from the dead (1Cor. 15:3-6 and Rom. 10:9-10).

Troubles are inevitable

Jesus says in John 16:33 that “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Tribulations also mean troubles or trials. Everyone has problems and hardships. We often have to endure difficulties before God delivers us because He uses them to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) and to perfect us (James 1:2-4). No matter what happens, God will deliver you from all your troubles in His timing. The following scriptures define God’s promises to save you from your troubles. You may say that God did not answer my prayers, so why should I pray? But why didn’t God answer your prayers? There are many reasons for unanswered prayer. To learn about these reasons, please read my blog series in Posts on Prayer.

Do You Humbly Call on God through Prayer?

So many people stay stuck in their troubles because they are too prideful to ask for help, and they think they can take care of it themselves. God will let them stay in their difficulties until they repent and humbly pray and ask Him for help. Psalm 50:15 states, “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” The condition is to call upon God. The result is to bring God glory. First, we need to be humble and realize we need His help and deliverance. It is humbling to ask for help. Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” When you are tempted to sin by what you think, say, or do that disobeys God’s commands, you can call on Jesus for help in prayer anytime.

In case you do not realize it, worry and anxiety over hardships are sins we are continually tempted to commit. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Matthew 6:31a says, “Do not be anxious.” To be anxious is to be full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune (Dictionary.com 3/2022). Not being thankful and complaining are sins too.

The following scripture is so cool. Psalm 107:13-14 states, “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.” The NIV says that God broke away their chains. Do you sometimes feel you are bound up, especially when anxious or depressed? The times I was depressed were the darkest times in my life. I felt so bound up, and I didn’t have hope of being free from my distress. Depression is complex, but the majority of depressed people are focused on their troubles and feel no hope, instead of looking to God who is their hope of deliverance. For example, when I was going through a nasty divorce and custody battle, I was very anxious and depressed. Still, when I humbly looked up and cried out to God for help, He was there with me and delivered me from all my troubles. You can read about the many miracles God did in my post called Trust God to Keep His Promises.

Do You Hold Fast to Him in Love?

We may not understand why we have to go through abuse or suffering, and why doesn’t God rescue us sooner? Psalm 91:14-15 explains, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” The condition is to hold fast to God in love and call on Him. Sometimes, God walks with us through our trouble while He rescues us, and His will is accomplished in our lives. We just need to trust Him and keep our minds on his presence as we endure. Isaiah 43:2 states, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” This is a promise you can claim as well.

For example, when my supervisor at my old job was harassing me because she wanted me to quit, I was in trouble because I needed my job. I did not like the hardship I was enduring, but God was with me and helped me persevere. He amazingly transformed my character. I still lost my job, but He had another plan for my life, and everything worked out for my good. Romans 8:28 explains, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Here again, we need to love God to see the good and His purpose.

Are You Righteous?

Psalm 34:17 states, “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” If you don’t know, the righteous are those who have received the Spirit of God into their hearts through Jesus Christ and now live through Him by faith (Rom. 1:7; 4:5; 5:19; 1John 2:29). When we sin, we become separated from God until we repent and confess our sins, then He will remove our unrighteousness (1John 1:9). 1Peter 3:12 explains, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil [sin].” I can share so many more verses, but I encourage you to open up Biblegateway.com or Biblehub.com and ponder the scriptures on righteousness. Only the righteous will enter the kingdom of God.

May God bless you richly as you obey His Word and claim His promises.

Joyce

All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website. 

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.  

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts. 

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.  

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request. on making the request.