Today's praises: Shout for joy to God, all the earth!Sing the glory of his name;make his praise glorious

Psalm 66

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!z

2 Sing the glory of his name;a

make his praise glorious.b

3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!c

So great is your power

that your enemies cringed before you.

4 All the earth bows downe to you;

they sing praisef to you,

they sing the praises of your name.”a

5 Come and see what God has done,

his awesome deedsg for mankind!

6 He turned the sea into dry land,h

they passed throughi the waters on foot—

come, let us rejoicej in him.

7 He rules foreverk by his power,

his eyes watchl the nations—

let not the rebelliousm rise up against him.

8 Praisen our God, all peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard;

9 he has preserved our liveso

and kept our feet from slipping.p

10 For you, God, testedq us;

you refined us like silver.r

11 You brought us into prisons

and laid burdenst on our backs.

12 You let people ride over our heads;u

we went through fire and water,

but you brought us to a place of abundance.v

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offeringsw

and fulfill my vowsx to you—

14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke

when I was in trouble.

15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you

and an offering of rams;

I will offer bulls and goats.y

16 Come and hear,z all you who fear God;

let me tella you what he has done for me.

17 I cried out to him with my mouth;

his praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened;b

19 but God has surely listened

and has heardc my prayer.

20 Praise be to God,

who has not rejectedd my prayer

or withheld his love from me!

Today's prayer: O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me

Psalm 7

King James Version

7 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

3 O Lord my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)

5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

6 Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.

7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

Today's bible teaching: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith

*FINISH WELL*

*2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.*

Paul is a great example of finishing well in life's journey. Paul did not start out so well. He was a persecutor of Christians. But God gave him the great opportunity and he became a believer in Christ Jesus. He finished well at the end. "End of a thing is better than the beginning thereof." 

Paul encouraged Timothy to discharge the duties of his ministry with full mind of finishing well at the end. Paul focused on the eternal, not the temporary. He understands that our hope is not found in this life or in anything in it.

Life is a journey, is not about how far, but how well. We need to be pursuing life's journey with an eye to the finishing. We are successful in our journey not by finishing first, but by finishing well.

If we are going to finish well, we need to keep our focus as well like Paul did. Keeping our focus on the eternal is what is going to enable us to take the steps that are required for finishing well. We must persevere. We must fight the good fight. We need to keep our faith strong - by spending time with God on prayer and devotions, reading his word and meditating on it.

It is only by God's grace that we can finish well. We are not going to be able to finish well in our own strength. We need His strength to finish well in this life. 

Beloved, the journey of life is too tough and rugged. It is not an easy road, but we will journey through it victoriously. Finishing well must be our landmark. As a soldier of the Cross, always have your mind on the glorious crown. Divine finishing is your portion Amen

*Shalom!*

*#HappyNewWeek*

*#UncleRichCares*

Today's bible teaching: Blessed are all they that put their trust in God

Psalm 2

King James Version

2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Today's prayer: Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is nfaint.

Psalm 61

1 Hear my cry, O God,

mlisten to my prayer;

 2  from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is nfaint.

Lead me to othe rock

that is higher than I,

 3  for you have been pmy refuge,

a strong qtower against the enemy.

 4  Let me rdwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge under sthe shelter of your wings! Selah

 5  For you, O God, have heard my vows;

you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

 6  tProlong uthe life of the king;

may his years endure to all generations!

 7  May he be enthroned forever before God;

appoint vsteadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

 8  So will I ever sing praises to your name,

as I wperform my vows day after day.

Today's bible teaching: O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 131

1  O Lord, my heart is not slifted up;

my eyes are not traised too high;

I do not uoccupy myself with things

too great and vtoo marvelous for me.

 2  But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned wchild with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

 3  xO Israel, hope in the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore.

Today's bible teaching: Praise the LORD.Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands to

Psalm 112

Praise the LORD.Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. 2 Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. 4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. 5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. 6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. 7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. 10 The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing

Today's praises: I will sextol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes trejoice over me

Psalm 30

Joy Comes with the Morning

30 A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of rthe temple.

 1  I will sextol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up

and have not let my foes trejoice over me.

 2  O Lord my God, I ucried to you for help,

and you have vhealed me.

 3  O Lord, you have brought up my soul from wSheol;

you restored me to life from among those who xgo down to the pit.1

 4  Sing praises to the Lord, O you yhis saints,

and zgive thanks to his holy name.2

 5  aFor his anger is but for a moment,

and bhis favor is for a lifetime.3

cWeeping may tarry for the night,

but djoy comes with the morning.

 6  As for me, I said in my eprosperity,

“I shall never be fmoved.”

 7  By your favor, O Lord,

you made my gmountain stand strong;

you hhid your face;

I was idismayed.

 8  To you, O Lord, I cry,

and jto the Lord I plead for mercy:

 9  “What profit is there in my death,4

if I go down to the pit?5

Will kthe dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

 10  lHear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!

O Lord, be my helper!”

 11  You have turned for me my mourning into mdancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

 12  that my nglory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever