Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.”
Psalm 40:5 World English Bible
God is our Friend
How did David, the Psalmist know that the Unseen God was his Friend and that He had done many wonderful works toward him and others, and was in fact, thinking about him?
David did not imagine that God had anointed him the next King over Israel, or given him specific promises and even prophetic psalms. These were spiritual realities,
When David was a young boy and worked as a lonely shepherd in the fields tending his father’s sheep, he learned to depend on God to help him defend his flocks from the wild animals that could threaten them.
Young David spent much time in the fields minding his father’s sheep. And he walked with God…He knew the scriptures and meditated on them. He conversed with God as he moved his flocks from one pasture to another throughout the seasons.
While David tended His father’s sheep, his older brothers served as soldiers in the Israelite army. They were off fighting the Philistines who were their mortal enemies.
There came on the scene among the ranks one champion named Goliath of Gath, who was over nine feet tall.
Goliath strutted up and down the Israelite soldiers’ battle lines clad in what appeared to be an armor of invincibility, aided by his overpowering self confidence, slinging forth what was perhaps the equivalent of an ancient daily podcast that hammered away at whatever confidence, the Lord’s army had.
After all, their God Yahweh, was unseen, while, Goliath seemed unassailable.
We cannot grow close to Christ nor gain any victory over the enemy by abiding in his territory ~which is the world.
Faith was the whole of the lesson of the wilderness trial for the building of Israel as a nation.
Paul wrote all that happened to them was a lesson for us.
All the trials of the children of Israel must surely repeat themselves in every child of God. For they were examples for us.
“Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 10.12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.”
1 Corinthians 10:11-12— World English Bible
It is hard to remember, but we must if we would defeat our enemies of fear, doubt, and unbelief that assail us every day in the dark culture we live in.
“For we walk by faith not sight… 2 Corinthians 5:7
The soldiers were listening to Goliath. They were not remembering the promise Yahweh had spoken through Moses:
“…Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Yahweh your God Himself is He who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.” (*See Deuteronomy 31:5-6)
And when our Goliaths of fear, doubt, and unbelief come strutting in to declare that we are not going to have the victory that God promises us in His Word, whose voice are we listening to?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God…
Romans 10:17
Who is our Champion?
“Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
1 John 5:4
What ultimately determines our victory?
“This is the victory that has overcome the world: even your faith.
1 John 5:4-
The Outcome Of Faith
David not only knew the promises in the Hebrew Scriptures, but was intimately acquainted with the Author and was able to walk by faith with God as His bodyguard as he worked the fields day and night guarding his father’s sheep.
The young shepherd had faced hidden terrors from wild lions and bears who could tear both him and his sheep apart and devour them. He was filled with righteous indignation and contempt for Goliath and the Philistines when he encountered them insulting the Lord’s Army.
David said to King Saul,
“Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him. Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”
1 Samuel 17: 33-34
David said, “Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”
1 Samuel 17:35- 37 World English Bible
David knew the reality of God’s protection. For he had experienced the truth of Yahweh’s promise to him and his people.
When his life was threatened, David wrote, “Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!” Psalm 40:17
When David experienced danger and needed God right away he wrote honestly ~ “But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.”
Psalm 40:16-17 World English Bible
David never hid his need, never pretended he was perfect or sinless, never acted as if he was something he was not. He cried out to God and God heard him and therefore he was known as “…the man after God’s own heart.”
David Experienced That God is Faithful
God exists, And if we wait on His timing He will always come through for us~ He does hear us when we cry out to Him.
Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt His name together. I sought Yahweh, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame. This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. ~
Psalm 34:4-8 World English Bible
Heavenly Father, please bless and encourage all who read this message who need to know that You are real though unseen.
Please give us all the strength and grace we need to believe no matter how strong our opposition may appear. For Thy word promises all things are possible with God and that You live in and through all those who believe on Thy name and ask You to come into their heart. The battle is The Lord’s, not ours. Thy Spirit is leading and guiding us always and hears our prayers. All we have to do is trust You and never give up hoping and believing. For You keep every promise forever, In Jesus holy name. Amen.
The prayer song “Be Near To Me Oh Lord,” has always encouraged me ever since He inspired it,,,May the Lord use it to encourage all who hear it today.,.in Jesus holy name, amen.
For Further Reflection
A record of David’s personal relationship with the Lord exists in the book of Psalms.
One of the most popular books of the Bible, it consists of prayers in the form of prayer songs David wrote expressing his love, gratitude, and longing for God; They also reflect his fears, and anxieties over many things, even suggesting Depression… which helps explain why the psalms speak to so many.
For the ancient songs are all honest like every true prayer.
David was not the only author of the Psalms. His pure heart echoes unhindered through all the psalms he wrote.
For more information on the book of Psalms, find a good study bible which can tell you more details about the book and all the other books in God’s Word.
And why not meditate on a Psalm today and make it into a prayer?
In January of this year (2023) the Lord was leading me to work on an album of original prayersongs tentatively titled Paths of Praise Christian Worship Songs.
Suddenly He interrupted that work which I was completely focused on and switched directions. He asked me to create an album of traditional hymns as a gift for His children.
When the Lord changes my focus on a project it completely humbles me. This is because I do not like to be interrupted in a creative work, preferring to start and finish a project in a linear way.
And I like to be in control of everything.
However, the Lord Jesus Christ likes to remind me that He is in control of my life.
He is my Good shepherd and is guiding me. He has a purpose for everything He does and even when it makes no sense to me, I must be obedient and walk by faith, even though I don’t understand why He asks me to do something.
The Lord knew and that was enough. It might be maddening, but I got on my knees and prayed to submit to His will and for grace to learn whatever songs He wanted me to put on the hymn album.
The Lord gave me no more grace to work on my Paths of Praise album even when I tried. He definitely wanted me to focus on a hymn album and learn all new songs ~traditional hymns~which seemed daunting as my energy was now strained by a severe flare up of my auto immune illness. There were many days where I could do no work. I seemed a prisoner. But this I knew, Christ was in me and He was in control.
The music is the Lord’s. I’m His servant. Christ is the One who asked me to sing and gave me this gift to exalt His name in the earth for His glory.
For while I still don’t understand why the Lord wanted to redirect my focus from working on my Paths of Praise Album to work on the hymn album, now I’m glad I did.
As for the choice of hymns, I asked Mark what his favorite hymns were growing up in the Methodist Church.
I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church where we sang different songs from the traditional hymns that the Protestants are familiar with.
I remembered the lovely hymns Mama sang to us as children; hymns she had learned as a child attending a Baptist Church.
I presented a collection before the Lord and asked Him to guide me to His will. While learning to sing the hymns, the Lord’s Garden album presented a great challenge. Jesus mercifully gave me the grace and strength to accomplish what He had put on my heart to do by faith.
He also wanted me to sing “…In Jesus Name” at the end of every hymn.
Some might object to this. It is difficult to imagine that a Christian would find fault except perhaps that some of Christ’s precious children might reject these traditional hymns not because they objected to the Lord’s Name, but because they preferred their beloved hymns to be sung in the familiar way that they have always heard them sung in church.
These precious children of God have every right to their preference.
Below are the scriptures that the Lord inspires and motivates me in all the songs He gives me to glorify and exalt Christ’s name now…
“…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”
Ephesians 5:19-20 NASB1995
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”
Colossians 3:17 KJV
The Lord has so strongly impressed upon my heart the importance to do all things to the glory of Christ’s name that I must do as He leads me.
Each of the redeemed are given a gift in Christ’s Kingdom that we might proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light…
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB1995
“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”
2 Corinthians 4:5, 8-9 NASB1995
The Lord is shining in and through those who submit to His will! He desires to radiate His light through our weak, cracked vessels that He might be glorified through us. Paul wrote:
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;”
2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB1995
Malachi the prophet wrote that God would call those who loved and obeyed Him His jewels.
The Lord guides each of us to honor and exalt His name as we choose to walk in obedience to His will, eschewing the favor of humans and conformity to the culture so that we might please Christ no matter what our commitment to obey God’s will may cost us.
“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.
And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.”
Follow the above link to preview all of the traditional hymns featured on The Lord’s Garden Album! May the Lord use these hymns to comfort and bring joy and encourage those of you who find them a blessing. In Jesus’ Holy name, to whom all honor and glory belongs forever for redeeming our souls from sin. Amen.
Paths of Praise Christian Worship Prayersongs
I love to draw and paint, this is my natural gift…and if left to myself would do this all day. But now I also love to sing ever since the Lord has given me the gift of music to praise Him with. I don’t have the energy to do all things though.
The prayersongs from the Paths of Praise Worship Album all came between 2009-2023. Some are the first prayersongs the Lord ever gave me and I’m excited to be publishing them for the first time. I’ve shared those earliest songs over the years with friends who were suffering, or with my first voice teachers. Songs like Christ’s Joy, For The Mountains May Depart, Secret Place, Sacrifice of Praise, Victory Song, The Lord is My Light and My Salvation, God is For Me; these are some of my earliest prayersongs that the Lord ever gave me. Though they are very joyful songs, they came out of a time of intense spiritual suffering.
*Most of the other prayersongs were written in January of this year with the exception of God is My Refuge which was also one of the earliest Prayersongs.
However, the Lord had me rewrite it.
Be Led By My Spirit is one of my favorites on the Paths of Praise album.
I was sitting one day in the kitchen and the Holy Spirit just sang that song through me. He inspired me to promptly record it.
If I don’t obey that impulse the song will not be remembered.
We Stand Before The Lord, Lord Deliver Me, and Let the Light in Me Not Be Darkness are three published spontaneous spiritual songs that the Lord gave me…but there are many more that are not published.
Obedience to the Lord’s voice within is so important when following Him.
Hebrews 11 tells of the people that heard God’s voice and obeyed Him by faith. They did not wait till they understood why He was asking them to do what He wanted. They just obeyed.
Faith responds to the voice of the Holy Spirit in obedience without the need for explanation because it trusts God.
It loves God. It knows and fears God.
How does it know, love and fear God?
Because it has a habit of abiding in God and studying His word and obeying Him.
God doesn’t want or need perfect people because there are none.
He just needs people that have faith and will listen to Him and obey Him.
God is seeking souls who don’t care what other people think, but who care only what God thinks about them.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:6 NASB1995
Two things are for certain. You and I will die.
We will stand before Christ.
He will then ask us, “Did you obey My voice?”
How will we hear His voice if we are too busy listening to other people?
How do we hear Christ’s voice?
We start by studying His Word.
We read the Gospels. For ourselves. Not someone’s interpretation, book, or blog, or commentary.
But we read the Gospels for ourselves and we go into our prayer closet and we get alone with Christ and pray to Him and ask Him to teach us and we pray to Him.
Christ has promised that His sheep can hear His voice.
He will speak to us. He will guide us. But we must have faith.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.””
John 10:27-30 NASB1995
The Lord Jesus Christ is alive, He is a real, risen Savior!
“He is a God we can come to know…” *Christ’s Joy Prayersong
Follow the link above to preview the original worship prayersongs on Paths of Praise! May the Holy Lord Jesus Christ bless you, fill you with His love and peace and draw you closer to Him as you listen, In Jesus’ holy name, to whom all honor, praise, and worship belong, forever and ever, amen.
All Praise, Glory and honor to our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, who shed Thy spotless blood to redeem our souls from eternal death. Lord, You deserve all our love and worship forever. How we love and praise You! Thank You for saving us! In Jesus’ name amen. ❤️
Jesus Saves To The Uttermost Timelapse Video Painting
Jesus Saves to The Uttermost is a Timelapse painting video using my left ((non-dominant) hand to paint with.
The music on the video is an instrumental song from my recent album Behold The Lamb. The video is very short so you will only hear but a snippet of the music.
The Lord Jesus has been blessing me with many portraits of Himself as I have been doing this physical therapy.
This painting began with what I assumed would be horses all the way through it! You never know where the Lord will lead you though. All He asks me when I paint is that I trust Him and follow His inspiration.
When I paint right handed however, since that hand has all the training and thinks it’s so smart and is it’s own master, it wants a to do list in hand and seems to plot out everything. I never get half the things done that hand plans for me to accomplish. I end up in bed with a migraine.
I hope my experience helps others who are like me and need to learn to lean on the Lord for His strength and trust Him. God is truly no respecter of persons. He will help anyone who trusts Him. He saves to the uttermost all who come to God through Christ. That means that the Lord will do anything according to His will to help that soul when they put their faith in Him.
I want to share these painting practices with you in the hopes that they will encourage you as much as the Lord is encouraging me through them.
“We should think about each other to see how we can encourage each other to show love and do good works.”
Hebrews 10:24 ERV
May our Heavenly Father bless you, in Jesus Name, amen.
Jesus said, Of That Day And Hour No one Knows_ not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32
This is the third video in a series of Time lapse prayer paintings I’ve done since Sunday. I published them on YouTube.
I rarely publish my Timelapse paintings. But these I felt inspired to share because they are for the most part, efforts to paint with my non dominant, or left hand. I’m normally right handed and have always done everything with that beloved instrument. But after I broke my left humerus my left hand was weakened.
The Lord inspired me to write and draw with my left hand to strengthen it. This was humbling act of faith. When I have a bad migraine, it is well nigh impossible. But the three efforts I’ve published since Monday show my progress since I began doing as the Lord directed about a month ago. My hand has become stronger.
I encourage all who are timid about trying something challenging because it seems impossible. The Lord will help. For He truly has helped me and He is no Respecter of persons. His Word never lies.
I pray the short video will encourage you. The other two are also on YouTube should you want to watch them.
Peaceangel Song 
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