Author: Marietta Harrell

“Someday I will buy you a horse. It will be a beautiful horse and you will love it and care for it. I will watch you ride the horse and admire both of your beauty.”  The sound of those words thunder through the years.  Hollow words, promises unfulfilled, words lost over time.  But she never forgot them.  So upon each appointed celebration, she gazed out the window to the empty field, seemingly more void than the day before. In that field, were the shadows of those promises – promises now permanently relegated to a time where they will never materialize.

We are all victims of promises that never reached fruition.  And, we are all guilty of extending promises to others that we did not fulfill – from the casual “I’ll call you tomorrow.” to the serious “I’ll pray for you.” to the intentional “Someday…”  But there is One whose promises never fail, whose words never bend or twist, whose commitments remain the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Read Psalms 16:1-11

• Underline, highlight or write down every promise from the Lord in this Psalm. Example: v.1 He preserves (hedges about or guards) me
• Write two empty commitments that you have made to others.  How can you avoid making promises you can’t or won’t keep?
• Write two empty commitments made to you. Have you forgiven the person who made those promises?  Have you ever made those same commitments to someone else? Do you owe someone an apology?

Lord, all of Your promises are yes and amen for me and for those who know and love You.  You promise to guard me, to delight in me, to maintain my lot, to set me in a pleasant place, to rescue me from death, to show me the way of life, to fill me with joy and pleasure, and to advise and counsel me.  You obviously love me or You would not promise me these things. I declare You are my Lord and my God.  You are the only good and righteous thing about me, and that is more than enough!  I have no other gods before You.  You are my portion and my cup, which you fill to overflowing.  I have the best inheritance in You.  You are always in front of me – my eyes are always on You.  I will not be moved.  Because of You, I rejoice, I am glad and I rest in You.  Lord, I pray and believe (increase my faith and help my unbelief) that all of your promises would manifest in my life.  I banish sickness and disease from the lot You have given me – that sickness You take no delight in so it cannot stay.  All evil in me must go – there is no pleasure for You in me when evil is present – it cannot stay.  My inheritance is You, my portion and my cup – no ungodly thing can stay in my life – those things are not from You.  They are no longer welcome in my life – all things not from You must flee from Your light in my life.  Praise be to Your Holy Name!  Thank you Lord that I can rest knowing that your promises are the same for me yesterday, today and tomorrow.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

There are things that can draw us, tempt us, to waste the time we have been given on this earth.  We are told by the Word that our life is but a vapor – a whiff of smoke – here today and gone tomorrow.  We also know that there is a force that is dark and sinister that seeks to keep us from our living a life that is honoring to the Lord.  That shadowy entity uses seemingly innocuous things to draw us away from people and from accomplishing all that we can by stealing our time.  Once we are drawn away, we can then become immersed in something so deeply that we are restrained from not only interacting with the people we encounter, but we are restrained from accomplishing our goals. And, worse, any dream or hope can be destroyed.  I could tell you that this involves only the big obvious “sins”, but I would be doing you a grave disservice.  The truth is we can be drawn away by something little that we allow to become big in our lives.  Most of us spend some bit of time watching a movie, TV show, or the news, playing a video game, checking social media, surfing the net, reading a book, or shopping. When we begin to crave the show, the movie, the game, social media, the book, or shopping, fairly quickly we may find most of our spare time is spent engaging in that activity. Just like alcohol to an alcoholic, our “addiction” wastes our lives and, by extension, the impact we could have had on those around us. We are drawn away from our real purpose, caught in its’ web, where the menacing enemy is able to steal our time, thus killing our dreams and our hopes, and destroy the goals God planned for us.

• What binds your time and thus your hopes, your dreams, and God’s goals for your life?
• What keeps you from having real meaningful interaction with people?
• What if you gave up that “addiction” for thirty days?
• What could you accomplish?
• Whose life could you make a difference in?

No one is perfect. There was one perfect man, Jesus Christ.  Before Him and since Him, there were none worthy of accomplishing what He did for us.  For those that believe now, and those who have yet to believe, He was, He is and He will continue to be The Perfect Sacrifice, the only One.  So what does David mean that only those who walk uprightly (perfectly) and those who work righteousness can abide with God in His sanctified place?  David surely was not perfect…he impregnated a woman who was not his wife, then orchestrated the husband’s murder. David is telling us that we must make a life-style of choosing to do the right thing – our heart and actions are purposed to do what is good (based on the Word) in relation to Jesus and to our fellow man.

Read Psalms 15:1-5 and rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 5 (5 being best) on these points:

• I exhibit integrity in all I think, say and do, including in family relationships, friendships, work, and work relationships.
• I do not speak my vain imaginings and opinions that are harmful to others.
• I do not slander or expose people’s shortcomings.
• I do not bring up anything negative concerning people I know.
• I do not do anything bad to others or help anyone do bad either.
• I hate all evil – choosing to expose evil in my own life and step aside from it.
• I love and honor those who love the Lord.
• I love those who have yet to love the Lord regardless of what I “feel” about them.
• I keep my word even if it will not benefit me (unless it is wrong) or even if it is detrimental to me.
• I do not make others pay more than what is equitable, not just monetarily but in penalty for their wrong actions.
• I do not join with others against someone who is blameless.

Thank the Lord Jesus for His grace that saves us!  David repented of his shortcomings when confronted.  Isn’t it great to know that all we have to do is tell the Lord we are sorry, and purpose in our hearts to change our ways to be forgiven? Pray a prayer right now thanking the Lord for those areas above that you exhibit strength and asking for His help in making your weak areas strong.

Lord, hear the cry of my heart that is right.  Help me to lay aside the vileness in my heart and mouth.  Let me take up integrity and purity in my thoughts and actions.  Let me not just do “works” of good, but let my thoughts, feelings and opinions be righteous, filled with goodness and integrity.  Lord, I cast down evil speaking and purpose in my heart to change as You lead and change me.  Jesus, rescue my words and renew my mind.  Let life come from my heart, my thoughts and my words.  Let me speak encouragement in due season and exhortation when led by You.  I haven’t any hope in changing without Your help.  I lay myself down at Your feet, my heart, my thoughts, my will, my emotions, my mouth.  Thank You for Your sacrifice.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

You decided to go on a diet. You have eliminated all food that packs on the weight by cleaning out your fridge and your cabinets.  Then you end up at lunch with friends.  The time comes to order dessert.  You have made up your mind to be strong, to stay on the diet, as each person orders a delectable dessert.  The server finally gets to you but you hesitate just a fraction of a second.  Your moment of weakness is all your friends’ need to sense, and then the temptation really begins.  As you are reminded of your great meal choices, you are hit by a flurry of comments that do everything except help you stand in your decision to diet.  Further weakened with the help of your good meaning friends, who don’t want to eat it alone, you give in like the alcoholic who only meant to buy a coke in the liquor store.  After all, you were the only one dieting and they were not.  We have all been there – on both sides of that divide.
Substitute any habit you are trying to break for the dessert – smoking, drugs, alcohol, porn, sex, shopping, television, movies, books, gossip.  It seems what our mothers told us is true – misery really does love company.  Or as the psalmist said, “They have together become corrupt.”

Read Psalms 14:1-7 and ask yourself these questions:

• Do my friends encourage me in my decisions or do they want me to stay right where I am – unchanging?
• What can I say to my friends when they are not helpful that will not alienate them but draws them to support me meet my goals?
• Or, do I need to find new friends?
• Do I reassure my friends in their decisions?
• What can I do to fortify decisions my friends make, even though God has not called  me to cease that particular habit?
• Or, do my friends need to find a new friend?

Lord, You see everything, You hear everything, and You know everything. I admit that I have allowed others to draw me away from breaking off habits You have called me to end, and I admit that I have led others away from their decisions to cease their habits.  I ask and receive Your forgiveness for my shortcomings.  Lord, truly victory lies with You as my strength.  I pray for the wisdom, resolve, and persistence to stay the course you have called me to, and I pray that I would be a support and encourager to others in their decisions.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My brother announced to my dad that he wanted to marry his girlfriend. I was only eight and even I knew that my brother was too young to be married.  His voice booming, my dad said, “Are you willing to die for her?” Hastily, my brother answered yes.  My dad stood to his feet, threw out his chest and held his head high.  He positioned himself in front of the couch where my mom was seated – his back to her.  I could see the concern in her eyes and I can still see her holding her breath.   My father, even louder, said, “Imagine if someone were going to shoot her – would you stand in front of her and take that bullet?  Would you die for her?”  My brother hung his head, paused, and confessed that he would not.  My dad, still standing at attention in front of my mother said, “I would.  I would take that bullet for your momma and I would die for her because I love her.  If you aren’t willing to do the same, then you don’t love her.” Decades later this exchange is engraved upon my mind in vivid detail – I can almost still see the shooter as my father stood in front of my mother.

As I think about the act of sacrifice that Jesus, the Son of God, endured, it strikes me how much He must have loved us as he wept in the garden, as he prayed to the Father not to have to show this display of affection for his people, as he endured the unspeakable torture, and as he walked to the hill at Calvary.  As I picture Jesus hanging on that cross, dying for my sins, for nothing he did, but everything I did, and everything I still do, I am overwhelmed by just how much I am loved.  The love my earthly father described is nothing compared to the love Jesus loved me with on that day almost two thousand years ago.

The adversary wants me to fail. He wants me to lose my faith and lose my courage. He wants me to walk in fear without hope. His mission is to use me for his purposes or destroy me. There is no middle ground for him. Sometimes my circumstances remind me of just how fragile my faith and courage can be.
When all earthly hope is taken away from me, when the doctors or the bankers or the creditors tell me there is nothing they can do to help me, when there is no one on earth I can turn to, let me not lose heart – let me not give up – let me not feel like everything is slipping away from me. Let me set my eyes upon Him who is Hope.

Read Psalms 13:1-6

• When I am troubled, do I seek my own answers or remember that my Lord and King promised deliverance to me?
• When I am attacked, do I feel defeated and abandoned with no hope or do I remember that my God said He would deliver me?
• Do I focus on my enemy or do I see the Lord and trust in His favor?

Oh Lord, when troubles come, let me not center my attention on myself or on my enemy, but let me lift my eyes to You. I will trust in Your favor. I will rejoice in Your victory. And I will sing of Your wonderful works in my life. I will not worry about what anyone thinks – I will focus on hearing from You and learning from my situation. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Gossip kills people. That’s right, it kills people – and it kills dreams and futures. It ruins tomorrows for people that cannot overcome the gossip spoken over them yesterday. Every word spoken about a person is either going to sow life or death. Our words are capable of destroying not only those around us, but we can speak about ourselves in such a way as to kill ourselves. God is the only one deserving of our trust. Only His words are true.

Read Psalms 12:1-8

• How can I watch the words I speak over others and over myself?
• Have I contributed to any person not overcoming the gossip I idly spoke about them?
• Do I need to make things right for this person?
• Do I join in gossip by listening or speaking?
• What can I do to commit not to be a party to gossip?
• What pure words from His word can I hold onto that sow life into my life and into the life of those around me?

Let me always remember oh Lord, my God that all of Your word is true and deserving of my trust. You are not a man that You should lie. Your truth is so pure and perfect – what could I say to compare? Absolutely nothing. Let me remember that all of Your words are “yes and amen” for those who love you – for me.  When I see “godly-appearing” men fall, faithfulness disappearing, wicked and depraved men worshiped by the world, let me remember You alone are true and faithful. Keep me from falling into wickedness – set a guard over my mouth – that my words would not cause death to others or to myself. Protect me from evil regardless of its source – especially evil that would seek to rise up in myself. You are my only safety. I praise You and thank You, my King. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

On more than one occasion, in the midst of a storm, I have been tempted to take matters into my own hands.  The truth is, I have given into that temptation more times than I care to recount.  I have pursued my own ideas for solutions to the gale rather than trust God and His righteousness.  In those cases, my resolutions never really put the trouble to bed, but rather delayed its departure and prolonged its presence in my life.  In some instances, my remedy actually caused the hurricane to strengthen and bring in more debris. My ideal is, when everything seems to be coming against me and the very foundations of the world seem to be crumbling, I will not fear.  Because my Lord is on the throne – He cannot be done-in by evil.  His eyes see everything.  He knows what is good and what is evil.  He alone will judge in His righteousness, even when I think He doesn’t see or when I don’t see His justice.

Read Psalms 11:1-7

• Who do I run to in the middle of the storm?
• Do I stay in His protection when the storm lasts longer than I anticipated?
• Do I seek my own way out or His solution?
• Do I seek out my own version of justice?
• Through my own idea of justice, does evil rise up in me?

Lord, let me not take action to seek justice that would cause me to be evil.  Let me always remember that You are seated on high always no matter what I see here on earth.  I know that You judge rightly.  Help me not to run from You when trouble comes, but let me run to You for Your protection and Your solutions.  Thank You, Lord, for Your love that seeks my good and not my harm.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I can’t talk about love without talking about sacrifice, and
I can’t talk about sacrifice without talking about mercy.
Love is doing what is best for someone else
regardless of circumstances,
regardless of what I may feel,
regardless of what others may do to me.
Sacrifice is giving up my position,
my plans,
my ideas,
my ideals,
my feelings,
my desires
for the good of someone else.
Mercy is the coming together of love and sacrifice.