“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Psalms 19:14 (KJV) Hi Friends, How are you today? I have been writing about the Bible and how we can use it in our lives. One of the ways is to look at some of the prayers that were prayed by other people and hold them close to our hearts. Of course we have the Lord’s Prayer taught by Jesus. However, we also have prayers by King David and others in the Book of Psalms. The words in Psalms 19:14 sound like a beautiful prayer to me that can be helpful and prayed in various situations. I am not sure why King David wrote it or what he was going through at the time. (Was it after his acts of murder and adultery? I don’t know.) Yet, I think it was a verse that was part of a song just after he had asked forgiveness for hidden thoughts and he was asking help to keep his thoughts pure. I like that he called God “his strength” and “his redeemer” in this verse. To me, it sounds like King David was struggling with bad thoughts and words and he knew that God would give him strength and that God can redeem any sinner. He was crying out for help. I think it helps us in such times to remember that God can give us strength, can redeem us, and can direct our hearts and mind. We all have thoughts that might not be so good. It is only human. Hopefully, they are just fleeting thoughts that don’t last. Although, sometimes they linger and can turn into something more harmful. That fleeting thought might turn into an attitude, a word, or an action. Instead of a fleeting thought, it could be a negative outlook on life. It changes us. So, we are called to ask God to save us from ourselves. Isn’t it wonderful that we have such a God in which to turn? Our thoughts and words often lead to actions. If they are bad, negative, or sinful, they will lead to bad, negative, or sinful actions. Saying something mean or hurtful, for example, in a moment of weakness can cause irreparable damage at times. We don’t want to say something in anger that will cause us regret later on. That is the way we lose friends and loved ones. It is how we tear down love instead of build up love. It is how we sin and drift away from God. Our negative thoughts and feelings may not always hurt others, but may hurt us as well. Suicide, for example, doesn’t just happen. A series of negative thoughts and feelings lead up to the choice of suicide. The act of dwelling on something negative doesn’t help us at all. Like David, we are called to look to God to move on to thoughts that are more in accordance to God’s will for us. While we are depressed, we can pray something like this, so that instead of dwelling on what ever depresses us, God can direct our thoughts to something more productive. Sometimes, we may pray these words before having the negative thoughts. When I write devotions, I pray something similar. I ask God to guide my thoughts and words. I don’t want to misguide anyone or give a message that is different than God’s intentions in anyway. I want the words and message to be His and not mine. No matter what your circumstance, may you find ways to incorporate this little prayer into your everyday life. It may just save your life some day. May you remember that God is the strength and redeemer of all of us who believe and call upon Him. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Holy Creator, our Heavenly Father, our Strength, and our Redeemer. Help us to remember to call on you in times of need. Help us to keep our words, our thoughts, and our feelings according to your will for us. Prevent us from wrong words, wrong thoughts, and wrong feelings. Don’t let us drift away from you, even in thoughts. Let us always be close to you. When we do drift, help us to remember that if we come to you and repent, you can redeem us. We don’t need to continue to drift. Guide our words, thoughts, and feelings always. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Psalms 14:19 *What does Psalms 14:19 mean to me? *What are some circumstances when praying this verse would be helpful? *Have I ever prayed a similar prayer? *What do I think King David was going through when he said these words? *Can I imagine how King David was feeling during this time? *Was there a time when I didn’t pray such words and they would have been helpful? *What can I do to remember to pray these words more often? I would be interested in your thoughts. Leave a comment or contact me. And, if you like my content, please share and consider signing up for my email list. Thank you.
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“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) Hi Friends, How are you today? Last week, I wrote about reading the Bible and the importance of the God’s Word. And, how did I show the importance of God’s Word? I used God’s own words through St. Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV), which says, “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Today, I would like to delve deeper into one of the purposes of the Bible. God, through St. Paul, tells us to “examine yourselves.” How are we to examine ourselves? We can take a moment to think about what we do, what we think, and what we feel, and we can measure them against the words in the Holy Bible. The Bible is a guide for us to follow to live correctly in God’s sight, so that we can spend eternal life with Him. We also have Jesus as an example and the Holy Spirit within us to help us reflect on whether what we are doing is right or wrong. So, if we have an opinion that differs from someone else, how do we know what is true and right? We look to see what the Bible says, pray about it, and look at how Jesus lived. It is good to examine ourselves and make sure we are on the right path. God’s Word is available for our instruction and for us to “prove” that what is right or wrong. It is our compass. It shows us how to live correctly in God’s eyes. I think most of us probably try to avoid the “big things” like, the commandment saying we should not kill. We might think, “Did I kill anyone today? Nope, so I am good.” Yet, it is often the “little things” that lead to us spiraling down into darkness away from God without us even knowing what happens. It might be a bad thought, a “little fib”, or maybe a word said in anger, that if left unchecked, can lead to us being far, far from God. We don’t notice it, because it is only tiny little steps away from God. Like in our thinking above, “I didn’t kill anyone today, so I must be good, right?” Well, even these “little things” are sin that bring us farther and farther from God. Our “little” actions, words, and feelings need to be in check every moment of every day as well. Yes, yes, I know that this may seem a little extreme and that our society doesn’t necessarily agree with this statement as a whole. So, what should we do? Like the verse says, “Examine yourselves.” Check to see what God’s Word says, reflect upon Jesus’ example for us, and ask the Holy Spirit. The Bible doesn’t say, check to make sure you didn’t do any “big things” that are wrong. All sin, big or small, brings us farther from God. Not sure if you believe what I say. That is okay. What should you do? Read the Bible, reflect upon Jesus’ example, and pray for guidance. I don’t mind. I don’t want you to take my word for it. I want you to read the Bible, reflect upon Jesus’ example, and pray for guidance. Why do we want to examine ourselves? We want to examine ourselves so that we don’t fall far from God. We want to stay on the right track that leads to everlasting life with God. We want to have God’s Holy Spirit within us. If we examine ourselves often, even if we stray, we can seek forgiveness and get back on the right path, before we go so far away from God that it is very hard to turn back to Him. Heavenly Father, Thank you for providing your Word to guide us and show us the right way to go. Help us to heed your word and to examine ourselves often to make sure we are on the right path. Help us to know that we need to see if we measure up in the “little things” as well as the “big things”, because all sin whether big or small lead us farther from you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for 2 Corinthians 13:5 *What does 2 Corinthians 13:5 mean to me? *Do I consult God or read the Bible when I am not sure what is right and wrong? *Do I examine my actions, thoughts, and feelings against what the Bible says to see how I measure up? If so, why and how often? If not, why not? *Do I feel I should be concerned about “little” sins? *What does the Bible say about the “little” sins? Now, friends, I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment. Also, if you like this post, feel free to share it or even sign up to hear from me in your inbox. 
“All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) Hi Friends, How are you today? I am not trying to get nosy or personal here, but do you read the Bible? You don’t have to answer. There is no quiz at the end of the post. It is just a question you can ask yourself. You may also ask yourself, if so, why do you read the Bible or if not, why not. It might be the same for you, but I have gone through seasons of reading and not reading the Bible. Now, I am definitely in a season of reading the Bible. I enjoy reading the Bible, learning about God’s Word, about God himself, about Jesus, about God’s Holy Spirit, about God’s will for me, about the people in biblical times, and about the lessons God wants me to learn. I now read the Bible for many reasons. I know that some people are intimidated by reading the Bible. They may have started reading a difficult translation, such as the King James Version, and couldn’t understand it through all the “thees” and “thous” in that particular version. Others may have started at the beginning and tried to read it like a book, which is difficult to do if you are new to reading the Bible, especially for the first time. For others, time or obedience, may be the issue. Those have all been reasons I haven’t read the Bible at one time or another. So, on a logical level, I understand. Yet, today, I yearn to read the Bible. I want to read God’s Word! Reading the Bible, like prayer, is time I get to spend with God, to learn from God, to know God better, to see the path that God has set for me. It is personal and rewarding. It brings me joy. Each time I read the Bible I see something new, learn something new, and understand something new. That isn’t to say that the words are different, but as I mature and as my needs change, different things about God’s Word catch my eye and tug at my heart. Also, the more I read the Bible, the more I learn and the deeper my understanding goes. During biblical times, St. Paul wrote a letter to Timothy telling him all about the bad and evil ways of people in “the last days”. (2 Timothy 3) Yet, St. Paul was trying to encourage Timothy by the words at the end of the chapter, saying pretty much that, “It is going to be okay for you. You have God’s Word, and that is all you need to show you the way.” Just as St. Paul encouraged Timothy, it is one of my prayers and hopes through the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations to encourage you to read, pray, and rely on scriptures for your compass in life. If you feel intimidated or have trouble reading the Bible, please feel free to comment or contact me. I will try to give you some ideas, prayers, and encouragement. Why Read the Bible? I go to church, so why do I need to read the Bible? I know for me, I wanted to know why my parents and my church were asking me to do this or that. I wanted to see what the Bible said about things that happened at church and at home. Maybe I was rebellious, but I wanted to know for myself what God said. It isn’t that I distrusted my parents or my minister. (Although, some people and even ministers don’t relay God’s words truthfully.) I just didn’t want to rely on them for the information. That reason may not be your reason for wanting to read the Bible. Like reading the Bible and learning from the Bible, the reasons to read the Bible are personal. We each have our own set of reasons. As St. Paul tells Timothy in 3 Timothy 2:16, there is more than one reason to read scriptures. The Bible can be used to teach, to learn, to correct, to discipline, to encourage, to understand, to pray, to talk, and to relate. Often, we will have different reasons to read or proclaim scriptures each time we do it. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us your holy Word! Thank you for providing scripture for us to read and to use as a compass in our life to show us the path you have set for us. Help us to read and understand the Bible, so that we will know You better, know Jesus better, and know your Holy Spirit better, and know your will for us better. Show us through the Bible the lessons in life you want us to learn. Help us to be better people, better Christians, better neighbors, better friends, better stewards, better ministers, better parents, and better children through reading the Bible. Help us to be healthier and wiser through reading the Bible. Help us to seek you, to praise you, and to worship You more fully, by reading the Bible. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. Reflective Questions to Ask Yourself: *What does 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 mean to me? *Do I read the Bible? If so, why? If not, why not? *Do I want to read the Bible? *How do I feel reading the Bible? *What are my Bible reading goals? *What would help me read the Bible? What are your thoughts? I would like to read your comments! I am always open to feedback, comments, and ideas. I would enjoy knowing your thoughts. I am happy to learn from you and encourage you. Here is a Resource for YOU! I have created a resource for you to get more out of your Bible reading. They are "5 Reflective Questions to Delve Deeper into God's Word" by DUO Inspirations. They are questions to ask yourself as you read and reflect on the verses you read to understand God's Word at a deeper level. Sign up and start using these reflective questions today!  Mark 12:30 (KJV) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
Mark 12:30 (KJV) Hi friends! Welcome to the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations! My name is Jodi Desautels and I am owner of DUO Inspirations. I am so glad you are here! I chose the words in Mark 12:30 to share as a welcome to the Faith Blog and DUO Inspirations as a whole, because they are words that warm my heart and embody everything I strive to do in life. If you feel the same way or want to feel the same way, you are in the right place. Thank you for being here. This one verse that Jesus spoke is the leading directive for us as Christians. It is a guiding principle of which we all should strive to follow. Yet, do we? I aspire to follow this first and most important commandment, but fall short in so many ways. These words of Jesus are the guiding principle in my own life and in DUO Inspirations, no matter how short I may fall. I know from experience how difficult it is to live fully for God and to love God with our whole being. So, my prayer and dream is to be able to help you do just that. I believe we can help each other, and in doing so and with prayer, God will help us all. I believe that as our Creator, the one true God, the Almighty, and our Heavenly Father, God deserves every bit of the love in which we are called to give. I believe He deserves not only the love, but also the respect and trust that goes along with such a love. I also believe that this commandment is not only for God’s benefit, but also for our benefit. If we love God with our whole being and strength, we will live a more complete, loving, joyous, and fulfilled life. * * * * * * * * * * * * * The closest we might come to showing this sort of love, might be with our family, in a ministry or during mission work, or even in our weekly worship. We know that we need to love, respect, and provide for our family in every waking hour. We can’t just love our loved ones part time. If we join a mission or ministry, we desire to help God’s people with the time we can give. We know that worshiping God at church or at home is a good thing. It is all the areas of our life where it is difficult to fulfill this commandment. For me, I often don’t think to love God with my whole being during some aspects of my life. What about you? Can you love God, by the foods you eat? Yes! Do I think of that, most of the time when I eat? No. Ugh. Can you love God during your shopping trip or driving down the road? Yes. Do I think of that, most of the time when I am doing these things? No. Ugh. We are called to love God always, in all ways; in every thought, every feeling, every sentiment, and every action. We are called to love Him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet, thankfully, God is patient, kind, and loving. He does get upset when we fail to do these things, however He is always happy to welcome us with open arms if we are sorry for not doing our best. He gives us scriptures, each other, prayer, and many ways to help guide us back to His love. I pray that through DUO Inspirations, we can help each other to find His holy love and to help each other to follow the commandment that Jesus spoke in Mark 12:30. For posts on healthy Christian living, Bible study, devotion, prayer, and more, please continue to read the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations. * * * * * * * * * * * * * My strengths are in faith, education, and creativity. They are the talents, interests, and desires God gave me. It is through these areas, that I can offer the most help to you to live a life of love for God with every fiber of your being, “with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” That is my hope, dream, and prayer with DUO Inspirations. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Here are some reflective questions for you to ask yourself: *What does Mark 12:30 mean to me? *What is most difficult for me to follow the first commandment as stated by Jesus in Mark 12:30? *What can I do to better follow the words Jesus spoke in Mark 12:30? Here are a couple of questions from me: (I would enjoy hearing from you. Put your answers in the comments or feel free to contact me.) Thank you. *Which topics are you most interested in... faith, education, or creativity? (You can choose more than one.) *What type of topics concerning faith and Christian living would you most life to see? If you would like to hear from me in your inbox, sign up through the form in the side bar or on the DUO Inspirations home page. See you there. Thank you. |
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This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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