Hebrews 6:17&18

Christ’s atoning sacrifice and perfect righteousness purchased for me all that is needed for my complete, eternal salvation. What my Lord bought for me was not the lack of need for effort, but rather, the assurance that I would have the determination to hold fast and that my holding would be successful.

My Lord bought for me the enabling power to hold fast (not the freedom from having to). He bought the empowering of my will so that I would want to hold fast.

He bought the right to fill me and empower me to be transformed from a worldly person driven by passions into a spiritual being seated with God in the heavenlies.

I am on this earth and in this flesh, but I am no longer of these things. I am set free by Christ who loves me. Now, because God bought me and illuminated my thinking, I press on towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

By God’s grace, I’ve been enabled to do that. I, who have fled to God for refuge, have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before me.

2 Cor. 1; Romans 5; Lamentations 3

In my weakness and/or suffering, father, you are encouraging me into an utterly helpless and yet mature dependence on you. You give me your very presence to comfort, to sustain, to encourage, and to shepherd me home.

Bless you, father. You are the God and Father of my Lord Jesus, the Christ. You are the father of real divine mercy, and the God of all comfort. You comfort me in all my affliction.

I am justified by faith in Jesus as the Christ. Therefore, I have peace with you, father. You give me access by faith into your perfect grace where I stand and rejoice in hope of your glory, father.

Even in afflictions, I glory knowing that tribulations worketh patience, and patience, experience and experience, hope. And hope does not put me to shame because your love, father, is poured into my heart through your Holy Spirit whom you have given to me.

You restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish me. Your steadfast love for me, father, never ceases. Your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, oh God, my father.

Ps 23:5

God, my father, has prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The “table” is the very presence in fellowship & communion of the triune god with me, now, at this very time, through the spirit.

In Exodus 25, God designs a table to hold the bread of his presence, perhaps this is the vision David is having in Psalms 23, verse 5.

He is recognizing that God will give him the daily bread of divine presence and fellowship now, here on this Earth, while we live in this flesh.

Of course, for us now with the New Testament, we can see the promise of God to “shed his love abroad with us through the Holy ghost”, whom he gives us.

Jesus speaks to us of never leaving or forsaking; and of feeding our spirit here on this earth (John 6). He encourages us to eat and drink of him.

“Table” is a place of food and fellowship with friends and family. Perhaps in Psalms 23, God has David prophesying as to what our relationship with the godhead will be like, or should be like, now for us.

So come to the table prepared for you by our Lord. Partake and believe, find faith and relief and encouragement.

II Cor. 5

So now, by your grace, I am in Christ, and I am a new creature. The old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from you, father, through my Lord Jesus, the Christ.

You, father, have reconciled me to you and given me the ministry of reconciliation. In Christ, you, father, are reconciling the world to yourself, not counting our trespasses against us and entrusting to us your message of reconciliation.

For my sake, and for the sake of all of us who are your chosen children, you made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

That is why Paul’s conversion is such a powerful demonstration. It is a statement to us from you, father, that your arm is long enough to save each of us who were chosen by you for salvation.

We cannot be so proud, or stubborn, or hard hearted, or selfish, that you, father, through Christ cannot melt our heart, and forgive our trespasses, and reconcile us to you through the life and resurrection of Jesus, the Savior and Redeemer.

I Tim. 1; Acts 9; II Cor. 5

(1 Tim 1:16) Paul says he lived and was confronted and converted in the way he was for a reason. God allowed Paul to be stubborn and hard-hearted and merciless, and then, bang, slapped him down, blinded him to the world, got his total attention, converted him, and set him on a completely different path.

In this way, Jesus demonstrated his “mercy” and “displayed his patience” to all of us who would “later believe in him for eternal life”.

So, this was good for Paul as the first fruits of Christ’s patience and redemption, but it has a more personal application to me. I see in my life the foolishness and selfishness of sin. I see a past of years of hard-heartedness to those I should have loved, and I see outright rebellion to God.

I persecuted you, Lord Jesus. My life of unbelief and rebellion was a persecution to you. Your call and choosing of me; your transformation of me is a demonstration of your patience and power.

In steadfast love and sovereign grace you never let me go, and in your time, you worked your work in me.

Hebrews 3,4&6

Today, Father, I consider and look upon Jesus, the apostle and high priest of my confession. He is the reason for the unshakable hope that dwells in me. Jesus is worthy of all glory.

Christ is faithful over your house as a son. I am a son in your house, father. I hold fast to my confidence in Jesus and my testimony of him as my Lord and hope. Today I am at rest in you, father.

I have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, and I hold fast to that confession. He was tempted in every respect, as I am, yet he is without sin. So, with confidence in Jesus, my advocate and high priest, I draw near to your throne of grace, father, and I receive mercy and I find grace to help in time of need.

Christ is set before me as my perfect and unshakable hope. He is a sure and steadfast anchor for my soul. His unbreakable ties secure me in your perfect presence, father, forever.

Ps. 23

Even though from birth’s first breath I have been walking in the valley of the shadow of death, God commands me and encourages me to be prepared (tempered) to fear no evil.

Even though there is evil out there, there is God, who is mightier than all evil and he is all around me and indwells me.

My father has and uses whatever is required to guard me perfectly and eternally. His rod and his staff comfort me because they are all that is required to overcome every temporal need and attack that I “walk” in here in this flesh.

I fear no evil because God is with me. I have the very presence of God dwelling in me. Around me, in the spiritual and eternal realm is his rod. That is all his mighty power to protect me from any attack and pestilence not allowed by him.

And I see his staff which guides me and snatches me out of harm. His staff, that lifts me up, draws me close to him, and guarantees I am never separated from him.

Ps. 10; Eph. 6; I Tim. 2; 3 John 2; Ps. 5, 57

Thank you, Lord, that you hear our prayers; that you hear our affliction and incline your ear to us.

I call on you in my days of trouble and you deliver me and you fill me with your glory. I cast all my anxieties on you, Lord, and I am joyful, because you care for me.

I pray at all times in your spirit, with all prayer and supplication; with all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving,

I pray for all people, particularly kings, presidents and leaders. I pray that they would be wise and selfless, and that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way.

I pray that all will go well with me and mine. That we will be in good health and that things go well with our soul.

I rejoice and take refuge in you, father. I sing for joy and I exhult in you. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge, and the storms of destruction pass by.

Psalms 27

You, Heavenly Father, fill my mind and lift my thoughts far above my enemies, and I offered to you sacrifices with shouts of joy. I sing and make melody to you, Father, Son and Holy ghost.

You hear me, o Lord, when I cry to you. You are gracious and you answer me. You encourage me to seek your face. You do not hide from me, and you do not turn me away in anger. Instead, you seek me and draw me to you. You help me. You will never cast me off or forsake me.

At some point my parents have to leave me, but you Lord and father, never leave me. Instead you take me in and adopt me. You teach me your ways, o Lord, and you lead me on a level path.

I am not confused or mislead by my adversaries, or by false witnesses, or by those who breathe out violence. I believe you, Lord, and I look upon your goodness in the land of life. I wait for you, Lord. I am strong in Christ and my heart is courageous.

Psalms 27

You, o Lord, are my light and my salvation; because of that I have nothing to fear. You are the stronghold of my life, so nothing and no one can harm me.

Evil does assail your people and it plots to consume us, but, by your hand and in your mercy, evil stumbles and falls. Whole armies of evil encamp around us that are yours, Lord, and they make war against you and yours, but I do not fear because I am confident in your power and faithfulness.

What I do seek after, father, is to dwell in your house every day and all the days of my life. I gaze upon your beauty, Lord, and I inquire about you in your word and by your spirit.

You hide me in your shelter, father; you cover me with your tent; you lift me high upon Jesus, the rock of your salvation.