YEAR 1, WEEK 5, Day 7, Sunday, 4 February 2024

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 4 February 2024:

Psalm 5:3 – O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Start your day the right way, rededicating yourself to God, and then keep your eyes open to see what God is doing, prepared to join Him in His activity.  One of the best things you could do this year is commit to beginning every day with prayer and Bible study.

Psalm 5:4 – For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

Don’t let sin hinder your relationship with God.  He can forgive your sin, but He cannot tolerate it.  He cannot bless sin.  God hates sin.  He will deal with it.

Psalm 5:5 – The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

God does hate some people.  “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and love cannot “envy or boast” (1 Corinthians 13:4).  A boastful person is an unloving person, and an unloving person (defying the Greatest Commandment of God) is ungodly and therefore, at enmity with the LORD.  If you love flowers, you hate weeds.  To love love, one must hate hate.  Those who promote hate (unloving behavior), are committing the highest cosmic treason against the Sovereign LORD and will face judgment.  Ironically, though not surprisingly, today many who speak out against “hate” are the most boastful and hateful people of all.  The true apprentice of Christ will not be deceived.

Psalm 5:7 – But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.

We can approach God because of His steadfast love, not because of our own merit.  We are unworthy apart from Jesus who covers us over with His righteousness.

Psalm 5:8 – Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. 

We cannot know the way; we must be led by the Holy Spirit.  Only God can make our way straight.

Psalm 5:11 – But let all who take refuge in you rejoice.

Taking refuge in God requires obedience to Him.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 4 February 2024:  Focus on following God’s lead today.  Don’t just act – pray and wait.  When in doubt, test your thoughts with the standard of God’s word before you act.  Obey what you know, and continue to pray for more insight.  Be very careful not to act on emotions or ‘common sense.’  Remember, feelings are often very misleading.  Gut feelings and intuition can be very valuable, but only where they are aligned with God’s word.  God will never lead you into sin or ask you to do ‘good’ things in bad ways. (Psalm 5:1-8)