God is Greater

Hey Treasures, how is it going??  I hope and pray that you are having a great week.

Have you ever had those days when you just feel tired or when you are battling shame, guilt, condemnation?  Days when you are just wounded, the pain in your heart is not letting up?  When sorrow suffocates you and you just feel like you can not take another breathe?

I have had these days sometimes all that and some all in a day. In our lives here in this world, we will go through things, we will experience things. Many times we allow our emotions to get the best of us. We allow the enemy to whisper lies right into our ear when he should be no wear near our ears but rather under our feet.  He has been defeated.

We can overcome doubts, fears, hurts, condemnation, lies and sin. We are no longer bound to any of this " `cause the cross already won the war" (from the song Greater by MercyMe)

Romans 6:6-7 The Voice (VOICE)
⁶ We know this: whatever we used to be with our old sinful ways has been nailed to His cross. So our entire record of sin has been canceled, and we no longer have to bow down to sin’s power. ⁷ A dead man, you see, cannot be bound by sin.

Source

This is why it is so important for us to read our Bibles, and read them again and then read them once again! The bible is clear and it is not a book of rules for us to follow. It is God's very own love letter to you and to me. It is the greatest love story there is and you know what Mr. Aguila and I have a pretty amazing love story BUT God's love for us is far GREATER. 

A few months ago, I started listening to AIR 1, a Christian music station. The stations mission statement is pretty cool, "To Create Compelling Media that Inspires and Encourages You to Have a Meaningful Relationship With Christ." (Read this on their About section on the website).  The website is pretty cool as well. You can look up the songs and listen, buy them and/or find the lyrics.

On my way to work I usually start my day with this station and the other day while driving into work, I heard this song by Mercy Me. I am sharing the video because it's pretty cool. The video has the lyrics but I want to share them with you.
No matter what is going on with us we must remember this scripture,
1 John 4:4  The Voice (VOICE)
My children, you have come from God and have conquered these spirits because the One who lives within you is greater than the one in this world.


MercyMe - Greater 
From the album Welcome To The New
Bring your tired
Bring your shame
Bring your guilt
Bring your pain
Don't you know that's not your name
You will always be much more to me

Everyday I wrestle with the voices
That keep telling me I'm not right
But that's alright

‘Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed
When others say I'll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

Bring your doubts
Bring your fears
Bring your hurt
Bring your tears
There'll be no condemnation here
You are holy, righteous and redeemed

Every time I fall
There'll be those who will call me
A mistake
Well, that's ok

There'll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn't matter
‘Cause the cross already won the war
He's greater
He's greater
I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how He sees me
And it makes me love Him more and more
He's greater
He's greater



I am still trying to keep up with 30 days of Radical Growth with Havilah Cunnington and you can also watch the videos here. They are each about 7 minutes long so you can catch up really quick. The playlist for the devotion is HERE.

So I pray that we all begin to walk in the power and authority that God has given us and that we remember that He is greater than any fear, any sin, any doubt, any condemnation, any lie, any emotion and His grace is sufficient. Let us continue to press forward and love Him more and more and continual in radical growth, In Jesus name amen.

Are you THRIVING?

Hey Treasures, welcome back to my blog.  I am so glad you are here with me and I hope you enjoy this.

So a blogged about Change with Seasons and in continuation with the theme of change and growth and seasons I wanted to talk a little about what it means to THRIVE.

According to Webster Dictionary, the word THRIVE means, to grow or develop successfully;  to grow vigorously;   to gain in wealth or possessions (prosper);  to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.

My favorite definition was, "to grow vigorously".  In this season, that it my goal, to grow vigorously, to grow radically. Any growth, however, is good growth. Even if I am growing in small increments, growth is growth BUT let's ponder on THRIVING.

In Proverbs 11:28, (NIV) the scripture tells us that "those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will THRIVE like a green leaf." 

We must always trust in the Lord and His riches and glory, not our own. We must remain righteous in the eyes of God (not man) so that we can THRIVE like a green leaf.  When I think of a green leaf, I think of watered. refreshed, liveliness, growth. What about you?

Jeremiah 17:7-8 gives us a great description of a growing tree with green leaves and compares this to a man who trusts in the Lord.

7"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. 8"For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

This portion of scripture is so rich. As we trust in the Lord, we will be blessed and we will be like that tree that is firmly planted by the water and our roots go deep into the fresh wet soil and our leaves remain green and fresh and alive and growing and we will not stop growing fruit.

Psalm 1 is a great chapter. I would recommend reading through it. I enjoy reading the VOICE version but of course you read it in any translation that speaks to you.

Psalm 1:3 Voice says this,
You are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry.
Your fruit ripens in its time;  your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun. No matter what you do, you prosper.

The Voice (VOICE) The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

I would say these scriptures depict THRIVING.  "the righteous will THRIVE like a green leaf." (Proverbs 11:28b).  So that means to me, like a leaf that is watered, like a leaf that is alive, like a leaf that is growing.  Let us plant our roots by the streams of Living Water. Water our leaves with the Word of God that refreshes our spirit and progress towards our goal of continued growth. We can not wither away or dry up but THRIVE both despite and because of our circumstances.

Maybe today you find yourself withering away or as if you have dried up. Maybe you are feeling the thirst for the Living Water to refresh your leaves once again. I have been there!  It's a good thing if we are able to discern that we are withering away or drying up and in need of drawing closer to the stream of Living Water to get refreshed and renewed.  We must continue to Thrive. Ask yourself if you are you THRIVING or withering away and then let's make the necessary changes to be back in alignment and THRIVE.

Let's pray:  God we praise your mighty name and we thank you for who You are. I ask you to increase our thirst for Your Living Water. I pray that you will refresh each and every one of us. As we draw near to you, we thank you that our roots are going deeper and our leaves are getting greener and we are growing in this season.  Thank you for the grace and the mercy that you have for us and thank you for your love that draws us to the Sweet Sweet Stream.  Be magnified Oh Lord, IN Jesus name I pray Amen.

Here is the video of the song that spoke to me and caused me to look up the word Thrive and then God gave me all the rest. Take a watch and be blessed by these lyrics.

Casting Crowns - Thrive from casting-crowns on GodTube.

Tips for Long Term Friendships

"When we consider the blessings of God—the gifts that add beauty and joy to our lives, that enable us to keep going through stretches of boredom and even suffering—friendship is very near the top."
—Donald W. McCullough, Mastering Personal Growth

God has blessed me with some amazing women in my life and some amazing friendships.
I have a beautiful mother whom has been through so much YET she still is always beautiful and such a blessing to me and Mr. Aguila and is one of my very best friends.

I have my cousins, whom I grew up with and though the paths of our lives have taken many turns at the end of it all, we are family and I love my family.  This pretty much sums it up.

Source

I have my "buddy" which most people would refer to as their "best friend" but I just never have liked to use that so I call her MY BUDDY but she is everything that a best friend is and so much more, our friendship has lasted well over 20 years and that is more than half of my life time. Her and I have been through many stages of our lives and even when we go through long stretches of not catching up with each other, WHEN we finally do we pick up as if no time has even passed us by. I love this here girl and her beautiful family. 

 

 

And last but not least, I have my real life GIG(Girlfriends in God) We encourage each other daily, check on each other daily and best of all pray with each and for each other.  These ladies inspire me to keep going and to keep growing. We have been connected by God on this journey for over six years. In these six years, we have grown in our walks with God, got married, moved, changed, experienced heart aches, hard times and just life and through it all we remain united.

 

 

We have had ups and we have had downs, we have experienced misunderstandings, we have gone through disappointments, we have rubbed each other like sand paper BUT I must say we continue going, keeping our love for each other. 

 

Having all these amazing ladies in my life has helped me so much through MANY things in my life.  There are many others who have come along and done life with me and I do realize it and I am ever so thankful to you as well. 

I think it is important to connect this way.  I didn't use to which is why I only have a handful of friends and I didn't mention them all here and as I am typing this there are some that come to mind but they know I love them also!

A FEW TIPS I HAVE LEARNED ON MAINTAINING A LONG TERM FRIENDSHIP:

LOVE, LOVE and more LOVE and I when I say LOVE, I am talking about that 1st Corinthians 13 kind of LOVE.



Source

Always Speak The Truth In Love Even If It Hurts

Proverbs 27:5-6 (NLT)

⁵ An open rebuke is better than hidden love!

⁶ Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

Sometimes It Takes Making Sacrifices

John 15:13 (NLT)
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Strengthen and Help Each Other
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

¹⁰ If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls

    and has no one to help them up.

¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

¹² Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

 

Counsel Each Other

Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

 

Sharpen Each Other

Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

 

So what about you, do you have girlfriends like this?  If so, what has helped you maintain them and if not I hope my biblical tips will help you as they continue to help me.  I am far from perfect and I am constantly learning and growing and stretching through these relationships because God just loves us too much to leave us the same and for that I am thankful.

Follow Me Bible Study {Week 3} Delight in God

Hello Beautiful Treasures, how are you doing?  I am sorry I took  break without any notice.  It wasn't really planned but with birthday weekend, I needed a couple of days to catch up at home and do all that fun stuff we love, clean house, do laundry, cook, clean up and start all over again.

  

I did leave you with some great giveaways so I hope you have entered them. 

PIER 1 $50 GIFT CARD (ends 10/24) // $750 PAYPAL CASH (ends 10/27) // $225 PAYPAL CASH (ends 10/31)

 I am behind on my reading for...

This is what I have so far for this week.

Week 3

"DELIGHT IN GOD"

 

This week’s Scripture Memory

source: Pinterest

This week in a daily break down

I usually will share what stood out to me the most from each day (There is a lot of good points throughout the days, from what I have read and l only share one but this week it will be different because I haven't read through the week or taken notes on all the days.

I hope that you will join us on this bible study and share with us what stood out to you, ask questions and/or leave comments.

 

Day One – Our Father

The creator of the universe is my Father, this chapter really spoke to me. It touches on "God Delights in Us" and "We Delight in God".  These are to two subtitles in this chapter. 

 

In the God Delights In Us section, David Platt says that in the Old Testament God is rarely described as Father; 15 times to be exact. He says in the New Testament, in the Gospels alone, we see God described as Father 165 different times and 164 of them occur when Jesus is teaching His disciples.  He uses the Sermon on the Mount, as an example, where Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray.  You know the Our Father prayer right? David Platt says, "Amazingly, this is the first time in the Bible where anyone is encouraged to pray to God as Father.

 

~~"Jesus' words are both astounding and significant.  As Christians, we have the distinct privilege of knowing, worshipping, talking, and relating to God as "our Father.”  BY DAVID PLATT, page 66

 

What a privilege this is indeed to call the creator.  of the universe Abba Father! Jesus tore the veil and now we can now talk to directly to our Father in heaven.

 

==EVEN NOW RUN INTO HIS ARMS AND SAY, "MY FATHER."=

 

This is somewhat of a struggle for me.  My dad died when I was five.  I have distinctive memories of him and I and then one day we got the sad new that my died dad, even now it brings me to tears.  I remember that day so clearly.  I remember I was in my mom's room playing Lite Brite with my brothers and my cousins. I can still hear my mom screaming "NO, NO, NO"!!!! and banging on the wall while on the phone.

Although I was only five, I had a great relationship with my dad. I was daddy's little girl. My mom says when he would go out, all I would do was cry for him.  The void in my heart even now has me typing and crying.  After all these years it still hurts.  I use to think my dad abandoned me.  I was so young  I didn't understand. I battle or have battled a fear of abandonment because of this deep wound.  This also makes for a difficult time to fully embrace God almighty as my Heavenly Father.  Growing up without my dad was a challenge BUT the void in my heart and the pain deep within me affected me more than I care to admit. 

I want the wall removed so I can run into God's arms and say "My Father."  A part of me even feels guilty because all my life (well since I was five) I longed for my daddy's love and I searched for it. Oh let me tell you, I searched in ALL the wrong places.  encountering Jesus has helped me a lot BUT I am still a work in progress and I know the God reveals to heal.  As this stuff services and the ache in my heart becomes ever so real, I find comfort knowing that through this God is healing me and He promises to never leave me nor forsake me and I can feel safe with my Heavenly Father and hold onto the memories of my daddy.

Thank you for reading. I pray you were blessed.  This book has my attention. Please make sure  to stop by Satisfaction Through Christ’s to read  Christie's discussion on the this week’s reading and also check back with us every Wednesday for the next 3 weeks for the rest of this study.

God bless you and if you have any prayer requests please leave me a comment or send me an email and we will lift up your needs in Jesus name.



Follow Me Bible Study {Week 2} Be Transformed

Hello Treasures and welcome to Week 2 of the Follow Me Bible Study series with Satisfaction Through Christ.

This week’s Focus

Be transformed.

 

This week’s Scripture Memory

John 15:5 – Vine and Branches Wallpaper

This week in a daily break down

I will share what stood out to me the most from each day (There is a lot of good points throughout the days, from what I have read but I will only share one.  I hope that you will join us on this bible study and share with us what stood out to you, ask questions and/or leave comments.

Day One – United with Christ

What a blessing to be united with Christ, united with a purpose.  We get to unite with Christ and continue the work of God the Father, the work to further the kingdom of God.  United to share and fill earth with God’s love; with joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

~~ “If you’re a Christian, Jesus Christ lives in you and is with you. Moreover, you live in Jesus and are with Him.  That’s what He meant in John 15:4 when He told His disciples to “remain in me, and I will remain in you.”  BY DAVID PLATT, page 42

==TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO EXPERIENCE UNITY WITH CHRIST==

Day Two – Jesus  Changes  Everything

Oh boy, Oh boy, does Jesus change everything.  When we truly unite with Christ, we will be changed and transformed.

~~ “First, when we’re united with Christ, He begins to transform our thoughts.  He changes the way we perceive and process information so that, over time, we’re able to think more and more like Him.  Paul wrote about this transformation in 1 Corinthians 2:”

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (VOICE)

12 You must know that we have not received the spirit of this rebellious and broken world but the Spirit that comes from God, so that we may experience and comprehend the gifts that come from God. 13 We do not speak of these gifts of God in words shaped by human wisdom; we speak in words crafted by the Spirit because our collective judgment on spiritual matters is accessible to those who have the Spirit. 14 But a person who denies spiritual realities will not accept the things that come through the Spirit of God; they all sound like foolishness to him. He is incapable of grasping them because they are disseminated, discerned, and valued by the Spirit.

Question

Read 1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMP)

16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

What does it mean when it says “we have the mind of Christ”?

I like the Amplified Version of this scripture.  It says we do hold the thoughts, feelings and purposes of Christ heart! This truth is enough to change us. If we really mediate on this, we will forever be changed. Think about it, we have the mind of Christ and hold thoughts and feelings and purposed of HIS heart! That is life changing. Join me on this life changing study.

David Platt goes onto say that Paul also wrote about the benefits of this transformation.  I love these cartoons from Joyful 'toons and I think this one depicts this well.

==THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BENEFIT OF CHOOSING TO FOLLOW HIM==

Day Three – From Internal to External

There are several sections for each day in the book.

On Day three, my favorite section was JESUS TRANSFORMS OUR RELATIONSHIPS. (This is big for me)

Here is what David Platt has to say,

~~ “As our transformation continues to progress from internal to external,  Jesus impacts more than our individual actions. He also transforms our relationships with others.  Specifically, He gives us the ability to love others as He loves them: (See John 15:12-15)

In this same section He goes on to say,

~~ “As we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, He transforms our ability to love and relate with others. He enables us to love our neighbors as ourselves (See Matt. 22:39).  As a result, Christians should be distinguishable from the rest of the world because our relationships with one another and with those who still need Christ:

Question

In what ways do you express sacrificial love for those who still need Christ?

 

==YOUR WILL, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, EVEN YOUR ENTIRE PURPOSE FOR LIVING IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AS YOU ABIDE IN JESUS AND AS HE ABIDES IN YOU==

Day Four – Abide in God’s Word

This was full of some wisdom for me. There were a few questions discussed on this day.
David Platt talks about believing the scriptures and believing through the consequences.

~~ "So part of what it means to remain in Jesus is to spend regular time reading the bible, which is His Word.  But we know from James that even the demons have an intellectual awareness of what God has revealed in His Word--and shudder (see Jas. 2:19),
Therefore, Jesus makes it clear that obedience is also part of the equation: 
John 15:9-10
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. (emphasis added), David Platt (page 53)
 

Questions

What part do we play when it comes to remaining in Christ?  What choices do we need to make in order to remain in Him? What actions do we need to take?

 

==BEAR THE FRUIT OF THIS WORD IN THE WORLD, EVEN IF THAT MEANS LOSING EVERYTHING ELSE==

Day Five – Personal Disciple-Making Plan:  Fill Your Mind with Truth
This one had me in tears for personal reasons but good stuff. Great questions to think about and advice on how to plan for filling our minds with truth.

~~ "As you consider a plan for reading, memorizing, and learning God's Word, don't forget that we do these things as disciples not for information's sake but for transformation's sake.  Once again, the words of James are helpful:  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says" (Jas. 1:22)

As believers in Jesus, we're followers of Jesus , which means that we not only hear the truth of Christ;  we apply the truth of Christ.  Our goal as disciples is never just to believe God's Word;  our goal is to obey God's Word."  David Platt, (page 61)

Question

Are you satisfied or unsatisfied with your current plan for reading God's Word? Why?

No, No, No!!! I am not satisfied with my current reading plan for God's Word. I crave God's Word but it is hard for me to stick to a reading plan for some reason, so I usually just read random scriptures.  After reading this, I am following a reading plan and sticking to it and intentionally filling up my mind with God's Word, God's truth.

==THEREFORE, AS YOU PLAN TO FILL YOUR MIND WITH TRUTH, ALSO PURPOSE TO FOLLOW THE ONE WHO IS TRUTH ==

Thank you for reading. I pray you were blessed.  This book has my attention. Please make sure  to stop by Satisfaction Through Christ’s to read  Christie's discussion on the this week’s reading and also check back with us every Wednesday for the next 4 weeks for the rest of this study.

God bless you and if you have any prayer requests please leave me a comment or send me an email and we will lift up your needs in Jesus name.

My Current Reading List

Hey Treasures, how are you doing? This time of the year is so busy as we have lots of birthdays to celebrate (including mine) but here I am sharing a little about Life as Mrs. Aguila and what I am reading right now.

So last week we started what I am calling a Blog Bible study with Christie of Satisfaction through Christ and you can read my week 1 post here, Follow Me Bible Study by David Platt and be sure to check back tomorrow for week 2.

We are using a book by David Platt, Follow Me Bible Study. I have the regular book as well as the book we are using for the bible study. This book is a New York Bestseller, "A call to die.  A Call to Live."





This week I also started Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst.  This is also a New York Bestseller, "Satisfying your deepest desire with God, Not food." I received this book from my lovely friend Maria-Isabel in a swap we recently did and it was just in time to start with my fitness Coach and group.  We are reading through this together and support each other through prayer and encouragement on our fitness journey.

 

This weekend we had a guest speaker at our church and I have heard her before so I knew I couldn't miss it.  Her name is Jane Hamon and her church is in Florida.  This lady spits fire, the fire of God and just ignites my spirit.  The last time she was in town I got her book, The Deborah Company, becoming a woman who makes a difference.  I've said this before I want to be used of God to make a difference that is why I started this blog. Anyway, I started this book and never finished it so I brought it out again and really need to finish it.

 



Mr. Aguila asked me just now, "how many books are you reading?" and the other day, I posted on Twitter and Instagram.

What are you reading right now? How many books do you read at a time? #Books #reading #dailydevotions… http://t.co/7e7ib904O8
— Mrs. Victoria Aguila (@MrsAguila09) October 14, 2013

As you may already know, I LOVE TO SHOP which this Made to Crave book is really messing me up on, HAHA but anyway so I LOVE TO SHOP. I can hear about a good book or a good purse, or see some nice shoes, or some make up or anything and have no problem buying it.  I can buy books all day long. I love Amazon.com and Half.com for book buying.

Well this got me to thinking,  I can buy all these books and have an extensive library and even carry these books around with me from home to work, to my car, to wherever I go, have them nicely tucked away in my purse or my car (where I also have a big bag of books I still need to read) BUT if I don't take the time to actually read these books, it means nothing to have them, it means nothing that I bought them.  In order to benefit from these books I need to take the time to read them. If I want to blog about them or discuss them or share them I have to read them.  It reminded me of the Bible as well. We can have bibles, fancy ones, 10 of them, have them nicely placed HOWEVER, if we are not opening it up and reading it, we can't not gain the wisdom from the Bible.

I am on a mission to finish these books.  To open them up on a daily basis and complete them and not stop half way as I have done with so many books.  I want you to hold me accountable.

When is your favorite time to read? What books are you reading right now? how many books do you read at a time? Do you have books you started but didn't finish? Share with me, I'd love to hear from you.

Fall {Follow Me} Bible Study

Hey Treasures and Happy Thursday!!!

Today has been an emotional day for me, not really sure why besides being a girl, if you know what I mean! So I took a day off from work because I am just not feeling myself today.  Praying to get out of this emotional/hormonal roller coaster.

So anyways, it is my favorite time of the year (which should have me in a joyous mood) and when the lovely Christie of Satisfaction Through Christ  announced a Fall Bible Study I was all for it. 
Have you done an on line bible study before?

Yesterday we did introductions and linked up our blogs.  You can check it out here:
http://www.satisfactionthroughchrist.com/2013/09/fall-bible-study-follow-me-introductions.html

The Book we are using is FOLLOW ME by David Platt.  The book says "A Call to Die, A Call to Live."  Have you read this book?  Do you have this book? 

Join us for a time to be together and get encouraged and grow deeper in the Lord. I am really looking forward to this.  I am not sure why but I know God is up to something. Christie asked us in the intro post above to "leave a comment below introducing yourself and telling us a little bit about why you signed up, what you hope to take away from our time together, and any prayer requests you may have."  I haven't commented because I am really not sure all I know is that when she announced it, I was all for it. Ordered my book on Amazon and I am ready to go.

***TURNS OUT, I AM NOT READY TO GO. I ORDERED THE BOOK AND NOT THE FOLLOW ME BIBLE STUDY MEMBER BOOK THAT YOU CAN FIND ON LIFEWAY OR ANYWHERE CHRISTIAN BOOKS ARE SOLD.***

To view the announcement and/or to sign up, CLICK HERE!

If you sign up, leave me a comment and let me know. This is going to be a great time in the Lord.

PRAISE HIM

Hey Treasures, I am sorry, I didn't get to post my face of the day yesterday. It's been crazy busy but today is Thursday, which thanks to Amanda at A Royal Daughter I know it to be a day to share about your Desire to Inspire.  She usually has a link up but I checked and didn't see it.

I wanted to share with God's lovely treasures, the message that was shared at my family in love's church on Monday.  If you missed that post, you can read HERE.  So these are my notes, just try and hear my speaking. I am going to add in a couple nuggets that I shared as I was speaking. The good stuff that wasn't on my notes but just Holy Spirit inspired. I pray this will bless you.
PRAISE

ISAIAH 12:1-6 (NKJV)
A Hymn of Praise
12 And in that day you will say:
“O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
2 Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’”[a]
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day you will say:
“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst

I will just go verse by verse using Isaiah 12 (found above)

Verse 1

And in that day you will say:

“O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

 

--In this scripture the prophet Isaiah writes "in that day(Possibly referring to the day of salvation?)  you will say, 'O Lord, I will Praise You;' “Praise” in this scripture means “to give public acknowledgement” and/or “to declare aloud in public”,  if you are making a public declaration or acknowledgement then more than likely there will be a gathering you won't be alone. At the time that the book of Isaiah was written, God was angry at the children of Israel, they had continuously worshipped other idols and were rebellious. The prophet Isaiah is prophesying how "in that day"  we will praise the Lord and He will comfort us. Before we may have felt alone or isolated but once the day of salvation comes for us we now we will be gathered together to give PRAISE to the Lord. 

Verse 2

2 Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;
‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’”[a]

 

When I read, “I will trust and not be afraid;” This reminded me of Psalm 34:4 which is a scripture that I have been declaring over my life.

PSALM  34:1-6(The Happiness of Those who Trust God)

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.

Here I shared about my fear of failure. I am going to save that for another blog post.

VERSE 3

3 Therefore with joy you will draw water

From the wells of salvation.

With JOY you will draw water (Springs of Living Water)
Well of salvation (Jesus)

JOHN 7:38 NKJV

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

ISAIAH 55:1a  (An invitation of Abundant Life)

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters;”

VERSE 4

And in that day you will say:

“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.

 

In this verse, Call upon His name can also be said as “proclaim in HIS name.”

Here we are NOT ONLY proclaiming-Declaring something publicly, declaring somebody to be something, show what something is-BUT we are doing this is HIS name.

There is power in the name of JESUS and not in the name of Victoria THEREFORE as we praise, call upon, proclaim, declare, publicly speak of what the Lord has done for you and for me, we must do it in HIS name.

We should be declaring our victories publicly, being careful that God gets all the honor and glory, Sharing ALL that God has done for us.

DECLARE that we are victors, more than conquerors, victorious, over comers, free, transformed, royalty. (you fill in here) WHO DOES GOD  SAY YOU ARE??? Start with yourself and then impart that into others.

Then we SHOW others by the way we live.

We make mention which means “to cause to remember”

This verse is urging us to publicly speak out on these things, to verbally express, acknowledge, share and spread the goodness of God. His love, His mercy, His grace.

VERSE 5

Sing to the Lord,

For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.

 

This verse tells us to sing TO the Lord. He has done EXCELLENT things (NOT mistakes, Not accidents, Nothing questionable, or uncertain)

PSALM 5:11(NKJV)

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout (SING) for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name, Be joyful in You.

VERSE 6

Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,

For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst

Cry out and shout OR Shout Loud with Joy (like extra joy)

Shouting out ( Singing out) because the Lord isn’t angry at us,

He is our salvation

Our salvation from captivity (the people of Zion use to be the people in captivity in Babylon)

We are no longer captives but set free in Jesus!

That is worth shouting over;  that is worth singing about.

To close up, let’s recap what we have learned in this chapter 12 of Isaiah.

It is a hymn of praise and we see different ways to give praise.

·        Directly speaking to God (Verse 1)

·        Declaring about God (Verse 2)

·        Drawing near to God (Verse 3)

·        Publicly speaking of God (Verse 4)

·        Directly singing to God (Verse 5)

·        Shouting (SINGING) out loud in joy (Verse 6)

These are some things we can ponder about regarding Praise.

  

1.      Attitude of Praise
2.      A will to Praise
3.      Mentality of Praise
4.      Heart of Praise
5.      Spirit of Praise
6.      Time of Praise

I HOPE YOU GOT SOMETHING FROM THIS. SINCE THESE WERE JUST MY NOTES AND CERTAIN THINGS I DID ELABORATE ON MORE WHILE SPEAKING BUT PRAYING THAT GOD WILL SPEAK TO US. THANKS FOR READING THROUGH. TAKE SOME TIME TO STUDY  ISAIAH 12 AND LET ME KNOW WHAT GOD SHOWS YOU FROM IT.



PEACE AND BLESSINGS,