Tag: Psalm 119:9

Captain of Their Salvation

On November 15, 2024

During these end times, I’m keeping in mind that my heart needs to stay on fire for Christ, the Captain of MY salvation! Praise the Lord for today’s name for Jesus! Is He the Captain of your salvation? One can be saved and not have Him as their Captain. Who rules over you – Your flesh or Jesus? I speak to myself here as well. So many times I have moved forward with something without seeking the Captain’s thoughts. We can find His thoughts in the scriptures, amen?

Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

A captain commands a company of soldiers. These soldiers do not do anything of their own free will but obey the commands of their captain. If they don’t, they are court martialed. There are consequences for them if they don’t obey. Do we obey Christ’s commands set forth in the bible? Or do we live our lives the way we want to? Speaking from experience, my own free will always lead me astray. But doing the Father’s will always brings peace. It draws me closer to Him!

So who is your captain? Submit yourselves to the One and Only Captain! This is how we fight sin in our lives.

Jas 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

You cannot worship any thing or any one other than the Captain and provider of salvation, which is Christ! If you’re interested in learning more about the Christ, please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

What Do People See When They Look at You?

By Kate Plourde

On October 14, 2024

In Devotionals

Psalm 51:10, 12-13, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (10) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (12) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. (13)

What do the lost see when they look at you? Do they see someone who actually lives what he believes? Or do they see a hypocrite? Our daily prayer should start with the verses in this beautiful psalm! The Christian praying these words sincerely cannot help but start off the day on the right track. The believer with a clean heart has already had his time with the Lord and has confessed his sin and repented. (Psalm 119:9) Only in so doing can we experience the true joy of our salvation daily because there is nothing separating us from our God. This does not mean that we lose our salvation each time we sin. It means that our fellowship is once again restored.

A good illustration is when one of my own children lies to me. My child will be punished and our fellowship won’t be the same until it is made right. Until my child confesses to me that he has lied and it is evident that he is truly repentant, the fellowship between us is broken. My heart is broken while our fellowship is broken. It’s not the same between us – he can’t look me in square in the eye and we can’t seem to enjoy that closeness we once had. However, once he repents and asks forgiveness, I can then hug him and that sweet fellowship is once again restored. What a joy it is to be able to fellowship as we once did. He no longer ashamed to look me in the eye and he is confident because he has been forgiven and loved. My son knows that there’s no longer anything that separates us. At any point during this broken fellowship, did my son cease to be my son? Of course not! He was still my son, my flesh and bone – we just did not have the same relationship we had prior to his lying to me. Our fellowship was not the same until he experienced true repentance and asked forgiveness. After he did, he knew that his mother would be waiting to forgive him with opened arms, ready to restore that relationship and provide rest. (Matthew 11:28)

I’ve heard preached that our accounts with God should be kept short – meaning, don’t let a day go by without confessing your sins and being truly repentant. This restores your fellowship with the Lord and all is well. Only then can we be effective soul winners according to Psalm 51:13 and win others to Christ. The lost can spot a hypocrite a mile away. If we try to lead someone to the Lord and our lives are filled with unconfessed sin, our efforts will be in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Just as our children, we must turn to our Heavenly Father and confess our sin to Him. Only then can we be free to witness to others without hypocrisy and without hindrance.

It’s so important that we have a clean heart before the Lord so that we do not hinder His Spirit’s work in the lives of the unsaved. I know that there will be some whom God has placed in my path and that I have not been able to effectively witness to them because I have not been right with Him! I dread the day that I stand before the Lord and He shows me those who are lost for all eternity because I did not take this seriously. Oh Lord, forgive me! Create in me a clean heart, oh Lord, so I may be a better witness for You!!!

O For A Heart to Praise My God
Charles Wesley

O for a heart to praise my God,
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels Thy blood
So freely shed for me.

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
My great Redeemer’s throne,
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone.

A humble, lowly, contrite, heart,
Believing, true and clean,
Which neither life nor death can part
From Christ who dwells within.

A heart in every thought renewed
And full of love divine,
Perfect and right and pure and good,
A copy, Lord, of Thine.

Thy tender heart is still the same,
And melts at human woe:
Jesus, for thee distressed I am,
I want Thy love to know.

My heart, Thou know’st, can never rest
Till Thou create my peace;
Till of mine Eden repossest,
From self, and sin, I cease.

Fruit of Thy gracious lips, on me
Bestow that peace unknown,
The hidden manna, and the tree
Of life, and the white stone.

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
Come quickly from above;
Write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.

About God’s Word

By Kate Plourde

On September 11, 2024

In Devotionals

This Week's Theme: Thy Word - Velvet Ashes

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psa 119:11)

God’s Word is the only thing in life that comes with a promise such as this. Do you know of anything or anyone who can promise that if you read and hide their product in your heart, it will keep you from sinning? Nothing and no one can do this; except God! God’s compassion and love for us is so great that He provided His word to meet any need that crosses our path.

Not only did our Heavenly Father give us His word to grow by so that we wouldn’t sin, but He also provided His Word so that we could be cleansed should we fall into sin.

BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psa 119:9)

The Bible will cleanse us and keep us from sin. So why don’t we spend more time reading it? I believe the devil has managed to keep today’s Christian from the word of God by way of distractions and excuses. There are so many distractions in this world. If you’re not reading your Bible daily and gleaning from it, then you have too many distractions. If you’re not in it daily and gleaning from it, you will continuously struggle with sin.

The fact of the matter is this: the believer who does not read the Bible is plain lazy. Would you deprive your family from nourishment? Would you deprive yourself? Of course not! Your spiritual body needs nourishment as well When you are not diligent in your Bible reading, you not only allow sin to come into your life, but you cause sin to come into your home. Your children will see it and will follow in your footsteps. So when you fall into temptation and sin, you have no one to blame but yourself. It isn’t God’s fault, but your own.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor 1:9)

If we fall, we fall because we chose to fall. The more you spend time in the word of God, the less time you will have to devote to sin.

NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psa 119:105)

Lord, light the path I walk today

Let Your words show me the way

That leads me to find Your will

Use Your word my heart to fill

Taking Heed

By Kate Plourde

On August 30, 2024

In Devotionals

Psalm 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

I feel as though I am living in a washing machine. I am being spun around, bounced around as it agitates, in waters filled with the world’s sins. All along I am praying I will come out clean! It can be compared to washing your clothes in mud, doesn’t it? The Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies made it obvious that believers are walking through very muddy waters! I didn’t watch the Olympics, but I saw clips of the ceremonies! How evil and blasphemous! I can imagine what Lot saw prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah!

It is quite the challenge for all believers today. We attempt to keep our eyes (the window to our hearts) from sin and not to let it dirty us. The only way to keep our spiritual garments clean from the mud of this world is to be in God’s word and to apply it to our lives! As we open the bible’s pages, it is like bathing in living waters. It is spiritual laundry day, every day!

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

I’ve seen older Christians who have remained “spiritual babes” because they have not spent time in the word of God. Taking time in the word is work but a blessing follows. Some work for a living and at the end of the pay period, a check is received. At the end of reading and studying, we also receive a check – a spiritual check. As well, our garments become less soiled from the world’s mud. However, if you’re not reading your bible daily, it’s like standing in front of the world and allowing it to sling mud at you. Some of that mud will stick!

Paul spoke on these spiritual babes. 1 Cor. 3:1-2, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” Paul likened the spiritual babes as carnal. They were still more concerned about the things of the flesh than spiritual things. After all, isn’t that what a human baby does? He cries and cries until he is fed. Paul used the right choice of words here, didn’t he? Is that how we react to reading the bible?

The more we grow in the Lord, the more we become spiritual adults. The world’s sinful behavior (that mud if you will) doesn’t stick to us or influence us because we have been armed! We’ve learned to trust more in the Lord; we’ve learned that God is faithful and won’t abandon us; we’ve received this peace that spiritually immature Christians can’t understand. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phi 4:7) Suffice it to say, however, that just reading the word doesn’t make your armor stronger. One has to heed and obey its warnings, as the Psalm continues to point out. What’s the use in reading a self-help book if you don’t apply what you’ve learned, right? Applying God’s word to our lives is the key to maturing as a believer. It is the key for Christians to survive in this world that has obviously gone mad!

God stresses over and over in His word that we need to be IN the word and applying it to our lives! Obedience shows our love to God – it shows our gratefulness for our salvation! (1 Samuel 15:22) Your car manual explains how to change spark plugs. However, if you don’t apply that knowledge, your car won’t start. It’s the same as reading the bible and obeying what God commands. This also provides us with a spiritual Teflon garment where the mud of this world doesn’t stick to it. This world is not going to get any cleaner. We are living in the end times of 2 Timothy 3:1-7! Be encouraged, reader! If you’re weary, dive into the bible and let the Holy Spirit encourage your heart!

Dear God…
May I come to you each day
On you my heart will lean
Let me search until I find
How to keep my garments clean

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 7

By Kate Plourde

On January 15, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Good morning! Have you ever wondered if there was a self-help book that would keep you from making the wrong decisions? We especially need one in these days of deception. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that there would come a time when people would not want to listen to the preaching of the Word and would prefer to listen to someone with a positive message. (2 Timothy 4:3) There are plenty of “preachers” out there who have the Cheshire cat grin and are leading souls to everlasting burning … that’s right, for all eternity! That door to the lake of fire is permanently closed once a person goes there. There will be no relief in sight – no end whatsoever. People fail to think of the repercussions of their sins; but reader, there is coming a time when payment for those sins will have to be made.

The only self-help book out there that has a positive outcome is the Bible, friend. There is no other book that contains truth, everlasting life and peace. The Bible reveals who has the truth, who provides everlasting life and who gives peace; it is Jesus Christ, the Messiah! (John 14:6) He is the only one and the only way!

Furthermore, Jesus is the word of God (John 1:1), we can easily see Him in this verse:

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee!!!

So what is the self-help I’m speaking about? It is hiding Jesus and His word in your heart! Jesus’ blood provides forgiveness for our sins. As well, for this born again believer, by speaking God’s words when I am in the middle of temptation, the desire for that sin dissipates and then leaves. This gives me goosebumps! When Jesus’ Spirit comes into the very core of our hearts at salvation, we have the power and ability to say no to sin! Since Jesus is the word of God, we can hide His very words through memorizing or at least remembering the verses that keep us from sin! This is the only way to succeed as a Christian! Stay in the word of God – read your Bible and study! It’s worth re-emphasizing this previous verse:

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Thank You, Lord, for the blessed Bible! It is our source of communication from You and with You!

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 6

By Kate Plourde

On January 12, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

As we live out our lives in these end times, we can see more and more evil in the world. What used to be thought as good is not bad, and vice versa. The world has turned upside down. But how does a person know what is right and what is wrong? God gave us all a conscience and we are born with the innate ability to know the difference. However, as we get older, the god of this world infiltrates that ability just as he did in the Garden of Eden.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

“Hath God said,” is probably the devil’s favorite phrase! He causes man to doubt and to change his ways. He numbs the conscience so that there no longer is a conscience! So how does a person know what is right?

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to God’s Word. It’s fitting that Jesus Christ is known as the Word of God. (John 1:1-5) The answer to all of life’s questions actually lie in this verse. Man’s whole life is spent searching for the true meaning of life. Some don’t understand what they are searching for while others take the advice of friends. Mankind is always searching for what will me them happy.

Scripture instructs us on how to be happy. True happiness can only be found when we have Christ as our Saviour. There’s no other that can bring total joy and satisfaction. Christ’s saving blood covers our sin and His word allows us to learn and draw from Him. In these difficult times, draw close to His side through the Bible. Read and absorb and then reach out to others to share the Gospel.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Psalmist knew hundreds of years ago just how to cleanse his way and that was through the Word of God! He knew that cleansing only came from God.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

This cleansing occurs when one is born again! (John 3:3, John 3:7) When one’s spirit is born again, it’s a totally new life! (2 Corinthians 5:17) A thief no longer steals, a liar no longer lies; it is a change of one’s mind and a decision to no longer live in sin but live with Christ as the Captain of your ship. He directs and guides, like a rudder, through His Word.

End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119 – Day 5

By Kate Plourde

On January 10, 2024

In Devotionals, End Time Comfort Found in Psalm 119

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

How these end-time events have grabbed hold of men’s hearts and turned them into evil hearts. The more the Bible has been removed from public places, and personal lives, the less people think about its contents. Its contents used to be considered so sacred that men swore oaths with their hand upon it. Why? Because it used to be considered holy and when an oath was taken with hand on the Bible, it was believed that man’s response to that oath would be truth! It is no longer. In one of our Lord, Jesus Christ’s prayers, He told the Father:

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

How can one follow a “book” in obedience without it containing truth? Would you base your life on a Star Wars novel? Of course not. Within the pages of the Bible, you have the very words of God. All of the Bible is truth and you can rely that you are not being misguided. In its pages you find direction and answers to every question in life.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Man’s whole life is spent searching for the true meaning of life. Some don’t understand what they are searching for while others take the advice of friends. Mankind is always searching for what will me them happy.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The Psalmist knew hundreds of years before how to cleanse his way and that was through the word of God! He knew that cleansing only came from God.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

It is only through salvation can a person find peace in the midst of the tumultuous times to come. If you think things are bad now, wait until after the Rapture of the Church. Don’t be left behind! Settle where you are going to spend eternity right now. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Peace Through Troubled Times – Natural Affection

By Kate Plourde

On December 18, 2023

In Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

2Ti 3:1-3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

As I see the day of the God’s wrath during the Tribulation fast approaching, I see less and less affection displayed by parents toward their children. Love for our children is not merely touching and hugging. It involves godly correction through the Scriptures and teaching them to do right.

Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Children are left to themselves and are not taught what is acceptable. For example:

It’s not polite to whisper into another’s ear while others are around
It’s not nice to gossip
Be polite when speaking with older people and be respectful
Say: please, thank you, excuse me, I’m sorry
Don’t chew food with your mouth open
Take care of your toys and don’t be rough with them, etc.

Children need direction and guidance. When they are left to themselves, they develop a rebellious attitude. This does not teach them to respect others but instead to disrespect. Children need to be taught restraint otherwise they can’t control their behavior when they are outside the home. Our homes are a preparation for the battlefield of the world. If we don’t teach our children how to handle situations, they will be unprepared for life when they leave home.

The end result are children who will grow up not knowing how to train their own children. The future family will become a mess! Is it any wonder why kids today are so disrespectful and full of pent up anger? I feel so sad when I see these things happen. The Apostle Paul considered this sinful and he grouped it with murder!

Rom 1:21-32 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

There is nothing more beautiful than a godly family with the father leading and protecting; the mother teaching and nurturing; and children learning to become responsible human beings. But a complete family can only be godly if they are centered in God’s Word. The father is responsible in leading his family in the way they should go through the Scriptures. Is it any wonder we do not see much of this today? Children cannot learn how to avoid sin if they are not taught how.

Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

The Bible is rarely used in the home and therefore the outcome is a family that is not taught how to handle day-to-day situations. All the answers are in our Bibles.

If you are not truly born-again, you won’t see today’s topic as a sin. But there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!