The Joy of The LORD is My Strength

The Joy of The LORD is my strength. Not my joy, but The LORD's joy. What pleases God is what makes me strong. So, what please God? what makes God happy?

Deuteronomy 28: 63 and 30:9 refer to The LORD God rejoicing over us when we do what? When we are obedient to His Word. Obeying God makes God happy.

Jeremiah 32:40-41 God makes an everlasting covenant with His people, that He will not turn away from us, but do us good. He puts His fear in our hearts, not fear as the enemy wants us to have, but the fear of The LORD, a deep reverence and worshipful spirit, that will cause us to draw nearer to Him and not leave Him. The LORD rejoices over us to do us good. He plants us in the land He has prepared for us.

Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD thy God in the midst of thees is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." In the day that The LORD restores to His people that which their enemy had taken away from them, He will rejoice over us with singing, for we have been permanently delivered from evil.
The first 'joy' in this verse is a noun and means gladness and mirth. But the second 'joy' is a verb and it means to move excitedly around. Joy is a verb. And our God JOYS over us. Doesn't that just tickle your heart?

And, isn't that what Jesus did when He died on the cross and rose from the dead? Permanently delivered from judgment and evil. But we must believe that He is and that His Word is true. We must live a life of obedience to God's Word. A delivered life. A covenanted life. A life of promise. A life that glorifies God pleases God.

John 15:10-11 "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." In addition to the commandments which God gives us in The Old Testament, now Jesus gives us additional commandments. The Word of God continues to speak to us. There is always something new to be learned.

What new commandments does Jesus give to them who hear His Word?

• John 15:12 "This is My commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you." 
• Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
• Matthew 5:44 "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you."
• Matthew 6:3-4 When giving donations, tell no one; for God knows and that's enough
• Matthew 6:5-15 When giving ourselves to God in earnest prayer, pray these prayers behind closed doors, that we may commune with God and Him alone. 
• Matthew 6:16-18 Fast according to God's Word, not man's
• Matthew 6:20-21 Lay our treasures up in heaven, not on earth (Jesus spoke of minimalism way before it became popular) 
• Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness. 

And many, many more such verses are to be found in God's Word. We must sincerely and wholeheartedly seek Him out in His Word. Psalms says Taste and See that The LORD is good. Have you ever just licked the surface of your food and satisfied your hunger in that way? Not hardly. Just as we must put our food into our mouths and chew it up that we may swallow without choking, and allow the meal to digest in our stomachs, so, too, must we partake of The Word of God with the same diligence with which we place knife and fork in our hands to parcel up our meats. 

Yes, it is possible to read our Bible in one year. As well, it is possible to read it in its entirety in one month. I find myself drawn to various passages throughout my days and give each several readings and studyings until my soul is satisfied that I have drawn what was necessary for me from the well of God's Word at each time. That's how I get a variety of subjects to speak on in these Bible study/devotions. 

My heart is content. And God joys over me. My cup runneth over.  

Destination Known - One Man

John 1:12,13 "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of the will of God."



In the course of three weeks two remarkable men died. Both were at the top of their study field. Both were loved and respected the world over. 
One man studied the universe.

One man studied the Creator of the universe.

One man died believing this life to be the end all, neither heaven nor hell to be his destination.

One man died knowing that this life was only the beginning, that heaven and hell are real, and that in the end, only heaven will remain; for death and hell have their own destination. 

One man died denying God. One man died praising God. One man died in his sins. One man took his last breath in this life and his first in his new body, which God had prepared for him. 

One man can make a difference in another man's life. One man did not follow Jesus Christ; the other man did, and is with Him even now. Which man are you going to follow? 

(I would just like to add, that, as my husband pointed out, Hawking's discovery that the earth was created out of a black hole did not disprove the existence, but the opposite. For The Word of God tells us in Genesis 1:1-2, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And The Spirit of God moved upon the waters." Literally, this earth was in darkness; it was shapeless (without form); and void (nothingness). This earth was created out of nothing. And that's what a black hole is: nothing.

In Hawking's unbelief, he thought he was right. But we know he was wrong. And, now, for all eternity, he will pay that price of unbelief.)

Garments of Praise

Garments of Praise by Robin Mark

Only one time in Scripture is this definition of garment used and that is in Isaiah 61:3 "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of The LORD, that He might be glorified."

Garment here means 'mantle'. A cloak that wraps around the body, usually from the neck to the knees, giving full protection from the elements (wind, rain, snow) and from the enemy (camouflages to match surroundings); where neither can touch us, even to the point where we are not aware of either in our vicinity. For this garment of praise, this mantle of worship, to our God, covers us and brings us into His presence.

We know of another mantle, don't we? Elijah's mantle that became Elisha's mantle. A 'splendid' garment, a 'glorious' garment that covered and protected Elijah until it fell from him as the chariots of The LORD carried him into God's eternal presence. 2 Kings 2:9-13   "9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan."

But a mantle such as these cannot, nor must not, be taken lightly. Elisha had to learn to use his mantle and that takes time. But the mantle of praise given to us in Isaiah 61:3 is the worship we give to God. Most of the Book of Psalms is worship and praise, and we all have our favorites, which have been given to us in our days of trial and sifting.

• Psalm 35:9 "And my soul shall be joyful in The LORD: it (my soul) shall rejoice in His salvation."
• Psalm 34:1 "I will bless The LORD at ALL times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
• Psalm 33:1 "Rejoice in The LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright."
• Psalm 32:7 "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Se'lah."
• Psalm 60:16-17 "But I will sing of Thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning: for Thou hast been my Defence and Refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing: for God is my Defence, and The God of my Mercy."
• Psalm 61:3, 8 "For Thou hast been a Shelter for me, and a Strong Tower from the enemy....So will I sing praise unto Thy Name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows."
• Psalm 63:3,4 "Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy Name."
• Psalm 66:1,2 "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honor of His Name: make His praise glorious."
• Psalm 60:30 "I will praise The Name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving."
• Psalm 70:4 "Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy Salvation say continually, Let God be magnified."

Days of Elijah

• Psalm 71:14 "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more." 
• Psalm 104:33 "I will sing unto The LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
• Psalm 108:1 "O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory."
• Psalm 118:14 "The LORD Is my Strength and Song, and is become my Salvation."
• Psalm 118:28 "Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee."

And while these are definitely not all the verses of praise and thanksgiving written in The Book of Psalms, many of these are underlined in my study Bible. I have much to be thankful for, much to give God glory and thanksgiving for. 

Sanctuary by Robin Mark (full album) 

By the way, the two-word phrase "I will" is a promise. A promise given to God from the heart of the believer when reading and applying The Word to one''s life. Not a resolution, nor a light-hearted promise given to just anyone:  I will sing of His love for ever. That's a promise I can keep.

Any promises made to God, God will hold us accountable for. For He keeps His promises and expects us to keep ours. Read through your Bible every year, seeking out that which The Spirit directs you to search for and you will find it. 

To God be the glory, great things He has done. 

Prepositional Faith

Prepositions are words that follow a verb and come before a noun or pronoun. BY, THROUGH, OVER, IN, UNDER, AROUND, TO, SINCE, AFTER, WITH, WHICH are examples of prepositions, but not all the prepositions. I have a memory from when I was in middle/jr. high school of a teacher using a story to help us remember our prepositions; amazed it has stayed with me this long.

It was about rabbits. Rabbits who lived UNDER hills, jumped OVER hills, ran AROUND hills, dug THROUGH hills. Rabbits who sat quietly BY hills, hid IN hills and lived WITH their families near hills. Rabbits chasing AFTER other rabbits.

English/Reading/ Writing were all my favorite classes. These classes helped to make me a better writer, teaching me focus and releasing my creative gifts which God has endowed me with. Especially when it comes to writing for His glory.


I have written a few songs over the years that testify of God's amazing grace on my life and the lives of those who interacted with me on this my journey. These are musical sermons. When I cannot sing a sermon, I preach it. When I cannot speak a sermon, I manage to write it down and share it publicly that way (as long as my fingers tapping the keyboard don't mess me up, 'cause I tend to type faster than I can speak). Grammar is especially important when writing one's thoughts and Bible studies. (always proofread your writings at least three times to ensure mistakes were edited).

Now, in regards to this thing called Prepositional Faith, just how would one use prepositions when describing what one believes? I do it by declaring The Word of God over my life:

*I am saved BY grace.  = Ephesians 2:8

*Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, WHICH The Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. = 2 Timothy 4:8

*By God's will we are sanctified THROUGH the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. = Hebrews 10:10

*I am the light of the world. A city that is set ON a hill cannot be hid. = Matthew 5:14

*I forgive BECAUSE I am forgiven. = Luke 11:4; Matthew 6:12

*WITH His stripes I am healed. = Isaiah 53:5

*The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me FROM all sin. = 1 John 1:7; Psalm 51:2; Revelation 1:5

*My faith is rooted and built up (grounded) IN The Lord Jesus Christ = Colossians 2:6,7

Can you define your prepositional faith?

 I love this drawing. If I knew whose work it was, I would give them credit. 

Almost Persuaded

Acts 26:27 & 28 “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have almost persuaded me to be a Christian.”

Almost. Very nearly. Just about. Not quite. Not at all. Almost there is not there yet. To be almost to one’s destination is to not be there yet. Never arriving is not at all there. Almost convinced is not convinced. Almost saved, but not.

By mere reasoning of The Word we cannot be convinced of the need for a Savior. We need The Holy Spirit to reveal to us the Truth of God’s Word to our souls: we must, and make no doubt about it, seek for and allow God's Holy Spirit to guide us through God's Word into the revelation of God's saving grace.

Mark 12:28-34 "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, 'Which is the greatest commandment of all?' And Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God Is One LORD: And thou shalt love The LORD thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely thus, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.'

And the scribe said unto Him, 'Well, Master, Thou hast said The Truth: for there is one God, and there is none other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.' And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, 'Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.' And no man dared ask Him any question. "

Almost persuaded="not far from". These two men know the prophets, know the commandments, but are not quite persuaded to believe on The Name of The LORD Jesus Christ for their salvation.

A person can memorize a great deal of Scripture with their minds, but if The Word is not planted deep within a person's heart, then there is no understanding of The Word; nor is there a reverence for The Word. David Koresh memorized quite a bit of The Bible, but lacked the power of The Holy Spirit to reveal what this Word meant. His reasoning of The Word was his own; his logic was flawed. Because of his unbelief in the Truth of The Word, and his charismatic speech, he was able to lead many to damnation, because they believed him and did not believe God for themselves. They were far from being persuaded.

Almost persuaded is "not yet". To be Almost Persuaded is to be in a hopeful condition. A 'not saved yet' place, but there is still hope that he or she will believe.

The train has arrived, and waits for all passengers to board. You stand in wait, hoping the train is real, because you have been waiting for a train like this, but you are not sure, not yet. The train whistle blows, the conductor calls out "All aboard!", yet you stand, looking around, waiting, pondering the reality that this train could be the one. The one who brought you to see the train has already boarded and handed their ticket to the conductor.

It's the glory train, and The Holy Spirit is calling to all who will hear and listen, "Come". The one who shared the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ with you, says "Come. Let him that is thirsty come. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)
Is your soul thirsty for Jesus? Are you ready to believe in the Truth of God's Word? Are you ready to board that train? Are you almost persuaded? "Believe on the Name of The LORD Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31