8th of the 5th month 2015/2016
Shabbat Shalom all,
Pilipiyim/Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in יהוה always, again I say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Master is near. 6 Do not worry at all, but in every matter, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim. 7 And the peace of Elohim, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Messiah יהושע.”
These are some of the words of Sha’ul that I am sure you have heard many times, yet we know that simply hearing alone is one thing whereas hearing and doing is another! When we hear these words there are some key elements that jump out, such as: Rejoice – Do not worry – Pray with thanksgiving – Peace of Elohim will guard you!
Key concepts that we see being continually taught to us throughout Scripture, yet somehow we find many struggling with these as their ability to rejoice is crippled by worries, causing their prayers (if any) to be done without thanksgiving and the resulting condition of their hearts is not peaceful but stress filled! Our ability to have the peace of Elohim guarding our hearts and minds, that is every intent of the thoughts of the heart, must begin in our recognition of who our Mighty Master and Elohim is. This recognition cannot just be a simple acknowledgment alone, but must be an acknowledgement that results in a rejoicing declaration and affirmation of who He is!
We are certainly living in very desperate times, and by that I mean that we can see how so many are being consumed by fear and panic of how to make ends meet with the urgent drive to attain as much as they can in the hopes of surviving the chaotic financial instability that mankind finds themselves in the midst of. These are certainly some of the ‘signs of the times’, so to speak, making it even more certain for us who believe that the Master is near, which should give us the ability to not be overcome by worries and fears but rather be able to have His joy strengthen us, His Shalom guard us and in all matters pray with thanksgiving, letting our gentleness be known to all. Gentleness not panic!!! The Greek word translated as ‘gentleness’ is ἐπιεικής epieikēs – Strong’s G1933 which means, ‘seemly, equitable, yielding, gentle’, and comes from two words: 1) ἐπί epi – Strong’s G1909 which is a preposition that can render the meaning, ‘upon, on, about, over’ and 2) ἔοικα eoika – Strong’s G1858 which means, ‘to be like’. What this word that is translated as ‘gentleness’ basically means is ‘what is fitting, right, equitable’, there for rendering it as ‘that which is fitting’. What is Sha’ul telling us here? He is saying that we must not look like the rest of the worrisome world, but let that which is fitting for a true rejoicing servant of Elohim be made known to all! How is that going for you? Is the fitting rejoicing praise of thanksgiving and confident heart and mind in Messiah made know to all, or have you found yourself being gripped with worries and fears, under the corrupted influence of a corrupted world?
In this fast paced rat race we find ourselves in the midst of, it can often be the case that many believers get sucked into the chaotic cycles of the fleshly matters and find that they neglect to remember and consider who it is that they are serving, and in the process they lack the proper rejoicing heart that is fitting for a true ambassador of the reign of our Master who is near. Our actions are primarily guided by the intent of the thoughts of our hearts! We also know that the last days will be as in the days of Noaḥ, and when we consider this we take note of what יהוה said concerning mankind:
Berěshith/Genesis 6:5 “And יהוה saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
The inclination of the thoughts of man was only evil continually!!!
The Hebrew word translated as ‘inclination’ is יֵצֶר yetser – Strong’s H3336 which means, ‘imagination, a form, fashioned, framing, purpose’ – in other words, יהוה understands and knows exactly the forming of our thoughts and the fashioning of our thinking in our life. He knows what shapes our thinking and the warning here is clear – if you depart from His Word that ought to shape our thoughts and direct our lives then we risk the end result of being rejected by Him forever! יהוה searches the hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts!
The Hebrew root word for ‘thoughts’ is מַחֲשֶׁבֶת maḥasheḇeth – Strong’s H4284 which means, ‘thoughts, devise, scheme, plan, purpose’. Our thoughts are to be pure and not wicked, as we consider again the words of Sha’ul that continue from what I read earlier, in:
Pilipiyim/Philippians 4:8 “For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is righteous, whatever is clean, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any uprightness and if there is any praise – think on these.”
As we think on and meditate on that which is good and true – that is to think upon and mediate upon the Torah of Elohim day and night, we will find our hearts being filled with the good treasure of The Word of Elohim, a sure treasure that will come forth from, or brought out of, a pure heart! Dawiḏ tells us that the man who meditates day and night on the Torah is a blessed, steadfast and fruitful man, for the inclinations of the thoughts of his heart will be pure and therefore his actions will be guided by the purity of his heart and mind in Messiah!
As we consider our need to have the intent or inclinations of the thoughts of our hearts pure and not evil, in order that we can rejoice as we should and express true thanksgiving in all circumstances, we can learn a great deal from the prayer of thanksgiving that Dawiḏ offered up to יהוה before all the assembly, after all had given voluntarily to יהוה.
In a message tonight called, ‘DAWIḎ’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING’, I want us to glean some valuable insight and lessons of holding fast to having a rejoicing and thankful prayer filled life that is guarded in the shalom of our King!
Please turn with me to Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles 29:10-20 (Read).
The words of this very dynamic prayer of Dawiḏ are very inspiring and the overflowing joy that gushes forth from this prayer is clearly evident that he was a man that knew who His Master and Elohim was, and understood that everything belongs to יהוה, and that he was a steward of that which had been entrusted to him by Elohim!
Dawiḏ had it in his heart to build a House for Elohim, yet it was made clear to him that it would be his son Shelomoh who would build the House, and יהוה made this very clear to Dawiḏ and told him that it was good that it was in his heart to do so! At the beginning of this Chapter 29 of Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles we are given the account of Dawiḏ telling the entire assembly that his son was young and tender and the work that lay ahead was great, for it was not a palace for man that was to be built but a palace for יהוה Elohim! He then declared that he had prepared, with all his power, for the House of Elohim, and that he had delighted in doing so and called for all who were moved to fill their hands for יהוה! Many then gave voluntarily, causing the people to rejoice as they gave voluntarily to יהוה with a perfect heart! There were no evil inclinations in the heart of the assembly, nor were there any ulterior motives and agendas, just a pure rejoicing and joy-filled giving done voluntarily as hands and hearts were moved at the appeal of their beloved king who was old about to die and had given them a perfect example of not holding back!
While it may be difficult to calculate the complete value of what was voluntarily given, what we can be sure of is that the gold alone would be worth, in today’s monetary values, well over R 120 billion (South African Rands) = a little under $10 billion (US Dollars). So we can very clearly and confidently say that they gave generously and with great joy might I add – as they rejoiced in giving freely and whole heartedly to יהוה – I want to tell you – Scripture is so true when it says that יהוה loves a cheerful giver, aměn!!!
Now all of this led to our passage for today – “Dawiḏ’s prayer”, as subtitled in some translations. And what a beautiful prayer this is that gives יהוה, not the people, but יהוה all the credit for the provision that was brought forward for the work of the temple. And it is also through this prayer and passage that we can truly come away today with some key principles and lessons as to how we can live a life of obedient stewardship, with a rejoicing and thankful heart that does not worry but is guarded by the Shalom of our great Master and Elohim!
So what is stewardship? It is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care; and so understanding this from a Scriptural perspective then – stewardship is simply the understanding that everything we have belongs to יהוה and we therefore merely act as diligent managers and stewards of יהוה’s resources that we each have been entrusted with!
We have been entrusted with great blessings, resources and gifts from Elohim, for which we truly must manage well; be it our own lives, our talents, our gifts and abilities, our families and relationships, our “possessions”, if you will, and of course our money – for it is all His that He has lovingly entrusted to us in order that we may be well equipped to worship Him and bring esteem and honour to His Name! What an awesome privilege that is – there is reason to rejoice – rejoice in the fact that we are feely given all that is needed, and more, to bring and reflect His esteem here on earth!!! And as we look at Dawiḏ’s prayer we see some great and precious truths that will help us understand true stewardship as children in the
As we consider the heart and intent of the thoughts of Dawiḏ, it is clear that he had only one thing in mind, and that was to honour and esteem יהוה with all that he had and all that he was, and as we consider this great prayer of thanksgiving that he offered up to יהוה before all the assembly, may we too be encouraged to capture this kind of pure heart and thanksgiving that ought to be given unto Elohim each and every day! What we must take note of here is that this prayer was preceded by much preparation, which teaches us that in order for us to be a people who rejoice and give thanks from a pure heart then our hearts must be adequately prepared through the proper meditating and study of the Word, to ensure that the wisdom of the Word of Elohim can guard the intentions of the thoughts of our hearts and give us proper discernment and understanding in all we say and do, thus resulting is the overflowing joy of thanksgiving!
While יהוה saw that the inclination of thoughts of the heart of man was only evil continually, we take note of some great examples in Scripture that recount for us those who prepared their hearts! Ezra was one of them, as we see in:
Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of יהוה, and to do it, and to teach laws and right-rulings in Yisra’ĕl.”
Mishlĕ/Proverbs 24:27 “Prepare your outside work, and make it fit for yourself in the field; then you shall build your house.”
This is a very powerful parable that is given to us here by Shelomoh as we recognise the clear language of our responsibility in building a proper house!
The Hebrew word used here for ‘prepare’ is כּוּן kun – Strong’s H3559 which means, ‘ready, steadfast, established, firm, set up, determined, prepared’, and it is written in the ‘hiphil active’ tense which can carry the meaning of, ‘to establish, set up, accomplish, so, make firm, provide’.
The word used in this verse for ‘work’ is מְלָאכָה melaḵah – Strong’s H4399 which means, ‘occupation, work, business, craftsmanship’ and comes from the same word as מַלְאָךְ malaḵ – Strong’s H4397 meaning, ‘a messenger, ambassador, envoy’. What is being clearly expressed here is the urgency of our need to be established as faithful ambassadors while we are in the field, that is the world, and when we have made ourselves fit, as a Bride should be, then our Husband can come and fetch us and build His House!
A little under two months ago we looked at being properly fit in reverence in the message called, “FITNESS ASSESMENT TIME – HOW FIT IS YOUR REVERENCE?”, and in many ways we are continuing this theme of assessment by looking at how our hearts are to be properly prepared to seek יהוה with our all and esteem Him with our goods, and determine if our prayer life flows from a pure and steadfast position of rejoicing thanksgiving and able to display that which is fitting to all!
Let us therefore look at these words of this thanksgiving prayer of Dawiḏ, from which we can learn some valuable and vital truths that will equip our hearts to be guarded in the Truth and not fall prey to evil inclinations that grieve our Master, but rather that we are found to be a pleasing fragrance before Him as we offer up our lives as a daily living offering with thanksgiving!
1 – ALL PRAISE AND ESTEEM BELONGS TO יהוה OUR ELOHIM!
Dawiḏ begins his prayer of thanksgiving and praise with what is truly the essential and primary purpose of our lives – and that is to bring praise and honour and esteem to יהוה our Elohim, and this must be done with all our heart, having a clean and prepared heart through a proper seeking, meditation and study of His Torah.
Tehillah/Psalm 86:12 “I praise You, O יהוה my Elohim, with all my heart, and I esteem Your Name forever.”
It is often so easy for many us to fall into the trap of wanting to receive praise and honour – it is kind of like one of things in the flesh that tends to want to gravitate toward wanting praise, recognition and acceptance. Listen up, all praise and esteem belongs, and must be given, to יהוה our Elohim, forever! This is critical in establishing our hearts in preparation of our prayers and praise for our Master and Elohim! Sometimes I think people approach Elohim without the proper praise and esteem that is due to Him and therefore show a lack of reverence for whom they are attempting to approach!
2 – יהוה OUR ELOHIM IS ABOVE ALL!
When Messiah taught us how to pray He made it clear in how we begin our prayer with the acknowledgement that Our Father is in the heavens!!! He is above all, and this is what Dawiḏ is expressing here! Listen to what Dawiḏ is declaring:
He says that which belongs to יהוה is: greatness, power, comeliness, pre-eminence and excellency!
The Hebrew word for ‘greatness’ is גְּדוּלָּה geḏullah– Strong’s H1420 which means, ‘greatness, majesty, dignity’, and comes from the root word גָּדוֹל gaḏol – Strong’s H1419 and means, ‘great, highest, mighty, marvellous’, and Dawiḏ says in:
Shemuʼěl Bět/2 Samuel 7:22 “You are great indeed, O Master יהוה. For there is none like You, and there is no Elohim but You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”
We serve a great Ěl who must be greatly praised!!!
The Hebrew word translated as ‘power’ is geḇurah – Strong’s H1369 which means, ‘strength, might, courage’ and comes from the word גָּבַר gaḇar – Strong’s H1396 , which means, ‘to be strong and mighty, prevail’.
In Mishlĕ/Proverbs 8:14 Shelomoh makes it clear to us that mightiness is יהוה’s:
Mishlĕ/Proverbs 8:14 “Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, mightiness is mine.”
Our ability to be strong and courageous can only come from the One who is Mighty!
The Hebrew word translated as ‘comeliness’ is תִּפְאָרָה tipharah – Strong’s H8597 which means, ‘beauty, adornment, splendour’, which is also used to describe what the garments of Aharon and his sons were to be made for, as a reflection of the character of Elohim by which He is described, and to which we are to ascribe the splendour of His Name which is to be upon us as set-apart children of the Most High.
This word comes from the primitive root verb פָּאַר pa’ar – Strong’s H6286 which has the meaning, ‘to beautify, adorn, become boastful’, and we see this being used in:
Tehillah/Psalm 149:4 “For יהוה takes pleasure in His people; He embellishes the meek ones with deliverance.”
The Hebrew word translated as ‘pre-eminence’ is נֵצַח netsach – Strong’s H5331 which means, ‘eminence, everlastingness, endurance, perpetuity, all time, forever’. He is the beginning and the end!
The Hebrew word translated as ‘excellency’ is הוֹד hoḏ – Strong’s H1935 which means, ‘splendour, honour, majesty, authority, beauty’. It is used 24 times in the Tanak and is predominantly connected with Elohim! His majesty and honour can be seen in all creation, and is above the heavens and the earth, and fills the earth!
Ḥaḇaqquq/Habakkuk 3:3 “Eloah comes from Tĕman, and the Set-apart One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendour shall cover the heavens, and His praise shall fill the earth.”
This verse speaks of the return of Messiah who shall come from the south (Tĕman) and when He comes He shall come in the fullness of His splendour! As ambassadors of our Master and Elohim, we are to be on guard that we do not give our splendour to others – and by that I mean that we are to guard ourselves against defiling the splendour of His righteousness, which can happen when we do not keep ourselves far from the ways and door of the strange woman!
Do you see what Dawiḏ is clearly declaring here in this great prayer of thanksgiving? Because of all that is in the heavens and the earth – greatness, adornment, splendour, strength, beauty is all יהוה’s!!! Dawiḏ declares, “Yours is the reign!”
There is no other reign like יהוה’s, for He is above all and is exalted as head over all and nothing can ever compare to יהוה and His reign that is coming soon, of which we are to be faithful ambassadors of right here and now as we are strengthened and adorned in Him who is above all!!!
Knowing that our Mighty Master and Elohim is above all must give us the full assurance in the hope we have in Him, and we therefore must acknowledge and recognise that He is in control, giving us the confidence to not worry at all!
Many find themselves in a state of panic due to the chaotic reign of wickedness and sin, yet we who put our trust in Elohim who reigns and is above all can be at peace in Him who is over all and know that He is in total control and that His reign is coming!
Ḥazon/revelation 11:15 “And the seventh messenger sounded, and there came to be loud voices in the heaven, saying, “The reign of this world has become the reign of our Master, and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
Shemoth/Exodus 15:18 “יהוה reigns forever and ever.”
Tehillah/Psalm 29:10 “יהוה sat enthroned at the Flood, and יהוה sits as Sovereign forever.”
3 – OUR ELOHIM OWNS ALL AND RULES OVER ALL!
Tehillah/Psalm 24:1 “The earth belongs to יהוה, and all that fills it – the world and those who dwell in it.”
Dawiḏ clearly acknowledged that everything belongs to יהוה, and while he brought a very large voluntary offering he could do so with a prefect rejoicing heart as he recognised that it was all יהוה’s to begin with and that he was simply an entrusted steward of that which belongs to Elohim! From being a shepherd to becoming a successful king who could bring an abundant voluntary offering was not of his own doing, but he knew that the strength and power to be entrusted with much was by the Hand of Elohim, who rules over all!
Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 8:18 “But you shall remember יהוה your Elohim, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is today.”
Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 2:7-8 “יהוה makes poor and makes rich, He brings low and lifts up. 8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the dunghill, to sit with princes, and make them inherit a throne of esteem. For the supports of the earth belong to יהוה, and He has set the world upon them.”
What we must never forget is that all we have had in the past, all we have now or will have in the future is from our Mighty Master and Elohim, and when we recognise this then the evil inclinations of covetousness and greed that plague the hearts of so many can easily be overcome and defeated, as we become diligent stewards in all He entrusts us with, and ready to give voluntarily back to Him with a rejoicing heart!
In a clear acknowledgement of the fact that יהוה reigns, Dawiḏ was making it very clear unto who it is that he faithfully submits himself to, knowing that all comes from יהוה, and that it is יהוה who makes great and gives strength to all.
This build-up of praise for who יהוה our Elohim is results in a heart filled thank you! In verse 13 we see Dawiḏ saying,
“And now, our Elohim, we thank You and praise Your comely Name”.
His prayer cannot do anything other than build up to the expression of thanks and praise for Elohim on behalf of all the assembly! How many times when people pray do their prayers result in praise and thanksgiving? I suspect that there are many who neglect this vital part of making prayers and petitions in every matter, all because they have neglected to acknowledge who the Master is!
4 – WE DO NOT GIVE TO יהוה WHAT IS ‘OURS’ BUT RATHER WE BRING TO HIM WHAT IS ALREADY HIS!
In great humility Dawiḏ asks “who am I and who are my people that we should be able to give You so voluntarily as this?”. Dawiḏ is struck with the reality of the joyous privilege it is to be able to express thanksgiving in word and deed unto the One who gives us all we need for life and reverence! Sometimes when people worship Elohim through the proper giving of tithes, offerings and voluntary gifts they tend to think that they are doing Elohim a big favour by giving something that is theirs!
When the body grows in maturity and can acknowledge and realise, as Dawiḏ and the assembly did, that whatever we have, no matter what it is – it is יהוה’s, then the body can grow in the maturity of responsible stewardship and be equipped to be able to manage the resources that יהוה gives each one according to His will, causing selfishness to be a thing of the past as obedient stewardship is sought after with a rejoicing heart! Using effectively what יהוה gives us for His esteem brings increase and a greater life of intimate worship with our Father.
Dawiḏ stands amazed at what could be brought voluntarily and not under compulsion, and acknowledges that even though they are sojourners, what could be prepared and brought voluntarily to Elohim is of Elohim and from His Mighty Hand!
5 – יהוה TRIES THE HEART AND DESIRES UPRIGHTNESS!
In verse 17 Dawiḏ acknowledges that Elohim tries the heart and desires uprightness! יהוה tries the intent and inclinations of our heart! The Hebrew word for ‘trying’ is בָּחַן baḥan – Strong’s H974 which means, ‘to examine, try, test’:
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 17:10 “I, יהוה, search the heart, I try the kidneys, and give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Our obedience to His commands is tried and tested as we sojourn here, and walk as true ambassadors of His coming kingdom, letting that which is fitting be seen by all, as we rejoice always and make our prayers and petitions in all matters unto Elohim with thanksgiving!
The Hebrew root word translated as ‘uprightness’ is מֵישָׁר meyshar – Strong’s H4339 which means, ‘evenness, uprightness, equity, sincerity’, and comes from the root word root verb יָשַׁר yashar – Strong’s H3474 which means, ‘straight, right, pleasing, be level, upright, just and lawful’. This is what יהוה has chosen Yisra’ĕl for – to be straight and upright and walk in His Torah, shining the Light of His Besorah (Good News) amidst a crooked world.
In pure uprightness, Dawiḏ declares, that he could give voluntarily! A pure heart that is tested and tried can be seen in the voluntary giving that is done – that we can clearly see being expressed here by these accounts! Hearts that are pure and upright move hands that are filled to serve and praise יהוה, as I mentioned earlier that actions are clearly guided by the intentions and inclinations of the heart! Dawiḏ knew that יהוה tries hearts as he made this clear to his son as we see from the previous chapter:
Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, my son Shelomoh, know the Elohim of your father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a pleasing life, for יהוה searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you do seek Him, He is found by you; but if you forsake Him, He rejects you forever.”
This expression of voluntary giving stirred Dawiḏ to praise Elohim and asks Elohim to guard this forever in the intent of thoughts of the heart of His people and to prepare their heart toward Him! Do you see what Dawiḏ was asking יהוה?
He was asking יהוה to guard the intent of the thoughts of the heart of this people! This intent of the thoughts of the heart of the people was not evil but good and this is what he was asking יהוה to guard! When this is guarded then the proper preparations for the House can be done with great rejoicing!
He then asked יהוה to give Shelomoh a perfect heart to guard the commands, laws and witnesses, to do all and build the House of Elohim – the place for which Dawiḏ had prepared! We are the Bride of the coming King who has prepared for us the prefect Way to have every intention of the thoughts of our hearts to do good continually, in order that we, His Dwelling Place, can be built up in love, and this requires a move of hands and hearts that voluntarily give their lives as a daily living sacrifice as a reasonable and pleasing worship unto our Master and Elohim who is Mighty to save and is over all!
In verse 20 we see that the entire assembly blessed יהוה, bowed their heads and did obeisance to יהוה and the sovereign!
The Hebrew word translated as ‘obeisance’ is the word שָׁחָה ‘shaḥah’ – H7812 and it means, ‘to bow down, to prostrate oneself before another, to humbly beseech, to do or show reverence, and to do or show obeisance’.
Obeisance means ‘a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission as well as to acknowledge the superiority of another’.
This word is also translated as ‘worship’ on many occasions and reflects the true nature of our life of worship, which is in total submission to our Master and King, as we humbly bow our lives before Him in reverence and respect, acknowledging His authority in every way, as we walk in total obedience to His Torah/Word.
What we can learn from this great prayer and the clear response of the assembly is that we must never neglect to acknowledge that יהוה our Elohim reigns and that He is above all, rules all and gives all. When we do that a clear response of a proper stewardship is demanded by all who claim to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth! As you look into the mirror of the Word and glean from this powerful prayer of thanksgiving, you need to ask yourself if you are moved to fill your hand for יהוה? And by that I mean – are you truly willing to give your all to Him in wholehearted devotion and worship in all you say and do? יהוה tries the intent of the thoughts of the heart and does not want half-hearted measures, He desires your all, after all He bought you with a price and you are not your own! Are you living like it? Or has selfishness and pride crept in and caused some of the intentions of the heart to be evil instead of good?
Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 6:18-20 “Flee whoring. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits whoring sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the Dwelling Place of the Set-apart Spirit who is in you, which you have from Elohim, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price, therefore esteem Elohim in your body and in your spirit, which are of Elohim.”
I want to remind you that when you give your all voluntarily to Elohim you will stop worrying about tomorrow or for any day in the future or any matter at all, and you will experience His great shalom that will guard your heart and mind as you meditate daily upon His Word, giving you the ability to rejoice always and with every prayer give the proper thanksgiving and esteem that is due to His Name!
Are there any areas of your life that you have not given completely to יהוה? Have you been holding back from expressing a true and pure heart that is moved voluntarily as an expression of thanksgiving and praise? Have you found yourself struggling in embracing and enjoying intimacy with יהוה and do not know how to pray? This is a time to hear His voice and voluntarily give your all, beginning with a daily, minute by minute walk with Him and engaging in the life of this community that He has called you to be a part of, taking up the responsibility of ensuring that we are being built up together in Him as we encourage one another daily, not neglecting to do what good and faithful stewards are expected to, as we, as living stones, are being built up, a spiritual house, a set-apart priesthood, to offer up spiritual slaughter offerings acceptable to Elohim through יהושע Messiah.
As we consider this prayer of thanksgiving by Dawiḏ, may we all be continually be reminded about who we serve and who we are to give all praise, esteem and thanksgiving to, causing us to be humbled in complete servanthood, giving our all in a voluntarily response, and not under compulsion, to His great love for us!
Qolasim/Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of Elohim rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one Body, and be filled with thanks.”
May your prayers be filled with rejoicing thanks, giving esteem to the Name of our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah!
יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!