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Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 113-120  in the Passion Translation. Today, as we discover the keys of living from presence and trusting God in our passionate pursuit toward obedience from the heart.  When we come into a right understanding of Who God is as we pursue Him through His Word - the keys of trust and living from His presence bring us into a place of reverence for His Holiness and Righteousness. 

Show Transcript: Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives blooming alive. Good morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast.

Introduction

We're continuing to read from Psalm 119 with our Revival Series. We are reading in The Passion Translation today, beginning in verse 113. Let’s take a moment to go back and review what we talked about last Thursday.

Review

First, we uncovered the keys of gratitude, joy and being refreshed, we also began to see how obedience brings us to a place of freedom in Christ. Then we learned that stepping out by faith, trusting God’s revelation-light, helps us to walk a path that will lead to obedience, joy, rest and righteousness which brings us right into today’s topic.

Today’s Reading

Before I get to that, I want to share a brief story from last week with you. My husband is an anytime-anykind of sports fan and more than two decades ago he spent time working with a sheet metal company that helped with the building of what is now Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX.

If that sounds familiar to you, it should because it is where our home team, The Texas Rangers, have played major league baseball, since the early 90s.

My husband remembers fondly working on a portion of the center field Coca-Cola visual screen board and watching the first games played in the stadium from that lofty perch. A couple of weeks ago I called into a radio station and won tickets to last Wednesday night’s game. There are only 29 home games left in the regular season and that 29th game will be the last at Globe Life Park if the Rangers don’t make the playoffs.

Though the Rangers were handily defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks last week, we enjoyed the atmosphere and the cool breeze blowing through the stadium even on a very hot Texas summer day. As the night wore on and each time Elvis Andrus, veteran Short Stop, came to the plate to bat they played his intro song… “The Baby Shark Song” If you have kids or grandkids you may be familiar with this song.

Elvis picked it actually to honor his own child each time he comes up to bat… You may recognize it… Little kids singing, Baby Shark! Doot-Doo-Ta-Doo-Doo-Doo… Baby Shark… And off to our right in a neighboring section is a middle aged man standing up and doing the Baby Shark dance. Every. Single. Time.

The next day, I was moving through my day and found myself singing, “Baby Shark!...” Yep. It was a catchy little tune of very few words. Which brings me to today’s reading.

The heading over this Psalm 119:113-120 is “Trust & Obey!” I don’t know about you, but as soon as I read those words my mind began to sing the chorus of an old hymnal standard:

[Singing] “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.”

Anybody else have that response to hearing those words. I even looked up the lyrics to read through them and there is no doubt in my mind that though those words do not officially appear in the text of this reading… They totally apply and that song must have been inspired by Psalm 119.

As I sang the song and considered the lyrics, I began to consider that word Trust in the Hebrew. The definitions I’m about to share came from The Complete Word Study Dictionary (OT) (Copyright © 2003 by AMG Publishers. Database © 2007 WORDsearch Corp.)

I found that in the KJV of the Bible, the word trust appears 163 times (134 OT, 29 NT). So let’s take a look at a few Hebrew words and their context to better understand this idea of trust from a Biblical perspective.

Taking a Detour

Put a marker in your Bible at Psalm 119 and turn over to Judges 11:20:

Judges 11:20 (NKJV)

“But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.”

In this verse, the Hebrew word translated TRUST is Strong’s H539ʾāman which is defined as “be firm, to build up, to support, to nurture, to establish.” It carries the idea of “providing stability and confidence.” This same word is translated BELIEVE in Deuteronomy 9:23:

Deuteronomy 9:23: (NKJV)

“Likewise, when the Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and you did not believe Him nor obey His voice.”

In the Hebrew, there is this intrinsic connection between belief and trust, without belief we will not trust God, and if we don’t trust God our obedience will not please Him. I want to establish this up front today because I believe God is going to highlight these truths for us in detail as we complete our reading today.

The next Hebrew Word that is translated trust can be found in Psalm 2:12:

Psalm 2:12 NKJV

“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

In this verse the Hebrew word is H2620 ḥāsāh. This word is defined as, “take refuge, literally seeking a tree’s shade… Of Yahweh (God), He is a shield providing refuge, and refuge is sought under His wings.”

A safe place, a place of refuge and shelter where one can be secure and certain they will not be harmed. God is your safe place, a hiding place of refuge for you when the enemy and the world presses in. To trust Him is to seek shelter from Him, and find our residence in His presence.

The next Hebrew Word that is translated trust can be found in Psalm 4:5:

Psalm 4:5 NKJV

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.”

This word is the Hebrew word H982 bāṭaḥ. It is defined as “to trust, to be confident in, expressed as feelings of safety and security that is felt when one can rely on someone or something. Also to be confident, secure and without fear.”

Love Casts Out Fear

In the book of 1 John, we read that God is Love. It is not just a feeling, it’s who He is. Not just a character trait, but in fact, you cannot know God unless you first know His Love. And in Chapter 4 we read that His perfect love casts out fear. God is perfect love, agapeo, in the Greek. A love that moves beyond mere expression and lives within us, becomes our being. When we trust in Him, believe in Him - we must also know Him as love. And in that love - there is no fear.

Let’s look at a couple of other verses that carry special meaning to me where trust is translated from the Hebrew word, bāṭaḥ:

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;”

This verse resonates so loudly with me, especially in light of the definition which is to be confident in, with feelings of safety and security when one can rely on someone or something. If you listened to this podcast for any length of time you’ve heard me talk about losing my oldest child. As the 14th anniversary of his passing will be upon us in the next month, I feel it is an appropriate time to share how God used this verse to comfort my son in a dark season of his life, just a few months before his death, and then turned my heart to it again and again as I grieved His passing.

Trusting the Lord

Trusting God took on a whole new meaning when I began to walk out the days following my worst confessed fear: The death of my child. I had to trust Him for my next breath, that He would take care of my family when I wasn’t even able to think or feel anything but the most unimaginable pain.

I had to trust God’s goodness and love, choosing to lean not to my own understanding because there was no way I could reconcile that a Good God would allow my family to suffer such a painful reality apart from faith in His truth and His promises.

A few months before Justin passed away, he became angry as we had grown used to in our house. He often expressed his anger in a fit of rage that would come to blows with my husband or I, or he would destroy our property. That day he went outside, bent a golf club into a pretzel and then kicked a huge dent into the side of my car. My husband, his step-father, called the police as we’d been advised to do by our leaders at church. My son was handcuffed in my front yard and hauled off to the county jail. And, the one thing Scott and I had agreed on when they left was that we would not provide the bail to get him out of jail.

A Promise To Keep

We’d been thwarting consequences as things escalated in his life that year before and it was time for Justin to face the reality of his choices. He spent seven days in jail before striking a plea deal with the county prosecutor to come home on probation.

While in jail, Justin met with the chaplain who gave him a Bible. The day he returned home he came in and thanked me for sending him letters with Scripture in them and encouraging him to seek spiritual counsel from the chaplain when we spoke on the phone.

He asked me for my Bible. I handed him my favorite book and sat across the room. I watched as my son who struggled to read turned easily to the passage. Used his finger to find the exact scripture on the page and then read it aloud to me without missing a word. Proverbs 3:5-6 became his life verse. I had no idea, in that moment, how it would minister to me and carry me in the days following his death.

A Birthday Blessing

A few years later, I gave each member of our family a special gift. A framed birthday blessing with a Scripture that contained their birthday month and year. I also included their name meaning and a personal note of encouragement based on the information in the scripture and name definition. As the year closed, I thought to myself, I probably should do one of those for Justin.

I began to look up verses of Scripture with the verse reference 3:11 since his birthday was March 11th. As I did, I didn’t really find anything that resonated until one day I sat praying as I usually did when the girls were at school and Scott was at work. I stood to clean house and a small card I had framed with Proverbs 3:5-6 printed on it caught my eye. I walked over and read the familiar words. Tears filled my eye and it was like my eyes were drawn to the numbers in the reference. It felt as if God whispered a sweet word in my ear, Justin already had a birthday blessing - God gave it to Him. Proverbs 3:5+6 is 11. In that moment, I could feel my Poppa God holding me as I wept bittersweet tears of both grief and joy mingled in the same moment. Each time God brought me to a place of revelation in that season. A small piece of healing took root in my heart as I learned to trust Him more. Which leads me to this next verse:

Psalm 52:8 HCSB

“But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house the Lord;I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.” (My memory)

This verse became life to me the year following the Birthday Blessings. My husband and I went into a rough season in our marriage. It was truly a storm of life that could have destroyed us. But, God.

We were walking out our healing in marriage when Scott took an opportunity to work out of town. I was completely uncertain about the idea of him working several states away from home while we were overcoming trust issues in our relationship.

I agreed to him going out of town on one condition, if I needed him to return home that he would - no questions asked. He agreed and left on a warm fall day to work out of town for several months.

You Don’t Trust Me

That weekend I was preparing to go to church when I felt like God tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You don’t trust Me.”

By this time in my life, I knew a prompting from the Lord when it landed on me. I stopped what I was doing and argued a bit. “Of course I trust you. I know almost every verse in the Bible about trusting you.”

And as quickly as I quipped those words out loud to Him in response, I heard. “No you don’t. If you trusted Me, you wouldn’t worry about people.”

Those next few months were filled with index cards covered in Scriptures about trusting God. Psalm 52:8 became a life verse for me. I wanted to know how to trust God in a certain sort of way. Not just from my head - knowing His promises and believing the were true. But, from my heart even when my circumstances couldn’t see Him --- that my heart would know and trust Him. Today, I can boldly say I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of MY GOD; I trust in His unfailing love forever and ever!

Psalm 119

Now let’s get to today’s reading, why don’t we, and see how all this comes together? Turn back to Psalm 119:113 and let’s begin.

Verse 113: I despise those who can’t keep commitments, for I passionately love your revelation-light!

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you didn’t feel like you could trust anyone around you? Brokenness brought on by betrayal can be a very lonely place. A time when we have to passionately pursue God and His Light of Truth, Jesus, as our safe place of refuge.

Verse 114-115:You’re my place of quiet retreat, and your wrap-around presence

becomes my shield as I wrap myself in your word! Go away! Leave me, all you workers of wickedness, for you can’t stop me from following every command of my God.

Unless we are willing to seek refuge in God during those seasons when people wound or betray us - we will find ourselves like a ship lost in a sea of wickedness. But, when we trust in God, and obey His commands. Seeking Him as our hiding place and living from His very presence in our daily lives. The world will not seem so tempting a place and we will not be snared by the enemy’s schemes. Nothing will be able to stop us from obeying God’s Word - not even the reality of pain could stop us from offering mercy and grace to those who hurt us.

Verse 116-117: Lord, strengthen my inner being by the promises of your word so that I may live faithful and unashamed for you. Lift me up and I will be safe. (do you hear that trust?) Empower me to live every moment in the light of your ways.

Do you see how the Keys of Trusting in Who God is, and Living from His Presence will bring us to a place of confident obedience as we walk in trust, living from beneath the shelter of His wings? When we live from confidence and belief in God’s Word, trusting His presence we will walk empowered by His grace and love to live every moment of our lives in obedience to who He is. His perfect love will not only cast out fear, but it will cover all shame as we live faithfully before Him.

From Foolishness to Holy Fear…

Verse 118-119: Lord, you reject those who reject your laws, for they fool no one but themselves! The wicked are thrown away, discarded and valueless.That’s why I will keep loving all of your laws!

These two verses feel like the psalmist is reminding himself that he would be foolish to choose to disobey God - no matter how significant the temporary gain or pleasure might seem. He is committing himself to walk in God’s ways and to find the true value of life - that is only found in a deeply intimate relationship with God. He finds that loving God through His Word keeps Him from straying into foolish disobedience to God.

In coaching one of the things we focus on is helping our clients seek self-awareness. Not self-focus, but self-awareness. To be aware of what they are doing, who they are being. and what they may need to learn in order to move forward in their lives.

I feel like this is what God is highlighting for me in this passage of verses. That a key to understanding, growing and living from His presence is this idea of understanding exactly what is at stake when I do and when I don’t -- that this key is Awareness. The more we become aware of how we are showing up in our lives and the lives of others alongside, awareness of His presence in our lives and how we respond to His Presence becomes a pathway to not only freedom, but living from the awareness of His holiness… That righteousness of God we could never hope to attain - no matter how moral or right we feel - unless, we come into intimacy and revelation of the person of Jesus who takes away our sin and offers us His robe of righteousness in exchange.

Obedience Pursues Holiness

Verse 120: My body trembles in holy awe of you, leaving me speechless,for I’m frightened of your righteous judgments.

As we conclude today, I am reminded of the awe-inspiring moment Isaiah had before the throne of God when he cried out, “Woe to me for I am a man of unclean lips…” And God’s generous response was to purify Isaiah from that unrighteousness so that He could be a prophet to the nation of Israel and foretell the coming Messiah who would indeed put an end to our sin and suffering apart from God. (See Isaiah 6)

I don’t know about you--- But I want to live this way! When we come into the revelation-light of God’s truth and His Word. When the person of Jesus Christ, His Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us become more real to us than the world around us - we cannot help but want to live from their presence in our lives. To pursue their holiness, their truth and their transforming power in our lives. We will begin to abide in their presence and holiness and the imputed righteousness of Christ! His righteousness will empower us to walk in victory through obedience every step of the way.

When Revelation brings Revival, it will transform us with Righteousness and that should RE-FORM the way the think, live, act and respond to both God and the world around us. It’s a lofty challenge but a promising one, when we walk in light, truth and victory we find the words of Christ are true, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” (See Matthew 5)

What is it you are hungering and thirsting for today? And, by extension how is God filling you in this season?

Lord, God, we ask you to empower us to live our lives aware of Your presence and Your Holiness in our lives. That as we seek You, we would hunger and thirst after righteousness, trusting and believing that Your promise is that we will be filled by You as we do. I pray these things in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’d love to hear from you. Visit us on Facebook: @bloominginspired and drop a comment on this podcast post or send us a direct message. You can also visit our website BloomingInspiredNetwork.com and learn more about how we equip and empower women to walk in their role and reign in God’s Kingdom. You can fill out our contact form there on the website and let us know what’s resonating, or share any questions we might be able to answer for you about the podcast or ministry of Blooming Inspired Network.

A few weeks ago I shared about an upcoming online Prophetic Conference I would be doing in August with Michele Turman, and wanted to let you know that we have had to postpone that event due to scheduling conflicts that have arisen, but we are looking for a new date and will let you know when we reschedule and how you can register and join us in seeking to hear God’s voice through the prophetic gift of the Holy Spirit.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for our next episode of Accidental Hope Podcast with Jennifer Eikenhorst. She is our Ambassador of Hope who continually seeks hope and builds community from a faith perspective with those who have suffered loss through accidents or trauma. Her show airs right here on the Blooming Inspired Podcast network at 2pm (CT). You can find more about Jennifer and her show at facebook.com/accidentalhope

Close

Again, we’d love to connect with you through our website and social media. Be sure to like, share and subscribe to our website and social media posts. You can find us at facebook.com/bloominginspired, on instagram @bloominginspired and on Twitter @bloominspirenet as well as by subscribing to our website: BloomingInspiredNetowrk.com. That’s all the time we have for today, please join us for Accidental Hope tomorrow and our next episode of Blooming Inspired Podcast each Tuesday and Thursday at 11am (CT)! And remember, Blooming Where You’re Planted Is The First Step To Living Your Wildest Dreams, So Live Your Life Blooming Alive!

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 105-112 in the Passion Translation. Today, as we discover the keys of gratitude, joy and being refreshed, we also see how they partner with obedience to bring about freedom. As we step out by faith, trusting God’s revelation-light, we find ourselves walking a path that will lead into obedience, joy, rest and righteousness.

Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives blooming alive.

Greeting

Good morning this is Michelle Bentham. I’m the host of Blooming Inspired Podcast. I took a break on Tuesday this week and offered you a special encore presentation of last Thursday’s podcast. But today we are diving right back where we left off last week. We’ve been reading through Psalms 119 looking for keys to revival as we work through the verses.

Before we get started, let’s pray: “Lord God, we come humbly today and ask you to give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know you more. Lord, we ask you to speak now as your servants are listening - send Holy Spirit to give us revelation truth and light to mark the path ahead of us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Review

Last week we focused on placing our faith in God’s word and finding that our hearts love and treasure His Word.That faith in God leads to freedom, and loving His Word leads us to an uncompromising desire to be both obedient to His Word and to face the difficult truths in His word. Our keys from the last reading are wisdom and understanding that come from God’s Word.

Today’s Reading

Today we are going to be reading Psalm 119:105-112. Grab your Bible, a pen and if you desire - your favorite journal to take some notes as we get ready to jump into this section of scripture. I’m reading from the Passion Translation today. The heading over this section is “Truth’s Shining Light.” We’ve read in the previous verses that God’s revelation-light brings us to walk in His ways, to face difficult truths, and find obedience to His Word. Let’s see what God wants to share with us today.

Something Familiar

Before I get to today’s reading, I want to acknowledge the familiar words that can be found in many of the other translations of Psalm 119:105-106, from the NIV. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.”

Catch this… God’s word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path. The key to following God, being obedient to Him, and as the psalmist confesses, keeping His righteous laws -- is the shining light of His Truth - His Word. Remember this from John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” He also said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (See John 8:32)

Freedom & Obedience

How many of us in our lives would say that freedom and obedience walk hand in hand.Today’s key of truth partnered with the key of obedience will lead us to freedom. Not the kind of freedom that casts off restraint, but the kind of freedom that compels us to bow low, follow closely and seek to Know Him - Jesus, the Truth of God, His Living Word.

Personal Testimony

I remember being a teenager, convinced I knew it all, and especially knew better than my parents who were old-fashioned and simply did not understand this modern world we lived in. Unlike James Dean, I was a Rebel With A Cause. I wanted to be free. In my mind, freedom was the ability to choose WHATEVER I wanted to do. I could not wait to be out from under their authority so I could find my own way, choose what I wanted and cast off the restraint of their rules in my life.

Can I tell you that led me to some very difficult years in a prodigal season that led me to be an unwed mother, following that up with marrying a very broken and abusive man? We had two more children by the time I was 21 and then I divorced him. After my divorce we lived in poverty on welfare assistance from the state. I gave myself to wild living (mostly by way of alcohol and honky tonks) and some of my choices landed me in jail - not once, but a few times. All I can say is that the mercy of God met me in the middle of my mess -- and many of the messes I created learning to walk out of the broken patterns of my past. In my late 20s I began to seek God, to hunger for a relationship with Him again the way I had when I was saved at age 12.

His Truth Changed My Life

By the time I was 30 I was searching the Scriptures doing regular Bible study and seeking truth. It would be several more years before I would sincerely begin to walk out that truth and discover God’s unending love and powerful truth as a reality in my life. It’s been a long road from their to here. But, in that journey I have found the more I allow the Holy Spirit to guide and restrain me through God’s Word, the more obedient my heart becomes and the more I realize obedience to God’s Word in my heart and my life --- the more free I become.

Truth’s Shining Light

Now, let’s read from the Passion Translation and see what additional insights we can gather from this passage of Scripture: Verse 105-106: “Truth’s Shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your word makes my path clear. To live my life by your righteous commitment.”

Just Enough Light

The Hebrew language often paints a picture for the reader or hearer. I feel like the picture for this passage is that picture we find in the NIV: a picture of God’s light, like a lamp in our hand… or, if you will, our hearts... shining the light of truth into a dark world around you.

A lamp shines in darkness, illuminating the immediate area surrounding us. The picture from Psalm 119:105 is just enough light to take the next step. It doesn’t show us all the things that could be seen in the darkness. It lights the path that God wants us to take. Giving us a clear direction. If we are willing to follow God through the truth of His revelation-light in our lives, our choices and decisions will honor that light as we choose to live our lives by His righteous commitment.

Take the Next Step

Often times I think we get off track because we do not feel God is guiding or directing us - when in fact, our hearts are not obedient because we do not see the bigger picture. It’s like standing in the mall and looking at their map to find a store. You have to get your bearings to find that STAR with the words, You Are Here emblazoned in red.

I’m a big picture kind of kid, the details often don’t matter to me as much as knowing where we’re going and plotting the best way to get there. I’ve often mused that life would be so much easier if God would just give us the road map so I know where we’re headed.

Not Just A Road Trip

As I am sharing this with you, a picture of the television show “The Amazing Race” pops into my head. If you aren’t familiar with it, coupled contestants from various place are selected to run the amazing race. At the beginning of each episode the audience is given a preview of what the contestants must do to get to the next Pit Stop for that leg of the race.

The contestants have no clue where they are going - they are just following the instructions, completing the task outlined in the series of clues they receive, and then trying to run the best race to arrive at the Pit Stop first.

We’ll be back in a minute or two as we share something exciting with you!

[Podcoin Promo - information included in the close]

Not Exactly Your Average Road Trip

It’s not like a road trip where you ask Siri or Google to get you directions and then you follow their directions to get to where you are going. The contestants are compelled to not only find the clues, but follow them precisely - even in countries where they do not speak or understand the language. They are dependent on the information provided at each detour, roadblock and clue that is provided or else they won’t complete that leg of the journey and finish the race. They also are provided resources to get the transportation needed to make the journey, and sometimes have to do unpleasant and difficult assignments to complete the race.

But, you know… Many of us use our map apps to help us get where we are going the fastest route with the fewest delays, detours or obstacles to overcome. As a matter of fact, we’ll set our map and then in the midst of driving realize a better way and turn off the directed path - then our maps start recalculating and giving us instructions to get us back on track and headed to our destination. But, the thing is --- we pick the route we want to take and then deviate from that path. Requiring the system to update and reroute us to get us to our destination in a timely manner.

Finish Your Race

The truth is, many of us are off track simply because we thought we knew a better way and went our own direction instead of following God. Walking closely with God through His Word is where you will find Him best. As you incline your heart to His Word - His Holy Spirit will Shine the Light of Jesus and give you clear direction and the assignments needed to run your race well. The question is… Will you partner with Him through the Key of Obedience? Trusting Him to give you just the light you need for the next step, or are you asking for a bigger picture?

Overwhelmed

Verse 107: “I’m bruised and broken, overwhelmed by it all; breath life into me again by your living word.”

Life really has a way of beating us down. I often get pacing and run hard after following Jesus. But, the drawback is I get weary, and need to rest. One of the keys for today’s reading is to be refreshed when you are weary.

A Yoke of Rest

In Matthew 11, Jesus tells His followers that when they feel weighted down by life and are wearied by its burdens, to come and exchange these heavy burdens for his yoke of rest - which is easy and light. Jesus wants to carry your load for you. You don’t have to go it alone. But, in order to make the exchange you have to learn to pause, surrender and receive His gift of rest.

Offering Thanks

Verse108-109: “Lord, receive my grateful thanks and teach me more of how to please you. Even though my life hangs in the balance, I’ll keep following what you’ve taught me, no matter what.”

The next key we find is thanksgiving - a heart turned in gratitude before God, expressing thanks, seeks to please Him. It takes faith to thank God in a hard season. When my son passed away nearly 14 years ago - I read that sweet verse in Thessalonians where it says to “Give thanks in every circumstance.”

Thankful In… Not Thankful For

Learning to thank God in unpleasant or painful circumstances will lead us to depend on Him in those seasons. It will tune our hearts to see Him moving in our lives and answering our prayers as we pray them -- because we are relying on Him, looking for His goodness in the midst of our pain and trevail, we have the opportunity to find Him faithful and respond by faith to Him, which pleases Him. And when we find His goodness, and the faith to follow Him no matter what we experience the depths of His love for us as we continually seek to follow Him. A response of obedience that is born of love, is an act of worship.

Freedom Comes Through Obedience

Verse 110: “The ungodly have done their best to throw me off track, but I’ll not deviate from what you’ve told me to do.”

When I submit to God allowing Him to guide my path as I follow in obedience. Even when the distractions and assignments from the enemy come at me - I’ll not be sent off course. I’ll be steadfast in my determination to follow God, and do what He has told me to do.

Freedom comes through obedience, and when freedom comes so does JOY in the obedience!

Joy In Obedience

Verse 111-112: Everything you speak to me is like joyous treasure, filling my life with gladness. I have determined in my heart to obey whatever you say, fully and forever!”

When we begin to realize the freedom of obedience in our lives, His words become joyous treasure that we receive in gladness. It sets our hearts in determination to realize FULLY His plan and purpose for our lives as we seek to do whatever He says - to live fully until we reach eternity.

Father God, we thank you for Jesus, your revelation-light, in a dark and dying world. We thank you for Holy Spirit who guides, reminds, and convicts us of your word and your truth. We ask Lord to make our hearts and our steps true to you, to increase our faith and to walk boldly knowing your word gives us the strength, rest and refreshing we need to do everything you have said over our lives! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What’s Your Take?

What are you thinking as we close out the message today?

I’d love for you to share your insights with me. You can find me at facebook.com/bloominginspired and share your thoughts in the comments or send me a direct message. We’ve also got a contact form on the website: bloominginspirednetwork.com just click the Let’s Connect link at the top of the page.

Ways to Listen

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Closing

Thank you for tuning in to today’s podcast. Don’t forget to tune in on Mondays at 4pm (CT) to catch Michele Turman, our resident Redeemed Rebel, Gold Digger and Hope Dealer, as she shares The Redeemed Rebel Podcast each week. You’ll also not want to miss next week’s Accidental Hope Podcast at 2pm (CT) right here on Blooming Inspired Network. I will be the featured guest joining Jennifer Eikenhorst, our Hope Ambassador, talking about Bible Journaling and Creative Journaling as a way to find hope and healing in difficult circumstances. You don’t want to miss it!

Be sure to take a moment to like us on social media. If you love our show and it’s been a blessing to you would you help us get the word out by sharing it with your friends and family on social media. We’re praying for you often and want you to know you are important to our show and our ministry - we could not do this without you! And now… I want to remind you as I always do. Blooming where you’re planted is the first step to living your wildest dreams, so live your lives blooming alive!

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 97-104 in the Passion Translation. Today, as we discover the keys of wisdom and understanding. As we look into the mirror of God’s revelation-light, we find the ability to face the hard truths and refuse to bend our morals, while at the same time loving others and sacrificing ourselves that they may be saved from the dark world around us.

Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives Blooming Alive.

Introduction

Good Morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast. Sometimes I think I should say “I’m Hostess with the Mostest” when I introduce myself as a podcast host, but alas… That is my vain attempt at being funny for the week!

Seriously, we are in Psalm 119 teaching our Revival Series of messages. God has been showing us amazing things as we read through this very long, but very powerful chapter focusing our hearts on God’s Word. Last time we examined the powerful keys of faith and revelation as we read.

Today we’ll be reading verses 97-104 in the Passion Translation - so take a minute, grab your Bible -- in your favorite version -- a journal and a pen before we dive in.

Testimony

While you do that, I’d like to share a bit of testimony. I’ve had some amazing things happening in the last few months and want to update you on some of it. As many of you know, I’ve been podcasting with Blooming Inspired Network since June 2018.

Those first few months were brutal. I suffered from allergy attacks, and strange polyps on my eardrums. I mean… The allergy shots and medicine nearly put me under. In the past, I would have thrown in the towel with all that adversity. If I am really honest, I almost did.

But God

God reminded me, over and over again, of His faithfulness in those quiet moments last summer. He made provision and moved me in new directions. I look back and see His hand firmly on me in those days when all I could do was lay out on the couch praying for recovery.

In September, I am not sure what changed other than I DECIDED to get up. I wasn’t going to let all the fatigue and malaise in my life keep me from God’s purpose. In reality, God really answered my prayer. He revived me with a sense of purpose and truth. I began podcasting again about the middle of that month.

Word for the Year

As the fall days led into winter, I grew excited as I did interviews and invited other women to join me in the podcasting adventure. I began to focus on 2019 and felt God say this was a year to be Released. I set my heart on that word and planned a prophetic retreat during the first month of the year.

God met me in my plans and brought three women to the retreat. My coaching business was loping along with a couple of clients, and I had an opportunity to perform as a worship painter at a women’s conference in South Texas in February.

My heart waited expectantly as the whisper of release continued to roll though my mind. Many times I’ve felt like I missed God, and landed off the track of His plan. Then a phone call or text message would come - an invitation to a lunch appointment with a friend, and the ball would start rolling again. By the end of February I had a clear plan for the year.

Yielded

The first quarter found me living Yielded. Fasting in surrender waiting on the Lord.

Unleashed

The second quarter should unleash me. Bound by limiting beliefs about my creative nature, and living in organized chaos making room for those beautifully spontaneous expressions. I flew through life by the seat of my pants.

No plan - failing to plan - and by extension failing to accomplish much. I sensed that looming thought of floating through the recesses of my mind and wanted to squelch it - so I turned to an old favorite. A Sonic Route 44 Coca Cola, and a new favorite would deliver just the right effect - a 16 oz. Butterfinger Blast with extra Butterfinger, add Snickers. Ya’ll - it cost me $8 a pop to drown my sense of failure. And, well… It only added to it when I stepped on the scales and discovered 10 extra pounds had been added to my already rotund frame. Something needed to change. And quick…

Mid-Year Reset

At the beginning of May, after another long bout of Malaise from March to April - I was ready for a reset. God began to talk to me about a Mid-Year Reset and I began to sense that June is critical to the season. God wanted me to have a plan, to track my progress and make changes in my life. I researched planning systems and looked at things I’d used in the past.

A Just Right Plan

Nothing seemed to fit. Story of my life - if you will - always the square peg trying to shove herself in the round whole. Except… God inspired me to build my own system. Incorporating the visual thinking strategies I’d learned through my down times with a bullet journal style, I spent those days creating documents for printing on my computer and learning the system I created through May and June.

God began to unlock things for me as the second quarter came to a close. I traveled to attend events throughout the month of June, adding new coaching clients to a full schedule. I’ve had more time for extended family and my husband. And I’m learning to arrive on time! Which is a bit of a lark for anyone who knows me. I mean I arrived early for church a few weeks ago and my husband said, “Wow! My wife just walked through the doors and the previous service isn’t even out yet.” That’s a wake up call!

Advance

As June barrelled to a close, I began to look ahead to the third quarter. Marking out my goals and plans in my new system. Managing details and dailies in the middle. When the next to last Sunday of the month, my pastor taught a message. Packed in the middle of his word to the church about “going for it” - Pastor Jeremy used the word Advance.

Advance. That is my third quarter word. I felt like God was saying Go. For. It.

Launch

I pressed on… Relaunching the Wildflower Women group and beginning to try new things with my podcasts that I felt I did not have time to do before. And though I still struggle a bit, and find myself on the learning curve. I feel balanced and less stressed.

Reflecting

Since September, I’ve been regularly airing my podcasts with only an occasional replay. We celebrated one year of Blooming Inspired Podcast at the beginning of June. I’ve also added over 4,000 downloads to my podcast in the last month. That compared to the first year coming in at just over 9,000. I’ve also coached two new podcast hosts on the network and added their shows to our weekly line up. I’m adding new coaching clients to my business and starting to regain health and energy in my life again. Plus… I have a few dreams for the future I want to explore.

Last Weekend

Over the weekend a friend championed me and made a way for me to join The John Maxwell Team. Another bucket list item crossed off my list. There is work to do, a plan to make, but there is also opportunity and anticipation. God is doing a new thing in my life and I am grateful.

God did all this almost while I wasn’t paying close attention. And, as we read through these keys to revival in Psalm 119 I find that God is showing me how over the last three years He’s brought me through these keys to discover not only His heart and plan for my life - but to find He is reviving and fulfilling dreams and passions I thought had long since passed.

Don’t Give Up!

I share this testimony not to pat myself on the back or boast about the favor of God on my life. Instead, I’m hoping you’ll be encouraged not to give up on your own dreams and passions. That you see if God’s glory can be revealed through simple steps of obedience in my life - what can He do in yours? Stay the course, friends. Win the race. Watch Him Work Miracles For You.

Today’s Reading

Now, let’s dive into today’s reading! Psalm 119 from the Passion Translation.

The heading over today’s Scriptures: “I Love The Word Of God”

Verses 97-98: “Oh how I love and treasure the revelation of your word; throughout the day I fill my heart with its light. By considering your commands I have an edge over my enemies, for I take seriously everything you say.”

God is Fun!

A few weeks ago I helped a former co-worker lead a retreat she planned for her friends. During the first session I was teaching from Scripture about prophetic words. In the midst of sharing the group heard me exclaim in a spontaneous moment of joy, “I love God! He is so much fun!!!”

I hadn’t planned to say it, and forgot all about those words until the next evening. A woman on the retreat wrote me a note of encouragement that said, “You had me when you said, ‘God is fun!’ Because I’d never heard anyone say that before.”

Treasures In God’s Word

I’ve had many occasions since those early days of walking out my adult faith in God’s Word to exclaim how much I love God’s Word, and “mining for treasure” in the pages of Scripture. I spent hours of days upon days in 2008 writing out long blog posts featuring the Hebrew Names of God in Scripture. Digging deep and committing myself to word study, I found golden nuggets of truth again and again. I also found a passion for teaching in those wonder-filled days.

Read It Fresh

A few years ago I sensed God challenging me to read the Gospels as if I didn’t know anything about Jesus or the Scriptures. To set aside everything I thought I knew or had been taught and consider what I would believe if I only had the Scriptures to inform my faith.

What I thought would take me a few months has taken me on a six year Journey of discovering my Savior through the Scriptures and learning to love Him in a new way.

Teaching from Revelation

After a few years I began a podcast sharing the insights I gathered as I read through the Gospels. Then, two years ago I launched a verse-by-verse study of the Gospels through Blooming Inspired Network based on the way God led me through my readings. Each time I teach a Bible study session, I find myself teaching from the revelation I receive as we read rather than some preconceived idea I had before I joined God at the table of His Word. It has truly changed my life and taken on such depth of meaning for me. I’m often deeply touched and overwhelmed by His goodness as we partake of the Scriptures with eyes to see Him, ears to hear Him and a heart to know Him more. He never fails to show up! And I love Him all the more as we move through His precious words.

More Understanding

Verse 99-100: “You have given me more understanding than those who teach me, for I’ve absorbed your eye-opening revelation. You have graced me with more insight than the old sages because I have not failed to walk in the light of your ways.”

Isn't that what I was just talking about? He has given me more understanding than those who have taught me about his word for I have absorbed -- I have allowed his eye-opening revelations, the revelations of the Holy Spirit, that I get while I'm reading scripture to become a part of who I am. As I do, I find his grace and wisdom as I gain more and more insight.

People tell me all the time that I walk in wisdom - I hardly believe it. Still, I choose to walk in the light of His ways, the light of that wisdom and revelation that He brings to me in scripture.

The Key of Wisdom

Today, I believe what we're discovering is the key of wisdom in His word.

Let's read on: verses 101, “I refuse to bend my morals when Temptation was before me so that I could be obedient to your word.”

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of struggle? I mean, real struggle trying to find your moral compass as you read God's Word, and realize there are adjustments that need to be made. Earlier, I told you the story about going to Sonic and getting that 44 oz. Coke and that 16 oz. ice cream to allay my feelings of failure.

I will not deliver you a second time…

The truth is, in 2016 some friends of mine and I went to a healing school out in California, and before we went, I had been asking God, “What do You want me to ask for?”

I felt like He said I needed to ask him to be delivered of my desire for Coca-Cola. I didn't call it an addiction because I've come to the conclusion that I didn't drink that Coke because I needed it... Because I was going to detox if I didn't have it. I drink that Coke simply because I wanted it.

I wanted it, now there may have been an emotional attachment quality to my issue, but I simply wanted that Coke. I asked God to deliver me of my desire for that beverage.

On the way to the airport that day I had stopped to buy a large, 32 oz. Sonic Coca-Cola. Not my usual 44 oz. but 32. I swigged that sugar and caffeine through the red straw all the way to the airport.

Once we arrived, we went to the Curbside Check-in at Dallas Love Field. As I'm walking up to the line, I dropped that cup of soda in the trash and we proceeded to my flight. While waiting for our plane, we bought something to eat but I didn't get a Coke. I chose to drink water instead.

That whole week I didn't drink one Coke. I ordered lemonade and water.

There were no detox side effects - no fatigue, headache or irritability. It was amazing!

We returned home I still had not had a Coke until weeks later. When I finally did try a sip, I offered it to my husband and said, “Here, you drink this. I don’t think I want it anymore.”

That’s when I remembered how I asked God to make it taste bad in my mouth, and He did!

Months later, life got busy and stressful. We went out to eat one night, I tried a Coke. After all, one is not bad. I didn't really want another one, but a few weeks later I got another one. Eventually I stopped in at Sonic on my way home, and before you know it I'm back in my routine.

My car runs on autopilot right into Sonic to get a Coke. After a few days of repeating the behavior, I sensed the Lord saying, “I won't deliver you with the of this a second time.”

In other words: it's not going to be easy to give this up again and He is right!

The Good I Ought To Do

I'm in the struggle right now. You know, the apostle, James, wrote “Those who know the good they ought to do and do not do it, to them it becomes sin.”

That's pretty powerful. Right?

Except, we read the scripture that says “ refuse to bend my morals when temptation was before me so that I could become obedient to your word.”

And I have to ask…. Do I? I’m moving back to center on this. A little bit of pleasure in something that is so toxic for me is not worth forsaking the work of God in my life. Sometimes, I just need to say, “I repent!”

Verse 102, “I refuse to turn from difficult truth for you yourself have taught me to love your words.”

And now, it seems I’ve come full circle. Remember when we started reading Psalm 119 a few weeks ago, I shared about a time when God first put it on my heart to read this chapter of scripture. I also shared that I quit reading it because I couldn't see myself in the words I read. That’s difficult truth to bear yourself up in… But as we began this reading in Psalm 119 I came back to it the encouragement I feel I heard from the Lord again and again and again.

You aren’t supposed to find yourself in Scripture - You’re supposed to find Me.

Earlier this year as I studied revival history and landed in Psalm 119, I heard the Lord say that when I read scripture I may not find myself in it because I am supposed to find Him.

How many of us are reading scripture to know God? When we read to find Him, to know Him, we deepen our relationship with Him. If we aren’t careful we’ll find ourselves reading it for a list of do's and don'ts, wills and won’ts, and wander far from God. The big question I have to ask myself each time I read scripture is this: Am I looking at it and measuring myself by scripture, or by other people’s convictions about Scripture… Or am I looking reading and seeing how scripture can transform me into a Christ-like disciple?

When His Truth is your truth

I believe that's what this means when we look into the mirror of scripture we find our moral compass. If we won't turn away from it or ignore it, we will find the difficult truths that teach us to love His Words!

Did you know difficult truth can teach you to love God's word because once you receive it it's yours? When you receive God’s word and let it transform you - His truth becomes your truth.

verses 103 and 104. “How sweet your living promises are to me; sweeter than honey is your revelation-light. For your truth is the source of my understanding, not the falsehoods of those who don't know you which I despise.”

Listen to that! “How sweet are your living promises to me; sweeter than honey is your revelation-light.”

Can you taste of scripture and see that the Lord is good?

Can you search his Truth for Revelation and Light?

Can you find that truth as your source of understanding and refuse to partner with deception and falsehood... refuse to look to those who do not even know Him?

Don’t Despise People - Despise what Sin Does To People

I don't have to despise people to despise what falsehood, deception and not knowing God does to a person. I can despise the work of the enemy without despising people! We have to guard our hearts against turning hard toward people because of the darkness of our culture and the world around us. I have been repenting a lot lately of judgments I make against people based on my own convictions. I love God’s Word. I value life and truth. But, I have to remember - as John Bradford said, watching people from his community being taken to the scaffold for execution, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

It would only be a short time later that he made that same journey for execution.

Conclusion

God so loved people that He sacrificed Himself to save them. What are we, as recipients of this lavish grace, willing to sacrifice of ourselves to love people the way He loves them?

Leaving off until next week…

I think that's where I want to leave you today. I’ll be back next Tuesday and pick up reading in psalm 119 verse 105. I want to encourage you to have a great weekend. Spend some time reading this for yourself, make some notes in a journal -- or if you're like me write it down in the margins of your Bible right where you're reading it. Allow God’s heart to minister to your heart.

A Prayer For You

Father God, I thank you for Your word today! I thank You for Your truth that sets us free. I ask, Lord God, that we would know this truth, let it go deep in our hearts. That this truth would reflect back to us where our morals don't agree with Your truth. I pray we would adjust our morals to Your truth, not try to bend them so that we can participate in the things that tempt us; but rather, we would be obedient to Your word.

I pray that you're living promises would be sweet to us. Sweet like honey, and they would show us Your revelation-light. That your truth would always be the source -- a door standing open to us, inviting us in. It is in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Closing Remarks

That's all the time that I have for today! Thank you for tuning in with us. I want to ask you if this podcast has been a blessing to you: would you subscribe to it?

We're on iTunes where on Google Play Music and podcast we are also available on the Podcoin App.

By The Way, Podcoin is a great app! They pay you “podcoins” for every 10 minutes that you listen to any podcast that's listed on their app. All of the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network’s podcasts are listed there. We’re working on keeping our shows as “Bonus Shows” on the app. That means if you download the app and create your account with our referral code, “Blooming” you’ll get 300 “podcoins” just for signing up! You can use your podcoins to buy gift cards or make donations to charitable organizations. That’s a WIN-WIN, don’t you think? So if you're interested in subscribing Podcoin is a great way to get our podcast and you get the extra benefit of earning gifts while you're listening. We would love for you to also share this on social media -- share it with your friends your family -- the people within your influence let them know what we're doing at Blooming Inspired Network!

Don’t Forget

Don’t forget! We have two additional shows the Redeemed Rebel Podcast which airs Monday at 4 p.m. (CT) and Accidental Hope Podcast that airs on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. (CT). With that said, I want to remind you as I always do: Blooming where you're planted is the first step to living your wildest dreams, so live your lives blooming alive!

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 89-96 in the Passion Translation. Today, we discover the keys of faith and revelation. Seeking to place our faith in God, through His Word - both the Holy Scriptures and Jesus Christ--the expressed person of God, leads us to surrender to His truth and revelation. As His truth and revelation penetrates our hearts, faith is rooted deep within us.   

Show Transcript:

Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives blooming alive. Good morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast.

Introduction

This week we are digging back into Psalm 119. We're going to be reading from Psalm 119 beginning in verse 89 today, but before we do that I want to go back and review what we talked about last week.

Review

We focused on allowing our hearts to be planted deep in God's word and being delivered by it. Remember we're looking for keys to revival… Keys To Revival… and so I want to remind you that allowing our hearts to grow in the deep in the things of God and allowing those things that are being penetrated in our heart by God's word to deliver us from our afflictions, and the persecutions in this life, as well as the choices and the consequences for those choices we make that results in sin. We also discovered humility as a key, and we've discovered specifically that humility is a key that opposes pride. In like manner honor comes as a key to overcome shame.

Today’s Reading

Today, we'll examine how faith in God's word will help us stand firm in his truth in our relationship with him as we seek to live the overcoming life. You see, I believe that the overcoming life is a part of the truth and the promise of Revival.

Before we get started I'd like to just pray: Lord God I just ask that you would invade our hearts with not only Your Word, but with the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit would activate and penetrate our hearts with the Living Word of God and bring forth revelation truth to us today. I asked Lord for eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know You more. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Faith in God’s Word

Today, the heading over the eight verses we’re going to read is “Faith In God's Word.” Beginning in verse 89: “Standing firm in the heavens and fastened to eternity is the word of God…”

I want you to hear that because in John 1, and throughout the New Testament we see this picture of the manifestation of the word of God being fully made known through Jesus Christ, Himself. That when the Word became flesh, we saw then exactly who Jesus is, and it says here that that Word of God Is standing firm in the heavens fastened to eternity.

You see, our faith is not in -- just in -- the words that are written in the book we call the Bible, but our faith is in the One Who is the full manifestation of God himself, Jesus Christ.

Creation Testifies that God Exists

Verse 90: “Your faithfulness flows from one generation to the next; all that you created sits firmly in place to testify of you.”

Did you know that our creation -- that this atmosphere -- this created world that we are living in, our very beings, testify that God exists?

They testify to who He is. They testify to who Jesus is, who the Father is, who the Holy Spirit is! That if we would tune our hearts to know Him, every created thing on this earth would testify of Him.

Everything God Created Serves Him

Verse 91: “By Your decree everything stands at attention, for all that You have made serves you.”

Do you understand this that everything that is made by God serves God? Now, look around you --what in our world is not made by God? You can say, well God didn't build my house or God didn't make my car. God didn't put the furniture together that’s in my house.

I want to point you to the books of the New Testament in Hebrews and Colossians, we can read the everything on this earth was created and sustained by the power of His Word.

There's an interesting development in science that rather affirms this to be true. They have found that one of the smallest parts of matter is what they call a quark.

Tiny Vibrating Sound Waves

A quark is simply a tiny vibrating sound wave. Just think about this -- when you speak the reason we can understand what you're saying is because we can hear it with our ears. Our ears take those sound waves and process them into language and music and things we can understand by hearing. Correct?

In the same manner thousands and thousands and thousands of little vibrating quarks actually are put together and they create matter. This is exciting! That means that the chair that I'm sitting on is nothing more than thousands and thousands and thousands, maybe even millions, of small vibrating sound waves that becomes something that I can sit on. That I can grab hold of... I can see with my eyes and feel with my hands and my body.

If we go back to Genesis Chapter One, it says that when God created all of the things on the earth He did one simple thing: He spoke and it came into existence.

Maybe God didn't physically build your furniture, your house, or your car or the many things that we we use today in our daily life. Yet, He created the human being that developed the idea that actually completed the work that built your house, built your car, built the furniture and created the things that we use on a daily basis. All of this creation all of this intelligent design, as it has come to be called, it simply declares that God exists. It's a good word! And, if it is created by God, therefore it serves God.

Power to Overcome

Verse 92: “Because your words are my deepest delight, I didn't give up when all else was lost.”

Do you get this? When God's word is our deepest delight, it gives us persevering, enduring power to not give up even when we can't see the victory even when everything feels lost.

God’s Transforming Revelations

Verse 93: “I can never forget the profound Revelations you've taught me, for they have kept me alive more than once.”

Now here's that word revelation and I prayed for that, right? I prayed for revelations as we read today, but I want to highlight to you: revelation is different than information. Revelation is different than information. In Romans 12 we read, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind and then you will be able to test and approve what God's good, pleasing and perfect will is.” (vv.1-2, my paraphrase)

Revelation is different than information. More than mere human knowledge, revelation is divine spiritual wisdom and knowledge that comes to us with transforming power through the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Revelation is when the Word of God comes alive to us whether through prayer, through our experiences with people or through our encounters with Scripture -- the one thing that will create the encounter is the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit in us. Revelation is the key to transformation, and transformation - the key to overcoming through God’s Word.

Revelation leads us to Surrender

Verse 94: “Lord, I’m all yours, and you are my Savior; I have sought to live my life pleasing to you.”

When God's revelation comes to us we realize the power of His work in our lives. Not just that work unto salvation, meaning out of hell and into heaven. But rather, if we go back to that very first verse we read today, where it says that “Standing firm in the heavens and fastened to Eternity, is the word of God…”

If we go back to that, then we realize, the more we get a revelation of who Jesus is as the Word of God through the scriptures, through the impartation of the Holy Spirit - the more we surrender to Him as our Lord. The more we desire to be obedient to him, not because we're obligated to Him, but because the profound reality of His love has taken root in our lives. Then, all we want to do is respond in obedience to Him seeking to live our lives to please Him.

Hebrews chapter 11 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. That is why it is key that we understand that revelation is part of building faith in our lives. You see, Paul also writes that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (see Romans 10:17).

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God

Revelation is integral to us realizing the impartation of faith from the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit that draws us to Christ. It's the Holy Spirit that testifies to us of Christ. It's the Holy Spirit that teaches us about Christ. It's the Holy Spirit that reminds us. It's the Holy Spirit that empowers us to minister according to His will.

Do you understand what I'm saying? Faith is a key that unlocks revival because it creates disciples that look like Jesus, that live lives pleasing to him

This brings us to our conclusion, verses 95-96:”Even though evil men wait in ambush to kill me, I will set my heart before you to understand more of your ways. I’ve learned that there is nothing perfect in this imperfect world expect your words, for they bring such fantastic freedom into my life!”

We place our faith in God, through His Word - both the Holy Scriptures and Jesus Christ - the expressed person of God. we learn to surrender to His truth and revelation as it penetrates our hearts, allowing faith to take root deeply in our hearts. When our lives are vitally empowered by the revelation and presence of the Holy Spirit - even when our circumstances are anything but hopeful. When others persecute and seek to destroy us, we will live with our hearts set on Him, set before Him, understanding that the imperfections of this world will not consume us if we live in the perfection of His Living Word.

This key brings us to Freedom and victory in our lives!

Conclusion

Well, that is all the time we have for today. Be sure to download the Podcoin app and subscribe to this podcast there. They pay you one podcoin every 10 minutes you listen, and more if you catch us as a bonus podcast (one week left for that)! You can redeem podcoins for gift cards to your favorite businesses or you can make donations to charities. It’s a win-win for us all! So download the app and subscribe to Blooming Inspired Podcast today!

Our Wildflower Women ReLaunch is also well under way with 11 women joining our group in the last week! That’s very exciting! We’re beginning to build relationships and explore the reason God calls us wildflowers as He has brought us together to dot the surrounding landscapes with His Beautiful Glory!

If you’d like to join us for Wildflower Women & the Relaunch, then hop over to our Facebook Page, facebook.com/groups/wildflowerwomenrelaunch and request to join the group! Be sure to also take some time to like us on facebook.com/bloominginspired to stay up to date and in the know about all things @BloomingInspired.

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to check out these shows also airing on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network: Redeemed Rebel Podcast featuring our very own redeemed rebel, hope dealer and gold digger: Michele Turman each Monday at 4pm (CT) and Accidental Hope Podcast featuring our ambassador of hope, Jennifer Eikenhorst each Wednesday at 2pm (CT)! All of our shows are available on iTunes, Google Play and the Podcoin App - so subscribe and listen today!

Closing Remarks

As I close the show today, I want to share a little about my coaching business and opportunities with you. This is Michelle Bentham, and in case you didn’t know, in addition to being an ordained minister and the founder of Blooming Inspired Network, I am also a Certified Executive Coach.

This week, I have a huge praise as a friend of mine has helped me become a part of The John Maxwell Team. I’m very excited about this opportunity and what it will add to my Executive Coaching practice that has been in full swing for the last year.

If you are looking for personal or professional development in any area of your life, including areas of ministry, I’d love to offer you a free coaching consultation to sit down and share what coaching is, and explore the values it might add to your life. Monthly coaching packages that fit any lifestyle and budget are currently available. To set up your free consultation please email: [email protected]

I also offer a unique opportunity for Podcast development through coaching where I will walk you through the steps of developing your show concept, how to produce your podcast from recording to editing and airing your show on our Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. We will then work together to promote your show and expand the place of your influence.

I’d love to partner with you as you seek to live your life Blooming Inspired! For more information about the podcast network and podcasting opportunities visit bloominginspirednetwork.com and click the podcast link at the top of the page.

Remember: Blooming Where You’re Planted is the First Step to Living Your Wildest Dreams, So Live Your Lives Blooming Alive!

Michelle shares from Psalm 119:81-88 today as we move from growing in God's Word to being delivered by it. The revival key of deliverance is often overlooked but, can be essential to a life of continual obedience as we experience His tender love through His deliverance.

Episode Transcript: 

Introduction 

Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives blooming alive! For my friends here in the United States I want to wish you a happy, happy Fourth of July this is Independence Day in America, and what an appropriate day for me to be reading about God's Deliverance for us who are committed to Him through His Word. 

Independence Day & A Prayer For America

With that said I'm going to let you go into the regular podcast but I wanted to remind you that it’s Independence Day in America -- let's pray for God to restore the freedom that we have long held and long fought for in this country and that they would be applicable to every man woman and child who is a citizen of the United States of America thanks so much for listening today now here is the rest of today's story.  

Revival Series: Recap & Review

This is episode 135! I haven't noted the episode number before, but I guess it's helpful for you to know where we are in the grand scheme of blooming inspired podcast. We are currently reading Psalm 119 looking for keys to Revival -- not just big, broad universal revival, but personal revival how does God revive our Hearts.  

On Tuesday we talked about how growing through God's word is one of the keys that as we focus our hearts on who God is in scripture, who we know Jesus to be from scripture, specifically when we consider that it's His hands that held us and made us who we are that His revelation teaches us to please Him and builds faith in our lives. 

That it's good for us to desire that others would see his favor and his goodness in our lives so that they would rejoice at the fact that His words are woven into the fabric of our heart, trusting him no matter what we go through. Even in seasons where we're reaping consequences for choices that we made, understanding that as a judge he is faithful and true -- isn't that what Revelation 19 tells us about Jesus? 

And, that his kind mercy kiss that comforts us is Jesus and it comes through His Holy Spirit to us who believe.  His tender love delights us when we receive his life-giving truth. That we don't have to be bound up by the shame that is put upon us by people who would oppress us and lie about us because of our passion for His Word. But instead, those who love God and worship Him will follow us because we follow Him, and at the end… The final part of this key is to make us passionate and wholehearted to fulfill God's every wish, or his every desire, so that we’ll never be put to shame. So that we’ll always be covered by that genuine humility that comes with His double honor. 

You see, devoting ourselves to God as our true treasure leads to growth and maturity in His truth and the desires of his heart. And when we’re surrendered to the desires of His heart it leads us to a place where His word becomes woven into the fabric of our heart. And, we out of genuine humility, passionately and wholeheartedly, pursue Him and the desires of His heart in our lives. In so doing see revival in our lives, and if we're leading others, it should lead them to revival. 

Today’s Topic: Deliver Me! 

Today, we’re going to talk about the key of the key of Deliverance. We're reading from The Passion Translation, and we're going to be reading verses 81 through 88. The heading over this section of scripture is “Deliver Me.” 

In verse 81... I want you to turn in your bibles if you've got one. Just grab them real quick, turn over to Psalm 119 -- It'll be somewhere toward the middle of your Bible. And, if you have a journal, take some notes,or if you want to write in your Bible like I do, just jot down a few notes. Some people who may even do what I do at times, and write your notes down on a sticky note and stick on right there in your Bible so you know right where you read about that note.

 Let's begin.  

Toward the middle of your Bible and if you have a journal take some notes or if you like to write in your Bible like I do just jot down and she knows there's some people may even do what I do right so Verse 81: “I’m lovesick with yearnings for more of your salvation…” 

Heartsick for More

Have you ever been in a season of your life where you felt heartsick for more of God -- for more of what His salvation has done for you in your life? You see, Jesus didn’t just die to give us a ticket from hell to heaven --  He died for us to be victorious upon this earth. To live completely delivered, and absolutely at liberty in the freedom that He died to give us. Scripture assures us in Corinthians that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. 

“...For my heart is entwined with your word…” (Psalm 119:81b)

His Word In My Heart

Remember, back in the last passage in that second verse, 74(b), “for your words are entwined within my heart…” This idea of His word becoming a part of your heart, a part of who you are. And our heart is the wellspring of life we live from - isnt’ that what Scripture tells us? 

“I’m consumed with longings for your promises, so I ask, ‘When will they come true?’” (Psalm 119:82)

Longing for the Promises of God to Come True

When will they come true? Have you ever been in a season of life where you’re yearning for more of God’s salvation? Where you’re recognizing I’ve been in Your word it’s becoming a part of who I am. I’m seeking to live out of who Jesus is in me,and still… I’m consumed. I’m so overwhelmed by the longings I have to see Your promises come true. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness, for they shall be filled. (see Matthew 5)

There’s a longing aspect that brings about personal and corporate revival. A hunger for the holiness of God to be made manifest through His promises. 

When will they all come true?   

When is Jesus coming back? 

I’ve heard people ask that.

When we get so hungry that this Word goes to the ends of the earth, and every person has the opportunity to receive Him! 

Empty Soul, Full Heart

“My soul feels dry and shriveled, useless and forgotten, but I will never forget your living truth.” (Psalm 119:83)

Do you know that your heart, your spirit, your spiritual heart, where it is talking about His word is entwined, is completely other than your soul - which is your mind will and emotions? While your soul can be dry, shriveled up, useless and forgotten - you can feel absolutely at your utter wit’s end. You can feel absolutely useless, like you’re just dried up. You don’t have anything left to offer. But the truth, the living truth of God’s Word, never dries up. Your heart can be full when your soul feels empty. 

Do you get what I’m saying? 

And when our soul feels empty, and our heart is full of God’s truth - we need to go to that truth, and go to that truth, and go to that truth until those dry places are filled with the living water that comes from Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. 

God’s Servants Are Persecuted

“How much longer…” It says in verse 84. “...Must I wait until you punish my persecutors?” 

Ah, now we’re there. He’s being tormented. He’s being persecuted.” He says, “I’m your loving servant.” (Psalm 119:84b)

The Trap of Arrogance & Judgment

“Arrogant men who hate your truth and never obey your laws have laid a trap for my life.” (Psalm 118:85)

Never in the United States of America has the potential for this verse to be true been more relevant than today. In the last few years, our country has taken a turn. It’s actually been the last decade or so, our country has been shifting and trending away from the things of God, where it is becoming unpopular to be a believer in Christ, or even a Jewish person aligned with Israel. And there are people who are so arrogant before God that they would seek to put a trap for Christians and catch them so they can punish them - because they (those settings traps) don’t want to obey God’s truth. They don’t want to obey His Word. 

This political correctness and tolerant preaching that we hear from the world around us is the enemy’s best ploy for defeating Christianity and the purposes of God for the United States of America. 

We’ve got to stay true to what we know the Bible says, but the priority is to express His truth in love. In order for His truth to be expressed in love, we have to have relationships with people where we can speak into their lives in understanding ways. And recognize that the person living in the sin that I abhor is no different than me living in the sin that offends God in my life. 

It may not look like that (sin). It may not be so easily identifiable, but He hates it all the same. We must tend our hearts in humility lest we enter into judgment, and reap consequences. Jesus didn’t come to judge the world, He came to save it. 

Do you get what I’m saying there, friends? 

Part of being delivered from this culture and world around us is to walk in the loving purpose of God. 

The World Doesn’t Know The Truth

Verse 86, “They don’t know that everything that you say is true, so they harass me with their lies. Help me, Lord!”

They don’t know! Why do they not know? Because the church (universal) has not been doing her job. We’ve been demanding our rights, and that the government be our source of influence. And we have not been salt and light and love to the world around us. 

This is a clarion call! If we want to be delivered from the present culture, we have to turn our hearts to God, and to those people He desires to have in His Kingdom. And, I’m going to break it to you, friends… They’re sinners. They’re sinning. And, if we are offended by a little speck of sin in their eye, then we’ve got a plank of sinful judgment in our own. And, I’m so weary of the body of Christ attack other members of the body of Christ over points of doctrine without expressing love, without following the mandate of Matthew 18 and 19, without following the example of Christ, without honoring the Spirit of God.

You see, love and honor go hand in hand, and you can be a heresy hunter and have no love and no honor in your heart. This may offend some people, and I’m quite all right with it. I’m not speaking about anyone specific - I’m speaking about what you can tune into Twitter and see in a heartbeat. Or tune into Facebook and see in a heartbeat. I’m so weary of the body of Christ devouring itself. We’re so turned in on ourselves, we can’t be any good to the world around us. 

I’ve been guilty of this. I’ve been critical of other believers, of leaders in churches - I’ve done it in public. And, I’ve had to repent because God got a hold of my heart, and told me - This is not His heart for His church. He did not come… Jesus did not come to deliver to His Father a dissociated, divided Bride. So, if we want revival, we better unify over the things we can agree on and stop devouring each other and partnering with the enemy against each other. 

Whoa! I got a little fiery there… Let’s conclude. 

I Refuse to Yield to Persecution

“They don’t know that everything that you say is true, so they harass me with their lies. Help me, Lord!” (Psalm 119:86) 

When everyone else in life turns against you - the Lord will be your help. Cry out to Him! 

“They’ve nearly destroyed my life, but I refuse to yield; (I still live according to your word.)”  (Psalm 119:87a)

When the naysayers come… When you know that you know that you know that you are walking on purpose with God, you cannot give way to the people who would be negative or naysaying in your life. (Those) who would attack and accuse you.

You have to stand on what you know to be true. Stand in the face of persecution… Just as Jeremiah did… Just as Elijah did… Just as many of the prophets of God… Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - they had to stand in the face of persecution. The Apostle, John, and Jesus, Himself…

The Apostle John stood in the face of persecution. Early church history has it that he was boiled in oil and survived. He lived on the aisle of Patmos, imprisoned for his faith. 

Paul, the Apostle, was persecuted, and imprisoned and martyred. Peter was martyred. James, the brother of John, was martyred. All of the early church apostles were martyred, save John. He died of natural causes. 

We have to stand on the truth. When we see them burning our friends at the stake, we have to stand on truth, and not cower to fear... And not cower to political correctness... And not cower to the naysayers who would cause us to backbite and backstab our fellow believers in Christ. 

Refuse to yield my friends, and now we conclude.... 

"Revive me..." Here's our word. "Revive me with your tender love and spare my life by your kindness, and I will continue to obey you." (Psalm 119:88)

And, if we're not careful we can read that and think that there is an exchange - a bargain - we can strike with God. That we can negotiate with Him. That if He doesn't do what He says we don't have to obey Him. 

That's not the truth of God's Word. The truth is the more we experience His tender love, His deliverance and His kindness in our lives - the more revival comes to our hearts and our souls and our lives, and the world around us - the more obedient we become. 

That's where we're going to conclude today.  

Lord, revive our hearts according to Your Word. Deliver us from those who would persecute us. Deliver those who are backbiting and backstabbing, and becoming persecutors of the church. (Those) who are bound up in legalism and religious traditions, and the doctrines of men. And release us to become a unified body where revival and reformation takes place. Just as you did in the day of Martin Luther, and his thesis he nailed to the door of his church - do it again is us, God. And let revival and awakening to the Holy Spirit and the things of Your Word bring us to holiness and purity and truth in the name of Christ. It is by His authority and His name that I ask you to make all these thing true concerning us. Make us humble servants to Your word and Your spirit today. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

That's all the time we have for today... Don't forget the Prophetic Conference Coming Up (Looking at September - October Dates). 

And Wildflower Women is launched Sunday July 1st. I'll be preparing more for that tomorrow. I'll be doing some videos and inviting people to join us so I'm just excited about that. 

I just honor you today. I honor your willingness to stick it out with me and hear what God is speaking to my heart as I read through scripture  with you.

Thank you for being a part of the Blooming Inspired Podcast & the Blooming Inspired Network. If you like this podcast be sure to share it with your friends and people within your influence. We're so grateful to have you along. If you want to learn more about Blooming Inspired Network go to bloominginspirednetwork.com and click any link at the top of the page to learn more about us and REMEMBER: Blooming where you're planted is the first step to living your wildest dreams, so live your lives Blooming Alive!

Thank you for listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. This show airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am (Central Time). Please take a moment to like, share and subscribe to this podcast. You can also learn more about this podcast, it's network or the Blooming Inspired Network by visiting bloominginspirednetwork.com and click the podcast link at the top of the page.

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 73-80 in the Passion Translation today as we discover the key of maturing in God's Word. This key leads us to  a place of passion and purpose as our pride melts into humility and our shame gives way to honor. When we pursue God through His Word, our hearts align with His as His Word becomes a passion defining our purpose in life!

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 65-72 in the Passion Translation today as we discover the key of focusing on God's goodness & kindness toward us. This key leads us to a place of shelter and protection from those who oppose us and deliver us through seasons of correction into a place of treasuring God's Word above all else. When we treasure His Word more than anything else, then we will value His word, seek it out and grow to maturity in His Word.

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 57-64 in the Passion Translation today as we discover the key of devotion. This key leads us to a place of not only obedience, but also utter dependence on God - setting our heart free to find Him our true treasure.

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 49-56 in the Passion Translation today as we discover the key of comfort. This key leads us to a place of not only realizing God keeps His promises to me - personal, but also that allowing His Scriptures to inform us, encourage us, guide us and protect us brings us to a place of treasuring His Word, seeking Him through worship and giving us a desire to know Him more. The key of comfort leads us to a devoted heart!

Michelle continues her quest to discover keys to Revival in Psalm 119 reading verses 41-48 in the Passion Translation today as we discover the key of trust. This key leads us to a place of not only trusting in God, but trusting His Word, His commandments through Scripture and living from a place of obedience and truth. Trust is a key that leads us from the love of God to His comfort. When we live from a place of trusting God to love and comfort us we obey Him - obedience leads us to trust Him for our holiness, and that is a key to Revival!