Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

I stood in front of the audience shaking in my boots. I was afraid of forgetting my lines. I was afraid I would forget where to make this or that gesture. I was afraid to the audience. Then I won the speaking competition.

I stood on the mound facing the best hitter in the league. My catcher flashed me the sign for a fastball low and outside. I shook it off. As he flashed signs for all my standard pitches, I shook them all off. A look of concern came across his face as he gave me the sign for my newest pitch, one I had never thrown to any batter. It was my three quarter arm, hanging curve slider. I delivered the pitch, the well trained batter saw the hanging curve and committed to the swing. Then the slider turned over, changed directions, and the bottom fell out. He missed the pitch by a foot, as he did the next two. We won the game.

The results for both experiences was the same, a win. I was equally prepared for both. I executed perfectly in both. Winning in the speech competition was relief. Winning the ball game was joyous. In the speech competition I was facing my fears. In the ball game I was doing what I loved.

Walking with Christ can be like those experiences. Sometimes you have to face your fears and overcome them. Sometimes you get to do what you love.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ESV

Anxiety can steal your joy. Christ abides in you and you abide in Christ. There is no need to be anxious about anything.

1 John 4:18ab There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.

Walking with Christ is a love walk. Be joyful. 

Psalm 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

I read many versions of this verse and nearly all use the word lies in place of leasing. Lies make perfect sense, so why does this archaic language of the King James use leasing. So I went to the Merriam-Webster and looked up leasing. Wow, it says “the act of lying”.

A whole industry has been built around “the act of lying”. You would think that they should have changed the name. Perhaps they didn’t because they know people are unaware of the definition. It matters not what the meaning or intent is if people are looking beyond the lie to their desires.

They buy into the lie. Isn’t that the basic model of sin, buying into the lie? You are not living, you are leasing. Your life is a lie.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: (by lying) I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (By truth)

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Glory is the essence of truth, to see and know God as He is without the veil of deception. That veil of deception is the flesh, the desire without knowing the truth in a matter.

Ephesians 2:13-15 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;