Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 5,359
Psalm 66:10-12 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us like silver.
11You led us into the net;
You laid burdens on our backs.
12You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but You brought us into abundance.
Faith in Jesus Christ is not “smooth sailing.” It is not absent of problems, difficulties, and obstacles. Sufferings and persecutions are to be expected if our faith in our Lord is genuine biblical faith. Why? Because opposition, persecutions, and sufferings are what humble us and what help to mold us into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. They draw us closer to the Lord, if we will let them. And they make us more determined to live the life God has for us to live, and to share the truth of the gospel with the people of the world.
Psalm 66:13-15 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
13I will enter Your house with burnt offerings;
I will fulfill my vows to You—
14the vows that my lips promised
and my mouth spoke in my distress.
15I will offer You fatlings as burnt offerings,
with the fragrant smoke of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
Now the “house of God” is not in a physical temple or building. It is not a place we go to once or twice a week for “worship” of God. We who believe in Jesus with genuine biblical faith are now the house of God, where God dwells by His Spirit. We are the temple of God. And we are to worship God in spirit and in truth every day of the week, throughout the day. And biblical worship is not just about singing songs of worship to God. It is about lives surrendered to the will of God in obedience to His commands in holy living.
What kinds of vows and offerings does the Lord require now of those who are of faith in Jesus Christ? Jesus said that if anyone would come after Him, He must deny self, take up His cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow the Lord in obedience to His commands. For, by biblical faith, which comes from God, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in Him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as servants of righteousness in obedience to our Lord’s commands.
We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives until HE comes.
Psalm 66:16-20 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
16Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for me.
17I cried out to Him with my mouth
and praised Him with my tongue.
18If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19But God has surely heard;
He has attended to the sound of my prayer.
20Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld from me His loving devotion!
What does it mean to “fear God”? It means that we believe what He says, that we believe both His promises and His warnings. We take them to heart to do what they say to do, and to not do what they say not to do. But it also means to honor, respect, value, worship, reverence, and obey Him. And this involves living the lives He has for us to live, in doing what He has called us to do, no matter how difficult, and no matter how we might get treated by others. For our lives are now to be given over to the Lord for His service.
And what does it look like if you “cherish iniquity” in your heart? Well, to cherish is to treasure, to value, to esteem, and to take pleasure in. And iniquity is sin, immorality, evil, and wickedness. If sin is what we practice, by habit, repeating the same sins over and over again, in addiction to sin, without genuine biblical remorse and repentance sustained, and if obedience to our Lord and to His commands are not what we put into practice in our lives, then we don’t know God, and God will not listen to our prayers.
But God hears the prayers of the righteous. And this does not mean that He is going to do everything we ask of Him, or that He will do it immediately or while we still live. I am most certain that there have been followers of Christ who have died not knowing whether or not their prayers were answered, but who remained faithful to the Lord in trusting the Lord that He will do what is best. Some people pray for many years for the salvation of their loved ones only to die before any of them turn their hearts to the Lord. So wait on God!
And then there are times that we pray and we get an immediate response from the Lord, and we know that He heard us and that He attended to our prayers and that He did not reject our prayers. And these can be little things like just having a clear mind, and the ability to stay awake, and for certain pains to disappear, and for understanding of the Scriptures or of our circumstances or of what is going on in the world around us, or just for the strength to make it through every day. God does hear and answer prayers.
Prayers hindered or accepted: [John 15:1-11; James 1:5-8; James 4:1-10; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 John 1:5-9; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14-15]
All You Who Fear God
An Original Work / July 31, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
I speak here from personal experience when I tell you that there is no greater joy and peace in life than to walk with Jesus, to do His will, and to follow Him wherever He leads you.
In Keeping Them
Based off Psalm 111:10; Psalm 19:7-11
An Original Work / June 3, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Stand in awe of your Lord. Harken to His teachings.
Follow where He leads you. Live for Him today.
Through Him you gain wisdom; knowledge; understanding.
To my Lord belongs all worship and my praise.
Perfect is the Word, refreshing souls in His love.
His commands are faithful, guiding us each day.
Joy comes to the heart of those who love His teachings;
Follow His instructions. He will light their way.
Abide in the Lord, and obey His commandments.
His Word is more precious than all of our gold.
By His Word He warns us, comforts, and implores us.
When we follow His Word, there is great reward.
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us like silver.
11You led us into the net;
You laid burdens on our backs.
12You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but You brought us into abundance.
Faith in Jesus Christ is not “smooth sailing.” It is not absent of problems, difficulties, and obstacles. Sufferings and persecutions are to be expected if our faith in our Lord is genuine biblical faith. Why? Because opposition, persecutions, and sufferings are what humble us and what help to mold us into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. They draw us closer to the Lord, if we will let them. And they make us more determined to live the life God has for us to live, and to share the truth of the gospel with the people of the world.
Psalm 66:13-15 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
13I will enter Your house with burnt offerings;
I will fulfill my vows to You—
14the vows that my lips promised
and my mouth spoke in my distress.
15I will offer You fatlings as burnt offerings,
with the fragrant smoke of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
Now the “house of God” is not in a physical temple or building. It is not a place we go to once or twice a week for “worship” of God. We who believe in Jesus with genuine biblical faith are now the house of God, where God dwells by His Spirit. We are the temple of God. And we are to worship God in spirit and in truth every day of the week, throughout the day. And biblical worship is not just about singing songs of worship to God. It is about lives surrendered to the will of God in obedience to His commands in holy living.
What kinds of vows and offerings does the Lord require now of those who are of faith in Jesus Christ? Jesus said that if anyone would come after Him, He must deny self, take up His cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow the Lord in obedience to His commands. For, by biblical faith, which comes from God, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in Him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as servants of righteousness in obedience to our Lord’s commands.
We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives until HE comes.
Psalm 66:16-20 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
16Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for me.
17I cried out to Him with my mouth
and praised Him with my tongue.
18If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19But God has surely heard;
He has attended to the sound of my prayer.
20Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld from me His loving devotion!
What does it mean to “fear God”? It means that we believe what He says, that we believe both His promises and His warnings. We take them to heart to do what they say to do, and to not do what they say not to do. But it also means to honor, respect, value, worship, reverence, and obey Him. And this involves living the lives He has for us to live, in doing what He has called us to do, no matter how difficult, and no matter how we might get treated by others. For our lives are now to be given over to the Lord for His service.
And what does it look like if you “cherish iniquity” in your heart? Well, to cherish is to treasure, to value, to esteem, and to take pleasure in. And iniquity is sin, immorality, evil, and wickedness. If sin is what we practice, by habit, repeating the same sins over and over again, in addiction to sin, without genuine biblical remorse and repentance sustained, and if obedience to our Lord and to His commands are not what we put into practice in our lives, then we don’t know God, and God will not listen to our prayers.
But God hears the prayers of the righteous. And this does not mean that He is going to do everything we ask of Him, or that He will do it immediately or while we still live. I am most certain that there have been followers of Christ who have died not knowing whether or not their prayers were answered, but who remained faithful to the Lord in trusting the Lord that He will do what is best. Some people pray for many years for the salvation of their loved ones only to die before any of them turn their hearts to the Lord. So wait on God!
And then there are times that we pray and we get an immediate response from the Lord, and we know that He heard us and that He attended to our prayers and that He did not reject our prayers. And these can be little things like just having a clear mind, and the ability to stay awake, and for certain pains to disappear, and for understanding of the Scriptures or of our circumstances or of what is going on in the world around us, or just for the strength to make it through every day. God does hear and answer prayers.
Prayers hindered or accepted: [John 15:1-11; James 1:5-8; James 4:1-10; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 John 1:5-9; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14-15]
All You Who Fear God
An Original Work / July 31, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
I speak here from personal experience when I tell you that there is no greater joy and peace in life than to walk with Jesus, to do His will, and to follow Him wherever He leads you.
In Keeping Them
Based off Psalm 111:10; Psalm 19:7-11
An Original Work / June 3, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Stand in awe of your Lord. Harken to His teachings.
Follow where He leads you. Live for Him today.
Through Him you gain wisdom; knowledge; understanding.
To my Lord belongs all worship and my praise.
Perfect is the Word, refreshing souls in His love.
His commands are faithful, guiding us each day.
Joy comes to the heart of those who love His teachings;
Follow His instructions. He will light their way.
Abide in the Lord, and obey His commandments.
His Word is more precious than all of our gold.
By His Word He warns us, comforts, and implores us.
When we follow His Word, there is great reward.
