The Angel of the Lord Encircles Me

My prayer song "The Angel of the Lord Encircles Me" was inspired by Psalm 34:7
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them."

According to the Strong's Bible Concordance, the "angel of the Lord" often referred to the "theophanic angel" ~ a divine visitation of God appearing in the form of an angel.


Many bible scholars believe that the theophanic angel was the pre-incarnate Christ. 
 The word means, "messenger of God, an angel, prophet, priest, or teacher."

  The words "encamp about" mean to "dwell in, or all around as in a circuit, on every side."
 The words in the definition convey the idea that the angel  (the messenger from God who is a teacher, priest, and prophet) is building a strong fortress all around the person he is guarding. 
 
If a person fears the Lord, (by fear, the Psalmist means, honors, is morally reverent, and afraid to dishonor or offend the Lord), and if they abide in God’s strong fortress with the angel, and if that Angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, then something truly wonderful is going to happen.

That Angel is going to deliver them.

According to the Strong’s Bible Concordance, the word deliver means: "to remove, to draw out, equip for war, rescue, be armed, to make strong, to brace, to be saved."
 
What are we going to be delivered from?

• Jesus is going to deliver us from whatever overwhelms, overcomes, or oppresses us.

• Jesus is going to remove whatever hinders us from advancing toward fulfilling His purpose in our life.

• First, Jesus saves our souls and forgives all our sins, washing them away as far as the east is from the west when we invite him into our heart to be our Lord and Savior.

“Therefore Jesus is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:25

• Jesus is going to heal us from whatever soul sickness that blinds us and keeps us from knowing and growing in Him.

“He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.” Psalm 107:20

• Jesus is committed to equipping us for spiritual battle; God is on our side~ He wants us to succeed:

“God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.” Psalm 18:32-34

•  Jesus make us strong through helping us to read and understand His word, and giving us the grace and power to obey it:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” ~Philippians 2:13

• Jesus delivers us so that we can overcome temptation.

“And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

• Jesus is going to give us victory over what had formerly overcome us:

"For this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4

• Finally, Jesus delivers us from our enemies when we put our trust in Him. He is committed to making us strong and whole.

"To them that have no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Thy Son Jesus Christ to by my Protector and Guardian, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, who ever guards me night and day through His Holy Spirit who lives inside my heart. May You help me to truly understand all of the wonderful things my Lord Jesus does for all who trust Him as their Savior and Lord, in Jesus holy name, amen. 

“The Angel of The Lord Encircles Me” is a comforting, inspirational 2 minute 45 second Video Produced, Directed & Narrated by SD Harden with additional videography by MC Harden © 2018 All Rights Reserved.
The Prayer Poem and Illustration are from "Paths of Love Illustrated Prayer Song Book: Prayer Songs Celebrating God's Love" ©  2015 All Rights Reserved.
The original piano solo,“The Angel of The Lord Encircles Me” used in the video is on the album “Paths of Love: Songs for Worship and Meditation” © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.
Unto The Least of These © 2018 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart

A couple of years ago the Lord inspired me to create an Encouraging Scripture Promise Wall Calendar based on my Encouraging Card Collection. I loved my calendar for it would encourage me each morning with a promise from God’s word.

Whenever I was discouraged all I had to do was look up at the scripture on my calendar; somehow the Lord always used the bible verse to speak to my heart.

The promises in the Bible give us hope. And no wonder, for our God is “The God of hope.”(Romans 15:13)

The next year, I had three calendars printed.

I hung one in my kitchen, one at my work chair, and one beside my bed.

Anytime I felt sad or discouraged I would look up at one of my calendars, depending on which room I was in, read the bible promise, and be filled with fresh courage.

This year the Lord inspired me to create a new Wall Calendar featuring twelve comforting Bible Promises, one for each month of the year illustrated with my scripture paintings and collages.

He impressed upon me the importance of meditating upon His word every day, reminding me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:4 when tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread during His wilderness Temptations. Jesus fought the temptation with scripture:

“It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

In rebuking the devil with scripture, the Lord Jesus was teaching us how to fight the enemy: with His word. In Ephesians 6:17 Paul wrote “to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” as a vital part of our spiritual armor against the deadly attacks of our unseen spiritual foe who is out to destroy our soul.

Knowledge of God’s word is not only vital to our survival as believers in spiritual warfare, but the Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11

The promises of God comfort and give us hope, keep us from going astray, aid us in defeating our spiritual enemies, and they also guide us in the Lord’s paths of righteousness.

 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:10
 

“Every word of God proves true…” Proverbs 30:5

The Apostle Paul wrote that we grow our faith by nourishing ourselves with a steady diet of God’s Holy Word. For it is our spiritual food, that will help us grow closer to our God if we will make it our daily habit to read it and obey it.

In this way we will learn to understand the Lord’s will for us, to discern His voice in our hearts, and find out what pleases and displeases Him.

This year the Lord has inspired me to study and meditate on the bible promises on my calendars each month in a new way.

Each morning I plan to meditate on the bible promise for the month and pray about how it applies to me and where I am on my life’s journey with the Lord.

I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit to teach me new insights as I study the scripture more in depth along with other bible study tools, like the Strong’s concordance, the Matthew Henry Bible Commentary, and my Study Bible.

I plan to pray over the scripture throughout the month and ask the Lord to teach me new things about that promise each day. I have learned that we can never exhaust all of the riches to be found in God’s holy word!

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3

I hope by studying God’s promises in this way, that by the end of each month I will have memorized each of the bible promises featured on the calendar.

By the year’s end, if I meditate on these verses daily,  then I will make them all my very own, for the Lord has shown me that this is one very good way to hide His word in my heart and make it my treasure.

I would be so honored if you would get one of my scripture calendars and join me in studying God’s promises each day.

May the Lord bless you!

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Help me to hide Thy word in my heart every day. Please use Thy word to help me become more like Thy Son Jesus Christ. Help me to always obey everything that You teach me from Your word, so that it doesn’t just go in one ear and out the other. I ask that You let Your word be my treasure now and for always. Thank you, Lord, I love you, In Jesus mighty name, amen.

For more information about my Bible Promise Calendar and Encouraging Scripture Promise Calendar see my Etsy Shop Listings below: (Links will take you to my Etsy Shop.)

2018 Comforting Bible Promise Calendar

The 2018 Encouraging Scripture Promise Calendar

Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart, Unto The Least Of These  © 2017 SD Harden All rights reserved. Scripture Paintings (Thy Word Is a Lamp To My Feet, Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart, Faith Comes By Hearing © SD Harden 2017 All rights reserved./ Scripture Quotations KJV Bible/ 2018 Comforting Bible Promise Calendar & 2018 Encouraging Scripture Promise Calendar © SD Harden All Rights Reserved.

Jesus The Light Of Life

Jesus The Light Of Life

The Bible opens with this beautiful account of the creation:

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." ~ (Genesis 1:1-3)

The soul apart from Christ is very much like that place at the dawn of creation when the "earth was without form and void and darkness hovered over the face of the deep."  

For without Christ "the light of the world" we walk in darkness. The bible says that Jesus was  "the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (John 1:9)

The Gospel of John opens much like the book of Genesis:

John 1:1,3-5

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in *darkness; and the darkness *comprehended it not.

Jesus Christ is not only our Creator, He is the Light that moves upon our spirit that brings the Eternal Day into our hearts when we receive Him as our Savior.

When Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, His light shines into the formless darkness of our souls, and His grace turns our chaos into order, our confusion into peace.

When Jesus comes into our hearts, His light not only illuminates our darkness but His word promises that all the forces of darkness shall not be able to overcome His light within us as we abide in Him.

Scripture says that the darkness cannot comprehend Christ's light.

The word comprehend as defined by the Strong's Bible Dictionary can be interpreted in several ways:

The darkness does not eagerly receive Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot possess Christ or those who have His light abiding in their hearts.

The darkness cannot perceive, comprehend, or understand Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot ever overcome Christ, His Church, and all those who are abiding in Christ's light.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, bring the light of Christ to all who are in darkness today. If any are experiencing confusion, fill them with Thy peace for Thy word says that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace..." (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Thy word promises that "...the Lord blesses His people with peace." ~ (Psalm 29:11)

Lord, thank You for Being our Light, our Salvation, and our Peace, in Jesus' name, amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV) 

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

_________________________________________________________________

DEFINITIONS

*comprehended  (Strong's Bible Dictionary )

καταλαμβάνω kat-al-am-ban'-o

Definition: to take eagerly, i.e. seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively)

Usage: :--apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

*Darkness: (Thayer Bible Dictionary)

skotia (transliteration)

Definition: Metaphorically used of ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.

Unto The Least of These "Jesus Light of Life" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotations King James Version Bible, New International Version Bible, New American Standard Version Bible: Definitions: Strong's Bible Dictionary, Thayer Bible Dictionary: Scripture Pictures Created via You Version Bible App

Wait On The Lord

My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him." ~Psalm 62:5 

The Strong's Bible Dictionary defines the word that the Psalmist uses for "wait" in this passage as "to be dumb, to be astonished, to stop, to hold your peace, keep silent, be still, tarry, be cut off..."

Such a definition carries several implications. 

Meditate for a moment on what it means to "be dumb..mute, silent & hold your peace before the Lord. 

Have we ever just worshiped the Lord in silent prayer; cut ourselves off from every distraction so that we can completely focus on listening to the Holy Spirit? 

This is what the Psalmist is saying. 

"For my expectation is from God..."

The word expectation means "hope, outcome, the thing that I long for."

We will not find our hope in our work, mobile devices, on the Internet, social media, or any of a number of other things that distract our hearts away from God. 

We must go into our prayer closet and get alone with Jesus Christ and worship. 

In that quiet place our Lord will whisper His truth to our hearts.  Our love and knowledge of Him will grow as we practice waiting on Him in the silence of the holy place of our hearts. 

For He is our heart's truest desire and we will find all of our deepest longings fulfilled in Him.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, draw us closer to Your holy heart and help us learn to be still before You in prayer as we worship You; to wait on You, to listen for Thy still, small voice. We love You, in Jesus' name, amen.

Unto The Least of These "Wait On The Lord" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Bible Verse King James Version

Take Captive Every Thought

But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. 

Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life. 

~Jude 1:20-21 

Prayer is not only one of our greatest spiritual blessings because it is our means of communion with our precious Creator and it unites us as believers, it is also one of our most effective weapons in our arsenal against the enemy of our souls. 

As we use prayer along with studying the Bible which St. Paul calls the sword of the Spirit, we grow strong spiritually and closer to God. We also become a source of Christ's light to those around us. 

The book of Proverbs says that the righteous is a guide to his neighbor. Our lives become a blessing as we follow Christ each day through prayer, bible study and obedience to His word.

The Lord Jesus rebuked Satan in His wilderness temptations with God's word when He said,  “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

St. Paul says we are to pray every kind of prayer and at all times.

 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. 

To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people. ~Ephesians 6:18

St Paul wrote that we must be careful how we think. 

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." ~2 Corinthians 10:4-5 

Often the enemy attacks us in our thought life, discouraging us, filling our minds with accusing or condemning, depressing or hopeless thoughts. But Philippians 4:4,8 exhorts us to rejoice in the Lord always, no matter what our outward circumstances are and to think about good things in ourselves and others!

Philippians 4:4, 8 

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

God is light and God is love. He is looking at all those good things in you and me in that list in Philippians 4:4-8 or He would not have inspired Paul to have us to think about those things.  

God tells us to be like Him in His word. 

St. Paul wrote these scripture verses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit--a man who was often severely beaten for his faith, put in cold, dirty prison cells and left to languish, and persecuted mercilessly. 

I imagine that he might have often been tempted to feel sorry for himself under such conditions but his epistles are the writings of a victorious warrior for Christ! 

I too want to be a victorious warrior for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I pray the declaration prayer in the scripture picture above to take captive every thought that exalts itself against the wisdom and knowledge of God and I ask the Lord to make my will line up with His. 

I pray to be led by His Holy Spirit always for His word declares in Romans 8:14 that all who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 

Amen and amen!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. 

Test all things; hold fast what is good. 

Abstain from every form of evil. 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, teach us to pray without ceasing, thank You, Lord, we love You, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Unto The Least Of These/ "Take Captive Every Thought" Copyright © 2015 All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotation 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ERV) Easy To Read Version Bible © 2006 World Bible Translation Center /NKJV ©1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc/Scripture Picture&Prayer~SD Harden 

Hide God's Word In Your Heart

Bible Study Prayer

Dearest Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, 

help me to diligently hide Your Holy Word in my heart every day. 

Please "let the word of Christ dwell in me richly."

Please give me Wisdom, Insight & Understanding as I meditate on Thy Word.

•BEGIN WITH PRAYER 

•READ THE BIBLE

•MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE

•READ WHAT OTHERS HAVE WRITTEN ON THE BIBLE

•PASS THE BIBLE ALONG TO OTHERS

•Holy Spirit, please guide me into all Thy Truth.

•Lord, open my eyes to behold wonderful things out of Thy Law. (Psalm 119:18)

•Lord, "...may the eyes of my understanding be enlightened, that I may know what is the hope of His Calling, & what are the riches of the Glory of His Inheritance in the Saints..." (Ephesians 1:17:18)

Heavenly Father, I ask all these things in Jesus' holy name. Thank you Lord. I love You. Amen. 

Unto The Least Of These, "Prayer To Hide God's Word In My Heart", © 2013 S.D. Harden; Bible Study Plan Adapted from  Bible Author & Teacher J. Vernon McGhee/Photo Illustration Source/Pinterest