Pastor Mary Haley

Psalm Book 1
The Genesis Psalms The Tree of Life
1 
What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways! [we choose]
He won’t walk in step with the wicked,
nor share the sinner’s way,
nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.
2 
His pleasure and passion is remaining true to the Word of “I Am,”
meditating day and night in the true revelation of light. [the Torah]
3 
He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree
planted by God’s design,[transplanted in Christ]
deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,
bearing fruit in every season of his life.
He is never dry, never fainting,
ever blessed, ever prosperous.[a victorious conclusion]

Years ago, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon on Jesus as our Tree of Life; our Life-giving Presence. Jesus—the Tree of Life—offered humanity eternal life in the Garden, but we chose sin and death and found ourselves banned from the very Tree that was created to nourish and satisfy us according to God’s righteous design. Sin does not belong in eternity, so eating further from the enteral Tree of Life was forbidden. Years later, Jesus—the Tree of Life—once again offered humanity his Life-giving Presence, but this time on the hill of Calvary. He died for our sins, so we could come to the Tree and be nourished and satisfied. This offer is still available, today. All it takes is for us to ask Jesus to forgive our sins, be willing to leave the world’s ways behind, and connect to the Tree of Life so we can flourish in righteousness.

In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us to follow God’s ways; the true revelation of light. I pray for human hearts to connect to Jesus Christ—the Word of I Am—because according to Scripture when Jesus returns for believers, those who have remained faithful to his Word and commands are given the right to eat from the Tree of Life located in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:14).

Prayer: Lord, help me to put down deep roots into your righteousness, so I can flourish with the fruit that brings you glory no matter what my season of life. Only you can bring the victory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daniel 6:16,19-23 NLT

In our passage today, Daniel has been thrown into the den of lions because he has violated the law of the Medes and Persians about prayer; the law forbidding one to pray to anyone besides King Darius for thirty days. Despite the order, three times a day Daniel prays to Yahweh asking for help. King Darius truly cares for Daniel and tries his best to find a way to protect him; however, when the other administrators witness Daniel praying, they push the king to honor the law. In time, the king gives the order for Daniel to be arrested and thrown in with the lions.

16The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

According to our Scripture, Daniel has not sinned against his God nor against his neighbor King Darius. God does not spare Daniel the experience of being thrown in the lion’s den, but he does rescue him and keep him from harm. King Darius learns that Daniel’s God is the true Living God and he sets forth a decree instructing his people to worship Yahweh. Daniel learns that God can be trusted even in the worst of circumstances. You and I can learn from this lesson, as well.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for closing the mouths of the lions for Daniel. Your Word teaches Satan prowls like a lion seeking whom he can devour, so thank you for closing the mouth of the lion for me, too. I know you have rescued me more times than I have even been aware. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 63:4-8 TPT
4 
Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart.
My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.
5 
I overflow with praise when I come before you,
for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else.
You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.
6–7 
I lie awake each night thinking of you
and reflecting on how you help me like a father.
I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow,
offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!
8 
With passion I pursue and cling to you.
Because I feel your grip on my life,
I keep my soul close to your heart.

In our passage today, we continue to join David in the wilderness with God. Even in this challenging place and under very difficult and emotional circumstances, David has no doubt God has a grip on his life. So, in the midst of sleepless nights, David sings praises to God in order to release the inner torment of his soul and finds great pleasure and satisfaction in the presence of his spiritual Father. David offers what Scripture calls a sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:15).

Most of the time, praise rises up from our spirits to express our gratitude during victorious times. However, this kind of praise David demonstrates requires personal sacrifice; a sacrifice our souls will fight. When we offer God a sacrifice of praise, we place our whole being before God and trust him when life takes a turn and does not go the way we thought it would go. Our souls—minds, wills, emotions—will put up a fight if we are going to actually trust our lives to God in these moments because we are trying to figure life out in our flesh. David uses real wisdom as he turns his sleepless nights into a time of praise and worship. If you find yourself having difficulty sleeping due to the torment trying to occupy your flesh, turn your attention from the demands of your soul and reach for your Father. He alone can bring you pleasure, satisfaction, and peace for your soul.

Prayer: Lord, I place my whole being before you. May praise be released in my life during the triumphal times, as well as the challenging ones. You made a great and eternal sacrifice for me on the cross. May I turn to bring a sacrifice of praise before you when I face things that I do not understand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 63:1-3
Thirsting for God: King David’s song when he was exiled in the Judean wilderness
1 
O God of my life, I’m lovesick for you in this weary wilderness.
I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more,
with cravings in my heart that can’t be described.
Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!
2 
I’m energized every time I enter
your heavenly sanctuary to seek more of your power
and drink in more of your glory.
3 
For your tender mercies mean more to me than life itself.
How I love and praise you, God!

In our passage today, King David is weary of the spiritual drought and loneliness caused by a prolonged stay in the wilderness—a wild field suitable for pasturing. He is facing discomforts and feeling “lovesick” for God! Yet, David understands the same God who created the flourishing garden created the desolate wilderness; there is a divine purpose for both. Therefore, David prays and seeks to love God more; he longs to once again experience God’s love, energy, and power. When you go through difficult times (financial, mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc.), you must seek, actively pursue, and passionately love God more, because love brings the victory.

Scripture teaches God will lead all his beloved children to a spiritual wilderness for a time of testing. God did not spare his Son this time of testing even though he was sinless (Mark 1:12-13). In the wilderness, believers will need to stay the course, trust, and press in to find God’s peace and joy in the midst of challenging times. Our flesh will hate the wilderness, but God will use it to help us grow, think, and respond more like Christ—the Word—when we face temptations. In the wilderness, God reveals great truth; the life of the faithful is really about his powerful promises operating in and through them and not their own ability to save themselves (2 Cor. 4:7-10).

Prayer: Lord, like David, I have tasted the wilderness and made the journey through it loving you more. Please use every difficulty I face for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew 22:15-22 The Pharisees Try to Entrap Jesus
15 Then the Pharisees came together to make a plan to entrap Jesus with his own words. 16 So they sent some of their disciples together with some staunch supporters of Herod. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you’re an honest man of integrity and you teach us the truth of God’s ways. We can clearly see that you’re not one who speaks only to win the people’s favor, because you speak the truth without regard to the consequences. 17 So tell us, then, what you think. Is it proper for us Jews to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18 Jesus knew the malice that was hidden behind their cunning ploy and said, “Why are you testing me, you imposters who think you have all the answers? 19 Show me one of the Roman coins.” So they brought him a silver coin used to pay the tax. 20 “Now, tell me, whose head is on this coin and whose inscription is stamped on it?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Jesus said, “Precisely, for the coin bears the image of the emperor Caesar. Well, then, you should pay the emperor what is due to the emperor. But because you bear the image of God, give back to God all that belongs to him.”

22 The imposters were baffled in the presence of all the people and were unable to trap Jesus with his words. So they left, stunned by Jesus’ words.

As a believer in the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross, you bear the image of God to the world. Believers have dual citizenship and according to the Apostle Peter that means you, “Recognize the value of every person and continually show love to every believer. Live your life with great reverence and in holy awe of God. Honor your rulers” (1 Pet 2:17). In our passage from Matthew today, Jesus perfectly demonstrates dual citizenship. Not only are we called to honor our rulers, pay taxes to our government, and pay money for services and benefits we receive from others, we are also called to “give back to God all that belongs to him.” My friends, everything belongs to God including you! You are God’s representative of his character to the world.

Yesterday, I was listening to a bit of the Supreme Court Justice hearings; two witnesses from the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary shared the peer evaluation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The intellect and the character of Judge Barrett was evaluated and presented. She professes to love God, so I sat back and listened carefully. What went through my mind was how well Judge Barrett was living her dual citizenship. These nonpartisan witnesses proclaimed her honesty, integrity, loyalty to her country, non-biased fairness, focus on justice, and authentic concern and value for everyone she met. Whether or not you or I agree with the Court appointment process has nothing to do with the point I seek to make, today. Rather, as believers we are to bear the image of God and give back to God all that belongs to him and this amazing woman is an inspiring and beautiful example of the kind of character I want to offer God since I belong to him, too.

Prayer: Lord, you are the perfect example of dual citizenship—eternal Kingdom living while in a temporal world. Help me to follow your lead and reveal your character and integrity in every aspect of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 96:1-3
1 Go ahead—sing your new song to the Lord!
Let everyone in every language sing him a new song.
2–3 
Don’t stop! Keep on singing! Make his name famous!
Tell everyone every day how wonderful he is.
Give them the good news of our great Savior.
Take the message of his glory and miracles to every nation.
Tell them about all the amazing things he has done.

In our passage from the psalmist today, we are encouraged to sing a new song to the Lord. God does new things in our lives every single day. As believers in the work and grace of the Lord, we know daily he is actively saving us from unrighteous and selfish attitudes and choices by guiding us to produce the righteous fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23). This is salvation in Christ at its deepest level; scripture teaches this is living by the Spirit’s power! We do not have to take on the attitude and behaviors of this sinful and corrupt world by living in the power of our flesh. Rather, we can live with Christ as Lord of our lives, bear good spiritual fruit, and radiate his glory every day. “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Gal. 5:25). The psalmist is right, this is something to sing about…something to share each day because his love never ceases and his mercies are new every morning! (Lam 3:22-23).

So, here’s my new song: I am six weeks status post my horse-riding accident that caused a fractured pelvis and God continues to exponentially heal me. This morning when I woke up, I felt joy in my spirit, my body was not in pain, the sunrise was amazing, and I was able to walk 1/4 mile in the neighborhood without my cane! Glory be to God! It may not be your song, but I guarantee God wants to give you a praise song of your very own, so you can make him famous, too!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the love and mercies you have poured over me, today. I will sing of your faithfulness and goodness! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

John 6:25-35
After Jesus Fed Five Thousand, they came looking for him…
25 When they finally found him, they asked him, “Teacher, how did you get here?”
26 Jesus replied, “Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me. 27 Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”

28 They replied, “So what should we do if we want to do God’s work?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work you can do for God starts with believing in the One he has sent.”

30–31 They replied, “Show us a miracle so we can see it, and then we’ll believe in you. Moses took care of our ancestors who were fed by the miracle of manna every day in the desert, just like the Scripture says, ‘He fed them with bread from heaven.’ What sign will you perform for us?”

32 “The truth is,” Jesus said, “Moses didn’t give you the bread of heaven. It’s my Father who offers bread that comes as a dramatic sign from heaven. 33 The bread of God is the One who came out of heaven to give his life to feed the world.”

34 “Then please, sir, give us this bread every day,” they replied.

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.

According to Scripture, “True life is found in every word which constantly goes forth from God’s mouth” (Mat 4:4). God created humanity to require the spiritual nourishment found in his Word; as Creator he feeds us the Truth. Only the Word—the bread of heaven—can satisfy us and cause us to thrive in righteousness, peace, and joy; this is the manna of the Kingdom of God. In our passage today, the Lord has just fed five thousand people a supernatural miracle through the Living Word and they cannot see beyond worldly resources or temporal satisfaction. As the Word of God, Jesus tells them he is the eternal bread, but will they desire spiritual nourishment and come every day to be fed by him?

Even today, if humanity refuses this revelation and eternal bread provided by the Father, people will remain hungry and, in their misery, become angry with God. Actually, many people in the world right now are what I refer to as spiritually “hangry.” They are spiritually hungry, as well as angry for where they find themselves due to their own disobedience to the Word of God. Satan loves the hangry; he just keeps feeding people unrighteous manna which keeps them enslaved to their worldly appetites. May the Church—those seeking constant spiritual nourishment—share the Good News that Jesus is the bread of heaven who came down to feed the world.

Prayer: Lord, as I invest myself in your Word each day, please feed me Truth and nourish me in your righteousness. I am hungry for more of you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Philippians 3:10, 13-1610 And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus more fully and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and I will be one with him in his death.13 I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. 14 I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. 15 So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. 16 And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that Christ is at work in believers and if our goal is to know him, then he will continue to reveal himself to and through us. Every day is a divine invitation for all believers to enjoy the riches of Christ’s indwelling presence and power. We can live out each day, not as some visionless wandering victims of this world, but decisively following the plan of Yahweh, walking in the power of the Spirit, all for the purpose of revealing the presence of Christ in us to the world.

My strength alone could have never brought me through my recent accident, injuries, and subsequent recovery; however, my goal to know Christ and place my faith in his power not only could but did! My heart is fastened to the heavenly goal of knowing Christ. I am passionate about my Lord and how he fills my life and carries me when my strength fails! In what area of your life do you knee Christ’s strength and power? This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Prayer: Lord, today, I run straight for the heavenly goal of knowing you. Thank you for never leaving me and always be there to give me the strength I need to press on. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jude 17-25
A Call to Remain Faithful
17 But you, my delightfully loved friends, remember the prophecies of the apostles of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. 18 They taught you, “In the last days there will always be mockers, motivated by their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people cause divisions and are followers of their own natural instincts, devoid of the life of the Spirit.

20 But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith [faithfulness] by praying every moment in the Spirit [pray as led by the Spirit].

21 Fasten your hearts to the love of God and receive the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us eternal life.

22 Keep being compassionate to those who still have doubts, [be merciful] 23 and snatch others out of the fire to save them. Be merciful over and over to them, but always couple your mercy with the fear of God. Be extremely careful to keep yourselves free from the pollutions of the flesh.

24 Now, to the one with enough power to prevent you from stumbling into sin [to keep us from harm] and bring you faultless before his glorious presence to stand before him with ecstatic delight, 25 to the only God our Savior, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be endless glory and majesty, great power and authority—from before he created time, now, and throughout all the ages of eternity. Amen!

Titus reminds us what to expect as we live in the last days. According to Scripture, the last days are every day since Pentecost when the Spirit came to be poured out upon believers. Therefore, we live in the last days—the days when grace must hold us and sustain us so we can live in Christ’s anointing and provision. How do we stay in this place of grace? As the Spirit directs us, we continually cooperate with the building up of our faith, we pray as the Spirit leads, we love God and our neighbors, we receive mercy from the Lord as well as extend it to others, we demonstrate true compassion, we eagerly share the gospel with unbelievers, and because of our fear/respect for our Father we refuse to compromise and stain our lives with sin. So, my delightfully loved friends, may we fasten our hearts in the love of God so what is impossible to do in our flesh can be made possible in the power of the Spirit!

Prayer: Lord, I cling to your love for me as I draw upon the grace you have made available for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

James 4:4-10
4 You have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair, an unholy relationship with the world. Don’t you know that flirting with the world’s values places you at odds with God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy!

5 Does the Scripture mean nothing to you that says, “The Spirit that God breathed into our hearts is a jealous Lover who intensely desires to have more and more of us”?

6 But he continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. For it says,
God resists you when you are proud
    but continually pours out grace when you are humble.”

7 So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you. 8 Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting. 9 Feel the pain of your sin, be sorrowful and weep! Let your joking around be turned into mourning and your joy into deep humiliation. 10 Be willing to be made low before the Lord and he will exalt you!

In our passage today, James reminds us we are in the world, but are actually citizens of heaven under Christ’s Lordship. God desires to set us apart from the world and culture, because he wants all of us—every aspect of our being to reflect the righteousness of Christ’s heavenly kingdom. We are his Bride and he wants a pure and faithful one. Therefore, we must choose whom we will serve. Our humility before God brings us the power of grace to combat evil and bring God closer.

James gives us five ways we can come near to God: 1) Surrender to God’s authority; 2) resist the temptations of the devil; 3) replace our desire for sin with a desire to please God; 4) express sorrow when we do sin; and 5) humble ourselves before God. How wonderful of the Lord to give us the Holy Spirit to help us remain faithful as we fight our inclination to sin against God’s authority. Let’s move our hearts closer and closer.

Prayer: Lord, you are the One who gives my life worth and value; this world can never accomplish what you do for me. Help me to work with your power to bring change to my life. Thank you for your mercy and grace to help me in my shortcomings. I press on… In Jesus’ name. Amen.