Teach me (4)

In my previous blog post we looked at David's prayer as recorded in Psalms 27:11: Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

Whether we find ourselves in a military war (as David did), a spiritual war, or an emotional war... it is good to pray David's prayer. We often do the opposite, we pray for the enemy to go away... the pain, the hurt, the sickness, the fear.

But the enemy will pop up somewhere else or in a different form. 👉Asking God to teach us HOW to live, despite the enemies in this world, requires a different level of faith.

When we ask the Lord to teach us, we open ourselves up to do life His way instead of our way and that brings us to another one of David's psalms.

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you ( Psalm 86:11).

Awesome! That I may live according to God's truth, not according to the lies the world is hurling at us day after day! I don't even want to hear them anymore.

And then David adds a very personal request. The request for purity of heart, something that honors God. Oh, may it be our prayer as well. Let's get rid of the energy-draining contamination of the world.

Teach us Your ways!

Teach me (3)

'What if we would fill up on spiritual truth instead of earthly knowledge?' I asked in my previous blog. Earthly knowledge can be acquired through reading, listening, learning, and experiencing.

We receive spiritual truth basically through revelation upon reading, hearing, believing, and doing the Word of God.

Could this be the difference between 'tell me' and 'teach me', I wonder? When we say 'tell me what I need to know, tell me what I need to do, tell me what to say', we expect pre-packaged answers and quick (easy) instructions.

When we say 'teach me how to live' for example, we cannot expect a short answer, we rather prepare to commence on a journey. We can find the cry 'teach me' numerous times in the Psalms. For example in Psalms 27:11,

Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

Now David was involved in military warfare as well as spiritual warfare. So, however we look at this, I believe we can still learn from the cry of his heart. No matter whether we find ourselves surrounded by enemies of flesh and blood, by powers and principalities, or both... we need to be led along the right path, so we won't perish.

Enemies are waiting for us, all the time. We can pray for them to go away, but they'll pop up somewhere else or in a different form. Let's pray as David prayed: Teach me how to live, O Lord!

Teach us how to live in a crazy world that You loved enough to share Your precious Son with, our Prince of Peace.

About podcasts, videos, devotionals, and a WIP

PODCAST

A little while back the idea came to me to read and record some of my older blog series and publish them as podcasts. Although I am an avid reader, I understand some people enjoy listening rather than reading, and since I have so much valuable material... why not venture out onto new roads? 😉

My husband and I used to listen to cassette tapes and CDs with preaching and teaching. Nowadays we use YouTube. So, audio messages are nothing new, yet podcasts are very popular at the moment.

I am using the Anchor app to record my messages and they get linked to Spotify, where you can find them under 'Fresh Insights on Ancient Truths',  yep... same name as this blog.

Readers: you might enjoy these short messages while walking, working out, or cooking!
Bloggers: maybe this is an idea for you!

VIDEOS

Last year I taped more than 200 video devotions on the Psalms, on Psalm 119 (incl. the Hebrew alphabet), and on Proverbs 3. They are 2 minutes each and you can find them on YouTube or my Instagram TC channel. If you are in need of encouragement and a daily boost of faith, please consider doing #apsalmaday. 👉And... I am working on a new series!

DEVOTIONAL

At the beginning of this year, I decided to read a devotional, which I hardly ever do. The book is called Stormproof, 100 days of triumph over trouble. It is written by John Hagee.

Well, are we going through a storm worldwide, or what? I want to make sure I keep running the race towards the end, I want my faith to grow stronger.

I need this book, I need these reminders!

Are you reading a devotional these days?

WIP, work in progress

I have been working on a new book for quite a while now (I admit I struggle with writing discipline). It will be the ninth book in my series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century and it deals with the 7th commandment: do not commit adultery. I plan to publish it this year!

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ (Romans 10:17).

Looking beyond restrictions

Sometimes I get the feeling that 2021 was a year of restrictions, in many ways. That may be true, if I look through a negative lens.

If I look through a positive lens instead and make my 2021 work summary, I come to the conclusion that I have done many things... when it comes to writing and speaking.

I realize that there is an enemy who always tries to make us think that we didn't do enough, that it wasn't good, that it could be better, that what we did had no impact etc. etc.

That enemy is a liar and a thief. He is harassing us, trying to steal our joy, and belittle our talents. For that reason alone I like to take inventory for myself, as proof that he has no right to speak!

• I have recorded more than two hundred videos about the Psalms and Proverbs 3 and distributed them on YouTube and Instagram TV
• I have written monthly blogs for www.ikzoekgod.nl and
• monthly columns for Opwekking Magazine
• In addition, I also wrote posts almost weekly on my English and Dutch blogs
• 
  I also wrote two feature articles for Opwekking Magazine
• Recently I also started making podcasts that you can find on Spotify under the name Fresh Insights on Ancient Truths
• I also wrote 23,000 words in my new book and
• I preached a number of times in churches and at gatherings.

All different ways to stay connected with readers and listeners and to keep spreading His Word. After all, my #oneword for 2021 was connect.

👉I don't know about you, but if you have the feeling that the year has slipped through your hands without significant highlights...

Please, take inventory and you will be amazed at what you have been able to accomplish and it will inspire you to continue, also in 2022!

New video devotions on Proverbs 3

Earlier this year I did a video series on the Psalms which I called #apsalmaday. I taped daily devotions, just two minutes each, on the psalms.

I also did a separate series on Psalms 119 consisting of 22 videos that included the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

This way of staying connected with readers, bloggers, and viewers works quite well. Especially in a time where we need all the encouragement we can get! Oh my goodness, we must help each other to stay filled with hope and faith.

So, I decided to do a new series, and well on Proverbs chapter 3. We'll be reading one verse a day and I connect it with another verse in the Bible, preferably from the New Testament. You might have a verse of your own that pops up in your mind. 👉 Let the Spirit lead you on this wisdom journey!

You can follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my YouTube channel! I hope you will.

Journey through Psalm 119

We live in crazy times and if it wasn't for the warnings in God's Word, we would be caught by surprise and probably without hope. Thank God for His Word, thank God that we are the people of hope in a world gone insane.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19a).

With news stations blaring 24/7, it might be difficult to concentrate on the Word of God. I would like to invite you therefore to join me on a contemplative journey through Psalm 119.

That's right, Psalm 119. It is the longest psalm and also the longest single chapter in the entire Bible. With 176 verses in total, it is quite a long read. But do you know that this psalm is actually chopped up in 22 paragraphs, so-called stanza's, of just eight verses each?

Now that makes reading a lot easier. In this new video series we will read 8 verses a day. Each video meditation is just 2 minutes, so it won't take a lot of your time.... but what a way to start (or end) your day.

👉As a bonus, we are going to learn the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as each paragraph in this psalm corresponds with a letter of that alphabet. How cool is that? Spiritual and practical food in one bite.

So, find a place of silence, invite the Holy Spirit to teach you, get your Bible and notebook, watch the introduction video and you're ready to go on a journey.🔥You will be blessed, encouraged, and inspired. I promise!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel, watch on Instagram TV or follow on FB, Mewe, Twitter or Gettr.

150 short devotions on the psalms

I can't believe I did it, but over the past months, I recorded 150(!)🤩short (two-minute) video devotions, one on each psalm, and posted them on my YouTube channel and IGTV.

As I mentioned before, my one word for 2021 is connect, and to make that practical I started this project, #apsalmaday. The thoughts in the back of my mind were: 'We all need encouragement and we need to stay connected to avoid isolation. The Word both encourages and connects.'

So, I began taping short messages on the psalms. Unedited, raw, spontaneous, and simple thoughts, encouraging the viewer to read the psalms for themselves and to ask the Holy Spirit for fresh insights. My friend Martin Podolák provided English (and Slovak) subtitles👌which made it easier to follow for people who have English as their second or third language.

I can highly recommend a journey 👣through the psalms, especially in this time we live in. You will be able to relate to so many thoughts, prayers, and emotions. You will be blessed, your faith will rise, I promise! And the best thing is, you can start any day or just pick a random psalm, however you want to do it.

📌Link to the playlist

Annoyed... and anointed

The posts I share on social media are a positive mix of my daily life, faith, writing journey, and family, as most of you will have noticed by now 😀

Am I not concerned then, about world events, politics, current problems, and so on? Am I hiding my head in the sand, so to speak, when I ignore such topics?

Sure... I am concerned about such things, but I have chosen not to ventilate my thoughts (with some exceptions) on social media about current happenings, simply because I am quite annoyed with the direction my country and this world, in general, are going.

Annoyed, yes I confess it. And who wants to listen to an annoyed person?

At the same time, I know that I am also anointed... anointed to be God's faithful mouthpiece, to speak His Word, and to share His heart. 👉Anointed means I am called and confirmed by the Holy Spirit to open my mouth and use my pen and keyboard to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

My annoyance with today's politics, the lying and manipulating, the lawlessness and selfish gain, is real. So, I have to purposely make the decision each day to set aside my irritation over our godless society and magnify the goodness of God. He deserves my voice and my choice!

PS: I understand that some of you feel they just have to address such issues... please, go ahead. I appreciate your efforts.

For such a time as this: #apsalmaday

When I started the #apsalmaday video project back in February, I had no idea it would inspire people from all over the globe to read the psalms with renewed interest. 'Refreshing and enlightening', are comments I receive regularly. I have collected many other comments, messages, and emails, and I like to share a few with you.

Rasa Klein (Lithuania) is very faithful in sharing the videos on FB, she wrote to me:

I listen to your #apsalmaday videos every day and I like it very much. You know, I am sharing them on FB because I think they are very valuable and it is a great encouragement for every day.

I read the Bible every day and spend some time in prayer. 👉Your short encouragement message helps me to find the strength for everyday life. So I am glad to know you and to have the possibility to listen to your encouragement. God bless you!

Martin Podolák (Slovakia) helps with the English subtitles and also provides subtitles in the Slovak language. He is such an encouragement to me. He wrote:

A #psalmaday is such a good project for these days. We Christians know that the Bible is the living Word of God, but here it is so encouraging to see it in practice. 👉Marja's daily messages show that it is possible to get a fresh message from God's Word every day.

Her messages often give me light for the day, lead me to prayers, and motivate me to read the Word on a more personal level. Such reading is the basis for a deeper relationship with God, therefore I encourage you to join this journey and be touched by the Word of God.

Kenny Edmunds (Michigan, USA), whom I have never met in person but only know through mutual friends in Ukraine on FB, consistently shares the videos each day. Sharing is caring! He sent me this message:

The Psalms are powerful songs, that apply to any situation in life. 👉Reading them aloud, my heart is calmed and filled with praise and thanksgiving.

Sylvia King (Texas, USA) has been responding to the daily videos on YouTube, picking a verse and sharing her thoughts. Although I do not know her personally, I am encouraged by her comments. She wrote:

#Apsalmaday stays with me all day. 👉I Love giving myself more time to not just read the Psalm, but let it, as you say, speak to me. And, fun to see which verse speaks to you and others. I was telling my husband Terrence, who does YouVersion every morning, what a plan your Psalm-a-day would be on that platform! Just the way it is on YouTube. Perfect!

Needless to say that such comments make me happy and thankful. Although most of us are not traveling at the moment, we are on this journey together... a journey through God's Word, the journey of a lifetime!

If you want to share what #apsalmaday is doing for you, let me know!

Oh soul, disturbed within me

Now that I reflect daily on the psalms for my video project #apsalmaday, it strikes me once again how appropriate in this day and age, how recognizable, how timely they are.

One day, as a reader, we can identify with the joy of the psalmist, the next day with his grief or frustration. 👉Whatever the case, crying out to God is the common thread running through all psalms.

The other day we arrived at Psalm 42, a very well-known psalm but at the same time so refreshing! Verse 3:

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God ...

Oh, I recognize that, it is the cry of my heart! Don't get me wrong, God knows me and I know Him. He is in my life, He is in my heart. But that only increases the longing, the desire for more of Him, for more of His Spirit, for more of His Father's heart. The crazier the world gets, the more I seek Him, the more I want to learn from Him, the more I listen ...

The psalmist asks a good question: Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Do you experience this disturbance, this restlessness in your soul? I do. But I also learned (by reading the Psalms, among other things!) that it is nothing to worry about. That restlessness, that thirst in our soul might be a sign,

• that we should spend quality time with the Lord, He wants to speak to us
• that we are in a season of change and God wants to show us new things or the next step
• that we should schedule a time to fast in order to regain our focus
• that God is revealing Himself to us in a new way, in other words, that we are going to learn something new about His eternal character
• that it is time to refresh our worship practices
• that we should pick up or pursue praying in tongues again

Hopefully, this list will help you. I am curious... is there anything particular that appeals to you in Psalm 42?

A psalm a day...

In my previous blog I wrote about my #oneword for 2021: connect.

To be honest with you, I find it quite difficult from time to time to stay in close contact with people during these crazy times ... family, friends, readers of my blogs and books. Some people want to connect, others don't;  you have to be careful these days and try to feel and understand where people are in this crisis.

I often pray about it, "Lord, show me what I can do, how I can keep encouraging others and myself." Well, that's how we started our small group at the end of September which is such a precious and joyful time with several ladies.

And that is how last weekend I got the idea to record a series of videos about the psalms. For years there was a sign in our kitchen with the saying: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. I once brought that over from America. And suddenly the thought came to me: 'A psalm a day ...' 

Why not encourage people to read a psalm a day and get something personal out of it? A bit like an antidote to all the negative news. So I now post a very short encouragement (2 minutes) about a psalm every day and with it the challenge to read that psalm out loud and see which verse appeals to you.

Since my personal reflections are in English, people from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Ukraine, Slovakia, and the USA have already joined me in reading through the psalms.

You can follow the video series on my YouTube channel, my IGTV, Facebook, Twitter, and MeWe. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!