Moving Forward
In a post-COVID-19 world, we will see many ongoing challenges, but we also will see new triumphs. The reactions to this disease, as well as many other dangers, have inflicted us with moments that have tested our faith. How shall we face the world moving forward?
It’s a strange thing. In times like these, we learn a lot about Yah, a lot about each other, and a lot about ourselves. For Branon Dempsey, he has learned to seek peace in the little things and to really enjoy the small simple moments. His outlook has changed on family life, and today he finds it to be much more enriching. His prayer life has been challenged. He says: “But yes, honestly, there has been many struggles along the way. Many personal heartbreaks have had to be resolved.”
My heart goes out to those who have been misused and abused, for those who have lost their jobs, for those who continue battling with health, and for families who have had to say goodbye.
How do we move forward? What will be our end? Again, we must look to Scripture to find our light, comfort, and strength.
Keep in mind the time period and events of David’s life, while writing the Tehilliym. He was taunted, threatened, and pursued. Yet, out of all his failures and despite his many misfortunes, he pens the most beautiful and authentic prayers to Yah.
David, in his early life, was expelled by Sha’ul and the camp of Yashar’el. He was dismissed by the army of the Pelishtiym. He observed the decimation of his people at a time when recovery seemed impossible. David also faced death from his own nation. Yet, he brings himself before Yah.
Scripture says in Shemu’el Ri’shon 30:6: “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in Yahuah Elohayu.”
As we continue reading in Shemu’el Ri’shon 30:8, we then see a huge turn in David: “And David inquired at Yahuah, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”
Yah has called us to do three things:
(1) Inquire of His wisdom,
(2) Trust Him to overtake the enemy, and
(3) Watch Him set the prisoners free!
Yah still comes to free all who have been affected or who have been trampled, in whatever way. Yahusha comes to deliver a peace that only He can bring, nothing like the false one the world offers. Because His peace brings true comfort, we know there is no one else who cares more than our Almighty, Heavenly Father.
Yah delights over us with singing (Tsephanyhu 3:17) and quiets us by His love.
David knew the greater hope that was working inside of him. The Cepher Tehilliym offers a beautiful and long-range perspective of Yah’s care.
Tehillah 139 boasts there is no place we can flee where Yah is not still there. Even into the Renewed Covenant, in Romaiym 8:39, we are reminded that neither height, nor depth, nor anything can separate us from Yah’s love.
In every page of the Sacred Scriptures, there is an image of Mashiach. In every page of the Tehilliym, there is an expression of Yah’s power, grace, and mercy.
I hope you have found these devotional writings to be helpful for times of prayer and for meaningful times of worship. May Yah guide your heart in every moment of life for His glory. He eagerly waits for you, so give yourself fully to Him – unafraid.
Worship involves prayer and prayer involves worship. How can you live a lifestyle of worship where prayer becomes an on-going conversation with Yah?
Read Tehilliym 95 and 96 again. Pray for the words of Yah to sink deeply into the crevasses of your heart. Try kneeling before Yah, maybe with outstretched hands. Do not rush through the moment. As you read the Tehilliym, postures of prayer and worship were in fact outlined by David. Prayer, worship, and posture are authored by Yah.
When we submit ourselves to Yah through worship, we surrender to His care and we come in alignment with His desires. Comfort and worship go hand-in-hand. When we are comforted, we learn how to comfort others (Qorintiym Sheniy 1:4). We also learn how to pray better for others. Thus, together, we discover how to give thanks and worship Yah.
No matter what we may face globally, nationally, or individually, we are never without the presence of Yah. And, we are never, ever without His comfort.
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me your comforts delight my soul.” Tehilliym 94:19 את CEPHER
“Blessed be Elohiym, even the Father of our Adonai Yahusha Ha'Mashiach, the Father of mercies, and the Elohiym of all comfort.” Qorintiym Sheniy 1:3 את CEPHER
Bless you, my friend, and may the Elohiym of all comfort delight your soul. 😍♥️
Scripture quotes:
"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in Yahuah Elohayu. And David said to Avyathar the priest, Achiymelek's son, I pray you, bring me hither the ephod. And Avyathar brought thither the ephod to El-David. And David inquired at Yahuah, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all."
- SHEMU'EL RI'SHON 30:6-8 את CEPHER.
"David was very, very sad because his men wanted to throw stones at him. They wanted to kill him. His men were very angry because they had lost their sons and their daughters. But David believed that the Lord his God would help them. And so he became stronger. Then David spoke to Abiathar the priest , who was the son of Ahimelech. David said, ‘Bring the ephod to me.’ So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. David asked the Lord , ‘Should I go after the men who attacked our town? Will I catch them?’ The Lord answered, ‘Run after them and you will certainly catch them. You will save your families from them.’"
- 1 Samuel 30:6-8 EASY.
"Yahuah Elohayka in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing."
- TSEPHANYAHU 3:17 את CEPHER.
"The Lord , your God, is with you. He is strong. He will save you. He will be very happy about you! He will quietly love you. He will sing, because he is so happy about you!"
- Zephaniah 3:17 EASY.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of Elohiym, which is in Mashiach Yahusha our Adonai."
- ROMAIYM 8:38-39 את CEPHER.
"I am sure of this. Nothing can stop God from loving us. Death cannot do that. Life cannot do that. Angels cannot do that, nor can demons do that. Nothing that happens to us now, or that will happen in a future time can do that. No powerful spirits can do that. Nothing that is high above the world can do that, nor anything that is deep down below the ground. Nothing else in the whole universe can stop God from loving us. Because of our Lord Christ Jesus, we know how much God loves us."
- Romans 8:38-39 EASY
"O come, let us sing unto Yahuah: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our yeshu`ah. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For Yahuah is a great El, and a great King above all elohiym. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before Yahuah our Maker. For he is our Elohiym; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I swore in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest."
- TEHILLIYM 95:1-11 את CEPHER.
"Come now! Let us sing together to worship the Lord ! We will shout aloud to praise God, the Rock who makes us safe! Let us come near to God and thank him! Let us sing songs to praise him, because we are so happy! Yes, the Lord is the great God. He is the great king who rules over all gods. The deepest places of the earth are in his hand. The highest mountains belong to him. The seas are his, because he made them. He also made the dry land, with his own hands. Come now! Let us bend down to worship him! Let us bend our knees in front of the Lord . He is the one who made us. He is our God. He takes care of us, like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. As his sheep, he gives us what we need. Today, you must listen to him and obey him. He says, ‘Do not refuse to obey me, like my people did at Meribah. They also did that one day at Massah , in the desert . Your ancestors tested me there, to see if I would punish them. But they had already seen the great things that I had done for them! So I was angry with those people all the time for 40 years. I said, “These people love to go the wrong way. They refuse to follow my ways.” I was very angry and I promised, “They will never come into my place of rest.” ’
- Psalms 95:1-11 EASY
"O sing unto Yahuah a new song: sing unto Yahuah, all the earth. Sing unto Yahuah, bless his name; show forth his yeshu`ah from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For Yahuah is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all elohiym. For all the elohai of the nations are idols: but Yahuah made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto Yahuah, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto Yahuah glory and strength. Give unto Yahuah the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship Yahuah in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that Yahuah reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. Before Yahuah: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."
- TEHILLIYM 96:1-13 את CEPHER.
"Sing a new song to praise the Lord ! All the world, sing to praise the Lord ! Sing to praise the Lord 's great name! Every day, tell people the message that he has rescued us. Tell the other nations that he is very great. Tell all of them about the great things that he has done. Yes, the Lord is great! Everyone should praise him as he deserves . People should respect him with fear , more than all other gods. All the other nations' gods are useless idols . But the Lord made the heavens . We see that he is a very great king. His holy home is full of his power and his beauty . You people of other nations , recognize that the Lord is great and powerful. Agree that the Lord 's name is great. Bring a gift to offer to him in his temple . Worship the Lord , who is beautiful and holy . Everyone on earth must shake with fear in front of him. Tell all the nations , ‘The Lord rules as King!’ He has fixed the world in its place, so that nothing can shake it. He will judge all the people of the world fairly. The earth and the sky should be happy! The sea and everything in it should shout aloud! The fields and all their crops should shout with joy! Then all the trees in the forests will also sing because they are so happy! They will sing to praise the Lord , for he will come to judge the earth. He is a fair judge . He will judge all the people of the world with his truth."
- Psalms 96:1-13 EASY.
"In the multitude of my thoughts within me your comforts delight my soul."
- TEHILLIYM 94:19 את CEPHER.
"When I have troubles in my mind, so that I am afraid, you help me to be happy again."
- Psalms 94:19 EASY.
"Blessed be Elohiym, even the Father of our Adonai Yahusha Ha'Mashiach, the Father of mercies, and the Elohiym of all comfort."
- QORINTIYM SHENIY 1:3 את CEPHER
"We thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because he is so good to us. As our Father, he is very kind to us. He is our God who comforts us in every way."
- 2 Corinthians 1:3 EASY.
If you enjoyed these devotional writings, which were an adaption of writings by Branon Dempsey, M.Div, please share them with a friend.
Comments