Thought for Today: Shabbat August 13:

As you wrap up and crawl into your bed tonight after this Shabbat day, may your body, your mind and your soul be at rest and know the deep abiding Peace that comes from deeply knowing YHVH. May He speak to you while you sleep and may He download fresh insight and perspective regarding your current circumstances. And as you rise up tomorrow morning, may your faith rise up in you and compel you to OBEY when you’d rather self-protect, GIVE when you’d rather hoard, and TRUST when you are tempted to worry. You are not made for this place; you are only passing through. Live then, as one who is spoken for. Enjoy Shabbat!

Just posted this video of my family's recent exploration of Saudi Arabia looking for the Real Mount Sinai.

To all my dear friends, family, and extended family across the United States and around the World, Shabbat Shalom and may YAH bless you with the fullness of HIS presence and meet all your needs according to HIS riches in esteem in Messiah Yeshua!

This coming week, August 14-20 (17-23 Av 5782), the Bible reading plan covers the portion Eikev (On the Heel Of).

14 Aug Deuteronomy 7:12-8:10 Ezekiel 28:1-29:21 Colossians 4:1-18 Psalm 118:1-13
15 Aug Deuteronomy 8:11-9:3 Ezekiel 30:1-31:18 1 Thess 1:1-2:20 Psalm 118:14-29
16 Aug Deuteronomy 9:4-29 Ezekiel 32:1-33:20 1 Thess 3:1-4:18 Psalm 119:1-8
17 Aug Deuteronomy 10:1-11 Ezekiel 33:21-34:31 1 Thess 5:1-28 Psalm 119:9-16
18 Aug Deuteronomy 10:12-11:9 Ezekiel 35:1-36:21 2 Thess 1:1-2:12 Psalm 119:17-24
19 Aug Deuteronomy 11:10-21 Ezekiel 36:22-37:28 2 Thess 2:13-3:18 Psalm 119:25-32
20 Aug Deuteronomy 11:22-25 Isaiah 49:14-51:3 1 Timothy 1:1-2:15 Psalm 119:33-40

The complete annual Bible reading plan for 2021-22 (Hebrew year 5782) is available at this link:

https://bneyyosefna.com/byna-b....ible-reading-plan-fo

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9

If God's calling is on your life, resistance can destroy your mental, spiritual, and physical health.

FAITH – WHEN THE STORM COMES – PART 2

2 -- PRAY THROUGH THEM

If I had to name the most exciting thing going on right now it would not be the planning program for the future, although that is very exciting. To me, the most exciting thing is renewed emphasis on prayer. Believers are praying like never before and if we continue in this vein, there are no limits to what we can accomplish for YHVH’s Kingdom. This idea of calling on YHVH in prayer is also necessary for our personal lives. Prayer is for all times, but especially when we face the storms of life, it is an absolute necessity that we bring our problems to YHVH.

I -- Ask For Guidance

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of YHVH, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. -- James 1:5. I’ve heard this promise quoted for all types of things, but it is specifically given here for those who are facing storms in their lives. We are most vulnerable to making unwise choices when we find ourselves under the stress of trials and tribulations coming into our lives. We need the wisdom of YHVH to help us think straight, to point our feet in the right direction, to show us that there is an end in sight. Now the problem most of us have, is an unwillingness to ask. But we are assured that YHVH wants us to ask. He is our Father and His desire is to help us get through whatever it is we are dealing with. YHVH is not put out because we are taking up His time, He takes pleasure in hearing from His children. -- Ask Him, the Word says, and He will gladly tell you.

II -- Expect An Answer

Have you ever offered up a prayer to YHVH and as soon as you were finished praying, you started to try to figure everything out on your own? I’ve done that many times, and I’m sure that you have too. When we do that, we are not praying in faith and we are not really expecting YHVH to do anything about it. We are just going through the motions and asking YHVH in prayer because that is the kind of thing, we’ve been told that believers are supposed to do. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Adonai. -- James 1:6-7. Let’s pretend for a moment that I am your father and I possess all wisdom. You come to me asking for guidance and before I can give you an answer you walk away and start doing your own thing. What would you expect me to do? Chase you down and force my wisdom upon you? No! I wouldn’t respond at all and neither does YHVH. In prayer I am approaching the most Powerful, Wise, Holy, Great Being in the entire universe; He wants to help me; He has assured me of this. Now I must approach Him knowing that He has the answer and that He is going to give it to me. When I do that, YHVH will do as He has promised and I will be the better off because of it.

III -- Don’t Stop Praying!

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint -- Luke 18:1. I want to pray and pray and pray some more until I get an answer. YHVH will come through, but He is not working on my timetable. I must be patient and at the same time continue to pray. I am going to continue to seek YHVH’s Face until the storm is over.

3 -- TAKE A REALITY CHECK

While it might seem difficult at the moment, when storms come, we really need to take some time, sit back, and examine closely the situation we find ourselves in.

A -- Accept Your Circumstances

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also, shall the rich man fade away in his ways. -- James 1:9-11. There is a lot we could say here, but the main point is that whatever situation you face, YHVH is there. He honours the poor, He humbles the rich, and He makes us face the reality of our life circumstances. Most of the time, there is not a thing I can do about the storm I find myself in, so I need to simply accept it for what it is and then let YHVH get to work in my life. James says that everything is going to fade away eventually, so it is unhealthy to place all of our focus on either our poverty or our riches. No matter what storm hits us in this life, it is going to pass; there is a better day ahead.

B -- Get Ready for Glory

You can take away my job, my income, my health, my family and everything else that I value in this life, but there is one thing you cannot take away: The promise that YHVH has given to me that I will be given the crown of life someday. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which Adonai hath promised to them that love him. -- James 1:12. When the storms invade our lives, we have this one focus that is so crystal clear: YHVH is waiting for us in the land of glory, in heaven we have a home waiting for us and there is nothing that you can throw our way that is going to change that fact. Even if you take away our life, we have eternal life on the other side. What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later. -- Romans 8:18. We praise YHVH today, because we know the end of all our storms is coming.