Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Genesis, Chapters 30-31 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Genesis 30: 1-5: … [Horizontal Impatience Ignoring Vertical Guidance] … 1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” 3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son.
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Genesis 30: 22-24: … [Waiting on God Pays Godly Dividends] … 22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24 She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”
My Journal for Today: Are we getting the message yet? For a number of these devotionals in Genesis dealing with the lives of the great Patriarchs of the faith, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we see a message weaving itself repeatedly through the lives and stories of these men, their wives, and their children. And if you’ve been reading along with me, what do you think that message is?
Yes, it reads through loud and clear, doesn’t it >>> WAIT ON GOD!!”
And I’m not going to go into great depth here in this journal entry by reviewing all that the story of Abraham and his family has taught us about this issue in these past readings this month in Genesis. But quickly, some of the prime lessons – at least for this humble seeker - are …
>>> First, we need to wait on God by seeking His will and then move by following it. … How often did we see Abraham’s family try to circumvent God’s promises and His will with their own planning, only to find their run-on-ahead schemes causing great problems into the future of the family and for mankind.
>>> Secondly, our horizontal planning can never be as good as God’s will and purpose for our lives. An old friend, who’s now with Jesus, used to tell me, “First obedience, then the blessing!” And that is so right on target. When we seek out God’s will, primarily from His word, even if we have to wait and wait, knowing that our heavenly Father always knows best, we’ll come out a winner for the wait.
>>> Thirdly, as Christians, it often boils down to how much we believe the truth of Romans 8: 28; and I hope that we all have memorized and internalized that one and are faithfully comforted and directed by its truth in our lives.
>>> And finally, we need always to remember, as New Covenant Christians, having so much more of an advantage over Abraham and his roller-coaster examples of faith and faithlessness, we have the record of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection; and we have, as committed members of His Church, i.e., the Bride of Christ, the sealing ministry of God’s Spirit, indwelling us to give us the grace of sanctification as well as the grace of salvation. In this, all we need to do is live as a disciple of Jesus, the Christ and our Messiah, Who told all of His disciples, … to deny ourselves and follow Him … to love others as we love the Lord, … and to go and make disciples, with the power of Christ always with us to carry out His commission.
So, I hope you join me … to follow Him … and to go as we’re called to, being patient to follow His way and to lead others to Him by living as we are directed by His truth from His word.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, may we wait by seeking, and then follow to go, leading others to You and Your way through Your word. Amen
Showing posts with label God's patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's patience. Show all posts
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Friday, October 15, 2010
2010 – October 15 – A Four-Hundred-Year Silence
Study from God’s Word… [Readings and study from overviews of The Apocrypha] … Passage for Reflection: 2 Peter 3: 4 … NIV 4They [scoffers who appear in the “last days”] will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."
My Journal for Today: Today, my devotional leader/author, F. LaGard Smith, jumps forward, in his devotional, launching into the New Testament in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order by quoting from Peter’s second Epistle, where the Apostle was reminding Christians to be faithful and avoid complacency or waning to worldliness; and, in spite, of the affliction and confusion they were facing under the oppression of the Romans, Peter exhorted believers to be faithful and wait for the second coming of our Messiah, who had shown Himself as God by dying on the cross, being resurrected from the dead, and ascending into Heaven to become our intercessor until He comes again. [see 2nd Peter 3: 1 – 10 - linked here]
But in his readings for this date, Dr. Smith highlights the historical period of the transition between Old and New Testaments, … that period of about 400 years where there was relative silence and waiting for the Jewish Messiah to appear. And reading from other non-conical historical records or delving into the Apocryphal writings, we read that the Jews became very confused and somewhat cynical, very likely asking the question of why to hold faithful to God’s Law and expectation of a Messiah after four centuries of God’s relative silence.
And that type of “WHEN” question certainly could be raised by New Covenant Christians, … could it not? And we have a relative “silence” of two millennia to voice our question. We Christians await the Lord’s second coming; but the more orthodox and faithful Jews are still waiting for His first arrival. Wow! … That certainly does take faith, doesn’t it? But God, in His own timing, apparently desires that His people, the Jews, and we Gentiles grafted into His family, wait for Him patiently and faithfully; because He desires that many more come to Him in faith [see 2nd Peter 3: 9 from linked passage above].
FAITH is the operant concept here. God has always, as evidenced by the Old Testament I’ve been reading and studying this past year, desired for mankind to honor His Covenant with His people. And faith is evidenced by mankind, being ever faithful in waiting on Him to show His love for His children, especially in His coming among us as the Lamb of God. And now that we transition from the Old Covenant to the New, we, who are privy to the unfolding of history (“HIS story”) in the New Testament, are even called to a more patient waiting period than these 400 years where the covenant of Abraham and the prophesies of God’s called prophets were unfolding for God’s people to await the coming of their Messiah.
But now we Christians know – by history and evidence – that the Messiah was God’s Son, Jesus; and our New Testament is the “Gospel” record of His coming, His life, His death on a cross, His resurrection, and His ascension, having chosen Apostles and disciples to carry on His gospel message to the world as well as His charge to go forth in witness to His Name and His gospel truth (see Acts 1: 8 and Matt. 28: 19-20).
So, in the next months, until the end of this year, I will continue to expectantly read His New Covenant and to pray to grow in my faith to be patient and let God’s timing and His will dictate our Lord’s second coming.
When will it occur? >>> I don’t know. Will it occur? … ABSOLUTELY !!!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, please come soon. We need the fulfillment of Your promises. Help me to be faithful as I wait on You. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today, my devotional leader/author, F. LaGard Smith, jumps forward, in his devotional, launching into the New Testament in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order by quoting from Peter’s second Epistle, where the Apostle was reminding Christians to be faithful and avoid complacency or waning to worldliness; and, in spite, of the affliction and confusion they were facing under the oppression of the Romans, Peter exhorted believers to be faithful and wait for the second coming of our Messiah, who had shown Himself as God by dying on the cross, being resurrected from the dead, and ascending into Heaven to become our intercessor until He comes again. [see 2nd Peter 3: 1 – 10 - linked here]
But in his readings for this date, Dr. Smith highlights the historical period of the transition between Old and New Testaments, … that period of about 400 years where there was relative silence and waiting for the Jewish Messiah to appear. And reading from other non-conical historical records or delving into the Apocryphal writings, we read that the Jews became very confused and somewhat cynical, very likely asking the question of why to hold faithful to God’s Law and expectation of a Messiah after four centuries of God’s relative silence.
And that type of “WHEN” question certainly could be raised by New Covenant Christians, … could it not? And we have a relative “silence” of two millennia to voice our question. We Christians await the Lord’s second coming; but the more orthodox and faithful Jews are still waiting for His first arrival. Wow! … That certainly does take faith, doesn’t it? But God, in His own timing, apparently desires that His people, the Jews, and we Gentiles grafted into His family, wait for Him patiently and faithfully; because He desires that many more come to Him in faith [see 2nd Peter 3: 9 from linked passage above].
FAITH is the operant concept here. God has always, as evidenced by the Old Testament I’ve been reading and studying this past year, desired for mankind to honor His Covenant with His people. And faith is evidenced by mankind, being ever faithful in waiting on Him to show His love for His children, especially in His coming among us as the Lamb of God. And now that we transition from the Old Covenant to the New, we, who are privy to the unfolding of history (“HIS story”) in the New Testament, are even called to a more patient waiting period than these 400 years where the covenant of Abraham and the prophesies of God’s called prophets were unfolding for God’s people to await the coming of their Messiah.
But now we Christians know – by history and evidence – that the Messiah was God’s Son, Jesus; and our New Testament is the “Gospel” record of His coming, His life, His death on a cross, His resurrection, and His ascension, having chosen Apostles and disciples to carry on His gospel message to the world as well as His charge to go forth in witness to His Name and His gospel truth (see Acts 1: 8 and Matt. 28: 19-20).
So, in the next months, until the end of this year, I will continue to expectantly read His New Covenant and to pray to grow in my faith to be patient and let God’s timing and His will dictate our Lord’s second coming.
When will it occur? >>> I don’t know. Will it occur? … ABSOLUTELY !!!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, please come soon. We need the fulfillment of Your promises. Help me to be faithful as I wait on You. Amen
Thursday, July 22, 2010
2010 – July 22 – Shame On You
Study from God’s Word… The entire book of Nahum, Chapters 1 – 3 … Passage for Reflection: Nahum 3: 5 … NIV “I am against you [Ninevah],” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.”
My Journal for Today: Reading through the book of Nahum and the historical comments by Dr. Smith this morning, as well as his devotional entry for today, I was brought to speculate about how long God will allow a nation – e.g., this nation in which we live – to perpetuate shameless practices of sin without our Lord coming down heavy with His wrath.
Since their repentance and deliverance by God through the ministry/preaching of Jonah, some 125 years before Nahum’s time/prophesy, the Ninevites (i.e., the Assyrians) had become a shameless and hyper-sinful culture, carrying out vicious practices without remorse, … practices which a Holy God will only take so long without bringing down His hammer of wrath. And the book of Nahum’s prophesy was directed toward this formerly repentant nation of Ninevah in Assyria; and we read in today’s highlight passage how God had had enough, relating, through Nahum, how The Lord was about to expose and shamefully display Ninevah’s sin to the world.
And as I read this, I couldn’t help but speculate an application of this passage to what has transpired in our country’s degradation during the past century; … how we now shamefully are desensitized to sinful practices which were considered cultural “abominations” 50 – 75 years ago, … practices which now are becoming “normalized” in our culture. Just this week – in the city where I live – the powers that be are trying to pass local legislation which will force businesses, and even churches, to hire cross dressers and transgendered individuals, which are cultural practices which would have been considered “shameful,” and were outlawed, just decades ago.
When we look at Ninevah, we see that God had patience and mercy for Ninevah after they repented and became obedient to the God of Israel at Jonah’s preaching; but the Assyrians slowly degenerated in their culture into shameful practices of sin, which once, for Ninevah, had been sin practices which they had rejected. My question is, “Just how long is our God, a most Holy God, going to be patient with this nation, which is becoming desensitized to such sinful practices as homosexuality, abortion, infanticide, and age-related genocide?” As a nation, we’re not so slowly becoming a culture who shows no shame to these sinful practices. And my friends, God, as He did with the Assyrians in Nahum’s day, will not continue to allow these shameful sin patterns to go on.
As we read in Romans 1: 18 – 32 [linked], God may be turning us, as His people, over to our own hearts and sin choices for a season. But most assuredly, God’s hammer of retribution will one day fall down; and even those who are the remnant of believers, trying our best to follow God, … yes, even those who have spoken out against these evil practices, will feel the rain of God’s discontent, when God’s wrath of abandonment becomes His wrath of punishment for our nation gone bad.
All I can say in prayer today is …
My Prayer for Today: Lord, have mercy on us, a sinful people and a caring remnant. Amen
My Journal for Today: Reading through the book of Nahum and the historical comments by Dr. Smith this morning, as well as his devotional entry for today, I was brought to speculate about how long God will allow a nation – e.g., this nation in which we live – to perpetuate shameless practices of sin without our Lord coming down heavy with His wrath.
Since their repentance and deliverance by God through the ministry/preaching of Jonah, some 125 years before Nahum’s time/prophesy, the Ninevites (i.e., the Assyrians) had become a shameless and hyper-sinful culture, carrying out vicious practices without remorse, … practices which a Holy God will only take so long without bringing down His hammer of wrath. And the book of Nahum’s prophesy was directed toward this formerly repentant nation of Ninevah in Assyria; and we read in today’s highlight passage how God had had enough, relating, through Nahum, how The Lord was about to expose and shamefully display Ninevah’s sin to the world.
And as I read this, I couldn’t help but speculate an application of this passage to what has transpired in our country’s degradation during the past century; … how we now shamefully are desensitized to sinful practices which were considered cultural “abominations” 50 – 75 years ago, … practices which now are becoming “normalized” in our culture. Just this week – in the city where I live – the powers that be are trying to pass local legislation which will force businesses, and even churches, to hire cross dressers and transgendered individuals, which are cultural practices which would have been considered “shameful,” and were outlawed, just decades ago.
When we look at Ninevah, we see that God had patience and mercy for Ninevah after they repented and became obedient to the God of Israel at Jonah’s preaching; but the Assyrians slowly degenerated in their culture into shameful practices of sin, which once, for Ninevah, had been sin practices which they had rejected. My question is, “Just how long is our God, a most Holy God, going to be patient with this nation, which is becoming desensitized to such sinful practices as homosexuality, abortion, infanticide, and age-related genocide?” As a nation, we’re not so slowly becoming a culture who shows no shame to these sinful practices. And my friends, God, as He did with the Assyrians in Nahum’s day, will not continue to allow these shameful sin patterns to go on.
As we read in Romans 1: 18 – 32 [linked], God may be turning us, as His people, over to our own hearts and sin choices for a season. But most assuredly, God’s hammer of retribution will one day fall down; and even those who are the remnant of believers, trying our best to follow God, … yes, even those who have spoken out against these evil practices, will feel the rain of God’s discontent, when God’s wrath of abandonment becomes His wrath of punishment for our nation gone bad.
All I can say in prayer today is …
My Prayer for Today: Lord, have mercy on us, a sinful people and a caring remnant. Amen
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
2010 – July 14 – The Present Presence of God
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah 43 – 45: 13 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 43: 18 – 19 … NIV 18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
My Journal for Today: At the leading of Dr. LaGard Smith, my devotional “shepherd” this year in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order and in his devotional book, The Daily Bible Devotional I was led today to read and study through one of the most remarkable historical prophesies in all of the Old Testament as God, through Isaiah, some seven centuries before Christ, prophesies, by name, that the Gentile king, “Cyrus,” would [as it turns out about 150 years later] facilitate the rebuilding of God’s Temple in Jerusalem [see Isaiah 44: 28 and 45: 1, 13].
And looking back in awe at this historical truth, and many other historical facts from Scripture, it would be easy to focus on the history alone and ignore the message of God’s word in our lives today. Yes, it’s important to interpret Scripture in the context of history. In fact one should never draw a personal application from God’s word that is out of line with God’s historical context. However, God always wants us to remember and apply the truth that God is the same yesterday, TODAY, and you know it – tomorrow as well. And you probably remember that that’s a New Testament promise about Jesus from Hebrews 13: 8.
It’s fine to draw inference from God’s historical context; and it’s even right – as with the passage I mentioned today (e.g., Isaiah 45: 13) – to be in awe of God’s promises and prophesies from what He has said or done in the past; but God wants us to glean, from our past, what we can to allow Him to be our God in the present … and into the future. We always need to be guided by the past to interpret what is going on in the present or to plan for the future. However, as today’s passage indicates we should not “dwell in the past” to the point that we become paralyzed by the present or blinded to the future.
Looking at what is going on right now – in our present day – it would be easy to get very down-and-out by the rampant sin that see in our world. But knowing God’s word and seeing the patience God had for Israel and Judah in the past, we certainly can have hope that God will protect the remnant of believers who may be swept up as our world is turned over to Satan for a season [which I believe we may be seeing right now]. For example, knowing how God gently gave Habakkuk a lesson in faith when this Prophet saw all the degradation of his day, lifts me up and helps me to see – from the truth of Hab. 3: 17-18 [linked] - that I can choose to hold onto my joy no matter what the circumstances are in my present. And knowing that God has already sent His Redeemer to save me gives me the same strength that Isaiah felt when God declared through this man (in Is. 41: 10), ”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
So, my friend, as you look around you, seeing many things that could cause us to despair, remember these words I have just quoted from THE BOOK OF TRUTH, … from the God Who spoke through Isaiah to His people, … and the God Who speaks through His word to me and you today.
My Prayer for Today: Yahweh, my LORD, You never change and You are always there for me! Amen
My Journal for Today: At the leading of Dr. LaGard Smith, my devotional “shepherd” this year in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order and in his devotional book, The Daily Bible Devotional I was led today to read and study through one of the most remarkable historical prophesies in all of the Old Testament as God, through Isaiah, some seven centuries before Christ, prophesies, by name, that the Gentile king, “Cyrus,” would [as it turns out about 150 years later] facilitate the rebuilding of God’s Temple in Jerusalem [see Isaiah 44: 28 and 45: 1, 13].
And looking back in awe at this historical truth, and many other historical facts from Scripture, it would be easy to focus on the history alone and ignore the message of God’s word in our lives today. Yes, it’s important to interpret Scripture in the context of history. In fact one should never draw a personal application from God’s word that is out of line with God’s historical context. However, God always wants us to remember and apply the truth that God is the same yesterday, TODAY, and you know it – tomorrow as well. And you probably remember that that’s a New Testament promise about Jesus from Hebrews 13: 8.
It’s fine to draw inference from God’s historical context; and it’s even right – as with the passage I mentioned today (e.g., Isaiah 45: 13) – to be in awe of God’s promises and prophesies from what He has said or done in the past; but God wants us to glean, from our past, what we can to allow Him to be our God in the present … and into the future. We always need to be guided by the past to interpret what is going on in the present or to plan for the future. However, as today’s passage indicates we should not “dwell in the past” to the point that we become paralyzed by the present or blinded to the future.
Looking at what is going on right now – in our present day – it would be easy to get very down-and-out by the rampant sin that see in our world. But knowing God’s word and seeing the patience God had for Israel and Judah in the past, we certainly can have hope that God will protect the remnant of believers who may be swept up as our world is turned over to Satan for a season [which I believe we may be seeing right now]. For example, knowing how God gently gave Habakkuk a lesson in faith when this Prophet saw all the degradation of his day, lifts me up and helps me to see – from the truth of Hab. 3: 17-18 [linked] - that I can choose to hold onto my joy no matter what the circumstances are in my present. And knowing that God has already sent His Redeemer to save me gives me the same strength that Isaiah felt when God declared through this man (in Is. 41: 10), ”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
So, my friend, as you look around you, seeing many things that could cause us to despair, remember these words I have just quoted from THE BOOK OF TRUTH, … from the God Who spoke through Isaiah to His people, … and the God Who speaks through His word to me and you today.
My Prayer for Today: Yahweh, my LORD, You never change and You are always there for me! Amen
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