Passage of the Day: 1st John 1: 5 … This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
My Journal for Today: If you’ve studied God’s word for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve noted the biblical usage of the light versus dark metaphor, often used to compare holiness to evil or truthfulness to dishonesty. Scripture also clearly refers to our Lord as “… abounding in … truth,” as did Moses in Exodus 34: 6 [NASB] , or the Psalmist referring to God as “… the God of truth” [in Psalm 31: 5], or Isaiah using the same reference in Isaiah 65: 16. Jesus, Himself, called Himself “… the way, the TRUTH, and the life (see John 14: 6).”
We, as Christians, can not only lean on the character of God as being truth and light, especially from our relationship with Christ; but we also can lean on his Word as the reflection of His truth and light. David prayed (in 2nd Samuel 7: 28), “O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, …"; and Jesus prayed (in John 17: 17), “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.“ And you may have memorized, as have I, one verse from the acrostic poem about God’s word in Psalms 119: 105, which states “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.“
Therefore, when we are looking for light in the darkness which surrounds us in the world; … when we are looking for truth when it comes to moral decisions in our life, we Christians, who believe in the absolute truth of God’s word (believing in 2nd Tim. 2: 16, 17), can KNOW, beyond any doubt, that no evil or dishonesty can emanate from God and His word (see Ps. 5: 4). Therefore, since God cannot lie (see Numbers 23: 19 and Titus 1: 2), we will always be led by His light to make decisions that are in line with God’s will and His truth when we seek His will and/or His way through His word.
This then begs certain questions. As we deal with sin in our lives (i.e., the darkness of evil and dishonesty), … do we know where to find God’s light? In other words, how well versed are we in God’s word so that we can see His light shining on the path of truth when we’re faced with the temptation of evil or in a fog of untruth? How much do we lean on God’s word to provide us with His light to straighten our path in life (see Prov. 3: 5 – 6)?
If we avoid God’s word; or if we’re unwilling to devote the time and diligence to put God’s word deeply into our hearts via memorization of His truth, how can we expect to navigate the fog of darkness from this world and the deception of our own hearts [see Jer. 17: 9 and Ps. 119: 9]?
I leave it to you to deal with those questions personally. I’ve certainly had to deal with them in my life. They were questions I faced years ago in my discipleship; and I can testify that deciding in my heart to surrender to God’s call and to pursue His word rigorously in my life (as one would find in a careful study of Psalm 119) has been the most productive life discipline in which I have ever chosen to involve myself. I pray that you will find the truth of that memorable Scripture passage, to which I referred above, Psalm 119: 9, 11, to be an incredibly powerful light, one which is God’s prescription for avoiding sin and dealing with darkness in our lives.
My Prayer Today: The more I know Your word, Lord, the more I know You and the more You light up my life. Amen
Showing posts with label trust in God's word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust in God's word. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
August 27, 2011 … Living Life to the Fullest
Passage of the Day: Matthew 6: 27 [see in bold/underelined] … 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, in his devotional for this date in Strength for Today, has an interesting quip which seals the meaning of Jesus’ teaching in today’s highlighted verse. He writes, “You can worry yourself to death; but not to life.” Does that convict anyone reading here as much as does me? To MacArthur’s statement I have to add a personal smiley face; … :) … but hopefully you see a glint of seriousness in my writing.
Some time ago, I saw a piece on a TV magazine show (I think it was ABC’s 20/20). It was a report of some DNA research which has confirmed a biological link between behavioral stress and hyper-aging. When humans are under prolonged stress, this research revealed that our chromosomes begin to break apart, which accelerates the aging process. And once again we see that science confirms the teachings of the Bible. In this case this is exactly what Jesus was teaching His disciples (and you/me) when He says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth; but in our reverence and relationship with God, we have the truth of Proverbs 14: 27, which touts the “the fountain of life.” And Proverbs 9: 10 – 11 goes on to indicate that a lifestyle of worshipping God will add years to your life.
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SCRIPTURE: Prov. 14: 27 … The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
SCRIPTURE: Prov. 9: 10 – 11 … 10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For through Me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
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Isn’t it heartening to know that after over all these centuries since these words were written in Scripture, human science can finally confirm their validity? Again another smiley face – with a wink of sarcasm - for that. ;)
There’s not much more that can be said to this message from our Lord, … except maybe to add that God’s word, in James 5: 16 and Phil. 4: 6 – 7, has given us His antidote for worry/stress; and that is prayer, of course! And I’m sure that one day, science will absolutely confirm that fervent prayers reduce stress and provide for peaceful living as well as to extended life. In the meantime, not waiting on the confirmation of science, I’m just going to trust God that His word is truth!
My Prayer Today: Lord, You are my well-spring of living to Whom I go when I need refreshment. Amen
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, in his devotional for this date in Strength for Today, has an interesting quip which seals the meaning of Jesus’ teaching in today’s highlighted verse. He writes, “You can worry yourself to death; but not to life.” Does that convict anyone reading here as much as does me? To MacArthur’s statement I have to add a personal smiley face; … :) … but hopefully you see a glint of seriousness in my writing.
Some time ago, I saw a piece on a TV magazine show (I think it was ABC’s 20/20). It was a report of some DNA research which has confirmed a biological link between behavioral stress and hyper-aging. When humans are under prolonged stress, this research revealed that our chromosomes begin to break apart, which accelerates the aging process. And once again we see that science confirms the teachings of the Bible. In this case this is exactly what Jesus was teaching His disciples (and you/me) when He says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth; but in our reverence and relationship with God, we have the truth of Proverbs 14: 27, which touts the “the fountain of life.” And Proverbs 9: 10 – 11 goes on to indicate that a lifestyle of worshipping God will add years to your life.
-------------
SCRIPTURE: Prov. 14: 27 … The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
SCRIPTURE: Prov. 9: 10 – 11 … 10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For through Me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
-----------
Isn’t it heartening to know that after over all these centuries since these words were written in Scripture, human science can finally confirm their validity? Again another smiley face – with a wink of sarcasm - for that. ;)
There’s not much more that can be said to this message from our Lord, … except maybe to add that God’s word, in James 5: 16 and Phil. 4: 6 – 7, has given us His antidote for worry/stress; and that is prayer, of course! And I’m sure that one day, science will absolutely confirm that fervent prayers reduce stress and provide for peaceful living as well as to extended life. In the meantime, not waiting on the confirmation of science, I’m just going to trust God that His word is truth!
My Prayer Today: Lord, You are my well-spring of living to Whom I go when I need refreshment. Amen
Friday, June 10, 2011
June 10, 2011 … Integrity Proves God’s Faithfulness
Passage of the Day: Daniel 1: 18 - 20 … 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
My Journal for Today: My former mentor, early in my Christian discipleship, when I was considering a task that I felt God was calling me to do, used to say, “God’s calling is His enablement.” And probably no true story in the Bible illustrates that principle better than today’s passage. These four young Hebrew lads came out of their three years of apprenticeship training (and Babylonian brainwashing, we might add); and though still very young, they were wiser and more astute than all the other Hebrew “trainees” and all of the wise men and leaders in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
That had to have been quite a “job” interview conducted by the King; and I’m sure he was blown away by how well these four men shined above all the rest. Later, in the book of Daniel, you can read, and we will see, how these four were challenged greatly for their faith. However, here we see that God had given them special grace and favor so that they would be up to the selection by the King as well as the challenges that would lie ahead in being God’s called witnesses to Babylon.
I hope it doesn’t seem presumptuous to interject a bit of personal testimony here. Some years back I was asked to become an Elder in our church, which, when I realized the biblical dictates/criteria (see 1st Tim. 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 6-9), I felt humbled and challenged to become a leader in our church when I didn’t feel that leadership was one of my spiritual gifts. But my mentor repeated to me, “Bill, if God is calling you into this office, He will enable you to do this.” So, I submitted and was ordained an Elder of our church. A few years later, I seriously wondered why God had seemingly led me to into the daunting position of leadership; and then our former pastor had a serious breach of leadership, falling to an incident of sexual sin; and with my pre-Christian past, having been delivered from and discipled out of past patterns of sexual sin, I realized why God had prepared me for this moment in time. It was much like when Esther realized that God had brought her to a position of influence at just the right time of His calling, when her cousin Mordecai said to her, (from Esther 4: 14b) “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” I realized that God had led me through my past and prepared me to have very special leadership training for just this one moment in our church’s history. I learned that “God’s calling is HIS enablement (and mine too).”
God wants you and me, i.e., all believers, to be His witnesses to this very darkened, post-modern world, … a culture which desires, as did that of Babylon, to take God’s light from public sight (see 1st Peter 2: 15).
SCRIPTURE: 1st Peter 2: 15 … For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
And we must never forget God's call to His people [in Acts 1: 8] to receive His power and to be witnesses in His Name to the world whenever and wherever HE calls us to give witness to His Name. However, recently I heard John MacArthur give a sermon entitled A Nation Abandoned by God. In that message, primarily taken from Romans 1: 18 – 32, MacArthur posits that America and other nations of the world have likely in recent history been “given over” to the darkened minds/hearts of rulers and politicians who have been set adrift from God’s grace, allowing Satan to do his business with these leaders and to some extent with our culture. Hence, we see what is described in that passage of Romans 1, which is taking place in our post-modern America as well as throughout the world. And though I don’t like the term “abandoned” used by MacArthur in his sermon because of the truth of Deut. 31: 6 and Hebrews 13: 5, where God has promised “… never will I leave you; never will I forsake you; …” the “you” referring to a believing and obedient Israel in the Old Covenant as well as born-again believers in the New Covenant.
No, God will never “abandon” true followers of Christ; but He may well set those believers adrift for a season along with their collective nations as those nations decide to follow Satan and his world. But again remember, … God’s calling in His enablement; and God has called His people, through Christ, to be His vessels of light, Jesus declaring, [Matt. 5: 16] “… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” He has also given His followers, by His grace, all we need to live up to His calling (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9 and 2nd Peter 1: 3). And so, even if God has given this post-modern culture over to the reprobate minds/hearts of its lost political and social “leaders,” God will never abandon the remnant of Christ’s followers in this world. That was God’s promise to Israel in Psalm 81: 8 -16 [linked here for your study]; and it’s His promise to you and me as Christians today.
My Prayer Today: Keep your fire lit in me, Lord, so that I may shine your truth in this world! Amen
My Journal for Today: My former mentor, early in my Christian discipleship, when I was considering a task that I felt God was calling me to do, used to say, “God’s calling is His enablement.” And probably no true story in the Bible illustrates that principle better than today’s passage. These four young Hebrew lads came out of their three years of apprenticeship training (and Babylonian brainwashing, we might add); and though still very young, they were wiser and more astute than all the other Hebrew “trainees” and all of the wise men and leaders in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
That had to have been quite a “job” interview conducted by the King; and I’m sure he was blown away by how well these four men shined above all the rest. Later, in the book of Daniel, you can read, and we will see, how these four were challenged greatly for their faith. However, here we see that God had given them special grace and favor so that they would be up to the selection by the King as well as the challenges that would lie ahead in being God’s called witnesses to Babylon.
I hope it doesn’t seem presumptuous to interject a bit of personal testimony here. Some years back I was asked to become an Elder in our church, which, when I realized the biblical dictates/criteria (see 1st Tim. 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 6-9), I felt humbled and challenged to become a leader in our church when I didn’t feel that leadership was one of my spiritual gifts. But my mentor repeated to me, “Bill, if God is calling you into this office, He will enable you to do this.” So, I submitted and was ordained an Elder of our church. A few years later, I seriously wondered why God had seemingly led me to into the daunting position of leadership; and then our former pastor had a serious breach of leadership, falling to an incident of sexual sin; and with my pre-Christian past, having been delivered from and discipled out of past patterns of sexual sin, I realized why God had prepared me for this moment in time. It was much like when Esther realized that God had brought her to a position of influence at just the right time of His calling, when her cousin Mordecai said to her, (from Esther 4: 14b) “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” I realized that God had led me through my past and prepared me to have very special leadership training for just this one moment in our church’s history. I learned that “God’s calling is HIS enablement (and mine too).”
God wants you and me, i.e., all believers, to be His witnesses to this very darkened, post-modern world, … a culture which desires, as did that of Babylon, to take God’s light from public sight (see 1st Peter 2: 15).
SCRIPTURE: 1st Peter 2: 15 … For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
And we must never forget God's call to His people [in Acts 1: 8] to receive His power and to be witnesses in His Name to the world whenever and wherever HE calls us to give witness to His Name. However, recently I heard John MacArthur give a sermon entitled A Nation Abandoned by God. In that message, primarily taken from Romans 1: 18 – 32, MacArthur posits that America and other nations of the world have likely in recent history been “given over” to the darkened minds/hearts of rulers and politicians who have been set adrift from God’s grace, allowing Satan to do his business with these leaders and to some extent with our culture. Hence, we see what is described in that passage of Romans 1, which is taking place in our post-modern America as well as throughout the world. And though I don’t like the term “abandoned” used by MacArthur in his sermon because of the truth of Deut. 31: 6 and Hebrews 13: 5, where God has promised “… never will I leave you; never will I forsake you; …” the “you” referring to a believing and obedient Israel in the Old Covenant as well as born-again believers in the New Covenant.
No, God will never “abandon” true followers of Christ; but He may well set those believers adrift for a season along with their collective nations as those nations decide to follow Satan and his world. But again remember, … God’s calling in His enablement; and God has called His people, through Christ, to be His vessels of light, Jesus declaring, [Matt. 5: 16] “… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” He has also given His followers, by His grace, all we need to live up to His calling (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9 and 2nd Peter 1: 3). And so, even if God has given this post-modern culture over to the reprobate minds/hearts of its lost political and social “leaders,” God will never abandon the remnant of Christ’s followers in this world. That was God’s promise to Israel in Psalm 81: 8 -16 [linked here for your study]; and it’s His promise to you and me as Christians today.
My Prayer Today: Keep your fire lit in me, Lord, so that I may shine your truth in this world! Amen
Monday, September 20, 2010
2010 – September 20 – A Different Kind of Kingdom
Study from God’s Word… Daniel, Chapters 7 and 8 … Passage for Reflection: Daniel 7: 14 … NIV 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
My Journal for Today: Does it bother you, as a Christian, when you see the arrogant posture our nation now has in the world and how our government seems to ignore the degeneration of our culture? And to that question, I’d have to register a resounding, “Amen, … for sure!”
Yes, I’m concerned, maybe even bothered; but I refuse to let my countenance go the level of WORRY. Yes, our land seems to be mocking the values of the Bible; and all you have to do is watch the daily news to see how our culture is falling apart at the seams. But God’s word instructs me (in this case in Phil. 4: 6, from Paul, and from Jesus, Himself, in Matt. 6: 25, 27) to avoid worrying about anything in this world; and if we believe the visions given to men like Ezekiel and Daniel in the OT [see today’s highlight text], we know that God is one day, when it’s in His timing, will establish a kingdom, ruled by Jesus, which will never be destroyed and where love and peace will reign forever.
So, thought we can be – and should be – concerned over the injustices and cultural degeneration we see; and we even should let our righteous anger motivate us to stand for the values of Christ and do whatever we can – being IN the world but not OF the world – to stand in the gap for Godly justice and biblical values. But worry about what is taking place or will take place, … NO! … absolutely not!!
We have a prescribed method from God’s truth, as believers in Christ, to take that worry; and again, from Paul (in Phil. 4: 6-7) and from Jesus (this time in Matt. 11: 28-30) or from the Apostle Peter (in 1st Pet. 5: 7), we know that we can – and MUST – cast all our cares, in prayer, on our God, Who truly cares for us.
I pray that we are avoiding undue worry and taking our confusion, cares, and concerns to God in prayer. It is only there and then that we will find what God, through the Apostle Paul, promised … that peace that surpasses all understanding.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You, and You alone, are my resting place where I find peace in the midst of the storms. Amen
My Journal for Today: Does it bother you, as a Christian, when you see the arrogant posture our nation now has in the world and how our government seems to ignore the degeneration of our culture? And to that question, I’d have to register a resounding, “Amen, … for sure!”
Yes, I’m concerned, maybe even bothered; but I refuse to let my countenance go the level of WORRY. Yes, our land seems to be mocking the values of the Bible; and all you have to do is watch the daily news to see how our culture is falling apart at the seams. But God’s word instructs me (in this case in Phil. 4: 6, from Paul, and from Jesus, Himself, in Matt. 6: 25, 27) to avoid worrying about anything in this world; and if we believe the visions given to men like Ezekiel and Daniel in the OT [see today’s highlight text], we know that God is one day, when it’s in His timing, will establish a kingdom, ruled by Jesus, which will never be destroyed and where love and peace will reign forever.
So, thought we can be – and should be – concerned over the injustices and cultural degeneration we see; and we even should let our righteous anger motivate us to stand for the values of Christ and do whatever we can – being IN the world but not OF the world – to stand in the gap for Godly justice and biblical values. But worry about what is taking place or will take place, … NO! … absolutely not!!
We have a prescribed method from God’s truth, as believers in Christ, to take that worry; and again, from Paul (in Phil. 4: 6-7) and from Jesus (this time in Matt. 11: 28-30) or from the Apostle Peter (in 1st Pet. 5: 7), we know that we can – and MUST – cast all our cares, in prayer, on our God, Who truly cares for us.
I pray that we are avoiding undue worry and taking our confusion, cares, and concerns to God in prayer. It is only there and then that we will find what God, through the Apostle Paul, promised … that peace that surpasses all understanding.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You, and You alone, are my resting place where I find peace in the midst of the storms. Amen
Friday, August 27, 2010
2010 – August 27 – What Do You Trust?
Study from God’s Word… Jeremiah, Chapters 37 – 38 … Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 38: 22 … NIV All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah [i.e., King Zedekiah] will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: " 'They misled you and overcame you — those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.'
My Journal for Today: Reading Chapters 37 & 38 of Jeremiah’s Book in the OT, we read of an interesting interaction between Zedekiah, the King of Judah at the time of the Babylonian siege, and the Prophet Jeremiah. A lot of political intrigue was going on at the time; and the people, especially the officials of the King’s court had trouble believing in and buying into God’s word, through Jeremiah, that only the people who surrendered to Babylon would live to remain alive and be loyal to the one, true God. And one could understand their reluctance to this prophetic paradox. Here, supposedly, was God’s Prophet saying that God’s chosen people of the covenant, the followers of the God of the universe, must surrender to a pagan people, the Babylonians in order to save themselves. And King Zedekiah, though showing some respect to Jeremiah, with at least a marginal belief in God, just couldn’t take the prophesies from Jeremiah. And his quandary was evident as he had Jeremiah taken captive, under house arrest, yet he kept coming back to Jeremiah, asking for what God was saying to him. He just didn’t know what to believe.
Ever been there; … when things are really confusing; and you’re getting conflicting advice, some of which just doesn’t make sense? And like King Zedekiah in today’s text, you just don’t know whom to turn to or whom to believe. And that is why we have such an advantage, being New Covenant believers, over the people of Jeremiah’s day. We don’t have to seek out select Prophets, who are blessed by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. No, we have, through our faith in the fulfillment of all of the OT Prophets, Jesus Christ, the very Holy Spirit Who guided Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Joel, and all of the OT prophets. And we also have God’s declared and final word as part of His New Covenant, sealed forever by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus, … the very Messiah prophesied by Jeremiah and others.
But like Zedekiah, we can hear the truth (or in the case of reading God’s word); but then we must, like King Zedekiah, receive and believe the truth enough to obediently follow the direction of God’s word. Zedekiah had only a marginal faith in the truth of God’s word from Jeremiah; and he paid dearly – with his life – for his very human denial and lack of willingness to surrender to God’s proclaimed truth.
How about you, my friend? Are you willing to get God’s truth deeply into your consciousness, to listen to God’s proclamations of purpose (for example, read and meditate on Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17]; and then, after knowing what God’s word say, are we willing to do what Jesus commanded of His disciples, … i.e., to willingly set aside self and follow Him (see a verse you should have memorized, Luke 9: 23)? Because if you’re not willing to selflessly surrender to God’s truth from His word, you will only have your self and others from Satan’s world to influence your direction; and the outcomes of that WILL BE horrible.
Enough from this pitiful teacher! What will be my choice (or yours) … to know God’s truth and to follow His word, or to languish in the proclamations of those who only have selfish motives to share with us?
Our choice!
My Prayer for Today: LORD, I choose Your word and the direction You provide to me as I get to know you more and more and more. Amen
My Journal for Today: Reading Chapters 37 & 38 of Jeremiah’s Book in the OT, we read of an interesting interaction between Zedekiah, the King of Judah at the time of the Babylonian siege, and the Prophet Jeremiah. A lot of political intrigue was going on at the time; and the people, especially the officials of the King’s court had trouble believing in and buying into God’s word, through Jeremiah, that only the people who surrendered to Babylon would live to remain alive and be loyal to the one, true God. And one could understand their reluctance to this prophetic paradox. Here, supposedly, was God’s Prophet saying that God’s chosen people of the covenant, the followers of the God of the universe, must surrender to a pagan people, the Babylonians in order to save themselves. And King Zedekiah, though showing some respect to Jeremiah, with at least a marginal belief in God, just couldn’t take the prophesies from Jeremiah. And his quandary was evident as he had Jeremiah taken captive, under house arrest, yet he kept coming back to Jeremiah, asking for what God was saying to him. He just didn’t know what to believe.
Ever been there; … when things are really confusing; and you’re getting conflicting advice, some of which just doesn’t make sense? And like King Zedekiah in today’s text, you just don’t know whom to turn to or whom to believe. And that is why we have such an advantage, being New Covenant believers, over the people of Jeremiah’s day. We don’t have to seek out select Prophets, who are blessed by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. No, we have, through our faith in the fulfillment of all of the OT Prophets, Jesus Christ, the very Holy Spirit Who guided Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Joel, and all of the OT prophets. And we also have God’s declared and final word as part of His New Covenant, sealed forever by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus, … the very Messiah prophesied by Jeremiah and others.
But like Zedekiah, we can hear the truth (or in the case of reading God’s word); but then we must, like King Zedekiah, receive and believe the truth enough to obediently follow the direction of God’s word. Zedekiah had only a marginal faith in the truth of God’s word from Jeremiah; and he paid dearly – with his life – for his very human denial and lack of willingness to surrender to God’s proclaimed truth.
How about you, my friend? Are you willing to get God’s truth deeply into your consciousness, to listen to God’s proclamations of purpose (for example, read and meditate on Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17]; and then, after knowing what God’s word say, are we willing to do what Jesus commanded of His disciples, … i.e., to willingly set aside self and follow Him (see a verse you should have memorized, Luke 9: 23)? Because if you’re not willing to selflessly surrender to God’s truth from His word, you will only have your self and others from Satan’s world to influence your direction; and the outcomes of that WILL BE horrible.
Enough from this pitiful teacher! What will be my choice (or yours) … to know God’s truth and to follow His word, or to languish in the proclamations of those who only have selfish motives to share with us?
Our choice!
My Prayer for Today: LORD, I choose Your word and the direction You provide to me as I get to know you more and more and more. Amen
2010 – August 27 – What Do You Trust?
Study from God’s Word… Jeremiah, Chapters 37 – 38 … Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 38: 22 … NIV All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah [i.e., King Zedekiah] will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: " 'They misled you and overcame you — those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.'
My Journal for Today: Reading Chapters 37 & 38 of Jeremiah’s Book in the OT, we read of an interesting interaction between Zedekiah, the King of Judah at the time of the Babylonian siege, and the Prophet Jeremiah. A lot of political intrigue was going on at the time; and the people, especially the officials of the King’s court had trouble believing in and buying into God’s word, through Jeremiah, that only the people who surrendered to Babylon would live to remain alive and be loyal to the one, true God. And one could understand their reluctance to this prophetic paradox. Here, supposedly, was God’s Prophet saying that God’s chosen people of the covenant, the followers of the God of the universe, must surrender to a pagan people, the Babylonians in order to save themselves. And King Zedekiah, though showing some respect to Jeremiah, with at least a marginal belief in God, just couldn’t take the prophesies from Jeremiah. And his quandary was evident as he had Jeremiah taken captive, under house arrest, yet he kept coming back to Jeremiah, asking for what God was saying to him. He just didn’t know what to believe.
Ever been there; … when things are really confusing; and you’re getting conflicting advice, some of which just doesn’t make sense? And like King Zedekiah in today’s text, you just don’t know whom to turn to or whom to believe. And that is why we have such an advantage, being New Covenant believers, over the people of Jeremiah’s day. We don’t have to seek out select Prophets, who are blessed by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. No, we have, through our faith in the fulfillment of all of the OT Prophets, Jesus Christ, the very Holy Spirit Who guided Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Joel, and all of the OT prophets. And we also have God’s declared and final word as part of His New Covenant, sealed forever by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus, … the very Messiah prophesied by Jeremiah and others.
But like Zedekiah, we can hear the truth (or in the case of reading God’s word); but then we must, like King Zedekiah, receive and believe the truth enough to obediently follow the direction of God’s word. Zedekiah had only a marginal faith in the truth of God’s word from Jeremiah; and he paid dearly – with his life – for his very human denial and lack of willingness to surrender to God’s proclaimed truth.
How about you, my friend? Are you willing to get God’s truth deeply into your consciousness, to listen to God’s proclamations of purpose (for example, read and meditate on Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17]; and then, after knowing what God’s word say, are we willing to do what Jesus commanded of His disciples, … i.e., to willingly set aside self and follow Him (see a verse you should have memorized, Luke 9: 23)? Because if you’re not willing to selflessly surrender to God’s truth from His word, you will only have your self and others from Satan’s world to influence your direction; and the outcomes of that WILL BE horrible.
Enough from this pitiful teacher! What will be my choice (or yours) … to know God’s truth and to follow His word, or to languish in the proclamations of those who only have selfish motives to share with us?
Our choice!
My Prayer for Today: LORD, I choose Your word and the direction You provide to me as I get to know you more and more and more. Amen
My Journal for Today: Reading Chapters 37 & 38 of Jeremiah’s Book in the OT, we read of an interesting interaction between Zedekiah, the King of Judah at the time of the Babylonian siege, and the Prophet Jeremiah. A lot of political intrigue was going on at the time; and the people, especially the officials of the King’s court had trouble believing in and buying into God’s word, through Jeremiah, that only the people who surrendered to Babylon would live to remain alive and be loyal to the one, true God. And one could understand their reluctance to this prophetic paradox. Here, supposedly, was God’s Prophet saying that God’s chosen people of the covenant, the followers of the God of the universe, must surrender to a pagan people, the Babylonians in order to save themselves. And King Zedekiah, though showing some respect to Jeremiah, with at least a marginal belief in God, just couldn’t take the prophesies from Jeremiah. And his quandary was evident as he had Jeremiah taken captive, under house arrest, yet he kept coming back to Jeremiah, asking for what God was saying to him. He just didn’t know what to believe.
Ever been there; … when things are really confusing; and you’re getting conflicting advice, some of which just doesn’t make sense? And like King Zedekiah in today’s text, you just don’t know whom to turn to or whom to believe. And that is why we have such an advantage, being New Covenant believers, over the people of Jeremiah’s day. We don’t have to seek out select Prophets, who are blessed by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. No, we have, through our faith in the fulfillment of all of the OT Prophets, Jesus Christ, the very Holy Spirit Who guided Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Joel, and all of the OT prophets. And we also have God’s declared and final word as part of His New Covenant, sealed forever by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus, … the very Messiah prophesied by Jeremiah and others.
But like Zedekiah, we can hear the truth (or in the case of reading God’s word); but then we must, like King Zedekiah, receive and believe the truth enough to obediently follow the direction of God’s word. Zedekiah had only a marginal faith in the truth of God’s word from Jeremiah; and he paid dearly – with his life – for his very human denial and lack of willingness to surrender to God’s proclaimed truth.
How about you, my friend? Are you willing to get God’s truth deeply into your consciousness, to listen to God’s proclamations of purpose (for example, read and meditate on Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17]; and then, after knowing what God’s word say, are we willing to do what Jesus commanded of His disciples, … i.e., to willingly set aside self and follow Him (see a verse you should have memorized, Luke 9: 23)? Because if you’re not willing to selflessly surrender to God’s truth from His word, you will only have your self and others from Satan’s world to influence your direction; and the outcomes of that WILL BE horrible.
Enough from this pitiful teacher! What will be my choice (or yours) … to know God’s truth and to follow His word, or to languish in the proclamations of those who only have selfish motives to share with us?
Our choice!
My Prayer for Today: LORD, I choose Your word and the direction You provide to me as I get to know you more and more and more. Amen
Friday, April 02, 2010
2010 – April 2 – A Motley Crew
Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel 21: 1- 12; Psalm 56; 1st Sam. 21: 13-15; Psalm 34; 1st Sam. 22: 1,2; Psalm 142; 1st Chronicles 12: 8-18; 1st Samuel 22: 3-5 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 22: 2 … NIV 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional author/editor, aptly points out the parallel between David as a leader and our Savior, Jesus, both of whom attracted a rather “motley crew” of followers. It is interesting to note how Jesus surrounded Himself with a small band of disciples, who were, when you analyze them, not the types of men you might select to set the world on fire for the gospel message. But both Jesus and David knew to trust the guiding light of the Holy Spirit, Who was upon both of these leaders, to select those men who were led to David and to Jesus individually to be their disciples and warriors.
Have you ever wondered, as have I, why Jesus chose you [or me] to be His disciple? When I think of what I was like when God, the Holy Spirit, pursued me, I identify with being part of that ”motley crew” who was led to Jesus – and to David. Somehow, when I was at my lowest point of brokenness, Jesus saw something in me that He could use for God’s glory; and He pursued me; and that pursuit was very purposeful and powerful, as I even tried to avoid Him for a long time. But being the “Hound of Heaven,” my Lord saw something of value in me; and He came after me, until I finally surrendered and became part of His “motley crew” of followers.
Perhaps, like me, you identify with some of Jesus’ original 12 … and/or the add-on, Paul, the latter Apostle. Most certainly I see a lot of Peter in myself; and as one who has had a “Damascus Road” type conversion, I see a lot of Paul in me as well. And now, I know that I follow my Lord, just like that original “motley crew” of disciples followed Jesus, and like David’s men followed him. Sometimes, I don’t know where Jesus is leading me; and I’m sure that was the case for David’s men, especially as he led them into that cave in the Negev as they were escaping Saul. But I do know that I’m following the Right One; and like David, Who only followed His Lord, we, who follow Jesus, should be able to say, with confidence, as David sung in Psalm 56; 3-4, When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
When we, the “motley crew” following Jesus, find ourselves being afraid in the midst of challenging times or even persecution, we can say, as did the Apostle Paul (in Romans 8: 31), If God be for me, who can stand against me. We can also cry out what God said to all of His motley followers [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.
And when you internalize and believe in the truth of these words, aren’t you glad you’re part of the “motley crew” who follows Jesus?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I am with You because I know You’re with me. Amen
My Journal for Today: Dr. Smith, my devotional author/editor, aptly points out the parallel between David as a leader and our Savior, Jesus, both of whom attracted a rather “motley crew” of followers. It is interesting to note how Jesus surrounded Himself with a small band of disciples, who were, when you analyze them, not the types of men you might select to set the world on fire for the gospel message. But both Jesus and David knew to trust the guiding light of the Holy Spirit, Who was upon both of these leaders, to select those men who were led to David and to Jesus individually to be their disciples and warriors.
Have you ever wondered, as have I, why Jesus chose you [or me] to be His disciple? When I think of what I was like when God, the Holy Spirit, pursued me, I identify with being part of that ”motley crew” who was led to Jesus – and to David. Somehow, when I was at my lowest point of brokenness, Jesus saw something in me that He could use for God’s glory; and He pursued me; and that pursuit was very purposeful and powerful, as I even tried to avoid Him for a long time. But being the “Hound of Heaven,” my Lord saw something of value in me; and He came after me, until I finally surrendered and became part of His “motley crew” of followers.
Perhaps, like me, you identify with some of Jesus’ original 12 … and/or the add-on, Paul, the latter Apostle. Most certainly I see a lot of Peter in myself; and as one who has had a “Damascus Road” type conversion, I see a lot of Paul in me as well. And now, I know that I follow my Lord, just like that original “motley crew” of disciples followed Jesus, and like David’s men followed him. Sometimes, I don’t know where Jesus is leading me; and I’m sure that was the case for David’s men, especially as he led them into that cave in the Negev as they were escaping Saul. But I do know that I’m following the Right One; and like David, Who only followed His Lord, we, who follow Jesus, should be able to say, with confidence, as David sung in Psalm 56; 3-4, When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
When we, the “motley crew” following Jesus, find ourselves being afraid in the midst of challenging times or even persecution, we can say, as did the Apostle Paul (in Romans 8: 31), If God be for me, who can stand against me. We can also cry out what God said to all of His motley followers [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.
And when you internalize and believe in the truth of these words, aren’t you glad you’re part of the “motley crew” who follows Jesus?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I am with You because I know You’re with me. Amen
Friday, March 12, 2010
2010 – Mar. 12 – Depreciating An Incredible God
Study from God’s Word… Josh 9: 1 – 27; Josh 10: 1 – 43; Josh 11: 1 – 23 [14: 15b]; Josh 12: 1 - 24; … Passage for Reflection: Joshua 6: 4 … NIV 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
My Journal for Today: As I was led to read about the conquests God provided for Joshua and His people over the many tribes and people of that day, … as God delivered the Promised Land into the hands of the Israelites, we come across a remarkable story about an even more remarkable historical event. In pursuit of one of his enemies, Joshua sings out a prayer from an old Song Book in Israel in today’s focus passage, and God stops the sun in the sky, allowing God’s forces to pursue and defeat the enemies of Joshua.
And, … what’s up with this, we might ask? You mean we can pray for something so extraordinary as a sun-stopping even and expect God to suspend the laws of nature to give us what we desire? Have you ever wished you had more time to carry out some task in life? Well, why didn’t you just pray that God stop the day; and give you the time you need to get your task accomplished? … No, we don’t pray that way, because, even though we believe in a wondrous and miraculous God, we, as Christians should – and most of us do – know that God, though He can do what He did for Joshua, even stopping the sun, will do what He, God, wants to do to accomplish for His good purposes.
We have a tendency to put God is a box, which is just as big as our knowledge and experience provides for our understanding. And we also have a tendency to want our God to carve out a future for us which fits in with our desires and focuses on our personal needs. But we need to revisit a truth from God’s word [see Isaiah 55: 8-9 - linked], upon which I often have to meditate to remind me that God is God, and I am not! And I also need to remember the truth evolving out of my interaction with God, as I pray for what I perceive to be my needs/desires.
My friend, we know from both the OT [see Ps. 37: 4] and the NT [see John 15: 7] that God will – in fact – give us the desires of our hearts, when – but only when – we are couching our pursuits within the center of God’s will and purposes. But we must also remember that we serve a God, Who is powerful enough to suspend the very laws of nature for His purposes. That’s how Jesus walked on the water and raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. And we, as born-again, Spirit-filled Christians, have the same power in us; but it is a power which is tempered and controlled by the same God who has and still exercises that power for His good will.
What we need to do is believe in the wondrous sun-stopping power of our God, the same power which raised Jesus from the dead to life eternal. And then, we need to seek to do His will and conform to His good purposes; because when we do this, we will be able to see God’s mighty hand lift us up (see Isaiah 41: 10) and to show us where we need to go in life to be used for His glory. As Pastor Smith says in my devotional for today, … we should avoid being ”… desensitized into thinking that, just because [we’ve] never seen the sun stand still, God either CAN’T or DOESN’T work in [our lives].”
My Prayer for Today: Creator God, my mind is too small; and I try to shape You into a form to fit my life. Help me to conform to Your will as You shape me for Your glory. Amen
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
My Journal for Today: As I was led to read about the conquests God provided for Joshua and His people over the many tribes and people of that day, … as God delivered the Promised Land into the hands of the Israelites, we come across a remarkable story about an even more remarkable historical event. In pursuit of one of his enemies, Joshua sings out a prayer from an old Song Book in Israel in today’s focus passage, and God stops the sun in the sky, allowing God’s forces to pursue and defeat the enemies of Joshua.
And, … what’s up with this, we might ask? You mean we can pray for something so extraordinary as a sun-stopping even and expect God to suspend the laws of nature to give us what we desire? Have you ever wished you had more time to carry out some task in life? Well, why didn’t you just pray that God stop the day; and give you the time you need to get your task accomplished? … No, we don’t pray that way, because, even though we believe in a wondrous and miraculous God, we, as Christians should – and most of us do – know that God, though He can do what He did for Joshua, even stopping the sun, will do what He, God, wants to do to accomplish for His good purposes.
We have a tendency to put God is a box, which is just as big as our knowledge and experience provides for our understanding. And we also have a tendency to want our God to carve out a future for us which fits in with our desires and focuses on our personal needs. But we need to revisit a truth from God’s word [see Isaiah 55: 8-9 - linked], upon which I often have to meditate to remind me that God is God, and I am not! And I also need to remember the truth evolving out of my interaction with God, as I pray for what I perceive to be my needs/desires.
My friend, we know from both the OT [see Ps. 37: 4] and the NT [see John 15: 7] that God will – in fact – give us the desires of our hearts, when – but only when – we are couching our pursuits within the center of God’s will and purposes. But we must also remember that we serve a God, Who is powerful enough to suspend the very laws of nature for His purposes. That’s how Jesus walked on the water and raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. And we, as born-again, Spirit-filled Christians, have the same power in us; but it is a power which is tempered and controlled by the same God who has and still exercises that power for His good will.
What we need to do is believe in the wondrous sun-stopping power of our God, the same power which raised Jesus from the dead to life eternal. And then, we need to seek to do His will and conform to His good purposes; because when we do this, we will be able to see God’s mighty hand lift us up (see Isaiah 41: 10) and to show us where we need to go in life to be used for His glory. As Pastor Smith says in my devotional for today, … we should avoid being ”… desensitized into thinking that, just because [we’ve] never seen the sun stand still, God either CAN’T or DOESN’T work in [our lives].”
My Prayer for Today: Creator God, my mind is too small; and I try to shape You into a form to fit my life. Help me to conform to Your will as You shape me for Your glory. Amen
Thursday, February 04, 2010
2010 – Day 35. Feb. 4 – Dealing With Discrepancy
Study from Numbers 3: 1-13; 8: 5-13; Num. 7; and Num 8: 1 - 4; Passage for Today’s Reflection: Numbers 8: 23 - 26 … NIV 23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting, 25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. …26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites."
My Journal for Today: Okay, you type A Bible scholars, does it bother you when you come upon seeming discrepancies in Scripture? And if you’re way above my level of biblical scholarship, when you read the focus passage above; and maybe you’ve studied the setting aside of the Levites for the Priesthood in ancient Israel, you see that the ages of appointed duty to the priesthood in Numbers 8: 23 – 26 above don’t seem to jibe with the age range of the Levite priesthood in Numbers 4: 3, 23, 30 [Numbers 4 is linked here for your study]. In the passage above, the age range for the priesthood seems to be from 25 – 50; yet, in Numbers 4, the age range is tabulated from 30 – 50 in the three verses cited. Of course, there are other so-called inconsistencies in the Bible which skeptics love to point out to Bible Scholars, of whom I am not one.
However, though I don’t want to get into a long, worn-out discussion of such reported inconsistencies here, it is not difficult for even my simple level of scholarship to go along with F. LaGard Smith, my devotional book author, who today, discussing this one supposed discrepancy, speculates that the Levites could have gone through a five-year apprenticeship for priesthood, which would explain the age difference from 25-30. And it’s of interest to Smith to point out that when you take Numbers 8: 25 very literally, it would seem that a Levite Priest could not work past age 50; yet, in the very next verse (8: 26) it says that the “older” Levites (i.e., those past 50) could and did assist the younger Priests, thereby “working” in the Priesthood well beyond age 50.
My friends, when you come upon seeming inconsistencies or discrepancies in the Bible, it is a good discipline of scholarship to explore them; but I have a rule of thumb which I use when my brain power can’t explain these so-called “inconsistencies” or “discrepancies;” or when I can’t find a Bible Scholar of note whom I trust to help me. And maybe worldly unbelieving skeptics would consider my attittude a cop-out to my absolute faith that God’s word is inerrant. My rule is this. If I can’t explain God’s word to myself or others, I give it over to God, the Holy Spirit to help me; and if He can’t get through my density (which is certainly not hard for anyone to imagine ;>), then I’ll just have to wait for a private audience with the Apostle Paul or James, or maybe Jesus, Himself, in Heaven to clear up my confusions. I don’t dwell on my confusions. I dwell in my clinging trust in the truth of God’s word. And I go with my understanding as well as I can research it, trying my best to put together God’s montage of truth from His word. And then, the truths in Scripture are certainly powerful enough in my life to carry me forward and help be grow into Christlikeness.
The things I don’t understand, nor can explain, will just have to wait for God to reveal them to me later. If that is naiveté; so be it. I will have to be labeled a naïve believer by those in the world who think themselves smarter than God’s word who devote their lives in questioning the Bible, based upon the smallest of discrepancies.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I trust Your word for my life. Amen
My Journal for Today: Okay, you type A Bible scholars, does it bother you when you come upon seeming discrepancies in Scripture? And if you’re way above my level of biblical scholarship, when you read the focus passage above; and maybe you’ve studied the setting aside of the Levites for the Priesthood in ancient Israel, you see that the ages of appointed duty to the priesthood in Numbers 8: 23 – 26 above don’t seem to jibe with the age range of the Levite priesthood in Numbers 4: 3, 23, 30 [Numbers 4 is linked here for your study]. In the passage above, the age range for the priesthood seems to be from 25 – 50; yet, in Numbers 4, the age range is tabulated from 30 – 50 in the three verses cited. Of course, there are other so-called inconsistencies in the Bible which skeptics love to point out to Bible Scholars, of whom I am not one.
However, though I don’t want to get into a long, worn-out discussion of such reported inconsistencies here, it is not difficult for even my simple level of scholarship to go along with F. LaGard Smith, my devotional book author, who today, discussing this one supposed discrepancy, speculates that the Levites could have gone through a five-year apprenticeship for priesthood, which would explain the age difference from 25-30. And it’s of interest to Smith to point out that when you take Numbers 8: 25 very literally, it would seem that a Levite Priest could not work past age 50; yet, in the very next verse (8: 26) it says that the “older” Levites (i.e., those past 50) could and did assist the younger Priests, thereby “working” in the Priesthood well beyond age 50.
My friends, when you come upon seeming inconsistencies or discrepancies in the Bible, it is a good discipline of scholarship to explore them; but I have a rule of thumb which I use when my brain power can’t explain these so-called “inconsistencies” or “discrepancies;” or when I can’t find a Bible Scholar of note whom I trust to help me. And maybe worldly unbelieving skeptics would consider my attittude a cop-out to my absolute faith that God’s word is inerrant. My rule is this. If I can’t explain God’s word to myself or others, I give it over to God, the Holy Spirit to help me; and if He can’t get through my density (which is certainly not hard for anyone to imagine ;>), then I’ll just have to wait for a private audience with the Apostle Paul or James, or maybe Jesus, Himself, in Heaven to clear up my confusions. I don’t dwell on my confusions. I dwell in my clinging trust in the truth of God’s word. And I go with my understanding as well as I can research it, trying my best to put together God’s montage of truth from His word. And then, the truths in Scripture are certainly powerful enough in my life to carry me forward and help be grow into Christlikeness.
The things I don’t understand, nor can explain, will just have to wait for God to reveal them to me later. If that is naiveté; so be it. I will have to be labeled a naïve believer by those in the world who think themselves smarter than God’s word who devote their lives in questioning the Bible, based upon the smallest of discrepancies.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I trust Your word for my life. Amen
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