Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 5-6 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Numbers 6: 22-27: … [God’s Benediction and Blessing>… 22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.’ “Say to them:
24 ‘ … The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.
27 ‘ So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ ”
My Journal for Today: Today, in my Bible reading plan, I was led to study/meditate through Chapters 5-6 of Numbers; and at the end of Chapter 6, the above copied passage jumped off the page into my heart. Yes, this is a very recognized passage from scripture which you may have heard in your past as THE BENEDICTION (or spoken blessing) which Pastors or Priests often use to close Sunday services, weddings, funerals, and other special gatherings of God’s people.
I can remember this blessing being spoken by the Pastor to my wife and myself and the friends present at our wedding just before the Pastor introduced us as “Mr. and Mrs. Bill Berry;” and we kissed to seal the vows we had made before God in that special ceremony. And the horrible irony of that was … that, though the traditional words from the Bible felt nice at the time, they really didn’t hold any heartfelt meaning – at least for yours truly; because Christ was not in either of us at the time we got married in a Christian church. And if you know my testimony, my subsequent infidelity of the vows we had taken that day became a pattern in my life for over a decade before, in brokenness, I confessed my sabotage of the marriage vows which we had taken, got my mind/heart right before God, and experienced our marriage being healed and restored into the commitment of righteousness demanded and expected by God in a marriage. So, now our marriage vows have been renewed and we can read those words of benediction above and be assured that our marriage has been blessed in the way that God’s priesthood was to pronounce this blessing over God’s anointed ones, … His chosen children, the Israelites.
And when you meditate on the blessing above, you should realize that this blessing was to be pronounced over the Israelites who were willing (and able) to carry out the commitment of those who had taken the vows of a “Nazarite.” If you go back and read Numbers 6: 1-21, you will see what the Nazarite commitment was all about. It was a service vow to God which was taken by those who were very serious about their relationship with Yahweh. And when they made this commitment, and kept the tenants of the vow they made to God, the Lord blessed them in the way you read in the benediction blessing documented above in our highlight segment for today.
And please note that this well documented and familiar blessing from God – spoken over those who are fully committed to serve God – has three components in the benediction.
FIRST there is the blessing of PROTECTION: “The LORD bless you and keep you.” God promises His protection over those who are fully surrendered and also totally committed to following Him. But notice that this blessing is only given to those who live out their lives, keeping their vow to do what Christ commanded of His disciples in Luke 9: 23 and what Paul later exhorted believers to do in Romans 12: 1-2. And it is those who can take that kind of vow of commitment to follow God and to serve Him who can expect the umbrella blessing of God’s blessing of protection. But … does that mean that the totally surrendered Christian will never have any troubles. No, … it simply, but powerfully, means that God’s committed believers/children will always have God’s blessing of protection – even to provide them with eternal life should we lose our physical lives serving our Lord.
SECONDLY, God’s blessing is one of PROVIDENCE: “The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.” And here we read that God will provide all the obedient and committed believer needs no matter what difficult circumstances are encounters by the faithful followers of our LORD. That’s what we read in Christ’s new covenant promises written by the Lord’s Apostles, … by Paul in 1st Cor. 10: 13 as well as by Peter in 2nd Peter 1: 1-3. In a nutshell, God blesses His obedient servants with everything we need to take on the vow of commitment which is required of all who claim the name “Christian” in this world.
And FINALLY, God’s blessing is one of providing the believer with His PEACE: “The LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.” And when I read this, I can’t help but think. “Hey, Lord, if You promise Your peace to me, why is my world so wracked with peace-LESS-ness or turmoil?” But then I remember that God doesn’t mean in His blessing and promise that I won’t have turmoil or troubles in my life. No, His promise is to give me the grace of His fruit of peace in the midst of life’s challenges. And in that regard I think about the promises of both an OT and a NT passage. And I charge you to go back and study these: Isaiah 26: 3 and Phil. 4: 6-7 where God promises (i.e., blesses) His committed believers with HIS inexplicable PEACE, which is His Spirit-given fruit (see Gal. 5: 22), bolsters us with His enabling grace to deal with the troubles of life (see also 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
And so, if I’m willing to be a “Nazarite” believer and make a vow of surrender and service to my Lord, … being obedient to that vow by my living sacrifice, … knowing that my God’s grace is always sufficient, no matter the trials of life, … God will pronounce His blessing and His benediction over me and my life … FOREVER. And that benediction, as spoken by God to the Nazarite-Israielites, also covers me through my faith in the blood-covering sacrifice of THE NAZARENE, … my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank You for Your blessing. May I live to show it’s power in my life and be a beacon of benediction and blessing to others. Amen
Showing posts with label covenant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label covenant. Show all posts
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thursday, July 29, 2010
2010 – July 29 – Beyond the Point of No Return
Study from God’s Word… Jeremiah, Chapters 10 - 12 … Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 11: 14 … NIV Don not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when the call to me in the time of their distress.
My Journal for Today: Today’s highlight verse is a hard passage from God’s word to receive. Is there really a time when it’s too late for God to hear us; and apparently the answer is, “Yes.” As Dr. Smith points out by analogy in his devotional for today, when a parent is dealing with a recalcitrant child, there comes a time when the hand of the father is on its way to the butt of his disobedient child when no amount of last second pleading will stop that hand of loving correction.
For ancient Israel and Judah, in the times of Jeremiah, God’s people had once again turned away from God. God had to put up with years and years of repeated idolatry and whorish living from His chosen ones; and here they were again disregarding the Covenant God had made with their ancestors (and with them). And we read, in today’s Bible reading from the book of Jeremiah that God had “pulled the trigger” on their punishment; and no amount of last minute pleading was going to help. God had turned them over to a future captivity by the Babylonians; and any last minute pleas to Him were not going to stop them from learning that God was serious.
Just yesterday, I was with a group of serious Christians who gather once a month in a designated place to pray, in earnest, for our city and our land, both of which have gone the ways which can be documented in that fateful passage in Romans 1: 18 -32 [linked here for your review], which I’ve cited on a number of occasions this year. And when I review that passage, even when I’m with such like-minded and on-track Christians, praying diligently and desperately for God’s deliverance, I can’t help but think that we may be in that place when God is no longer in a listening mode; and we are about to experience our Lord lifting His hand of protection from the evils of this world to show all of mankind what it is to be without His Spirit protecting the world from the evils of the Devil and his minions.
My, oh my! That prospect is horrible to contemplate.
I’ve heard it preached and prophesied by men of God, like John MacArthur, that we may – in fact and in reality – may be in that place where the hand of the Father is already in motion and no amount of last minute pleading is going to stop our Lord from showing mankind that we cannot live without Him and we cannot be the correction which is needed to save us from ourselves.
Now that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be giving up on my pleas or my prayers, or stop gathering with others to cry out for God’s mercy. I will do that; but I’ll do it because I have hope in the scenario that God has already played out in the Person and finished work of His Son, Christ, The Messiah. And I have hope in what my God has promised will take place when The Bridegroom comes for His Bride, the Church. And finally, I believe that we, who are that remnant of believers in a perverse generation, will be protected – somehow – from the hand of God, … even if that hand will come upon our land with the lifting of protection, allowing Satan to bring his evil upon our world.
Oh, how I will continue to plead …
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, have mercy on us! Protect us. Guide us with Your light out of the darkness. Help us to walk through the valley of the shadow of death into Your loving arms. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today’s highlight verse is a hard passage from God’s word to receive. Is there really a time when it’s too late for God to hear us; and apparently the answer is, “Yes.” As Dr. Smith points out by analogy in his devotional for today, when a parent is dealing with a recalcitrant child, there comes a time when the hand of the father is on its way to the butt of his disobedient child when no amount of last second pleading will stop that hand of loving correction.
For ancient Israel and Judah, in the times of Jeremiah, God’s people had once again turned away from God. God had to put up with years and years of repeated idolatry and whorish living from His chosen ones; and here they were again disregarding the Covenant God had made with their ancestors (and with them). And we read, in today’s Bible reading from the book of Jeremiah that God had “pulled the trigger” on their punishment; and no amount of last minute pleading was going to help. God had turned them over to a future captivity by the Babylonians; and any last minute pleas to Him were not going to stop them from learning that God was serious.
Just yesterday, I was with a group of serious Christians who gather once a month in a designated place to pray, in earnest, for our city and our land, both of which have gone the ways which can be documented in that fateful passage in Romans 1: 18 -32 [linked here for your review], which I’ve cited on a number of occasions this year. And when I review that passage, even when I’m with such like-minded and on-track Christians, praying diligently and desperately for God’s deliverance, I can’t help but think that we may be in that place when God is no longer in a listening mode; and we are about to experience our Lord lifting His hand of protection from the evils of this world to show all of mankind what it is to be without His Spirit protecting the world from the evils of the Devil and his minions.
My, oh my! That prospect is horrible to contemplate.
I’ve heard it preached and prophesied by men of God, like John MacArthur, that we may – in fact and in reality – may be in that place where the hand of the Father is already in motion and no amount of last minute pleading is going to stop our Lord from showing mankind that we cannot live without Him and we cannot be the correction which is needed to save us from ourselves.
Now that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be giving up on my pleas or my prayers, or stop gathering with others to cry out for God’s mercy. I will do that; but I’ll do it because I have hope in the scenario that God has already played out in the Person and finished work of His Son, Christ, The Messiah. And I have hope in what my God has promised will take place when The Bridegroom comes for His Bride, the Church. And finally, I believe that we, who are that remnant of believers in a perverse generation, will be protected – somehow – from the hand of God, … even if that hand will come upon our land with the lifting of protection, allowing Satan to bring his evil upon our world.
Oh, how I will continue to plead …
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, have mercy on us! Protect us. Guide us with Your light out of the darkness. Help us to walk through the valley of the shadow of death into Your loving arms. Amen
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2010 – Feb. 17 – Treating Cause and Effect with Caution
Study from Deuteronomy 9 – 11; Passage for Reflection: Deut. 9: 6 … NIV Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
My Journal for Today: I hope you’ve read through Deuteronomy, Chapters 9 – 11, or you know its contents well; because when you read/meditate on the instructions that Moses is giving to God’s “stiff-necked,” fickle, and often foolish people, the Israelites (especially knowing, from God’s word, where they are going mess-up over and over again), one has to feel like poor Moses, as a leader of God’s people, has been given a poor cohort of followers to let Joshua lead them across the Jordan and to take possession of that “Promised Land,” to which God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their progeny. But in what Moses is saying to the Jewish nation, we have some principles which we need to understand and to apply in our lives.
The first is that God is a merciful God, slow to anger and completely bound to His covenant promises. So, if God has promised something to us as believers today, we can expect that He will carry out His part of that covenant. And the biggest of those promises is wrapped up in the promise of eternal salvation for anyone who believes in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and is willing to surrender his/her life to the Lordship of The Christ. If you have done that, God, as He has promised by His word, will deliver; and by His grace, He will give you eternal life [and you know of that from John 3: 16 and Romans 10: 9 – 13].
With that said, then, like with the “stiff-necked” Jewish people, we must realize that nothing we can, or will do, can earn anything more than what God has promised. So, if we do a lot of good stuff, as born-again Christians, we cannot expect God to “pay off” with anything more than He has already delivered on the cross by Christ’s blood sacrifice. So, all I need to know is that God’s grace is sufficient for my life (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9); and that what I do in this life is merely preparation for my life in heaven. Yes, I should be seeking to glorify my Lord with my good works; but I’m not doing that to earn a bunch of good things in this life. What I do – i.e., good works in His Name – are simply a reflection of God’s grace working itself out in my life (see Eph. 2: 10 as a result of Eph. 2: 8 – 9). And by my works, may He be glorified.
We need to remember that we’re never as good as we think we are; and God is always better than we can imagine Him to be. As Moses warned God’s children, those warnings apply to you and me as well; and if we have some foolish notion that we can – in these New Covenant times – ignore the realities of our obedience to the Law, we are no better … and probably a lot worse … than the “stiff-necked” Jews to whom Moses was addressing for God in today’s readings.
I pray that we all can keep our works in perspective and in the context of God’s grace through the completed sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You did it all for me on the cross. May I do it all for You in this life as I prepare for the next. Amen
My Journal for Today: I hope you’ve read through Deuteronomy, Chapters 9 – 11, or you know its contents well; because when you read/meditate on the instructions that Moses is giving to God’s “stiff-necked,” fickle, and often foolish people, the Israelites (especially knowing, from God’s word, where they are going mess-up over and over again), one has to feel like poor Moses, as a leader of God’s people, has been given a poor cohort of followers to let Joshua lead them across the Jordan and to take possession of that “Promised Land,” to which God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their progeny. But in what Moses is saying to the Jewish nation, we have some principles which we need to understand and to apply in our lives.
The first is that God is a merciful God, slow to anger and completely bound to His covenant promises. So, if God has promised something to us as believers today, we can expect that He will carry out His part of that covenant. And the biggest of those promises is wrapped up in the promise of eternal salvation for anyone who believes in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and is willing to surrender his/her life to the Lordship of The Christ. If you have done that, God, as He has promised by His word, will deliver; and by His grace, He will give you eternal life [and you know of that from John 3: 16 and Romans 10: 9 – 13].
With that said, then, like with the “stiff-necked” Jewish people, we must realize that nothing we can, or will do, can earn anything more than what God has promised. So, if we do a lot of good stuff, as born-again Christians, we cannot expect God to “pay off” with anything more than He has already delivered on the cross by Christ’s blood sacrifice. So, all I need to know is that God’s grace is sufficient for my life (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9); and that what I do in this life is merely preparation for my life in heaven. Yes, I should be seeking to glorify my Lord with my good works; but I’m not doing that to earn a bunch of good things in this life. What I do – i.e., good works in His Name – are simply a reflection of God’s grace working itself out in my life (see Eph. 2: 10 as a result of Eph. 2: 8 – 9). And by my works, may He be glorified.
We need to remember that we’re never as good as we think we are; and God is always better than we can imagine Him to be. As Moses warned God’s children, those warnings apply to you and me as well; and if we have some foolish notion that we can – in these New Covenant times – ignore the realities of our obedience to the Law, we are no better … and probably a lot worse … than the “stiff-necked” Jews to whom Moses was addressing for God in today’s readings.
I pray that we all can keep our works in perspective and in the context of God’s grace through the completed sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You did it all for me on the cross. May I do it all for You in this life as I prepare for the next. Amen
Saturday, February 13, 2010
2010 – Feb. 13 – Disinherited Children
Study from Numbers 26; Passage for Reflection: Numbers 26: 65 … NIV For the LORD had said of them [Moses and Aaron after the first census], “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
My Journal for Today: Here we are, coming out of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; and God is about to activate His covenant to His children, … giving them entrance into the “Promised Land.” And as we know, from Biblical accounting and historical study, two men [and their families] from the original census of Israel will be benefactors of God’s covenant; and they are Caleb and Joshua, … the two who came back with reports based on faith and promise when Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan over a generation earlier.
So, God is about to begin the process of turning His Promised Land over to His Children; but note that those who will receive the bounty of that promise are those who come from the “Children of faith” and those who remained obedient to God from the beginning to the end of the covenant. Even Moses and Aaron would not physically step into the promised land because of acts of disobedience, which disinherited them from receiving the initial benefits of God’s ultimate covenant.
So, what do we learn from the Book of Numbers and this accounting of God’s people in Chapter 26. Well, God speaks loudly to this humble follower of God’s Son, Jesus, that it is the living out my faith in Christ’s New Covenant act of atonement which will bring me into His eternal Kingdom. I have no doubt that I will be an inheritor of God’s promise because all of His promises of atonement have been fulfilled by God’s Son, Jesus, on the cross and through His resurrection, ascension, and His being re-established on God’s throne of grace. Therein lies my faith; and therein lies the hope of my salvation.
Oh how patient, loving, and merciful God has been in providing me – or you – with a way to eternal inheritance in glory; and Moses will be there as well. He may not have been able to physically walk into the “promised land” with God’s children from the original census of Israel or even from the second census; but God has provided a way that His faith will justify him, … just as it did for Abraham and others of faith in the original covenant God made with His children. Faith, and the humble obedience which marks that faith, is the key which opens God’s gates into glory.
I pray that anyone who reads this has lain their faith in the Lordship and saving grace offered by God through His atoning blood shed by the Lamb of Gold on the cross, … having faith – the faith of Caleb, Joshua, or even one who had sinned, like Moses – that God will provide a way for all who believe in His saving grace to be saved and be given entry into God’s eternal Promised Land.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You have provided THE way; and that way comes through faith in Your redeeming plan of salvation, which was completed by my Savior and Lord, Jesus, on the cross at Calvary. Amen
My Journal for Today: Here we are, coming out of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; and God is about to activate His covenant to His children, … giving them entrance into the “Promised Land.” And as we know, from Biblical accounting and historical study, two men [and their families] from the original census of Israel will be benefactors of God’s covenant; and they are Caleb and Joshua, … the two who came back with reports based on faith and promise when Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan over a generation earlier.
So, God is about to begin the process of turning His Promised Land over to His Children; but note that those who will receive the bounty of that promise are those who come from the “Children of faith” and those who remained obedient to God from the beginning to the end of the covenant. Even Moses and Aaron would not physically step into the promised land because of acts of disobedience, which disinherited them from receiving the initial benefits of God’s ultimate covenant.
So, what do we learn from the Book of Numbers and this accounting of God’s people in Chapter 26. Well, God speaks loudly to this humble follower of God’s Son, Jesus, that it is the living out my faith in Christ’s New Covenant act of atonement which will bring me into His eternal Kingdom. I have no doubt that I will be an inheritor of God’s promise because all of His promises of atonement have been fulfilled by God’s Son, Jesus, on the cross and through His resurrection, ascension, and His being re-established on God’s throne of grace. Therein lies my faith; and therein lies the hope of my salvation.
Oh how patient, loving, and merciful God has been in providing me – or you – with a way to eternal inheritance in glory; and Moses will be there as well. He may not have been able to physically walk into the “promised land” with God’s children from the original census of Israel or even from the second census; but God has provided a way that His faith will justify him, … just as it did for Abraham and others of faith in the original covenant God made with His children. Faith, and the humble obedience which marks that faith, is the key which opens God’s gates into glory.
I pray that anyone who reads this has lain their faith in the Lordship and saving grace offered by God through His atoning blood shed by the Lamb of Gold on the cross, … having faith – the faith of Caleb, Joshua, or even one who had sinned, like Moses – that God will provide a way for all who believe in His saving grace to be saved and be given entry into God’s eternal Promised Land.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You have provided THE way; and that way comes through faith in Your redeeming plan of salvation, which was completed by my Savior and Lord, Jesus, on the cross at Calvary. Amen
Thursday, January 14, 2010
2010 – Day 14. Jan. 14 – A God Who Watches
Study from Genesis 31 – 33; Passage for Reflection: Genesis 31: 49-50 … NIV It [the place where Jacob and Laban made their covenant] was also called Mizpah, [means “watchtower”] because he said, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me."
My Journal for Today: In our western world you might hear kids say, witnessing to something they know to be true, “Cross my heart and hope to die.” Or you may hear adults say, “As God is my witness.” Well, in the chapters I read today, a biblical story illustrates the truth of our God being our ever present witness.
When Jacob and Laban, who had been at odds, came together to mend their ways, they formed a covenant; and they sealed that covenant with a sign, as was the custom them. Their sign was pile of rocks, a symbol of a tower, which Laban labeled, ”Mispah,” which means “watchtower.” Today when we establish modern-day covenants we also use signs of the sealed agreement, such as a wedding ring, a signed contract, or a hand shake, all of which are mutually agreed upon signs that the agreement will be faithfully carried out by both parties. Unfortunately, a hand-shake, a signed contract, or even a wedding ring as a sign of modern-day covenant, does not hold the weight of long-term commitment in our culture that it once did.
Do you have any “mispahs” in your life, signs of the covenant which you have made with God to be your Watchtower? If you’re a Christian, you certainly should have made one; and that is to surrender your life to the Lordship of Christ, acknowledging His shed blood and Your repentance of sin as well as your reception of His saving grace. And now that you’re a part of the NEW COVENANT in Christ, what is your “Mispah?” Do you have some sign which has helped you seal this covenant with the Lord and remember that God is your Watchtower?
Mine is the verse of Scripture God used, Philippians 4: 13 on 4/13/83, when the Holy Spirit broke me to a place where I could see that He was the only way I was ever going to find the spiritual strength I was seeking; and I’m convinced that God used that date … 4 – 13 … as His sign in the covenant. Therefore, the number “13” is ever before me, helping me to remember that God is my “Mizpah,” my watchtower; … that He is ever watchful with His enabling grace. And any time, in moments of weakness, Phil. 4: 13 often comes to my mind to remind me that God’s grace is always mine as long as I humbly receive it, knowing that God is ever my “Watchtower.”
Do you have a sign of your love covenant with God? Do you move in life, ALWAYS remembering that God is your Watchtower? Do you remember that He always sees your choices; and that He’s always there for you, desiring to have a deeper relationship with you (go back and meditate on Rev. 3: 20)? My friend, I hope you have a “mizpah” in your life to help you remember that God is our Watchtower.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, YOU are my Watchtower; and I will ever have the “mizpah” of Phil. 4: 13 to be a light in my life, drawing me ever closer to You. Amen
My Journal for Today: In our western world you might hear kids say, witnessing to something they know to be true, “Cross my heart and hope to die.” Or you may hear adults say, “As God is my witness.” Well, in the chapters I read today, a biblical story illustrates the truth of our God being our ever present witness.
When Jacob and Laban, who had been at odds, came together to mend their ways, they formed a covenant; and they sealed that covenant with a sign, as was the custom them. Their sign was pile of rocks, a symbol of a tower, which Laban labeled, ”Mispah,” which means “watchtower.” Today when we establish modern-day covenants we also use signs of the sealed agreement, such as a wedding ring, a signed contract, or a hand shake, all of which are mutually agreed upon signs that the agreement will be faithfully carried out by both parties. Unfortunately, a hand-shake, a signed contract, or even a wedding ring as a sign of modern-day covenant, does not hold the weight of long-term commitment in our culture that it once did.
Do you have any “mispahs” in your life, signs of the covenant which you have made with God to be your Watchtower? If you’re a Christian, you certainly should have made one; and that is to surrender your life to the Lordship of Christ, acknowledging His shed blood and Your repentance of sin as well as your reception of His saving grace. And now that you’re a part of the NEW COVENANT in Christ, what is your “Mispah?” Do you have some sign which has helped you seal this covenant with the Lord and remember that God is your Watchtower?
Mine is the verse of Scripture God used, Philippians 4: 13 on 4/13/83, when the Holy Spirit broke me to a place where I could see that He was the only way I was ever going to find the spiritual strength I was seeking; and I’m convinced that God used that date … 4 – 13 … as His sign in the covenant. Therefore, the number “13” is ever before me, helping me to remember that God is my “Mizpah,” my watchtower; … that He is ever watchful with His enabling grace. And any time, in moments of weakness, Phil. 4: 13 often comes to my mind to remind me that God’s grace is always mine as long as I humbly receive it, knowing that God is ever my “Watchtower.”
Do you have a sign of your love covenant with God? Do you move in life, ALWAYS remembering that God is your Watchtower? Do you remember that He always sees your choices; and that He’s always there for you, desiring to have a deeper relationship with you (go back and meditate on Rev. 3: 20)? My friend, I hope you have a “mizpah” in your life to help you remember that God is our Watchtower.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, YOU are my Watchtower; and I will ever have the “mizpah” of Phil. 4: 13 to be a light in my life, drawing me ever closer to You. Amen
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
2010 – Day 6. Jan. 6 – Commitment to Keeping Covenants
Study from Genesis 15 – 17; Passage for Reflection: Genesis 17: 7 … NIV I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you [to Abram] and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
My Journal for Today: Do you realize what really happened when God made that covenant with Abram (whose name was changed to “Abraham” as a part of this one-way covenant God made with him? When you really look at it, especially from a human point of view, God’s covenant with old Abe really didn’t make much sense. Here was the Creator of the Universe lowering Himself to make a one-way deal with a very fallible man; and to make a commitment into an eternal relationship with that man and his progeny to come. Why would God do such a thing? Well, the reality and truth of God’s covenants in the Old Testament speak loudly of God’s desire to have a relationship with mankind; and He was willing to “stoop down” to man’s level, retaining all of His Deity, and using a concept of man’s culture of that time – i.e., the establishment of a “covenant” – to show man (in the persons of Noah, for example, or in this example with Abraham) just how committed He, God, was to have an eternal relationship with mankind. What a deal !!
And when we realize the true character of God, His Holiness, and His everlasting truthfulness and faithfulness, we have to see – if we’re willing to look – that this one-way deal God made with man is eternal; and it came from the Creator to the created. And that my dear one is truly mind boggling. And it was so mind boggling to Abram, who became Abraham, and his wife Sarai, who became Sarah, that they just couldn’t completely get it. Oh, they believed in their God; but they just couldn’t grasp the depth of the covenant God had made with them … to the point that they tried to devise a human solution to a dilemma, i.e., Sarah being able to conceive a child at her late age, which seemed, to them, even beyond God’s ability to solve.
And it’s that human failing of trustfulness in God’s covenant with His children which trips up Christians even today. We, as Christians, to whom I’m writing here, need to realize that the “New Covenant” is still a covenant with God; and in Christ, the New Covenant is a fulfillment of God’s “Old Covenant” to bring a Savior, a Messiah, Who is Christ, The Lord. But this new covenant with Christ is a two-way covenant; when God sent His Son to be the sacrificial Lamb and die for our sin, being raised to be the Lord of all is God’s part of the New Covenant. But our part of the covenant is a surrender to His Lordship and a commitment to worship Christ with our lives, surrendering our very being to His Spirit so that the Holy Spirit can mold us into the image of The Glorified Savior.
I really don’t think that many, who call themselves “Christian,” realize the depth of a COVENANT relationship as the Bible teaches this concept for our lives. And I’m afraid there are many who sit in the pews every Sunday, thinking that they have the fire-insurance of salvation, when they haven’t fulfilled their part of the New Covenant; and that is to surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These people may believe that Jesus was and is their Savior; but they haven’t surrendered to Christ’s Lordship. And the Bible is clear that both parts of that reception formula are necessary for the completion of the New Covenant from Christ which brings salvation to the one who believes and receives Christ as BOTH SAVIOR AND LORD.
If you’re reading this, I pray that you recognize the depth of the concept of “covenant;” and I pray that you are sealed by God’s Spirit into an eternal covenant with Christ, recognizing and living in covenant worship of the Savior who has become your Lord.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that my life is the working out of Your coming to live, die, and to be raised back into glory so that I can partake of Your New Covenant to the glory of Your Father, my Heavenly Father. You are my Savior AND Lord; and may my life reflect that covenant forever. Amen
My Journal for Today: Do you realize what really happened when God made that covenant with Abram (whose name was changed to “Abraham” as a part of this one-way covenant God made with him? When you really look at it, especially from a human point of view, God’s covenant with old Abe really didn’t make much sense. Here was the Creator of the Universe lowering Himself to make a one-way deal with a very fallible man; and to make a commitment into an eternal relationship with that man and his progeny to come. Why would God do such a thing? Well, the reality and truth of God’s covenants in the Old Testament speak loudly of God’s desire to have a relationship with mankind; and He was willing to “stoop down” to man’s level, retaining all of His Deity, and using a concept of man’s culture of that time – i.e., the establishment of a “covenant” – to show man (in the persons of Noah, for example, or in this example with Abraham) just how committed He, God, was to have an eternal relationship with mankind. What a deal !!
And when we realize the true character of God, His Holiness, and His everlasting truthfulness and faithfulness, we have to see – if we’re willing to look – that this one-way deal God made with man is eternal; and it came from the Creator to the created. And that my dear one is truly mind boggling. And it was so mind boggling to Abram, who became Abraham, and his wife Sarai, who became Sarah, that they just couldn’t completely get it. Oh, they believed in their God; but they just couldn’t grasp the depth of the covenant God had made with them … to the point that they tried to devise a human solution to a dilemma, i.e., Sarah being able to conceive a child at her late age, which seemed, to them, even beyond God’s ability to solve.
And it’s that human failing of trustfulness in God’s covenant with His children which trips up Christians even today. We, as Christians, to whom I’m writing here, need to realize that the “New Covenant” is still a covenant with God; and in Christ, the New Covenant is a fulfillment of God’s “Old Covenant” to bring a Savior, a Messiah, Who is Christ, The Lord. But this new covenant with Christ is a two-way covenant; when God sent His Son to be the sacrificial Lamb and die for our sin, being raised to be the Lord of all is God’s part of the New Covenant. But our part of the covenant is a surrender to His Lordship and a commitment to worship Christ with our lives, surrendering our very being to His Spirit so that the Holy Spirit can mold us into the image of The Glorified Savior.
I really don’t think that many, who call themselves “Christian,” realize the depth of a COVENANT relationship as the Bible teaches this concept for our lives. And I’m afraid there are many who sit in the pews every Sunday, thinking that they have the fire-insurance of salvation, when they haven’t fulfilled their part of the New Covenant; and that is to surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These people may believe that Jesus was and is their Savior; but they haven’t surrendered to Christ’s Lordship. And the Bible is clear that both parts of that reception formula are necessary for the completion of the New Covenant from Christ which brings salvation to the one who believes and receives Christ as BOTH SAVIOR AND LORD.
If you’re reading this, I pray that you recognize the depth of the concept of “covenant;” and I pray that you are sealed by God’s Spirit into an eternal covenant with Christ, recognizing and living in covenant worship of the Savior who has become your Lord.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that my life is the working out of Your coming to live, die, and to be raised back into glory so that I can partake of Your New Covenant to the glory of Your Father, my Heavenly Father. You are my Savior AND Lord; and may my life reflect that covenant forever. Amen
Thursday, April 30, 2009
2009 – Day 119.Apr. 30 – A True Friend
2009 – Day 119.Apr. 30 – A True Friend
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 23: 14 - 18 … 14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15 So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. 16 Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
My Journal for Today: I’m glad that Swindoll brings up the relationship which David had with Jonathan again. It is a truly remarkable friendship, isn’t it? And we read just how remarkable in this short passage highlighted today.
Here is this young kid, whom Jonathan’s dad, who just happens to be the king, has sworn to kill; and Jonathan, who normally would be the 1st born, heir apparent, reaches out and befriends the one man who is anointed to become the King. And this might lead one to ask, “What’s wrong with this picture?”
Well, there’s a lot that is very unnatural about the friendship between Jonathan and David. The normal thing would be for Jonathan to be jealous of David and to do all he could to undermine David so that he could take over and be the king in the future. And then there is the depth of this friendship, which goes way beyond what most “friends” would think, say, or do for a “friend.”
That’s why I agree with scholars who write about Jonathan as a type of Christ in the Old Testament. Because, when we think about normal, human friendships, the covenant friendship exhibited by Jonathan for David is the kind of “friendship” which Christ has for you and me as Christians. This friendship, exhibited by Jonathan for David, is like that described in John 15: 15, where Jesus says, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."
How many friends do you have like Jonathan was for David? How many friends do you have where the relationship is a “covenant” friendship; … where the friend would die for you, and even more importantly, would live for you. It’s a friendship where you can regurgitate any emotion all over your friend; and he’ll be there to hold your head … to support you … to protect you … to encourage you … or to say by you, … no matter what. How unnatural is such a relationship? And yet this was the friendship between Jonathan and David; and Jonathan had the character of Christlikeness way before Christ walked the earth.
I personally think that this relationship comes from Scripture to illustrate just how super-natural it is for Christ to love us in our humanity; and it is also there to illustrate the kind of relationship we should have for our closest friends, especially like the relationship we should have for our spouse. Remember that Christ’s covenant love/friendship with the Church is often pictured in the New Testament by a covenant marriage relationship; and that’s the kind of love and friendship any Christian should have for a true friend, especially a spouse, whom God has given you to share life with as a “friend.”
My friend should be someone I would give over all my possessions whenever that friend has need. It would be someone I would share their burdens or their victories … 100%. It would be someone for whom I would set aside all other earthly titles and/or loyalties. And as I said, it would not only be someone for whom I would die but for whom I would totally live.
I hope you have a friend like that. I do; and I am blessed.
My Prayer for Today: Jesus, You call me “friend;” but You have also given me another who is a Jonathan for me; and in this dear one, I am a blessed soul. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 23: 14 - 18 … 14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15 So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. 16 Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
My Journal for Today: I’m glad that Swindoll brings up the relationship which David had with Jonathan again. It is a truly remarkable friendship, isn’t it? And we read just how remarkable in this short passage highlighted today.
Here is this young kid, whom Jonathan’s dad, who just happens to be the king, has sworn to kill; and Jonathan, who normally would be the 1st born, heir apparent, reaches out and befriends the one man who is anointed to become the King. And this might lead one to ask, “What’s wrong with this picture?”
Well, there’s a lot that is very unnatural about the friendship between Jonathan and David. The normal thing would be for Jonathan to be jealous of David and to do all he could to undermine David so that he could take over and be the king in the future. And then there is the depth of this friendship, which goes way beyond what most “friends” would think, say, or do for a “friend.”
That’s why I agree with scholars who write about Jonathan as a type of Christ in the Old Testament. Because, when we think about normal, human friendships, the covenant friendship exhibited by Jonathan for David is the kind of “friendship” which Christ has for you and me as Christians. This friendship, exhibited by Jonathan for David, is like that described in John 15: 15, where Jesus says, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."
How many friends do you have like Jonathan was for David? How many friends do you have where the relationship is a “covenant” friendship; … where the friend would die for you, and even more importantly, would live for you. It’s a friendship where you can regurgitate any emotion all over your friend; and he’ll be there to hold your head … to support you … to protect you … to encourage you … or to say by you, … no matter what. How unnatural is such a relationship? And yet this was the friendship between Jonathan and David; and Jonathan had the character of Christlikeness way before Christ walked the earth.
I personally think that this relationship comes from Scripture to illustrate just how super-natural it is for Christ to love us in our humanity; and it is also there to illustrate the kind of relationship we should have for our closest friends, especially like the relationship we should have for our spouse. Remember that Christ’s covenant love/friendship with the Church is often pictured in the New Testament by a covenant marriage relationship; and that’s the kind of love and friendship any Christian should have for a true friend, especially a spouse, whom God has given you to share life with as a “friend.”
My friend should be someone I would give over all my possessions whenever that friend has need. It would be someone I would share their burdens or their victories … 100%. It would be someone for whom I would set aside all other earthly titles and/or loyalties. And as I said, it would not only be someone for whom I would die but for whom I would totally live.
I hope you have a friend like that. I do; and I am blessed.
My Prayer for Today: Jesus, You call me “friend;” but You have also given me another who is a Jonathan for me; and in this dear one, I am a blessed soul. Amen
Friday, April 24, 2009
2009 – Day 113.Apr. 24 – A Kindred Spirit
2009 – Day 113.Apr. 24 – A Kindred Spirit
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 18: 1 – 4 … 1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
My Journal for Today: If you are a “David,” do you have a “Jonathan” in your life. As Swindoll emphasizes by today’s devotional, intimate friends are very rare. Generally we are blessed if we have one; but it’s very rare to have two or more friends who would always be there for you – NO MATTER WHAT! These are friends who don’t keep score, … who defend you when you need defending, … and who will give generously of their time, talents, and treasures to make life better for you.
This was Jonathan, Saul’s first-born son, to David; and in today’s highlight passage we see that Jonathan sealed that friendship with a covenant. The concept of covenant was very important to this middle-eastern culture. When two partners or friends wanted to show that they would be there for the other one, a covenant was “cut” between the two. And if you study “covenant” in the Bible, you’ll see that God established a covenant with Israel which involved the shedding of blood and the exchange of vows.
And though we don’t read of the sharing of blood in today’s passage, we do see the exchange of garments and armament, signifying Jonathan’s and David’s pledge to one another to be there for the other and to fight the other’s battles if necessary. It was a declaration that anything one had the other was welcome to claim; and it also said that each considered the debts incurred by the one to be the debts of the other. Covenant in biblical times was more than a close friendship. It was the joining of one life to another.
Think of the covenant God made with Abraham or with Noah or with Moses and with David. This was God pledging His all for these covenant partners. Think of the way a covenant marriage SHOULD BE. Two take vows to be there for one another ... FOREVER. And in a real covenant marriage, there is an exchange of vows and rings to signify the joining of one life to another. If you’re married, do you see your marriage partner as your covenant partner for eternity? Christ certainly sees what He did on the cross, shedding His blood for anyone who would receive His act of sacrifice, as His New Covenant to mankind.
So, I hope you can see that Jonathan is a type of Christ in today’s passage. Christ was willing to exchange His garments of righteousness for my rags of sin, just as Jonathan was willing to give David his robes and armor, the robes and armor of the son of the king. This was Jonathan willing to set aside everything for David when David received that covenant promise; and I hope you can see Jonathan being a picture of Christ for each of His covenant partners – you and me, if we are Christians.
I hope you have a covenant friend/partner in life. I do in my wife. I do in a dear friend of mine. And above all, I do in Christ.
My Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I am bound to You for eternity in covenant love; and You to me. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 18: 1 – 4 … 1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
My Journal for Today: If you are a “David,” do you have a “Jonathan” in your life. As Swindoll emphasizes by today’s devotional, intimate friends are very rare. Generally we are blessed if we have one; but it’s very rare to have two or more friends who would always be there for you – NO MATTER WHAT! These are friends who don’t keep score, … who defend you when you need defending, … and who will give generously of their time, talents, and treasures to make life better for you.
This was Jonathan, Saul’s first-born son, to David; and in today’s highlight passage we see that Jonathan sealed that friendship with a covenant. The concept of covenant was very important to this middle-eastern culture. When two partners or friends wanted to show that they would be there for the other one, a covenant was “cut” between the two. And if you study “covenant” in the Bible, you’ll see that God established a covenant with Israel which involved the shedding of blood and the exchange of vows.
And though we don’t read of the sharing of blood in today’s passage, we do see the exchange of garments and armament, signifying Jonathan’s and David’s pledge to one another to be there for the other and to fight the other’s battles if necessary. It was a declaration that anything one had the other was welcome to claim; and it also said that each considered the debts incurred by the one to be the debts of the other. Covenant in biblical times was more than a close friendship. It was the joining of one life to another.
Think of the covenant God made with Abraham or with Noah or with Moses and with David. This was God pledging His all for these covenant partners. Think of the way a covenant marriage SHOULD BE. Two take vows to be there for one another ... FOREVER. And in a real covenant marriage, there is an exchange of vows and rings to signify the joining of one life to another. If you’re married, do you see your marriage partner as your covenant partner for eternity? Christ certainly sees what He did on the cross, shedding His blood for anyone who would receive His act of sacrifice, as His New Covenant to mankind.
So, I hope you can see that Jonathan is a type of Christ in today’s passage. Christ was willing to exchange His garments of righteousness for my rags of sin, just as Jonathan was willing to give David his robes and armor, the robes and armor of the son of the king. This was Jonathan willing to set aside everything for David when David received that covenant promise; and I hope you can see Jonathan being a picture of Christ for each of His covenant partners – you and me, if we are Christians.
I hope you have a covenant friend/partner in life. I do in my wife. I do in a dear friend of mine. And above all, I do in Christ.
My Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I am bound to You for eternity in covenant love; and You to me. Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
