Month: November 2016

Mindful of man

“to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;  the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever”

 

Psalms 8:3
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,  what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalms 144:3
O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?

2 Chronicles 6:18
“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!

Job 7:17
What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,

Isaiah 40:17
All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

1 Peter 2:12
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Romans 1:20
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

David brings out a great thought when looking at creation, and how the sun, moon, stars, and heaven are set in place he says in comparison: “What is man that you are mindful of him?”  We don’t normally think down these lines do we?  Is it possible we approach it as somewhat of an entitlement to have God be mindful of us. Do we look at the heavens and all that is outside of earth and stand in awe of majesty and power of the creator?  This same one and only God has not only created all there is but has promised eternal life to those who believe/trust in the redemptive work of His son on the cross, repent from their past ways and from that moment on live to humbly serve, honor and obey Him.  His creation and promises ought to be always on our mind with thanksgiving and praise.

Sword of Judgement

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

 

Psalms 7:12
If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;  he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

Isaiah 55:6-7
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Jeremiah 31:18
I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God. For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Ezekiel 18:30
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.

Ezekiel 33:11
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Matthew 3:10
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Acts 3:19
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Deuteronomy 32:41
if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me.

Isaiah 34:5
For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction.

Ezekiel 21:23   But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken.

We don’t seem to talk about God’s wrath and judgement awaiting those who do not repent.  We live in a time of grace and mercy and this seems to keep us content and maybe even a bit complacent.  Shouldn’t we talk about both His love/grace/mercy and His wrath/judgement?  How will people know of the need to repent and turn away from their life apart from honoring God?  Each of us given this grace has a responsibility to tell others of God.  Ask God to lead you in paths/people to proclaim the need for salvation and His redemptive work through Christ.

My refuge, my deliverer

“Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.”

 

Psalms 7:10
My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalms 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalms 89:18
For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Proverbs 2:21
For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,

Proverbs 11:20
Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.

Proverbs 28:18
Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

Psalms 62:8
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.

Reading these verses gives us hope in no matter what comes our way God is our strength, refuge, deliverer, fortress, rock and shield.  How do we find this when things around us seem to be falling apart?  I am not sure in the heat of it we can do more than claim it and gain peace by laying it as His feet.  Trust in, rely on, and cling to Him alone.  It is a good time for those of us who’s world is not falling apart to be an encouragement to those who need it.  Stay close to God, listen for His guidance, and obey His leading.

Times of Despair

“For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

Psalms 6:3

My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love

Psalms 22:14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

Psalms 31:9-10
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.

Psalms 38:8
I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

Proverbs 18:14
A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Psalms 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God

Psalms 116:4
Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Isaiah 38:17
Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

“A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” It is true.  Pain caused by sickness or accident we can get on the other side most of the time.  But it is that crushed spirit, broken heart, and deep heart hurt that seems unbearable and more than we can handle.  Some of this comes from consequences of our actions or others but none of it is hid from God.  He knows our heart and all the times we are in deep pain, despair. No one will say take me to the place of deep hurt and despair.  Yet we all seem to find ourselves there at different times of our lives.  I wish I could say there was a magic prayer or something we could do to keep this from happening but it will surely find us at some point. You can read it in scripture from David and how he communicated in word the anguish in his heart.  I do know that God is near us through times of blessing and despair.  He hears our prayers.  He is our strength in times of trouble.  And when we seem unable to carry on He picks us up and holds us in His loving arms.  Do not turn away from God in these times – RUN TO HIM – His arms are wide open just for you.

 

Rejoice and sing for joy

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

 

Psa 5:8  Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.  For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.  But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Psalms 35:27
Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

Psalms 40:16
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

Psalms 58:10
The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Psalms 68:3
But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!

Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

What is missing in your walk with God?  Do you see the fruits of the Holy Spirit? “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;”  Where do we find these and how do we experience them active in our lives?  In Isaiah is says: “To whom will he teach knowledge,and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” In Hebrews is says it similarly “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!”  If you want to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life you need to build precept upon precept, and line upon line and this can only be done with time in His word.  See what 5 minutes a day of reading does in your life.  I know it will make a difference.

Thankful Worship

“choose this day whom you will serve”

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”

” Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

Psalms 5:7
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Joshua 24:15
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Psalms 55:16
But I call to God, and the LORD will save me.

Psalms 130:4
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

Acts 9:31
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Hebrews 12:28
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

1 Peter 1:17
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Psalms 132:7
 “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!”

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Choose this day whom you will serve, worship, honor and glorify.  This was spoken by Joshua near the end of his life as another reminder to those he was leading.  David said I will call on the Lord who will save me. And because he knew this and believed it he said Lets go to His dwelling place and worship Him.  These are summed up by the writer of Hebrews in Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  How hard is it to stay near God?  What is His grace and mercy like to you?  What does it mean to worship Him?  How do I know if I am worshiping Him?  We must recognize that we by nature want to be separated from God and we must choose to draw near and stay near to Him.  This is a choice all day, every day.    When we make this choice we find or see more and more blessings from the hand of God and we are able to acknowledge and thank/worship Him. It is hard to stay near to Him without being in His word.  It is hard to find someone you are not looking for.  It is hard to thank/worship one you do not acknowledge.

In the morning

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.”

“for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.”

Psalms 5:3
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Psalms 22:2
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

Psalms 55:17
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

Psalms 69:16
Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

Psalms 88:13
But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Psalms 130:6
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Mark 1:35
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Isaiah 26:9
My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Psalms 119:147
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.

Our hope and strength are in the Lord our God.  Note the heart of David in many of these scriptures: “my soul yearns” “I wait” “I rise early and cry out to you” “my soul waits” “evening, morning and noon I cry out to you” “I hope in your words”.   We find hope in His words (promises).  Do you find yourself in a place in your life where your walk with God seems luke warm at best?  You don’t seem to have many troubles and yet you don’t see blessings.  From past experience I can attest to living in this state of mind.  I know exactly  what this is like and when I look back there were actions / choices made that allowed me to arrive at this place of christian blah.  I was very complacent in my walk with Him.  I was not reading His word. I was not seeking Him.  I was not placing Him first in my life.  I was not meditating / thinking about what His word.  I was not praying.  I was not being a humble servant desiring to bring honor and glory to Him.  I was living, existing without much care for Him or His plans and purpose for my life.  He did not leave me there.  He reached out and dropped a rock on me to get my attention.  He used my wife to get the word of God and His promises in front of me.  He placed people around me who spoke His word into my life.  He restored my soul, desire, hope, joy, purpose.  When I look back at this I am so thankful and yet at the same time regretful.  I regret not seeking, desiring to serve, honor, and glorify Him. I regret not staying in His word and being one of those able to speak His word of encouragement into the lives of those hurting or lukewarm.  I regret all of the time I wasted in not serving  Him.  I am thankful for His steadfast love and mercy.  I am thankful for His word of hope, joy, peace and rest.  I am thankful for His leading.  I am thankful for those He used to encourage me in my walk with Him. If you find yourself lukewarm get into His word.  Your life will change, your hope renewed, and purpose made much more clear.

Chasing after wind

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, “

 

Psalms 4:5
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Malachi 1:13
But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

James 5:1-5
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

Ecclesiastes 2:10
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Malachi 2:2
If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

Malachi 3:8
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

What is it that you are chasing after?  What are you keeping for yourself and not giving to God?  What does it mean to offer right sacrifices?  I was listening to someone on the radio the other day and he was talking about giving.  Giving the first and the best to God.  Think about giving your first calf, or first sheep and it being the best you have. By giving the first and best we are saying “Lord all I have is yours and I TRUST you” – “I am not going to keep this for me but I am trusting you to supply all that comes after what I first give to you.” Scripture is full of how easily we fall away from thinking like this.  Our desires turn away from God and toward the things of this world – chasing after the wind.  Our giving is not from the first but from what is left over.  God calls this robbing from Him.  I like what David said “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” His joy was found in trusting God and seeing God’s provision.  Our blessings are not ours to hoard but to serve God with.  Giving comes from the heart.  Giving from the first rather than from abundance at the end is a heart trusting God.

Examine, Consider, Remember

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves”

“if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard”

 

Psalms 4:4
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.

Psalms 63:6
when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

Psalms 77:6
I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Lamentations 3:40
Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!

Ezekiel 18:28
Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Revelation 3:2-3
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Haggai 1:7
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

Col ossians 1:21
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.

Consider your ways, ponder in your heart, meditate in your heart, examine your ways, remember, and WAKE UP, are all reminders in God’s word given to us.  Why are these reminders for us recorded?  It is so easy to get busy with life and things of family and work that soon our heart and mind are full, exhausted, and occupied.  How easy we forget Jesus Christ sacrifice freely given and the call on our lives to humbly serve, honor and glorify God.  Our lives are blessed when we walk with Him. Our lives are fuller when we not only meditate and consider our ways but when we do this in light of His word. We need His word in our lives daily.  Without it we have nothing but what the culture we live in and accepts as what is right and we do what seems “right in our own eyes”.  Purpose in your heart to read it, meditate on it, and consider your ways in light of it.