Author: Daryl Pint

Saved by Grace, living by faith

Will Graham – Devotion

 

 

After hundreds of years of disobedience to the Lord, God punished the Israelites with seven decades of captivity in the city of Babylon.

After this discipline, one would think the people of Israel had learned their lesson. The exiles had returned, the Temple was rebuilt, and Jerusalem had reestablished some degree of normalcy.

However, it didn’t take long for complacency to set in, bringing with it spiritual pollution.

Unfortunately, this is somewhat similar to many Christians today. They believe, but live like God doesn’t exist. They go through the motions, undistinguishable from the world around them, compromising the truth for worldly pleasures.

In light of this, perhaps it’s worth examining the spiritual pollution of the Israelites—and, in particular, their priests—in their attitude toward God, found in Malachi 1:6-14.

Disrespectful (Verses 6-7)

First, we need to realize that spiritual pollution causes us to serve God in a disrespectful manner. God asks a question, “Where is My honor?” The priests were cutting deals, accepting blemished animals for selfish reasons. They disrespected the Lord because they allowed spiritual pollution to cloud their spiritual sight.

What about us? Because of Christ’s finished work on the cross, we no longer offer blood sacrifices, but do we truly honor God with our lives, praise, time and treasure, or are we offering disrespectful cast-offs on our own terms? Don’t disrespect God by offering Him second choices and halfhearted service.

Unfit (Verses 8-9)

Next, we realize that spiritual pollution causes our services to be ineligible unto the Lord. God will not accept them. Deuteronomy 15:21 says, “But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.” This is exactly what the priests were doing. Not only did God reject their offering, but twice in verse 8 He referred to the offerings as “evil,” because the offerings were unfit.

When we allow spiritual pollution to remain in our lives, we offer God disqualified service, and He will not accept it. Sin keeps us from fully participating in God’s plans.

Apathetic (Verses 10-14)

Finally, when we allow spiritual pollution to remain in our lives, we develop disdainful attitudes. In verse 13, the priests referred to their calling as “weariness.” They would “sneer” at the work. They—the priests—were bored with serving the Lord. Their attitudes were so bad that God wished that they would shut the doors to the Temple.

Again, this is similar to us, and it’s an easy trap as you slip into spiritual complacency. The Creator of the universe calls us to worship Him, and yet we struggle to attend church or spend time in Bible study and prayer. We claim to be God’s children, but our hearts are far from Him. We cling to the things of this world, while treating the holy as mundane.

Remember God’s admonishment to the church in Laodicea in Revelations 3:15-16: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

My friends, this is a very dangerous place to be. Spiritual complacency and pollution are a problem. What’s the answer?

  • First, take an inventory of your spiritual life. Similar to a medical diagnosis, you must first recognize the issue before you can move forward in fixing it.
  • We must confess our sin to the Lord and allow Him to purify us of that which taints our lives and souls.
  • With God’s help, you must develop a new fervor (passionate, deliberate and intentional) for service unto the Lord.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” This promise still holds true.

Will Graham – Devotion

 

Haggai 1:6-7     “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!

 

Priorities and idols can be a constant struggle. Though we call on Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we tend to let the things of this world assume an exaggerated level of importance that crowds out our focus on Him.

It could be our jobs, our hobbies, our comfort, or even our children’s sports teams. We would rather skip church than miss the first five plays of an NFL game. We prefer sleeping in over gathering for worship.

Haggai may be one of those Old Testament books that gets quickly skipped over, but the whole account of Haggai is incredibly practical for the 21st century. One may even think that it was intended just for us living in this post-modern era, though it was written in 520 B.C.

In the first chapter, we see that the people had begun putting themselves before the Lord, focusing on building their own houses while neglecting the temple. In the years since returning from exile in Babylon, they had disregarded the house of God.

In verse 4, God–through His prophet Haggai–says, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”

This question tells us that the Israelites were doing the work required to build a certain level of luxury for themselves. Rather than having walls of mud or stone, their homes were overlaid (paneled) in wood. Conversely, no one was working on the temple. It laid in ruins.

The Israelites to whom Haggai was speaking were putting themselves before the Lord. The sin was not living in luxury or “paneled” homes, per se, but it was the idea of satisfying themselves instead of working on the things of God.

There are consequences to sin, and this was no exception. In fact, Haggai declares in verse 6 that many of the hardships that Israel was encountering were a direct result of their disobedience:

“You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

(This sounds a lot like our modern age, doesn’t it?)

In other words, the farmers would work hard on their crops every year, but the harvest would be inadequate. There was food, but children and adults alike would still be hungry at the end of the day. Those who could afford new clothes in order to stay warm were still cold. In essence, God showed them that if they try to meet their own needs, they would never be satisfied.

However, in verse 8, God gives a prescription for renewal with three imperatives: “Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified.”

Go, bring, and build. These were immediate marching orders. God demanded obedience now, not later.

The Israelites responded, reordered their priorities, and rebuilt the temple for His glory. In doing so, they grew spiritually as they returned God to His place of Lordship in their lives.

Let me ask you this: Has God given you direction, but you are waiting because you think it is not the right time? Are you avoiding your God-ordained calling because the work is too hard? Are you giving God the scraps while putting the majority of your focus into your own pursuits?

Or perhaps you’re accumulating all of the “toys” (your own version of “paneled walls”) you can get while neglecting your church.

I don’t ask these questions to make you feel guilty, but to encourage you to follow God’s prescription in the first chapter of Haggai. If you take a fair assessment of your spiritual life and realize that you’ve elevated other items or comforts above God, it’s time to go, bring, and build.

Go get the idols in your life–your education, your job, your hobbies, your addictions, your comforts. Bring them to God and lay them at His feet, repenting of your disordered priorities.

In their place, build your relationship with God by obeying His commands, through prayer, and studying His Word. Just as the Israelites grew spiritually as they turned back to God, you will find a new and deeper fulfillment in Him.

Pathway to Victory – Devotion

 

 

You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

–1 Corinthians 5:2

When it comes to the issue of confronting sin in the church, churches tend to go to one of two extremes. There are some churches that have the “live and let live” motto. They say, “Who are we to judge if somebody is in sin? That is between the individual and God.” Then there are other churches that want to confront every sin in the church. Every sin becomes a federal issue.

Neither model is good to follow. The fact is, all sin in our lives and in the church should be confronted, but not all sin in the church demands to be confronted publicly. There are three categories of sin that must be dealt with publicly if the sinner does not repent:

  • Sins that threaten the moral health of the church.
  • Sins that threaten the doctrinal health of the church.
  • Sins that threaten the emotional health of the church.

Instead of dealing with the brazen sin of immorality in their church, the Corinthians ignored it. Look at 1 Corinthians 5:2: “You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.” The Corinthians were priding themselves on the fact that they did not deal with this sin. Perhaps they said, “In our church, we do not judge people. We are a church that teaches grace.” Paul said that was the wrong response; instead, they should have mourned this sinner as if they had lost a loved one.

Years ago, I had a friend who abandoned his family and fell into immorality. And every time I talked to him, it was like I was talking to a blank wall. It was as if the person I had known had died and somebody else was living inside his body. That is exactly what Paul was talking about. He said when a Christian falls into sin and will not repent, we ought to mourn as if we have lost a loved one. And if that sin is threatening the health of the church, we need to take action.

Turning Point – Devotion

 

 

You cannot discern the signs of the times.
Matthew 16:3

Have you ever been confused by highway signs like these: “Slow Children at Play.” Or “Caution Pedestrians Slippery When Wet.” A traffic sign in England says, “Right Lane Must Turn Left.” One man saw a sign reading, “Entrance Only. Do Not Enter.” A sign in California said, “Please Slow Drively.” And if you see a large sign announcing, “Welcome to Accident,” you’re probably entering the town of Accident, Maryland.

The world is giving us a lot of confusing signs right now, and sometimes we hardly know where we’re headed or what we’re doing. We feel lost. But let your mind go back to when Thomas felt the same way. He asked, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:5-6).

When we focus on Jesus, we find the Way, we know the Truth, and we experience the Life. There’s nothing confusing about that. He can help you on your journey!

Jesus is the way; He knows where to go; He is the truth; He knows what to say; He is the life; He knows who He is—the One who gives us life both abundant and eternal.

53.f. Joshua 2:9-11

 

 

Jos 2:9-11  and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

 2 Kings 5:15     Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel

 Job 19:25    For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

 Ecclesiastes 8:12    Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.

 Jeremiah 27:5     “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.

 Nahum 2:10    Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!

 Isaiah 13:7    Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt.

Rahab’s faith is shown by this expression. What God willed she regarded as already done. To speak of the future as of a past already fulfilled, is faith. (Unknown)

God had already been speaking to Rahab in some way, and she had begun to believe in the superiority of Yahweh (the LORD), the God of Israel. God continues to speak in remarkable and unusual ways to unlikely people who are seemingly distant from the gospel. Rahab’s confession of faith included recognition that God had promised the land of Canaan to Israel and that He would fulfill that promise. She saw God’s supernatural work of causing terror among the Canaanites, leading them to be fainthearted.

In her confession of faith Rahab reported that the people of Jericho had heard of and believed the mighty works God did for Israel in freeing them from Egypt (dried up the water of the Red Sea) and defeating their enemies along the way (what you did to the two kings).

Many among the Canaanites believed that the God of Israel: Was greater than their Canaanite gods. Did miracles for His people, bringing them out of Egypt. Had recently enabled Israel to defeat kings. Had promised Israel the land of Canaan. Believing these things made many among the Canaanites lose all courage; yet few of them acted in faith as Rahab the harlot did. Rahab showed admirable faith. (Guzik)

“This confession of the true God is amazingly full, and argues considerable light and information. As if she had said, ‘I know your God to be omnipotent and omnipresent:’ and in consequence of this faith she hid the spies, and risked her own life in doing it.” (Clarke)

Real Life – Devotion

 

Because of the degradation of our society and moral values, the word holiness sounds archaic, even puritanical, to our ears. The world is naturally directed toward destruction, and those following its path are racing headlong toward spiritual death. Uninformed, unaware, and deceived, they hurry through life on a road going nowhere, to an end they don’t believe exists. That is the condition Jesus delivered us from, and now, through Christ, God has declared us holy.

The New Testament word for “holy” is hagios, which means “set apart.” A set-apart believer no longer blends in with the crowd they once ran with.

You might protest, “Holy? Me? I still feel sin’s tug in my life!” I do, too. But make no mistake, all those who enter heaven will be perfectly holy and sinless. In heaven, the sinful nature that plagues us today is forever banished. Think of it. Not only will the desire to sin not enter our hearts and minds, but the blood of the Lamb will have erased even the possibility of it.

Though our arrival in heaven is yet future, we must do what God has called us to today—live holy lives by living according to His Word. Will you agree that our conduct, more than our words, is the best testimony of our new life in Christ? If so, let’s walk with Him, separated and holy, glorifying Him now and forever.

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If you think God is concerned with His holiness in the Old Testament, consider the fact that holy is mentioned 431 times, not counting the word holiness.  The Hebrew word for holy is “qodesh” which means “apartness, sacredness,” or “separateness” showing that God is altogether holy, sacred, set apart or separate from His creation.  The idea is that God is totally different from us as He is spirit (John 4:24) and desires those who worship Him do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).

The Greek word used for holy or holiness is “hagios” and means much the same thing that the Old Testament word “godesh” means, which is “pure, morally blameless” or “set apart” as in set apart for holy use, which is what the saints of God have been called to.  The word “holy” is found in the New Testament 180 times and if you used holiness, then it’s almost 200 times that holy or holiness is used.  It is obvious from the Scriptures that holiness is important to God and that we should regard Him as holy.  So how is holy used in context?  It is used in much the same way in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.

The Bible teaches us, from both the Old Testament and the New, to be holy, just as God is holy, but how can we do that? Part of that growth toward holiness is not being conformed to this world (Rom 12:1-2) and is an ongoing lifetime process called sanctification or to be set apart for holy use.

53.e. Joshua 2:1-7

 

 

Jos 2:1-7  And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

The city of Jericho was relatively close to Israel’s planned crossing point of the Jordan River and it was one of the most secure and fortified cities in Canaan. It was wise for Joshua to send these spies secretly. A generation earlier, the public sending of spies into Canaan ended in disaster when most of the spies returned with a discouraging report of the land and its people. Only two of the twelve sent returned with a faith-filled, God-honoring report (Caleb and Joshua, Numbers 14:6-9). A generation later, Joshua sent only two spies instead of twelve.

Somehow, the leader of the city-state of Jericho learned that two Israelite men had come to the city as spies (to search out the country). This was of great concern, because the city was already on alert, fearful of the Israelite invasion.

The Bible simply reports Rahab’s lie; it does not praise it or excuse it. Rahab faced an ethical challenge: either option was bad. She decided that it was worse for her to betray the spies than to lie about their presence.  Rahab’s protection of the spies was courageous. Despite her pagan upbringing, culture, and morally compromised profession, she allied herself with Israel and the God of Israel. (Guzik)

Those only are true believers, who find in their hearts to venture for God; they take his people for their people, and cast in their lot among them. The spies were led by the special providence of God, and Rahab entertained them out of regard to Israel and Israel’s God, and not for lucre or for any evil purpose. (Henry)

Their entering the house of such a person would not excite so much suspicion. Moreover, the situation of her house against or upon the town wall was one which facilitated escape. But the Lord so guided the course of the spies, that they found in this sinner the very person who was the most suitable for their purpose, and upon whose heart the tidings of the miracles wrought by the living God on behalf of Israel had made such an impression, that she not only informed the spies of the despondency of the Canaanites, but, with believing trust in the power of the God of Israel, concealed the spies from all the inquiries of her countrymen, though at the greatest risk to herself. (Keil)

God’s providence, provision, and purpose are not examined and understood by knowledge and understanding of every little detail of His plans, but rather by faith and steps of faith strengthened by trust and reliance in Him alone. 

Pathway to Victory – Devotion

 

 

Be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.

–Luke 12:15

Is thanking God a regular part of your life? Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”

The Bible places a premium on thankfulness. So why do we have such a hard time regularly expressing gratitude to God? Let me mention two barriers to gratitude.

The first barrier to gratitude is materialism, which is the belief that money or its trappings can satisfy our deepest needs. Have you ever thought, If I earned just a little more money, I would be satisfied? Let me let you in on a secret: no matter how much money you have, it will never seem to be enough. Solomon, who was the wealthiest man of his day, wrote, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). And in Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “Be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

We tend to define ourselves by our possessions. But one day, we’re going to be separated from our possessions. To illustrate that truth, Jesus told a parable: “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’” (vv. 16–17). The man came up with an elaborate scheme to store all his wealth. But God said, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (v. 20). This man came up with a plan to store his wealth, but there was a contingency he didn’t plan for: his death. Jesus closed in verse 21, “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” The person who believes that money can satisfy his needs or protect him against adversity is going to be disappointed. Yet we keep desiring that which never will satisfy us at the expense of giving thanks to God for what He’s already done for us.

The second barrier to gratitude is closely related to materialism, and that is comparison. I have a friend who says comparison is the favorite indoor sport of Christians. We love to compare our cars, homes, bank accounts, children–everything we have. But comparison doesn’t take into account the fact that God has a unique plan for your life. As long as we’re comparing what we don’t have to what somebody else has, we cannot thank God for what He’s provided for us.

“We will come to them and make our home with them.”

 

 

John 14:23.   Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

 Psalms 91:1     He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

 Isaiah 57:15     For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

 Romans 8:9   You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

 1 John 2:24      Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.

 1 John 4:15-16    Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

 Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

 Revelation 7:15-17    “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

 Revelation 22:3    No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

 Jhn 14:26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Is there any greater promise than salvation, forgiveness, restoration, in-dwelling Holy Spirit, and eternal life? Grace, mercy, and love are offered to us through Jesus Christ. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  

Think about this! While we were going about our sinful lives doing sinful things, thinking sinful thoughts, giving no thought to Jesus Christ being beaten, whipped, nailed to a cross, and dying as a sacrifice for our sins, He did this. There was nothing in us or about us that was worthy of Him giving His life so that we could have a new birth and eternal life. Our lives were a mess, our actions were not God-honoring. Our thoughts were only with selfish desires. We gave no thought to or about God, and if we did, it was in passing. We gave no thought to eternity, eternal life, or eternal torment. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, in us worthy of such a sacrifice, and yet, in our worthless, sinful, ungodly lives, God reached out to us through His Son Jesus Christ for our redemption. Not only that, but God, promises to indwell those who invite Him into their lives through faith, trust, obedience, and reliance in/on Jesus Christ.

If you think you are not worthy of the Love of Jesus Christ. You are right, but PRAISE be to God, He knows all about every single worthless and sinful thing about you and still stands at the door of your heart, knocking and offering eternal life. His grace, mercy, and love are greater than anything you have done in the past.  Listen for His knock and offer of salvation, forgiveness, restoration, in-dwelling Holy Spirit, and eternal life. Trust His promises! 

Your life will be forever changed.

53.d. Joshua 1:10-18

 

 

Jos 1:10-18  And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’” And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.” And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses!  Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

John 14:23.   Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

 Deuteronomy 5:27     Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

 Psalms 90:1     Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

 Psalms 91:1    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

 Isaiah 57:15      For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

 Romans 8:9-11  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 Revelation 7:15-17    “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The people of Israel engage to obey Joshua; All that thou commandest us to do we will readily do, without murmuring or disputing, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go. The best we can ask of God for our magistrates, is, that they may have the presence of God; that will make them blessings to us, so that in seeking this for them, we consult our own interest. May we be enabled to enlist under the banner of the Captain of our salvation, to be obedient to his commands, and to fight the good fight of faith, with all that trust in and love his name, against all who oppose his authority; for whoever refuses to obey him must be destroyed. (Henry)

I will not leave you orphans, or fatherless, for though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort, I will come to you. I will come speedily to you at my resurrection. I will come daily to you in my Spirit; in the tokens of his love, and visits of his grace. I will come certainly at the end of time. Those only that see Christ with an eye of faith, shall see him for ever: the world sees him no more till his second coming; but his disciples have communion with him in his absence. These mysteries will be fully known in heaven. It is a further act of grace, that they should know it, and have the comfort of it. Having Christ’s commands, we must keep them. And having them in our heads, we must keep them in our hearts and lives. The surest evidence of our love to Christ is, obedience to the laws of Christ. There are spiritual tokens of Christ and his love given to all believers. Where sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience. Love will be a commanding, constraining principle; and where love is, duty follows from a principle of gratitude. God will not only love obedient believers, but he will take pleasure in loving them, and will rest in love to them. He will be with them as his home. These privileges are confined to those whose faith worketh by love, and whose love to Jesus leads them to keep his commandments. Such are partakers of the Holy Spirit’s new-creating grace. (Henry)

There is a correlation between time spent in God’s Word in Faith, Belief, Trust, Obedience, and Reliance, and the Leading of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life expressed in love for God and others.  The key here is “Time in God’s Word”. There is too much in our lives that draws and entices us to spend more time thinking about and doing worldly and fleshly stuff. I like to listen to Christian music. It is on all the time in my car and shop. If this was all I did for growth and maturing in my Love for God and the leading of the Holy Spirit in My life, it would be a sad and very limited expression of commitment, dedication, and desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Too often this is the case in many lives. There is limited time in His Word so they will get their dose of devotion by listening to a Christian music station.  

Nothing can replace personal time in God’s Word in our growth, understanding, and knowledge of God and godly living. Nothing.  If God’s Word was food and water for our souls, would we be wasting away and slowly dying from starvation and thirst? 

God’s Word is: 

A lamp to our path

Food for our soul

Living water

Our strength

Where we find peace, joy, hope, refuge

Instruction for righteousness

Knowledge and Understanding

How we know truth

Maturity and growth

How we discern false

How we hear the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit

How we know what is worldly and fleshly

How we grow in love for others

God’s Word should be our nutrition and food for living.  Christian music is like a vitamin to help us rejoice and worship Jesus Christ.