Daryl Pint – Page 229

Content in all things

“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,”

Psalms 68:28 Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.

Psalms 68:32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!

Psalms 42:8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalms 71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Being content in the hands of God is both hard and easy. It depends on our choice to have faith in Him, to wait on Him, to trust in Him, and to believe in Him and His purpose for our lives. We must believe He is sovereign and in control of all there is. And then patiently wait for His mighty and awesome timing. Sometimes it is immediate and other times it is not. In our culture our access is almost unlimited to anything we are seeking. I wonder if this doesn’t play a part in our lack of seeking God and His purpose. When problems arise we run ahead on our own without giving second thought to Him. Other times we are so blessed we even forget that these blessings come from Him. I recently heard a man tell of great success he was having in training dogs. He said at one point he just thought it was too easy. Then God showed him it was not easy and gave him a time of trials in this training. He said he was humbled by God and knows all success is at the hands of God. If we listen, God will speak to our heart and lead us on paths where we continually see His sovereignty. Commit to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.

Be sure of your destiny

Psalms 68:21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.

Psalms 7:6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.

Psalms 78:65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.

Psalms 110:6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses;

Psalms 55:23 But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,

Luke 13:5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

I have copied a few selections out of Johnathan Edwards sermon “In the Hands of an Angry God” which seemed appropriate today.

the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God’s enemies. God’s creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope

But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The greater part of those who heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise as those who are now alive: it was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell ever to be the subjects of that misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, “No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself: I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief: Death outwitted me: God’s wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then suddenly destruction came upon me.

So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.

Living for God

Psalms 68:1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him! As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God!

Numbers 10:35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.”

2 Chronicles 6:41 “And now arise, O LORD God, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness.

Psalms 7:6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.

Isaiah 42:13 The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.

Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

Psalms 78:66 And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.

Jeremiah 23:40 And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’

Enemies of God, those who reject Him, have a place reserved. A place of everlasting reproach and perpetual shame. What is important for us to know is that there is also a place for those who believe, trust, and hope in Him. These are called children of God. They have chosen and committed to humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him. They have been promised peace, love, hope, joy, rest, and the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and guide them this side of eternity. Children of God have been promised a future place in eternity where there is no more death, no more pain, no more sickness. Do you wonder how a child of God should live? What would their life look like from the outside? There should be a difference that is visible. Their actions should be such that honor is given to God. When our eyes are on Him and our heart’s desire is to hear His whispers of guidance and we obey His leading, there is a difference in attitude, speech, thoughts, and actions. Live your life to bring honor to Him every moment of every day. This is our full and only purpose this side of eternity.

Requested Blessings

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,”

Psalms 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Psalms 28:9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalms 4:6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”

Psalms 80:3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Psalms 119:135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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.

Psalms 43:5 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.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Acts 13:26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.

Acts 13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

“God bless us. Shine Your light upon us. Let light shine out of darkness. Be our shepherd. Give Your peace.” These are all positive requests from men of the past who were asking for God’s blessing for mankind. These men believed in God and His sovereignty over all. It is in His hands alone to bless, lead, and correct the actions of man and nations. When our heart’s desire is to know God, to honor, follow and obey we seem to see life through a different lens. This lens allows us to pray for others. It allows us to pray for nations because our God is awesome in power and might. He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we think. How often do we want to the person who makes the change in people? Our efforts sometime do nothing to bring others closer to God. Yet if we pray for God to bless them and to change their heart our thoughts about that person change from one of condemning to one of hope and love for them. Keeping our eyes on Him and patiently waiting for His perfect plan to take place in the lives of those we pray for is so much better than fretting, stewing, and being angered by others.

He listens to those who listen

“We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.”

Psalms 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

Job 27:8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

Proverbs 21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

Proverbs 28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen;

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Job 35:12 There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Jeremiah 11:11 Therefore, thus says the LORD, Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them.

Micah 3:4 Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.

Zechariah 7:13 “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts,

James 4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

“As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts. There is so much to say about desiring, seeking, and listening to God. Scripture is clear and full of wonderful promises to those who live for Him standing firm in Him alone. Yet life happens and time in scripture becomes less and less important while the world grabs more and more of our attention. It seems to be able take our eyes off of God. The very scripture that brought to light the the need for God is now nothing but second thought. Time away from His word closes our heart and ears to His leading. We make our own path in life, self seeking. We were redeemed at a great cost by the very hand of God’s love, grace, and mercy. God is not to be a second thought or in second place in our heart and mind. He is to be first and first alone at all times. I am so aware of how hard this is when we try to play both sides. Trying to get the best of this world and the best of God’s blessings. A christian life is not to be this way. He want’s all of our heart, mind and soul. Not just part of it when it is convenient or when we need something that only He can supply. Look into your heart and mind, see how much of it is consumed by things of this world compared to how much is spent living for God. Living for God is a commitment with purpose of humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him. Commit to Him today. Spend more time in His word.

Come, Listen to me

“Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

Psalms 66:5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

Psa 66:16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

Psalms 46:8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.

Psalms 111:2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

Psalms 126:1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.

Psalms 34:2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

Psalms 71:18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.

1 Timothy 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Psalms 22:23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

Psalms 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found

“Come and see”, “Come and hear”, and “Come behold”, His works, awesome deeds and what He has done for my soul. These are invitations to us from God’s word. It is an offer that must be accepted or rejected/turned down. An invitation does not force us to accept it. There are consequences either way. There are visible actions in the lives of those who choose one or the other. “Great are His works and studied by those who delight in them”. His works are studied by those who delight in them. One outcome here would be reading His word and thinking about what has been read. Another outcome would be to believe in Him and having a desire to see His handiwork in creation. Other outcomes would be; humble service, listening for His whispers of guidance, wanting to be lead by Him, learning what honors and glorifies Him, praying to Him, telling others of Him and His what He has done not only historically but what He is currently doing in their life, looking forward to eternity with Him, praising Him, etc….. On the other hand, for those who reject these invitations we see; little to no time spent in His word, no speaking of Him, not hearing His whispers of guidance, not seeking to be led by Him, self satisfaction, not looking at His handiwork in creation, no thought of eternity, no speaking to others about Him. Commit to accept His invitation and spend time in His word learning of His steadfast love, power, grace, mercy, and might. Be aware of the consequences of accepting or rejecting His invitation. “Behold I stand at the door and knock” Can you hear Him knocking at your hearts door? Choose to open your heart’s door to Him and commit to humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.

Praise the Lord – Make a Joyful Noise

“Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”

“ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!”

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!”

Psalms 66:1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”

Psalms 95:1-2 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalms 98:4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Psalms 117:1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD

1 Chronicles 16:23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Psalms 72:18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

Psalms 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Psalms 105:2-3 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Isaiah 49:13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

There are many reasons to praise God if we would just stop the busyness in our lives to think about Him and what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do – (His Creation and the wonder of how God spoke it into existence – Mankind and God’s steadfast love and care over us – His comfort, peace, joy, hope, and love guiding us through trials that come our way – Blessings of His word and the precious promises given to encourage us – Forgiveness of sin salvation through His son Jesus Christ – The gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling us – Confidence through His promise of never leaving or forsaking us – Courage through His promise of being able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine – Eternity with Him after our time on earth has come to an end.) Life seems to distract us from giving Him praise. Spend today thinking about all those wonders of God you can give praise to. Spend today giving thought to humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him.

God our Heavenly Father

“ O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”

Psalms 65:12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Psalms 104:10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

Job 38:28 “Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

Acts 14:17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

How many times do you hear someone reference “Mother Nature” in the course of a year concerning weather? I hear “Mother Nature sure has been good to us” and “Mother Nature sure seems to be angry” or a host of other references to her without thought of God. It is common to not hear reference God in things of nature. It is also common to not hear reference to God in things of everyday life which shows the condition of man’s heart. How many times have you heard someone talking about God outside of church or home? God is not to be set aside for special occasions or needs. He is to be praised, honored, worshipped, obeyed, glorified, and set in a place of awe and reverence in our heart and mind continually. God is our heavenly Father and creator of all there is. What kind of children neglect their father or pay no attention to his council and wisdom? What kind of children allow life to get so busy that they consider their father only on fathers day and their birthday? What kind of love would you say these children have for their father? Wouldn’t you say they were ungrateful, negligent, self-seeking, and just plain bad children. How much more BAD is it for us to neglect God in our everyday life? Commit to spend time in His word. Seek to know and love, honor and obey Him more. Keep Him alive in your heart, mind and soul. Praise Him!!!

Awesome Power and Might

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Psalms 65:5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

Psalms 45:4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

Psalms 47:2 For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.

Psalms 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

Psalms 76:3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey. The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth.

Deuteronomy 4:34 Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Deuteronomy 10:21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.

Isaiah 37:36 And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Psalms 22:27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

God’s mighty and awesome deeds from history have been shared with us in scripture. These awesome and mighty deeds include, creation, flood, protection, victory from enemies, signs and wonders, splitting of the Red Sea, water from a rock, fire from the sky, manna and quail, judgements on people, death of enemies, dead back to life, blind were given sight, deaf were able to hear, mute were able to speak, women without child were given children, virgin birth, seas calmed, feeding of 5,000, Jesus Christ birth-death-resurrection, and promises of eternity with Him for those who believe in, rely on, cling to and trust in Him. There are hundreds of more examples recorded of His might acts. Life has a way of blinding us from seeing and believing these acts of power, might, and love. Life gets in the way and we explain away His awesome power and love with words of “I sure was lucky,” “what a coincidence,” “that was weird,” “I wish somebody could explain this to me,” “I see it but don’t believe it,” somebody was watching over them,” “such is fate,” and many more. When our heart, mind and soul are more focused on this life rather than on God we see things in a different light – through a different lens. God is not in focus and many of His acts are missed and we fail to recognize them. It is impossible to honor and praise God when we neglect to commit our life to Him, spend time with His word, and give Him all our heart, mind, and soul. Do you want to see these acts of power, might and love? Change the way you do life. Focus your heart, mind, and soul on Him. Desire to humbly serve, honor, follow, and obey Him. And as the old hymn says “the things of earth with grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Blessings this side of eternity

“But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.”

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

“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.”

Psalms 65:4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Psalms 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Psalms 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalms 17:15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

What does it mean to be blessed? How are we blessed? When are we blessed? Who is blessed? Why are they blessed? It is easy to get confused with these questions even if we have knowledge and understanding of God’s word. Part of the confusion comes with our thinking that being blessed will always mean wealth, comfort, health, lacking little, and not experiencing trials/issues. From the fall of man we are told “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Life is going to have emotional and physical pain associated with it but this does not mean we are not blessed. Some of life’s pain comes from consequences of our actions and some from actions of others. Our bodies, this side of eternity, are not immortal. However this does not mean we are not blessed. Life this side of eternity is but a vapor – here for a brief time and then gone. God has given us many great and precious promises to navigate this side of eternity with hope, love, joy, rest, comfort, power, strength, and courage. These are blessings freely given from and through God’s steadfast love. They are given to those who seek, listen, follow, honor, humbly serve, obey, trust, rely on, believe in and love Him. These blessings are but a glimpse of what eternity will be like with Him. Often we are miss guided by the thoughts and culture of our time. Our expectations this side of eternity are not in line with God’s word. Our thoughts and focus lose sight of eternity. To often we listen to those who give God no thought and/or we listen to those who water down God’s word. To often we spend no time in His word for the purpose of knowing and understanding Him so that we can humbly serve and honor Him. To often we neglect the very thing that can add meaning and purpose to our lives. How true scriptures states: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.” Turn to God, not for what you can get but rather for who He is. Spend time in His word and seeking Him and how to honor Him this side of eternity.