Tag: afflication

40.y. “I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction”

 

Exodus 3:15  God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

 Psalms 72:17     May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!

 Psalms 72:19    Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!

 Psalms 135:13    Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.

 Psalms 102:12     But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.

 Micah 4:5    For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

“I AM WHO I AM.” “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” “This is my name forever”

 After four hundred years in Egypt, Moses had the job of announcing that now was the time for the children of Israel to go back to Canaan, and to take the land God promised to their fathers. This was probably totally contrary to what the elders and people of Israel desired. In four hundred years, you set down roots. They probably had no desire to return to the Promised Land; all they wanted was to be made more comfortable in Egypt.

We don’t come close to understanding the purposes and plans of God. We like to think that we will be provided a land flowing with milk and honey, peace, trial, and trouble-free. Faith in God would be much easier and certainly more shallow if this were the case. Think about when your faith grew.  Wasn’t it after you had walked in the valley of trials and troubles? Wasn’t it during a time when your situation was without answers? Wasn’t it during a time when you realized that self-reliance was not even close to being adequate? Wasn’t it a time when you realized your only hope of refuge, strength, and courage to face another day was in God – I Am?

Some of our paths in life will be less burdensome than others who will live in almost constant trials and troubles. It is the same God over all of us. We do not know God’s plans and purposes other than the promises given to us in His Word. I will never leave you or forsake you. I will give you peace and rest. I will be your refuge and strength. I will guide and lead you.  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

We may think we have been forgotten or our trials and troubles are unseen by God. Cast these thoughts from your heart and mind. Lay these in the hands of Him who is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. By faith, we can trust and rejoice in our Heavenly Father no matter what situation we find ourselves in. It is hard to release our burdens and trust God. It is not natural for us to rely on God when we desperately want to rely on ourselves. 

Our purpose in life is to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do. By faith, we think, say, and do that which honors and glorifies Him. When we intentionally choose and commit to this every moment of every day, we will find reasons for hope and rejoice in Him alone.

2. Be Doers

James 1:22   But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1:27   Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 7:21-25     “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Luke 6:46-48    “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Luke 11:28     But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Romans 2:13     For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Obadiah 1:3    The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

Galatians 6:7    Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

It does not take much reading of scripture to be reminded of being “Doers of the Word” – “Keepers of the Word” – “Keeping oneself Unstained from the world”  God speaks to us through His word from either reading it or hearing others read it.  If we spend the time in it we find hope, peace, guidance, and encouragement for the trials that surely follow each day. 

How are we to keep unstained if we are not aware of what causes the staining?  How are we to be doers if we don’t know what to do?  Do we think for a second that we are guiltless or won’t be judged for neglecting His word?

Satan implants lies into our minds.  He tells us we are ok enough.  He tells us we are better than others.  He tells us that we are too busy. Too tired. He tells us we get enough of God’s word on Sunday.  He tells us we are content with how we are living for God.  He tells us we are not good enough or know enough to be of any value in spreading the Gospel or making disciples.  He tells us tomorrow we will have more time for God.  He tells us we deserve a break from serving God.  He tempts us with stuff that will never satisfy our soul.  He looks to confuse and cause division.  He deceives us with partial truths and we have not spent enough time in God’s word to know we are being deceived.

Be hearers – read and study God’s word

Be doers – obey God’s word