atone – Praying Pint

114. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray.

1 Samuel 25:36 And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And about ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.”

2 Samuel 3:28-29    Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.  May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!”

1 Kings 2:44    The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the LORD will bring back your harm on your own head.

Psalms 7:16   His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

Psalms 37:12-13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.

Isaiah 47:10 You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”  But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing.

Psalms 52:7    “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

Ecclesiastes 8:8    No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death.

W. Alderman – When a person puts his confidence in that which he has, including money, he is doomed to failure./riches trust in their riches only. Unless the word of God speaks into their life there is no hope for them.n is now. The day of commitment is now. The day of forgiveness is now. The day of bringing to live for Jesus is now. Anything that causes us to take our eyes off of Jesus will get us out of focus spiritually. The love of money can certainly do this. When they trust their money and their job for their provisions they are out of focus spiritually and no longer know where they were going. The trusting in riches lays a snare that will trap you suddenly and it will hinder your faith. a snare that will trap you suddenly and it will hinder your faith. The love of money traps many a good person. It happens so suddenly. There are many lusts that will consume the person who follows after riches. Money has a way of causing displaced trust. Instead of trusting God for the needed provisions, those who trust in wealth/riches trust in their riches only.

Unless the word of God speaks into their life there is no hope for them. They become self-centered and consciously or unconsciously make decisions that affect and harm others. Their money/wealth has gone to their head and heart and they trust in this alone. Psalms 52:7 “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!” They did not obey God. They did not honor God. They do not have reverence for God. In protecting their riches they make decisions that cause harm to others. They are boastful, arrogant, prideful, seekers of pleasure, and give no thought to the day of judgment or their day of death. In their foolish wisdom and knowledge, they have cast God aside. How many people have died thinking they have time to make things right with God? How many have died and not given any thought to the judgment they will face?

The day of salvation is now. The day of forgiveness is now. The day of commitment is now. The day of beginning to live for Jesus is now.

Knowing God is not the same as knowing of Him

Psalms 119:73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 139:14-16 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

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.

Psalms 92:4-5 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Psalms 100:3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

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

Ecclesiastes 7:29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

“The workings of the human body are stunning in their design and execution. We know far more than David ever did about how we are made, and it should make us full of more awe and praise than David ever had.”

“If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

Knowing of God and knowing God is very different. Knowing of Him gives no personal relationship. It gives no understanding of His steadfast mercy, grace and love. It gives no secure place of refuge, hope, peace, joy, or rest. It keeps God at arms distance. It falsely allows us to form our own thoughts on what is right, wrong, good, bad, and possibly thinking we can do something to earn His favor. Knowing of God keeps a void filled with uncertainty and no fulfilling meaning or purpose in life .

Knowing of God keeps a void.Know God gives hope, peace, holy desire, joy, refuge, healing, forgiveness, love, kindness, gentleness, strength, encouragement, power, patience, growing faith, desire to know and understand Him and His plans and purposes in life, and desire to hear His quiet whispers of leading. Knowing God fills the void with absolute assurance and, through faith, a much deeper and fulfilling purpose in life.

He has given us His word so that by it and through it we gain a basic understanding of how awesome, glorious, majestic, merciful, gracious, loving, and all knowing His is. It gives us wisdom into the work of His hands.

Choose to know Him. Desire and seek to know Him. Commit to know Him. He stands at the door of our heart, mind, and soul wanting for us to open it and ask Him in. Your life will never be the same.

Brought very low

Psalms 79:1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name! For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die! Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Being mindful of God and living for Him can advert many trials brought on by our actions. Note the writer does not question the fact that their trials were because of their “Not living in line with God”. The request for God’s compassion to over look past iniquities and come to their rescue is a heart that is ready to return to God. Why is it we, like they, run to God in times of trials and trouble but run/drift away from Him in times of blessing. Stay close to God, and choose to live for Him. Giving your whole mind, heart, and soul to honoring Him in what you say, think, and do will give present and lasting reward.