come upon you – Praying Pint

52.w. Wilderness – 17.b. “When you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul”

Deu 30:1-10 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Of course, this was fulfilled in part by the return of the Babylonian exiles during the times of Ezra and Nehemiah. But the ultimate fulfillment of this would await the Twentieth Century, when God would regather Israel in the Promised Land. This modern regathering is a larger, broader, more sovereign, and more miraculous restoration than that recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah. The modern restoration of Israel more accurately fulfills this promise than the return from the Babylonian exile. Today, Israel is populated from Jews from virtually every country in the world. This promise is fulfilled only in the modern restoration of Israel, not in the return from the Babylonian exile. In the days of the return from the Babylonian exile, the Jewish community was small, weak, and poor. But today, under the modern restoration of Israel, the state of Israel does indeed prosper and the promise to multiply you more than your fathers is fulfilled. Israel, as a nation, is larger, stronger, and richer than at any time in Biblical history.

As remarkable and as prophetically meaningful the modern restoration of Israel is, it is incomplete. The spiritual dimension of the restoration has not yet been accomplished. Today Israel is a largely secular nation. There is respect for the Bible as a book of history and national identity, but there is not, and has not been, a true turning to the LORD God, particularly as a nation. But God’s promise still stands. As the final aspect of the promise to restore Israel, God will restore them spiritually. He promises to circumcise your heart. This is an idea repeated in the promises of the New Covenant, in passages like Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Indeed, Paul promised that all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). Jesus said that He would not return until Israel embraced Him as Messiah: For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” We regard the modern restoration of Israel as a remarkable sign, and an extremely significant – but thus far only partial – fulfillment of these prophesies.

In part, these prophecies are fulfilled now in the modern restoration of Israel. But perhaps their ultimate fulfillment will happen in the millennium, when Israel has restored as a people truly turned to the LORD and His Messiah, Jesus. (Guzik)

Note how Matthew Henry (18 October 1662 – 22 June 1714) wrote on this passage compared to those who have written in the nearer future. “In this chapter is a plain intimation of the mercy God has in store for Israel in the latter days. This passage refers to the prophetic warnings of the last two chapters, which have been mainly fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and in their dispersion to the present day; and there can be no doubt that the prophetic promise contained in these verses yet remain to come to pass. The Jewish nation shall in some future period, perhaps not very distant.”

Israel became a nation May of 1948. You can see how Henry was looking forward to it happening and Guzik was looking back as it had already happened.

We live in a time where we see historical fulfillment of God’s Word. How much closer are we to the return of Jesus Christ? Are we ready? Are we looking for His return? Are we living as those with the eyes of our hearts always on an expectant return today?

Jesus is coming – will He find you watching and waiting for His return or find you going about the busyness of life without a thought or care for it?

Let Him find you ready with a shout of rejoicing upon your mouth at His return.

50.x. Wilderness – 15.c. “Blessing and a Curse”

Deu 11:26-28 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Deuteronomy 30:1 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you,

Deu 11:32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today.

The three great elements to the Old Covenant were the law, the sacrifice, and the choice. Israel had a choice – to obey and be blessed, or to disobey and be cursed. It was a cause and effect relationship with God. It was up to Israel. If they wanted to be blessed, then they should walk in obedience (as they were in the days of David and Solomon), but if they disobeyed, they would be cursed (as they were in most of the days of the later kings) A choice was required. There was no neutral ground. God wouldn’t just “leave them alone.” It would either be blessing or cursing. Inherent in Israel’s disobedience was idolatry. Whenever we walk in disobedience, we exalt ourselves against God – and declaring that our rules, our standards, our desires, are all more important than His. This is idolatry in its most base – and common – form. (Guzik)

Moses sums up all the arguments for obedience in two words, the blessing and the curse. He charged the people to choose which they would have. Moses then appointed a public and solemn proclamation of the blessing and curse, to be made upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal. We have broken the law, and are under its curse, without remedy from ourselves. In mercy, the gospel again sets before us a blessing and a curse. A blessing, if we obey the call to repentance, to faith in Christ, and newness of heart and life through him; an awful curse, if we neglect so great salvation. Let us thankfully welcome these glad tidings of great joy; and let us not harden our hearts, but hear this voice of God while it is called to-day, and while he invites us to come to him upon a mercy-seat. Let us be diligent to make our calling and election sure. (Henry)

We don’t think in terms of blessings and curses. We think in terms of “Blessings” and what can we get from God. Very seldom does the thought of curses cross our minds. Why? Jesus bore all the curses we deserved upon Himself on the cross. The perfect sacrifice. For those who believe, repent, follow, obey, trust and rely in and on Jesus, they receive endless blessings.

Forgiveness, Fellowship with Jesus, In-filling of the Holy Spirit, Eternal life, and the Promise of resurrection

Peace, Joy, Love, Kindness, Gentleness, Hope, Ever in the presence of God

Discernment, Wisdom, Courage, Encouragement, Power for each day, Boldness, and Peace that passes all understanding

Though this is true, it does rely upon our intentional choice to believe, repent, follow, obey, trust, and rely and on Jesus. We are justified (made right, and clean, and our sins are forgiven) through what Jesus did and endured on the cross (redemption). Sanctification – is a never-ending growth and maturity in our knowledge, understanding, and obedience to following, obeying, relying, trusting, honoring, and glorifying Jesus Christ this side of eternity. There are continual blessings in this growth and maturing. And yet, it is an intentional choice to grow and mature.

(2 Timothy 2:15. Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.)

What blessings do we forfeit when we become complacent and neglectful? Will we not experience any of the list above? We may think we do as we substitute things of this world as we try to find satisfaction, purpose, and meaning in our lives. What are the signs of being lukewarm and complacent?

No growth, No awareness of sin, No repentance, and Unable to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading

Little to no thoughts of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ and Little to no time in God’s Word

Fear. Confusion, Pride, Greed, Boastfulness, Arrogance, Anger, Hate, Jealousy, and Coveting

Busyness in the things of this world, No Godly satisfaction, Little understanding in the Things of God, and False purpose and meaning for your life

We will not find blessings in our lives apart from total surrender and devotion to humbly serving, following, growing, maturing, and relying more and more upon Jesus Christ. This requires us to make an intentional choice every moment of every day of our lives. It is a choice to deny ourselves and the influences and temptations of this world. This world, society, and culture will offer satisfaction in many different ways. Each of them promises to fulfill your desires and wants. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are full of examples of this. How are we even able to discern what is of this world and what is of God apart from diligently searching and desiring to know? We won’t.

The Word of God is more readily available than it ever has been, and yet, it is more and more greatly neglected. It is nourishing food for our hearts, minds, and souls. It fills us to overflowing with an awe of God. It opens our eyes to His power, might, love, grace, mercy, and blessing.

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

25.j. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,”

2 Corinthians 6:3 Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

Ezekiel 16:8    “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine.

Luke 19:42-44    saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Hebrews 3:7     Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,

Hebrews 3:13   But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 4:7    again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

God has an acceptable time for us to work with His grace. God has a day of salvation that will not last forever. This is no time for Christian lives consumed with ease and comfort and self-focus. It is time to get busy for the Lord and to be workers together with Him. What is it that keeps us from seeing, knowing, and doing the Work of God? Is it trials? Is it ease and comfort? Are we deceived or influenced into believing He can’t or won’t use us? Do we find excuse after excuse, time and time again? I am not knowledgeable in the bible enough to be used by God. I am too busy. I am not good enough. I am not brave enough. I am not worthy enough. The list is as long as the number of excuses we make that keeps us from making a commitment to listen and then obey. Is the world influencing your ability to listen? Does it steal time away from working for God? Does it deafen your ears to hear His leading and calls for action in your life?

When we understand that our purpose in this life is to honor and glorify God in all we say, think, and do, it is then we will begin to understand His leading and calling and purpose and plans for our lives. Today is the day. Now is the moment. Right now. Make an intentional choice to make God-honoring and God-glorifying the reason for all you say, think, and do.

12.v. ” I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents”

Zephaniah 3:6 “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.

Isaiah 5:4     What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?

Jeremiah 8:6    I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his own course,

Jeremiah 36:3    It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Luke 19:42-44    saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

2 Peter 3:9    The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God brought His justice to the nations around Judah, and it should have warned Judah what would happen if they rejected God. Instead of learning from the surrounding nations, they dedicated themselves to ungodliness all the more. Being blind to things of God comes as a consequence of an intentional choice to neglect Him and His Word. Hearts are somehow easily turned away from God. Some blatantly, some casually, but they both defy and deny God. One says surely there is no God and because of this I can do what I want without consequences. The other says I am a good enough person and does not give any more thought to the consequences. God shows His hand over nations, toppling them down and people are blind to the fact that it was at His hand they fell. Rulers, Dictators, and Presidents have been removed from their lofty positions of wealth and power and yet people are still blind to the hand of God directing the course of nations and the paths of man. When eyes are blinded to things of God, both the promises of blessings and judgments are lost from their vision. When God is denied and defied eyes and ears are blind and deaf to Him, and yet there is still hope. Perhaps their heart will soften and their eyes will open and their ears will hear of the Good News of Jesus Christ. It happened for each of us who were once lost but now are found. It is not as though we can claim any part of this as our effort other than to say somehow the Word of God pierced my heart and I fell on my knees and surrendered to Jesus Christ. The scales were taken off the eyes to my heart and mind and I saw a glimpse of the Holiness of Jesus Christ and my sinfulness. There was no personal effort in this as it was all of Jesus Christ and our believing, yielding, surrendering, repenting, turning away, and trusting. Somehow there is given to man the free will choice to choose to surrender/yield to God or to defy and deny Him and His grace, mercy, and love. We get to intentionally choose whom we serve, honor, glorify, follow, obey, and trust. Sad to say but millions upon millions choose to serve self, honor self, glorify self, obey self, and trust in self. This is an intentional choice. Every single moment of every day we are given this choice to make – honor Jesus Christ or self, glorify Jesus Christ or self, follow Jesus Christ or self, obey Jesus Christ or self, trust Jesus Christ or self, or rely on Jesus Christ or self. We do well to ask God to show us each day to whom we have surrendered our lives, actions, and thoughts to, Jesus Christ or themself.

I am sending you

Exodus 4:10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.

1 Corinthians 2:1-4 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

2 Corinthians 11:6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

What is it that keeps us from proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Coming up with excuses is nothing new. Note Moses when he said “they will not listen to me” and again when he said “I am slow of speech and of tongue”. We can come up with all kinds of excuses not to do what the Lord has asked us to do.

John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide,

John 20:21  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Luke 14:23  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

Matthew 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

Psalms 96:3  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Knowing ourselves and what we think we are capable of, what we have done in the past, how we have failed and fallen short, how we listen to the doubt satan has put into our head, and not wanting to be rejected, all can lead us down an excuse path. In reality it is just us with fear of not saying it right, not knowing it right, not knowing it good enough, and thinking we are not good enough and that if the good news message we proclaimed is rejected we did it wrong or we will be perceived as foolish and weak.

Replace the thoughts that lead to excuses with promises and commands from scripture. Beyond these you only need 3 seconds of courage to speak the first word of the Good New of Jesus Christ. It is God who works in the hearts of mankind to soften it to hear the need of redemption and forgiveness of sin. It is not how well we speak or know the entire bible. It is not with eloquent words but by the simple truth and mighty work of God that a person comes to either believe or reject salvation – our calling is to proclaim the Good News.

“I am with you”

“I will never leave you”

“I chose you”

“I appointed you”

“You will receive power”

“I am sending you”

“Go and make disciples”

“Declare His glory”

“Compel people to come”

We are witnesses

“ 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,”

John 12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Psalms 145:6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

John 7:39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Proverbs 1:23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem and people were lining the road and waving palm branches saying Hosanna King of Israel the disciples were with Him. It says they did not understand until after He was glorified (raised from the dead), then they remembered that these things were written of Him. It is like this in our lives when the Holy Spirit calls to mind scripture and reveals something new to us. We do well to keep habit of reading scripture and studying it to continue to grow and understand. We hear these whispers of God when our eyes, ears, heart and mind are open with desire to hear and know. The Holy Spirit is a promise to all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ. Yet complacency and neglect are always standing at our door. To busy, to tire, to much other stuff to do clouds our purpose this side of eternity. Keep focus on humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him. Be a witness to His saving grace, mercy, and power.