Endure – Praying Pint

43.e. “Wilderness” – 7.l. Sinai – “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”

Exodus 20:16  “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Leviticus 19:16    You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.

Psalms 101:5-7    Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.  I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.  No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes

Proverbs 10:18   The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.

Proverbs 11:13   Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

Ephesians 4:31    Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

James 4:11    Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.

In an extended sense, we can break the ninth commandment through slander, tale bearing, creating false impressions, by silence, by questioning the motives behind someone’s actions, or even by flattery. The New Testament puts it simply. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. Lying and false representations belong to the old man, not to the new life we have in Jesus. Satan is always there to encourage a lie, he is the father of all lies. (Guzik)

The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour’s good name. This forbids speaking falsely on any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising or designing to deceive our neighbour. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to hurt his reputation. Bearing false witness against him, or in common conversation slandering, backbiting, and tale-bearing; making what is done amiss, worse than it is, and in any way endeavouring to raise our reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour’s. How much this command is every day broken among persons of all ranks! (Henry)

Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Neither publicly in a court of judicature, by laying things to his charge that are false, and swearing to them, to his hurt and damage; nor privately, by whispering, tale bearing, backbiting, slandering, by telling lies of him, traducing his character by innuendos, sly insinuations, and evil suggestions, whereby he may suffer in his character, credit, and reputation, and in his trade and business. (Gill)

We may think it is far from us to bear false witness against another, but surely our society looks favorably upon it. Look at social and news media outlets. A good journalist can easily destroy the life of any person with both their mouth and pen. Day after day you read it and hear it and even expect it. It almost becomes so natural that it seems right and ok to do. There is nothing subtle about it. Twisting words and actions of others to fit a narrative and opinion is common. It is still wrong. It is equally bad to tell a lie by calling it the truth or tell a truth and have it called a lie about a person. Both are false and designed to harm someone in character or financially or both. As Christians, we see it wrong and doubt this type of sander and falseness would come from our mouths.

Repeating gossip is a form of false witness. How many divisions in our churches have evolved because of this type of behavior? Did you hear……..? I think we should pray for ……… I just heard. Did you know that ……. cheats on his wife? Did you know that our pastor did……..? I heard that……. get’s drunk every night. And the list goes on and on. Soon the reputation and character of that person is destroyed. Unless we might get too comfortable and say we do not do this at church or with church members, can it be said about us that we don’t do it at our place of employment? Do we cause harm to our witness and to the honor and glory of Jesus Christ because we allow ourselves to be caught up in social norms?

Will what I say honor and glorify Jesus Christ? Should I repeat what I have heard? Discernment is a gift from God. Oh, that we would seek all we read and hear through the filter of God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Don’t become blind to the ease at which our culture and society have approved bearing false witness in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts. Pray that God would lead you in proper discernment, speech, and deeds that Honor and Glorify Jesus Christ.

When we intentionally choose and commit to honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do our discernment and control of our thoughts, tongues, and actions will follow.

34.r. “In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress”

Matthew 27:3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Job 20:5 that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

Job 20:15-29 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly. He will suck the poison of cobras; the tongue of a viper will kill him. He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds. He will give back the fruit of his toil and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment. For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build. “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him. There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure. In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress; the hand of everyone in misery will come against him. To fill his belly to the full, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body. He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through. It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him. Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed. The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God’s wrath. This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God.”

The hypocrisy of the chief priests was transparent. “Tempters never make good comforters. Those who are the devil’s instruments, to command, entice, or allure men to sin, will afford them no relief when they have come to be troubled for what they have done.” (Poole)

Thus perished Judas Iscariot the traitor, a miserable example of the fatal influence of covetousness, and a standing monument of the divine vengeance, proper to deter future generations from acting contrary to conscience, through the love of the world. (Benson)

A guilty conscience and deep remorse result from actions taken and then having a glimpse of reality, a searing red hot iron of truth pressed hard onto the flesh of that person’s heart, mind, and soul. Judas, being seared with the knowledge and understanding of what Hell must be like, found no escape from it. There was no will to live with that torment and trying to escape it by killing himself seemed the only option. The peace he longed for deep in his soul by being released from the torment led him to this act. What Judas didn’t realize was he was headed from this earthly torment into eternal torment in Hell. There is no escape from this destiny without repentance and trust in Jesus Christ. Though a person may be remorseful, sorry, and filled with regret it will never bring about forgiveness, redemption, or salvation of their soul. Our conscience may be seared with the truth of our sin actions to cause us to be remorseful, sorry, and regretful but these ought to lead us to repentance and Jesus Christ.

Judas never repented, never sought repentance, never sought forgiveness, and tried to relieve the pain of the truth of his sin by giving back the 30 pieces of silver. In essence, he was trying to buy his pardon by self-reliance and atonement for what he had done. How many times do we go through life thinking we can do more good things to make up for bad things we have done, thought, or said? It is as if we keep a ledger book of our good and bad and try to make a good balance out just a little bit better. Do we think this makes us more right with God? Do we believe we are more worthy of forgiveness by doing good acts to offset the bad?

There is nothing a person can do in and of themselves that will give them the peace of forgiveness. It is only trusting in Jesus Christ alone. Confessing it, repenting of it, and relying on His great love, mercy, and grace. We cannot cover any sin by being good enough. “It is by the grace of God we are saved, not by works lest any man should boast” We cannot do acts of kindness that make us worthy of God’s love, grace, and mercy. It is only by His love that we are redeemed through His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son”

Being remorseful, regretful, and sorry for some act we have done or thought ought to lead us to repentance and trust in Jesus alone, for He alone is the one who can forgive.

34.e. “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

John 15:19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Revelation 2:10   Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

Revelation 2:13    “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith

Revelation 6:9-11     When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.

Mark 4:17     And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Revelation 3:15   “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

This was the natural result of the condition of things implied in the “lawlessness.” The tendency of all such times, as seen in the histories of famines, and pestilences, and revolutions, is to intensify selfishness, both in the more excusable form of self-preservation, and in the darker form of self-reliance. (Ellicott)

It becomes Christ’s disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer: that is never out of season, but in a special manner seasonable when we are distressed on every side. But where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace, and is not afraid. (Henry)

The fear of troubling times, death, and deluding influences of satanic led people has the opportunity to take captive any zeal timid, weak, and feeble Christians have. They drop by the wayside and follow the crowds in their worry, hatred, fear, anger, rage, self-perseverance, and self-reliance. People can be set in a false sense of security faith when it is never tried. Prosperity and peace have a way of lulling a person into a false sense of security that is based on prosperity and peace rather than on Jesus Christ and God’s will, purpose, plans, and promises. Love of this world and what it has to offer will lead many down false paths where there is no hope found in times of trials and troubles. Combine God’s work of famine, disasters in nature, sickness, and wars with people’s responses of confusion, worry, anger, hatred, fear, selfishness, and self-reliance it is no wonder the weak in faith are easily pulled into such behavior. Paul warned people that they should be eating the solid food of scripture and not living or relying on infants’ milk of it. He also said to be a workman that is not ashamed and able to rightly divide the Word of Truth. This does not come by osmosis. It comes from a seeking desire to know and understand the great mercy, grace, and love of Jesus Christ and through this understanding and knowledge be more able to be able, in all things, to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. It is then we will not be cast about and tossed here and there when trials, wars, disasters in nature, famine, sickness, poverty, etc…. occur that cause others to flee faith and grab hold of what the world offers as a remedy.

28.e. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless”

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Romans 13:14    But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 13:12    The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Thessalonians 5:8    But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Jude 1:24    Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

2 Corinthians 2:11   so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

1 Peter 5:8    Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

“The tactics of intimidation and insinuation alternate in Satan’s plan of campaign. He plays both the bully and the beguiler. Force and fraud form his chief offensive against the camp of the saints.” (Simpson) Equipped with God’s armor we are more than conquerors. (Guzik) How aware are we of spiritual battles, attacks from Satan, lies from Satan, deception from Satan, and temptations from Satan? If we are not aware how will we arm ourselves against the battle for our soul? Too often we lack discernment. Too often we lack Godly wisdom and understanding. Too often we are blind and deaf to the battle for our soul. Too often we even try to battle in our own strength and power. We don’t stand a chance. How many times have we asked our children, What were you thinking?????? 99 times out of 100 we hear, I don’t know.

God tells us of His power and might and strength. There is none like Him, He is the creator. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. In Him is all truth. He knows all about Satan’s lies, deceptions, and influences. God warns us about Satan. God empowers us, if we avail ourselves to it, for the battle(s) we will face. He says “Arm yourselves”, “Put on the whole armor”, “I will be your rock, refuge, strength, power, might, and shield against the fiery attacks of Satan”, “I will never leave you or forsake you”, “I will not let you be tempted beyond what you can overcome”, “I am with you always”. And yet, we don’t acknowledge Him or avail ourselves to Him or rely on, trust in, or cling to Him. We go about our days without giving thought to spiritual battles. Is it possible that Satan doesn’t even need to bother attacking us because there is little to no spiritual activity in our lives? Can we not see the times we are living in? Can we not see and understand the influence Satan is having on people across our nation? Oh, that God would open our eyes to see and our ears to hear all that is false, cunning, and deceiving in our country. Oh, that God would awaken our soul to the battle before us and cause us to bow before Him as willing servants for this battle.

27.q. “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions”

Ephesians 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Acts 20:30-31   and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Romans 16:17-18    I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Colossians 2:4    I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

Colossians 2:8  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

1 John 2:26     I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-5   not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

1 John 4:1    Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Timothy 4:3   For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

Once people leave the Word of God they often then embrace fantastic fantasies. When a man rejects God’s truth, it isn’t that he believes in nothing; he will believe in anything. Their ears crave it. Their hearts feed on it. Their minds believe it.

Philosophy threatening us Christians is dangerous because it is not obviously sinful. It is high-sounding and seems highly intelligent. Vain speculation replaces God’s truth. Deception and false direction pulls and takes captive those who are not rooted, watered, and growing (maturing) in the Word of God and their understanding and knowledge of Him. Paul is warning them about people who would come and speak charismatically about vain things that seem plausible because of the way they are presented, but in truth, it dilutes the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have to be mindful of our innate desire to chase after worldly and fleshly stuff rather than the spiritual living water and bread of life found in Jesus Christ alone. As we grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and love the things of this world become less important. Our hearts and minds daily continue to be filled to overflowing with more light, wisdom, discernment in what is God-honoring and glorifying and what is not. A shallow commitment leads to neglect. There will be no growth in our lives. In fact, there will be just the opposite. Once there is no desire for growth – a withering and shrinking decline takes place and tossing to and fro from every wind of doctrine takes root.

We are given the fullness of the Holy Spirit when we were born again. We are given free will to choose to listen, follow, and obey its leading. When we intentionally choose to desire more understanding and knowledge of God and what it means to live in such a way that honors and glorifies Him alone in all we say and do, then and only then will we display the peace, hope, and joy that only comes in and through Jesus Christ.

11.l. “Who can stand before his indignation?”

Nahum 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him

Jeremiah 10:10     But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

Malachi 3:2    But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

Lamentations 4:11    The LORD gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.

Revelation 16:1    Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Human terms cannot give the full meaning of the infinite and sovereign God’s emotional experiences. As his love is infinitely incomprehensible, so are his displeasure, hate, anger, wrath, and vengeance. There is good reason indeed for the writer to the Hebrews to warn sinful people that it “is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God provided a way for divine redemption—repentance—forgiveness—salvation—which turns His wrath away from the sinner. To reject that perfect plan of restoration is to reject God’s love, mercy, grace, and favor and incur His righteous wrath. The judgment of God has serious eternal consequences for the unrepentant sinner. The one who believes in the Son will not suffer God’s wrath for his sin, because the Son took God’s wrath upon Himself when He died in our place on the cross. Those who do not believe in the Son, who do not receive Him as Savior, will be judged on the day of wrath.

3.f. On what are you trusting?

2 Chronicles 32:9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”? Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’”

And his servants said still more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the Lord, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.” And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.

Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.

Contempt for God. Disregard for God. Speaking against God. Disrespect toward God. These are the actions of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Mocking God and His followers come from deep in a heart that has chosen to reject God and the testimonies of His creation. Having power, influence, money, success, and a means to take what you want will occupy an empty and void heart. Pride, greed, and arrogance will capture the mind, harden the heart, and deafen the ears to a point where eternity in Hell is your permanent future destination. There is no redemption from Hell. The choice of where we spend eternity is made while we live in these earthly bodies. We don’t get a second chance once we are dead. Our fate is determined by our heart, mind, and soul choice to either yield humbly before and to God, serving, following, honoring, obeying, and trusting Him, or by a choice to harden our heart, deafen our ears, and blind our eyes to Him and His worthiness of honor, glory, praise, worship, obedience, and trust.

Hezekiah and Isaiah, the prophet, were living day after day with the taunts from Sennacherib. They heard and saw the effects this had on the people of Jerusalem. The doubts, worry, anxiousness, and faint-hearted effects were all evident from this constant reproach from the king of Assyria and his army. The people of Jerusalem had to have heard of all of the victories of this king, and it certainly did not help to have it repeated day after day by that very king. They prayed and cried out to God because of this merciless, boastful, and arrogant king. And like that, an angel of the Lord destroyed 185,000 warriors. Overnight they were dead at the hand fo God. Overnight judgment was made, the verdict declared, and the sentence carried out on this king and his mighty men. Overnight the great distress, worry, and fear were taken away and replaced with joy, peace, and rest. Such things are possible for God. There is no limit to what He can do. We will do well to live in humble service honoring, glorifying, worshiping, following, trusting, obeying, and relying on Jesus Christ.

2. “What you are doing is not good.”

Exodus 18:13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

Time is a big consumer. It can consume our lives for good things. Note Moses gave time for a good thing – “settling disputes” and he “made known the statutes and laws of God”. These are good things to be doing but not all alone. There are others to help. How we spend time on good things is a choice. It is always a balancing act and there does not seem to be an answer unless we look at it from the perspective of “What are God’s plans and purpose for us”.

If good things of this life pull you from living fully for God or give you excuse to not engage fully for Him, those good things may not be good for you.

There must be a balance. How does one balance God, work, family? Is it possible? Yes, it is. Placing God first in all you do puts life this side of eternity into perspective. With God first, we find certain good things in this life are just not as good as others. With God first and His word in our heart, we can learn to say NO to good things of this world and more YES to the one to come. Placing God first will lead you down paths of wisdom in determining what is meaningful good things and what is not.

All I can tell you is that when God is your desire good things of this world do not give satisfaction to your soul like the good things He leads you to do.

But they understood none of these things

Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

Acts 7:25  He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.

Psalms 106:7  Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.

Luke 9:45  But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.

Luke 18:34  But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Psalms 78:42  They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,

Mar 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

“They will not believe or listen to my voice”. This is what Moses said to God when God told him to go speak to the elders. Note in Acts where Paul explained what happened to Moses – the people did not understand.

What keeps people from understanding, listening, remembering, perceiving, or grasping things of God?

Could it be a hardened heart? Weak heart? Lukewarm heart? Proud heart? Worldly heart? Greedy heart? Self-seeking heart? Fearful heart? Faithless heart? Yes these can all happen but why?

Being complacent and living in prosperity, not thinking about needing God. It is a sad place to be, to think you do not need God everyday for every moment. It gets worse from here. When we see little need for God there is no time spent in His word, no time in prayer, no time seeking to serve Him, no time to worship Him, no time to honor Him.

How do we think we will see any of His mighty works, or loving kindness, or grace, or mercy, or forgiveness, or power, or strength, or peace, or courage, or healing….. if neglecting God is the norm for our daily life.

The same neglect will void any understanding of His word and knowing how to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.

The same neglect leaves us defenseless from the darts of satan in our lives.

“And though they said all is well, destruction came upon them unaware”

If his word is not breath, food and water for your soul there is little hope for honoring Him. If humbly serving, following and obeying Him is not your first goal in life there is little hope for honoring Him. If honoring Him is not the first thought in the morning and last thought at night, how will it ever happen. If His word is not feeding your heart, mind, and soul how will their be fruit.

My strength comes from the Lord.

My hope is in the Lord

My life is in the Lord’s hands

My peace, joy, and love comes from the Lord

My soul rejoices in His promises

My ears seek to hear His leading

My eyes desire to see His mighty hand

My heart loves the Lord

Do not be double-minded and unstable

Psalms 119:81 My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?” For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes. How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me? The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law. All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Psalms 119:20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.

Psalms 119:40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Psalms 42:1-2 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 84:2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalms 119:42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

Psalms 119:74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.

Psalms 119:77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.

Revelation 3:15-16 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Matthew 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Psalms 81:11-13 “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

Joshua 24:15-24 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve,

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

James 1:8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

There are many things that can lead us down a path of being “lukewarm or double-minded”. Probably the most influential would be being complacent with and neglecting God’s word.

His word is a lamp unto my feet, food to my soul, strength to my heart, encouragement to my mind. In and through His word is the “Good News” of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our savior.

Determine in and through His word what it means to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey Him. Learn of His holiness, grace, mercy, and love. Learn of His promises. Learn to hear His quiet whispers of leading. Learn to trust in, rely on, and cling to Him.