Tag: Exiles

29.l. “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things”

 

Colossians 3:1  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 Psalms 16:11   You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 Psalms 73:25-26     Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 Hebrews 11:13-16     These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

 Psalms 119:36-37   Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!  Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

 1 Chronicles 22:19     Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God.

 Romans 8:5    For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

 1 John 2:15   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 Luke 12:15    And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

“The believer is to ‘seek the things… above.’ The word ‘seek’ marks aspiration, desire, and passion… In order to seek these things the mind must be set on them.” (Morgan) What is it that captures or tries to capture our minds and ultimately our hearts? A seemingly harmless endeavor turns into a heart and mind-consuming desire and soon it replaces or interferes with devotion, submission, worship, obedience, reliance, and glory to Jesus Christ.  Scripture tells us to be steadfast, anchored, and heaven-focused all of the time.  It does not specify this for specific days or seasons, it is expected that in a man of God it is all the time, and yet, we find ourselves being consumed by things that are not heavenly or Jesus Christ-honoring. How does this happen? The shallowness of personal commitment to spiritual, heavenly, and things of God will always leave a void in a person’s heart, mind, and soul. This void is filled with something, it is not left void.  Worldly and fleshly wants, desires, and temptations abound, and in the absence of desire and seeking of spiritual, heavenly, and Godly things in a person’s life will be consumed by the worldly and fleshly.  Far too many think believing in Jesus Christ is nothing more than an insurance policy to keep from going to Hell and their lives are neither committed or their hearts desire focused on things above. Examine yourself and see. Is your hearts desire for spiritual, heavenly, and Godly things?

10.j. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Obadiah 1:19  Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Judges 2:16    Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them

Judges 3:9    But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel,

Joel 2:32   And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

Micah 5:4-9     And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.  And he shall be their peace

Isaiah 19:20    It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.

Ecclesiastes 11:9   Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

How many times in the bible has God delivered people out of their troubles and trials?   You can read throughout scripture where God has either both judged and rescued or rescued His people from enemies. Yet the biggest rescue is not from outside influences.  It is from ourselves and sinful nature.  How many times do we seek God’s intervention into affairs affecting us but give no thought to our inner self?  We need rescuing from self-centered, self-reliant, self-gratifying, self-worth, and self-seeking ways.  These are sins born out in our hearts, mind, and soul.  We easily come to Jesus Christ when our lives are affected but why is it so hard to look inward with scripture eyes?  It is by far better to live persecuted, poor and despised with a pure heart that humbly serves, seeks, thirsts, trusts, relies upon, and obeys Jesus Christ.  Try thinking about inward thoughts and motives and asking yourself if these are in-line with God’s Word.  We should be humbled by what the Holy Spirit teaches us today when our thoughts go inward heart deep.    

3.k. “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Ezra 4:1  Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 6:9    For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Isaiah 35:3-4    Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Jeremiah 38:4   “for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.”

The people came together and first built the altar for sacrifice to God.  When this was completed they laid the foundation for the temple and people shouted with joy, though some wept, because of this great coming together with one purpose – to honor, glorify, and seek God in building His temple.  People of the land heard of this and acted as though they wanted to help build but after being rejected they were malicious in discouraging and frustrating the people.

Not much has changed with mankind.  We still see this happening, people with clear direction and leading from God are being criticized, challenged, and blasted from almost every angle.  We shouldn’t think this is an attack on us but an attack on God’s plans and purposes.  If we give any room to thoughts that these attacks are against us we will certainly become weary, afraid, confused, and without motivation.  However, if we see this as God’s plans and purposes being attacked we can take comfort, strength, and courage because the battle is His.  We know that He will always accomplish what He speaks and how He leads us in service to Him.

Keep your eyes on the task and do not become sidetracked by those in opposition.  God is in control.  No one can stop what God has put in place.  Remain strong, remain faithful, remain obedient.

Is it Wasted on Us

Prophets and Kings longed for and looked forward to the time when the Messiah would come dwell with mankind.  In addition to Jesus’s coming, death, and resurrection the Holy Spirit was sent to teach and lead us in righteousness.  Do we realize just how great of a time in history that we live?  Do we know how much more accountable we are for having more knowledge and not acknowledging it fully?  Everyday we close our ears to hear what  God’s purpose is for our life – we become dull in our hearing and understanding of His will.  Long for Him, desire Him, and choose to live with only His purpose for your life.

Matthew 13:16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it

John 8:56
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad

Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth

1 Peter 1:12
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look