Faithfulness – Page 4

1.l. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

1 Chronicles 28:6 And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and mine ordinances, as at this day. Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Jehovah, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Jehovah your God; that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for Jehovah hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

Hosea 4:1   Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;

Jeremiah 24:7  I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

Acts 17:30    The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

1 Corinthians 15:34     Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

2 Corinthians 4:6     For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Wake up, take heed, hear the word of the Lord, and repent. Why the need to wake up – because we have fallen asleep to God’s word. Why take heed – because it will go well with you and you will find peace and rest. Why hear the word of the Lord – because in it we find eternal life, peace, courage, joy, hope, strength, and love. Why repent – because there must be a conscious recognition of our personal sin and intentional choice to turn away (repent) from it.

This call o wake up, take heed, hear the word of the Lord, and repent is for everyone. It is worthy of giving thought to it. It is worthy of examining your life against it. It is worthy of intentionally choosing to honor Jesus Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul, in all we think, say and do.

188. I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.

2 Kings 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”

And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

Joshua 10:12-14 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel

God creator, author of all there is, all powerful, and all mighty spoke all there is into being. All of nature and science obeys the voice of God from creation to forever. Why do we find it hard to understand that the author and creator can control and manipulate what He has created? Stopping the sun and moon for a full day, retreating the sun for however far it takes to go back ten steps is nothing compared to what God can do. He is unlimited. Scripture says He can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. And we still have doubts. We still have anxious thoughts. We worry and fret. We become afraid. When we come to the place where we have surrendered our trial/trouble in the hands of Jesus, and we say not my will but yours be done, it is then we find the blessed assurance, peace that passes all understanding, faith that moves mountains, hope that conquers fears, and trust that gives us strength and courage in the midst of our trials/troubles. Stay close to Him, seek Him, desire Him, and above all lay your burdens at His feet and rest in His unfailing love.

163. First or second choice?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall

John 8:31-36 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Is our first choice to trust God, to seek God, to rely on God????? Do we do it on our own pushing forward without waiting for God’s perfect plan? When do I put myself first and God second? Do I even know how to put God first? The real question I should be asking is “do I trust Him”, Do I rely on Him, Do I seek Him and his perfect plan and purpose for my life? To be honest I would have to say yes and no. I struggle with waiting. I struggle in the limbo stages of life. I struggle with not knowing? All of these struggles happen when I truly am in a place in my life where I need to trust in, rely on, and cling to God. Therein is where the problem is. I place more significance in needing and wanting God present and working in my life when things are a bit of center than when all systems are good. If my choice for God is on reserved for times of need then what kind of wretched man am I. Should not my choice be for wanting to honor, glorify, serve, worship, follow, obey, and rely on Him ALL OF THE TIME?

If I don’t establish God first in all things at all time then I will find myself not being fueled up for all times of life. Fuel for life comes from His word but the use of that fuel is a choice, a disciplined choice, an intentional choice, and a commitment that is heart, mind, and soul deep. There cannot be times where I am content enough today without it being all about God, or where I allow myself to think that I can coast today, or that I am good enough today on my own.

Never is it right to think we serve, honor, follow, and obey God on our terms as an alternative way to live for those moments of trying times. If we think this way He will always not be an intentional first choice in our life and more than likely not even a close second.

Here is a hymn that speaks of realizing the heart, mind, and soul-deep need for Jesus each day:

I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee. I need thee every hour, stay thou nearby; temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly, and abide, or life is vain I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

137. Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

1 Kings 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.

Exodus 15:11    “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

1 Samuel 2:2    “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

2 Samuel 7:22     Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

Psalms 35:10     All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

Psalms 86:8     There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.

Psalms 89:6-8     For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?

Isaiah 40:18     To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

Jeremiah 10:6     There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.

Micah 7:18    Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Nehemiah 1:5     And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

When we are actively reading God’s word with a heart desire to know, honor, glorify, worship, serve, follow and obey Him we will start to see God in increasing awe. We will rightfully be saying “Who is like You?” and “There is none like You.” We ask the question and answer it very simply because our minds cannot grasp or fathom the magnitude, depth, hight, or length of the wisdom, gloriousness, holiness, and love of God. When we humbly start our seeking to know God we have a basic thought of who/what God is. As we spend more and more time in His word with a heart desire to know Him more we become aware that God is so much more than we can comprehend. We grab on to words of praise and say “There is none like You.” You tell us that you are Creator of heaven and earth and all there is and we have no clue how to process this knowledge with understanding other than to say “Who is like You?” We read of Your power, might, all-knowing, and steadfast love and say “There is none like You.”

It is not as though we should come to a point in our searching to know God and stop because the knowledge and understanding of God are too great. No, we ought to keep searching to continue to grow in faith, service, and love for and to God. We will see new mercies and faithfulness emerge because we will continue to be allowed to see them. It seems as though they are a portion of a reward for knowing Him more and more each day. Our faith will grow with each new nugget of understanding and knowledge of God. Our want to live in such a way to honor His name more and more will continue to grow because of our understanding and knowledge of Him keep increasing.

How do we know Him more? Stay in His word. How do we honor Him? intentionally choose to stay in His word each day with a desire to humbly serve, follow, and obey Him. God is more than worthy of our time. Start spending more intentional God-honoring time with Him today!

134. Walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul,

1 Kings 2:2 Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

Deuteronomy 29:9   Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Joshua 1:7    Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

1 Chronicles 29:19    Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes

Deuteronomy 4:1     “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live,

Deuteronomy 5:1    And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

Psalms 119:2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

Proverbs 3:1-4 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

We have the liberty to walk in the way that we choose. We are given this liberty/choice to test our heart and mind. Walking in God’s way is taking a narrow path and is full of promises, truth, grace, mercy, strength, hope, joy, love, courage…… but the path that leads to destruction is wide and comes with promises but they are for the pleasures of the flesh. They are for this world and this side of eternity with no eyes on eternity, no eyes on coming judgment, no eyes on God, and living for the liberty of doing what pleases fleshly desires.

I wonder if we take liberty with our walk with God. We walk with Him on Sunday, at least for part of the day, but for the rest of the week, there is nothing different in our walk and those who are not walking with God at all.

Walking with God is an intentional lifestyle choice for every moment of every day. It is a humble walk of desiring and seeking to serve, glorify, honor, follow, and obey Jesus Christ. There is no way this is possible if His word is not active in your life every day. There is no way this is possible if there is not an intentional commitment each day. There is no way possible if there is not a desire to know and be known by Him. There is no way possible if there is no desire and want to listen to His word speak into your life. Liberty and freedom of choice do not mean we are guiltless of the choices we make in this liberty and freedom. “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart”

131. That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me

2 Samuel 22:31 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.

Deuteronomy 32:4     “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Daniel 4:37     Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Revelation 15:3    And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!

Proverbs 30:5     Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Psalms 91:4    He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

Isaiah 45:21    And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

Isaiah 45:5-6   I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,  that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

If we are to believe in, honor, worship, submit to, follow, obey, cling to, rely on, and trust in the one and only God, it is not enough to have a vague notion that there is some higher power out there, even if we concede that there is only one such higher power. We must seek to know who this God is. The Bible presents us with this one true God in a specific and detailed self-revelation(s). The God of the Bible makes very clear His identity as the one, self-existent, eternal, living God. The very first verse of the Bible announces that it was He who created both the heavens and the earth. If we are to know God, it can only be through God willfully making Himself known to us, and He has done so in the Bible, through His Spirit, and in the person of Jesus Christ.

Luke Wayne: “The God of the Bible is not just one culture’s version of every other god. The great I AM of Holy Scripture is the unique Creator, Governor, Provider, and Redeemer to whom all men of every nation must come to on God’s terms and not on our own. While this might be “narrow” and “exclusive,” it is true and is, in fact, quite good news! God has made Himself known to His creation and provided a way for us to come into true fellowship with Him! Not only is there one true and living God to believe in, but you can also know and commune with that God! You can stand is His awesome power, unfailing justice, and everlasting love.”

129. My stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge

2Samuel 22:1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Deuteronomy 32:4     “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

1 Samuel 2:2   “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Psalms 31:3     For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;

Psalms 71:3     Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 91:2     I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalms 144:2    he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge

I wonder what we have to go through in order to see God as our refuge, rock, stronghold, shield, deliverer, savior, and fortress. I think it comes down to how we see God in our heart, mind, and soul. If we have a desire to know Him more, longingly spending time in His word, expecting to find a refreshing and strengthening of our faith, and seeking to do that which honors and glorifies Him will set us on a path that we see God’s hand in everything and in control of His creation. When our understanding of God is continually fueled by His word we begin to see the awesome power, strength, might, and unlimitedness of God. At his voice, the utterance of a word from His mouth universes and galaxies were made. At his command the Red Sea parted, the Jordan River stopped, walls of Jericho fell, armies defeated, dead brought back to life, deaf given to hear, blind able to see, and so much more. How do we call on someone who is not active in our life – we don’t?

Our ability to see God as rock, refuge, and fortress comes from faith and our faith grows as we deny more and more of self-interest and we spend more time in His word (conscious intentional choice), seeking to humbly serve, honor, follow, obey, cling to, rely on, and trust in Him. Don’t limit God for He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. Though we wait, we trust. Though we have moments of anxiousness we renew our trust. Though we do not see the end of our trial we trust and know God is in control and all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Though I do not see Him I know He is there and in His hands I find peace. Though I don’t know when my trial will end I will not carry this burden for He is my refuge, rock, stronghold, shield, deliverer, savior, and fortress

118. “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

2 Samuel 7:18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Genesis 32:10    I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant,

1 Samuel 15:17     And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.

Psalms 8:4    what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

1 Kings 3:9    Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

2 Corinthians 3:5     Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

When it comes to the knowledge of how one may stand before God and attain eternal life, that is truly not to be achieved by our work or power, nor to originate in our brain. In spiritual matters, human reasoning certainly is not in order; other intelligence, other skill and power, are requisite here – something to be granted by God himself and revealed through his Word.

Martin Luther – Of ourselves – in our own wisdom and strength – we cannot effect, discover nor teach any counsel or help for man, whether for ourselves or others. Any good work we perform among you; any doctrine we write upon your heart – that is God’s own work. He puts into our heart and mouth what we should say, and impresses it upon your heart through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we cannot ascribe to ourselves any honor therein, cannot seek our own glory as the self-instructed and proud spirits do; we must give to God alone the honor, and must glory in the fact that by his grace and power he works in you unto salvation.

79. “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:12 You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’ “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.” Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.” Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

It is one thing to say “I will serve the Lord” and another to do it. Speaking the words are easy but the commitment of the heart to serve Jesus Christ over self is where the problem occurs. There is a moment of commitment in our thought process but for some reason, it does not make it into a heart and soul deep desire. We need a commitment so deep in our soul that life its self is second to humbly serving, honoring, worshiping, following, trusting, and obeying Jesus Christ. We need a commitment so firm and reliant on Jesus that life’s purpose, this side of eternity, is only fulfilled when serving, following, and obeying Him.

There is so much that can pull at our walk with Jesus. In our prosperity and ease of life, we allow neglect and complacency to slide into our lives and erode our daily foundational time in His word. Intentionally choose to serve Him, commit fully to honoring and obeying Him, and keep your heart, mind, and soul fixed on Him every moment of every day.

65. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

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

Proverbs 3:1-4     My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,  for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.  Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Ezekiel 40:4     And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

Hebrews 2:1     Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 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, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Proverbs 4:20-22     My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

Take heart, set your mind and heart, look with your eyes, hear with your ears, pay much closer attention, do not forget, be attentive, incline your ears, keep them within your heart, be careful to do, and seek the Lord your God, are all words to encourages us to keep our faith pure, our walk straight, and our heart, mind, and soul clinging to, relying on and trusting in God. Why?? Because of God’s steadfast love, mercy and grace, atonement, redemption, salvation, and eternity in heaven. To neglect or become complacent in our commitment and walk with Him allows us to drift away from Him and straight into the warnings rightly given. Today is the day to commit. Tomorrow is always too late.