Tag: fat

14.e.  “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Malachi 3:7  From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

Deuteronomy 9:7-21     Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD.  Even at Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, and the LORD was so angry with you that he was ready to destroy you.

Deuteronomy 31:20    For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant.

Deuteronomy 31:27-29     For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!  Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them.  For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

Nehemiah 9:16-17    “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.

Acts 7:51-52     “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Psalms 78:8-10    and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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.

Romans 10:3     For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Isaiah 65:2    I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;

James 4:8     Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Jeremiah 3:12-14   Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever.  Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.

Romans 10:21   “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

When I think about COVID and all the fear that has been instilled by continual over-reporting and misreporting from virtually every national news outlets and how the nation, states, cities, businesses, and people have reacted, I wonder if this is all it takes to turn reason and logic into fear, anger, worry, panic, stress, tension, unrest, suspicion, nervousness, etc….  Continually spreading and broadcasting pessimistic, gloomy, alarmist, hopeless, and despairing news appears to be all it takes to move nations, states, cities, businesses, and to get people to think un-rational and illogical.  At some point, individuals begin to believe it so much that anyone who thinks differently than this narrative is censored, ostracized, ignored, banished, shut out, and rejected.

So I sit here this morning and wonder what it would be like if the Word of God was broadcasted, reported, declared, distributed, transmitted, and spread in the same way and manner?  Would people’s hearts, minds, and souls be moved and turned toward God?  Would people believe in Jesus Christ?  Would people repent? Would people fear God?  Would they lose interest in things of this world and have their hope and trust in Jesus Christ and eternity?  Would truth, justice, mercy, grace, and love become a way of life and the “New Normal”?  If nations, states, cities, businesses, and people can be led by lies, half-truths, and fear would they just as easily be led by truth?

People want the truth so bad that they will believe lies to think they have it.  It is as if they will believe lies and half-truths easier and much faster than truth.  In fact, it appears as if they choose lies over truth.  And such it is with mankind where there is an intentional choice to deny, defy, neglect, and reject the truth.  Some of this denial, defiance, and rejection come from and out of a want for truth but rather than listening to the truth they turn away from it and choose to believe lies.  However, the real reason there is denial, defiance, and rejection of the things of God is within the heart of man.  I think this is why there are so many warnings in the bible to seek Jesus Christ first.  When He is first everything else can be viewed within the context of worldly and heavenly, present and future, right and wrong, truth and lies.  There should be no fear, worry, helplessness, pessimistic thoughts, panic, anger, panic, and unrest in the hearts of those who trust in Jesus Christ.  Do not let things of this world blind your hearts, minds, and souls from the truth that is eternal life-giving.  Seek Jesus, for today is the day of salvation, hope, joy, peace, power, and courage.

“and the Rock was Christ.”

“and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

Psalms 95:1  Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Psalms 89:26    He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

Deuteronomy 32:15     “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.

2 Samuel 22:47     “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

Job 19:25     For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

Deuteronomy 32:39-40    “‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me;

John 5:22-29     For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Sometimes it is just hard to keep our head on straight and remember our redeemer and rock lives.  He is very much alive and very much able to be the rock we can find refuge.  Having this rock and relying on it are not the same thing.  Too many times we walk into situations on our own without a thought of making sure we are wrapped in the arms of our savior.  It is in these times we find ourselves lost and at odds with what we are face with.  The next time you are going into to any situation make sure it is with the presence of Jesus Christ.  From recent experience I know it is not good to get so wrapped up in the issue you before you that you walk alone without thinking about praising and relying on Him.  I guess this today is more of me speaking to myself than sharing with you.  He lives and is more than able to keep us safe and secure and calm and kind and respectful.

Almost Stumbled

“but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Psalms 73:1   Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.  For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.  They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.  Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.  Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.  They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.  They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.  Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.  If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.  But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Jeremiah 12:1  Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Psalms 37:1   Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers

Proverbs 3:31    Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,

Proverbs 24:1     Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them,

Hosea 7:2     But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.

Zephaniah 1:12   At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.

I copied this from a commentary on this chapter of 73 Psalms.  “We have in these verses a good man’s temptation. In every age God’s people have asked whether God can possibly know all that is taking place on the earth, and if He does know, why He allows evil to prosper. The dark spirit who is ever at our elbow whispers that we should have done as well, and better”  It surely rings true if not for the questions of “does He know” and “why does He allow” surely for listening to the whispers of Satan into our ears and becoming envious.  We must recognize these whispers and fight them with the word of truth.  Paul in his letters once wrote “I have learned to be content in having little and having much.”  We do well to be content knowing and humbly serving God.  We have so many distractions pulling at our heart and soul it is only those who desire and commit to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey who will find true peace and rest this side of eternity.