Tag: good gifts

31.q. “For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek Him”

 

Matthew 7:7  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

 Psalms 10:17   O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

 Jeremiah 33:3  Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

 Psalms 50:15    and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

 Jeremiah 29:12-13    Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

 Psalms 86:5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

 Isaiah 55:6-7   “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;  let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 Psalms 69:32  When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

 Amos 5:4   For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

 Proverbs 8:17     I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

 Hebrews 11:6   And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Revelation 3:17-18   For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Yet the image of knocking also implies that there is a door that can be opened. “His doors are meant to open: they were made on purpose for entrance, and so the blessed gospel of God is made on purpose for you to enter into life and peace. It would be of no use to knock at a wall, but you may wisely knock at a door, for it is arranged for opening.” (Spurgeon)

One would think knocking on the door implies that there is someone on the other side of it. Why would a person knock on the door if no one was expected to be there to answer it? How many, though, come and knock with no expectation, but rather to see if anyone is home. Their knock is empty, soundless, and void of belief, trust, faith, and reliance on Jesus Christ. Their knock is not with any expectation, by faith, that Jesus Christ is, out of grace, mercy, and love, waiting for their knock. No, the knock by this person is not in humble surrender to Jesus Christ with a humble believing heart that believes God’s Word; “Knock and it will be opened to you”. 

We are invited to a door that leads to the Creator of all there is, All-Powerful, All-knowing Almighty God. Coming to and knocking on this door should be reverent of who is on the other side. How many times do we knock on this door with a heart that is nothing more than an expectant demand? Shouldn’t our knock be humble? Shouldn’t our knock be reverent? Shouldn’t we know we are on holy ground while standing before this door? Are we to stand there with puffed-out chests demanding to be let in and our requests heard? Let it never be so. Let us come before this door with awe, humbleness, belief, trust, and reliance in He who is more than able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. Let us examine our hearts before knocking.  Let our knock be pure of heart, mind, and soul, and then there will be honor and glory to whom all honor and glory belong.

4.g. “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back”

Nehemiah 9:25   So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

“Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

Does this scripture reveal the intent of man’s heart?  Do you see any revelation into the paths mankind takes when they are in times of prosperity?  Time and time again God is sought with an open pleading heart in times of trials and trouble.  This happens when you realize you are powerless in facing the trials and troubles before you.  You humble yourself and call out to God because everything you have tried within your own power has failed.  It is not as though you did not try with all your strength and courage to overcome but in the end, your efforts were not enough.  Worldly wisdom would say to keep trying, get back up again, you can do this, and you are an overcomer.  Too many times we listen to the worldly voice because it is the only words of hope in our mind.  It is the words we latch on to because the word of God is void in our hearts and mind.  However, when we have hit rock bottom and our heart, mind, and soul have become depleted of self-power, self-courage, self-wisdom, and self-strength it is then we can open the door to Jesus Christ and say forgive me please help.  It is then we can make a commitment, put a stake in the ground, and stand firm in conviction to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, trust, and obey Jesus Christ.  Nehemiah 9:38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”