Tag: Good

Gentle and lowly of heart

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

John 13:13  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Romans 15:5    May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 5:2    And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Peter 2:21    For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

1 Peter 3:17   For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

1 John 2:6    whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Psalms 119:1   Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!  Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,  who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!  You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.  Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

What does it take to live in harmony?  We are encouraged and given endurance from God to imitate the example of Jesus Christ, being lowly of heart and gentle in spirit. We ought to walk in His ways being diligent to know, understand, follow and obey His precepts.  Because of our sinful nature, this is a battle everyday and culture tries to convince us that being good is good enough, being better than most is good enough, that we are not doing what is legally wrong so we are good enough…… It is not about being good enough but rather being in Christ.  Needless to say our battle is not on the outside but on the inside within our souls.  Feeding our souls with His word and having a heart deep desire to humbly serve honor, follow and obey Him will have a positive affect against our sinful nature and influence of our culture.  Be an example of Christ and a reflective light of His grace, mercy, and love.

Yet shall we Live

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.”

“who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

John 5:28  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.

John 6:39     And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 11:25     Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

Job 19:25     For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

1 Corinthians 15:22     For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:42    So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.  The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.  I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

1 Thessalonians 4:14     For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:14     For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Be encouraged in our destiny –  Raised from the dead and forever alive with Christ!!!!!!!!!!

Handiwork of God

Psalms 74:16  Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

Psalms 136:7  to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;  the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;  the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Genesis 1:3  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:14  And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,  and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.  And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.  And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,  to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Psalms 136:3  Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;   to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;   to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;   to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;   to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;   the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;   the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;

“The heavens declare the glory of God.”  There is so much we take for granted.  We see the sun come up every day and as well the moon and stars, yet we forget the awesome power of God who spoke them into existence.  In Romans it says that  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”  We chase after so much and so easily turn a blind eye toward the handiwork of God.  I recently heard a man speaking from back in 1975 on the expanse of the galaxies and how many stars are estimated.  We seem to be able to see more and more with the latest technology which shows the expanse of God’s creation.  This same man said it appears as though we are being allowed to come out of a designed permitted ignorance.  There have been so many new discoveries in the last 25 years about the universe we live in.  These discoveries, though new to us, have been there since creation.  It seems as though God is allowing mankind to see more of His creation.  Don’t get lost in the science and discoveries.  Keep grounded in knowing God is the creator of all there is.  Commit to humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.

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.

They Scoffed

“They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’”

“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.’”

Malachi 3:14  You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

Job 21:14  They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.  What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’

Psalms 73:8  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.

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.’

Daniel 5:20  But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

How hard is it to act like the God we serve is alive and in control when there is so much scoffing.  So many have made a choice to reject Him and proclaim it foolishness to believe in Him.  Yet to those who have believed in Him, who cling to Him, who rely on Him, and who trust in Him, they find power, strength, rest, peace, hope and love.  They are not defeated by those scoffing but rather set their heart and mind more so on God.  Who knows what will happen even tomorrow.  How many people have left their home only to never return do to an untimely end of life.  How many who have said in their heart tomorrow I will start trusting in God only to find tomorrow never came.  They are standing before God and hear “depart from me for I never knew you”.  These are those who are cast into hell and torment forever.  Today is the day of salvation and the day to make a choice to serve Him with all your heart mind and soul.  Do not wait  a moment longer to start humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.  Be a light unto the scoffers and a ray of hope to those lost.

God of Knowledge

“ Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.”

“knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

“Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

Malachi 2:17  You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

Psalms 95:9  when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

Isaiah 1:14     Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

Isaiah 43:24     You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

Jeremiah 15:6    You have rejected me, declares the LORD; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting.

Ezekiel 16:43    Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

Psalms 73:3  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.

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.’

Discerning the will of God is a life long process.  Each day we are led into new understanding of serving Him.   Each day we find new mercies and blessings given to us by the grace of God.  This we find when we have a heart desire to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.  However if we do not we will find ourselves like many in the past who have become complacent and turned away from full commitment to Him.  These scriptures today explain the mind and thoughts of man.  You can see the application of the word of God and service to Him being diluted by complacency.  They do not even see that the path they are on is not God honoring.  Let each of us learn from this.  He will reward those who fully delight and desire to serve Him.

Encouragement

 

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

“I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.”

”Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

Psalms 69:3o   I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

Psalms 40:3    He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

Psalms 118:21   I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

Psalms 118:28  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalms 25:9   He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Psalms 34:2    My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

Isaiah 61:1-3   to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

John 16:22   So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

In place of sorrow there will be rejoicing.  Sometimes I do not understand the affliction and trials others bear and how they seem to rise above them and give God praise.  It is inspiring to see those who bear the affliction and those who love them walk in a way that does not complain but rather continues to seek God and His love and mercy.  It is inspiring to see them quote promises of God and hold fast to Him.  It is encouraging to see their faith in action – God is able but even if He chooses not to act in this matter we hold fast to Him.  Holding on and trusting God is possible when our walk with Him is lived out and His word is in our heart. Seek Him today and hold fast to His promises. He is certainly able to do more than we ask and much more than we can think.

Day of Wrath

“ But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Psalms 58:11  Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

Psalms 92:15    to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Malachi 3:14    You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?

Isaiah 3:10    Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.  Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

Romans 6:21  But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Psalms 9:16    The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Psalms 64:9     Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.

Psalms 33:18    Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Psalms 96:13   before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Malachi 2:17    You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

2 Peter 3:4  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”  For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,  and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.  But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Do you ever wonder how you will be judged by God?  It is never based on comparing ourselves with others.  I see those who pretend there is nothing wrong in their life which leads to a very complacent walk with God.  I see others who try to preform various acts to overshadow that which they know is contrary to being right with God.  Do you think we are judged based on how bad other people are or how well we preform?     We will be judged according to what is found in His word. Those who come to God and believe it is in what they do that makes them right before Him – “Trying to earn it” – His word says being made right before God is a gift of grace to all who believe and not by works less any man would boast.  What in our life can stand up to His holiness?  What can make us clean if we can’t earn it?  Believing in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, trusting in, clinging to, and relying on this alone to be right in God’s eyes.  It is not by what we do but by believing in what He has done. If we have trust in anything else we fall short.  If we try to make up for it by some act of kindness we fall short.  We can not earn something that is given freely.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”  It is by belief not works.  However there are outward signs of those who believe.  At least there should be.  Joy and Praise – because of God and His grace and mercy, Hope – because of His promises, Peace  & Rest –  because of knowing our lives are a work of His hand,  Strength & Courage – because God is our rock and sovereign over all, Love and Kindness and Sacrificial Giving – because of His demonstration in giving us His son to redeem us.  Our lives should reflect humble service, honoring, following, and obeying God for the single purpose of who God is, what He has done, and what He will do.  God asks for our whole heart, mind and soul.  Stop pretending everything is ok.  Stop preforming, thinking this makes you right before God.  Start with a heart deep desire to honor, serve, follow and obey.  Spend time in His word each day.

Walk in the Light

“let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins”

Psalms 56:13  For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalms 86:12  I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forevever.  For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Psalms 116:8   For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;

2 Corinthians 1:10    He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

1 Thessalonians 1:10   and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Psalms 17:5    My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.

Psalms 94:18    When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

1 Samuel 2:9  “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.

Psalms 116:9    I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

Genesis 17:1   When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

Isaiah 38:3    and said, “Please, O LORD, 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.

John 8:12   Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 12:35  So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

Ephesians 5:8  for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead exposed.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,  for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

This chapter in Psalms speaks of those who walked in a way that demonstrated their whole heart wanting to please God in all they thought, did, and said.  Ephesians brings us into remembrance of when our heart was enlightened. “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”  Yes, in the past we did live in darkness and walked a path that was apart from God.  But we are to now walk in a way that is good, right and true continually discerning what is pleasing to God.  How do we know what is good, right and true?  How do we discern what is pleasing to Him?  I fear we allow the culture we live in to dictate what is good, right, and true.  I fear we do not give thought to the love God demonstrated for us through redemption in and through His son. Can you imagine what it would feel like to give your son’s life for the redemption of another and in addition to this grace you also write a book filled with knowledge about you, your statutes, your commandments, you promises, your warnings and the person you redeemed has now lasting thankfulness for what you have done. I fear we neglect God’s word.  We don’t spend time in it.  We don’t think about it so how can it speak into our heart, mind and soul.  We don’t have anything to apply into our lives because of this neglect.  We are lukewarm at best.  We convince ourselves that we are better than most, give when we can, read His word when we have time, and believe in Him.  We need to be careful with this thinking.  Even Satan believes.  Belief is nothing without faith.  Faith is nothing without action.  Action means nothing if it is not with discernment and according to God’s word.  Scripture is clear that we are to live in light of His word, meditate on it, seek His word and act on it.  We do this because it honors and glorifies God.  We do it because of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised.  There is nothing done in secret.  God knows all the thoughts and actions of every single person.  We fall into satan’s trap of being good enough rather than being all we can in Him.  Do you want to glorify God – spend time in His word with a prayer request of Him leading you on a path that glorifies Him.  I recently was told of a friend who found out he has a serious medical issue for which there is little that can be done.  His time will end far to early.  Yet what he realizes now is all the time he spent on things that don’t amount to much at all.  He has many regrets.  We never know when our time will end and we enter eternity.  Don’t allow one more day to go by being fooled into thinking you can serve God lukewarm.  This is not serving Him it is only leading you down a path further from God.  Choose now to commit to being in His word, humbly serving, following and obeying Him.  When tears come it will be for the reason of joy meeting God rather than of regret.