Tag: hear you

48.m. “Wilderness” – 12.s. Men – Vows

 

Num 30:1-2  Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the LORD has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Psalms 56:12     I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

 Psalms 76:11   Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared,

 Psalms 119:106    I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.

 Job 22:27     You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.

 Psalms 22:25     From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

 Ecclesiastes 5:4-5   When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.  It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

 Psalms 66:13-14    I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,  that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.

 Psalms 50:14    Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,

Matthew 5:33-37 Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

A vow made to God is no small thing. God commanded that His people should be careful to keep their vows and to fulfill every oath they made. Psalm 15:4 describes the godly man as the one who swears to his own hurt and does not change. “Vows either took the form of a promise to give something to God, usually a sacrifice, or a pledge to abstain from something.”  Wenham also notes the common tendency: “But when the crisis passes and the prayer is answered, there is a temptation to forget the vow.”

A commonly overlooked and unappreciated sin among God’s people is the sin of broken vows – promising things to God and failing to live up to the vow. Under the old covenant, it was commanded to make an offering to atone for the breaking of vows (Leviticus 5:4). Therefore, those who honor God:

· Will not be quick to make vows to God, especially unwise vows.

· Will be serious about fulfilling vows that they do make.

· Will regard broken vows as sins to be confessed and to be repented of. (Guzik)

The “vow” was positive; the “bond” negative or restrictive. By a vow a man engaged to dedicate something to God, or to accomplish some work for Him: by a bond he debarred himself from some privilege or enjoyment. A vow involved an obligation to do: a bond. (Barnes)

 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord—A mere secret purpose of the mind was not enough to constitute a vow; it had to be actually expressed in words; and though a purely voluntary act, yet when once the vow was made, the performance of it, like that of every other promise, became an indispensable duty—all the more because, referring to a sacred thing, it could not be neglected without the guilt of prevarication and unfaithfulness to God. (Brown)

If a man vow a vow unto the Lord,…. Which must be in a thing that is lawful to be done, which is not contrary to the revealed will and mind of God, and which may tend to the glory of God, the honour of religion, the service of the sanctuary, the good of a man’s self or of his neighbour; or in things purely indifferent, which may, or may not be done, without offence to God or man; as that he will not eat such a thing for such a time, or he will do this or the other thing, as Jarchi observes; who moreover says, that he may forbid himself what is forbidden, and forbid what is free and lawful; but he may not make free or lawful what is forbidden, that is, he may not vow to do a thing which is contrary to the law of God, such a vow will not stand. (Gill)

I think we sometimes think of vows to God like New Year’s resolutions. In the moment of having a date of starting we make a resolution to do something or to stop doing something with full intent upon completion. The first week may be squarely focused and set in our mind, but then something alters the normality of our life and the resolution is not easily maintained. Soon the resolution is nothing more than words written or spoken and the commitment to continue with unwavering focus is no longer there. 

Vows to God were not resolutions. They were solemn acts of devotion and commitment without a hint of not performing. The thought of not fulfilling a vow to God or to another person was not an option or thought. Vow or not to vow – Jesus Said – “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no”

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.

Commit to Know Him

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 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. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

Psalms 57:2  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Psalms 136:2  Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Isaiah 57:15     For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Psalms 138:8    The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Philippians 1:6   And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:12    Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

Hebrews 13:20  Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,  equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

We can cry out to God, but do we? We can claim His promise of having a plan and purpose for our life,  plan of welfare and hope, but do we believe it?  He will be found if we seek Him, but do we seek?  His word says that He will equip us with everything good so that we may do His will.  Do you wonder how He equips us to do His will?  If we seek Him with all our heart He will be found.  This seeking begins with believing in Him, His promises, and desiring to want to know Him and choosing to humbly serve Him above self, to honor, follow and obey Him above all else.  All of this requires us to spend time in His word, thinking about it and what it is saying to our heart mind and soul, seeking to and wanting to be led by Him in ways that honor and glorify Him.  This desire is from the moment we wake until the moment we lay down.  We keep our eyes focused on Him with our heart and mind open and with our ears open to hear His quiet small voice speaking to and leading us.  Spend time in His word and praying to Him.  How sad will it be if at the end of your life when entering eternity you hear “Depart from Me for I never knew you”

Troubled Heart

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Psalms 30:2  O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Psalms 6:2  Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.

Psalms 51:8   Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Psalms 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalms 118:18  The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

Psalms 147:3   He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Exodus 15:26  saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

2 Kings 20:5   “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,

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 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. I will be found by you, declares the Lord

Throughout our life we will encounter many different trials and go through many uncomfortable circumstances.  Think back and look at your life.  I read something once that said look at all of those “Worst Days of your Life” and know that you have survived them all!!!  Do we think for a minute that God was not in control or have our best interest in mind for His honor and glory?  We are human and like David, while in these times of troubles we have questions, concerns, worries, anxious thoughts, doubts, and sleepless nights. David cried out to God with all of these and after doing so he came to a place of proclaiming God’s promises.  Whatever you are going through God is much bigger than it.  He is more powerful that it. He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  So how do we find peace in and through these times?  Trust in, cling to, rely on, and wait for God.  He has given us great and precious promises so that by them our faith and hope maybe found complete trusting in His sovereignty, power, strength and steadfast love.