Heart – Page 8 – Praying Pint

25.c. “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Psalms 73:26    My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 40:29    He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Psalms 119:81   My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.

Psalms 27:13    I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

Job 19:26-27   And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,  whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

Isaiah 40:31    but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Psalms 119:71    It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

Psalms 119:67    Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

Psalms 73:24    You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Having hope and faith in God, and trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Jesus Christ, opens our heart, mind, and soul to eternity. It is not as though we understand it but we are certain of it. We know without a shadow of a doubt that we will be raised from death to life and forever be with Him in His glory. In this understanding, we can rejoice through our flesh is fading away. Can you imagine what it will be like to be in the presence of God and see Him face to face? Standing in the presence of the creator of all there is, the One who knows all of your past and future thoughts and intents, the One who sent His Son to die for you and to redeem you, the one who forgave you of all your sins and has separated them as far as the east is from the west, the One who has taken your blood-red sin-stained soul and washed it white as snow, the One who loved you and made know the mystery of salvation, the One who will raise you up and forevermore you will be with Him in eternity.

We ought to live in light of this and humbly and obediently doing that which honors and glorifies Him alone.

24.w. “How you ought to walk and to please God”

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

2 Peter 3:14    Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

2 Peter 1:4-9     by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Psalms 78:8   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.

Philippians 1:9    And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

1 Thessalonians 4:1   Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

What keeps us from being “Steadfast”, “Immovable”, and “Diligent”? Has the definition of these words changed? Loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, true, constant, unwavering, unswerving, resolute, determined, adamant, firm, unshakeable, unfailing, unyielding, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, careful, thorough, constant, persevering, persistent, zealous, dedicated, committed, driven, active, tireless. The meaning of these words has not changed so it be in our application of God’s Word in our lives. If we are not in His Word there is little chance it will have influencing application. If we allow ourselves to be consumed with what the world has to offer, how can we be steadfast, immovable, and diligent? It takes work, commitment, and determination to be steadfast, remain immovable, and ever diligent in things of God. Do not allow the allure of this word rob you of the grace, mercy, and blessings of God now and in heaven.

22.d. “Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn”

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 13:11-17 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The natural man – one who lives in a natural state, and under the influences of these natural passions, lives in opposition to things of God and things taught by and through the Holy Spirit. Instead of living with knowledge and understanding, they live void of God. They have blocked their own eyes from seeing and their ears from hearing things of God. Their heart has become like a stone to things of God. They choose to live in this state of blindness and deafness. Everything they do is void of doing it for the honor and glory of God. Even the good that they do is done out of selfish desires. All of us were born in the natural state, with natural desires, and lives that were in opposition to and void of understanding things of God. There is not a single person who can claim a birth other than this. “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”

The amazing and awesome Good News of Jesus Christ is that, in the grace, mercy, and love of God, He made a way, a mystery, for us to have a “New Birth”, “Born Again”, “A New Creation”. This mystery can not be understood or found by the wisdom and understanding of the natural man. The heart and mind of the natural man are void of this understanding. Somehow, God, is able to soften the heart and mind of the natural man with the “Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have no comprehension of how this works, but I know the most stone-hardened heart can be changed by hearing the Good News. I was lost but now am found, I was blind but now I see, I was deaf but now I hear. Somehow the Gospel penetrates through the hardness and the heart and mind are able to understand the Gospel. At that moment, in that very second, that person makes an intentional choice to believe it or reject it. In that very moment a once hardened heart, that intentionally chooses to believe, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ, is changed and is “Born Again”, becomes a “New Creation”, and is a “New Birth”.

Everyone will make an intentional decision to believe and trust God or to reject deny or reject Him before they die. In this decision, they choose eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. There ought to be a difference in how the lives are lived of those that are “Born Again” compared to those who are spiritually void.

21. “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

Psalm 34:11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 4:1   Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

2 Timothy 3:15    and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

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

Isaiah 28:9   “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message?

Proverbs 22:6    Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ecclesiastes 12:1   Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10   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.  Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Psalms 32:8   I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Psalms 111:10   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.

Proverbs 1:7    The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:1-9     My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,  making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;  yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,  if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;  he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.  Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;

Think about how much time we invest in learning in our modern society. We begin with one year of kindergarten, then twelve years of graded school, then four years of college, then up to five years of graduate school. Then, for some professions, like the medical field, there are three to seven more years of specialty training. Some people spend twenty years or more learning because education is valuable and usually contributes to greater success in life. But how often do we think about learning to fear the Lord? That is, do we consider growing deeper and deeper in our relationship with Him as a “curriculum” of sorts? A curriculum that lasts a lifetime? This was a common theme in the nation of Israel. Citizens of Israel were expected to be taught how to fear the Lord—how to honor Him, trust Him, love Him, worship Him, and more. And the main vehicle for that learning was the Word of God—the words of His law (Deuteronomy 31:12-13). When you read and study your Bible, think of it as learning to fear the Lord—a curriculum that lasts a lifetime. (David Jeremiah)

It is foolish to think a person could or would become a doctor, lawyer, electrician, plumber, engineer, teacher, or another profession, by the mere fact of stating that you are. To become one of any of these requires an intentional choice to begin to learn, continue to learn, and gain the knowledge and understanding and the necessary and on-going skills to apply it. People are tested and certified as competent and given licenses to practice in various fields of study and vocation. Some specialize and become experts in a particular vein of their field of study. It all takes time, commitment, and dedication. Some may even commit to continual learning in their field until the day they die. This commitment and dedication are viewed as having been beneficial to society in some way, either to the whole or to a group, as in an engineer who works for a company that designs and builds medical equipment, or a lawyer who works for a firm that defends the rights of the abused, or a teacher/professor who instructs on a particular requirement for a degree, etc…. They have committed to having an impact in others’ lives by their commitment to knowledge and understanding in their field of expertise.

Oh that it was so with Christians, where continual commitment, dedication, and seeking to understand and gain knowledge of how to live to honor, glorify, follow, trust, rely and obey God all of their days. When people commit to a job or profession they start by learning precept upon precept and continue this process until they have achieved the minimum requirements to gain certification or licensure. Too often Christians believe they have obtained the minimum requirements to gain eternal life and they stop their dedication and commitment to gaining understanding and knowledge of God. How foolish would it be for a person to think that after completing kindergarten that they have learned it all and there is no longer any more understanding or knowledge to be gained? Yet, some Christians believe this to be true. Likewise, how foolish would it be to graduate from college after 4-8 years of study and then not continue to grow, learn, and stay on top of new developments within their field? And, even more, foolish is the person who does not apply or make any effort to apply the knowledge and understanding they have taken the time to gain. To end our lives in a state of neglect and complacency toward understanding and knowledge of God is to enter eternity with disregard for God and Jesus Christ His Son. Don’t end your life with this disregard. Spend time in His Word. Seek and desire to know more and more about how to honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey Him. Certainly, The creator of all there is, is worthy of all we have and all we do.

20.y. “Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Romans 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Psalms 55:21   His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

Psalms 36:4   He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

Proverbs 8:13   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 26:25   when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart;

Ezekiel 33:31   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Psalms 34:14    Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Amos 5:15   Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Psalms 101:3   I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

1 Peter 3:10-11  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

I like where David says “ I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” He has purposed in his heart to know what is good, true, and right and by knowing this he is able to discern what is evil and worthless. Though he sees it and though others are doing or following after it, it will not cling to him. He has purposed in his heart to keep his life from evil and to do that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.

How is a person to know what is worthless and how to keep it from clinging to us? “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” We need to be able to recognize and discern the difference between that which is worthless and that which is right, true, pure, honorable, and lovely. God’s Word will always bring to mind the difference. Sometimes this wisdom comes immediately and other times it is a work in progress. The problem is that God’s Word does not reside in the hearts and minds of many. Meditation on His Word is what is able to soak in on a Sunday morning a couple of times per month. There is so much distraction in the world today. It is at our fingertips all our waking moments and unless there is a purposed restraint it will consume our hearts and minds. It is in this consumption that we become neglectful and complacent to the Word of God and things of God. Take an inventory of what is worthless in the world. Make a list of what you see as worthless. Spend some time looking at God’s view of what is worthless in this world. Seek and desire to know the difference.

20.p. “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false”

Romans 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

Isaiah 6:10     Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Matthew 13:14-15   Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12   and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

How utterly bad is it to have rejected God and His love through Jesus Christ and then believe that which is nothing more than a delusion, lies, and unsatisfying to the soul? God reaches out in love to mankind with a gracious and merciful gift, Jesus Christ, and people have and continue to reject this offer. This offer has been flat out denied, neglected, diluted, or rejected, and it is in this state of mind they easily believe dilutions and lies. The saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ is not so much withheld from them but rather they have blinded their eyes and deafened their ears with wanting to believe anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a personal intentional choice of rejection. With hardened hearts, they hear of God’s love through Jesus Christ but it has no effect. Though the Word of God shouts “Come to Me”, “Believe in Me”, “Trust Me”, “Rely on Me”, “Yield and surrender to Me”, “I love you so much I sent My Son to bear the burden of your sins”, “I will give you rest”, “I will give you joy, peace, power, courage, hope”, and “I will give you eternal life”, they choose to reject, deny, and neglect it. They choose to believe in the wisdom of man or self rather than the Creator. They choose to deny and reject God’s Word when it says; “I will judge you”, “I will pour out My wrath on you”, “I will not withhold my anger against you forever”, “I will cast you into eternal hell for eternity”, “I will reject all who have rejected Me”, “I am coming again to judge both the living and dead”, and “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God and all of His fury”.

Rejection, denial, neglect, and complacency, take on many forms, at different times, but always display the intent of the heart, mind, and soul of people. All is exposed and open to God. He knows the intent of your heart and mind. He knows if you have surrendered all your hope of forgiveness for sin by faith, trust, and reliance in/on Jesus Christ alone. He knows if you keep some of this surrender back and by some means rely on some form of your good works or Christian service to help you become good in His eyes. This will never produce anything God-honoring because you are trying to keep some of this honor for yourself to somehow make you right in God’s eyes. It is just another delusion and lie. There is nothing you can do other than complete humble surrender, reliance, and trust in Jesus Christ. It is then and only then you will realize the good things you do are for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

20.k. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:8 “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Mark 16:15-16    And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 10:43   To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Galatians 3:5    Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith

Acts 13:38-39    Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,  and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

I must admit I am intrigued by the difference between believing and believing in and on Jesus Christ. I imagine there are those who believe Jesus Christ. They believe He is the Son of God. They believe He was sent by God. They believe He died and rose again. They believe He is coming again. The believe there is a heaven and a hell. They believe the bible is God’s Word. They believe doing good is right. They believe in some form of justice for the guilty and innocent. And yet, for all of this belief, they fall short of what it means to believe on/in Jesus Christ. The difference is they believe about Him but not in/on Him. One is an intellectual understanding, belief, and knowledge of the subject – Jesus Christ. To believe in/on Jesus Christ is completely different. It is life -changing, life-altering, life-leading, and true peace and joy giving faith. The bible says this is being born again, made new, and being a new creation. This newness of life comes from believing in, trusting in, clinging to, relying on, surrendering and yielding to, and obeying Jesus Christ. A persons life is changed.

I fear many believe that the work of Jesus Christ was a blanket forgiveness over all of mankind’s sins and that all who do good things in this life will go to heaven. They live good lives and can be kind and loving but they never really see a personal need for personal forgiveness of their personal sin. Their belief in the blanket covering has blinded their personal need for forgiveness.

Ask God to reveal to your heart if you are believing in/on Jesus Christ or believing about Him. Only a heart seeking for God to open their hearts, minds, and souls to the wisdom and understanding for the need for forgiveness will see Jesus Christ as redeemer and savior. It is in this understanding that belief about changes to believing in/on Jesus Christ through faith and trust. The difference is that this God-given wisdom and understanding will lead to a person calling out to Jesus Christ to save them. There should be no doubt in your heart, soul, and mind about this.

20.j. “You humbled yourself before the LORD”

Joel 2:12  “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

2 Kings 22:19    because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.

Isaiah 66:2   All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Those of us who love God are also prone to wander away from God. A. W. Tozer used an analogy to explain why that is. He said, “Every farmer knows the hunger of the wilderness, that hunger which no modern farm machinery, no improved agricultural methods, can ever quite destroy. No matter how well prepared the soil, how well kept the fences, how carefully painted the buildings, let the owner neglect for a while his prized and valued acres and they will revert again to the wild and be swallowed by the jungle or the wasteland. The bias of nature is toward the wilderness, never toward the fruitful field.” The same can be said about our relationship with God. No matter how sincere our intentions, the bias of life causes us to wander away from God. We do not mean for it happen. But the very real concerns we have about our families, about our jobs, about our finances cause us to focus on the temporal instead of the eternal. Pretty soon, we find ourselves in a place we never thought we would be. And we wonder, “Is it ever possible to regain our relationship with God? Is it ever possible to restore that intimacy with a God who we have lost our passion for?” (Jeffress)

20.i. “We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

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. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Leviticus 26:41   so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,

Daniel 9:6-9     We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.  To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.  To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against 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.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Isaiah 64:6   We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Has mankind changed over time? Have they gotten smarter, wiser, more ingenious? Have they been able to do greater and greater advances in science, industrial, technology, physics, chemistry, medicine, social and cultural understanding? And yet, a man finds, at the end of all of their efforts, they are not closer to God or closer to understanding and knowing Him. For all of the advances, man has made they seem to think it was because of their great self-knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Do they ever wonder who it was that gave them this understanding, wisdom, and knowledge? Was it not from God? I think some, over the history of mankind, have sought God for His help to accomplish an advance in science, industrial, technology, physics, chemistry, medicine, social and cultural understanding, and they were blessed by God to accomplish it and they gave God the honor and glory for the accomplishment. I fear far too many others sought it out for their own glory and honor. Because they did not seek God’s help for God’s honor and glory, they end up thinking that they are capable of accomplishing major advances on their own, without God. Credit is given over and over again to men and what they have accomplished – The Nobel Peace Prize. Over time a man thinks God is not real and not needed. Some may even use what they have accomplished to prove God does not exist.

There are others who see and hear about the accomplishments of various people and over history apply the same approach to being right with God. “Being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” We need to be very careful of what social and cultural influences we use to view God and His plans and purposes for salvation, redemption, forgiveness, heaven, hell, and eternity.

20.b. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. “

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Genesis 50:20    As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Jeremiah 24:6-7   I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  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.

2 Corinthians 4:15-17    For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Psalms 46:1-2  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

Ephesians 3:11    This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

2 Timothy 2:19   But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

God’s sovereignty and ability to manage every aspect of our lives is demonstrated in the fact that all things work together for good to those who love God, though we must face the sufferings of this present time. God is able to make even those sufferings work together for our good and His good. God is able to work all things, not some things. He works them for good together, not in isolation. This promise is for those who love God in the Biblical understanding of love, and God manages the affairs of our life because we are called according to His purpose.

It is not hard to state, “All things work together for good” when things are going well. It is when we get side-swiped by something totally unexpected. It comes in many forms, health, relationships, finances, accident, family, employment, etc… One day everything is going well and then BAM something hits us from out of the blue to seemingly mess up our lives. It is hard to say “all things work together for good” but even harder to believe it when we say it. These trials or troubles will certainly test our faith, but should never take us to a place where we question God’s love or purpose or will for our lives. When trials/troubles explode into our lives is when doubts, worry, anger, frustration, fear, and a host of other thoughts can overwhelm us. Faith is not, and should not be based solely on how “Good” things are. This side of eternity will always have moments of trials/troubles that will attack our faith and trust in the purposes and will of God. It is in these moments that we fall on our knees and lay our burden at His feet. It is in these hurts and uncertainties that we, by faith, trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus Christ more deeply. It is ok to tell God about our fears, hurts, worries, frustrations that have overwhelmed us. He already knows and will work all things together for good.