Tag: King

39. Guide me in your truth and teach me

1 John 1:8  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John 3:18  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 Timothy 2:15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 8:32  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 14:6   Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 17:17  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Psalms 25:5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalms 119:160  All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

Psalms 145:18  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

John 18:37  “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

1 Corintians 13:4  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

I heard Charles Swindoll speaking on truth and it got me to thinking about what is the truth.  It is hard to tell what is truth or lies.  Truth for us is surrounded by perception.  What we declare as absolute truth someone else can see it as false.  We listen to media outlets speak of their truth and it is hard to tell because of how they spin the article.  The same can be said about those who are called out by the media.  When caught in an outright lie they respond with “I’m sorry for the confusion” or “that is not true” and we are left to determine what is true by our perception of what we have heard or read.  It has been said “how do you know if a politician is lying? When they open their mouth”

We can see pictures that accompany an article and are convinced of the truth, only to find out that the pictures were staged.  We don’t have to look far into social media to see how people will tell us “all is well” they support this with pictures of smiling faces and no troubles in their relationships, finances, employment.  The fact is that we have no way to determine truth from lies in this world.

There is one truth that we can believe “God” and “His word”.  It is impossible for God to lie.  It is impossible for God to judge improperly.  His plans are never wrong.  His purposes are never wrong.

We choose to believe the truth of Him through His word, or we choose to believe some of it and lie to ourselves that the rest does not apply to us.  We choose to believe the truth of His love, Jesus Christ, salvation, heaven, eternity and then somehow choose to believe wrath, judgment, anger, sin, complacency, neglect, discipline, rebuke, and testing are not true enough to even give a second thought about.  If we spend time in His word we see that this way of thinking is believing in lies that our culture influences our heart, mind, and soul with.  We believe the lie we are “ok enough” or “not bad as others” or that there is some kind of grading scale by which we will be approved” or “I’m saved by grace and therefore I have no need of works” or “I will get serious about God in my life when I am not so busy” or “God won’t know or doesn’t see” or “God is a God of love and will not display anger or wrath against me” or “I have done enough good to stand before God on the day of judgment”….

In our unholiness, it is hard for us to understand the Holiness of God.  It is hard to understand that “He is withholding His wrath and anger” in light of this time of “His Steadfast Love, Grace, and Mercy”

Being luke-warm, neglectful, complacent, stiff-necked, with a hardened heart, dull ears, closed eyes, and not seeing a need of forgiveness, disobedience, double-minded, prideful, lustful, greedy, causing and living in confusion, anxiousness, and grumbling, these are results of chasing after and believing lies.

Peace, joy, love, gentleness, kindness, hope, forgiven, strength, power, courage, humbleness, rest, order, purpose, meaning, eyes and ears open, and heart, mind, and soul desiring and seeking to serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey God are results of believing God’s truth.

Make it an intentional daily plan to spend time in His word of TRUTH.

18. Bow and Worship God

Exodus 34:8   And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

Exodus 4:33   And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Exodus 12:27   for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Nehemiah 8:6   And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

2 Chronicles 20:18    Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:30    And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.

What in our lives brings us to a place where we bow and worship God?  We can see the people bowed and worshiped when they saw the mighty powerful and sovereign hand of God.  How many times does the mighty powerful and sovereign go unnoticed in our lives?  What is it we could be or are missing?

Beauty and wonder of creation

His word

His promises

Saved Lives

Changed lives

Repentant lives

Healed relationships

Peace and calm in chaos

Refuge in the storm

Protection and Safety in danger

Purpose and plans for our life

Holy Spirit leading, directing, convicting

Opening His word to understanding and knowledge of Him

Fruits of the Spirit

Joy

Love

Kindness

Generous heart

Humbleness

Glimpses of eternity

Steadfast love

Forgiveness

Encouragements

Strength for today, hope for tomorrow

Food, warmth, shelter, clothing, employment

Friends

Family

Children

Grandchildren

We have much to thank, bow and worship God for.

1. ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’

Exodus 22:28  “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Ecclesiastes 10:20     Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Acts 23:5     And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Romans 13:2-7     Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,  for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Titus 3:1-2     Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,  to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people

1 Peter 2:17     Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

It surely takes godly wisdom to apply these verses.  How do you honor a leader you do not respect or trust?  How do you not speak evil of one who is authorizing the murder of innocent men, women, and children?  How do you not speak out against the Leader who is taking people into unrighteous paths for their life?  How do you follow a leader who rejects Christ?

These are human questions but are not the right way to approach the situation of a bad leader.  God wants and expects us to come to Him alone for the resolution of a bad ruler, authority, leader.  We are to go to Him confessing the sin of what we see and ask His intervention.  We are to seek Him for our refuge.  We are to rely on Him alone.  We are to find peace in the midst of trials and troubles in Him.  We are to find strength in God to face the injustice.  He is our refuge, hope, rock, fortress, and calm in the storm.

We are to pray for our leaders not complain about them.  We are to seek God not speak evil.  We are to be submissive and obedient.  There are times when we don’t like or approve of our leadership.  However we must respect and honor the position.

There may be time when you have to take a stand when asked/told to do something that is against what God teaches us.  We accept the consequence gladly as serving God is our goal.  We do not speak evil. We speak the truth.

Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

I am the Alpha and the Omega

Exodus 3:13  Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel:  ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me,

Exodus 6:3     I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.

Job 11:7     “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

Psalms 90:2    Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Isaiah 44:6     Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

2 Corinthians 1:20     For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Revelation 1:8    “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 4:8    And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Aren’t you amazed at the response “I am who I am”?  When someone asks you who you are, you might say John Smith, brother of Bill and Tom, Son of Brad and born in the city of X, county of X, country of X in the year of XXXX.   You might continue on and say you are married to Martha and work for IBM as a VP of technology.  You might say to volunteer at such and such organization(s).

God however has no beginning or end.  He has no father, mother, brother, sister, and is complete in Himself.  He is not bound by time.  He is outside of all that is created.  He is all knowledge, wisdom and understanding.  He is all love, righteous, and justice.  He can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  He is all powerful, mighty, and Holy.

And though we see Him partially, like though a fog, we will see Him fully in eternity.  We will understand His holiness, love, majesty, power, wisdom, and the fullness of “I am”

We serve a living God without limit.

Who am I

Exodus 3:11   But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

2 Samuel 7:18    Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

1 Kings 3:7    And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.   Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

Isaiah 6:5-8    And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

2 Corinthians 3:5     Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

Who am I is a very good question to ask ourselves.  Who am I? Casting Crowns song captures some thoughts to “Who am I?”

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth. Would care to know my name. Would care to feel my hurt?. Who am I, that the bright and morning star. Would choose to light the way .For my ever wondering heart? Not because of who I am. But because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done. But because of who You are. I am a flower quickly fading. Here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind. Still You hear me when I’m calling. Lord You catch me when I’m falling. And You told me who I am. I am Yours, I am YoursWho am I, that the eyes that see our sin. Would look on me with love. And watch me rise again? Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea. Would call out through the rain. And calm the storm in me?. Not because of who I am. But because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done. But because of who You are. I am a flower quickly fading. Here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind. Still You hear me when I’m calling. Lord You catch me when I’m falling. And You told me who I am!

We are nothing in of ourselves but in Christ we are a child of the King.  Satan would have us wallow in self doubt, self worth, and try to overwhelm us with fear.  In Christ we are born again, not of perishable flesh but born in Spirit. I am a new creation, child of the King, forever His child, forever in His grace, love and mercy.  Forever forgiven.  Looking forward to eternity with my heavenly Father.  I belong to a new family – the family of God. This is who I am.

Blessed who remained steadfast

Exodus 2:21   During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Isaiah 19:20    It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.

Psalms 18:6     In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

Psalms 107:19-20    Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

James 5:7   Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.  As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

In times of trouble, confusion, distress, anxiousness and hurt waiting seems almost impossible.  Yet it is in the impossible we see the hand of God.  We experience peace above all understanding.  We grow more in our expectant deliverance at the hand of God.  We find firm hope.

Will we always see the end of all Gods intervention?  Sometimes yes and other times – no.  Does this mean He does not or will not act in our behalf – no.  It does mean that His plans and purposes are far above our understanding.  Can we trust that He will always do His best for us – Yes.  In our trial is where trust, faith, and reliance are grown and are one of our ways of glorifying and honoring God.

Note  Dan 3:16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Note what Jesus said in Luke 22:42  “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

In all things we must leave room for God’s will, purpose, and plans.  His ways are not our ways.  His thoughts are not our thoughts.

God is sovereign, all powerful, and steadfast in His love for us.  We can trust that He will work all things together for the good of them called by His name.

He will wipe away every tear

“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.”

Exodus 1:8  Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.  And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”

Psalms 10:2     In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

Psalms 83:3-4     They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.  They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

Proverbs 1:11    If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;

Numbers 22:6    Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

Job 5:13    He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

Proverbs 16:25    There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20     Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,  and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

James 3:15-18    This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

In the change of one King all the benefits of Joseph and the Israelites was forgotten.  In a short time, going from being found in favor to being treated ruthlessly, shrewdly, and as slaves.  Can you imagine what this change would do to everyday life?  A change so fast and dramatic that you can’t even think it possible but yet there it is.  You feel as though you are living in the blessings of God and then in a moment it all changes.

When I was 21 I was working as a plumber in a house under construction.  At 8:00 that Saturday morning a colleague went to light his torch and there as an explosion and fire due to a gas leak in the house.  We were both burned severely. (In a moment my life changed) I was able to return to work after 6 months.  Some might say how unfortunate to have this happen, yet I know it was the best thing ever in my life, for within a year and 11 days later it brought me to saving grace knowledge of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ.  It did seem bad but God used it for good.

Another time I lost my job after 20 years.  I was so confused, lost, and defeated.  (In a moment my life changed) Looking back I can see how good this was for me for God needed to show me that I was not my job.  My identity was in being His child not in the title I held.  My job was what I did and not who I am.  I am a child of the King.   He did many things during this time to confirm His loving hand and presence in my life.  These and more trials have come and gone.

Did any of these seem good at the time – no.

Was this time easy – no.   

Did my current state of normal change – yes.

Do doubts attack my faith – yes

Can I look back and see God’s hand in all of it – yes.

Did God ever leave me alone – no.

I guess what I am trying to get at is that all things work together for good to them called according to His purpose and plans.  I don’t understand it but I know it to be true.  I have grown in my trust, faith, reliance, worship, obedience, because of what has happened and where He leads me.  I find Him opening up understanding to scriptures and knowledge of Him.  He allows me to see His hand at work and as well exposes the work of satan in this world. 

He feeds my soul and breaths hope that overshadow my doubts and concerns.  I do not have to know the reason behind that which I deem bad, untimely, hurting, overwhelming, crushing, traumatic, shattering, terrible and devastating, for God is in control, He loves me, He will never leave me or forsake me, He will guard me, He will lead me, and in Him and His hands I find peace and rest knowing that all things work together for good to them called according to His purpose.   A trial or trouble placed in the hands of God will bring rest and peace to the heart and soul and mind.

Remember here will come a time, in a moment and blink of an eye, when Christ will return and this short vapor of life will leave and eternity starts and where every tear will be wiped away and we will be in His presence forever.

After that comes judgment

“ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world”

Genesis 50:19    But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?

Deuteronomy 32:35     Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’

Romans 12:19    Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Job 34:19-29     who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?  In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.  “For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.  There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.  For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.  He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place.  Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.  He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see,  because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways,  so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted—  When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?—

Hebrews 10:30     For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

Hebrews 9:27  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Ecclesiastes 11:9     Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Acts 17:31    because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

2 Corinthians 5:10    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Matthew 25:31-41    “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

The easiest way to get through life without out worry of judgement from God is to deny God exists.  To do this one must look at all of creation and believe it happened by chance.  They must deny the complexity of the vast galaxies down to a single atom.  They must deny Jesus Christ existed and that His purpose on earth was to redeem mankind.  They must deny the love of God.  They must deny existence of angels and demons.  They must deny the written word of God and that it was given to mankind through men inspired and led by God.  The denial of God has eternal consequences.

Denial of God can take on many subtle forms.  Neglecting His word.  Not being intentional in living for Him.  Not seeking to be led by Him. Not desiring Him.  Not listening to Him.  Not placing Him first in all your thoughts, words, and actions.  Not allowing or acting on the conviction of the Holy Spirit to walk blameless before Him.

How can we humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey God if our walk with Him is shallow, self centered, and with our eyes focused on what this world has to offer?  How can we grow in our walk with Him when we think we are good enough as we are and in need of no change or understanding of what it means to walk with and humbly serve God?

Judgement is coming, but it is not for the judgement of God we seek to do right and good, but rather because of who God is and His love for us.  Some children grow up with the fear of punishment from their parents and this keeps them from doing wrong.  Others fear getting caught and that keeps them from doing wrong.  Others do not do wrong so as not to disappoint their parents.  Yet these are all self serving reasons.  Oh how great the child who not only seeks not to do wrong but chooses to do good to bring honor their parents.

Commit to living intentionally to bring honor and glory to God rather than advert judgement.

1 Wisdom and understanding beyond measure

Genesis 41:38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?

Numbers 27:18  So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.

Job 32:8  But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.

Daniel 5:11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,

Job 35:11  who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

Proverbs 2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

1 Kings 3:12  behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

1 Kings 3:28  And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

1 Kings 4:29  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,

Ecclesiastes 2:26  For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

1 Corinthians 12:8  For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Have you ever faced a problem and the solution was far from you?  Can you remember a time when all your thinking came up blank on how to solve the problem.  I can’t tell you how many times I have faced a problem head on, on my own, and without giving thought to God.  These were times I thought I could handle it on my own.  When I look back I recognize one facet of my life was constant, or should I say not constant.  I was not seeking God daily, or spending daily time in His word, or intentionally wanting to honor, glorify, serve, follow and obey Him.  I would like to say this period of my life was short lived.  Not the case.  I would have times or seeking and then fall back into very complacent times, neglectful times.  These were times without the influence of Godly wisdom because I was not seeking it, did not think I needed, and was closed to even thinking about it.

Intentionally choosing, seeking, desiring, wanting to be close to God is a daily heart and mind battle of commitment.  It requires repentance from the current way of living and commitment to God with all aspects of our daily life.  Commitment to His word, Commitment to His leading, Commitment to listening, Commitment to being faithful, and Commitment to prayer.  Soon Commitment becomes a God filled daily faithful habit. Our soul will thirst and hunger for Him.  Our mind will think on His word.  Our ears will listen for His quiet whispers.  Our eyes will look for work of His mighty hand.

Humbly serving and following God is a daily commitment with daily rewards.  Our life is filled with the indwelling, teaching, instructing, encouraging, strengthening, loving, warning, convicting, directing, leading, enlightening, and loving from the Holy Spirit of God, through whom we gain wisdom and understanding and knowledge.

Don’t try to face another day without being filled with the Holy Spirit of God.  Don’t try to face a problem alone.  Don’t try to find solution without His wisdom. God is willing and wanting to lead and direct and give wisdom and understanding to us if we give our whole heart, mind and soul commitment to Him.

Think about your commitment is it where you want it to be?  If it is not, then repent and commit to God.

Ezekiel 36:25-27     I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.. .

Until there was no remedy

“Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD.”

“But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.”

Hosea 11:2  The more they were called, the more they went away;

Hosea 11:7    My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.

Deuteronomy 29:2-4      And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,  the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.  But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.

1 Samuel 8:7-9     And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.  According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.

Jeremiah 44:16-17     “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.  But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.

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

2 Chronicles 36:15-16    The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.  But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

2 Kings 17:13-15     But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.  They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.

Nehemiah 9:30     Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear.

Isaiah 30:9-11     For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; …let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

John 3:19    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.

Luke 13:34    O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

God is slow to anger and is full of grace, mercy and love.  This is fully displayed in and through Christ “for while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”  I wonder if we’re guilty of living in this grace, mercy, and love of God disregarding His word, resisting the Holy Spirit, not hearing or following or obeying His leading, rejecting truth for lies, replacing being a humble servant to Him for self, coveting what the world has to offer, seeking satisfaction for the heart and soul through everything other than Him and His word, and giving no thought to honoring, worshiping, glorifying and praising Him through what we think, say, and do.

Do not mistake the steadfast love of God for acceptance of complacency, neglect, self satisfaction, busyness, resistance and rejection or the Holy Spirit’s leading, and lukewarm commitment to Him.

Can you hear the warning given in Scripture?  Can you understand the heart of man leads toward a path away from God?  Do you recognize the choice set before you?