Tag: love you

50.d. Wilderness – 14.j. “You shall therefore be careful to do”

 

Deu 7:11-15  You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today. “And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.

 Deuteronomy 4:1    “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

 Deuteronomy 5:32    You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

 John 14:15    “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments,…. The laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, urged thereunto both by promises and threatenings, in hopes of reward, and through fear of punishment: which I command thee this day, to do them; in the name of the Lord, and by his authority; by virtue of which he made a new declaration of them to put them in mind of them in order to observe them. (Gill)

 We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those who do such works. Whatever brings us into a snare, brings us under a curse. Let us be constant to our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God’s mercy. Diseases are God’s servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies, thoroughly to mortify the sin of our souls; which is our rule of duty. Yet sin is never totally destroyed in this world; and it actually prevails in us much more than it would do, if we were watchful and diligent. In all this the Lord acts according to the counsel of his own will; but that counsel being hid from us, forms no excuse for our sloth and negligence, of which it is in no degree the cause. We must not think, that because the deliverance of the church, and the destruction of the enemies of the soul, are not done immediately, therefore they will never be done. God will do his own work in his own method and time; and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but at length there will be a complete victory. Pride, security, and other sins that are common effects of prosperity, are enemies more dangerous than beasts of the field, and more apt to increase upon us. (Henry)

What does it mean to be careful to do the commandments, rules, and statutes? How is this manifested in the life of a believer? What would you expect to see in their lives, or for that matter, your personal life? 

We seem to look more outward than inward. We can apply what it looks like to another person but for ourselves, we seem to be, if not clueless, less critical. Why is this? I think the root of our indifference stems from a lack of commitment, purpose, and the desire to wholly serve, honor, obey, trust, and rely in and on God. Our desire to have our sin made known to us so that we might grow and mature in our honor and glory of Jesus Christ, seems to be lukewarm at best. 

Do we wake each day with the first thought of thanksgiving and how we might better honor and glorify Jesus Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions? Do we ask God to show us our hearts? Do we really want to know our hidden sins? Do we want to grow in our understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and love? Do we seek to understand His holiness and our sinfulness? Do we spend time in His Word? Do we spend time praying? Do we truly love others? Do we seek to encourage? Do we find fault with other’s actions all the time? Do we criticize others frequently about what they said or didn’t say, or did and didn’t do? Neglect and complacency are the effects of a lukewarm heart, mind, and soul toward service to God.

18.q. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

John 15:18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

The earliest Christians would know the hatred of the world. “Tacitus spoke of the people ‘hated for their crimes, whom the mob call Christians.’ Suetonius had spoken of ‘a race of men who belong to a new and evil superstition.’” (Barclay)

“It is an odd fact that the world soon justified its hostility to them by imputing to them the initiative in hatred. The earliest extant reference to Christians in pagan literature charges them with ‘hatred of the human race’.” (Tacitus, Annals, 15.44.5) (Bruce)

“It is not without significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.” (Morris)

“The perfect tense of the verb ‘hate’ (memiseken) implies that the world’s hatred is a fixed attitude toward him — an attitude that carries over to his disciples as well.” (Tenney)

 If people do not know God as He really is, they often attack and persecute those who represent God in some way. “Men may prefer to evolve an idea of their universal Father, but that idea of theirs will take their own color and the color of their Age. The only true idea of Him is to be got from The Son.” (Trench)

It would seem there is nothing new under the sun.  Mankind is void of love when God is displaced and rejected.  I took special note of what was recorded (written) by pagan historian Cornelius Tacitus and how Christians were hated for their crimes of hatred against mankind with their superstitions.  Calling good bad and bad good.  Hatred of Christians was good.  Works of peace and love of Christians was called bad.  Mankind void of God will hate the things of God and the people who honor, glorify, obey, follow, trust, and worship Him.  If you speak out against abortion you are labeled a woman hater.  If you speak out against LGBTQ you are a labeled a bigot.  If you speak out that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven you are labeled ignorant.  If you speak out about injustice you are labeled intolerant.  

Mankind will call our love and devotion to Jesus Christ a hatred of mankind.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

The earliest Christians would know the hatred of the world. “Tacitus spoke of the people ‘hated for their crimes, whom the mob call Christians.’ Suetonius had spoken of ‘a race of men who belong to a new and evil superstition.’” (Barclay)

“It is an odd fact that the world soon justified its hostility to them by imputing to them the initiative in hatred. The earliest extant reference to Christians in pagan literature charges them with ‘hatred of the human race’.” (Tacitus, Annals, 15.44.5) (Bruce)

“It is not without significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.” (Morris)

“The perfect tense of the verb ‘hate’ (memiseken) implies that the world’s hatred is a fixed attitude toward him — an attitude that carries over to his disciples as well.” (Tenney)

 If people do not know God as He really is, they often attack and persecute those who represent God in some way. “Men may prefer to evolve an idea of their universal Father, but that idea of theirs will take their own color and the color of their Age. The only true idea of Him is to be got from The Son.” (Trench)

It would seem there is nothing new under the sun.  Mankind is void of love when God is displaced and rejected.  I took special note of what was recorded (written) by pagan historian Cornelius Tacitus and how Christians were hated for their crimes of hatred against mankind with their superstitions.  Calling good bad and bad good.  Hatred of Christians was good.  Works of peace and love of Christians was called bad.  Mankind void of God will hate the things of God and the people who honor, glorify, obey, follow, trust, and worship Him.  If you speak out against abortion you are labeled a woman hater.  If you speak out against LGBTQ you are a labeled a bigot.  If you speak out that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven you are labeled ignorant.  If you speak out about injustice you are labeled intolerant.  

Mankind will call our love and devotion to Jesus Christ a hatred of mankind.

11.o. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”

Nahum 1:7  The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Psalms 18:1-2    I love you, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Isaiah 26:1-4     You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Psalms 144:1-2    Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;  he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

Proverbs 18:10    The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Psalms 71:3    Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Where do you find peace for your troubles and trials?  Where do you go to find rest for your anxious and worried soul?  Where do you go to when confusion and fear are tearing at your mind?  God gave us many great and precious promises.  “I will never leave you or forsake you”, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”, “I, I am he who comforts you”, “I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  When we run to Him and place our trust in Him we will find peace and rest for our soul.  It is in Him alone where trails, trouble, and shadows of darkness fade away in the light of His glory and grace.  We don’t have to look very deep to see what people will do when trials and troubles come their way.  Why is it we always seem to shut God out and do things on our own rather than laying the burdens that hurt our hearts and keep us worried, angered, and upset at His feet?  In Him alone will we find peace and rest that passes all understanding.

1. Walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes

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.”

Deuteronomy 7:12-13     “And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.  He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

Deuteronomy 7:15    And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.

Deuteronomy 28:1-15     “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 12:28    Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

1 Kings 11:38    And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

2 Kings 22:2     And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

When I read these verses I think about how is a person to know they are carefully obeying, listening to the voice of the Lord,  giving ear to His word, being faithful, doing what is right, not turning aside to the right or the left?   Maybe the other question that should be asked is what is keeping us from all of this? What is the measuring stick or means to know the path you are on is in line with the purposes and plans of God for your life? Why do things get clouded and confused when trying to answer these questions?

Our culture speaks into our lives.  True, false and slanted news taints how we think and live.  Laws, tolerance, live and let live, separation of church and state, biased views based on liberal agendas and the list can go on and on.  All of these eat away at our ability to carefully obey, listen, give full ear to God unless we are intentional about it.  Intentional would mean we are staying in His word, growing in our knowledge and understanding of Him, growing our faith through times of testing, using His word to challenge the prevailing thoughts of our culture, using His word to speak to our heart and mind, desiring to hear His whispers of leading, seeking to humbly serve, honor, glorify, worship, follow and obey Him.

We can look very good when we compare ourselves to the culture we live in.  We only have to be a little be different to falsely think we are right in God’s eyes.  I can remember 35 years ago a Pastor telling me he continues to see the church always 10 to 15 years behind adopting what is not acceptable now.  It only takes that short time to weaken our thoughts and resolve if we are not faithful in our time in His word, faithful in our walk with Him, faithful in our intentional commitment, faithful in seeking Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul.