My God – Praying Pint

11.y. “They will call upon my name, and I will answer them”

Psalm 17:3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.

Psalms 66:10    For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.

Zechariah 13:9     And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

1 Peter 1:7     so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:4    For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

Testing and refining come to every Christian. It comes in different forms and at various times in our lives. It can come physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and relationally. We lie in bed at night unable to sleep as the burden laid on our hearts and minds consumes our sleep. There are times we just can’t seem to handle anymore. William Gruanll said something like this, “Faith is a plant that grows more in the darkness than in the light”. When we cry out to God with the burdens weighing heavy on our soul, that is ok and right for us to acknowledge before Him. We acknowledge that it is beyond our strength and ability to handle it. Crying out to God is the one place our burdens will be lifted. Oh, we try and try to handle it on our own over and over again, but we end up at the same place we started – trying to carry a burden we were never intended to carry alone. Why do we cry out to God? God will answer! God has promised, “Come on to Me all who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest.” “you will find rest for your souls.” But, there are times our path in life has taken a road/path that leads us away from God. There are many temptations that our sinful nature will grab on to that lead us in to being apart from God. In these times it is good for God to lay burdens on our hearts and minds so heavy that our souls find no peace. Maybe we will turn from our wayward path and turn back to Him. There are other times, in our lives, we are walking in the light of His Word and, best to our ability, humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, worshiping, following, trusting, and obeying Him and still, a trial/burden lands deep into our hearts and minds. We lie awake at night and our heart aches and our mind mulls over and over again that which is giving us no peace or rest. It is in these times we cry out to God and thank Him for His promises. We acknowledge that we are helpless and lay our burdens at His feet, trusting, by faith, He will lift the burden and carry it for us. He has promised it and is more than capable to give us peace and rest over it. “Faith is a plant that grows more in the darkness than in the light”, water it with the Word of God, fertilize it with steadfast faith, and rejoice in the fruit it will produce. Quit trying to carry a burden we were never intended to carry alone.

While they are yet speaking I will hear

Exodus 16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Numbers 16:16     And Moses said to Korah, “Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD,

Ezekiel 34:30    And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 39:22    The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward.

Joel 3:17     “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.

Zechariah 13:9    And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

Zechariah 10:6     “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.

Psalms 34:15-19     The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalms 50:15    and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Psalms 91:15     When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

Isaiah 65:24    Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Jeremiah 29:11-12    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.

Romans 10:12-14    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.”

I am intrigued by these verses. God, showing His love, mercy, awesome power to a nation of grumbling people. They were not calling on God but rather grumbling against Him. They were not believing in Him, trusting in Him, relying on Him but rather living in the circumstances and the situation they were in. They are just weeks from where God showed 8 great wonders prior to delivering them out of the hands of Egypt, days past when the Red Sea was parted and fewer days from water being supplied. Still, these great wonders of God did nothing to change there heart. Did they see these things as works of an Awesome God or just flukes of nature? Did they not question how these things could happen apart from God?

When you think about it, complaining and grumbling does not take much effort. It comes easy. It does not need much of a push to get us there. This seems to be our natural state of mind if left unchecked. Still, it is a choice.

Just as it is an intentional choice to grumble and complain, it is an intentional choice to believe (trust in, rely on, cling to) God. For those who do, they will see the Mighty hand of God at work. They will hear His whispers of leading, encouragement, hope, peace, and joy, with eyes and ears wide open. They will cling to His promises. They will call on Him. They will pray to Him. They will rely on Him. They will trust in Him. They will seek and desire Him. They will honor and glorify Him. They will humbly serve Him. They will wait on Him. They will follow Him. They will obey Him.

Abounding in Steadfast Love

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”

Psa 89:1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

Psalms 36:5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Psalms 92:2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Psalms 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Psalms 146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;

Nehemiah 1:5 And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

Luke 1:50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

Hebrews 6:18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Do you ever question God’s faithfulness, promises, steadfast love, mercy, and truthfulness? Keeping a proper mindset toward God requires us to have a continual desire to know and understand Him more and more. Having a hunger and thirst for Him that is not quenchable. Having heart, mind and soul choice to honor and obey Him because of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do. When you read His word believe it. When you read His word praise Him. When you read His word trust it. When you read His word rely on it. When you read His word cling to it. When you read His word obey it. Praise the creator and author of all there is because He has reached out to His creation and offered eternal life to all who would choose to be forgiven of their sin through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Living for Jesus

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

John 20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Luke 24:46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:38 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.

Forgiveness of sin comes to all who believe and are called. Our lives are no longer without purpose. We are to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We are to make disciples. We are to receive the Holy Spirit. We are to walk in humbleness. We are to follow and obey. We are to honor God. We are to be thankful in all circumstances. We are to seek and desire Him. We are to be different from those who do not know or live for Jesus Christ. We are to be the light to those in darkness. We are to study His word. We are to keep our focus on Him and eternity. We are to pray. We are to be kind. We are to communicate hope, peace, love, and joy. We are to find our purpose in humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying God for His glory. Our life is no longer ours to live but His to live through us.