Satisfied – Praying Pint

52.g. Wilderness – 16.m. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Deu 26:11  And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you. “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, then you shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them.  I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 12:7   And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 12:12     And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your town

Deuteronomy 16:11    And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there.

Deuteronomy 28:47     Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,

Psalms 63:3-5    Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.  So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips

Psalms 100:1-2    Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!  Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Acts 2:46-47   And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Philippians 4:4    Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

1 Timothy 6:17-18     As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

When God has made good his promises to us, he expects we should own it to the honour of his faithfulness. And our creature comforts are doubly sweet, when we see them flowing from the fountain of the promise. The comfort we have in our own enjoyments, should lead us to be thankful for our share in public peace and plenty; and with present mercies we should bless the Lord for the former mercies we remember, and the further mercies we expect and hope for. (Henry)

When we receive from the LORD, and give back to Him, it makes us rejoice. It is the proper response of a creature to his Creator, who has supplied him with all good things. The prayer described here shows that the giving was done with the right kind of heart. God not only wants us to give, but to give with the right heart. Right giving is done according to God’s Word Right giving is done within the context of a whole life of obedience. Right giving genuinely sets aside what is to be given unto the LORD. Right giving is not done superstitiously, Right giving is done with the expectation of blessing. (Guzik)

How can we not rejoice? When saved our sins were washed away, we were forgiven, redeemed, born again, and transformed. We were promised eternal life in heaven with God. We were given the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, teach, encourage, convict us of sin, and yield the fruits of joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, love, grace, mercy, generosity, hospitality, humbleness, and patience. Beyond this God blesses us with great and precious promises, godly wisdom, fruits of our labors, and material, financial, and relational blessings. How can we not rejoice?

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.

43.f. “Wilderness” – 7.m. Sinai – “You shall not covet”

Exodus 20:17  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

1 Samuel 15:19    Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11   He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Isaiah 57:17   Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own 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.

Micah 2:2   They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

Habakkuk 2:9   “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!

1 Corinthians 6:10     nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Philippians 3:19  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Colossians 3:5   Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Timothy 6:6-10    But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Hebrews 13:5    Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Covetousness works like this: the eyes look upon an object, the mind admires it, the will goes over to it, and the body moves in to possess it. Just because you have not taken the final step does not mean you are not in the process of coveting right now. Covetousness can be expressed towards all sorts of things; it is the itch to have and to possess what someone else has. It speaks of a dissatisfaction with what we have, and a jealously towards those who have something better. Jesus gave a special warning about covetousness, which explained the core philosophy of the covetous heart: And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Guzik)

This command seems to have been added in order to teach the general principle that the Law of God is concerned, not with acts and words only, but with the thoughts of the heart. True godliness consists in bringing “every thought into captivity to Christ. (Ellicott)

God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it. (Benson)

The others forbid all desire of doing what will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all wrong desire of having what will gratify ourselves. (Henry)

No human eye can see the coveting heart; it is witnessed only by him who possesses it and by Him to whom all things are naked and open Luke 12:15-21. But it is the root of all sins of word or deed. (Brown)

Those inward motions of the heart, which from the fountain of original corruption do spring up in the heart, and tickle it with some secret delight, though they do not obtain tie deliberate consent of the will. For seeing this law of God is spiritual and holy, Romans 7:12,14, and reacheth the thoughts, intents, and all the actual motions of the heart. (Poole)

This is the tenth and last commandment, and is an explanation of several of the past; showing that the law of God not only forbids external acts of sin, but the inward and first motions of the mind to it, which are not known, and would not be thought to be sinful, were it not for this law; nor are they known by this law until the Spirit of God by it convinces men of them, in whose light they see them to be sinful; even not only the schemes and contrivances of sin in the mind, the imaginations of it, thoughts dwelling upon it with pleasure, but even the first risings of sin in the heart; and such motions of it which are not assented unto, and unawares spring up from the corruption of nature, and are sudden craving desires after unlawful things, even these are forbidden by this law. (Gill)

“Thou shalt not covet: lays it down again that we are not mere slaves of our natural desires and passions, but have a controlling power implanted within us, by means of which we can keep down passion, check desire, resist the impulse. Man is lord of himself, capable, by the exercise of his free will, of molding his feelings, weakening or intensifying his passions, and shaping his character. God, who “requires truth in the inward parts,” looks that we should in all cases go to the root of the matter, and not be content with restraining ourselves from evil acts and evil words, but eradicate the evil feeling from which the acts and words proceed. (Unknown)

Temptations to covet are around us all the time. We are constantly reminded and told through advertisements what we need, what we want, and what we should have. It takes careful discernment to understand the heart and mind. This comes through the indwelling Holy Spirit and God’s Word penetrating and being active in our hearts and minds. Oh that our prayers would be in line with; God show me my heart, allow me to see what I covet wrongly, and lead me in my thoughts and actions that honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

31.l. “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness”

Psalm 107:9 “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (, NKJV).

Isaiah 55:1-3   “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;

Jeremiah 31:14   my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 31:25   For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Matthew 5:6   “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Revelation 7:16-17  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Do you ever wonder why there are so many self-help, self-satisfaction, and finding self-purpose books being written, published, marketed, and being sold? There are tens of thousands out there. You would think if there are this many books out there someone would find the solution to these longings in our soul and that these longs are very real.

Billy Graham, said something like this; “There’s a place inside each individual, that if it is continually being filled will satisfy our inner soul. This is a reserved place for God and His Word in our lives. It is a place where true and lasting satisfaction, peace, joy, strength, and purpose find a residence in our hearts and minds. This is the place reserved for God alone in our lives. Many people try to fill this place with wealth, possessions, sex, drugs, alcohol or work, but do so in vain. They long to fill this place/void in their soul. It is the place where purpose, contentment, inner peace, happiness, fulfillment, joy, etc…. are only fully satisfied when we hunger, desire, thirst, and long for God. Only God can fill it and continually refresh it to overflowing abundance.

The problem is, the things of this world (wealth, possessions, sex, drugs, alcohol, or work) are fleeting, they’re broken, and they’ll eventually let you down. Money and possessions can be ripped away from you in a moment. Relationships falter. Drugs and alcohol wear off and leave you right back where you were, or worse.

God is the One who refreshes our soul and dwells in our innermost self, meeting those needs and desires that seem to be so elusive. We hunger for Him, and only He alone can satisfy. There is darkness and void in our soul when anything other than God is being put into it. There is light for the soul when this place is filled and continually refreshed by God.

When God is rejected, put aside, neglected, marginalized, or denied there is no light for our soul. Though He may quietly whisper; “come to Me and I will give you rest”, our ears deafen and our hearts harden to His repeated calls of salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. It is in this rejection of His grace, mercy, and love when we turn to something else to fill the void of God in our lives. All the Holy Spirit-filled joy, peace, strength, hope, love, purpose, and true contentment we could have in our lives is discarded for worldly ideas of the same but which will never accomplish.

31.i. “Keep your life free from love of money”

Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Psalms 39:6    Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

1 John 2:15-16   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Proverbs 11:4   Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

James 5:1-3   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

Proverbs 23:5   When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

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. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-14    He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Zephaniah 1:18    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD

Hebrews 13:5    Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The idea is that earthly treasure is temporary and fading away (where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal), but heavenly treasure is secure. The issue isn’t that earthly treasures are intrinsically bad, but they are of no ultimate value either. If this is the case, then it is wrong for the disciple of Jesus to dedicate his life to continually expanding his earthly treasures.

“The Master does not say it is wrong to possess earthly treasure. He does say it is wrong to lay it up for self. We are to hold it as stewards.” (Morgan)

To lay up for yourselves treasure on earth is also to doom yourself to a life of frustration and emptiness. Regarding material things the secret to happiness is not more, it is contentment. How many wealthy people have died at their own hands because they found no pleasure from the wealth of what they accumulated? There is no lasting satisfaction from wealth. It is here today and gone tomorrow, or we are. In contrast, heavenly treasures are everlasting and incorruptible. Treasures in heaven give enjoyment now, in the contentment and sense of well-being that comes from being a giver. But their ultimate enjoyment comes on the other side of eternity. It has been wisely observed that a moving truck full of possessions never follows a hearse. Everything one might take with them to the world beyond is left behind and we can use our material resources right now for eternal good – even though we can’t bring them with us. Our material treasures will not pass from this life to the next, but the good that has been done for the kingdom of God through the use of our treasures lasts for eternity, and the work God does in us through faithful giving will last for eternity. (Guzik)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

30.s. “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God”

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Psalms 42:1-2   As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

John 6:27    Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Amos 8:11-13    “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

Psalms 107:9    For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Psalms 4:6-7   You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

Isaiah 55:1-3   “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

John 4:14     but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Isaiah 65:13    Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;

This describes a profound thirst and hunger that cannot be satisfied by a sip or snack. This is a longing that endures and is never completely satisfied on this side of eternity. This desire is real, natural, intense, can be painful, and is a driving force. We surely hunger for many things: power, authority, success, comfort, happiness – but do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Having the right heart, mind, and soul desire(s) will affect what we thirst and hunger for. If it is more, power, ease of life, success, etc then there will be a hunger and thirst that is never satisfying. It may satisfy for a moment in time but loses its ability to satisfy the longing of the soul. The soul hungering and thirsting for righteousness, holiness, godliness, with a heart and soul-deep desire to humbly honor and glorify Jesus Christ, will be satisfied and nourished with living water and the bread of life – Jesus Christ. Though their hunger and thirst continue for knowledge and understanding of the love of God, their soul is satisfied in this pursuit all their days. True happiness and satisfaction for our souls will never come from what can be obtained in or from this world. It is only found in humble surrender, trust, reliance, and obedience in believing and following Jesus Christ. That is our hope, our rest, our refuge, our eternal joy. Hunger and thirst for things of God and you will be satisfied, blessed, and find a satisfying and lasting peace that passes all earthly understanding.

29. “Open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light”

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Acts 26:18   to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Hebrews 2:14   Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

Psalms 119:18    Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

Isaiah 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

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

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.

Psalms 130:3-4   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

“The domain of darkness”. In the darkness, we truly do not see what is happening, though we might hear it. We don’t perceive what may happen, leading us to fear. We may get confused, angry, and anxious. In the darkness, a starving person does not see the tree with fruit on it which would give them hope and life. In fact, they may even think what is close by is evil and something to be feared, when in fact it is what will save their life. Darkness can make us feel vulnerable and alone. Darkness can lead you to believe something is there that is not and something is not there that is. If others are in darkness with us we may be lead to think this is what life is meant to be like. We do not clearly see but we certainly can hear and may even join in with whatever it is the group is doing. We may not even know what it is or why they are doing it, but because everyone is doing it we perceive it to be alright to do. However, we may know exactly what we are doing and may believe that what we are doing in darkness can’t be seen, giving us the courage to do in darkness which would never be done in the light. Adultery, pornography, child abuse, lying, stealing……. would not be done in the light. It is done when it is perceived to be in darkness and not exposed where others could readily see it.

Without the Light of Jesus Christ, we are in darkness. We will do things in darkness and think it is alright. We may be given to fear, confusion, and anger because things around us seem out of control, without purpose and meaning. Without Jesus Christ, we live in darkness. We live void of light and our actions, whatever they are, we perceive to be right and worth doing. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save us from the darkness, Sin. He came to bring light to the darkness and redeem, forgive, and transform those from darkness to light. Light will expose what is done in darkness in both thought and action. God’s Word is light to our souls. It exposes darkness “sin”. God’s Word does not stop with just exposing sin, it explains God’s grace, mercy, and love. It gives us the light of hope when all around us is darkness. It reveals to us that God is in control. It reveals to us that we are never alone. It promises and gives us courage, hope, and peace. God’s Word tells us that many choose darkness over the light and are choosing Hell over Heaven. They reject the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died for their sin and offers redemption, salvation, forgiveness for what they have done in darkness, and eternal life.

Do you think your life is free from darkness – ask God to expose your thoughts, words, and actions to the light of His Word.

22.i. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 11:4    Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-14    He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Zephaniah 1:18    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD.

Hebrews 13:5     Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have

Proverbs 16:16    How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

I was playing with our granddaughter the other day and she brought out a small treasure chest. In it was her treasures. There were plastic silver and gold coins, plastic ruby’s, bracelets of various plastic jewels. They were her treasures. I looked at them and thought how must God look at us when we collect and strive after what we consider our treasures. They must look like the plastic coins and jewels of my granddaughter in His eyes. Certainly we chase after and consume much of our time seeking more and more treasures. When these treasures become our desires then we fall prey to the gathering, finding, and acquiring more and more. Soon there is little room for treasures from heaven. Our eyes become blind and our ears become deaf. We no longer see the beauty of a sunset or hear the sounds of birds in the spring. We don’t hear the cries for help or see those in need. God’s treasures come in many different ways. Maybe today we can make a new commitment to set our hearts and minds on things from heaven.

17.s. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

John 12:20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Isaiah 49:5-6   And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength—  he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 53:10-12    Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 9:23-24     And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Jesus’s thought of the cross just a few days away, His main concern was that God was glorified. His purpose on earth was to redeem, save, and demonstrate God’s love for mankind. It is hard for me to come close to understanding the commitment and longing and desire of Jesus to honor and glorify God, knowing what just a few days away would yield great physical and emotional pain. He knew what He was facing. He knew His purpose and was willing to die on the cross for it to honor and glorify God and redeem mankind.

I can wrap my mind around taking a bullet, fast death, for someone you love, but willing to be tortured, beaten, whipped, and nailed to a cross for the sins of every human being is an act of love so humble, pure, and holy it seems beyond understanding. What a Savior we have in Jesus Christ. In light of this, how should we live our lives? The writer of Hebrews said: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

16.y. “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness”

John 10:16 So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Isaiah 53:10-12     Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Philippians 2:6-8     who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Titus 2:14    who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

It is hard to imagine the grace, mercy, and love Jesus Christ willingly poured out on the world. The King of kings, Lord of Lords, Son of God, chose obedience to God the Father and willingly and with joy, went to the cross to bear our sins. Jesus had full authority to choose obedience to God’s will. He chose to give us life through His death and resurrection. It is good for us to remember the great price that was paid by the King of kings, Lord of Lords, Son of God. He did this for each individual person, yes YOU.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 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. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Though the offer/gift of grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, redemption, and salvation is offered to everyone it is not accepted, received, or believed by everyone. Many reject and deny this gift. Condemnation and eternal punishment await everyone who rejects and denies the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation. Trust in, cling to, and rely on Jesus Christ.

14.a. “They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression They set their mouths against the heavens”

Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

Psalms 95:9-10     when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

Isaiah 43:24     You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

Jeremiah 15:6    You have rejected me, declares the LORD; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting.

Ezekiel 16:43    Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

Psalms 73:3-15    For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.  They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.  Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.  Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.  They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression  They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.  Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.  And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”  Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

Ecclesiastes 8:11    Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Do you ever wonder if we are just continually asking things of God and forgetting to honor, worship, and glorify Him? Don’t get me wrong it is good to seek the Lord with all those troubles and concerns that affect us or the ones we love. Is it possible in all of this asking we lose sight of honor, glory, and praise to Jesus Christ? Do we weary Jesus with this continual asking and minimal praise and worship? Do we spend enough time in His Word to know of His greatness, power, knowledge, wisdom, might, grace, mercy, and love? Do we spend enough time in His Word so that we recognize that which is worldly and that which is holy, true, just, and right? Do we put God’s patience to test by confusing worldly cultural beliefs with those of God? Is our heart astray? Are we always going backward? Are we calling evil good? Think about this. Many across our country approve of abortion, protest riots and looting, gay lifestyle, pornography, gay marriage, etc….. Is our country going backward? Have our leaders abandoned Jesus Christ? Has our country become ice-cold to Jesus Christ? There can be no compromise in our hearts and minds. There cannot be room for the cultural beliefs of what is right and wrong to coexist with things of God. Our foundation, rock, and steadfast truth are found in the Word of God, Jesus Christ’s redemption, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we neglect God’s Word, deny honor and worship to Jesus Christ, and resist the Holy Spirit’s leading, that which is worldly is given space to root and it will easily confuse us in our understanding of what is right and wrong. Just take a good look at what people are calling right and wrong right now and compare it with the Word of God and what it calls right and wrong. We will do well to continually worship, honor, praise, and glorify Jesus Christ, studying His Word, and following, trusting, obeying, and relying on Him every day.