Tag: Strength

I am not worthy

““God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

Genesis 32:10  I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant,

2 Samuel 7:18  Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

Isaiah 6:5     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!”

Isaiah 63:7     I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

Luke 5:8    But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 17:10     So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

1 Timothy 1:12-15     I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,  though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,  and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

I can remember telling someone the more I read the bible and study God’s word the more I realize and see how unworthy I am and how thankful I am.   Being exposed to God’s holiness and truth will reveal how big the gap is, should we think that we could in anyway earn our favor with God.  Rooted deep within us is that sinful nature and it has a way of remaining hidden so that we do not see it.  Our life will change when it is exposed to God’s word with a humble heart and desire to be loved, corrected, educated, taught, led, and a want to honor, glorify, serve, follow and obey God.

It does not take much reading to understand how unworthy we are and how awesome God is.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  This is a gift of love from God and there is nothing we can do to gain the favor of this gift.  In fact “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”,  So while we were living in sin and apart from God, God in His love sent His son to redeem us.  We did nothing that would warrant such action from God.  “this is a gift from God, not by works, lest any man should boast” 

How many days are wasted trying to be good enough for God’s love when in fact He demonstrated this love through His son and the only work asked of anyone is to believe and repent.  The forgiveness of sin does not come through any work of man but through belief and faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.

When we come to recognize just how unworthy we are of God’s steadfast love and how much God has done, is doing, and will do out of His grace, mercy and love……our heart and soul will be humbled with gratitude, thankfulness and obedience.

Be Strong

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

“for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8   It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Joshua 1:6-7     Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.  Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Isaiah 43:1-5     But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.  Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.  Fear not, for I am with you;

1 Chronicles 22:13     Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.

Isaiah 51:12     “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,

Deuteronomy 4:31     For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

1 Chronicles 28:20     Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

Isaiah 41:13-17     For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

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.”

I wonder why fear, confusion, dread, worry, and anxiousness seem to find a way into our thoughts.  Clearly God is our helper, defender, keeper, strength, encourager, and ever present.  Yet we seem to allow circumstances diminish our trust in what He can and will do for those who love, honor and obey Him.  We do not wait to see God’s mercy, love, and care for our problems and concerns.  We want action and we want it now.

Our faith grows with every minute waiting when our waiting is in hope and trust of the love and power and sovereignty of our heavenly Father.  In him we find strength and peace for the day at hand. Be Strong in the Lord.  Trust in Him.  Rely on Him.  Cling to Him alone who is more than able to hand what ever problem or concern we face.

Therefore it shall be a witness against you

Psalms 119:57   The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.  I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.  When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;  I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.  Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.  I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.   The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes!

Psalms 16:5    The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

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

Psalms 142:5    I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Lamentations 3:24     “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

“Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.”

Joshua 24:15     And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 26:17-18     You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice.  And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments,

“You are my portion, O Lord: These are the words of a satisfied soul. The Psalmist is satisfied with the portion received, and that portion is the Lord Himself.”

“The Lord Himself is satisfaction to the Psalmist because God has come to him through His word. It isn’t as if the word of God was in one place, and the Psalmist must go another place for experience of and satisfaction found in God. He can say, “You are my portion, O Lord, and I have received that portion as You meet me in Your word and I live it out.”

“He is an exceedingly covetous fellow to whom God is not sufficient; and he is an exceeding fool to whom the world is sufficient. For God is an inexhaustible treasury of all riches, sufficing innumerable men; while the world has mere trifles and fascinations to offer, and leads the soul into deep and sorrowful poverty.”

“A close connection with God that receives and enjoys Him as one’s portion also receives strength to keep His words.”

“But if we take the Lord as our portion, we must take him as our king. . . . Here is the Christian complete – taking the Lord as his portion, and his word as his rule.” (Bridges)

“I have said; I have not only purposed it in my own heart, but have professed and owned it before others, and I do not repent of it.” (Poole)

Do you ever take notice of how active God’s word is in your life, where you actually reflect on it at the end of the day?  It is easier to notice if time is spent in His word with a heart deep desire to humbly serve, honor, praise, glorify, follow and obey Him.  Being filled with His living word will satisfy the darkest soul and give light to their day.

Secretly serving God is not an option.  Publicly professing and owning it before others is a basic foundation for commitment and service to Him. Scripture adds to this where it says words of faith without deeds (action) is dead and are nothing more than a clanging noise.

Active faith has proclamation/profession and action.  I wait for the Lord, I hope in the Lord, I trust in the Lord, I rely on the Lord, I believe in the Lord, I believe in eternity, I believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know I have been forgiven, I honor the Lord, I hope in Him alone, I love His word and application in my life, I keep His word, I listen for His whispers of guidance…….. All of these are proclamations and have no meaning if there is no active influence in the actions of the person proclaiming them.

LORD will be a light to me

“This I know, that God is for me.”

Psalms 118:6  The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Psalms 27:1-3   The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?LORD will be a light to me; of whom shall I be afraid?  When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.  Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Psalms 46:1   God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalms 46:11     The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalms 56:4    In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalms 146:5     Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

Micah 7:8-10     Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.  I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.

Romans 8:31    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Hebrews 13:6    So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Darkness to light. When we experience darkness and there is no light for us to see, we are concerned about what we might walk into and what might be in front of us.  Are we going to walk into a wall or off of a cliff?  Life’s trials can give us the same concern, fear, and worry as being in darkness.  We don’t see what is around us or ahead of us.

I thank God for His word of encouragement.  “When I sit in darkness, He will be a light to me.” “He is my helper.” “He will bring me out to the light.” “God is our fortress.”  “God is very present help in trouble.” “LORD will be a light to me.” “God is for me.”

Not only in this age but also in the one to come

Psalms 113:7  He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

Psalms 22:15    my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

Psalms 69:3    I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God

Psalms 32:3-4    For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Proverbs 17:22    A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Isaiah 26:19     Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Daniel 12:2-3   And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Ephesians 1:20-21     that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

There are two points that are absolute. 1. The dead shall rise and awake   2. some to everlasting life and/or everlasting shame.  Christ died for the sins of very single person and yet there is a forgiveness to some and not to others.

John 3:16  📝  “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.”

Those who cling to, trust in, rely on Jesus Christ will show humble service, a heart deep deep desire to honor, follow and obey Him.  At the time of awakening from death these will sing for joy and everlasting life.  Others will awake to shame and everlasting destruction and torment.  They have chosen to reject the gift of salvation, forgiveness, redemption, grace, mercy and love through Christ.  They choose to life for self, never yielding to the call from God to repent.

Securing an eternal redemption

“Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,”

Psalms 111:9  He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!

 Psalms 130:7-8    O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.

 Exodus 15:13    “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

 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.

 Isaiah 63:9    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

 Matthew 1:21    She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

 Luke 1:68     “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people

 Ephesians 1:7    In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

 Ephesians 1:14    who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

 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.

 Hebrews 9:12     he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

 1 Peter 1:18-20     knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

 Exodus 15:11     “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Our redemption came at a cost, in an act of love, full of grace and mercy.  What action would you associate in the form of thankfulness for this great gift of remotion? Would it come in the form of trust, hope, patience, love, faith, and peace?  Would it inspire actions of good works.  Would it come out in the from of praise?  Would it sing songs of praise?  Would it speak kindly? Would it seek to be nearer and nearer to God’s presence?  Would it promote forgiveness?  It does us good to consider all that is found in Christ and live so that His light is seen.

You will seek me and find me

Psalms 107:4  Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;  hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

 Deuteronomy 8:15    who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock,

 Deuteronomy 32:10     “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

 Ezekiel 34:12     As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

 Numbers 14:33    And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.

 Judges 15:18-19     And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”  And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day.

 Lamentations 2:19     “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”

 2 Corinthians 12:8-10    Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 Jeremiah 29:12-14     Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

 2 Corinthians 1:8-10    For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

There is no changing in God.  He remains the same, creator, mighty, awesome in power, steadfast love, grace, mercy, and long-suffering toward His creation, mankind.  Life would tell us there is little that changes for mankind as our nature would experience – pleasure, pain, purpose, satisfaction, toil, trouble, sickness, death, life, joy, anger, pride, humbleness, laughter, bitterness, praise, judgmental, forgiving, and crying.   We try to find much of our way in this life apart from God.  Apart from trusting in, relying on, clinging to, and giving thanks to Him.  Even when we think we are walking each day with Him, we limit what we think He can do.  Scripture has been given to us so that we might know Him more, understand Him more, love Him more, rely on Him more, trust in Him more, run to Him faster, listen to His quiet whispers of guidance more, seek Him more, and believe in Him more.  He never changes.  He is the same today and forever.  Spend time in His word. Seek Him and you will find Him.  Sometimes we need someone to just encourage us to run to Him.  It seems so obvious but many times it is the last thing we do.

Psalm 96

Psalms 96:1  Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!  Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.  Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!  Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!  Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;  let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy  before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Steven Cole commented on this Psalm: John Piper, who begins Let the Nations be Glad! ([Baker Academic], 2nd ed., p. 17) by saying, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.” He adds (ibid.), “The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.”

He is right that worship is the goal of missions. But it’s also true that worship is the basis for missions. If we are not fervent worshipers of God, we have nothing to tell the nations. If we do not exude joy in God and His wonderful salvation, why should lost people be interested in what we have to say? So worship is both the goal of missions and the foundation for missions. If we’re not worshipers, we will be lousy witnesses.

Psalm 96 is a call to tell the nations about God’s glory and His great salvation. It follows on Psalm 95, which describes the stubborn hard-heartedness of Israel in the wilderness, in spite of God’s goodness towards them (C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David [Eerdmans], 4:336). It was the same hardhearted nation that later rejected her Messiah, leading to the gospel going out to the Gentiles (Matt. 21:43; Acts 13:46). So Psalms 95 & 96 form a pair, showing Israel’s rejection of the gospel and the subsequent missionary task of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles.

Not ashamed

“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

Psalms 95:7  For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,  when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

Psalms 48:14     that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

Psalms 67:6     The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.

Psalms 115:3     Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Exodus 15:2    The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him

Jeremiah 31:33     For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Romans 1:19  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Hebrews 3:7  Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,  where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.  Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’  As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”  Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” – When I think about God not being ashamed, it makes me think a bit about my daily actions and thoughts.  some days it seems as though I am only giving a few nods Gods way.  This is not what life of honor, service, obedience, and full commitment should be like.  Trusting in, relying on, clinging to is not only for times of immediate need.  It is a way of life.