Tag: Take it to heart

11.v. ”  If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name”

Nahum 3:5  Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you?

Ezekiel 23:25  And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire.

Jeremiah 13:22    And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come upon me?’ it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up and you suffer violence.

Habakkuk 2:16     You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!

Malachi 2:2     If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

Malachi 2:9     and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Isaiah 14:16-19   Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,  who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’  All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;  but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Do you ever wonder what is keeping God from just displaying the full force of His wrath and anger?  It is His promise of redemption, not wishing any should perish but that all would come to the knowledge of salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus Christ.  His grace, mercy, and love are what keeps His wrath and anger at bay.  It will not be like this forever.  There is coming a time when He will call His children home to be with him forevermore.  Then there will be a time of unleashing His wrath and anger and judgment.  We see where He has felt with individuals, cities, and nations but a time is coming when it will be on all of those who have defied Him and His offer of salvation and forgiveness.  A time is coming and when it comes it will not be compared to any other time in the history of mankind.  Believing that it will not happen in your lifetime does not make it so.  Believing you will, at some time in the future, make things right with God means you are choosing to deny Him right now.  This choice has eternal consequences.  Open your heart to the Good News message of Jesus Christ.  You will find peace for your soul that you never thought possible, and a life with purpose, meaning, and eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Chasing after wind

“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.”

“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, “

 

Psalms 4:5
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Malachi 1:13
But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

James 5:1-5
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.

Ecclesiastes 2:10
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

1 John 2:16
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.

Malachi 2:2
If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

Malachi 3:8
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

What is it that you are chasing after?  What are you keeping for yourself and not giving to God?  What does it mean to offer right sacrifices?  I was listening to someone on the radio the other day and he was talking about giving.  Giving the first and the best to God.  Think about giving your first calf, or first sheep and it being the best you have. By giving the first and best we are saying “Lord all I have is yours and I TRUST you” – “I am not going to keep this for me but I am trusting you to supply all that comes after what I first give to you.” Scripture is full of how easily we fall away from thinking like this.  Our desires turn away from God and toward the things of this world – chasing after the wind.  Our giving is not from the first but from what is left over.  God calls this robbing from Him.  I like what David said “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” His joy was found in trusting God and seeing God’s provision.  Our blessings are not ours to hoard but to serve God with.  Giving comes from the heart.  Giving from the first rather than from abundance at the end is a heart trusting God.