Tag: Understanding

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.

21.r. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

 

 

 Corintians 1:18  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 Jeremiah 8:9   The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?

 Psalms 119:98-100   Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.  I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.  I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

When we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ there are many implications to consider.  The path of wisdom begins by believing in God with reverent fear and confident trust and reliance.  The path of foolishness denies and rejects that God exists and has reached out to mankind and made himself known to His creation.  

The path of wisdom becomes aware of sin and confesses, repents, and turns away from it.  The path of foolishness rejects and denies sin has eternal consequences.

The path of wisdom feeds on the Word of God and continues to desire and seek to humbly know, honor, and glorify God by and through His Word.  The path of foolishness rejects the Word of God and denies it has any power or wisdom.

The path of wisdom seeks God first and tries to understand the world we live in through Him.  The path of foolishness seeks worldly wisdom first and then tries to prove and eliminate anything of God.

The path of wisdom begins with and ends with God.  Any attempt to find wisdom apart from Him is foolishness.  When a heart seeks and desires wisdom from God, God will give it. Trying to find wisdom in God’s word but never spending any time in or meditating upon it is foolish.  

21.q. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

1 Corinthians 1:10  I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

 1 Peter 3:8-9   Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

 Romans 12:16  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

 James 3:13-18   Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 Ephesians 4:31   Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 Romans 16:17   I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions

 Psalms 133:1    Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

What does it mean to have or be in unity?  (Harmony, cooperation, agreement, solidarity, peace, cohesion, wholeness) What does it mean to not have or be out of unity? (conflict, strife, friction, disagreement, war, dispute, controversy, quarreling)  We have all seen or been in occasion to witness unity and as well, disunity.  If you think back to those times it is easy to see that when you were part of unity, what you were part of was fulfilling and gave meaning and purpose.  Each day was looked forward to, to be part of.  People seemed to be determined to set aside their personal biases, desires, and wants for the greater good of the whole.  There was no one stirring up division.  There was no one casting doubt.  There was no one whining.  

We also have been part of a group that did not have harmony.  Every day was a chore to face. Friction, discontent, bickering, and controversy at the end of the day led to mental and physical exhaustion.  There always seemed to be someone to stir the pot of conflict or someone who would throw gas on a little ember.  These people mostly stood in the background and never exposed themselves but rather moved on the fringes and would do their work little by little.  

Paul was made aware of the present status of the Corinthian church.  It could have been by a delegation sent to inquire about questions they were facing.  It could have been by messenger or letter.  Paul had to have been broken-hearted to hear or read of what the congregation had come to.  We know by this verse that there was disunity and rather than address the issues causing it he addresses the real issue which was the disunity its self. 

Unity takes effort, time, patience, love, grace, mercy, and at times allowing yourself to be wronged.  We all like to be in unity and cooperation but do we really work at it.  We can clearly see what happens when there is no effort given.  Sometimes we may think unity and compromise is the other person bending to our way of thinking and us giving no ground.  Certainly, in the essentials of the Christian faith, there is no room for compromise.  Most issues are not about the essentials they are about the non-essentials.  These cause more expressed division and conflict than there should be.  

We need to keep our minds clear of the examples we see in government officials, corporations, and many others who act as though they are 2-year-olds throwing temper tantrums.  These leaders are not trying to restore unity but rather get people to only think their way, do it their way, speak their way.  They give no room for discussion, differing opinions, or debate.  We see it so much that it appears this is how people are to act.  How is anything ever accomplished when the maturity of 2-year-olds is the guiding principle for creating unity?  It won’t happen and neither should this behavior and thinking be allowed in our minds to affect our church and witness to an unsaved world.

21. “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

Psalm 34:11   Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

 Proverbs 4:1   Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

 2 Timothy 3:15    and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

 Proverbs 8:17    I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

 Isaiah 28:9   “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message?

 Proverbs 22:6    Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

 Ecclesiastes 12:1   Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

 Ecclesiastes 11:9-10   Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.  Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

 Psalms 32:8   I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

 Psalms 111:10   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. 

 Proverbs 1:7    The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 Proverbs 2:1-9     My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,  making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;  yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,  if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,  then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;  he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.  Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;

 

Think about how much time we invest in learning in our modern society. We begin with one year of kindergarten, then twelve years of graded school, then four years of college, then up to five years of graduate school. Then, for some professions, like the medical field, there are three to seven more years of specialty training. Some people spend twenty years or more learning because education is valuable and usually contributes to greater success in life. But how often do we think about learning to fear the Lord? That is, do we consider growing deeper and deeper in our relationship with Him as a “curriculum” of sorts? A curriculum that lasts a lifetime? This was a common theme in the nation of Israel. Citizens of Israel were expected to be taught how to fear the Lord—how to honor Him, trust Him, love Him, worship Him, and more. And the main vehicle for that learning was the Word of God—the words of His law (Deuteronomy 31:12-13). When you read and study your Bible, think of it as learning to fear the Lord—a curriculum that lasts a lifetime. (David Jeremiah)

It is foolish to think a person could or would become a doctor, lawyer, electrician, plumber, engineer, teacher, or another profession, by the mere fact of stating that you are.  To become one of any of these requires an intentional choice to begin to learn, continue to learn, and gain the knowledge and understanding and the necessary and on-going skills to apply it.  People are tested and certified as competent and given licenses to practice in various fields of study and vocation.  Some specialize and become experts in a particular vein of their field of study.  It all takes time, commitment, and dedication.  Some may even commit to continual learning in their field until the day they die.  This commitment and dedication are viewed as having been beneficial to society in some way, either to the whole or to a group, as in an engineer who works for a company that designs and builds medical equipment, or a lawyer who works for a firm that defends the rights of the abused, or a teacher/professor who instructs on a particular requirement for a degree, etc….  They have committed to having an impact in others’ lives by their commitment to knowledge and understanding in their field of expertise.  

Oh that it was so with Christians, where continual commitment, dedication, and seeking to understand and gain knowledge of how to live to honor, glorify, follow, trust, rely and obey God all of their days.  When people commit to a job or profession they start by learning precept upon precept and continue this process until they have achieved the minimum requirements to gain certification or licensure.  Too often Christians believe they have obtained the minimum requirements to gain eternal life and they stop their dedication and commitment to gaining understanding and knowledge of God.  How foolish would it be for a person to think that after completing kindergarten that they have learned it all and there is no longer any more understanding or knowledge to be gained?  Yet, some Christians believe this to be true.  Likewise, how foolish would it be to graduate from college after 4-8 years of study and then not continue to grow, learn, and stay on top of new developments within their field?  And, even more, foolish is the person who does not apply or make any effort to apply the knowledge and understanding they have taken the time to gain.  To end our lives in a state of neglect and complacency toward understanding and knowledge of God is to enter eternity with disregard for God and Jesus Christ His Son.  Don’t end your life with this disregard.  Spend time in His Word.  Seek and desire to know more and more about how to honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey Him.  Certainly, The creator of all there is, is worthy of all we have and all we do.

18.v. “For he will speak peace to his people”

John 16:31   Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 Psalms 85:8-11    Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

 Micah 5:5   And he shall be their peace.

 Ephesians 2:14-17    For he himself is our peace

 Philippians 4:7    And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 2 Thessalonians 3:16     Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Jesus relied upon His close relationship with God all the way to the cross, and even upon it. In the loneliest moments imaginable, He understood that the Father was with Him. (Guzik)

 “I remember that passage about Abraham going with Isaac to mount Moriah, where Isaac was to be offered up. It is written, ‘So they went both of them together.’ So did the Eternal Father and his Well- beloved Son when God was about to give up his own Son to death. There was no divided purpose; they went both of them together.” (Spurgeon)

Jesus offered His disciples peace. He made the offer in the most unlikely circumstances. At that very minute, Judas met with Jesus’ enemies to plot His arrest. Jesus knew that He would be arrested, forsaken, rejected, mocked, humiliated, tortured and executed before the next day was over. We think that the disciples should have comforted Him – yet Jesus had peace, and enough to give to others.  Jesus did not promise peace; He offered it. He said, “you may have peace.” People may follow Jesus yet deny themselves this peace. We gain the peace Jesus offered by finding it in Him. Jesus said, “that in Me you may have peace.” We won’t find real peace anywhere else other than in Jesus. This word of peace is especially meaningful set in the context of conflict – tribulation and overcome both speak of battles to fight. “He promises a peace which co-exists with tribulation and disturbances, a peace which is realized in and through conflict and struggle.” (Maclaren) 

Jesus also made the promise of tribulation. Peace is offered to us, but tribulation is promised.  Understanding this removes a false hope. Struggling Christians often hope for the day when they will laugh at temptation and there will be one effortless victory after another. We are promised struggle as long as we are in this world; yet there is peace in Jesus.

18.l. “You are not your own”

John 14:25  “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

 1 Corinthians 2:10-13   Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

 2 Timothy 1:14    By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

 1 Corinthians 6:19   Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

 Ephesians 4:30    And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 Acts 7:51    “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

The Holy Spirit is given by God to those who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.  The Holy Spirit is given to us by God to lead us, to help us understand, to help us remember, and to teach us.  The Holy Spirit of God indwells those who believe and this is why Paul says to be mindful that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.  In this simple statement Paul is saying; would you expose or allow into the temple to hate, greed, and anger when the temple is to be a place of love, joy, and generosity?  Would you expose or allow into the temple pornography, lust, and adultery when it is to be a place of purity, holiness, and righteousness?  Would you expose the temple to pride, self-reliance, and self-worth when it is to be a place of humbleness, surrender, and reliance in Jesus Christ alone?  Would you expose or allow into the temple drunkenness when it is to be a place of sober-minded holiness?  Would you expose or allow into the temple homosexuality and abortion when it is to be a place of purity and protector of life?  

When you imagine allowing these into the temple surely you see this is more than foolish it is a direct rejection of God’s plan for the temple.  We were redeemed at a great price.  God’s only Son suffered and died so that he could redeem us from eternal hell.  He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within each believer, making each of our bodies a temple of the Holy Spirit.  How then must we think, do, and act?  Should we not protect this temple from invaders, robbers, liars, haters, and false promises?  

The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth but surely we must spend time in holy reverence cultivating God’s Word and deeply desire and seek this leading.

14.y.

John 3:8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Ecclesiaasties 11:5  As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

1 Corinthians 12:11   All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

  Job 37:10-13   By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.  He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning.  They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world.  Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen.

  Isaiah 40:28    Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Romans 11:33   “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Jesus’ idea to Nicodemus was “You don’t understand everything about the wind, but you see its effects. That is just how it is with the birth of the Spirit.” Jesus wanted Nicodemus to know that he didn’t have to understand everything about the new birth before he experienced it.  The same can be said about Creation, God’s love, mercy, and grace, God’s wrath, anger, and judgment, time and eternity, Holy Trinity (God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit), Redemption, salvation, and forgiveness, Earthly and heavenly, etc….we do not fully understand it but we see the effects.  The root of the problem of not seeing or denial of these seeing effects (of God) is the lack of or limited faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  The lame were able to walk.  The dead were raised back to life.  The deaf were able to hear. The sick were healed. Demons were cast out. Water was turned into wine. The sea was calmed.  Seas were parted. Armies defeated.  Creation (earthly and heavenly). God’s Word.  The birth of Jesus. All of this and so much more are the many mysteries and wonders of God.  We do not need to fully understand them to see the effects and glorious power, wisdom, and might of God.  The writer of Hebrews tried to explain this when he said; “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the key to beginning to understand things of God, creation, and His grace, mercy, and love.  Without this beginning faith creation will be seen as nothing more than a big bang, people healed will be nothing more than a coincidence, the work of the Holy Spirit will be attributed to man’s ability to change, the Word of God will be seen as writings of men, and the wonderful glorious, power, might, strength, and unsearchable wisdom and knowledge of God will be seen as nothing more than a chance and coincidence of nature.  Look around with new eyes of faith and begin to see the Hand of God in all of its wonder, glory, and majesty.

14.l. I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

John 1:9   The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Isaiah 49:6   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.”

1 John 5:20     And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

1 Corinthians 1:21     For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

Acts 7:51-52    “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Imagine at the end of the day when you are very tired.  It is dark outside and you find yourself nicely settling into a much-desired sleep.  30 Minutes into this sound sleep  someone turns on a bright light and with squinting blinking eyes you plead or demand that the light be turned off. On the other hand, there are those who wake when the bright light is turned on and with squinting eyes seem to ask, with anticipation, what?  They aren’t pleading for the light to be shut off.  They want to know why the light is on. The human soul reacts to the bright light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the same two ways.  The soul will either want to know about the light of the Gospel or plead/demand that the light of the Gospel be shut off.  I sometimes wonder what causes the heart and soul to reject the light of the Gospel.  The message of the Gospel is grace, mercy, love, peace, hope, joy, strength, power, forgiveness, refuge, and eternal life.  There is nothing within the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is offensive but still, people will hate, reject, detest, resent, oppose, and become bitter and hostile.  When the Gospel is rejected there is harm to the heart and soul.  When the Gospel is accepted there is life.  But there is more.   Rejection will end in torment, destruction, and eternity in hell.  Acceptance will end in life, blessings, and eternal life in heaven.

14.d. “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.”

Malachi 3:6  “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Exodus 3:14-15   God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”  God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Isaiah 41:13     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.”

Isaiah 43:11-12    I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.  I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God.

Jeremiah 32:27    “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?

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?

1 Samuel 15:29    And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

Isaiah 40:28-31     Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Have you ever changed your mind?  Surely everyone has.  What was it that you were so set on and then something changed your mind about the way you thought about it? More than likely you heard or read some new information that got you to think about your position or stance.  Think about how many times you made up your mind about something based on the information you were told or read and thought was the truth.  Based on this you formed an opinion and took a stance.  Sometime later you found out the information you based your stance on was false.  During the time between these two information time points, you have strengthened your stance and opinion and bias.  It is hard once these opinions and biases are formed to get you to change your mind.  Confusion, frustration, worry, fear, and anxiousness are all commonplace when lies are portrayed as truth.  It seems as though we are living in a time of lies, half-truths, and truths.  When God is defied and denied people’s hearts will see nothing wrong with leading people in lies and half-truths.  When God is defied and denied people’s hearts will easily be misled.

God is “I AM”.  He is not limited in any way.  He is the truth. He can not lie.  He is all-powerful.  He is all-knowing.  He knows the hearts and minds of mankind.  He knows the thoughts all mankind has.  He knows the intent of each person’s thoughts and actions.  There is nothing hidden from Him.  He knows the beginning from the end.  He is the Alpha and Omega.  There are no lies spoken or thoughts by mankind that can fool God.  God is all truth, all-power, all-knowing, almighty, and always present.  He promises in either blessing or wrath will surely happen as the sun rises and sets each day. Though a person may change for good or bad, God never changes.