Upright – Page 2 – Praying Pint

11.f. “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God”

Micah 7:8 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. Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets.

Isaiah 60:19-20    The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.  Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

Psalms 97:11    Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

Psalms 112:4     Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

Psalms 27:1   The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Malachi 4:2   But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

John 8:12    Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

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.’

Revelation 21:23    And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Talk about faith and power through Jesus Christ – “when I fall, I shall rise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me”!! How many times have you been in darkness? Not the light associated with light and dark but darkness in your soul. I am sure you can relate to this type of darkness when your heartaches, your mind can’t seem to get out of the rut of some rejecting or negative thought, and no matter how hard your try the light of resolve for the darkness seems out of reach. Days seem to drag on and you hope tomorrow is better somehow. this is how it goes when we are looking from within our own self-reliance to overcome the darkness that is robbing light from our days. Maybe we could learn to trust Jesus Christ more. Maybe we could rely on Him more. Maybe we could call out to Him more. Maybe we could believe in Him more. Maybe we could claim His promises more. I am confident that if we did we too could say, “when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”

11.e. “The prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.”

Micah 7:1 Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Psalms 12:1    Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

Psalms 14:1-3    The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Romans 3:10-18     as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”  “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”  “Their feet are swift to shed blood;  in their paths are ruin and misery,  and the way of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

We look at the times we are in and have to wonder what it will be like in the future when those who love Jesus Christ are gone. It will be a time when the anger and wrath of God are not withheld. It will be a time of punishment and a time of confusion. It will be a time when trust is no longer a virtue. We want to trust words that people speak and write. We want to believe they are speaking the truth. Even now we find it hard to believe anything that is reported. News has become a political tool for the narratives the various media outlets determine to be important. There is little news that is not tainted with bias or lies. There is, however, a mountain of confusion from our elected officials and media outlets. There are lies and more lies. They utter evil desires of their heart and it is weaved together through their intents. The best of them is like a thorn. They have turned aside and together they have become corrupt. They are full of bitterness. The way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Ruin and misery follow them.

This is the world we live in but is not our home. We have our eyes on our Savior, Redeemer, and Son of God, Jesus Christ. We can see the lies, bias, and half-truths. We understand the way of the world and it should draw us closer to Jesus Christ. Our hope is built on Him and not the things of this world. I wonder if the best thing we could do right now is to turn off all news and social media outlets for 10 days. I am certain our lives would not be as helpless or hopeless as they try to convince us it is.

5.j. It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Job 12:13 “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. With him are strength and sound wisdom;

Psalms 147:5    Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

Proverbs 2:6-7   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,

Jeremiah 10:12   It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Colossians 2:3    to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

James 1:5    If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Isaiah said this about God; “ Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” When you think about this and know that God consulted with no one. He was not taught these things. He created all there is by speaking them into existence. It is hard for us to imagine just how all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present God is. His majesty is beyond our deepest knowledge and understanding. His holiness is greater than purity. His power is greater than all the forces of man and all of nature. Yet, this same one and only God chose to send His son to redeem us, to create a new spirit within us, to give us peace, joy, rest, hope, love, and courage, to give us hope in eternity, to give us hope this side of eternity, and to know our sins are forgiven and removed as far as the east is from the west. God chose us. He called to us. He drew us close. He softened our hearts. He gave us the wisdom to know of both the need for salvation but also the Savior. He said, “come unto me all who are heavy with burden and I will give you rest”. Think about this for a while; the Creator of all there is leaves an open invitation for salvation and help. The do we wait to run into His wide-open arms?

4.q. The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

Job 4:7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed. The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken. The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

Hosea 10:13 You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your warriors,

2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

Matthew Henry – “Eliphaz reminds Job, that no affliction comes by chance, nor is to be placed to second causes. The difference between prosperity and adversity is not so exactly observed, as that between day and night, summer and winter; but it is according to the will and counsel of God. We must not attribute our afflictions to fortune, for they are from God; nor our sins to fate, for they are from ourselves. Man is born in sin and therefore born to trouble. There is nothing in this world we are born to, and can truly call our own, but sin and trouble. Actual transgressions are sparks that fly out of the furnace of original corruption. Such is the frailty of our bodies, and the vanity of all our enjoyments, that our troubles arise thence as the sparks fly upward; so many are they, and so fast does one follow another. Eliphaz reproves Job for not seeking God, instead of quarreling with him. Is any afflicted? let him pray. It is heart’s ease, a salve for every sore. Eliphaz speaks of rain, which we are apt to look upon as a little thing; but if we consider how it is produced, and what is produced by it, we shall see it to be a great work of power and goodness. Too often the great Author of all our comforts and the manner in which they are conveyed to us are not noticed, because they are received as things of course. In the ways of Providence, the experiences of some are encouragements to others, to hope the best in the worst of times; for it is the glory of God to send help to the helpless, and hope to the hopeless. And daring sinners are confounded, and forced to acknowledge the justice of God’s proceedings.”

4.h. Commitment, covenant, oath “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age”

Nehemiah 10:28 “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes. We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

Deuteronomy 29:12-14    so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today,  that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant,

Psalms 119:106    I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.

2 Kings 23:3  And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

John 15:14    You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Titus 2:11-14   For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  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 was common for people to enter into a covenant before God by an oath that was recorded. They also included a curse to be carried out against themselves should they abandon, disregard, forsake, or pay no attention to the oath. In this covenant oath, the people committed to walk in God’s Law and observe all of the commandments, rules, and statues. How many times does one generation make a covenant and another fall away? How many times does a parent make a covenant and their children fall away? What causes a person to come to a place of making a covenant? What happens in a person’s life that causes them, or allows them to disregard an oath/covenant with Jesus Christ? What is it that makes walking away from or giving no thought to the covenant bond with Jesus Christ? What happens in a person’s life that allows them to become lukewarm in their covenant walk with Jesus Christ? How does this all happen? How does the flame go out?

We could all give lists that would include, busyness, job and family responsibilities, church leader and member hypocrisy, health or financial or relational trials/troubles, and cultural and societal influences. These are not the root cause of the walking/sliding/turning away. The root cause is in our heart, mind, and soul. This is where commitment is made, followed, respected, held on to, submitted to, and cemented into every aspect of our life. It is a light that gives us a clear view of the decisions we are facing. It is a light that clarifies the path we should take. It is the light that exposes the wrong thoughts, actions, and words. God’s word is a bright light that illuminates Jesus Christ the light of the world.

When our heart, mind, and soul are given to something else we lose the influence of the light of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in our life. The light goes out and in this darkness, the covenant bond with Jesus Christ is slowly put aside and soon forgotten. In this darkness, new priorities arise that disregard the covenant bond with Jesus Christ. In this darkness, we confuse worldly with Godly, good and bad, right and wrong, truth and false, humility and pride, generosity and greed, forgiveness and resentment, humbleness and jealousy, and obedience and complacency. None of us are immune to these attacks from the influences of our sinful nature. This is the battle between the light of the world and the darkness of sin. Sometimes it is a battle we do not even know we are in because we confuse the darkness with light. It is a battle we can never win on our own. It is a battle within our heart, mind, and soul, that is won in and through Jesus Christ.

We will do well to take serious the faith oath covenant we made by faith in and through belief in, reliance on, and clinging to Jesus Christ. It is not too late. There is still hope to come back into the light of Jesus Christ. Confess, repent, and run to Him with a heart, mind, and soul commitment. Stay in His word. Desire and seek to be led by it. Continually hold fast to it and begin anew a life long journey of humble service, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying Jesus Christ.

2.i. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.

2 Chronicles 19:4 Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”

Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. And he charged them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart: whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!”

Joshua 22:5    Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Luke 12:15     And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 21:8    And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.

Exodus 18:21-22   Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe

Isaiah 1:23-26     Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.

Isaiah 33:15    He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,

Micah 7:3    Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.

“Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God or partiality or taking bribes.” We look at a verse like this and think this does not apply to me because we are not in a position where we can accept a bribe for the decisions we make. But that is not true. We take bribes all the time. We take the bribes offered to us by society, culture, and the worldly things that are not God-centered or God-honoring. The worldly things come and offer us a bribe. They reach into our heart and mind and offer permanent satisfaction, peace, security, wealth, and health. If we take this bribe we are shorting God and what is due Him. He is our heavenly Father, Creator, and one and only God. We need to guard ourselves against being bribed away from God. We might have a thought that we are strong and able to stand against whatever bribes to capture our heart and mind. The truth of the matter is that we see what the world offers and it appears to be ok. We see others who have taken the bribe and then quite easily think this is not a bribe that will hinder our walk with God. In fact, we may even call it a blessing when in fact it is not. These bribes try to offer us something that only God can supply, only God can fulfill, and only God can give. If we love this world and what it has to offer over God, we are taking the bribe, dishonoring God, and are on paths that only lead to destruction, loss, pain, hurt, confusion, worry, and unhappiness.

How can we recognize a bribe if they are cloaked in false claims that seem to be righting our own eyes? Making an intentional choice with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength to serve and honor God is the beginning. But there is a daily dying to self that must take place. We need to make an intentional daily choice that we compare our thoughts, plans, and purposes against. We need to commit ourselves to recognize and fight against any and all bribes that come our way disguised in bright lights and false hopes. God’s word in our heart and mind will give us the armor to fight these bribes. In His Word, we will find understanding and knowledge of the true things of God and false things of the world. In His Word, we will find what our soul longs for. In His word we will find the truth and in this truth we will see the bribes for what they are – soul robbing, heart destroying, and life wasting. But we must choose to have His word in our heart and soul, and mind. We must commit with all our heart and soul. We can not approach this with partial desire or seeking. This is an all in or nothing. There is no partial walk with God that is honoring and pleasing to Him. The lukewarm approach to serving Him will end with disappointment for our soul.

Take inventory of your heart and mind and what they are being bribed with. One of the biggest bribes is that of busyness. If we take this bribe we find all kinds of reasons to NOT think about the presence of God and how we might honor, serve, follow, obey, and trust Him.

2.g. “Therefore hear the word of the Lord

2 Chronicles 18:14 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you.”

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.’” And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

Numbers 16:29     If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me.

Amos 9:10     All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’

Jeremiah 23:36    But ‘the burden of the LORD’ you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man’s own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.

Acts 20:30    and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things,

Hosea 14:9    Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

We see Ahab, King of Israel wanting to hear from God but only wanting to hear what he had determined already in his own heart and mind. He surrounded himself and more than likely previously punished those who did not speak what he wanted to hear. They were trained to speak in line with his wants and not what God would have him do.

When our heart, soul, and mind are not wholly for following and trusting in God there is an inner self that rules in His place. This inner self will convince us we are following after God even though we are lukewarm, neglectful, and complacent. We can not serve both self and God. We will serve the one we yield to. We will serve the one that occupies our desires and wants. We will serve the one we think will give us satisfaction and purpose. Sad to say but many times this is self.

You have to imagine that at some point, at the beginning of our deception, where we began to listen to self over following God, we were aware of this and we chose to push this awareness away. We were able to drown out the voice of God. Our heart became hard, our ears deaf, and our choice to turn away was blinded from our mind. Soon self became the only voice we listen to, the only thing we trusted in, and the only thing we found satisfaction in.

Remember the devil is a roaring lion seeking to deceive and draw us away from following God. He will send many false hopes of satisfaction into our lives. He will try to confuse us, entice us, and fill us with things of this world that will never satisfy but will always lead us away from seeking, trusting, relying on, following, honoring, glorifying, and obeying God.

The word of God is our stronghold, our hope, and our strength, for in it we find wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God. We see a glimpse of eternity and the love of God poured out to us through Jesus Christ. Fill all your heart, mind and soul with the want and desire of and through Jesus Christ. Stay in His word to find peace, joy, love, rest, strength, and hope for today and forever. Do not allow self a second in your heart and mind for it will take this single second and turn it into a lifetime of deception.

131. That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me

2 Samuel 22:31 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.

Deuteronomy 32:4     “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Daniel 4:37     Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Revelation 15:3    And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!

Proverbs 30:5     Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Psalms 91:4    He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

Isaiah 45:21    And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

Isaiah 45:5-6   I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,  that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

If we are to believe in, honor, worship, submit to, follow, obey, cling to, rely on, and trust in the one and only God, it is not enough to have a vague notion that there is some higher power out there, even if we concede that there is only one such higher power. We must seek to know who this God is. The Bible presents us with this one true God in a specific and detailed self-revelation(s). The God of the Bible makes very clear His identity as the one, self-existent, eternal, living God. The very first verse of the Bible announces that it was He who created both the heavens and the earth. If we are to know God, it can only be through God willfully making Himself known to us, and He has done so in the Bible, through His Spirit, and in the person of Jesus Christ.

Luke Wayne: “The God of the Bible is not just one culture’s version of every other god. The great I AM of Holy Scripture is the unique Creator, Governor, Provider, and Redeemer to whom all men of every nation must come to on God’s terms and not on our own. While this might be “narrow” and “exclusive,” it is true and is, in fact, quite good news! God has made Himself known to His creation and provided a way for us to come into true fellowship with Him! Not only is there one true and living God to believe in, but you can also know and commune with that God! You can stand is His awesome power, unfailing justice, and everlasting love.”

129. My stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge

2Samuel 22:1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Deuteronomy 32:4     “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

1 Samuel 2:2   “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Psalms 31:3     For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;

Psalms 71:3     Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 91:2     I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalms 144:2    he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge

I wonder what we have to go through in order to see God as our refuge, rock, stronghold, shield, deliverer, savior, and fortress. I think it comes down to how we see God in our heart, mind, and soul. If we have a desire to know Him more, longingly spending time in His word, expecting to find a refreshing and strengthening of our faith, and seeking to do that which honors and glorifies Him will set us on a path that we see God’s hand in everything and in control of His creation. When our understanding of God is continually fueled by His word we begin to see the awesome power, strength, might, and unlimitedness of God. At his voice, the utterance of a word from His mouth universes and galaxies were made. At his command the Red Sea parted, the Jordan River stopped, walls of Jericho fell, armies defeated, dead brought back to life, deaf given to hear, blind able to see, and so much more. How do we call on someone who is not active in our life – we don’t?

Our ability to see God as rock, refuge, and fortress comes from faith and our faith grows as we deny more and more of self-interest and we spend more time in His word (conscious intentional choice), seeking to humbly serve, honor, follow, obey, cling to, rely on, and trust in Him. Don’t limit God for He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. Though we wait, we trust. Though we have moments of anxiousness we renew our trust. Though we do not see the end of our trial we trust and know God is in control and all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Though I do not see Him I know He is there and in His hands I find peace. Though I don’t know when my trial will end I will not carry this burden for He is my refuge, rock, stronghold, shield, deliverer, savior, and fortress

64. What will you do when the end comes

Deuteronomy 32:29 and there is no understanding in them. If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Psalms 81:13     Oh, that my people would listen to me

Psalms 107:43     Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

Isaiah 48:18-19     Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!

Hosea 14:9     Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them

Isaiah 10:3    What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?

Jeremiah 5:31    but what will you do when the end comes?

Luke 12:20     But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Job 27:8     For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?

What will you do when the end comes? If you are wise you would understand your latter end. If you will pay attention to God and keep your eyes on Him and your heart and soul fully seeking and desiring Him the end is clear. If you are given a glimpse of eternity, sin, judgment, atonement, redemption, salvation, the need for repentance, grace, mercy, and love of God, and you live as though this world is all there is to live for, then you are to be pitied. For you have rejected a full life in Jesus Christ. You have cast aside blessings and promises of eternity in heaven for desires of the flesh here and now.

The end comes to all life. Judgment comes to all. Those who have rejected a life of humble service, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying God will find that when life ends they have believed a lie. They are cast into torment for eternity for this is the judgment to those who reject the grace, mercy, and love of God through Jesus Christ. “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.”

There is no room in our lives for being lukewarm, neglectful, or complacent to the gift of life through Jesus Christ.