In Chapter six of II Samuel King David is bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem when tragedy struck and he changed his mind out of fear and anger. He instead brought the Ark of the Covenant to a nearby house and left it there. It tells us that the owner, Obed-Edom, and his entire household were blessed by the Lord during its three month stay. So much that when King David was told about it he immediately journeyed to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. For both Obed-Edom and King David, Psalm 34:8 was relevant, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Throughout his life, King David knew what it was like to be blessed of God…and he wanted that again…for him and his people. While Obed-Edom had tasted for the first time the goodness of the Lord and now didn’t want it to leave. So much so, that he and his sons (and his entire household in tow) assisted King David to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and then remained there to minister in the Sanctuary.
Month: August 2021
Amos 5:14 ” Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is.”
It’s one thing to say I’m seeking after the Lord, and if I’m really doing it… if I’m just giving God lip service and not applying His Truth in practical ways to my life. But if I want true change within, I must seek good and not evil. I must seek God, the fountain of all goodness, and His path of faith and holiness. I must seek the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the truth, and the life. I must seek the Holy Spirit who works good in His people and is my Comforter. Finally, I must seek the unfailingly good Word of God which is full of truth, promise, and hope.
Lamentations 3:39 ” Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins?’
From the very beginning man was made in God’s image, the crown of His creation, and distinct from the rest of the world. But then sin found it’s way in, and with it pride, disobedience and a turning from God. And because God hates sin, we are held accountable for the consequences of our sinful actions. We shouldn’t be surprised then, for we are simply reaping what we have sown, and eating the fruit of our own evil schemes. (Proverbs 1:31) Or as the Lord said through Jeremiah, “Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.” (Jeremiah 30:15)
Isaiah 44:7 ” Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before Me what has happened since I established My ancient people, and what is yet to come – yes, let him foretell what will come.”
There is only One who can explain from beginning to end our universe and everything within it. There is only One Who placed and planted all we see, hear, smell, and enjoy. There is only One that can reveal future events with utter confidence…for they are all found in His hand. Yes, there is only One, and His Name is God Almighty… with infinite awareness, understanding, and insight… He is the only One.
Proverbs 20:15 ” Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. “
I bet you have that go-to person when you’re stuck, confused, or seeking God’s perspective in a matter. Maybe it’s your Pastor or a trusted friend that you can always turn to for Biblical advice. We must be careful though when we seek out advice from others…for they say that the lips are the gateway to honesty or deception, and the advice we receive may or may not be wholly God’s Truth. I pray the next time you need counsel, the Lord will direct you to a wise, discerning person full of contemplative Biblical perception and moral cognition that can point you to His Truth.
II Peter 1:5-8 ” For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Growing in the Lord and increasing our faith in Him is entirely our responsibility. Consequently, the same goes for our knowledge of the Lord. We can either invest our time, energy, and dedication in learning God’s Truth in the Bible and thereby gaining Christ-like wisdom…or we can stand idly by, our growth in the Lord stunted and barren because of our disobedience. Colossians 1:10 sums it up well, “We pray that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Growing in the knowledge of God is our obligation to live productive and godly lives… it only ending the moment we come face to face with Jesus.
Exodus 5:1-2 ” Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival to Me in the desert.’ Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.’ “
Pharaoh’s answer to Moses and Aaron was quite candid…” Why should I obey a God I don’t know?” “Why should I give attention to His Voice when I don’t know who He is?” Many in the world today are saying the same things. They have no personal knowledge or personal relationship with God, so why should they obey this stranger? That’s where you and I come in as Believers…for we can introduce them to this stranger Who can become closer than a brother if they give Him half a chance.
Job 21:15 ” Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? What would we gain by praying to Him? “
Job was suffering, yet he looked at the wicked prospering, healthy, and happy and was confused. For like the Psalmist, he couldn’t understand how God would allow the wicked to flourish while he floundered. “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:3) It’s hard when we look at the opulence of the wicked in the world…especially when they callously scorn and shun God, and their attitude is, “Why do I need God? I’m happy and have everything I could ever want.” So in this verse Job may for a moment have questioned if it was really worth serving God…but he also knew that in the end, God’s justice would prevail over the lawless… but in the meantime, he would not lower himself into the depths of envy and covetousness.
Numbers 14:34 “…and know what it is like to have Me against you.”
Earlier in this Chapter we read, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will these people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?’ ” From the very start, the Israelites had grumbled, complained, whined, and tested God at every turn of their journey out of Egypt, and His anger and frustration had finally reached a boiling point. So God’s judgment came down and the wilderness wandering for 40 years began. Wanton unbelief costing a entire generation the blessing of crossing over into the Promised Land. And as it slowly sunk in, they sadly recognized the true nature and power of His opposition, became painfully aware of His justice and truth, and personally tasted doom in their lives.
I John 5:13 ” I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
I hadn’t been a Christian very long when I had a conversation with another Believer…a delightful lady who had just turned 100 years of age. I asked if she knew she was going to heaven when she died, and she answered, “I hope so.” Her reply surprised me and even made me question my own tiny mustard-seed faith as a brand-new Christian. If she was unsure of her eternal fate, should I be? But more importantly, how could I know, that I know, that I know I was going to heaven? These answers lie within this Book of I John. First, we are to believe in the Name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. (I John 3:23) and when we put our faith and trust in the character, authority, and power of Jesus, with each encounter, there is opportunity for progressive experience and growth. And from that comes new understanding, and a deepening faith. For “God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son.” (I John 5:11)
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