Formerly, divine revelation by way of the prophets was very piecemeal and showed its incompleteness, just as the repetition of animal sacrifice showed that it couldn’t completely remove sin and guilt. The greatest difference of this being…prophets were only servants in God’s house, where as Jesus Christ is over God’s house as a Son. (Hebrews 3:6) So today, we are living in the present era of redemptive history, where God’s last and best Word is being spoken through His Son, Jesus Christ…the only One that can speak as a Son – “Chosen before the creation of the world, but revealed in these last times for our sake.” (I Peter 1:20) and whose divine revelation is final.
Month: January 2022
Psalm 143:3-4 ” The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.”
The enemy here can take on many faces. It can be fear of the unknown, anxiety over the COVID virus, grief and loss from losing a loved one, depression from receiving a terminal disease diagnosis, or watching someone you dearly love slowly die. Whatever it may be, the result is exhaustion of mind, body, and soul…where just existing is a difficult task. That’s when verse 5 gives us direction and hope…”I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done.” When we are in distress it can be very healing to reflect – going over and over in our mind – the mighty and gracious works of God from the past. But not just remembering, but declaring them out loud or to ourselves. It may not change the circumstances around us, but internally and spiritually, the darkness and despair can be lifted as we lift our eyes to the Lord and remember.
Luke 21:17-19 ” All men will hate you because of Me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.”
As the world becomes more and more polarized…with personal views, beliefs, and morals fair game for anyone to belittle and degrade…especially if you claim Jesus as your Savior, we need to read this Scripture carefully today. We look at it, not for what we already know…The world rejects and hates us because of our faith in Jesus and their little if any knowledge of who God is…but we read it to know exactly what should be our focus in the face of this persecution. This passage is a strong affirmation of God’s control and sovereignty over His attention and care for His people. He cares about you and knows acutely how the slings and arrows feel. So the bottom line here is, there is no need to fear man, for man can’t take your soul…and by standing firm in your faith you will gain eternal life…which man can’t take from you either.
Numbers 11:23 ” The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’ “
All Moses could see were unsurmountable obstacles, complaining and whining crowds, and his own inability to handle it…all the while forgetting just Who was speaking to him. No wonder God became impatient with Moses! There were many times throughout the Bible where we see the same situation happening…In Isaiah 50:2 God incredulously asks, “Was My arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you?” In Numbers 23:19 the Writer asks, “Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and then not fulfill?” Too many times we too forget exactly Who we’re speaking to…the Great and all Powerful Lord Almighty, Creator of all, Who cannot lie nor change His mind, and will fulfill whatever He says.
I Peter 4:1 ” Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.”
We want it both ways. We are happy to share in Christ’s resurrection…but have a difficult time sharing in His sufferings. Somehow we imagine that Jesus’ sufferings at Calvary weren’t as horrific as portrayed…but we need to remember that He was not only fully God, but also fully man…and capable of feeling every searing pain imaginable. Not only that, but it says that He suffered and died for us, leaving us an example – or a pattern – to follow…uniting us to Him by our sufferings. (I Peter 2:21-24) But we still want it both ways. It tells us to arm ourselves with the same attitude…the same mindset and intention by living for God’s glory and not our own. To look at our sufferings as character building opportunities, so hiding our life in Christ that we then possess the motivation and power to resist sin through the Holy Spirit. And when we accept both shared experiences…Christ’s resurrection as well as His sufferings…our purpose changes from living for self to living for His glory.
Hosea 6:2 ” After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence.”
Israel’s breaking of the covenant that God made with them when He redeemed them out of Egypt is vividly illustrated by the broken marriage covenant between Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. But throughout the Chapter there still remains the promise of restoration. But with the promise there also comes responsibility and accountability on our part. God called His wayward children to repentance, conversion, and a solemn seeking after His Word….a call to true knowledge of the Lord. (Hosea 6:3) It meant an acceptance in the teaching of the Gospel Message as seen in I Corinthians 15:4…our absolute belief and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this verse above, we see the true promise of God – a chance to live anew, revived, and restored… all the while it showcasing God’s great fidelity, faithfulness, and covenant keeping on our behalf.
Psalm 90:12 ” Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 39:4 tells us, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” If we all knew the exact day of our demise, would we choose to act differently today? Would we cherish every day, filling it with as much purpose as possible…or would we flitter it away in apathetic stupor? With the Holiday let-down, and here in the USA the Winter Season doldrums…compounded with COVID, many of us are in this kind of spiritual fog. But this is not the time to allow our minds to become numb and slow. This verse wants us to make every day productive, to actively distinguish between right and wrong by seeking the One True God daily, and to use wise judgment in all our plans…for in reality our days are fleeting and we need to make good use of each one.
John 13:36-37 ” Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.’ Peter asked Him, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now?’ “
Peter was known for his overly enthusiastic, impetuous manner…of not thinking before he spoke, and thus ending up usually putting his foot into his mouth. Here we see the same kind of brashness, as Peter presumptuously asks the Lord why he can’t go with him. As a Believer you too will go through a time of waiting on the Lord. A season of postponements, delay, and inactivity…when the Peter in you just wants to follow Jesus NOW! But Jesus didn’t tell Peter that he would be left behind forever…rather, Jesus told Peter that he would follow Him at a later time. So what can we do while we play this waiting game? Lots! Spend this time in personal growth of your knowledge in Christ, look to His example in order to align your life closer to His, deepen your fellowship of trust and obedience in the Lord as you study the Word, finally, take on the role of servanthood and self-denial as you share in His sufferings. Suddenly this time of waiting is no longer a hindrance, but a time of profound individual growth…which is what the Lord wanted in the first place for you as you waited.
Psalm 107:27-30 ” They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven.”
If you take the time today to read Psalm 107 in its entirety, you’ll find examples four times of God’s steadfast love and illustrations of His readiness to answer the prayers of His people in times of trouble. (See verses 6, 13, 19, and 28) From the lost wandering in the wilderness alone, or being a chained slave to sin and shame, or bearing the consequences of foolish behavior, or being battered by the storms of life…each time when His people cried out to the Lord, He heard and saved them from their distress…showing His divine power and might to control the seemingly impossible situations. Whatever anguish, affliction, or stress you’re going through today, know that God is there, willing and able to come to your rescue…if you will just call on His Name.
John 14:27 ” Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…”
The peace of Jesus Christ is there for the asking…He offers it without condemnation or reproach. If your life right now is far from peaceful…if you long to feel inner calmness, hope, and comfort…look to Jesus. John 6:63 tells us that when the Lord speaks peace, He creates peace, because the words Jesus speaks are “spirit and life”. So by receiving His words and looking fully into His face, we can receive His quiet contentment and the peace we have been searching for. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “Fix our eyes on Jesus…” For no matter how much worrying we do, we will never worry our way out of the trial we’re in. But by fixing our eyes on Jesus and not on the circumstances around us, our confusion will stop…for there is no disorder in the Lord, (I Corinthians 14:33) and as we reflect on His peace, we will be filled with comfort and joy.
Safetypinlove 