Author: kezha1

For every Believer, this quote from Spurgeon should be our sincere aspiration, aim in life, and ever present goal before us. We need to walk with God (Micah 6:8), not running ahead, not lagging behind, but rather walking side by side in the middle of His Will. We need to have fellowship with God (I John 1:3), by being in His Word daily. We need to abide in Him (John 15:4), and He in us. We need to remember daily that we are deeply loved by Him (Deuteronomy 33:12). Finally, we must continually strive to become more and more like Him every day. (Romans 8:29 & Philippians 3:21)

Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles…proclaiming the Gospel Message and leading them into the saving grace of eternal Salvation. He saw his preaching as a means by which the Gentiles could be brought into the family of God. Thus, he was proud and joyful of his work as he faithfully served God. For he truly believed that it was God’s vision, plan and purpose for him to reach the Gentiles for Christ… Who was the fulfillment of God’s promises to both the Jews and the Gentiles.

When this was written, it was a period of the judges, when sin abounded, (Judges 21:25) idol worship was common, and the Word of the Lord was rare. (I Samuel 3:1) But this verse could also easily serve as a warning then and now concerning the impending judgment due to our disobedience. Amos’s message to the people came during a time of great prosperity…and yet, they were spiritually barren, with lives filled with activities and desires that catered to their selfish needs only. Sound kind of familiar? The people had abandoned the things of God, which led them to deny His Divine communication, intimate fellowship, and steadfast guidance…and instead, went seeking after guilty pleasures and immediate gratification.

In this Scripture, Jeremiah’s lament is reflecting his deep emotional and spiritual turmoil as he witnesses the suffering of his people. Another translation says, “My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is faint within me.” In the Jewish culture of that time, dancing was the outward manifestation of joy in the same way that mourning was the outward manifestation of grief. We all grieve differently, but we must also remember that it’s okay to grieve. That’s because God is close to the brokenhearted, and though the journey may be hard, we must trust that God will carry us through it all…one day at a time.

This Psalm of David’s is a lament of requests due to physical suffering and spiritual distress. He is desperately seeking relief from the only One Who is willing and able to supply it without contempt. Even though David feels like God has turned His back on him…he knows that the Lord’s steadfast love, devotion, and Presence has never really departed from him. Thus, David can confidently trust in the Lord’s gracious kindness and mercy.

This promise of God’s is graciously provided to us by our faith in Jesus Christ as a Believer. The Law of Moses cannot save, for it’s only God’s righteousness that can bring Salvation, “apart from the Law.” Even Jesus testified to this in Matthew 5:17, when He said, “I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” Thus, the Gospel Message isn’t contrary to the Law, but upholds it through the obedience of Christ on our behalf. And so for our part, it all comes down to trust and reliance in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Verses 5-7 of this Chapter in Isaiah promise restoration, renewal, and healing…of baroness transforming into fruitfulness with God’s vision. Now this vision for us is real, but not yet real in us. And be sure, Satan will come to sow seeds of doubt and fear, making us dubious to even try. But know that when God gives you a vision, yes, you will find yourself in the valley…but it’s by God’s design in order to batter you into the shape of that vision. And He will keep it up until He can trust you with the reality of the vision…and suddenly, what once seemed unattainable will fall seamlessly in to place as you trust Him. For it’s only by the power of God that He can bring light, freedom, and joy into your present suffering and darkness.

There will be times in everybody’s life when sleep evades them and they long to just “turn their brain off” when they hit the pillow. They’re desperately looking for peace & tranquility, but can only find anxiety and stress. But in Leviticus 26:6 it reminds us that it’s God who gives us peace to be able to lie down without being afraid. That’s because our security and peace rests in our hope of the Lord. (Job 11:18) For God is our Protector, Provider, and intimate Presence which allows us then to dwell securely and sleep peacefully, fully confident in the Prince of Peace.

In the quiet darkness of the night, we are at our most vulnerable…and our minds become a playground for every failing, argument, and fear we’ve ever had. We mentally go over tense conversations with others… composing new and snappier comebacks to leave the person speechless. We cruelly admonish ourselves for every perceived thing we think we should have done in the past…all the while increasing our anxiety and fear. Ephesians 4:26 very wisely cautions us not let the sun go down while we are still angry. And in this Scripture, it adds that we should instead search our hearts and be silent. What does this mean? Well, it starts with, as Psalm 63:6 reminds us, “On my bed I remember You.” The destiny of our nightly search needs to be the Presence of God, and this means examining our hearts and minds for God’s best for us, not anger or fear.

David composed this Psalm in the middle of anguish and emotional pain. Much like Psalm 102:2 when he lamented, ” Don’t hide Your face from me when I’m in distress.” David cried out for God’s response and help… all the while remembering that God is faithful and merciful to hear his pleas. (Psalm 17:6) There is then renewed boldness in David’s prayer, for he knows that God is his righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6), will turn His ear towards him (Psalm 88:2), and will graciously listen and respond (Psalm 84:8).