Author: kezha1

Back in Genesis 49:24, God is called the Rock of Israel…a stone of help…a sure defense, steadfast in faithfulness and permanence. With that in mind, when it’s said for us to stand on the Rock…which should we have more confidence in…our ability to stand, or the Rock on which we stand? Within the passage about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18, the word “stand” is used in verses 11, 13, and 14, showing that it’s only with the Armor of God that we can withstand the enemy and stand firm. In fact, in verse 10 it starts off by saying, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Thus our standing then depends entirely on God enabling us to stand…or as Romans 14:1 states, “For the Lord is able to make him stand.”

Here, James is rebuking the person who lives life and makes future plans without any regard for the providence of God. Such a person lives without any consideration for the Divine Sovereignty of God, and just presumes what they want to do will happen. We all do that a lot…trying to second guess God. And what usually happens, is that we fail miserably trying to predict what He’s actually going to do. James goes on in verse 15 to instead preface our plans by saying, “If the Lord Wills”. That’s because in all reality, all future events are conditional to God’s Will.

The lesson of the lilies is to live simply and focus on God, and He will make use of us every minute of the day. For there’s only one way to develop and grow spiritually…and that’s by focusing on Him alone. Stop worrying about your ministry/service to others – simply pay attention to the Lord and His direction – and out of you “will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) The lilies of the field simply are…just as the sun, the stars, and the moon, but just think of the service they render for all mankind. So consider this, the people that have influenced your walk with Jesus the most have not talked you to death, but rather, they have lived their lives like the lilies of the field…simply open and obedient…all the while molding and shaping you into the Godly person you are today.

Only God controls all things with His sovereignty and wisdom. And it’s just plain foolishness to think we have any direct influence over anything. I Thessalonians 4:4 urges us to control our own body, but even then, that’s pretty tough to do. James 3:8 laments that we can’t even tame our own tongue…and Paul bemoaned the fact that what he wanted to do he didn’t, and what he hated, he usually ended up doing. (Romans 7:15) And to this end, we then naively think we can control other people and their actions…which is total craziness. If we can’t control ourselves…we surely can’t control others. We must instead, learn to humbly position ourself before God…trusting in His knowledge and greatness…recognizing both our vast limitations and God’s infinite wisdom.

This verse challenges all Believers to seek the Lord even more earnestly with humility, righteousness, prayer, and obedience. It’s a timeless call for all Christians to purse, with serious intent, a right relationship with God… no matter how wonderful we think it is right now. But the interesting word that Zephaniah uses in this verse is “perhaps”…a tentative word that expresses both Zephaniah’s hope that the humble remnant will find refuge from the Lord’s wrath, but also implies his pessimism that the “shameless nation of Judah will actually seek God and repent.”

Paul asks these rhetorical questions after being accused of giving Christians a license to sin in Romans 5:20…”The Law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more…” But here rather, Paul is explaining the unearned and unmerited free gift of God’s favor to all mankind called Common Grace…which is the doctrine of sovereign grace God bestows upon all of mankind regardless of their election. But as Christians, we have died to sin, so we can’t continue in it. Now this doesn’t mean we’ve somehow become sinless…by no means! It simply means that sin is no longer our master.

In Ezekiel 10:1-11:23, Ezekiel was witness to the departure of God’s glory… almost reluctantly leaving the Temple in Jerusalem before the city fell. But here, Ezekiel has the unique opportunity to see God’s Presence return in all His glory, power, and dominion. During His Ministry here on earth, Jesus foretold the disciples of His return. (Matthew 24:30, Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27) And in Revelation 1:7, John also speaks of His Second Coming…of returning just as He departed…but with an universal manifestation of His Divine glory and power for every person on earth to simultaneously witness.

Psalm 91:15 reassures us of God’s promise…that regardless of what happens, He will be with us in time of trouble. For nothing can ever break our relationship with Him. Paul rhetorically then goes on to ask…can trouble or hardship, or persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger ever separate us from God’s love? The answer is an emphatic no. That’s because God’s love holds fast even when everything is falling apart around us and the odds seem to be totally against us. For nothing in all creation can ever tear us apart from God’s Divine love.

In the familiar story of Noah and the ark, God’s instructions to him were precise on the building of the boat…and Noah followed them carefully and to the letter. Genesis 6:22, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” But when Noah, his family, and all the animals were safe within the ark, it was the Lord Himself that shut them in…sealing them safely within the ark. (Genesis 7:16) We may think that it’s us that keep our home safe with all our locks and video cameras. We may think it’s our wise and prudent stewardship of our money that has enabled us to live comfortably. But in reality, it’s the hand of God that guides, protects, and supports everything that will ever happen to us in our life. (Psalm 37:24 & Psalm 139:10)

In the familiar story of Jacob wrestling with God there were a few things that only added to this match. Jacob was not only struggling with God, but with the painful awareness that he had sinned against his brother…and even though apparently he was a man of considerable strength and craftiness, Jacob was no match for God. So instead of admitting his wrong, Jacob struggled. A whole lot of what we call “struggling” is simply, like Jacob, delayed obedience. We know deep down what’s right and wrong, the Holy Spirit has been hammering home the cold hard truth, but still we choose to have a tug-of-war of the wills between God and ourselves…but in doing so, we’re just prolonging the inevitable. For God is Sovereign and He knows best. And beside, He is God and we are not.