Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross wasn’t for a particular group of people, a certain color of skin, or even dependent on a personal relationship with Him or not. The well known phrase, “Once for all” is repeated throughout the Bible to show that Jesus came to the earth to bear our sins and die one single time for the whole of mankind. (I Peter 3:18 & Hebrews 7:27 & Romans 6:10) And one day He will come again, not to repeat His past actions, for that is unnecessary, but to declare the now…for He is the Lord of the new not the old.
Tag: daily inspirational devotions
Matthew 8:21-22 ” Another disciple said to Him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’ “
At first glance, you could take Jesus’ comments as insensitive and heartless. But they were candid and direct. “Follow Me, let those who have no hope, bury him who has died without eternal life.” This disciple of Jesus wanted it both ways though. “I’ll follow You Jesus, but first…” How many times have we bargained with the Lord? “I’ll follow You Jesus, but before I do… I want to accomplish this first, or obtain this coveted item first, or dabble in this questionable area first.” In times past, they used to call this sowing your wild oats…or putting your own selfish desires ahead of anyone else, including the Lord. But when Jesus said, “Follow Me.” to the disciple there was no negotiating.
Psalm 83:1-3 ” O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against Your people; they plot against those You cherish.”
Psalm 83 is one of five Psalms that are entitled Imprecatory Psalms. So what’s imprecation? It involves petitioning God’s wrath upon the wicked. They were written with righteous indignation at what was seen as defilement and blasphemy of God’s reputation and actions. They came from that deep place of aroused anger at seeing God’s name desecrated and everything He stands for ridiculed and mocked. They were written not out of spite or wishing for revenge, but to verbally hand the entire issue over for God to deal with…for the battle is not ours but God’s, (I Samuel 17:47 & II Chronicles 20:15) and it’s His to judge at the appointed time.
Romans 11:33 ” Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! “
In Solomon’s attempt to comprehend wisdom, he finally had to admit that neither he nor any other man could completely understand divine wisdom and understanding. (Ecclesiastes 8:17) That’s because God’s ways are incomprehensible…His understanding unfathomable…His infinite skill, insight, and purity beyond what our human brain can take in. But that shouldn’t in anyway discourage or dishearten us today. Remember back to when you were very young and had absolute trust in your parents. Your confidence in them didn’t depend on your understanding every situation, but rather on your faith that they would love and take care for you. We don’t have to know God’s ways…we just need to trust and have faith that He will direct us on the right path.
Lamentations 3:17-22 ” I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, ‘My splendor is gone and all that I hoped from the Lord.’ I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”
In the Book of Lamentations, Jeremiah gives a first-hand, eye witness account of the destruction of Jerusalem. And as the days wear on in chaos and ruin…Jeremiah becomes more and more despondent at the horrific sights, sounds, and smells of his much-loved city. The deep sorrow within him is overwhelming as he watches Jerusalem brought to its knees. But somehow Jeremiah is able to look beyond all the death and devastation around him and put his eyes on God. He centers himself on the things he knows about God…that His love never fails, that God is merciful and kind, and that his hope only comes from Him. Today, take your focus off the disruption and conflict around you and focus instead on God…or as Psalm 130:7 tells us, “Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love…”
Titus 3:1-2 ” Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
Titus was not only a preacher but a troubleshooter,,,particularly skilled in straightening out problems in the Churches in Corinth, Ephesus, and later Crete. In these Churches he was met with great opposition and insubordination from opposing Jewish groups, but in this letter, Paul is reminding him that God is a God of order, and within that order is a chain of command of divinely placed people who are invested with power to rule. It’s called authority, and the Church was called to submit to it. As civil unrest and defiance continues to plague America, and the idea of yielding oneself to authority is considered a sign of weakness… what really caught my eye in these verses was the meaning of the word humility. The Greek word here means a condition of the mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness but in power…in other words, in strength of character. This true humility in submission to authority is getting angry at the right time, in the right measure, and for the right reason.
II Thessalonians 2:16-17 ” May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
As the persecution not only persisted but increased for the Church in Thessalonica, Paul wrote this second letter to comfort and encourage them. He exhorted them that in spite of all the hardship they were currently enduring, they needed to continue their good works…which evidenced their faith. For fundamentally, good works and faith go hand and hand to show not only who a person is but how they are to behave. Later in this letter, Paul used the motivating statement, “Stand firm!” Right now, that statement is something all Believers need to hear. Stand firm in the face of fear and anxiety. Stand firm in the face of danger and trouble. Stand firm in the face of hardship and tribulation. For our Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (II Thessalonians 3:3)
II Chronicles 32:7-8 ” ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.”
King Hezekiah’s message to his people was simple…your source of strength comes from God and not from mortal man…and you need to rely on Him, for He is always with you. In II Kings 6:16-17, Elisha echoed these same words of encouragement when his servant could only see enemy horses and chariots surrounding the city…”Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed that the Lord might open his servant’s eyes, and suddenly the servant saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire. Today, if you’re afraid or discouraged, I pray that God would open your eyes to His promises…that He would show you His perspective, plan and purpose in your situation…and that you would experience revelation knowledge of where your strength truly lies.
I Thessalonians 3:12 ” May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
Paul and Silas had only a few times to teach in Thessalonica before they were forced to leave. And after they left, the early Church there came under great persecution, thus Paul feared he had not had enough time to firmly ground them in the Gospel…so he sent Timothy to complete the work he had started. In this letter, Timothy has returned with the good news of the Believer’s faith and love and Paul is praising God for it. Earlier in this letter Paul wrote, “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 1:3) What Paul was talking about here is the agape love we have for each other is an expression of our faith, and hopefully both our love and faith are growing and increasing together each day.
II Chronicles 20:26 ” On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah to this day.”
In the Bible many Valleys were known for only death and destruction…the Valley of the Dry Bones, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the Valley of Despair. But in this particular Valley it was quite the opposite for the men of Judah. That’s because the vast army that had sought to annihilate them, had instead been annihilated by God. So the Valley of Death and Destruction suddenly became the Valley of Praise. Over the course of the last months many of us have been in the Valley…a Valley filled with fear, anxiety, sadness, isolation, and discouragement. But we need to realize that God is the God of both the mountain-top and the valley…the highs and the lows…the good and the bad. That’s because He’s with us always, so our praise shouldn’t stop either, no matter where we find ourselves. For while we all long for those mountain-top experiences…we also have learned that many a hard-fought lesson comes while in the Valley.
Safetypinlove 