The Israelites were rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, when their enemies approached, wanting to be part of the building project also. The Jews refused the offer, and so their enemies set out to frighten and discourage them… even hiring people to intentionally work against them and frustrate their plans…so they would become disheartened and give up. How many times has the Lord told you something, when suddenly here pops the enemy, whispering in your ear that it won’t work…that you’ll fail…or that you don’t know what you’re doing and you might as well give up. The Israelites were following the Lord’s plans and purpose for their lives, despite what their enemies were telling them…don’t allow the enemy to discourage you from moving forward in the plans and purpose the Lord has set forth for you.
Tag: God
Matthew 7:3 ” Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
Jesus liked to use analogies when He taught the crowds that followed Him, and He had just spoken about judging others, when He gave this comparison. How can you be so concerned and finding fault with your brother who has a fleck of sawdust in his eye, while not even considering the wooden beam in your own? If we belittle someone else, and find fault, it somehow makes us feel our own shortcomings aren’t that “bad”. If we just focus on their weaknesses…we don’t have to face at our own. Jesus wants us to remove the plank out of our eye first…and then we can see clearly enough to take that speck out of our brother’s.
II Chronicles 26:16 ” But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.”
King Uzziah was 16 years old when he became King. His fame spread far and wide, and as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. But as Uzziah became more and more powerful, it went to his head and his pride and arrogance sadly led to his corruption. He abandoned the Lord, which led to his ruin. King Solomon in his wisdom talked about pride going before destruction, and a haughty spirit going before a fall. But I think the very best word picture of this is in Proverbs 30:29-31 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing; a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a King with his army around him.” Many a person’s pride and arrogance has led them down the path to ruin when they think they are mightier than God.
Job 13:15 ” Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.”
Despite the fact that he didn’t understand why he was suffering, Job continued to trust in God. Could we keep trusting the Lord even when we don’t understand…when sickness and impending death permeates every moment of our lives, could we still be confident in Him? When we’re deep in the darkness of the valley, could we still hope in Him…and would we be able to wait in that hopeful expectation without fear, knowing God was our refuge and strength for whatever happened next? Though He strike me, nevertheless, I will put my trust in Him.
Mark 10: 14-15 ” Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
To get the essence of what the Lord is saying in this passage, we all need to go visit a Kindergarten class. While there, we will see every kind of emotion freely expressed by children who have yet learned to “stuff” feelings. They will have absolute trust in their teacher, and will look to her/him for help in every problem that arises. They will freely show love, acceptance, and enthusiasm towards others without reproach or bias. Ah, to have child-like faith…the world would be a much better place if it was one big kindergarten class with Jesus as our loving teacher!
I Chronicles 4: 10 ” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.
When your mother’s birth of you is so traumatizing that she names you ‘Pain’… you’ve got one strike against you from the very start! But it says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers…honorable meaning wealthy and renowned. So what had turned his life around? It was the prayer that he cried out to the Lord…a prayer seeking His blessing, asking that God would multiply his sphere of influence, and beseeching the Lord to protect him. And it says that God bestowed on him what he had asked for. Right now, consider praying this powerful prayer into your own life…regardless of your past, God can bless you today!
Romans 8: 16-17 ” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…”
Growing up we all need validation from those around us that we are loved, needed, wanted, and important…when this is missing, we can feel devalued, outcast, rejected and worthless. These very negative emotions can follow us into adulthood and unfortunately, into our relationships with others. But you are not insignificant in God’s sight, rather you are His child. And not only a loved and valued child of His, but a joint heir with His son Jesus. If invalidation was part of your past growing up, give it to the Lord, and move forward as a treasured co-beneficiary of the Glory beyond.
Proverbs 16:7 ” When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”
Even though Joseph was thrown into prison after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him, God granted him favor in the eyes of the Prison Warden, who gave Joseph the position of Administrator over the entire jail. God was well pleased with Joseph, and made even the Palace Guard live at peace with him…which probably drove Potiphar’s wife crazy! She wanted him punished for resisting her advances, and instead, he was granted a very powerful position. If God takes pleasure in us, even our worst enemies will befriend and show us partiality.
John 6: 5-6 ” When Jesus looked up and saw the great crowd coming towards Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.”
As the Disciples traveled with Jesus ,they were witness to countless miracles, so when Jesus asked Philip where they should get food to feed this huge crowd, He was really asking him a much more serious question. He was asking… where is your faith level Philip? On our journeys you’ve seen many miracles…can you now use what you’ve seen and apply it here? Jesus wanted Philip to stop looking at things from his perspective, and start seeing them through God’s limitless one…He wanted Philip to take his eyes off the temporal and catch a vision of the boundless power of God. How would you answer that question?
II Chronicles 7:14 ” If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This entire passage hinges on one little word, and that word is “then”. If the first part of the scripture is accomplished, it will be followed by the final portion. God is very specific of what He requires of us first…we are to swallow our pride, pray fervently, seek His face, and turn from our evil ways…and then and only then will He act. We’ve got to do our part before He’ll do His…if we are serious about pursuing our task, He will be just as serious about fulfilling His.
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