Slipping off the right path can happen so slowly and insidiously that we aren’t really aware of it until something drastic happens. We compromise a little here…we give in a little there…and before we know it – we’ve wandered far from where the Lord wants us. That’s why it’s so important to be ever vigilant…ever on guard for things that will cause us to jeopardize our faith.
Tag: theology
Psalm 95: 6-7 ” Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”
We are the sheep under the watchful eye of the Good Shepherd. Ever protected and cared for, we need not wander away from His ever present safety and security. Thank you Lord for being such a good Father.
Daniel 9:18 ” We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy.”
We are unfaithful…but He is ever faithful to us. We are mean-spirited and unfair to others…but He is always compassionate and gracious towards us. We are judgmental and unmerciful…but He is ever full of grace and loving kindness.
I Timothy 4:7-8 “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
Paul was spurring Timothy on to develop exemplary habits, thoughts, and behaviors… And this would also hold true for us today. For it’s by discipline and instruction that we become the person God wants us to become. And in the end, we will reap the benefit of blessings in this present life and eternal life to come.
Proverbs 22:6 ” Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
As Job mused in Chapter 12:12, “Is not wisdom found among the aged?” Sometimes it will take until a child has matured to adulthood that they finally grasp all the Godly instruction they’ve received at home. From early on, we try to impress on our children the importance of living a life for Jesus…but many times it seems like it falls on deaf ears. But don’t give up, for this is a scripture with a promise for all parents. Keep pouring good into your children…and good will come out.
Acts 20: 23-24 ” I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
We all have the same goal as Paul…to complete the calling God has charged us with. Whether that be small or large, in the public eye or in the background – everyone has a ministry to fulfill. And even when forewarned by the Holy Spirit of what was to come, Paul resolutely set his eyes on Jerusalem and the finish line…knowing he had accomplished everything the Lord had mandated for him.
I Samuel 1:10 ” In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.”
Hannah wasn’t just upset…she wasn’t just sad. Hannah was totally heartbroken and in anguish for what she saw as insurmountable odds. From deep within her being she poured out her soul…pleading for God’s mercy. And the Lord heard her and moved. You may be feeling as hopeless as Hannah today, but remember, God is listening to your prayer and He will move.
I Corinthians 13:12 ” Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
Who can understand God? Who can comprehend His ways or grasp His greatness? What we perceive now falls so pathetically far from what we’ll then realize…when we’re face to face.
Isaiah 61:11 ” For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden cause seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
Just as the warming soil causes things to germinate and bud, so the Lord causes His power to be shown before all the earth…His honor and glory on grand display for all to see. For as the mystery of life is unveiled each Spring…God’s goodness and majesty is made evident the world over.
Matthew 16:26 ” What good will it be for man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? “
In this passage Jesus is being very blunt…we can’t work our way into heaven. No amount of riches we’ve amassed will do…no worldly commodity, can be exchanged for the gift of salvation.
Safetypinlove 