Who is my neighbor? Is it the family living next to us…or the couple down the street…or the lady working with me everyday? It really doesn’t matter to the Lord who exactly I think my neighbor is…what matters to Him is how I treat them. God wants me to be kind to those I have contact with daily – not ridiculing and mocking – but displaying wisdom and discretion.
Tag: word of god
II Corinthians 1:9 ” Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
Our confidence can’t be in ourselves. For to paraphrase Jeremiah 17:5-7, ” Cursed is the one who trusts in man and his own strength.” Our reliance and trust can only be in the Lord… who can overcome what we are unable to.
Jonah 4:4 ” But the Lord replied, ‘ Have you any right to be angry?’ “
My indignation towards God is never justified. My view on the situation is never complete…my opinion, never unbiased. Only God can see from beginning to end, and every detail in between. Only He can “see around the corner”. I am so very limited in my scope of reality, that I really have no right to be angry at God.
II Samuel 22:2-3 ” The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior – from violent men you save me.”
What do you put your trust in? If it’s your nation’s economy…it may fall tomorrow. If it’s in other men…you’ll be sadly disappointed when they become untrustworthy and turn on you. No, there’s only one that you can put your wholehearted trust and confidence in…for God will never betray that trust – He will never fail you.
I John 2:16 ” For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.”
To paraphrase Proverbs 27:20, “The eyes of man are never satisfied.” From the moment in the Garden of Eden when Eve’s selfish desire outweighed her rational thinking, we’ve been battling our own corrupt habits and appetites. We are never content with what we have…never happy until we have more. And sadly, this cycle just repeats itself over and over again.
James 1: 2-4 ” Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
What exactly is perseverance, and how do we develop it through exercising our faith? Perseverance is hope under pressure…its not allowing surrender or giving in to trials. Perseverance is the purpose in which we reach the goal of spiritual maturity.
Joshua 6:16 ” Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!”
Jericho was a formidable Canaanite city, filled with smug, godless people who weren’t afraid of this Israelite army or their God. And then we have Joshua and his troops, who were simply obeying the Lord by dutifully marching around Jericho for six days. But on that seventh day, God’s display of miraculous power had a two-fold purpose. First to the idol worshiping people of Jericho, the Lord’s judgment was pronounced in one explosive moment as the walls fell. Secondly, as the Jewish people shouted, they watched in awe as Jericho became a heap of rubble before them…demonstrating that God was in control, He was abiding by His covenant with them, and that nothing was impossible when they trusted in Him .
II Thessalonians 3:11 ” We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy, they are busybodies.”
The Believers Paul was writing to felt that the Lord was coming back at any moment…so there was need to work. Their daily routine consisted of going from home to home gossiping and mooching off others. They had elevated the art of meddling and spreading rumors to new heights. Instead, Paul was instructing them to stop gossiping and work for their living.
Luke 6: 27-28 ” But I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
How can we best reveal God’s love? To speak well of others…even if we feel otherwise. To wish others well… even when we feel quite the opposite. Finally, to show love and compassion…even if none has been shown to us. By demonstrating God’s love to the unlovable, we reveal His love for them.
Jeremiah 6:16 ” Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word for “ancient” can mean both future and past times. How many times have you stood at the crossroads…imploring the Lord on which way to go. Or maybe your actions and behaviors have brought you to one of “God’s Crossroads”, where He has made it painful evident that you need to make hard decisions. The Lord wants all to choose the right path…the one that leads to Him.
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