No weapon shall prosper

Isa 51:12I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; Isa 51:13And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?

 Isa 54:17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Safety is promised the servants of the Lord.  Why should we be afraid of mere humans when we have the almighty Creator on our side?  The servants of the Lord are promised that ultimately no weapon, no slander or lies will prevail against us.  This is our heritage.  Take courage, continue faithful, trusting God in the midst of opposition. 

The benediciton

Num 6:22  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Num 6:23Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, Num 6:24The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: Num 6:25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: Num 6:26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

This is the benediction blessing that the priests were to pronounce on the people at the conclusion of worship.  As they left the worship ceremony, this was the thought that was to be on their minds.  Notice first that it was God who commanded this blessing.  This blessing expresses God’s intent and desire to bless His people.  The blessing expresses God’s promise to keep, to protect, and to bless.  His face shining on us has the idea of living with the smile of God’s approval on us.  His countenance is His ever watchful care.  How much God desires us to know His love and concern for us!  How great is His desire to bless His children!

Observe to do

Jos 1:7Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

It takes courage and strength to live as God has instructed us to live.  There are forces that try to pull us both to the right and to the left.  God’s blessing is on those who neither take away from His Word, nor add to it.  We prosper spiritually when we follow God and God alone. 

Don't worry....pray

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.   Php 4:7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This is a very well known verse, yet how difficult we find it to truly practice!  We are instructed to not worry, but instead to bring all of our requests to God in earnest prayer. Notice also that our prayer is to include real thankfulness.  If we do this, we are promised peace, the peace of God, the assurance of God that is only really known by experience.  This peace, through Jesus Christ, guards us from fears and anxiety. 

He's still working on me

Psa 138:8The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

I am thankful that God is still working on me!  The Psalmist expresses his confidence that God will do whatever further is needed to be done in his life.  By His mercy, He will complete the salvation that He has begun. Don’t quit on God, and He won’t quit on you.  

No fear

Psa 23:4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

In the darkest and most trying hours of our life, we need not fear because our God is with us. The rod and the staff are symbols of God’s care as a shepherd.  Our comfort is draw from His watchful care and protection, even in the most dire of situations.

Not shaken

Psa 55:22Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

When we bring our burdens, our cares, our worries to God, He will sustain us.  He will keep us and support us. The promise God makes to us is this: If we will bring our burdens to Him, give them to Him, then He will keep us safe. We will not be moved, not shaken.

The reward

Joh 11:26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

The real reward of this Christian life is life without end.  That is the promise held out to us again and again.  This eternal life is found by believing in Jesus Christ and then living in Him.

Free

Heb 10:16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; Heb 10:17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

The purpose of complete salvation was that the guilt and power of sin would be broken.  We who have been redeemed will obey because our hearts and minds have embraced God’s will, God’s way, God’s laws. This great salvation brings a freedom from the guilt of sin, as well as freedom from the power of sin.

The good life

Deu 12:28Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

We all want a good life.  We all want good things for our families.  The path to a good life both for us and our children is the path of obedience.  We need to take careful heed to God’s commandments so that it may go well for us and for our children.

Angels watching over us

Psa 34:7The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

What safety!  The Lord doesn’t just check on us from time to time; His angels are camping out around us, surrounding us, all the time. Not only are they present, they are active in giving us the help and deliverance we need. 

Stay on the safe path

Pro 10:9He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

How often we are reminded that the only safe and sure path in life is the path of obedience and righteousness.  When we live our life in integrity, doing what is right, we live securely.  But, those who live dishonestly will be found out.

God wants our heart

Pro 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Even the religious activities of the wicked are detestable to God.  It is a right heart that God seeks.  God delights in the prayers of those who are upright, those whose intentions and motives are right, leading to a holy life. 

Remember the poor

Psa 41:1  Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

We are prone to become self centered, especially in times of difficulty.  Here is a promise to those that are considerate of the needy around them.  If we are compassionate on those in need, God has promised to be merciful and deliver us in our time of difficulty.

Taste and see

Mat 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

The idea of seeing God means to be in His presence in eternity.  It is only those who are pure in heart that will have that privilege and that destiny.  To be pure in heart means to have the right attitudes and the right motives for what we do.  It is more than just doing right…it is doing right for the right reasons.  

With us in the flood, with us in the fire

Isa 43:2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Though we may go through the fire and the floods, we are promised that God will keep us safe.  There are many things in life that we have to go through.  We don’t always get to avoid the difficult places in life.  God doesn’t always spare us difficulties, yet He has promised that no real harm will come to us. 

Identified with Christ

Mat 10:32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Mat 10:33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

We are sometimes tempted to hide our identification with Christ in this hostile world.  Sometimes we fear rejection from those around us.  This passage brings us a sobering thought.  If we won’t be identified with Jesus here, neither will He claim us in that great Judgment Day.  In that hour, only one thing will matter:  Will Jesus claim us as one of His?  Indentify fully in this life as one of His, so there can be no doubt in that hour. 

Endure and obtain the promise

Jas 1:12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

The enduring of trials and temptations is rarely pleasant.  The self denial necessary to stay faithful through these trials and temptations can be painful at times.  Yet we have the promise of the crown of life that the Lord has reserved for those who love Him.  Truly, when we endure these difficulties and temptations, we have a great blessing in store. 

Seek Peace

Jer 29:7And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

We are just pilgrims passing through this land on the way to our home.  Yet, we are encouraged to seek the peace and well being of the land where in we dwell, for in doing so, we also be able to experience that peace.

Don't worry

Psa 127:1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.  Psa 127:2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

We are prone to worry, bent toward stressing about many things.  Yet, unless God builds, unless God keeps, our efforts will prove to be nothing.  We don’t have to frazzle ourselves over the worries of life, fretting, working and worrying.  By trusting in God, we can do our part and then leave it in God’s hands.  We can rest comfortably knowing it is God who will add the blessing.