The remnant

Rom 11:3  Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. Rom 11:4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Rom 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

      In the dark days of King Ahab and Jezebel, God let Elijah know that He still had many faithful followers.  In writing to the believers at Rome in the first century, Paul reminds them that God had a faithful remnant in their day as well.  The same could be said for every day and time: God always reserves a faithful few to Himself, even in the darkest of hours.  God still has a remnant today: faithful believers through whom the truth can be preserved, and through whom light and life can spring up again.  Even in our dark day, God still has reserved to Himself a remnant seed.  Keep your faith and keep your hope. 

Keep working

Mat 10:42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

At times it seems our efforts in the kingdom of God go unnoticed or unappreciated.  Jesus assures us that our labors in His work shall not go unrewarded.  Even the smallest of labors on His behalf will be remembered and rewarded.  Continue to labor in His kingdom…the payday is coming.

Abide in His love

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

To be loved by God is a wonderful thing.  To know His love in personal way brings a sense of safety, contentment and joy not found anywhere else.  Staying in the very center of His love and care should be one of our chief aims in life.  In the passage we are told how to stay in His love; by obeying His commandments.  A life of obedience is necessary to finding security, contentment and joy in our Christian life.  Stay faithful.

Ask for the old paths

(Jer 6:16a KJV)  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah lived in a time when people had left God and His way.  The message in this passage was from the Lord:  Ask for the old paths, the proven path; the path that has stood the test of time.  Really, it is the ancient path; not the 1970’s, the 1950’s, the 1880’s, the 1800’s, the 1600’s, not even the first century.  It is the path of walking with God, living in communion with God, living in obedience to God.  Ask and seek that path of peace and rest with God; that path that throughout all time has brought peace and rest; that path that has produced a walk with God, brought the presence of God, brought sweet communion with God.  Ask and seek for the path of walking with God, the good way.  Learn to live each day in His presence, talking to Him, endeavoring to please Him in every situation, everywhere, all the time.  Ask for the old paths, the good way.  This is the place of peace and rest.

Blow the trumpet

Joel 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

The day of the Lord refers to a day of visitation by God.  Our God is a merciful, loving and kind God.  Yet, He is also a holy God who will execute judgment on the evil and unrepentant.  We need warned to be prepared for such a visitation.  It is a fearful thing to face the almighty Creator God when He is angry.  We live in a time of wickedness.  People need warned that there is coming a day of accounting.  Let’s be faithful to tell the whole story concerning our great God.  Part of our calling is to sound a warning.  Let’s not fail our generation.    

God is great

Psa 145:3  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Our God is an awesome God.  His goodness and greatness is beyond comprehension.  His wisdom and power is more that we can even imagine.  His mercy and love exceeds our words to tell.  Let the praises of our God be heard!  People need to know who God is, and what He is like.

Pure in heart

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

We all want to make heaven our home, to see God.  This passage reminds us of an essential element is we are to see God.  We are to be pure in heart.  Just being religious is not enough.  Just living a moral life is not enough.  We must have our heart cleansed of evil motives and intents.  The pure in heart are those who do the right things for the right reasons.  Let’s not allow ourselves to fall into just going through the motions.  Let’s keep a check on our attitudes, motives and intentions.  It is the pure in heart who will be blessed by seeing God.

God is good

Psa 116:5  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

 Our God is compassionate and merciful.  He is righteous, He is fair and good.  Often Satan would twist the events of life to portray God as uncaring and unfair.  When all of life seems to be screaming that God doesn’t care, remember:  Our God is loving, compassionate, tender hearted, merciful, just and good.  Stay steady, keep your faith.  In time, you will see this scripture is absolutely true. 

No regrets

Pro 10:22  The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

There is no downside to the blessings of God; no regrets, no painful aftermath.  God is good, God is good in every way.  The blessings He gives us are good in every way.  Too many times we are tempted to seek some gain or pleasure by stepping outside of God’s will.  Any such gain always comes at a high price.  The better choice is to live in a way that God can bless us.  There is no downside to the blessings of God.   

Generosity

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Generosity is a Christian virtue.  It is a virtue found in the heart of one who has been regenerated, one whose love for self has been subdued.  Our love for self has been replaced with a love for God above all else and a love for others equal to our love for our self.  This causes us to be concerned for others and their needs.  We are to show our generosity in our dealings with others.  When generosity is show from good intentions and good motives, God takes note.  In His justice, He will see we receive as we give.  Don’t cheat yourself and others out of a blessing by being selfish.

How pleasant

Psa 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

We need each other in this Christian life.  We long for the love and acceptance found among fellow believers.  This verse reminds us how good and pleasant it is for God’s children to live in harmony with one another.  Such unity and harmony is delightful, agreeable and attractive.  Satan works hard to disrupt this blessing.  Let’s make sure we do are part to maintain this blessing among us. 

He is our help

Psa 40:17  But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

At times we are painfully aware of our needs and our own inabilities.  What a comfort to know that God is aware of our situation, that He is concerned and has given consideration to our plight and our needs.  He is our help and our deliverer.  He can be depended on.  Our heart often cries out with the Psalmist, “Come quickly, I need you now”.  He is our God and our Father…He will come to the aid of His own children.  Trust Him.

Praise ye the Lord

Psa 150:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Psa 150:2  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Psa 150:3  Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Psa 150:4  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Psa 150:5  Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Psa 150:6  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Our God is worthy of praise!  He is worthy of praise for who He is and what He has done.  We are to praise Him with enthusiasm, loudly.  We are to praise Him in song and on the instruments.  Let the joyful sound of His praise be heard all around.  Everything and everyone that has breath, that has been granted life, has reason to praise the Lord.  How much more should we who have experienced His love and redemption, lift our voices in glad praises to our Savior and God.  Praise ye the Lord.

God's thoughts

Psa 40:5  Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

The fact that God considers us and is concerned about us is a wonderful thought. Yet God thinks about us more than we can even know, far more than we could count up.  Many are His acts of love and kindness toward us.  God is concerned about us.  He cares about us.  He loves us.  Meditate on these things and allow this truth to bring you the joy, comfort and security that having a heavenly Father affords us.

No greater joy

3 Jn 1:4  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

There can be no greater satisfaction in life than to know your children have a real experience with God.  We are all excited for our children to do well in life.  We are pleased by their accomplishments.  We want them to have a good job and be comfortable financially.  But for a Christian, there is no greater joy than to know they really know the Lord.  Let’s make sure our words and actions convey to them the real priorities of life.

Keep striving

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Throughout the scriptures we consistently find the standard for Christian conduct: we are to live a holy life, to strive to live without sin.  There can be no other goal for one who loves God above all else and loves his neighbor as himself.  We cannot tolerate sin in ourselves; however, we are also reminded that our God is a merciful God.  We are to strive to live above sin, but if we fall, we need not despair.  Repent, God will forgive.  Then resume your Christian life with new determination to avoid sin.

God is still with us

Job 23:8   Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: Job 23:9   On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: Job 23:10   But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

There are times in our Christian life when we cannot make sense of things.  There are also times when we cannot perceive God; when we can’t feel Him or see Him working.  Yet this passage assures us that God knows right where we are.  We may not see Him, but He always sees us.  Not only does God see us, He is actively working for our good.  When life seems perplexing, remember that God is still on the job, still working His will.  In time, we will see His faithfulness and feel the warmth of His presence

God's Word is reliable

(Psa 119:89 KJV)  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

God’s word is reliable; God’s truth doesn’t change. God’s wisdom and truth do not become dated.  God’s truth is complete, His wisdom is perfect. He knows everything there is to know; He knows the past, the present, the future. Therefore, God’s truth doesn’t change. We can rely on God’s Word to be true.  Trust His word; obey His commandments and rely on His promises.

God's world

Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

    As I watch the sun come up this morning and the snow on the ground, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness.  God created this world and set in motion the laws of nature.  Everything has operated as God foresaw. We are living in a time of wickedness and godlessness, but I am reminded that our God is still the ruler of the universe.  Nothing has taken Him by surprise.  God still reigns, this is still His creation.  Don’t despair.  God is still working His will.  Take hope and trust Him.     

Do good

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

We are reminded that we have an obligation to help those around us, to share God’s blessings with those in need.  We not only are to refrain from evil, but we are to seek to do good.  Sacrifices we make in doing good and sharing with ones in need are well pleasing to God.  Let’s seek to please God in doing good and helping those around us