Our sun and shield

Psa 84:11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psa 84:12  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

 God is our light, showing us the way, giving direction to our life.   He is our protection in everything in life.  God gives grace and glory, which means He gives us favor and honor.  What a blessing to live in God’s favor and all its benefits!!  We are promised that no good thing would be withheld from those who live uprightly, those who do what is right.  How blessed is the person who trusts in God!!  What more could we ask for?

An open door

Rev 3:7KJV  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; Rev 3:8  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

 This passage is the opening line of the message to the church at Philadelphia.  God had set an open door before them. This was a message to a church in a time of difficulty and opposition. This was a faithful church, but it was not an easy situation.  Yet, in the middle of this opposition, God said He had set an open door before them.  What do we think of when we hear “an open door”?   Open door means opportunity.  God had set opportunity before them, even in a difficult time.  The opportunity they had did not depend on their situation. We can have hope.  It is God who opens the door.  It wasn’t just favorable circumstances.  It wasn’t their own strength “ I know you have but little strength”.   It is God who opens, and no one can shut.   Our God reigns omnipotent.  Our God is sovereign in power.  Our God is an awesome God. This open door implies an opportunity to work in the kingdom of God, an opportunity to do good, to further the spread of the gospel.  Keep your faith.  Keep your hope.  Stay faithful.  Revival has always come at a dark hour.

Who is on the Lord's side?

Exo 32:26  Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

 The setting for this verse is a critical time in the history of Israel.  The people had fallen into sin.  Aaron and the priests had accommodated them, and God’s anger was stirred. This was a critical time.  Moses issues a challenge to the people to show who was on the Lord’s side.  He called them to step out and publicly show their allegiance. We also live in a critical time.  It is time to make a definitive choice, to step out and be fully counted on the Lord’s side.  To be on the Lord’s side means that we are fully committed to Him.  Unless Jesus is truly the number one priority, He has not been given His rightful place.  Who is on the Lord’s side?

Be kind

(Eph 4:32 KJV)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 As Christians, we are to be kind; kindness is treating others with consideration, it is being goodto others, treating them courteously.  In our text, kindness is closely related to being tenderhearted, which means being compassionate.  Kindness is also related to forgiving others.  To consistently be kind to others, we need to have the right attitudes and motives.  We should want to be kind and want to help others.  We should give effort to be compassionate, to look at the needs of others and want to help them.  Simply obeying this commandment to be kind goes a long way toward showing the reality of salvation in our life.

Ambassadors

(2 Cor 5:20 KJV)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

 We are Christ’s ambassadors. An ambassador is a personal representative, an agent, or a messenger.  We have been entrusted by God to be His ambassadors to this lost world.  We have been sent as God’s own representatives, His agents, His messengers.  Jesus gave His life to save the world, and He has entrusted this mission to us. Think about that:  the message and mission for which He gave His very life, He has commissioned us to carry out.  Let’s not fail to rightly represent Jesus and this great salvation by both our life and our words.

God's joy

.  (Zep 3:17 KJV)  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

 God delights in His children as a father. God is pictured in this verse as rejoicing over you with singing.  God is filled with joy at the presence of His trusting children.  Can you even picture God bursting into singing with joy???  This verse also tells us that He will quiet us with His love.  His love and care for us brings us peace and rest.  Let the love of God cause your soul to rebound with joy and confidence.  Let the smile of God brighten your day.  May our faith and confidence in our mighty, loving heavenly Father be strengthened.

End well

Ecc 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

 Ending well is more important than beginning well.  It is often good to begin right, but in life it is more important how we end.  We need to keep the end in view so that we not become sidetracked or discouraged.  Many begin this Christian life that do not finish. It is vital that we finish the race.  The second part of this verse reminds us to live life patiently. We need patience to wait and see what the end is going to be. Patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.  The words translated here come from root words meaning “long” and “high”. The idea is of longsuffering, patient as opposed to high, impatient, arrogant, proud.  Be careful of becoming quickly angered in life, angry about our circumstances, angry and frustrated by what is going on in life.  I believe this passage is teaching us also to not judge many things that God has allowed in our life too hastily. What may seem like a very bad thing is often leading us to a very good end.  Continue to trust God and follow Him.

Exceedilngly great promises

2 Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 God has given us incredible promises! He has promised to forgive us, to keep us, to heal us, to provide our necessities of life.  He has promised to comfort us, protect us, to be a true friend in time of need.  All these promises are given to us in order that we might experience a real relationship with Him, a relationship based in love and holiness.  Rely on His promises for the strength and courage to live a victorious life.

The lifter of my head

(Psa 3:3 KJV)  But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

 Difficult times can bring fear and sadness into our lives.  This is normal, but we don’t have to stay there.  We have a God who is able for every situation.  He is our shield, our protection from every danger we face.  We have one who is able to lift our head, to cause us to once again have hope and courage.  It is in His protection, in His loving care that we find renewed hope and courage.  Allow God to lift your head, to cause you to live in hope again, to cause the joy of God and the joy of living to return to you.  Our God is the lifter of our head…..look to Him for protection and hope.  

Strive

(Luke 13:24 KJV)  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

 We are challenged in this passage to STRIVE to enter in…or to make every effort to enter in.  Maintaining our salvation requires attention and effort.  There are times it is difficult to stay faithful.  There are times that our Christian duties are a struggle to fulfill.  Be diligent, make every effort, don’t give up.  This struggle, many times, is a struggle to maintain our faith, Satan wars against us to break our relationship of faith in God.  There are times in our Christian life when we are filled with doubts and discouragement.  Satan will try to discourage us, to get us to simply give up and quit.  Strive, continue to put forth the effort.  This is a fight worth winning: our very souls are at stake.  Never give up.  Continue to strive.

Give me this mountain

(Josh 14:12 KJV)  Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.  (Josh 14:13 KJV)  And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

 The setting of this verse is the time of the children of Israel finally entering into the Promised Land.  Caleb requested that he be given the mountain inhabited by giants.  Caleb was one of the two faithful spies sent into the land 40 years earlier.  He had stood when the other ten brought a fearful, faithless report.  Caleb had kept his courage and zeal throughout the 40 disappointing years in the wilderness. Caleb had kept his faith in God throughout those years. Now in his old age, he had the zeal and courage to take on the giants of the land. Notice he still had his faith in God.  He was convinced that God would help him defeat the giants.  We need courage, zeal and faith today.  We may face some giants of opposition today, yet God is still the same, still faithful and still able to help us in every situation.  Pray God restore our zeal, courage and faith.

Joy

(Phil 4:4 KJV)  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

 One of the great dangers we face in difficult times and trials is the loss of our joy. Joy is an absolute essential part of true Christianity.  It is the thrill of knowing God, the absolute thrill of being loved by God. It is the joy of having our sins forgiven.  The joy of the Lord is the deep seated joy of having peace within, knowing all is well with God. Don’t lose your joy!  Don’t lose the joy of your salvation.  Those who lose their joy do not continue to pursue more of God or an active life with God.  It is the joy of the Lord that makes this Christian life enjoyable and satisfying.   Rejoicing is expressing that joy.  We should check our experience with God to make sure we keep the joy alive.  Let your thoughts be turned to His love, care and goodness.  Let His acceptance and assurance restore the joy of salvation.

Add to your faith

(2 Pet 1:5 KJV)  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  (2 Pet 1:6 KJV)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  (2 Pet 1:7 KJV)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (2 Pet 1:8 KJV)  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Faith is the foundation, the beginning point, of true religion.  It is the foundation on which all these others graces and virtues are to be built. Faith is a believing loving trust, a confident trust in God. We need to add some things to our faith to progress, to become mature as Christians. We are to grow in knowledge, in self-control, patience, godliness, kindness and brotherly love.  We need to give attention and effort to these things. We are to give diligence, to make every effort, to be eager in our pursuit of these graces.  If we do these things, we are promised that we will be fruitful, that we will be effective examples of the power of this great salvation to change people.

Save to the uttermost

(Heb 7:25 KJV)  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Jesus is able to save to the uttermost !  Often we use the word “saved” to mean conversion, the initial act of coming to God.  But to be saved, salvation, involves the whole process from our initial conversion to our eternal life.  It is being kept all the way through to heaven, kept all the way to and in eternal life. Jesus is able to save all those who come to God by Him. He is able to preserve and keep us all the way though this life, through judgment, and into our eternal home in the new heaven and new earth.  Jesus Christ not only provided forgiveness for us, He is saving us, preserving us, keeping us.  Jesus is able to save, able to keep, able to preserve us in everything, through everything in this life. He is able to save to the uttermost !!!  No matter the battle, no matter the danger, no matter the impossibility, He is able to save to the uttermost. He is able to save, to keep, to preserve to the greatest degree possible.  He is able to save, to keep, to preserve to the most extreme limit.  There is nothing that we are facing or possibly could ever face that Jesus cannot save us from.  There is nothing that lies ahead that Jesus cannot keep us and preserve us in, through or around. He lives to make intercession for us.  He lives to plead our case.  He is able to save, to keep, to preserve from harm and danger, to the uttermost, to the greatest degree, to the most extreme limit.

God's Words

2 Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 The Bible, God’s Word, is GOD’S WORDS.  None of the scripture, none of the prophesies originated with the prophets, but were revealed to them by God.  The writers of the scripture were not just wise and godly men imparting their wisdom in scripture.  The writers of the scripture were wise and godly men who wrote that which the Holy Ghost gave them.  It has always been a trick of Satan to reduce God’s Word to just the writings of mere men.  God’s Word is GOD’S WORDS.  As such, it is infallible, complete and accurate.  We can depend on it.  We can trust our very souls to it.  Don’t let the wisdom of the age cause you to don’t God’s Word.  In a time when everything is shifting and changing, God’s Word remains steadfast and sure.  Depend on it.  Trust it. It is God’s Word.

Our light

2Sa 22:29  For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

 God is our lamp; He is our light for the darkness, our hope for a brighter day.  God is able to light our path, to brighten our way and give us hope for the future.  When darkness seems to settle in on us, it is the Lord who can dispel the darkness with His light of hope.  When darkness makes the way hard to see, it is the light of the Lord that shows the way forward.  If it seems darkness is creeping in, look to the Lord for light to drive away the gloom.

Restore

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

 There are times when a fellow believer may trespass or sin against us.  If this happens, we are to go to that person alone, one on one, to point out the error.  The purpose of our going is always to resolve the problem and see that one restored.  The goal is not to just expose, to just convict, but rather, as privately as possible, to try to resolve and restore.  If we would follow this commandment of Jesus, rather than go around to everyone else soliciting support, the family of God would be much stronger.  Love demands that we work to rescue and restore our fellow believer when they stumble and fall.

Character

Luk_16:10  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

 Our character shows in the everyday things of life, not just the big crisis events.  Character has been described as who we are and what we do when we think no one is watching.  If we are willing to be dishonest when it is small and we think there are no consequences, then we are really dishonest in our heart.  If we can’t be depended on in the small things of life, we also can’t be depended on to be faithful in the more important things of life.  Character is built in the small decisions of everyday life, as well as the biggies.  Let’s determine to do right in everything, everywhere, all the time. 

Hold to God's Word

(Prov 23:23 KJV)  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

 This passage tells us to buy the truth, obtain the truth, and then don’t let it go, hold to it.   Don’t sell it; don’t give it up for something else.  What is truth?  Truth is that which is correct, that which is right.  Truth is reality, the way things really are.  Truth is that which God has revealed to be right, to be correct. The purpose of God’s revelation of Himself was to lead us to know Him, to know about Him. It was also to instruct us how to live in harmony with God and in harmony with one another; how to live as love demands, how to live a holy life.  Hold to the truth you know.  Hold to God’s Word.  Don’t allow this world’s reasoning to cause you to give up the truth.

Near, at hand

Jer 23:23  Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Jer 23:24  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

 God is not far away in heaven, unaware of what is going on here on earth.  God is present everywhere, all the time.  God fills all the heaven and all the earth.  God knows all and sees all, both good and bad.  As God’s child, your situation has not gone unnoticed by God, nor is He unconcerned.  He hasn’t forgotten or forsaken us.  He knows all about us and has already prepared the way ahead of us.  God also sees the evil that is committed.  Nothing is done in secret that He doesn’t know about, none can hide from God.  We can trust our future to the God who is everywhere, who sees all and who knows all.  Trust Him.