God still reigns

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.     

Let everything that has breath praise 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 thinks about us

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.

Our Advocate

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.

He knows where I am

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.  

Settled

(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.

Compassionate and merciful

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. 

Forgive

Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  Mar 11:26  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Forgiveness is the heart of Christianity. It is central to our relationship with God.  Our greatest need is forgiveness….we have no other hope for our sins. Forgiveness is not our right; it’s not what we deserve.  Our forgiveness cost Jesus suffering and death.  Forgiveness is also vitally important in our relationships with one another. We forgive others because of God’s forgiveness to us.  A merciful attitude recognizes our unworthiness of God’s great love and grace.  Forgiveness is the release given another for an offense committed against us, the debt is canceled. Nothing more is due, nothing more is owed. Forgiveness can be hard, but receiving forgiveness from God requires that we have a forgiving attitude.  When we struggle with forgiving others, let’s remember God’s love and forgiveness given to us.

Taste and see

Psa 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

  The Lord is good!  We can know by experience that the Lord is good.  In fact, we are invited to experience His goodness.  Blessed, or well off, is the person who puts their trust in God, the person who makes God their refuge.  When we trust the Lord, when we place our confidence in Him, we will undoubtedly experience His goodness.    

Do good and help others

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.

The Lord delivers

Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

 This Christian life is not without difficulties.  We go through most of the struggles of life that the unsaved go through.  We also face difficulties that come from being a Christian in an evil world.  The good news is that we are not in this alone.  The huge advantage we have in life is that we have a real and living God who is looking after us.  Though our struggles may be many, God has promised to keep us and deliver us from all of them.  We need not fear.  We have a loving heavenly Father who is on our side.  Bravely face the future knowing our God will be there to help and deliver in every situation.

Real religion

Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to take care of, to help,  orphans and widows in their suffering and needs, and to keep oneself uncorrupted from the world.  Both of these requirements are essential.  We must maintain a walk with God that is free from the evil of this world, as well as have a heart of compassion toward those truly in need around us.  We cannot neglect either duty and possess pure religion.  Let’s give attention to living a clean life, and then let our love for others be lived out in service.

Identified with Christ

Mar 8:36   For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Mar 8:37   Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  Mar 8:38   Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

 There seems to be an anti-Christian sentiment creeping across our society and country.  If we are not careful, this can cause us to become ashamed or embarrassed to be identified as a Christian.   This verse gives us a sober thought:  there is coming a day when the only thing that matters is whether we are identified with Jesus Christ.  If we want to be identified with Him on that great Judgment Day, then we will identify with Him here, in this life.  There is nothing to be gained in this life that is worth losing our soul.  Whether being a Christian is popular or not, let us gladly be identified with Christ.

Keep sowing

(Eccl 11:6 KJV)  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

 Unfavorable conditions should not keep us from continuing to work in the kingdom of God.  Many times do not seem favorable, but the truth is, there is no perfect time. Observing the conditions may cause us not to sow, say “what’s the use”, “nothing will come of it”.  But let me ask you:  What kind of conditions have revival sprung from? Revival has usually come in a very dark hour.   We cannot wait for favorable conditions to do the work God has called us to.  God has a purpose for us where He has called us, and when He has called us. Let’s  be about our Father’s business.

The battle is not ours

.   2 Ch 20:15  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.  2Ch 20:16  To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.  2Ch 20:17  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

 We allow ourselves to suffer far more anxiety and fear than we ought to.  Really, the only thing we need to be greatly concerned about is whether we are on the Lord’s side.  If we are on the Lord’s side, He has promised to deliver us and provide for us.  The battle is not ours: it is God’s.  Fear not, don’t be dismayed.  This command is often repeated in both the Old and New Testament.  Fear not, instead, obey God and trust Him.  Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.  What a privilege to have God fight our battles for us in life.  We can trust Him and experience the real peace promised to us in this great salvation.    

The golden rule

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

 Here is a very familiar verse.. often referred to as the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  This simple rule is the essence of all the commandments.  Treating others as we would want treated is the natural response of loving others as ourselves.  This is the heart of all the commandments.  When in doubt as to what our response in a situation should be, apply this rule.  How would I want to be treated?  

Use your time wisely

Psa 90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 It’s good sometimes to be aware of the shortness of life.  We only have so much time, so it is important that we make good use of that time. Time is like money; we only have so much and must budget it wisely.  Let’s make sure we are making good use of our time and investing in those things that really matter.  Let’s live our lives in light of eternity.     

There remains much land to be conquered

(Josh 13:1 KJV)  Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

This was a critical time in Israel’s history.  This was a time after the children of Israel had crossed into the Promised Land. They had already accomplished very much in conquering and possessing the land.  They had seen the conquest of Jericho, where God caused the walls of this great city to fall.  This was after the battle of Gibeon when the sun stood still, and God cast hailstones upon those who fled.  They had overcome and destroyed 31 kings (mentioned in chapter 12) covering a large portion of the land.   Yet God had a message for them…The message was that there remained much work to be done.  Their calling was to conquer the whole Promised Land; there was still work to be done.  God has been good to us, we have experienced His goodness and many victories.  Yet there is much work to be done.  As we begin a new year, let’s pledge ourselves to continue faithful in the work of God.  There remains much to be done.

Happy New Year!

3 Jn 1:2  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

 Happy New Year!  My prayer for you is that this New Year will be a good year for you.  Most of all, I pray that this will be a year of spiritual prosperity; that you will draw closer to God, that your love for Him will deepen, that your devotion to Him will be greater.  I pray that you will find a greater joy in Him, that you will find a greater peace and security in Him.  I pray that this year will be a time of real growth in faith and trust.  But as John wrote in today’s verse, I also pray that God will bless you in all things, in meeting your financial needs and in granting you good health.  I pray that God richly bless you in all things, both physical and spiritual.  I pray your blessing in this life be equal to your spiritual blessings.  Let’s do our part to prosper spiritually and trust God to provide the rest.