Showing posts with label faithfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faithfulness. Show all posts

July 20, 2013

Journey to see God: See what God looks to see

Today we learn to see what God looks to see in us. One theme stands out: be obedient to His word.
_________________Bible verses: (English Standard Version)
Humble and contrite; tremble at God’s word
But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2b
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: your brothers who hate you and cast you out for My name’s sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified that we may see Your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame. 66:5
Delight in the Lord’s word
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night…for the Lord knows the way of the righteous.. Psalm 1:1-2, 8a
Fear the Lord
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7a
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom, and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek like silver and search for it like hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, Isaiah 11:2-3
But I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house. I will bow down toward Your holy temple, in the fear of You. Psalm 5:7
Worship God: bow down, give thanks and praises, know His name and trust Him alone
I will give thanks to the Lord with My whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most high. For those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:1-2, 10
Have faith in God: seek Him
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, Hebrews 11:4
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death…now before he was taken he was commended for having pleased God. Hebrews 11:5
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
Hold fast to God in love
Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows My name. Psalm 91:14
Made God your dwelling place
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place-the Most High, who is My refuge- no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10
Bible Example 1: Belief in the word of God, fear God, and took action evident of repentance.
The case of the Nineveh city.

Jonah 3:5 “And the people of Nineveh believed God.”
Jonah 3:10 “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.”
Bible Example 2: How a self-seeking king lost his kingship because of his fear of men rather than fear of God; disobedience to God because he took God’s word lightly.
The case of king Saul, in 1 Samuel 15:22-23 
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”
Bible Example 3: Have faith in God and His word! The case of the centurion.
Matthew 8:8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under My roof, but only say the word, and My servant will be healed,
8:10 when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who followed Him, “truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”
Bible Example 4: Jesus.
Matthew 3:17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
John 7:16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but His who sent Me.”
6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.”
John 8:28-29 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
Obedience on the cross

March 4, 2012

Lament with HOPE: He will not crush the weakest reed

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice  ~ Isaiah 42:3 NIV
 
New Living Translation (NLT)
 3 He will not crush the weakest reed
      or put out a flickering candle.
      He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 
 
 
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.  In his name the nations will put their hope. ~ Matthew 12: 20-21 NIV
 
 New Living Translation (NLT)  20 He will not crush the weakest reed
      or put out a flickering candle.
      Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
 21 And his name will be the hope
      of all the world.”[a]
Footnotes:
  1. Matthew 12:21 Isa 42:1-4 (Greek version for 42:4).

 Isaiah 42:1-4
New King James Version (NKJV)

The Servant of the Lord

42 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

 Ecclesiastes 3
New King James Version (NKJV)

Everything Has Its Time

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
    And a time to die;
A time to plant,
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
    And a time to speak;
A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
A time of war,
    And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

2024 not abandoned: a new spiritual journey

How may we hear God and understand Him more accurately? Last night while praying my heart purposed to start afresh the unfinished journey ov...