SB SALT AND LIGHT MINISTRIES

God’s People Are Comforted…

Isaiah 40:1-31

Quote:

“When belief in God becomes difficult, the tendency is to turn away from Him; but in heaven’s name to what?”
— G. K. Chesterton

What Does History Prove?

David Hume, the Scottish skeptic, defended his skepticism quite dramatically.

He wrote: “Were a stranger to drop suddenly into this world, I would show him a specimen of its ills—a hospital full of diseases, a prison crowded with malefactors and debtors, a field strewn with carcasses, a fleet floundering in the ocean, a nation languishing under tyranny, famine, or pestilence.

Honestly, I don’t see how you can possibly square [that] with an ultimate purpose of love”
(quoted by Zacharias, p. 63).

Israel stood on Hume’s side. Jerusalem was destroyed.

The majority of the Jewish population lived in exile in Babylon.

Yahweh, the God of Israel, appeared to have gone down to defeat by the Babylonian army and their gods.

What hope did Jews have?

Time to forget God and get on with life the best they could.

But God was not finished. He had a message for exiled Babylon, a message from the prophet of old.

This message featured a courtroom confrontation between Yahweh of Israel and the images of Babylon.

Who was the true God?

Yahweh set the agenda—show what you are doing in history and what is going to happen in history.

Or at least show that you control history because you created the universe.

Babylon’s gods remained silent. They had no power of speech, much less power to control history.

You can list with David Hume the problems you face and the insurmountable difficulties that blight your life.

You need a word from God to show that He is still your God and that He will lead you to a new life with new hope.

This lesson should help you learn to wait in hope for God the comforter.

Isaiah 40:31 explained:

Judgment was not God’s last word for His people.

Having laid out the reason for judgment and exile, He came to them with a word of comfort, calling them to prepare to leave exile in Babylon, march with Him on a highway through the wilderness back to Jerusalem.

To convince them to make the journey, He set up a court trial against the gods of Babylon and showed they were false, mere creations of human craftsmen, unable to predict anything about history or do anything in history.

The true God announced the coming of Cyrus to defeat Babylonia and send exiled Judah home.

The Comforter and Creator Comes to Court

The historical focus changes dramatically with chapter 40.

We begin to breathe the air of 545 B.C. Cyrus of Persia occupies center stage politically (41:2; 45:1,13; 48:14-15).

Israel was living in Babylon, not Jerusalem (42:24; 47:1).

The prophet’s declarations of disaster disappear.

Only hope from heaven appears.

The whole section is a call of comfort to the captives, joined with arguments trying to convince them to accept the comfort that God has offered.

The prophet had spent the first thirty-nine chapters of the book preparing for life in Babylonian exile.

Now he turned the corner to show the way of escape from such exile.

Unlike many of the oracles in chapters 1-39, these messages of hope and comfort do not give us clues about the time and place where the prophet delivered them.

However Israel’s Shepherd, the only God and Creator, cares for, comforts, and acts to save His people.

The Call to Comfort (40:1-11)

Military chain of command:

The divine Shepherd reveals His glory by fulfilling the promises of His eternal Word and comforting His people.

Isaiah’s call to condemn his people appears in chapter 6.

By contrast, chapter 40 is a call to comfort.

This call appears like a military order passed through the troops, occurring in four stages:

1. The command apparently began in the heavenly council (see ch. 6) with a call to its members to go to the aid of my people. As in chapter 6, so here, the prophet was present in the council.

2. The prophet reported to the people in verse 3, relaying the call to action from our God.

3. The prophet continued to report in verse 6, but then realized that the new command was no longer in the plural to the people but in the singular, addressing him personally. He reacted with a question, expressing his inability to fulfill the assignment, as occurred so frequently in the prophetic experiences (6:5). His complaint received a blunt answer (v. 8).

4. The prophet relayed the message to Jerusalem—that is, to the people of Judah now in exile in Babylon but claiming Jerusalem as their hometown.

Jerusalem was to become an army messenger bringing the news of victory back to the towns of Judah (v. 9).

(vv. 1-2) The prophetic task has now changed from the hardening of God’s people (ch. 6) to comforting them.

Such comfort was God’s reaction to the lamentations of His people, who had cried that they had no comforter (Lam. 2:13).

Human strength could provide no comfort.

The people were reminded that your God—not Babylon’s god, but Yahweh, the God of Israel—could provide comfort.

The content of such comfort became clear. Her “period of service” (NJB), hard service (NIV), “warfare” (NASB), “term of bondage” (REB) had ended.

The captivity in Babylon was interpreted as work that a prisoner of war had to do for his captor.

God announced unexpectedly that the prisoner had been pardoned.

Outwardly, Judah appeared to be a captive of Babylonia because she was the weaker party militarily.

Seen from a higher perspective, she was Yahweh’s prisoner because she had sinned against Him.

Yahweh was ready to release Judah.

Babylonia was not.

Yahweh proclaimed that Judah had taken double punishment from the hand of Yahweh.

This was in line with the Israelite law that required reimbursement plus payment for damages in certain crimes (Exod. 22:1,7,9).

As Israel first experienced salvation by escape into the wilderness, God planned a new wilderness experience.

To prepare for this, He called for a highway to be built.

This imitated Babylonian practices in which a highway was built for the great religious festivals so the images of the gods could be paraded before the people.

Yahweh’s highway was not to show off His beautiful artwork and clothing. It was to deliver His people in a moment of historical crisis.

Such a highway was to be level so God’s people would have no trouble crossing it as they followed their God to freedom.

This historical act would reveal the true glory of God to the entire world, because God would accomplish what Babylonia was not ready to do.

God would show His historical power over the majestic kingdom of Babylonia.

Such news seemed unbelievable to a people so far from home.

The prophet said it was certain to happen, because its Source was God Himself.

(vv. 6-9) Even with such assurance, Isaiah was taken by surprise.

He sounded the common complaint of his people.

Humanity had lost its meaning, being no more significant than grass, which springs up only to be mowed down.

The sense of the Hebrew of verse 6 is not conveyed by “beauty” (NLT, NJB) or “constancy” (NRSV) or glory (NIV) or “goodliness” (KJV), or “loveliness” (NKJV, NASB), but no other English word is better.

The original expression (Hb. chesed) is often used for the grace or steadfast love of God to human beings (e.g., Exod. 20:6) and of the devotion people should show to God and to one another (Hos. 2:19; 6:4).

In this text, the term apparently indicates all the grace and graces of humanity. It is that for which people may be trusted and relied upon.

God’s breath (which could also be translated “wind” or “spirit”) had destroyed all that humanity had to offer.

So the prophet complained, Why preach to people whose reactions are meaningless?

God answered! Comfort comes not from mankind but from God.

His word is reliable, and He promised comfort.

The prophet finally fulfilled his mission, calling upon Jerusalem to take up her high mountain watchpost and relay the news of victory.

Victory was won because Here is your God.

The coming of God is the content of comfort!

God is coming with power. No one can stand against His arm.

He comes not in vengeance (34:8) but with a reward for His people, probably reflecting the practice of bringing spoils of war and tribute back to the people.

Israel does not have to rely on their military trophies. God brings all they need.

But He comes to His people not as a military warrior but as a caring shepherd, often an image for a king.

He knows those with special needs and treats them as a new mother and her baby.

He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.

This is the comfort we need.

The holy, eternal Creator is the One, unique God who brings renewed strength to His people.

(vv. 12-17) The prophet took his audience to court and brought legal arguments to prove the incomparable nature of the God of Israel over against the claims of all other gods, especially those of Babylonia.

Only the Creator knows the earth’s measurements.

His Spirit, not the counselor of the Babylonian king, has all wisdom and knowledge.

In His measuring scales, the heavyweights among the nations weigh no more than the dust that collects on scales.

He deserves sacrifices and offerings beyond measure.

The famous forests and grazing hills of Lebanon could not provide enough firewood or enough sacrificial animals to give God what He deserves.

Isaiah declared that God is beyond compare.

The other gods are images, only creations of human hands; they did not create the universe.

Exactly how Isaiah described this is questionable, since the Hebrew text of 19b-20a is almost impossible to read.

The main concern of the builder of an idol is not whether it is a god who can deliver on promises but whether the image will topple.

The god does not have power even to stand on his own two feet.

News about God’s power is not new. It has been available since the earth was founded.

Earthly rulers and kings are grasshoppers when viewed from God’s heavenly throne.

They are weak plants which God’s whirlwind blows away.

Yes, He is beyond compare. He has no equal.

God is so powerful that He created the hosts of heaven and so intelligent that He knows each by name.

Isaiah describes God’s power to create, His provision to sustain, and His presence to help.

God is almighty and all-powerful; but even so, He cares generously for everything and everyone.

“No person or thing can be compared to God” (40:25).

We describe God as best we can with our limited knowledge and language, but we only limit our understanding of Him and His power when we compare Him to what we experience on earth.

This passage is similar to Job 38:1–41:34.

When we feel overwhelmed by life’s struggles, these bold statements about our Creator God can remind us that He is in control and that His loving rule will ultimately prevail.

He guides and sustains the universe and the circumstances of our daily lives.

We can rest in the knowledge of that truth and find peace.

Don’t limit God’s work in your life by underestimating Him.

(vv. 29-31) Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God’s power and strength never diminish.

He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen.

His strength is our source of strength.

When you feel life crushing you and you cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.

Part of trusting in the Lord is expecting that His promise of strength will help us to rise above life’s distractions and difficulties.

Do you believe God loves you and wants the best for you?

Can you relax, confident that His purposes are right?

Are you convinced that He has the power to control all of life—and your life as well?

Though your faith may be struggling or weak, hold on tightly to it, and you will begin to experience the strength you need.
____

From Max Lucado’s LifeLessons:

God promised to remain faithful to His people.

The Jews felt that God had ignored them, but God would rescue them from captivity.

Because He is perfect, all-powerful, and knows everything, God transcends nature.

Mysteriously, though, He still concerns Himself with our lives.

“To whom then will you liken God?” the prophet invites (Isaiah 40:18).

To whom indeed?

“Human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs” (Acts 17:25 NLT).

You and I start our days needy.

Indeed, basic needs prompt us to climb out of bed.

Not God.

Uncreated and self-sustaining, He depends on nothing and no one.

Never taken a nap or a breath.

Needs no food, counsel, or physician.

“The Father has life in Himself” (John 5:26).

Life is to God what wetness is to water and air is to wind.

He is not just alive but life itself.

God is, without help. Hence, He always is.

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2).

God never began and will never cease.

He exists endlessly, always.

“The number of His years is unsearchable” (Job 36:26 NASB).

Even so, let’s try to search them.

Let every speck of sand, from the Sahara to South Beach, represent a billion years of God’s existence.

With some super vacuum, suck and then blow all the particles into a mountain, and count how many you have.

Multiply your total by a billion and listen as God reminds:

“They don’t represent a fraction of my existence.”
(From 3:16 by Max Lucado)

Is anything in your life guaranteed? Is your career unshakable, your family immortal, your money eternal?

Do not base your comfort and enjoyment on what could be gone tomorrow.

Only God and His Word will last for ever—let these be the basis of everything in your life.

Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
____

Friday, July 08
Beliefnet

WHY ARE WE TOLD TO WAIT ON THE LORD?
Waiting can sometimes mean protection.
by Lauren McKeithen

Isaiah tells us,

“But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary.”
— Isaiah 40:31

As humans, we spend a lot of time waiting. We wait for email responses, Amazon packages, our paychecks, and many other things.

We wait on these things, but what does it mean to wait on God? What are we waiting on Him for?

Psalm 27:13-14 says,

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

We wait on the Lord to act, save, avenge, answer our prayers, provide our needs, renew our strength, show His glory, and do what God does.

Even the young and fit will experience fatigue, and their strength will end.

Everyone needs to rely on God and wait for His help.

Isaiah 40:31 talks about waiting on the God who sits on a throne about the earth, watching us, knows the weight of all the hills, islands, and mountains, and brings out the stars every night by calling their name.

Simply put, we wait on Him because He is God. He can achieve things we can’t. We have to wait on Him because we’re helpless without Him. Here are some reasons why we’re told to wait on the Lord.

God has a different concept of time.

Waiting is only possible within the time.

God, who created time, isn’t limited by it.

While waiting for Him to act, He’s already fixed our issue.

2 Peter 3:8-9 says,

“With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you.”

God is always patient with us and understands waiting. His concept of time doesn’t compare to ours, but His timing is perfect.

He uses waiting to show His glory.

In John 11, we learn about Lazarus, one of Jesus’ friends.

Lazarus fell very ill and his sisters, Martha and Mary, got word to Jesus.

You would think that Jesus would drop everything to help His friend, but He delayed His arrival intentionally.

Unfortunately, Lazarus died. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days.

Jesus planned to raise Lazarus from the dead, uncovering His glory.

Jesus knew that Lazarus would be sick before he developed symptoms.

Psalm 139:16 reminds us that our lives were ordained and recorded by God before they came to be.

Our days are numbered, just like Lazarus’.

Jesus already had a plan before Martha and Mary sent for Him, a strategy that involved making them wait.

A God who knows the name of the stars isn’t surprised by our life’s circumstances.

He knows always known. Waiting is a component of His plan for us.

Waiting can be good for us.

We tend to think of waiting as a bad thing, but waiting can be good.

If God immediately sprang into action every time we called Him, that would mean we’re in control, not Him.

We’d be the head honcho, but we don’t have His wisdom.

Waiting makes us learn to trust Him and His timing.

How good are you at waiting on God?

While you’re in the waiting room, don’t waste your time. Ask God to transform you while you wait.

You should also ask Him to give you perseverance, character, and hope and strengthen you.

Bible verses about waiting on the Lord.

While waiting for the Lord to answer your prayer, it can be good to study specific verses.

These verses can comfort you in your times of waiting and reassure you that He will answer your prayer.

Here are some Bible verses about waiting on the Lord.

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.”
– Lamentations 3:25

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
– Matthew 6:33

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
– Micah 7:7

“Show me your ways Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
– Psalm 24:4-5

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
– Psalm 37:7

“I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
– Psalm 27:13-14

Confident and patient trust in the Lord is the main idea of the appeal to waiting on the Lord.

Psalm 27 is an example of a prayer to God for help.

It shows the true meaning of waiting on the Lord.

Throughout this prayer, David shows courage and faith in God based on his expectation that God will save him when he needs Him.

Sometimes, we feel like God doesn’t hear us, and He’s purposefully not answering prayers.

We have to put our trust and faith in God in these moments.

We must wait on Him with eager anticipation and understanding that He’s in control and always with us.

He will keep His word and save us.

When we don’t feel He’s around, He’s always working for our greater good.

We can learn to wait on the Lord through active trust and prayer.

Waiting is never easy, especially when you’ve been waiting for a long time.

We’re told to wait on the Lord because He knows what’s good for us.

Even when we don’t see Him, He’s always working in His children’s lives.

Perhaps God is making us wait because He’s preparing us for something bigger. For that, we should be grateful.
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

Christ Fulfills the Law…

Before I begin, I must confess this is one segment of scripture that I really have to work on because it goes against my nature.

I am much more like the disciples who wanted to call fire down from heaven and consumed their enemies, but then I am reminded that except for the grace of God and the influence of Christ’ love, the Bible and the Holy Spirit has had upon my life, I could very easily be right over there with them, in total rebellion, outside of God’s will.

The truth is for all of us, we don’t know what we don’t know until we are taught!

We actually have to work on these principles, in order that they may be applied to our life; and as it says in Philippians 2:5, each day we must put on the mind of Christ.

Quote:
“I don’t believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are guilty of the war.

Oh, no, the little man is just as keen, otherwise the people of the world would have risen in revolt long ago!

There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again.”
— Anne Frank

The first of Jesus’ five discourses in Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount was a discourse on kingdom living.

This sermon described the kind of righteousness He expected of His followers.

This righteousness surpasses’ the legalistic religion of the Pharisees and must be lived so as to impact the world.

Matthew 5:17-48

5:17–48 Some say Jesus was nothing more than a good teacher who wanted people to love each other.

But Jesus was and is the Son of God.

Jesus did command us to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39); He also taught how to do that, through a wide range of complex personal and moral issues.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, some of Jesus’ statements sound extreme (for example, Matt. 5:22, 30, 37, 39–42), and several are easy to misinterpret.

Understanding this passage begins by realizing that Jesus’ references to “the Law” and “the Prophets” (5:17) were references to the Old Testament’s moral teaching.

Those Scriptures were to govern the moral conduct and character of His Jewish listeners.

Unfortunately, the people had not heard the true words of the Law and the prophets.

They had instead learned a heavily doctored version of the Old Testament’s teachings.

Their rabbis often stressed the letter of the Law rather than its spirit.

At times they favored their own traditions over God’s actual teaching (12:9–12; 15:1–9).

Sometimes they twisted the Law to fit their own agendas (19:3–8).

No wonder Jesus labeled these teachers as hypocrites and warned people not to follow their example (23:1–36).

This background helps to explain a phrase that Jesus repeats in His sermon:

“You have heard that it was said . . . but I say to you” (5:21, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34, 38, 39, 43, 44).

Jesus spoke with integrity and authority about murder (5:21–26), adultery (5:27–32), vows and oaths (5:33–37), vengeance (5:38–42), and love and hate (5:43–47).

He began His remarks with an appeal to fulfill the Law (5:17–20) and concluded with a challenge to act as the Father would act (5:48).

We should not blunt the challenges these words present.

We should, instead, be careful to interpret them as Jesus intended: as a correction of mistaken understandings of Old Testament law and as a true expression of His kingdom values.

5:38 God’s purpose behind this law was an expression of mercy.

The law was given to judges and said, in effect, “Make the punishment fit the crime.”

It was not a guide for personal revenge (Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19, 20; Deuteronomy 19:21).

These laws were given to limit vengeance and help the court administer punishment that was neither too strict nor too lenient.

Some people, however, were using this phrase to justify their vendettas against others.

People still try to excuse their acts of revenge by saying, “I was just doing to him what he did to me.”

5:38-42 When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even.

Instead, Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us!

Our desire should not be to keep score but to love and forgive.

This is not natural—it is supernatural.

Only God can give us the strength to love as He does.

Instead of planning vengeance, pray for those who hurt you.

For Verse 41 We find a reference to the custom of forced service in transport by a king’s courier who could demand the service of others to carry out the king’s business.

To refuse was an unpardonable offense to the king (Mt. 27:32; Mk. 15:21).

5:39-44 To many Jews of Jesus’ day, these statements were offensive.

Any Messiah who would turn the other cheek was not the military leader they wanted to lead a revolt against Rome.

Since they were under Roman oppression, they wanted retaliation against their enemies, whom they hated.

But Jesus suggested a new, radical response to injustice:

Instead of demanding rights, give them up freely!

According to Jesus, it is more important to give justice and mercy than to receive it.

5:43, 44 By telling us not to retaliate, Jesus keeps us from taking the law into our own hands.

By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good.

The Pharisees interpreted Leviticus 19:18 as teaching that they should love only those who love in return, and Psalms 139:19-22 and 140:9-11 as meaning that they should hate their enemies.

But Jesus says we are to love our enemies.

If you love your enemies and treat them well, you will truly show that Jesus is Lord of your life.

This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness.

We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us show love to those for whom we may not feel love.

5:48 How can we be perfect?

(1) In character: In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible.

(2) In holiness: Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own and carry His love and mercy into the world.

(3) In maturity: We can’t achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness.

Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development.

(4) In love: We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us.

We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level—perfect, yet with much room to grow.

Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ.

Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him.

Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (1 John 3:2, 3).
____

From Max Lucado’s LifeLessons:

Matthew 5:1–48

Jesus gave this sermon (chapters 5—7) on a hillside near the town of Capernaum.

Matthew presented four other great discourses of Jesus (chapters 10; 13; 18; 24, 25).

Jesus did not come to destroy the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets, but to fulfill what they said.

Jesus told us to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect.

Sacred delight is good news coming through the back door of your heart.

It’s what you’d always dreamed but never expected.

It’s the too-good-to-be-true coming true.

It’s having God as your pinch-hitter, your lawyer, your dad, your biggest fan, and your best friend.

God on your side, in your heart, out in front, and protecting your back.

It’s hope where you least expected it: a flower in life’s sidewalk.

It is sacred because only God can grant it.

It is a delight because it thrills.

Since it is sacred, it can’t be stolen. And since it is delightful, it can’t be predicted.

It was this gladness that danced through the Red Sea.

It was this joy that blew the trumpet at Jericho.

It was this secret that made Mary sing.

It was this surprise that put the springtime into Easter morning. . . . It is this sacred delight that Jesus promises in the Sermon on the Mount.

Nine times He promises it. And He promises it to an unlikely crowd:

“The poor in spirit . . . Those who mourn . . . The meek . . . Those who hunger and thirst . . . The merciful . . . The pure in heart . . . The peacemakers . . . The persecuted . . . ”

It is to this band of pilgrims that God promises a special blessing. A heavenly joy. A sacred delight.

(From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

How are you fulfilling Jesus’ command to be perfect before God?

Do you fall short by lying, lusting, cheating, coveting, or gossiping?

When you battle one of these temptations, instead of giving in, pray, sing a worshipful song, or think of a memorized verse.

Praise God instead of giving in.
____

From Faith to Faith
Daily Devotional

PROTECTED BY LOVE
by Kenneth Copeland

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:44-45

Love your enemies…turn the other cheek…to most people that sounds like a pretty weak way to handle someone who’s causing them trouble.

But, the truth is, it’s the most powerful way there is.

It’s the way Jesus did it—and His way never fails.

Do you remember when Jesus went back to Nazareth and the religious folks were angry with Him and wanted to push Him off a cliff?

What happened?

He just walked right past them, and no one could lay a finger on Him.

Another time they decided to stone Him, and He didn’t retaliate that time either. He just walked off. No one could touch Him.

When Jesus walked through that crowd, He wasn’t afraid. He knew they couldn’t hurt Him because He was walking in the love of God.

When Jesus said to turn the other cheek, He didn’t mean for you to stand there and have your brains beaten out.

He meant for you to stand there in love and in faith believing that the protecting power of God that accompanies that love would keep you safe.

He meant for a man to swing at you and not be able to hit you!

The story of Nicky Cruz as recorded in David Wilkerson’s book, The Cross and the Switchblade, is a perfect example of that.

Nicky was reputed to be the most ruthless gang leader of his time. Yet, when David Wilkerson stood in front of him, telling him about Jesus, Nicky was totally unable to hurt him.

He thrust his knife at David several times. But every time he did, David just said,

“Nicky, you can cut me into a thousand pieces and every piece will still say, ‘I love you and God loves you.'”

Because of love, Nicky couldn’t get his knife close enough to David to hurt him. A supernatural force always stopped it short.

“But I don’t have that kind of love!”

Yes, you do. Romans 5:5 tells us that the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit.

All you have to do is make the decision to be motivated by that love rather than your own human feelings.

My friend, love never fails! You don’t have to be afraid of failure anymore.

In fact, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. If you’re walking in the love of God, you’re living the most powerful kind of life there is.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:38-48
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

As Christians, we are not called to be armchair quarterbacks (spectators only), but rather as Christians we are each called to run the race, in order that we may complete our mission assignment…

Our mission assignment is that we are to fulfill the Great Commission that God has assigned to us, which is to preach the Gospel message and to disciple nations.

In order for this to happen, Paul taught us that we are to first discipline ourselves and run the race, in order that we may win the Prize, which ultimately is the Crown of Righteousness, that comes only from Christ’s propitious sacrifice and shed blood on Calvary’s Cross.

Everyone is to have their own relationship with God; that is, read the Bible every day, pray every day, obey His voice every day, without being prompted, pressured or monitored.

If you don’t do this, you are spiritually still a baby.

Paul at the end of his ministry, in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, says…

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to ALL who have longed for His appearing.
____

In these above verses, the apostle Paul writes of his life as running a race.

He says here, near the end of his life, that he has finished the race and kept the faith.

He looks forward to the prize, the crown of righteousness, the Lord will award to him and to all believers.

The crown of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that will be received in fullness at the Judgment Day.

The crown symbolizes the eternal life that every believer who finishes the race will receive.

As true believers, we mustn’t just talk about running the race, we must actually do it.

John describes, in 1 John 2:3-6, what should be the goal of every disciple – one who considers him or herself to be a follower of Christ,

The Test of Knowing Him
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.

By this we know that we are in Him.

6 He who says he abides in Him (in Jesus) ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
____

Paul describes this Christian pilgrimage that we are all on as though we are running a race, for a specific Prize.

So, let’s see what the Bible says running the race is all about.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says,

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?

So run to win!

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal Prize.

So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadow boxing.

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
____

Paul’s new metaphor here compares living in service to Christ to athletic competition.

He likely had in mind the Olympic games, as well as the Isthmian games (one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece) which took place every other year in Corinth.

Foot races were a common event in such competitions. Corinthian society was highly competitive.

In that context, Paul’s readers would agree that in any race, only one runner wins.

Why participate if you’re not going to try to win?

Paul urges them to do what it takes to win!

His point is not that only one Christian can succeed, spiritually speaking. Or that we are in a contest against brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul is referring only to the effort and dedication exhibited by the athletes: that is what the believer should duplicate in their pursuit of Christ.

In these verses Paul builds a metaphor comparing Paul’s foregoing freedoms, in order to win people to faith in Christ, with an athlete training to win a prize.

Both voluntarily give up things to which they are otherwise entitled.

That requires self-sacrifice and a tough approach to one’s own feelings.

They do this for the sake of victory. But the athlete can win only a wreath that will quickly die.

In contrast, Paul aims to win a prize that will live forever.

He also trains himself in this way to avoid being disqualified before crossing the finish line.

Paul tells us to run the race and not to quit!

Real athletes in a race run to finish the race and receive a prize at the end.

Nobody likes to run in a race and drop out.

Why would someone drop out of a race?

There could be a number of reasons.

The person may not have trained properly and just didn’t have what it took to finish.

The runner may have an injury that prevents them from running the race.

Or the runner may not have the mental focus and just quits when it gets too hard.

Or finally, the runner may be disqualified by breaking the rules.

Regardless of the reason, the runner who quits does not finish, and nor will he receive the prize at the end of the race.

In this race that we’re running, Jesus is the ONLY prize that we’re all running towards.
____

So here is the ultimate point and here is the goal I believe Paul is talking about…

From Max Lucado’s LifeLessons:

Some believers questioned Paul’s rights as an apostle.

Paul responded by pointing out that the rights apostles claimed were very reasonable, yet he himself didn’t claim them.

To Paul, nothing was more important than spreading the gospel, so giving up his rights was a worthwhile sacrifice.

One of our top priorities should be enabling others to understand the gospel.

Though God has given us many blessings and rights, we should be willing to give them up if it would help someone to know Christ.

You can protect your reputation or protect His.

You have a choice. . . . Jesus . . . “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7, 8).

Christ abandoned His reputation. No one in Nazareth saluted Him as the Son of God.

He did not stand out in His elementary classroom photograph, demanded no glossy page in His high-school annual.

Friends knew Him as a woodworker, not a star hanger.

His looks turned no heads; His position earned Him no credit.

In the great stoop we call Christmas, Jesus abandoned heavenly privileges and aproned earthly pains.

“He gave up his place with God and made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7 NCV).

God hunts for those who will do likewise—[those] through whom He can deliver Christ into the world.
(From Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado)

Our culture encourages us to stand up for ourselves and demand our rights, even at the expense of others.

Yet Jesus and the New Testament writers repeatedly point to the joy we receive from humility and self-sacrifice, by our disciplining ourselves to run the race which God has set before each of us.

How does this translate into our everyday lives?

Why not give up our right to live for ourselves, but rather let us exercise our free will and discipline ourselves each day to follow Christ!

Instead of using your free time to watch a movie, why not use that time to share your faith and be a light to others.

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

Jesus poses this question to His followers: What kind of soil are you?…

Are you hard soil, rocky soil, soil that is overgrown with thorns and thistles, or are you a healthy and nurturing type of soil, that’s ready to accept the seeds that are sown in you?

The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God.

The soil that the seed fell on represents four different categories of hearers’ hearts, measured by the four different reactions to the Word of God: the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart.

The Parable of the Sower

The first thing necessary in order for us to respond positively to God’s offer, in the salvation of our souls through the gospel message, is for us to recognize the value of what He is offering.

What plain truths about Jesus, His Cross, and God’s kingdom reveal divisions among people, and why?

Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-19

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Truths: samples include (Jesus) is fully God and fully human;

He is the Messiah, our Savior, and King;

Belief in Jesus’ substitutionary, sacrificial death, burial, and Resurrection is the only way to be reconciled with the Father and to receive the Holy Spirit;

There is no other way to enter God’s presence than through the shed blood of Jesus Christ;

God’s kingdom is for those who live by grace through faith, now and forever;

Those who ultimately reject Jesus prefer the kingdom and rule of Satan over repentance and submission to God.

Divisions:
People’s responses to these truths show differences in outlook, worldview, and orientation.

Only God knows the ultimate responses each person gives to Jesus, but we divide at different points and times based on who we say Jesus is and what He does.

So who do you say Jesus is?

Jesus said of Himself, in John 14:6…

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

His name is Jesus (Savior), and in the Book of Acts we’re told…

Acts 4:11-12

11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’

12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

This is your invitation:

Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

Praise to the Almighty Creator…

Quote:

“The sovereignty of God is that golden sceptre in his hand by which he will make all bow, either by his word or by his works, by his mercies or by his judgements.”
— Thomas Brooks

Psalm 33:1-22

Unbroken and incessant praise should characterize the lives of God’s people.

At the heart of this worship should be a clear declaration of God’s sovereignty over everything.

In this song of thanksgiving, the psalmist called upon the righteous to sing to the Lord for His absolute control over all the earth.

Specifically, he had in mind God’s rule over all the Gentile nations.

A specific occasion unknown to us prompted the writing of this psalm, one in which God delivered Israel from the threat of an invading nation.

Perhaps it was written following a great national victory like what Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 20) or Hezekiah (2 Kgs. 19) experienced over an encroaching nation.

Whatever the historical background, this psalm is an anonymous hymn of praise, one of only four psalms in Book I (Pss. 1-41) without a superscription.

The other untitled psalms are 1, 2, and 10.

This psalm is perfectly symmetrical, beginning with a three-verse introduction (vv. 1-3) and climaxing with a three-verse conclusion (vv. 20-22).

The main body is divided into two equal sections of eight verses each (vv. 4-11,12-19).

The twenty-two verses of the psalm, it has been suggested, were determined by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

The psalmist calls upon the righteous to praise the Lord for His mighty Word, perfect attributes, and faithful deeds.

(vv. 1-2) The call to worship goes out to Israel in the first seven verses, then to the Gentiles as well in verse 8.

Praise is so beautiful and so compelling that the sweetest and finest possible instrumental accompaniment should be utilized—the harp and an instrument of ten strings.

(v. 3) The new song is the song of redemption. It follows the forgiveness of sins (Ps. 32) and belongs to all who have been cleansed by the precious blood of Christ.

But this song will be sung in a very special way by redeemed Israel at the outset of the Millennium (Rev. 14:3).

The new song celebrates the Word of the LORD and all His work.

His Words are absolutely true and righteous, unchanging and trustworthy.

All His works are done in faithfulness.

This is seen in creation—“seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night” (Gen. 8:22).

It is seen in providence. “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

And it is seen in redemption—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

(v. 5) God is not only upright and faithful, upholding righteousness and justice, but the evidences of the goodness of the LORD are everywhere.

The greatness of God is seen in that He created the heavens and their starry host by no greater expenditure of energy than by speaking the energizing Word.

Just this easily did He confine the oceans within appointed limits.

Some see these two utterances as a poetic veiled reference to Israel as the stars of the heavens (Gen. 15:5) and to the Gentile nations as the raging seas, bottled up at last by the Lord Jesus at His Second Advent.

(v. 8-9) In any case, God is so great that all mankind should reverence Him and show Him the deepest respect.

His Word was the sound energy which became matter.

By His command all creation came into being.

(v. 10-11) Throughout human history the ungodly nations have collaborated to thwart God and to ruin His people.

But, as Burns said,

“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley,” or, as we would say, they often go haywire!

God ultimately frustrates the cleverest plots hatched by His opponents. And nothing can hinder the accomplishment of His purposes.

He will always have the last word, and whatever He plans will come to pass.

(v. 11) “The LORD’s plans stand firm forever.”

Are you frustrated by inconsistencies you see in others, or even in yourself?

God is completely trustworthy—His intentions never change.

The Bible promises that good and perfect gifts come to us from the Creator who never changes (James 1:17).

When you wonder if there is anyone you can trust, remember that God is completely consistent.

Let Him counsel you, and then rely on His plans for your life.

(vv. 12-15) Only those people who align themselves with God and His revealed plans will know the fullness of His inheritance.

As God carries out His plans, it is with the full knowledge of our lives, circumstances, and needs.

From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind.

From His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth.

With penetrating gaze God observes every person on the earth.

No one escapes His perfect vision (cp. Heb. 4:13).

God who forms the hearts of all rules over all things in accordance with His own sovereign purposes.

So the pathway of our blessing lies in cooperating with God.

Happy is the nation that acknowledges Jehovah as its God. This is the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

(vv. 14-18) God’s watching over us has two dimensions:

(1) He sees and understands our thoughts and motives.

The psalmist explains here that God made the human heart and therefore completely understands people.

John the apostle said that Jesus knew exactly what human nature was like, so no one can fool God (John 2:23-25).

(2) God watches over us with love and protection.

Knowing this should help us prioritize getting in tune with Him each day.

God knows what we are doing, and He guides us toward the right path if we listen to Him.

(vv. 16-17) The image of a warhorse represents military strength.

Because God rules and overrules every nation, leaders should never put their trust in their physical power.

Military might is not the basis for our hope.

Our hope is in God and His gracious offer to save us if we will trust in Him.

(vv. 18-19) This is not an ironclad guarantee that all believers will be delivered from death and starvation.

Thousands of Christian believers have been beaten to death, whipped, fed to lions, or executed (Romans 8:35-36; Hebrews 11:32-40).

God can (and often miraculously does) deliver His followers from pain and death; sometimes, though, for purposes known only to Him, He chooses not to.

When faced with this harsh reality, we must focus on the wise judgments of God.

The writer of this psalm was pleading for God’s watchful care and protection.

In times of crisis, we can place our hope in God.

(vv. 20-22) Whatever the circumstances, the people responded in faith to what they had heard in this call to rejoice.

The phrase We wait in hope for the LORD reaffirms their confident commitment to the Lord.

This they can do because He is our help (cp. 20:6) and our shield (cp. 3:3).

In this God the people trust (Heb. batach, “to attach oneself, depending upon”) because He is in control.

The psalm ends with a petition by the people, May your unfailing love rest upon us,

O LORD. He would sustain and support them through every crisis as they put their hope in Him.

Such hope is well-placed and will never disappoint the believer.
____

Max Lucado’s LifeLessons:

In Psalm 33, we can delight with the psalmist in a God who not only created everything, but whose plan for this world will stand forever.

Praise God whose plans stand forever and who triumphed over Satan at the cross.

Remember, Satan cannot penetrate the walls of the Great House of God.

Is it still hard to imagine how your struggle could lead to any good?

Still hard to conceive how your disease or debt or death could be a tool for anything worthwhile?

If so, then I’ve got one final example.

While not wanting to minimize your struggle, I must say yours is a cakewalk compared to this one.

A sinless Savior was covered with sin.

The author of life was placed in the cave of death.

Satan’s victory appeared sure.

Finally, the devil had scored on the right end of the court. And not only had he scored, he’d slam-dunked the MVP and left Him lying on the floor.

The devil had blown it with everyone from Sara to Peter, but this time he’d done it right.

The whole world had seen it.

The victory dance had already begun.

But all of a sudden there was a light in the tomb and a rumbling of the rock; then Friday’s tragedy emerged as Sunday’s Savior, and even Satan knew he’d been had.

He’d been a tool in the hand of the gardener. All the time he thought he was defeating heaven, he was helping heaven.

God wanted to prove His power over sin and death, and that’s exactly what He did.

And guess who helped Him do it?

Once again Satan’s lay-up becomes a foul-up.

Only this time, he didn’t give heaven some points, he gave heaven the championship game.

(From The Great House of God by Max Lucado)

Where are you struggling right now?

Is there some area in your life where you are experiencing defeat?

Remember the Cross and God’s ultimate victory over Satan, sin, and death.

Turn defeat into victory by praising and thanking God and trusting in Him.

As it is with the nations of the world, so it is in each of our individual lives, that God holds it ALL in the palm of His hands

Psalm 31:15
“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”

Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
____

Tuesday July 5, 2022
Worthy Brief

RESTORATION OF A NATION!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”
— Psalms 33:12

Throughout the United States yesterday, everyone celebrated the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — a document through which leaders of the colonies in the New World broke free from the King of England.

The declaration begins:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

While revisionist historians are working hard to remove any trace of Christian/Biblical ideals from the foundations of America, today’s celebration finds its basis in a foundational document which appeals to the authority of a Divine Creator, one whom most of the founding fathers fully believed to have been the author and main subject of the Holy Bible, and who was the guarantor of certain “inalienable rights”.

So the Fourth of July – more than just a celebration of independence, ought also to be a day which recognizes God’s participation in the nation’s birth.

I’ve read and heard all kinds of advice about how America ought to be transformed, while a simple recognition of God’s covenant offer to a nation goes ignored.

The words found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 could be claimed and applied to any nation, but particularly one whose foundational documents and institutions have drawn their inspiration substantially from Biblical monotheism.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

IF we truly want to see healing brought to any nation, then this conditional covenant is for US and the restoration of our land will require our part in the covenant: humility, prayer and repentance, so that God can forgive our sin and heal our land!

True restoration and healing only comes through true repentance and God’s grace!

With so much work to be done — may restoration begin with us!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Baltimore, Maryland
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

Jesus speaking in Matthew 7:13-14:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

So which path are you choosing to take?

Let God’s Word be a Lamp unto your feet.

It all starts with the wisdom and knowledge of God…

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov 9:10).

Proverbs 1:1-33

Solomon the son of David was the wisest, richest, and most honored of the kings of Israel (1 Kgs. 3:12, 13; 4:30, 31).

He spoke three thousand proverbs, but only some of them are preserved in this book.

These extend from 1:1 to 29:27.

(vv. 2–6) tell us why he wrote these proverbs. In brief, they provide practical wisdom for the living and management of life.

Here people may learn shrewdness and receive the kind of instruction that provides know-how.

Here they may learn to perceive the words of understanding, to discern between what is good and evil, profitable and worthless, helpful and harmful.

Here men are schooled in what is wise, righteous, proper, and honorable.

By listening to these proverbs the simple develop prudence or “savvy,” and young people gain insight and sanctified common sense.

Wise men will grow wiser by heeding these proverbs, and a man of understanding will learn how to guide himself and to advise others as well.

Is it not significant that a book addressed primarily to youth should announce at the very outset,

“A wise man will hear?”

That is what is meant by a wise person in the book of Proverbs.

It is one who is teachable. He is willing to listen and not do all the talking.

He is not an insufferable know-it-all.

The book is designed to enable a person to understand a proverb and an enigma, i.e., the lesson which often lies beneath the surface.

It helps him to grasp the meaning of wise sayings and the hidden truths contained in them.

(v. 7) Having stated his purpose in writing the proverbs, Solomon now gives his first and perhaps most important piece of instruction.

The beginning point for becoming a wise person is the fear of the LORD.

To fear the Lord does not mean to be frightened of Him.

Rather, it means to revere Him, to honor Him, to give Him the proper place in one’s life.

If a person does not start out at the right place, he cannot expect to end up at the right place.

Fearing the Lord is the place to begin in gaining wisdom to live life skillfully.

In contrast to the person who is wise and discerning because he fears the Lord, Solomon spotlights the fool.

Fools despise wisdom and discipline.

To despise means “to hold in contempt, to belittle, to ridicule” (Num. 15:31; Neh. 2:19).

If anyone holds God in contempt, he will never be a wise person, and he will tend to live his life in violation of God’s will.

This will bring trouble into his life.

As a man sows, that shall he also reap.

A person cannot break the laws of God. He can only break himself against them when he violates them.

Solomon is giving us an implicit choice: fear God or be a fool. There seems to be no middle ground.

In this present age of information and technology, we have plenty of head knowledge at our fingertips.

But true knowledge—what the Bible calls wisdom—is all too scarce.

Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It requires a basic mind-set that affects every aspect of life.

This mind-set is characterized by an eager desire to learn from God, from experience, and from others.

The foundation of true knowledge, or wisdom, is to fear the Lord, which means to revere, honor, and respect Him, to live in awe of His power, and to obey His Word.

Doing so will affect your identity, your attitudes, your actions, and your future.

Keep drawing close to God—learn who He is, why He created this world, and what He wants you to know.

Then you will be truly wise.

One of the most annoying types of people is the know-it-all, the person who has a dogmatic opinion about everything, is closed to anything new, resents discipline, and refuses to learn.

Solomon calls this kind of person a fool.

Don’t be a know-it-all. Instead, be open to the advice of others, especially those who know you well and can give you valuable insight and counsel.

Discover what others have to teach you; learn how to learn from others. Remember, only God knows it all.

(v. 8) Actions do, indeed, speak louder than our words.

This is especially true in the family.

Children learn values, morals, and priorities by observing how their parents act and react every day.

How they understand the world is shaped by how their parents go about their daily living.

If parents and grandparents exhibit a deep reverence for and dependence on God, children will catch these attitudes.

If you have children in your care, let them see your respect for God.

Be an example of godly living by praying, worshiping, and reading the Bible with them and with others.

Make sure they see how you act out your faith in a way that’s consistent with God’s Word.

Proverbs places the responsibility for raising children to become wise adults squarely on fathers and mothers.

Parents must bring their children up to honor God and know His Word.

If you are a parent, rely on God for help every day.

Read the Bible and seek wise Christian counsel on how to disciple your children.

If you are living at home with your parent or parents, ask God to teach you through them.

(vv. 10-19) Sin can often be enticing because it cloaks itself in the disguises of fun, pleasure, happiness, riches, comfort, popularity, and fame.

Sin convinces us that we deserve these things at any cost.

When we refuse to listen to and live by God’s truth, our appetites become our masters, and we’ll do anything to satisfy them.

Sin, even when attractive, is deadly.

We must learn to make choices not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure but in view of the long-range effects.

Wisdom for this is clearly outlined in God’s Word.

Sometimes this will mean steering clear of people who want to draw us into activities that we know are sinful.

We can’t be friendly with sin and expect to remain unaffected.

So go ahead and enjoy the life God has given you, but enjoy it within the boundaries articulated in His Word.

Eventually, sin will always lead to devastating consequences.

Being “greedy for money” is one of Satan’s surest traps.

He sets the bait when he plants the suggestion in our minds that we can’t live without something.

Then the desire for it fans its own fire until it becomes an all-consuming obsession as we move closer and closer to getting it, oblivious of the trap where it rests.

Ask God for wisdom to recognize any greedy desire before it closes around you and won’t let you go.

If that happens, it is exceedingly difficult to get free.

If you daily seek God’s wisdom, you will have more discerning eyes to recognize and avoid the traps in front of you.

As Ravi Zacharias said,

“Sin will always take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

(v. 20) The picture of wisdom calling aloud in the streets is personification—a literary device used to make wisdom come alive for us, speaking and acting as if it were a real person.

Wisdom is not a separate being; it is the mind of God revealed.

One way to see wisdom in action is to read the stories about Jesus in the Gospels, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

When Jesus, the Son of God, lived a human life on earth, He lived it perfectly.

He is the perfect model for what wisdom in action looks like.

So to understand how to become wise, we should listen to wisdom calling and instructing us in the book of Proverbs and study wisdom in action in the life of Jesus.

For a New Testament call to wisdom, see James 1:5.

In the book of Proverbs, those who are simple or fools do not have a mental deficiency but a character deficiency.

Foolish people are not dumb or stupid, but they are naive to God’s way of living and unable or unwilling to tell right from wrong or good from bad.

(vv. 23-28) God gladly pours out His heart and makes known His thoughts to us.

To receive His words, however, we must be willing to listen.

Not paying attention to God, refusing to listen to Him, ignoring His advice, and rejecting His correction are all evidences of pride.

Pride is thinking more highly of our own ideas and courses of action than God’s.

If we think that we know better than God or that we have no need of His direction, we are showing that foolish pride has a grip on our hearts.

And pride is so dangerous because it hardens our hearts against the only one who can help us see what is really true and help us live in a way that is truly free.

(v. 31) Many proverbs point out the consequences people experience (the “bitter fruit of living their own way”) for the destructive choices they make.

Faced with either choosing God’s wisdom or persisting in rebellious independence, many decide to go it alone.

The problems such people create for themselves will destroy them.

Don’t ignore God’s advice, even if it is painful for the present. It will keep you from greater pain in the future.

Paul in Romans 6:23 warns us…

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
____

Max Lucado’s Life Lessons (Proverbs 1:1–33)…

Proverbs provide wisdom and guidance for living an obedient life. Simple words and common sense give us guidelines for daily life.

The Proverbs contain many instructions to help steer readers away from sin.

Listen to this advice and grow in wisdom. God’s wisdom is superior to all others.

Inspiration Peter announced:

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Many recoil at such definitiveness.

John 14:6 and Acts 4:12 sound primitive in this era of broadbands and broad minds.

The world is shrinking, cultures are blending, borders are bending; this is the day of inclusion.

All roads lead to heaven, right?

But can they?

The sentence makes good talk-show fodder, but is it accurate?

Can all approaches to God be correct?

Islam says Jesus was not crucified.

Christians say He was.

Both can’t be right.

Judaism refuses the claim of Christ as the Messiah.

Christians accept it.

Someone’s making a mistake.

Buddhists look toward Nirvana, achieved after no less than 547 reincarnations.

Christians believe in one life, one death, and an eternity of enjoying God.

Doesn’t one view exclude the other?

Humanists do not acknowledge a creator of life.

Jesus claims to be the Source of life.

One of the two speaks folly.

Spiritists read your palms.

Christians consult the Bible.

Hindus perceive a plural and impersonal God.

Christ-followers believe “there is no other God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4).

Somebody is wrong.

And, most supremely, every non-Christian religion says, “You can save you.”

Jesus says, “My death on the Cross saves you.”

How can all religions lead to God when they are so different? . . .

Every path does not lead to God!

Jesus blazed a stand-alone trail void of self-salvation.

He cleared a one-of-a-kind passageway uncluttered by human effort.

Christ came, not for the strong, but for the weak; not for the righteous, but for the sinner.

We enter His way upon confession of our need, not completion of our deeds.

He offers a unique-to-Him invitation in which He works and we trust, He dies and we live, He invites and we believe.
(From 3:16 by Max Lucado)

Today you may be bombarded by people giving advice—talk show hosts, psychics, psychologists.

Take more time to listen to God than to television.

At the end of the day, assess which words of wisdom you applied (or should have).

Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
____

Monday, July 04
Today in the Word
Wisdom from Above

A FATHER’S WARNING

Proverbs 1:10-19

10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;

Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;

13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,

We shall fill our houses with spoil;

14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—

15 My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;

16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;

18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;

It takes away the life of its owners.
____

For centuries, parents have warned their children not to fall in with the wrong crowd.

They worry that the bad behaviors of other young people will influence their children.

This can even be true later in our lives; the people we choose to spend our time with can have a profound influence on us.

In today’s Proverb, a father talks to his son about the dangers of following “sinful” men (v. 10).

One commentator compares these sinful men to a modern-day gang.

The gang offers protection and invites the young newcomer to join them (v. 10).

They promise that if he goes along with their evil schemes to hurt and steal, he will get rich (vv. 11–14).

The father’s warning is clear.

“My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them” (v. 10).

The father sees beyond the immediate lure of their promises.

Nothing that this sinful group does will prosper. In fact, they will bring harm down on themselves and on his son.

“Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it” (v. 19).

This passage can be interpreted not only as a relationship between a father and son, but as God speaking to His people.

In Proverbs, the covenant relationship is explored using poetic language.

Here, Solomon paints a vivid picture of the dangers of murder, theft, and covetousness, clearly referencing God’s commands given to His people:

“You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13),

“You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15), and

“You shall not covet” (Ex. 20:17).

With compelling imagery, the author shows the dire results of breaking God’s commands.

We must listen to the guidance given by our heavenly Father. He truly knows best.

It is easy to let other voices talk us into doing things we know are not right, things that break God’s commands.

We may justify our behavior because it produces pleasing short-term results.

The warning is clear: be careful of the company you keep!

Pray with Us
Lord, sometimes we have the wisdom to recognize what is right, but we lack the nerve to follow through. Today we ask for the discipline to choose wisdom above personal gain or man’s good opinion.
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

God always multiplies back to us whatever we give Him, and by giving Him our time at the start of each day there will be dividends that we will receive as a result of that investment.

George Mueller said regarding the importance of prayer in his ministry:

“I get more accomplished in 4 hours that is preceded with One Hour of Prayer, than I ever would have accomplished in the 5 hours without the prayer!”

As Christians, we also need to learn how to follow Jesus’ example and intersperse rest periods in our very busy schedules.

Mark 6:30-32
The Message

Supper for Five Thousand
30-31 The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.”

For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

32 So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves.
____

(vv. 30-32) When the disciples had returned from their mission, Jesus took them away to rest.

Doing God’s work is very important, but Jesus recognized that to do it effectively we need periodic rest and renewal.

Jesus Needed Rest and So Do We!

Learning to set boundaries around our time.

As we study the Bible, we find Jesus Himself setting boundaries around His time.

Mark 4:35-40

“That day when evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat.

There were also other boats with Him.

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.

The disciples woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He then said to His disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’”
____

Here’s what is so great about this passage:

Jesus sees that there is work to be done. He sees the crowd. He knows people need to be healed, demons need to be cast out, and lessons need to be taught.

But He still tells His disciples to get in the boat, and once there, He falls asleep.

Yes, the needs of the people are urgent, and their requests (or cries) for healing must have been compelling, but Jesus knows that He needs to stop and rest.

If even Jesus needs to stop and rest in the midst of a chaotic world, with all of the important things He has to do, don’t you think we need rest too?

I think we need to follow Jesus’ example and set boundaries on our time, in order to live lives full of what we were meant to do, not what we think we’re supposed to do.

God’s pattern in the Bible is one day in seven for rest, where we take at least one day out every week and give it to God.

We need to follow Jesus’ example and schedule our work, but also schedule our R & R periods.

We need to have balance in our lives, and so we need to learn, not only how to work hard, but we also need to learn how to play hard too, as we see that Jesus did with His disciples, in Mark 6:31.
____

Sunday, July 3
The Winning Walk
by Dr Ed Young

SOLITUDE AND REPLENISHMENT

Some people never really rest. They are so busy with the activities of life that they appear to be a blur: always on the way to somewhere; never slowing down.

Jesus did not have that problem. He purposely sought solitude for spiritual replenishment.

He seemed to know just how important such times were for “re-charging” His spiritual battery, and He took advantage of them at every opportunity.

What about you? How long has it been since you were quiet and still in the presence of God, with no agenda other than a desire to sit at His feet?

Many view solitude as a negative prospect, and are alone only if, and when, it is absolutely necessary.

But solitude rightly pursued and experienced energizes our interaction with others, and nurtures our soul.

When Iowans Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey became the parents of septuplets (that’s seven babies, folks!) they were exponentially overwhelmed with the responsibilities faced by every new mom and dad.

Seven to rock, seven to feed, seven to change, seven to bathe and cuddle and hold…what a challenge!

But this young, Christian couple said, while they appreciated the outpouring of help they received, they looked forward to the time they could be “alone” with their young family for an entire evening.

Once, after bringing the babies home, this husband and wife reported that they got in their car, drove to a nearby grain silo, parked behind it, and cried and prayed together.

They instinctively knew that stepping out of the fray for a few stolen moments away would strengthen them for the task at hand.

All of us have demands on our time and become weary of life’s grind.

Time alone with God without phones, pagers, prayer partners, portable cd players or other human or technological distractions, is critical for allowing His Spirit to fill us.

In solitude, we can receive from God His life-giving breath, emerging with renewed sensitivity and compassion for others, and intensified love for Him.

This is true replenishment from the source of all strength and truth.

Memory Verse

Mark 6:31
And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest awhile.”
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

Christina Baker’s Testimony…

From Hope in 60 Seconds
by Christina Baker

UNDER ARREST

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
— Psalm 139:7–10

I’M NOT SURE HOW MUCH TIME HAD GONE BY BEFORE

I noticed the red and blue lights flashing behind me. My first thought was, Why am I getting pulled over? followed quickly by, I have drugs in the car; what am I going to do!

I tried to get rid of the pot I was smoking before I pulled the car over into the parking lot of a bank.

I had just gotten off work at the university and was making a quick stop at my dealer’s house before going home.

The officer came up to the driver’s side, and I lowered my window, just a crack.

Smoke from the weed seeped out of the open window into the officer’s face. It was unmistakable. “What’s the problem, Officer?” I asked.

“Ma’am, your registration is expired. Are you aware of that?” “Nope.”

It was the truth. I was forgetting a lot of things lately; paying my bills was the last thing on my mind.

He could tell I was high. “Ma’am, I’m going to ask you to step out of the vehicle.”

“Officer, why? What did I do?” I asked him.

“Here’s my license,” and I started looking through my purse.

“Step out of the vehicle, ma’am.” I opened the door, and more smoke came out.

“Why are you pulling me over, Officer?”

I asked again as I stepped out of the car. “Ma’am, put your hands behind your back,” he said firmly.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“You’re under arrest.” He put me in handcuffs, then walked me back to his cruiser.

He opened the back door and gestured me inside.

I’d had many close calls before, but this was the first time I’d been caught.

The police had stopped me before and searched my car, but I had somehow managed to throw all the drugs out the window before getting pulled over.

The officers had searched the whole car but found nothing and had to let me go.

After that, I felt untouchable. I was sure the officer would release me at any moment.

“Is there anything in the vehicle I need to know about?” he asked. “Nope,” I lied.

I wasn’t belligerent; I was just playing the fool. I knew better than to admit any guilt whatsoever.

He walked back to my car, and I leaned over to watch him through the windshield.

I saw him pull out my purse from between the front seats. The drugs were in plain sight, along with other drug paraphernalia.

I had at least a half dozen prescription bottles in there, some with the labels ripped off, all full of pills I had obtained from several doctors and pharmacies all over town.

He walked back to the cruiser—his hands holding prescription bottles, a bong, and the drugs he found in my purse—then placed everything on the hood of the car.

Looking at me from outside the police car, he said, “Miss Cabrera, do you know why you are going to jail tonight?”

“Nope.” Still playing the fool. Still feeling untouchable.

“Okay, then.” He got into the front seat, closed the door, and began writing up the report.

“Am I really going to jail?” “Yes, ma’am,” he replied without even giving me a glance, “you are really going to jail.”

The handcuffs dug into my wrists. Suddenly, I no longer felt untouchable.

There was no getting out of it this time. He had found everything.

The jig was up. I felt a surge of anger. I looked up and prayed what may have been my first “prayer.”

“Why are You doing this to me?”

Like my father, I was a self-proclaimed atheist, but even as I sat in the back of the police car, it was as if I had this sense that I wasn’t alone.

I blamed God. Even acknowledging Him was something new.

What have I ever done? I said silently,

Who will take care of my son?

I was breaking. I had just been arrested for driving high with drugs in my car, but I was the victim.

I blamed God for all of it—everything bad I had ever gone through raced through my mind, a litany of punishments He’d given me.

This is all Your fault.

Except, I didn’t believe God existed. Did I?

“You are putting me through something else,” I whispered to, well, to whatever was out there listening.

We drove in silence. Occasionally, a noise would come over the radio, and the sound would make me jump, but the officer said nothing.

It was a clear but very humid night as we drove along a remote, dark road in Houston, Texas.

I felt the cruiser slow down and pull to the shoulder, then stop.

Now I was scared. I was still high, and I had no idea why we had stopped in the middle of nowhere with no one around.

The officer got out, opened my door, and said, “Who do you want to call to let them know you are going to jail?”

“My mom,” I blurted out.

Evan was with my mom. She took care of him while I was at work.

The officer had possession of my cell phone along with everything else.

He opened my flip phone, looked for my mom’s name, typed it into his phone, then dialed her number.

He let me lean outside the car, and he put his phone on speaker.

It was a little after midnight. My mind flashed back to earlier that morning when my mom had told me,

“Cristina, I have a bad feeling; please don’t go anywhere this evening.”

As usual, I ignored her, but now she was about to get a call from a police officer in the middle of the night.

Every parent’s worst nightmare. My mom answered. “Hello?”

“Good evening, ma’am. This is Officer Jackson. I have Cristina here with me, and I wanted to let you know that your daughter will be going to jail tonight.”

My mom let out a cry I will never forget.

Pure anguish. He positioned the phone near me.

“Mom?” I said. She was weeping; I could feel her grief on the other end of the phone.

“Cristina, I told you not to go anywhere tonight. I told you something bad was going to happen!”

She just kept sobbing. “Mom, I’m so sorry,” I interrupted.

“I’ll be okay, Mom. I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through.”

My heart broke as I listened to her weeping.

My mom knew what kind of life I lived and had tried desperately to help me. She knew I was on drugs. She knew I was an alcoholic.

She knew about my double life, and as time passed, it became very clear to her that I may not make it out alive.

Her tears flowed with deep sadness, grief, and disappointment.

“Ma’am, I just wanted to let you know that your daughter is okay. She is safe. She is not injured in any way, but she will not be coming home tonight.

She is going to the Harris County Jail.”

“Thank you, Officer.” Her voice cracked.

“Thank you for letting me know.” He hung up and looked at me.

“You seem like a nice girl. Why are you living this kind of life?”

“I don’t know,” I said miserably.

This wasn’t the first time an officer had asked me that.

When I lived in Florida, a police officer had asked me the same question.

Why am I living this kind of life? I thought to myself.

I could feel the officer’s kindness toward me, even though I had been cocky, rude, and dishonest with him thirty minutes before.

Looking back now, any officer could have pulled me over, but the one who did was compassionate and gentle.

I have no idea what he saved me from that night.

Perhaps I would have gotten into an accident. Maybe I would have hurt someone.

I’ll never know, but today I look back on that moment full of gratitude.

This moment was a divine intervention. A moment when heaven and earth collided to save the life of a lost, drug-addicted girl.

I am grateful that this officer patrolled that road on that night and arrested me.

We pulled into a parking garage with all the other police cruisers, and I had no idea what to expect.

There were other people there, also arrested for driving under the influence.

I was taken inside for processing and pictures, and I started sobering up as everything became very real.

We all waited inside a holding cell for our bails to post, and reality hit me like a ton of bricks.

Are you going to continue to live like this?

What are you doing with your life?

I wasn’t sure if I asked myself that question or if another voice asked it of me.

But I just kept seeing Evan’s face—the face of my precious son—and deep inside I knew something in my life had to change.

Will I ever get out of this? Will I ever change? Someone help me.
____

Cristina Baker
“Hope in 60 Seconds: Encountering the God of the Impossible”

Available on Kindle: $11.99
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

How to prepare each day for the battle ahead…

Satan and his minions are ever present to try to discourage us and keep us from following God’s path.

With that in mind, we must begin each day by putting our heads on right, and thereby prepare for each day’s challenges.

In order for us to do this God tells us to put on our spiritual armor daily.

Lord deliver us from Evil…

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is instructing His disciples how to pray, and in verse 13 he says,

“DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE.”

Each of God’s people is a target of Satan’s opposition and attack.

On our own, we cannot overcome or even resist his evil purposes.

For this reason, we must rely completely on God, praying constantly for wisdom and strength to defeat the devil’s schemes.

In the prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17, we learn that the world is a tremendous battleground where the forces under Satan’s power and those under God’s authority are at war.

Satan and his forces are motivated by bitter hatred for Jesus Christ and His forces.

Jesus prayed for His disciples, including those of us who follow Him today.

He prayed that God would keep His chosen believers safe from Satan’s power, setting them apart and making them pure and holy, uniting them through His truth. This all happens when we are born-again.

How do we get eternal life?

Jesus tells us clearly here—by knowing God the Father Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

When we admit our sin and turn away from it, Jesus’ love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus came to earth, He was one with God.

At this point, when His mission on earth was almost finished, Jesus was asking His Father to restore Him to His original place of honor and authority.

Jesus’ resurrection and ascension—and Stephen’s dying exclamation (Acts 7:56)—attest that Jesus did return to His exalted position at the right hand of God.

Listen to what Jesus says in John 17:10-12..

10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I AM GLORIFIED IN THEM.

11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.

Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
____

What did Jesus mean when he said “I am glorified in them?”

We glorify God when we reveal His presence and character in the way we live.

The lives of Jesus’ disciples reveal Jesus’ character and by our operating and walking in His character (in His name) we show the world that He is present in us.

And in verses 15-19 Jesus says:

15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them by Your truth.

Your word is truth.

18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I SANCTIFY Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
____

To “Sanctify” means to make holy (i.e., morally and spiritually pure, whole, separated from evil and dedicated to God) and to separate or set apart (for God’s purposes).

The evening before His death, Jesus prays that His disciples will be a holy people.

He prays for them to be separated from evil in the world for the purpose of worshiping and serving God and fulfilling His purposes on earth.

They must be set apart in order to be in a close relationship with a holy God, to live for Him and to be like Him.

The Holy Spirit accomplishes this process of sanctification as Jesus’ followers devote themselves to living by the truth revealed to them by the Spirit (cf. 14:17; 16:13).

Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
____

Thursday, June 30

God At Eventide
by Two Listeners

IMMUNE FROM EVIL

Evil was conquered by Me, and to all who rely on Me there is immunity from it.

Turn evil aside with the darts I provide.

1. Rejoicing in tribulation is one dart.

2. Practicing My Presence is another.

3. Self-emptying is another.

4. Claiming My Power over temptation is another

You will find many of these darts as you tread My Way and you will learn to use them adroitly, swiftly.

Each is adapted to the need of the moment.

Now unto Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
— Jude 1:24-25
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly…

Psalm 1:1-6

Life offers two roads to travel—the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked.

God provides for, protects, and nourishes the righteous.

The Way of the Godly (1:1-3)…

The godly are abundantly blessed because they do not live according to the sinful philosophies, practices, or associations of fallen men but are deeply rooted in God’s Word.

1:1a. This psalm begins with the emphatic declaration that God’s abundant favor will rest upon the person who lives a truly God-centered life.

In the original language, blessed is repeated. This is the Hebrew method of indicating the plural, intensifying its meaning.

Thus, the phrase should read, “O, how very happy” or “the happinesses!”

In reality, this soul satisfaction is pleasure found in the Lord himself.

This promise of blessing is precisely what Jesus announced in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12).

True happiness is the experience of all who trust in the Lord (cp. Pss. 16:11; 21:6; 34:8).

The righteous are genuinely satisfied in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). 1:1b,c,d.

This God-blessed life is first described negatively, or what the godly person does not practice.

First, He does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, meaning he refuses the secular philosophy and humanistic values of the godless.

He refuses the worldview that places man at the center of the universe and entices him to live by his own standards of morality and pursuits of pleasure.

Second, neither does the righteous person stand in the way of sinners.

This infers that his personal behavior resists the lure of the crowd to participate in their carnal activities and sensual living.

Third, the godly person does not sit in the seat of mockers, meaning he refuses to associate with those who scoff at God.

He avoids close relationships with blasphemers, infidels, and atheists, no matter how prosperous they may be, because “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33).

1:2. Positively, the delight of the godly is in the law of the LORD.

The person who knows genuine joy reads and relishes God’s Word.

This hunger for the Bible is a clear indication of the new birth as his new nature longs for the truths of God.

This new appetite for God’s truth leads him to meditate upon the Word day and night.

He constantly sets his mind on the truths of the Bible, throughout the day focusing on Scripture because it reveals the glory of God and His supremacy.

(vv. 2-3) These two verses hold simple wisdom: The more we delight in God’s presence, the more fruitful we will be.

On the other hand, the more we allow those who ridicule God and faith to affect our thoughts and attitudes, the more we will be cut off from our source of nourishment.

We must engage and welcome unbelievers if we are to witness to them, but we must not adopt their sinful behavior and scornful sarcasm.

If you want despair, spend time with cynics and critics; if you want God’s joy, spend time with those who love God, His Word, and His people.

We can learn how to follow God by meditating on His Word.

This has become difficult in an age of soundbites and banner headlines.

Meditating means spending time reading, thinking, marking, and reviewing what we have read.

It means asking how we must change and grow so we will live as God wants.

Meditating on and understanding God’s Word are the first steps toward applying it to your everyday life.

If you want to follow God more closely, you must take time to know what He says.

This “law of the LORD” refers to ALL of Scripture.

In it God reveals to us His will, His absolute truths, His love for us, and His divine nature.

The more we know of the whole scope of God’s Word, the more resources we will have to guide us in our daily decisions.

The phrase They prosper in all they do does not mean that God’s people have immunity from failure or difficulties.

Nor does it guarantee health, wealth, or happiness.

What the Bible means by prosperity is this: When we apply God’s wisdom, the fruit (results or by-products) we bear will be good and will receive God’s approval.

Just as a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we are to soak up God’s Word and produce actions and attitudes that honor Him.

To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our hearts.

(V. 4) Chaff is the outer shell (or husk) that must be removed to get to valuable kernels of grain.

In the ancient world, chaff was removed by processes called threshing and winnowing.

After plants were cut, they were crushed by a threshing sledge, and then the pieces were thrown into the air.

Chaff is very light and would be carried away by even the slightest wind, while the good grain would fall back to the earth.

Chaff is a symbol of a faithless life that drifts along worthlessly without direction.

Good grain is a symbol of a faithful life that God can use.

Choose His direction, and your life will be fruitful.

(V. 6) What joy to know that God is watching the paths we walk each day.

We may feel like He keeps His eye on us in order to criticize us for what we do wrong along the way, but this is not true.

God sees us with loving eyes, protecting us, caring for us, and keeping us from stumbling on the journey (121:3-5).

Look for signs of His care for you today, and bask in the thought that He is guiding and helping you on your daily journey.

And so let us follow the faithful road.

God’s rewards supersede the benefits of the wicked; and He alone can give you Shalom-peace so that you can lay down and sleep and awake refreshed and sustained.

Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
____

Wednesday, June 29
The Spirit Filled Believer
Written by Dick Mills

A SCRIPTURAL CUTTING EDGE
Part Three

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water”
— Psalm 1:3

The word planted in this verse is the Hebrew word shatal (shaw-thal’). In his concordance, Dr. James Strong uses a succinct and terse expression to define this root word: “to transplant.” Thus this verse is a description of our new status as Christians.

As subjects of the kingdom of God, you and I are “transplanted” trees.

Looking back over the past three days’ lessons, we read:

1) “Now is the ax laid to the root of the trees.” This verse had to do with severing genetic weaknesses from our lives.

2) “If the tree is cut down, there is hope that it will sprout again.” We are promised a reviving and a renewal after our family tree is pruned.

3) “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” After our pruning, we the righteous will be like transplanted trees drawing directly from the rivers of divine life.

In these verses, the Lord is telling us that as new creatures in Christ, our renewed family tree will be better than ever. It will have plenty of moisture. It will be fruitful, and its foliage will not wither away.

All of us can go through this threefold process. Let’s allow the Lord to:

1) cut away anything in us that is detrimental to our Christian witness,

2) renew and revive our lives, and

3) manifest the fruit of the life of Christ in us as we draw from the water of life.

Our new transplanted life will result in abundant health, happiness, and harvest.

Source: The Spirit-Filled Believer’s Daily Devotional by Dick Mills
____

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️