Proverbs 27:9-10 - Closer than a Brother

Proverbs 27:9-10

⁹ Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
¹⁰ Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, and; better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

Message: Closer than a Brother

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I am reminded here that we need one another. We are not meant to traverse this life on our own. I'm always reminded of Hebrews 10:24-25 that says, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." This reminds me that church attendance is important, but it reminds me that our fellowship is important. We need to assemble together. We found this in church yesterday, and even just for the few brief moments we got to church and saw old friends and shared that life is tough and a challenge and got that encouragement as well. And then that we could sit together and worship God together. Well, it was nice. 

Our Christian friends are people we share a common bond with. I appreciate the people that God has placed in my life - Fred, Pete, Craig, Bruce, Bobby, Scott, Karl, Warren. These are very important men in my life. There are more, but these men are consistently in my life and encouraging me. 

I think it is so important to have these men in my life. I need that daily reminder that life is a challenge and these men can encourage me. They help me put life in perspective. I am blessed to have them in my life. 

I agree with verse 9 that "a man's counsel is sweet to his friend." There have been many times when the words of Craig or Pete or Craig or Bobby or Scott or Warren have said something to me that just reminds me the importance of God's love in my life. There have been hard days of late, in some ways reminding me that I am not in control, but God is in control. I need to keep my eyes on God and trust him for the outcomes of life. 

I also realize that absent from this list is my own brother. I need to do it more, but I am not going to my brother. I could use time with him more. But, he and I are not as close as I would like. We live in different circles. I think this verse that says, do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity, realizes at times that our family members sometimes don't offer the best guidance in our lives. Mine would though, and I need to go to him more.

Promise: The counsel of a friend should be sweet, earnest, effective and grounded in concern for us, encouraging us to love God and trust Him.

Jesus Calling: October 31

Learn to listen to Me even while you are listening to other people. As they open their souls to your scrutiny, you are on holy ground. You need the help of My Spirit to respond appropriately. Ask Him to think through you, live through you, love through you. My own Being is alive within you in the Person of the Holy Spirit. If you respond to others' needs through your unaided thought processes, you offer them dry crumbs. When the Spirit empowers your listening and speaking. My stream of living water flow through you to other people. Be a channel of My Love, Joy, and Peace by listening to Me as you listen to others. 

Exodus 3:5
English Standard Version
Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

1 Corinthians 6:19
English Standard Version 
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own

John 7:38-39
<sup>English Standard Version 

38</sup> Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

My Prayer
Lord, I surrender to you this day. Help me to accept what you provide.  Help me to lean on you as I navigate through life, talk to people. Holy Spirit, be my guide into all truth. Speak to me and help my words be few rather than many. Take away the defensiveness I often have any time someone asks me a question. I pray that my behavior and responses would be a shining light to others and through my actions and words, You would be glorified. I want to be content with you getting the credit and not me. Take away my pride and boasting in my self. You Lord be glorified. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: October 30

I AM with you. I am with you. I am with you. Heaven's bells continually peal with that promise of My Presence. Some people never hear those bells because their minds are earthbound and their hearts are closed to Me. Others hear those bells only once or twice in their lifetimes, in rare moments of seeking Me above all else. My desire is that My "sheep" hear My voice continually, for I am the ever-present Shepherd. 
     Quietness is the classroom where you learn to hear My voice. Beginners need a quiet place in order to still their minds. As you advance in this discipline, you gradually learn to carry the stillness with you wherever you go. When you step back into the mainstream of life, straining to hear those glorious bells: I am with you. I am with you. I am with you. 

Jeremiah 29:12-13
English Standard Version
¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.


John 10:14, 27-28
English Standard Version 
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me
²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

My Prayer
Help me to not get too big for my own britches and continually see that I am but a sheep and I need a shepherd daily to guide me. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Proverbs 16:8 - What really matters in the end?

Proverbs 16:8
Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.

Message: What really matters in the end?

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Tabletalk comes up with the titles of each of my day's readings. I like to use the devotional as a guide. It's helpful for me to have some sort of guide. I need that structure. I often wonder what is the structure or guide that directs people in their lives. Definitely, there is more than just one focus people have in life. People have different goals of achievement. I sense that many people just want to accomplish something. People want to be relevant. There are servants in this world that when they give others happiness it gives themselves happiness.

In the Bible I do find this idea of righteousness voiced over and over. I looked at a word count and noticed that obviously God is the most common word in the Bible; Jesus, sin, and Christ follow. And then righteousness. It's almost like the biggest problem in life is sin and the answer is righteousness. This is probably why, when asked of a person, if there are going to end up in heaven after they die, the person will respond yes because "I have been a good person." The problem is not that they don't think they have made mistakes or sinned, but they view their lives on a different basis, the kind of person they believe they are -- and that person is one that is generally righteous.

Yet, it seems that more and more this is not people's number one goal. Rather, it appears that people this will result in life, but life's decisions are often shadowed instead by ambition, fame, and material possessions. I continue to be reminded of a message I heard a professor give this past summer about the culture or way of life during Bible times and how it remarked that people in those times had work on their mind most of the time because their goal was simple: survive. The biggest challenge often was giving God a day of rest and trusting that resting would not effect survival. Today, I am challenged to rest not because of survival but simply ambition or wanting a goal. To be honest, I think rest is interwoven in my daily life. I rest many times during each day.

I would hope that my life is lived with the goal of being righteous. This is one of the reasons I think it is important to read from God's word each day as it reminds me I'm a sinner and that righteousness is the goal. Yet, scripture also teaches that while we desire to be righteous, ultimately Jesus makes us righteous by removing sin from our lives. In God's eyes, I am as righteous as I will ever be. But, in my eyes, I still have a long way to go.

This Proverb today, from Proverbs 16:8 cries out that when thinking about what we have, our possessions, our wealth, what we often strive to have more of in our life, in the end we never want to think that our wealth will make us a righteous person for it is better to have very little in the way of possessions and be a righteous person than to have a lot of wealth and be a person of injustice. Injustice is not being fair.

What is more interesting to me is not that people do not want to be righteous for that remains as the ideal of what people are wanting to have as a part of their life. The problem really is that the most used word in the Bible is sin (behind God, Jesus, Christ) and this is what is eroding in society. Sin is being carved out of life or at least significantly diminished. And I fear that with sin gone people think ultimately their own righteousness will be good enough before God.

More scripture to ponder:
Proverbs 28:6 - A poor man walking in truth is better than a rich liar. -- Again, what is the first thing we are impressed with in life -- richness or wealth. The person with the shiny car, the nice house, is what is appealing to us. We think, "If I had that, then life would be good." Why is this? For one, we can't see truth easily. 

Matthew 5:29-30 - If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. -- This is funny verse and is a play in words, but again, is given to remind us of what is most important in our lives. Scripture does this continually and so we continually have to pay attention. The issue here is something in you that causes you to stumble or be a person of injustice, not acting fair to the person God has called you to be. Because the problem with stumbling is you wind up in hell. 

Promise: Jesus is the answer to the problem of sin. Jesus makes us righteous.

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 - Mirth and Mourning

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

² It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
⁴ The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

 
Message: Mirth and Mourning

Time: Ecclesiastes: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I became aware of these verses for the first time upon hearing the Choir's Chase the Kangaroo release in 1988. I was 21 at the time or close to it and in college and that CD quickly become one of my favorite music releases of all time. At the time, I was a sophomore/junior in college and I believe I was getting over a relationship with a gal I shouldn't have been dating to begin with. She tore down my self-esteem and although a Christian, the relationship was not good for me. I broke it off with her and she went berserk upon me doing this in the early part of 1988. It was a good decision, but a hard one at the time. Shortly thereafter I got involved with Campus Crusade and really sort of got my life back together, spending time with a new friend, Scott, who really helped me right the ship and get me grounded again in the Word of God. This was the year that Chase the Kangaroo came out. I had always been a Christian music nut, but my early years at Baylor did get me into mainstream music again.

The song ends with this chorus:

A sad face is good for the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
A sad face
A sad face
A sad face

In the liner notes, it referenced Ecclesiastes 7:3 and I appreciated that. The verse has always stuck with me. It has been a needed reminder in my life that "sorrow (can be) better than laughter for when a face is sad a heart may be happy." Maybe I have had a tendency in life to have a sad face.

One of the dangers about our current lives that I sense is the way we got from event to event, circumstance to circumstance. The instant gratification that has become the norm for us over the last 25 years has been eroding our time to simply reflect. Even this time that I take in the morning is tough. I have little time to ponder as I must get Derek ready for school shortly and get myself going. But, it isn't just having those responsibilities. These electronic devices in our lives mean that we just don't have to work anymore for much. It is a foreign concept at times to really take the time to think about life and our circumstances.

I remember this book my dad gave me about a Jewish lady that spent a year to mourn over the passing of her husband or daughter. I read that book at my dad's suggestion and it has always stayed in my life and thinking. It reminds me of the importance of taking the time to reflect and remember a person's life. We expect mourning to be quick now, mostly I think because the focus of life is so much comfort, enjoyment and satisfaction. Even today, I'm enamored by people that are always happy and always have a smile on their face. It's attractive I suppose. And yet I also wonder if that person is trying to fool themselves that enjoyment is all you need in life.

Yet Solomon in these words gives us the reminder that "a sad face is good for the heart."  Sometimes we need to take more time to ponder and think about life. It is contemplation and mourning that we often reflect on our state of mind and where we stand with God. In some ways that time period after I dated that girl in college turned into a time of mourning. It took me a little bit of time to get out of that funk. I needed to rediscover myself and who I was. And who I was in Christ. I never left being a Christian but I needed to restore my confidence. This verse expresses that the fool simply stays in the house of merriment or laughter all the time.

Promise: I must take time on a regular basis to meditate on Scripture and what it tells us about the Lord and His ways.

Proverbs 20:30 - Discipline's Cleansing Rod

Proverbs 20:30
Stripes that wound scour away evil, and strokes reach the innermost parts.

Message: Discipline's Cleansing Rod

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Oh, the cleansing rod. This is a tough one as we learn that physical discipline is an act of love. There are lessons, as TableTalk says, that very young children will not learn without a spanking. The rod was something introduced in the Growing Kids God's Way curriculum we went through. We adopted it but probably used it too often out of exasperation rather than proper loving discipline. I think over the years it was a bad thing. I think it is one of the reasons Megan is in the condition she is today. She hasn't discovered this yet, but she has always really struggled with being corrected. She had a defensive mechanism that is stronger than others. Tyson and Derek dealt with it. Derek eventually threw the device we used away as we were told to not use our hand, so we nicknamed it the TLC, but we rarely prayed with the kids and Megan always wanted to make sure things were okay afterwards. I just don't think we did a good job recognizing Megan's plight and situation as her disobedience was at a stronger level. We know it now, but back then I was too caught up in correcting foolish behavior and yet for her it was more of her makeup of wanting to do what she thought was best. And now Derek is displaying himself in the same way. He wants to be in charge. He has this makeup about him that he wants to make the decision for his life. He's just been a more quiet strong willed kid. He at least talks to us, but he is getting to be more mischievous. So, this verse has history with me and us.

The message from TableTalk again says that physical discipline, though outward, hopefully effects inward change. That is what we are after here and yet our kids so far have not displayed this. Tyson bugs me by continually getting TV shows through illegal means because he thinks its okay because we don't have cable and his entertainment will not be compromised. It's this generation. We've tried to talk about it and that Challies book study we tried to do with T/Jordan one time was this desire, but he don't care for now. He knows its wrong, but he justifies the behavior and in this world of instant gratification with Youtube and the like, it is hard to discern what is right and wrong regarding viewing shows or listening to music. What is stealing, really?

As TableTalk says, physical punishment is no guarantee that the heart will be changed. Yes, from that standpoint, not sure what we didn't do right.

The bottom line is, with this passage, we need to be careful and look at what physical pain is teaching us. As we age and have ailments or tough situations, physical pain can occur more often. Maybe it is teaching us something. Like, is my hurt left foot pain teaching me something?

Promise: The rod can drive out the foolishness which is bound up in the heart. Look at the pain and see if there is a lesson there for inward change.

Promise:

Psalm 119:105-112 - The Joy of God's Law

Psalm 119:105-112

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶ I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.
¹⁰⁷ I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
¹⁰⁸ O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your ordinances.
¹⁰⁹ My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law.
¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.
¹¹¹ I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end.

Message: The Joy of God's Law

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Lord, I need to be restored and renewed this day. I need to come before you and let you carry me.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Your Word O God is a lamp, that shines my way. I stand in the darkness of this world, staring at my own problems and circumstances and get blinded Lord. I feel like there is no way out. I struggle. Restore me through the reading of the Word. Bring light to my path. 


I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances. Help me to not doubt you or turn away from you. I want to keep your right and perfect ordinances and ways. 


I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Lord, I am struck down with pain and sorrow. I feel like someone has hurled stones at me and my life. I lack confidence and assurance of my situation. Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Bring life back to me. Get me centered back on You and who You are. You are my sustenance. You bring meaning to my life. 


O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your ordinances. Accept that I am admitting that I need your forgiveness Lord. Teach me to walk in Your ways. Teach me to stand by You. 


My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. Though I continually take my life into my own hands and continually go in the direction I think is best, bring me back to Your ways, to your ordinances, to Your Laws. Help me see that trusting You and believing You is the anchor in my life. You are all I need. I will continue in this life to struggle with sin. It is a sign that I am regenerate and committed to God because I wage war with it. Remind me daily of what it looks like. I thank you for the church you have given us and that it reminds us each Sunday that Sin is present and we continually turn and wrestle with it. But, thank you for that weekly reminder of the grace of God. 


The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts. The wicked prowl about and want to snare me and they lead me away from Your Precepts Lord. I see this. The world has their own set of code in order to fix problems. 


I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart. Your Word and Your testimonies are mine. They are the joy of my heart. 


I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end. Incline my heart, turn to You, so that I may perform your statutes forever. Every day may I be directed to you. Lord, sometimes we are a fleeting, unhappy, sinking family. Love has been removed from our house. There is no more union. There are no more smiles. We are still on high alert. The Joy of the Lord needs to be my strength. Let it be. 

Promise: Despite our continuing fight against sin, we can be confident that we are safe in the arms of Jesus if we love Him and His law.

Psalm 119:97-104 - Love for God's Law

Psalm 119:97-104

⁹⁷ O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.
⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
¹⁰² I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Message: Love for God's Law

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I return to my study of Psalm 119, being guided by TableTalk's devotional. I have looked past at this year and realized I have only done 68 entries. It seems like more, but I have been slow through this study of the Wisdom Literature. I am just now in the month of July 2015, but I guess I continue to press on, so that is good.

O How I love your Law, it is my meditation all the day. This is true of my life. I do love God's word. It is rich to my life. When I read it and meditate on it and think of it, it is everything to me.

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. Lord, I know that your law makes me wiser. CS Lewis said that even if he found out tomorrow that the Bible was not true, he would still have to live like it is. I agree. It makes sense in life to live by it.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. Bible teachers are good, but meditating on God's word is more important. Lord, help me to stay connected to your word and reading it. Thank you for the teachers you have placed in our lives. But, its your word that makes the biggest impact in my life. The world professes to have schools of sage instruction; but the poorest believer, enlightened by the Spirit, is wiser than this boasted wisdom.

I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts. Lord, what makes me strong is being your disciple and being obedient to Your word. Sometimes I wonder if my acts of service keep decreasing. But, help me to stay connected to learning Your Word. As I read your word it makes me feel more learned than old men or the aged or ancients.

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. Lord, as I read your word, my desire is to not do evil. I struggle with this daily Lord. You know I still want that emotional contact with my wife and kids. And when I don't get it, I tend to revert to my life as a single and what brought me enjoyment then. But, Lord, help me to always wait on you and you alone. I need to trust in You, no matter my circumstances.  

I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. Lord, as long as I am in your word and listening to Your ordinances then I will not turn aside. Your teaching is the best teaching.  

How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Lord, your words are sweeter to me than food. Keep me engrossed in Your word.  

From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Lord, Your word is what gives understanding. Help me to read it and stay connected to it. As I do, I will hate evil. It is a solid truth that understanding is obtained by diligent adherence to God's precepts.

Promise: From Table talk, I really liked this: "We live in a lawless age that disdains boundaries and restrictions. Thus, the notion of loving God’s law seems quite strange to the unbeliever. Yet it should never seem strange to us. If God by His Spirit has poured His love into our hearts (Rom. 5), then we will love whatever reflects His character. We will love His law because it shows us who He is, and He is altogether lovely. Do you love God’s law? Pray that the Lord would increase in your heart your love for His law."  

Romans 10:14-15 - Predestination and Evangelism

Romans 10:14-15
¹⁴ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

Message: Predestination and Evangelism

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Anytime the talk of predestination is mentioned, I think there is a tendency for the audience to think then that their chosen faith now does not work. If God's will is inevitably going to be done then I don't need to have a voice in the wilderness. I've always said that the doctrine is that we are elected, but we live like we are not. The Bible still tells us to share our faith, voice our faith, pray for others, pray for their salvation. We are still to do the works of the Father. If there is one thing I know from scripture is that a Christian works. I do not work in order to earn my salvation, but I do work in response to my salvation. 

What He orders us to do, we must do, regardless of whether we fully understand it. God has decided that in the ordinary course of events, people will be saved through the explanation of the gospel on the part of Christians. 

God makes it clear that He wants to use us in His Great Purpose. This is why we always conclude that God takes care of the outcomes. We preach, we evangelism, we stay obedient to the message of the Gospel and we let God take care of the outcomes. There is so much fear in people that they may say the wrong thing or speak incorrectly; granted, we need to study God's word and try to do our best, but we must always remember that our words will not prevent someone from knowing God, unless we really don't believe that God chooses people. 

Promise: God wants to use us in the carrying out of His Great Commission. He doesn't have to use, but he wants to and will as we are obedient to His Call.

Ephesians 1:11 - For His Good Pleasure

Ephesians 1:11
also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Message: For His Good Pleasure

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying:

One of the big misunderstandings (according to Ligonier's TableTalk devotional which I use as my guide in studying God's Word) is that people that that since God has predestined people to be his people that people are predestined in a random fashion. It is this idea that God throws ping pong balls into the big lottery ball and then begins to pull out people in random fashion. Scripture does not tell us there is no reason for his choosing, but it does that works do not play into the equation.

This scripture today, from Ephesians 1:11, states that God's choosing is according to the counsel of His will. Choosing is for a reason. Just because we do not know the purpose doesn't mean there is no purpose.

We need to be more careful in our words and what we are teaching and not read too much into the reading of God's word, to the point that we are saying things that just are not there.

Promise: Just because we do not know the purpose doesn't mean there is no purpose.

Romans 9:14-18 - Justice and Mercy

Romans 9:14-18

¹⁴ What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” ¹⁸ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

Message: Justice and Mercy

Time:  This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Again, we are staying with the theme of Destiny or the doctrine that God not only has foreknowledge of future events in the lives of His called ones, knowing their salvation before hand but that He Himself has predetermined their salvation beforehand. It is God determining an outcome before the event has occurred. It is one thing to write about a historical event, documenting that it happened, but scripture doesn't simply document that something happened, but rather it states that God made it happen. 

I think we read the Bible and often don't realize what is going on. When something happens, do we just think that God has allowed that to happen (meaning He could have intervened) or do we think that he makes certain things happen and others he doesn't involve himself with. Do we think that God starts us off and then only intervenes if we ask Him to intervene? 

But, the biggest event in any person's life is whether that person will be saved. Does God simply know in advance that a Christ follower will choose Him or does He do the choosing on behalf of the individual? 

Often on the streets we help people understand grace and mercy. When a homeless man comes up to you and asks you for a meal, if you give it him, he has neither earned it nor can he pay it back. By giving it to him you have been gracious. If you are traveling on the road and you are speeding in your car and the police officer stops you, but chooses to not give you a ticket, though you deserve it, he has been merciful toward you. Compassion is being aware of someone's suffering and desiring to relieve the suffering. 

Paul in Chapter 9 of Romans talks about the purposed life of Esau and Jacob and mentions that while in the womb each had a predetermined outcome in life.  This purpose was not based upon what they had done, but based upon a calling. God chose the Israelites, simply because. It is human nature to think that we are chosen based upon someone seeing something in us and then choosing us based upon what they saw. God's choosing may be defined as random. My thinking is God has a purpose and that purpose is only known by Him. 

In Chapter 9 Paul states, God has "mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." This is saying that we yield to God and his mercy is based upon His desire. People from all walks of life have been shown God's mercy, from the poor to the rich. And people from all walks of life have been hardened. No matter what I think we all end up with the "why" question, wondering why so few believe or why so few have faith even thought Jesus said the road is narrow, but why did it have to be that way. The struggle I think is not that God isn't in control, but questioning his outcome for things. There are so many today that live, on the surface, good lives and it is hard to look at them and realize that their eternal outcome does not appear to be with God. That they would end up being annihilated or eternally punished or separated from God is a difficult outcome to realize they have. I can think of family members, friends, strangers, and can also see how wired they are to not even think about God or to think about God in a very narrow way, putting God in a box. So it is hard to think that those people are that way because of God's hardening. 

Everyone deserves to be punished for their sin. As verse 14 says, "There is no injustice with God." God's justice is always served, for the Christian it is served in the atonement of Jesus for their sin. For the non-Christian it is still served for they have earned their condemnation. There is never injustice. 

So I yield to this verse. It is not simply a Pauline verse, but the message is clear throughout scripture. I do want to say I don't understand it, but I yield to it because I have no reason to not believe it is true. But, it remains difficult. Not that God has mercy and hardens, but that so few have received mercy. 

Would God's power be demonstrated if the majority of people were saved? Our world is merit based. We like this. We like hard work to merit good pay. We like hard work to merit good grades. When a baby is born with a defect, we don't understand it. When a baby is born to a family in which the parents have engaged in drugs and other things that are not God's commandments, then we feel better, not because the baby has received it and deserves it, but because it just makes more sense to us. 

Promise: God has "mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."

Romans 8:28-30 - Predestination and Foreknowledge

Romans 8:28-30
²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Message: Predestination and Foreknowledge

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element. 

What the Lord is Saying:

Another distinction
I noticed something about these verses that I had not noticed before and that is Paul is writing to the church and stating that "all things work together....to those who are called." All things work together for those that are called. So, he is not saying that all things work together for everyone, but only for those that are called. And he predestined those to conform to the image of His Son. Could it be that God chooses people and conforms their lives to His Son and plans their future, but allows those who are not his to live more freely? He doesn't therefore plan sin in the lives of those that are not called.  People are always asking, "why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" First of all, no one is good so the question is stated incorrectly. So, why then does God allow bad things to happen? This is more simple because we can see throughout history how bad things have helped us. Why does God allow atrocious things to happen? He wants all to be saved but he saves only a few based upon his foreknowledge so he allows many to not be saved and their lives are lived according to their own devices. He sets apart his called ones.

According to TableTalk
This idea of predestination or God predetermining who will be saved branches off into two choices. One is whether God knows in advance what man will choose, thus having foreknowledge of future events and second, is whether God predetermines in advance who will be his children. In the first view or prescient view the ultimate deciding factor is man; in the latter view, the deciding factor is God. Verse 29 is stating, "those whom He foreknew" or those whom he had set apart for His kingdom before the foundation of the world. "Our Lord's choice of men and women for salvation is based on His decision to set His love upon them, not His knowledge of what they will do."

Promise: God works all for good - FOR THOSE he calls. 

Ephesians 1:3-14 - The Inevitable Question

Ephesians 1:3-14
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
 
Message: The Inevitable Question

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying:

My Prayer based upon the passage
Lord, I have been blessed by You God, my Father and blessed with every spiritual blessing, in the heavens, in Christ. I am blessed because of being in Christ. God, you chose me to be in Christ before you laid the foundation of this world and you destined me to be holy (set apart) and blameless (without sin) before God. You destined me before hand to be your children through the work and life of Jesus Christ, because of your kindness, the kindness of Your will. Your grace or your gift despite my condition as a sinner, which is a gift from Christ to me. In Christ I have been redeemed through his cleansing blood. You have cleaned me, you have forgiven my sins, simply because of the riches of Your grace which you poor on us. It cost so much and yet you shower that costly gift on us. And even after giving us this gift, in your wise way and in the special knowledge that you have, you have made known to us the mystery of your eternal plan and will, once again according to your kind plan purposed in Christ. This purpose saw the future and saw that all things in Christ, seeing all things in the heavens and on the earth. In Christ, I have an inheritance in my life because of the pre-determined purpose of God. You will work all things after the counsel of His will. In Christ, I am the first to have hope and this praises Him and lifts up His glory. And being in Christ, I, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of being set free, and after listening, believed, I have been sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit promised to me. The Holy Spirit is given to me as a pledge of a future inheritance, giving me a view to being completely redeemed or saved of being God's own possession. I praise Him and His glory is to be praised for all of this.

My summary of this passage
This is a great prayer and a great passage. There is so much meat to this prayer. God has blessed us. That is a done deal. We have received every spiritual blessing possible. That is a done deal. My position in Christ will never be better or worse than it is now. I have been pardoned, my sins simple excused. I have been redeemed; I've been made right with God. I've been adopted; I am not simply called, but I have been grafted in to be with God. I am a branch, not merely a stick; I am connected with God. I have peace in Christ. There is nothing better than peace.

All of these blessings have been conferred upon me because of one thing: being in Christ. Being in Christ was the result of God choosing me before God laid the foundation of this world. Before the foundation of the world it was determined I would be holy or set apart; I would be blameless or without sin, before God. But, never does this happen because of my works or effort, but because of the work and life of Jesus Christ. My condition of being a sinner is completely irrelevant to my position before Christ. My worth and acceptance before God is based upon Christ, not me. In Christ I have been redeemed through his cleansing blood. Because of Christ I am forgiven. Because of Christ I am clean.

But I am not finished. My work is not done on this earth nor is Christ's work in me done on this earth. In Christ, my purpose is to be for the praise of His Glory. God works all things, in my life, after the counsel of His will. I am never alone here. I have the Holy Spirit in me, working through me, living in me, and still that work points to His Glory. 

TableTalk's assessment
This passage mentions predestination and they want to argue that the doctrine of predestination is central to the Bible. It is not simply a Pauline doctrine, but it is a Bible doctrine. Whether Calvinist, Arminian, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, there is a teaching on predestination. "The difference has to do with the basis of predestination (God's simple foreknowledge or His eternal decree), whether predestination extends to the salvation of individuals, and so forth."

Promise: My position in Christ is because of Christ.

Proverbs 19:21 - The Lord's Established Purpose

Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.

Message: The Lord's Established Purpose

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.
 
What the Lord is Saying:

Here in this simple Proverb is a powerful message. 

1. Man makes many plans - Many plans are in a man's heart. This is apparent that man is constantly believing and thinking that he is in control of his outcomes and the matters of this world. Man wants to believe over and over that he can will God to change and that man's will and knowledge of events is the greatest. The overriding reason the atheist cannot believe in God is because man does not want to believe that God is in control of all things. 

I notice that man often thinks that when his/her plans don't bear good outcomes, then God comes in and saves the day. We feel that after we have done everything we can do, then God takes us home. Once again, we tend to believe our ultimate good is what is most important. 

JC Philpot in Riches states -
The plans of our heart are generally to find some easy, smooth, flowery path. There is always a secret planning in a man's heart—to escape the cross, to avoid affliction, and to walk in some flowery meadow, away from the rough road which cuts his feet, and wearies his limbs.

Another "plan in a man's heart" is, that he shall have worldly prosperity—that his children shall grow up around him, and when they grow up, he shall be able to provide for them in a way which shall be best suited to their station in life—that they shall enjoy health and strength and success—and that there shall not be any cutting affliction in his family, or fiery trial to pass through.

The purposes of God's heart are purposes of love and affection toward you, and therefore you may bless and praise God, that whatever be the plans of your hearts against God's counsel, they shall be frustrated, that He may do His will and fulfill all His good pleasure.

This is so true, we want the easy path and we want worldly prosperity. We really want "my will be done."

2. The counsel of the Lord will stand.

The real truth is the Lord's purposes prevail. The way of the Lord is the firm foundation in our lives. It is possible that dire circumstances is exactly what we need. Reminder, Paul went to prison. Reminder, Jesus went to the cross. Sometimes God has to get our attention to remind us of this truth and the only way he does it is to shake up our world.

This is such a hard truth because we have become so good at being successful people with no wants or needs. We have become so good at making money and doing things in such a way that we have so few wants or needs. Generally, what upsets our world is illness or diseases. We have walked through life getting what we want, but then something happens that is an unknown and it sends us to God to ask for help. And yet, God wants to show us that asking Him for help is where we need to be all the time.

To say God is sovereign is to say that the will of God is to be accomplished in every circumstance. As TableTalk states

Although we may make many and varied plans, these plans will only come to fruition if they reflect our Creator's purpose. 

Do I really think God is given me that bonus at work so that I can get a new car? Or is he giving me more so that I can help others more? He charges me to help the needy so this should be my mindset at all times. 


Promise: All God's purposes, which are sure and right, will be accomplished in due time.

Psalm 137 - Waiting for Justice

Psalm 137
^1-4 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?

^5-6 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷ Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it, raze it
to its very foundation.”
^8-9 O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, how blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock.

Message: Waiting for Justice

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

One of the many complaints I hear about God is why has not justice occurred with "X" situation. In this life, people are accustomed to seeing wrong-doers paying an immediate penalty or seeing a consequence for their actions. This Psalm is a good encouragement regarding awaiting justice in a particular situation.

In the beginning, in verses 1-4, we should expect things to be uncomfortable ("we sat down and wept") as we wait.  The psalmist did not forget Jerusalem when the people were in exile (5-6); similarly, we should not forget the city of God as we go about as strangers in this world. If we forget the Lord’s kingdom, we will be tempted to compromise so that we do not feel like strangers, and we will lose our expectation for our Creator to set things right.

Here it is asked that the sons of Edom experience the same hurt and devastation they experienced, namely, "dashes your little ones against the rock." We can pray that people would experience justice from God in the same way we have experienced justice. Today, we can pray that the cross of Christ that paid for our sins would hit hard in everyone's lives.

Promise: Sin is so serious that it must be repaid in kind. The cross of Christ did this for us.

Ecclesiastes 7:1 - The Worth of a Good Name

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

Message: The Worth of a Good Name

Time: Ecclesiastes: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

From TableTalk:
It takes a lifetime to build, but it can be destroyed in an instant by one bad decision. [We all see this, but especially when we are young. Derek sees this in school when he skips a class or walks out of a class or quits the soccer team or changes team. One action messes up everything. This happens at work even as it sometimes takes one mistake to change people's view of you.] A good name usually refers to a good reputation. The Bible sometimes portrays people who had a good name in public but whose private behavior invalidated their reputation. [This is a hard truth for society. The private lives of people are becoming more apparent in society with the transparency that is taking place through social media as it gives "the" media easier access to people's real thoughts. But, in general, the stars or the people that we look to that have gifts that society deems as not easily replaced often have a more transparent life and so their reputation is easier to be tarnished. This is election time right now and the goal often of competing candidates is to find something in a person's private life to make the other person appear not to be a good candidate.]

Ointment - From Smith's Bible Dictionary 
Some of the ointments have been known to retain their: fragrance for several hundred years. They were a much-coveted luxury, and often very expensive. [Because of our easy of going to a store and buying what we need I think we lose the significance of some substances. There was a time when something like an ointment took much time to be formed and therefore it was considered a luxury item. One idea here is a good ointment was something sought after, that people wanted. We all want a good name and we need to be careful in life of our actions.]

[This first verse of chapter 7 ends with "the day of death is better than the day birth." Often times it is the funeral that results in a lot of people showing up. There aren't droves of people showing up at a hospital to welcome a new baby. The baby needs time to become a person of value.] The day of death provides the dying person with a chance to reflect on his own heart, and it causes loved ones to reflect on their final destiny and their need of heart transformation if they are to experience life with God forever. 

Promise: A good name is not securely established until the day of death. 

 



 

Proverbs 20:23 - Unequal Weights and False Scales

Proverbs 20:23
Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, and a false scale is not good.

Message: Unequal weights and False Scales

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.


What the Lord is Saying:

From Tabletalk -- Merchants are not permitted to defraud their customers with standards that allow them to sell less of a product than their buyers think they are getting, and they may not use mislabeled units to buy more of a product than a seller thinks he is selling. The same principle apply to the consumer as well; we are not to cheat merchants our of the fruit of their labor by fraud, theft, or other immoral means. Similarly, governments should not employ unequal measures via the inflation of currency, ever-changing standards of weight, and so forth. Such things are an abomination to the Lord, for He is sovereign also over the economy and prizes truth in all of our relationships. 

Most everything you buy in a store has a label on the product that tells you how much of the product you are buying. What if the label said one thing and the contents of the package had something else? You would feel cheated. You would feel like one thing is being said, but something else is the result.

Even in the marketplace, God wants us to deal with one another in honest ways. This could mean not accepting more change from a cashier than what is due.

Promise: Even in the smallest of economic matters, Christians are to be fair and just.

Ecclesiastes 6:7-9 - An Unsatisfied Appetite

Ecclesiastes 6:7-9
All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

Message: An unsatisfied appetite

Time: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

This passage is something I do not see I struggle with. The idea is that we don't work hard to simply keep up with the Joneses, but I work hard to provide for my family. Yet, the Joneses are a problem in my life because they are doing things I am not interested in doing and so my kids love to spend time with them. I want to do work at home and simple activities but they want to go have fun in new ways. I guess I should allow them, but sometimes it hurts when I do want to do something that then they aren't here. 

"What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires." Do we stop at times to just enjoy what we have or are we too conditioned to just seeking more? This is the danger in life. 

From Tabletalk, "There is nothing wrong with having nice things, but if we think those nice things will make us content, we will never find our self in a place of happiness. The more that we own, the greater the temptation to make what we own the source of our contentment. But Christ alone can satisfy us permanently."

Promise: Work hard and then be content.

Psalm 78:67-72 - God's Choice of Judah

 Psalm 78:67-72
^67-68 He also rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.
⁶⁹ And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has founded forever.
^70-71 He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.
⁷² So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.

Message: God's choice of Judah

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Judah should be the head tribe in Israel (v. 68) as the leadership had transferred from the tribe of Ephraim. Some think these verses refer to David while others think it is a messianic passage referring to Jesus. The messianic interpretation speaks of a new David. 

I am not sure what to make of this passage other than noticing that God erected kings over his people. And Jesus is the king of kings. Yet, it is interesting that there are other faiths that have other kings that they believe take precedence (i.e. Joseph Smith or Muhammad). God knows we need a leader, a shepherd, but Christ is that leader for us yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus is the only leader who can guide us in perfect righteousness, and it is in Him alone that we have a sure hope.

Promise: God erects kings not man. In the Old Testament, he gave us many different kings that pointed to our ultimate king -- Jesus.

Psalm 78:40-66 - Idolatry and Restoration

Psalm 78:40-66

^40-44 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Again and again they tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the adversary, when He performed His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan, and turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink.
^45-51 He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them. He gave also their crops to the grasshopper and the product of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore trees with frost. He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones and their herds to bolts of lightning. He sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble, a band of destroying angels. He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, but gave over their life to the plague, and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.
^52-55 But He led forth His own people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; He led them safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea engulfed their enemies. So He brought them to His holy land, to this hill country which His right hand had gained. He also drove out the nations before them and apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. 

^56-58 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep His testimonies, But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; they turned aside like a treacherous bow. For they provoked Him with their high places and aroused His jealousy with their graven images. 
^59-64 When God heard, He was filled with wrath and greatly abhorred Israel; So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, the tent which He had pitched among men, And gave up His strength to captivity and His glory into the hand of the adversary. He also delivered His people to the sword, and was filled with wrath at His inheritance. Fire devoured His young men, and His virgins had no wedding songs. His priests fell by the sword, and His widows could not weep.

^65-66 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior overcome by wine. He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.

Message: Idolatry and Restoration

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

In some ways not much is different in this passage than what was presented in the previous reading from Psalm 78. This Psalm continues to speak of people rebelling, the Lord continues to guide them and yet people respond by turning their back on Him. And so God puts forth his wrath on people. And still he is merciful toward them.

There is an idea in these verses that seems a little baffling to me and that is that God isn't forcing himself on people. He is providing for them over and over and he believes that through this providence and his rescuing that people will find their refuge in Him. Sometimes his wrath will be displayed. He is a God who is to be praised, but the goal is for people to respond to Him. The goal is for each of us to turn from our ways and acknowledge Him as Lord and God.

They did not remember his power
In verses 40-44 this is the message I see. People did not see His power. We do this today. We look at weather and we have an explanation. We look at storms and we have an explanation. We look at all these events and we simply say there are patterns of weather that are making things happen. Sometimes we call this "Mother earth" but there is a growing trend to not call them acts of God. Our rebellion towards God must grieve Him. Man just doesn't acknowledge God's power. 

They went their own way
Also in verses 40-44 is the action of turning away from God. They rebelled against Him. They tempted God. They did not remember all God did for them. I get too distracted with the immediate and I forget the good times.

He tried to get their attention
In verses 45-51, God did things to these people. He used animals and weather, bad things to get their attention. If they don't acknowledge God, he will show them his power. But, no one wants to say these tornadoes or tsunami's or hurricanes come from the Lord. They only want a God that does good things to them. I don't blame them. When good happens, we are fine, but when bad happens we often turn away. It is only when the matter gets beyond our control that we turn to God.

He led his own people. 
There is a contrast here that God led his own people in verses 52-55. So far what I have read in this section is the people did not remember his power and they went their own way, yet God tried to get there attention and through it all he led them. God is leading us. God is leading us and often I need to remember this. I think I get too focused on what I see. He uses the sheep and shepherd idea here. The shepherd is always leading, but at times I go off track or I wander, but this doesn't mean God has stopped leading. I need to trust in God more through each day, each moment. I need to believe that He is at work. I stare too much at my surroundings and not enough at God. I live too much of my life focused on what I want and sometimes I forget to see what God has already provided and I forget to be thankful.

Yet, we turn aside
Verses 56-58 speak that even though God led his people, we rebel. I am a sinner. I sin. I doubt and I question God. He knows this is going to happen. He knows I will rebel and not keep commandments, turn back and act unbecoming to people around me. And through it all I also start looking to other things that I think will satisfy me. 

God can get mad
And I need to remember that God can be bothered at times by my actions as it describes in verses 59-64.  I need to remember that I measure myself each day not against other people but against Jesus and his standard. And if I'm not perfect, I'm a sinner and I deserve his wrath. I spend too much time looking at other people and what they have and wonder why I don't have the same thing. Help me God to be more focused on my relationship with you and not on other people and what they have or don't have. Everyone is different and my job is to trust you with where I am at right now. I can pray for something better and it may result but through it all I can trust you. And if bad things happen, you have your reasons. This nature gets further from you and we now have more natural disasters and more people killing one another and you are showing us racism is a problem and yet we act surprised when things don't go well. Lord, could you be mad at us? If so, help us see that the answer is us to follow you.

God hasn't left
In these final 2 verses, I remember God that you are still there. You haven't left. From my vantage point, you coming to the rescue looks like to me that you finally woke up. But you never sleep. Again, Lord, help me trust in You.


Promise: No matter what, God rescues His people.