Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Author: Thomas E Meyer Jr
Formerly Homeless Sinner
Now, Child of God, Saved by Grace.
4 Therefore, since we have this (A)ministry, as we (B)received mercy, we (C)do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the (D)hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness or (E)adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth (F) commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our (G)gospel is (H)veiled, it is veiled [a]to (I)those who are perishing, 4 in whose case (J)the god of (K)this age has (L)blinded the minds of the unbelieving [b]so that they might not see the (M)light of the gospel of the (N)glory of Christ, who is the (O)image of God.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV) states, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
This verse is a part of a larger discussion in the book of 1 Corinthians regarding the nature of Christian leadership, and more broadly, the responsibilities and expectations of believers as stewards of God’s gifts and teachings.
In this verse, the apostle Paul addresses the crucial quality of faithfulness that should mark the lives of those who are entrusted with the message of Christ.
The context of this verse is important in understanding its significance.
In the preceding chapter, Paul and his co-workers have been defending their apostolic ministry against the accusations and criticisms of the Corinthians.
They have dealt with issues of pride, boasting, and divisions within the church.
In Chapter 4, Paul continues to address the Corinthians’ misunderstandings about leadership their inflated views of themselves and their spiritual leaders.
He uses the analogy of stewards, or servants who are entrusted with the management of a household, to illustrate the role and responsibilities of Christian leaders.
The verse begins with the word “Moreover,” indicating that it builds upon the discussion in the preceding verses.
Paul is emphasizing the importance of faithfulness as a requirement for those who are stewards of God’s mysteries (1 Corinthians 4:1).
The term “stewards” refers to those who have been entrusted with the teachings and responsibilities of the Christian faith.
This includes not only the apostles and leaders of the church, but also all believers who have been given the message of the gospel.
The requirement of faithfulness is fundamental to Christian life and ministry.
Faithfulness involves loyalty, reliability, and a consistent commitment to the truth and principles of the gospel.
In the context of leadership, faithfulness is demonstrated through a steadfast adherence to the teachings of Christ, a dedication to serving others, and also the servants willingness to persevere in the face of challenges and opposition.
One of the key themes of this verse is the nature of Christian discipleship and stewardship. In the broader context of the New Testament, Jesus frequently used the imagery of stewardship to convey the responsibilities of his followers.
In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), for example, Jesus tells the story of a master who entrusts his possessions to his servants and expects them to use them efficiently, wisely and faithfully.
Similarly, the parable of the wise, faithful servant (Matthew 24:45-51), Jesus illustrates the qualities of a faithful steward who is diligent in carrying out his master’s will.
Another important theme in this verse is the concept of accountability.
As stewards of God’s teachings and gifts, believers are ultimately accountable to God for how they have managed these resources.
Faithfulness is the benchmark by which believers will be judged in their stewardship.
This reflects the broader biblical teaching that all people will one day give an account of their lives before God (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
The symbolism of stewardship is also significant in our understanding the implications of this verse. A steward in biblical times was responsible for managing the affairs and resources of a household on behalf of the master.
The faithful steward demonstrated integrity, diligence, and the ability to fulfill the master’s expectations.
In much the same way, believers are called to faithfully manage the spiritual blessings, opportunities, and responsibilities that God has entrusted to them.
1 Corinthians 4:2 emphasizes the vital importance of faithfulness in the lives of Christian stewards.
It highlights the responsibilities and the expectations of believers in their service to God and others. The verse challenges believers to demonstrate steadfastness and reliability in own their Christian walk and leadership.
Ultimately, the call to faithfulness points to the truth that all believers are accountable to God for how they have lived out their stewardship.
This verse serves as a reminder for believers to honor God by their faithful and obedient service.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
Psalm 110 Legacy Standard Bible
You Are a Priest Forever
Of David. A Psalm.
110(A)Yahweh says to my Lord: “(B)Sit at My right hand Until I put (C)Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.” 2 Yahweh will stretch forth Your strong (D)scepter from Zion, saying, “(E)Have dominion in the midst of Your enemies.” 3 Your (F)people [a]will offer themselves freely in the day of Your [b]power; (G)In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, The (H)dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours.
4(I)Yahweh has sworn and will (J)not [c]change His mind, “You are a (K)priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is (L)at Your right hand; He [d]will (M)crush kings in the (N)day of His anger. 6 He will (O)render justice among the nations, He [e]will fill them with (P)corpses, He [f]will (Q)crush the [g]head that is over the wide earth. 7 He will (R)drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will (S)lift up His head.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And (A)Yahweh granted her conception, and she gave birth to a son.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Redeemer’s Grace ….
The narrative of Ruth is one of the most beautiful stories contained within the pages of Scripture, showcasing themes of love, loyalty, and divine providence.
At the heart of this story lies Ruth 4:13, which states,
“So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.”
This verse, while simple in its recounting, holds deep profound truths about redemption and God’s sovereignty in our lives.
To grasp the gravity of this moment in the Book of Ruth, we must understand the context in which this marriage occurs.
Ruth, a Moabite woman, chose to cling to her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi, after the death of her husband.
Her declaration of loyalty in Ruth 1:16—“Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God”—
reflects a radical commitment to Naomi and her God. Thus, her journey into Bethlehem represents not only physical relocation but spiritual transformation and dedication to Yahweh.
Leviticus 25:23-27 English Standard Version
Redemption of Property
23 “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for (A)the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land.
25 “If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, (B)then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. 26 If a man has no one to redeem it and then himself becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, 27 let (C)him calculate the years since he sold it and pay back the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and then return to his property.
Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, epitomizes the concept of a kinsman-redeemer.
A kinsman redeemer (Hebrew: go’el) is a close male relative responsible for restoring family members or their property that has been lost, particularly in situations of extreme poverty.
This role is crucial in maintaining family lineage and property within the family.
Role and Responsibilities
The responsibilities of a kinsman redeemer include:
Redeeming Property: Buying back land sold by a relative due to financial hardship.
Restoring Family: Acting to reclaim family members who may have been sold into servitude.
Providing Heirs: Marrying a deceased relative’s widow, having Children, to ensure the continuation of the family line.
His role extends beyond that of husband; he represents God’s redeeming love.
As Boaz marries Ruth, it signifies the restoration of Ruth’s dignity and the continuation of her late husband’s lineage in Israel.
There is something extraordinary about how Boaz steps into the void left by death and loss and brings forth a new beginning. When we meditate on this act, we see the living embodiment of redemption as outlined throughout Scripture.
The verse further emphasizes the divine intervention in Ruth’s life.
“And when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception…”
highlights a critical aspect of our journey with God.
While Ruth’s dedication and Boaz’s honorable actions led to their union, it was ultimately God who then granted them the gift of motherhood. In this, we are reminded of the profound truth that God’s blessings often follow obedience.
Ruth chose loyalty and faithfulness, God rewards her trust in remarkable ways.
In our own lives, we may find ourselves navigating seasons that resemble Ruth’s—filled with uncertainty, loss, and longing.
We may be desperate for a redeemer to step into our circumstances, bringing hope where despair abounds.
However, like Ruth, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith and trust that God sees our plight.
The culmination of Ruth’s faithfulness isn’t just the birth of a son, but points towards the lineage of David, ultimately to Jesus Christ, the ultimate Redeemer.
This lineage serves as God’s profound statement of grace, revealing how our seemingly ordinary lives can contribute to His extraordinary plan of salvation.
Moreover, Ruth’s story exemplifies how God includes both the humble and the overlooked to fulfill His divine purpose.
As a Moabite, Ruth’s position in society was one of marginalization; yet, God elevated her from a foreign widow to the mother of Obed, grandfather of David.
This reminds us that God’s grace is not confined to cultural boundaries or personal histories. He is in the business of redeeming, transforming lives—bringing hope and new beginnings even in the most unlikely circumstances.
The concept of a kinsman redeemer is both unique and significant in biblical tradition as it reflects divine themes of redemption, family loyalty, and social responsibility.
Ultimately, it also serves as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, who is viewed as the ultimate kinsman redeemer for humanity, restoring spiritual inheritance and relationship with God.
Ruth 4:13 serves for us as a welcome reminder that our God is in the details of our lives—restoring, redeeming, and renewing.
As we reflect on this verse, we are called to embrace our roles as vessels of His love and grace in the world, trusting in His perfect timing and sovereign will.
Just as Boaz and Ruth experienced the joys of redemption, so too can we find hope in our circumstances through discipline, faith, trust and perseverance.
Let us take meaningful time to meditate on this truth and step forward with confidence and courage, knowing that our Redeemer is at work in our lives.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ….
16(A)Keep me, O God, for (B)I take refuge in You. 2 O my soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are [b]my Lord; I (C)have no good without You.” 3 As for the [c](D)saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones (E)in whom is all my delight. 4 The [d](F)pains of those who have [e]bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of (G)blood, Nor will I (H)take their names upon my lips.
5 Yahweh is the (I)portion of my inheritance and my (J)cup; You support my (K)lot. 6 The (L)lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my inheritance is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless Yahweh who has (N)counseled me; Indeed, my [f](O)mind instructs me in the night. 8(P)I have (Q)set Yahweh continually before me; Because He is (R)at my right hand, (S)I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore (T)my heart is glad and (U)my glory rejoices; My flesh also will (V)dwell securely. 10 For You (W)will not forsake my soul to Sheol; You will not (X)give Your [g]Holy One over to see [h]corruption. 11 You will make known to me (Y)the path of life; In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
To the choirmaster: with (A)stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
67 May God (B)be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to (C)shine upon us, Selah 2 that (D)your way may be known on earth, your (E)saving power among all nations. 3(F)Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you (G)judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5(H)Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has (I)yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let (J)all the ends of the earth fear him!
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In the words of the esteemed Charles Spurgeon,
“The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.”
Ah, the sovereignty of God!
It’s an amazing, comforting, and humbling truth that weaves itself through every verse of Psalms 67.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and let’s read this psalm together again:
“May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
God blesses us,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.”
Isn’t this Psalm a stirring call to praise?
A reminder of His blessings?
A testament to His grace?
As we stand on the precipice of one more much needed revelation of God?
Now comes the moment to open wide our hearts to God’s truth, deepen our understanding, and strengthen our commitment, our devotion, to Savior God.
With our fullest attention on our sovereign God, to help us to see the beauty of His covenant, the power of His salvation, and the full impact of God’s blessings.
With open hearts, may we praise God, not just with our lips, but with our lives.
Covenantal Commitment
In the heart of Psalms 67, we find a profound truth.
A truth that speaks of a relationship, a bond, a promise.
It’s a promise that God has made with us, His children.
It’s a promise that is not fleeting or temporary, but enduring and eternal. This promise, this bond, this relationship is what we can understand as a covenant.
A commitment: God’s covenant with us is not like any earthly contract or agreement. It’s not a negotiation nor any transaction. It’s a commitment.
A commitment that God makes with us, and a commitment that we are invited to make with Him.
This commitment is not based on our worthiness or our ability to uphold our end of the bargain. It’s based on God’s grace, His love, and His faithfulness.
Verse 1: When we read, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us,” we see a picture of God’s covenantal commitment.
God’s grace, His blessings, His favor, are not rewards for our good behavior or our religious rituals. They are expressions of His covenantal commitment to us.
Our response to God’s covenantal commitment: It is not about earning favor from humanity. It’s neither about earning His favor nor avoiding His wrath.
It’s about acknowledging, recognizing His grace, receiving His blessings, and reflecting upon His love. It’s about living in a way that makes His ways known on earth and His free offer of eternal salvation known among all the nations.
God’s grace: Grace is a word that we often hear in church, but do we truly understand what it means?
Grace is not just about forgiveness or mercy.
It’s about God’s unmerited favor.
It’s about God choosing to bless us, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us.
In Psalms 67, we witness God’s grace in His desire to bless us and make His face shine on us.
This is not a blessing that we have earned or a favor that we have merited. It’s a blessing that comes from God’s grace, from His covenantal commitment to us.
God’s blessings: Thinking of blessings, we often think of material prosperity or physical health.
But in the context of God’s covenant, blessings have a deeper meaning.
Blessings are not just about what we receive from God.
They are also about what we reflect of God.
When God blesses us, He is not just giving us something.
He is also making us something.
He is making us a reflection of His grace, a testament to His love, and a beacon of His light.
God’s guidance: In the psalm, we read, “for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.”
This is not just about God’s sovereignty or His control.
It’s about His guidance, His wisdom, and His direction.
God’s guidance is not about dictating our every move or controlling our every decision.
It’s about leading us in His ways, teaching us His truths, and shaping us in His image.
It’s about helping us to navigate the complexities of life, the challenges of faith, and the mysteries of His will.
God’s salvation: In the psalm, we read, “so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”
This is not just about our personal salvation or individual relationship with God.
It’s about God’s plan for the whole world, His desire for all nations, and His heart, without exception, for every people.
God’s salvation is not just about saving us from sin or delivering us from death.
It’s about bringing us into His kingdom, making us part of His family, freely involving us in His mission.
About His transforming us from mere recipients of His grace into full active participants in His plan.
Calling for Salvation
As we continue to immerse ourselves in the richness of Psalms 67, we find ourselves drawn to the theme of salvation.
The psalmist’s plea for God’s grace and blessings is not just a personal request, but a global one.
The psalmist desires God’s ways be known on earth, His salvation among all nations.
The universal nature of God’s love: The psalmist’s plea for God’s salvation be known among all the nations is a powerful testament, witness to, the universal nature of God’s love.
It’s not confined to a particular group of people, but extends to all nations.
This is a recurring theme in the Bible, a theme underscoring the inclusiveness of God’s love and the expansiveness of His salvation.
Isaiah 45:22: In the book of Isaiah, for instance, we read, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”
Here, God is calling all nations to turn to Him for salvation. It’s a call which transcends all geographical boundaries, cultural differences, and linguistic barriers. It’s a call that resonates with the plea of the psalmist in Psalms 67.
The transformative power of God’s salvation: When God’s salvation is known among all nations, peoples praise Him, nations are glad, and they sing for joy.
This is a vivid picture of the joy and gladness that comes from knowing God’s salvation. It’s a joy that is not fleeting or superficial, but deep and enduring.
Nehemiah 8:10: In the book of Nehemiah, we read, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”
This joy is not dependent on external circumstances, but it is rooted in the knowledge of God’s salvation. It’s a joy which gives strength, that empowers, a joy that sustains.
It’s the same joy the psalmist envisions when God’s salvation is known among all nations.
The role of God’s people in making His salvation known: The psalmist prays that God’s ways will be made known on earth, His salvation among all nations.
This is not just a prayer, but a mission.
It’s a mission field which requires action, commitment, and perseverance.
Matthew 28:19: In Matthew, Jesus commissions His disciples, saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
This commission is not just for the disciples, but for all followers of Jesus.
It’s a commission aligning with the plea of the psalmist in Psalms 67.
It’s a commission which calls for action, that calls for commitment, that calls for perseverance.
Word study: The Hebrew word for salvation used in Psalms 67 is “Yeshua”.
This word carries the connotation of deliverance, victory, and welfare.
It’s a name that encapsulates the fullness of God’s salvation, a salvation that delivers, a salvation that gives final victory, a salvation that ensures welfare.
Other examples: In the book of Jonah, we read, “Salvation comes from the LORD” (Jonah 2:9).
Here, the same Hebrew word “Yeshua” is used.
This verse underscores the source of salvation, the LORD.
It’s a reminder that salvation is not something we can achieve on our own, but something that comes only from the LORD.
In the book of Psalms, we read, “The LORD is my light and my salvation” (Psalms 27:1). Here, the same Hebrew word “yeshua” is used.
This verse underscores the role of the LORD in our salvation.
He is not just the source of our salvation, but our light and our salvation.
Not just a plea, but a prophecy: It’s a prophecy which looks forward to the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).
It’s a prophecy that aligns with the vision of the Apostle John in the book of Revelation, where he sees a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).
The urgency of making God’s salvation known among all nations: The psalmist prays God’s ways may be known on earth, His salvation among all nations.
This is not just a prayer, but an urgent divine imperative.
It’s an imperative that requires urgency, a call that cannot be postponed, a call that cannot be ignored.
Romans 1:16: In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
This verse underscores the power of the gospel, the power to bring salvation to everyone who believes. It’s a power that requires urgency, a power that cannot be postponed, a power that cannot be ignored.
It’s the same divine imparitive that the psalmist emphasises in Psalms 67.
Consequences of Blessings
Immersing ourselves in the final point of our devotion today, we find ourselves standing at the very threshold of understanding the Consequences of Blessings.
It’s a point woven with the golden threads of God’s love, mercy, and His grace.
It’s a point which echoes with the resounding truth of the Need for Salvation for All.
God’s blessings: They’re not mere tokens of His favor.
They are not just divine gifts that add joy, peace, and abundance to our lives.
They are, in fact, the tangible expressions of His salvation, the visible signs of His redeeming work in our lives, the divine consequences of His salvation, the holy outcomes of His saving grace.
God’s blessings are a testament to His salvation: When God blesses us, He’s not just bestowing good things upon us. He’s affirming His saving work in our lives.
He’s confirming we are His, we’ve been redeemed by His grace, and that we are partakers of His salvation.
God’s blessings are a call to witness: When God blesses us, Its not just enriching our lives.
He’s equipping us to be His witnesses.
He’s empowering us to testify to His goodness.
He is empowering us to proclaim His salvation, and to make His love known.
Twice, we read, “And God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7God shall bless us” (Psalm 67:6b-7a).
When our hearts and thoughts are focused on the LORD, and we offer Him our whole praises and prayers of thanksgiving, He blesses us all two times over!
What an inspiring thought!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
84(0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of the sons of Korach:
2(1) How deeply loved are your dwelling-places, Adonai-Tzva’ot! 3(2) My soul yearns, yes, faints with longing for the courtyards of Adonai; my heart and body cry for joy to the living God.
4(3) As the sparrow finds herself a home and the swallow her nest, where she lays her young, [so my resting-place is] by your altars, Adonai-Tzva’ot, my king and my God.
5(4) How happy are those who live in your house; they never cease to praise you! (Selah) 6(5) How happy the man whose strength is in you, in whose heart are [pilgrim] highways.
7(6) Passing through the [dry] Baka Valley, they make it a place of springs, and the early rain clothes it with blessings. 8(7) They go from strength to strength and appear before God in Tziyon.
9(8) Adonai, God of armies, hear my prayer; listen, God of Ya‘akov. (Selah) 10(9) God, see our shield [the king]; look at the face of your anointed. 11(10) Better a day in your courtyards than a thousand [days elsewhere]. Better just standing at the door of my God’s house than living in the tents of the wicked.
12(11) For Adonai, God, is a sun and a shield; Adonai bestows favor and honor; he will not withhold anything good from those whose lives are pure.
13(12) Adonai-Tzva’ot, how happy is anyone who trusts in you!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
6 And I will remember the foreigners who have joined Yahweh to worship him, to love Yahweh’s name, and to be his servants. All of them will keep the day of worship from becoming unholy and will faithfully observe the conditions of my promise. 7 Then I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, because my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Joyful in His House: Prayer for All People
“Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” — Isaiah 56:7
Isaiah 56:7 is a window into the heart of God—His desire to draw people near, to welcome them, and to fill them with joy in His presence.
The verse begins with the Lord’s personal promise: “Even them will I bring.”
This is not the language of reluctant tolerance, but of intentional grace.
God is not merely allowing outsiders to approach; He is bringing them Himself.
The journey toward God is never powered only by human willpower.
When the Lord draws, invites, and leads, He is revealing that salvation and belonging are ultimately His work.
If you have felt far off—distant because of sin, pain, history, or a sense of unworthiness—Isaiah 56:7 confronts that despair with a promise: God brings people to Himself.
He says He will bring them “to my holy mountain.”
Mountains in Scripture often represent nearness to God and a place of revelation, worship, and holy encounter.
Yet this is not a mountain made holy by human achievement.
It is “my holy mountain”—holiness belongs to the Lord, and access is granted by Him.
God does not call people to approach because they have made themselves clean enough; He brings them to a place where His holiness defines the atmosphere, and His mercy provides the way.
The invitation into God’s presence is always greater than the fear that we do not belong.
Then comes a surprising promise: “and make them joyful in my house of prayer.”
We might expect words about duty, strictness, or mere acceptance.
But the Lord speaks of joy.
Many people think of prayer as pressure—something we do to prove devotion, to earn favor, or to fix ourselves.
But God’s design for His house is not a room of spiritual performance; it is a place where joy is given.
Joy in God’s house does not mean life is easy; it means God is always near.
It means burdens can be brought into His presence, tears can be poured out honestly, and hope can be renewed.
When God makes someone joyful in His house of prayer, He is replacing the darkness of isolation with acceptance belonging and despair with expectation.
The verse continues: “their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar.”
In the Old Testament, offerings represented worship, repentance, gratitude, and dependence.
The stunning word here is “accepted.”
The Lord does not only permit prayer; He receives worship. He does not only hear a cry; He welcomes the one who cries. Acceptance upon God’s altar points to God’s willingness to receive what is offered in genuine heartfelt sincerity.
It also reminds us that true worship is costly—an offering placed before God.
While believers today do not bring burnt offerings in the same way, we still bring sacrifices: “the sacrifice of praise,” surrendered plans, humbled hearts, reconciled relationships, obedient steps taken in faith.
God’s promise is that what is laid before Him in true worship is not ignored; it is accepted.
In the Gospel narrative of Matthew, chapter 21, verse 13, we find these words of our Lord Jesus Christ:
“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.'”
Jesus entered Jerusalem and was cheered as a king—but not for very long.
In the next scene, Jesus went to the temple courts in Jerusalem.
And as he looked around, he became upset.
As Isaiah the prophet had noted many years earlier, the temple of the Lord was to be “a house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7).
God wanted it to be a place where people could connect with him.
The temple area was not meant to become a marketplace for selling animals and exchanging currency.
So Jesus overturned the tables and benches there and drove the merchants out.
Continuing in his ministry of drawing people to the Lord, Jesus healed people who came to him at the temple.
Some were blind, and others could not walk, and he healed them.
The temple authorities, however, did not like any of this.
They complained about the disruption, the children shouting “Hosanna” in the temple courts, and asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
“Yes,” he said, and asked if they knew the words of the psalm that said,
“From the lips of children and infants, you, Lord, have called forth your praise” (see Psalm 8:2).
But the religious leaders did not have the eyes of faith to see Jesus for who he was. Before long, they were plotting to kill him, in a few days they stirred up the deep hatred of the people and had them shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
We are, dear friends, the house of God, the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
We are the place where His Holy Spirit dwells.
And our Lord has declared that His house will be a house of prayer.
This is not a suggestion, it’s a divine declaration. It’s not a recommendation, it’s a divine proclamation. But what does it mean to be a house of prayer? What does it look like in our daily lives? And how can we live up to this high calling?
Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh Day Adventist church once said;
“Prayer Brings Increased Spiritual Strength—Those who seek God in secret telling the Lord their needs and pleading for help, will not plead in vain.Yes, my friends, prayer is more than a spiritual discipline, it’s a lifeline. It’s more than a religious duty, it’s a spiritual delight.“
Finally, the Lord declares: “for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” This statement stretches our hearts outward. God’s house is not meant to be a private club for the comfortable, the familiar, or the socially approved. It is “for all people”—a vision of breadth, welcome, and mission. If God calls His house a house of prayer for all people, then prayer cannot be reduced to personal benefit alone. Prayer becomes participation in God’s welcoming purpose. We pray for those who feel excluded. We intercede for those who are far from God. We make room in our hearts, our churches, and our lives for those Christ is drawing.
When the Lord Jesus returns, enters each of our respective churches, how long before He screams these immortal words into our ongoing sacrifice of worship ….? “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.'”
How long before our pews are summarily launched outside the church doors?
How long before Jesus sets His righteous anger against our altars, pulpits, our music, our offerings of communion, the eucharist, the Lord’s table itself also?
How long before He sets His eyes into the corners of the church where we are all huddling, trying to stay hidden, praying against the possibility of being seen?
What is going through the minds of our Clergy, when Lord Jesus eyeballs them?
Isaiah 56:7 calls us to a deep examination what we believe about God, prayer?
Do we see God as One who brings people in—or as One who keeps people out?
Do we approach prayer as a burden—or as a doorway into healing and His joy?
Do we treat worship as a performance—or as an offering God truly accepts?
And do we view God’s house as “for all people,” including those unlike us, those who hate us, those who have declared themselves as our enemy, those who have failed, who are searching, those who have never felt welcome anywhere else?
Today, pray, repent, seek out His love and forgiveness and come to Him again.
Ask the Lord to search out your heart, test your thoughts, root out that which is points towards the world, determines whether I am slow walking on evil paths? Then lead, guide direct me on the everlasting path. joyful in His house of prayer.
Bring Him your righteous “sacrifices”—your repentance, your praise, your need, your gratitude, your whole heart. And let your prayer life widen until it begins to reflect God’s own declaration: “an house of prayer for all people.”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. 2 Rather, he delights in the teachings of Yahweh and reflects on his teachings day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside streams— a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does.[a]
4 Wicked people are not like that. Instead, they are like husks that the wind blows away. 5 That is why wicked people will not be able to stand in the judgment and sinners will not be able to stand where righteous people gather.
6Yahweh knows the way of righteous people, but the way of wicked people will end.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
115 Not to us, Adonai, not to us, but to your name give glory, because of your grace and truth.
2 Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. 4 Their idols are mere silver and gold, made by human hands. 5 They have mouths, but they can’t speak; they have eyes, but they can’t see; 6 they have ears, but they can’t hear; they have noses, but they can’t smell; 7 they have hands, but they can’t feel; they have feet, but they can’t walk; with their throats they can’t make a sound. 8 The people who make them will become like them, along with everyone who trusts in them.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Twenty-First-Century Idol Worship ….
In today’s devotion, we are going to talk about a hot-button issue of the cult of personality—that is, the temptation to place people on pedestals and give them too much influence or power over us.
To frame our discussion properly, we need to go back to Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai.
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His people to obey.
Those commandments still play a significant role in the lives of God’s people, although some may seem to play a larger, more obvious role than others.
At first glance, the Second Commandment might seem like the least necessary of the ten today.
We will find the second Commandment in Exodus 20:4-6:
Exodus 20:4-6 Complete Jewish Bible
4 You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. 5 You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot.
Some people might argue that golden calves and other graven images aren’t twenty-first-century problems.
And while it’s true that most believers today aren’t tempted to smelt gold to create pagan tchotchkes, the second Commandment is still extremely relevant.
The reality is that idols come in all shapes and sizes because people come in all shapes and sizes.
Many well-meaning believers fall head first into the trap of making idols out of people they admire.
Have you ever heard of a sports hero?
How about American Idol?
How about the winners of Survivor?
How about a high energy, ultra rich, ultra influential celebrity …. film, music?
We use the phrases somewhat jokingly: “That person is a sports god” or “I idolize that person. He’s a guitar god.”
But the way too many people look at certain individuals, it could be that they have obsessively, compulsively, shaped and molded a person into their ‘god.’
We can make idols out of people in the church, too.
We can make an idol out of a man or woman of God, someone whom the Lord has powerfully used to bless us.
We can start to admire them too much.
But here’s what we need to remind ourselves: Those people are human just like us. They will be wrong. They will fail us. They will disappoint us. They will give in to temptation. They will struggle in certain areas of their livesjust we ourselves do.
The problem is that people become like the gods they worship.
Psalm 115 sternly warns,“Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (verses 4, 8).
The only ONE who deserves that position in our lives is God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He alone is 1000% deserving of our worship.
Reflection question: How can we keep ourselves from elevating people too high too much in our life? And God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – not nearly enough?
The Echoes of Our Trust: Becoming Like What We Reverence
Psalm 115:8 states Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
8 They who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in and lean on them.
This profound verse serves as a reflective mirror that brings to light the nature of our affections and the broken impulsive state of our hearts.
In a world saturated with distractions and competing allegiances, politics. this scripture calls us to examine precisely what— or whom— we place our trust in.
The context of Psalm 115 paints a vivid picture of the futility of idolatry.
Psalmist contrasts the living God with lifeless idols crafted by human hands.
The idols made of silver and gold are worthless, unable to see, hear, or speak— they possess no genuine power or life.
Those who create these idols, and subsequently trust in them, do so at the risk of becoming blind, deaf, and mute in their own spiritual journeys.
When we rely on anything created by human imagination, than by the Creator, we risk becoming like those very things— powerless and devoid of true life.
Trust is an intimate act.
It isn’t merely a passive acknowledgment of something’s existence; rather, it is an investment of our hearts, minds, and spirits into something we believe can provide for us, protect us, or give us purpose.
The psalmist warns us that our investments shape us.
What we trust will inform our actions, our character, and ultimately, our relationship with God.
When we place our trust in the ephemeral— whether it’s material possessions, social status, or individuals— we run the risk of our mirroring their limitations rather than reflecting the glory of our Creator.
Consider the significance of trust in practical terms.
When we trust in money, we might find ourselves consumed by greed and anxiety, always longing for more and never satisfied.
This anxiety birthed from misplaced trust impacts, how we do interact with others, often twisting our relationships into transactional exchanges rather than genuine bonds of love and grace.
On the contrary, trusting in the living God cultivates confidence and peace, and strength and generosity, marking us as mirrored reflections of His character.
Moreover, as images of God, our identity finds itself shaped by higher ideals and virtues.
In Isaiah 40:31, we are reminded that those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles.
This paints a beautiful contrast to the idea of becoming like the idols we craft.
Instead of becoming powerless like lifeless idols, we can be invigorated and empowered by the Most High.
As we further meditate on Psalm 115:8, let us ask ourselves: what are all those “idolized” commitments of our heart?
What has captured our trust?
Are we turning to our careers, our relationships, our pensions or perhaps the impulsive reckless pursuit of worldly pleasures in times of stress and anxiety?
Do we anchor our trust in God, the Creator who is alive, active, and incessantly working on our behalf?
True trust leads us toward transformation into His likeness.
When we place our faith in God, we become participants in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
Our lives begin to reflect His attributes— love, joy, peace, patience— qualities that cannot be replicated through idols or worldly concerns.
Instead of becoming stagnant imitations of that which cannot fulfill, we’ll become vibrant testimonies of faith, emerging from the depths of His grace.
So today, let this verse sit heavily upon our hearts.
Let it compel us to evaluate our engagements and reassess our trust.
Pray fervently, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate areas where we may have erected idols, knowingly or unknowingly.
Let us rush toward the living God, anchoring our trust in Him alone, allowing His majestic character to transform our lives and reflect His glory to the world around us.
In doing so, we break free from the voluminous echoes of lifeless idols and step lively into the vibrant abundant life He offers us.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 113 Complete Jewish Bible
113Halleluyah!
Servants of Adonai, give praise! Give praise to the name of Adonai! 2 Blessed be the name of Adonai from this moment on and forever! 3 From sunrise until sunset Adonai’s name is to be praised. 4 Adonai is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like Adonai our God, seated in the heights, 6 humbling himself to look on heaven and on earth.
7 He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the needy from the rubbish heap, 8 in order to give him a place among princes, among the princes of his people.
9 He causes the childless woman to live at home happily as a mother of children.
Halleluyah!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,(A) and in view of his appearing(B) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:(C)2 Preach(D) the word;(E) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke(F) and encourage(G)—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.(H) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.(I)4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.(J)5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,(K) do the work of an evangelist,(L) discharge all the duties of your ministry.
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Preach the word.
Three simple words.
One powerful command.
The message of the passage is straightforward.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, we must faithfully proclaim God’s word and sound teaching regardless of the world’s acceptance or hostility.
So, can we consistently, faithfully, obey this command to preach His Word?
The book of 2 Timothy was written by Paul to Timothy as a letter of instruction as to how he was to pastor and lead the church.
This passage (4:1-5), is often used when giving a charge to a newly ordained pastor – and rightly so.
Yet we should not see this passage as only speaking to or applying to pastors.
The books of our New Testament were mostly letters written to encourage, inspire, individuals and specific churches in their living out of the gospel.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the church recognized these letters were instructive for the whole church and carried them around to others for their edification.
Thus with a passage like this one, we can appreciate how much it speaks to a particular group, but we must not lose sight that all of scripture is instructive and beneficial to the whole church.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 commands us to correctly, faithfully, courageously, preach the Word, minister by the full truth, both for God’s glory and mankind’s blessing.
One Body of Christ, ministering together; One God, One Message, One Truth.
The enormous message of One God, One Love, one man, one Cross, one death, one sacrifice, one resurrection; one eternal salvation, have we ever received so complex a message, with such far reaching life altering implications it felt like the full weight of a mountain is on your shoulder—steady, strong, and timely?
Such is the magnitude of accountability, of responsibility, God has placed upon the shoulders of all those whom He summons to communicate His Good News.
Paul’s words to Timothy read exactly like that: a seasoned shepherd speaking to a younger servant, a father in the faith speaking to a son in the faith, from one generation to the next, ad infinitum, until that time when Jesus Christ returns.
Envision the moment.
The room is small, the air is cold, and time is short, yet the tone is warm and courageous and instructive.
Paul doesn’t clear his throat with vague pleasantries.
He firmly sets his gaze on God’s presence and Christ’s appearing, he chains Timothy’s entire life, his entire future, to one unshakeable bedrock of truth.
You can almost hear the quill pause and the chains clink as he writes,
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,(A) and in full view of his appearing(B) and his kingdom, I charge you …” 2 Preach(D) the word;(E) be prepared in season and out of season; to correct, and also rebuke(F) and to encourage(G)—with great patience and careful instruction.
Why this specific admonition?
3 For the time will surely come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.(H) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.(I)4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.(J)5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,(K) do the work of an evangelist,(L) discharge all the duties of your ministry.
{to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from all truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]}.
God does not change with the passage of time.
God’s truth does not change with the passage of time.
Mankind’s truth changes with every breath they take, maybe even faster.
We need to hear, be taught, that charge which Paul gave to his protege Timothy.
When headlines howl mightier than the greatest most destructive of winds, and hearts feel heavy, when opinions multiply as the value of Pi ends, and attention spans shrink, and biblical education wanes, we need words that steady the soul.
We live in days of dazzling screens and drifting standards—days that can make the faithful feel small and insignificant and God’s message feels outside of time.
So what do we do?
Matthew 7:24-27 English Standard Version
Build Your House on the Rock
24(A)“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like (B)a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like (C)a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
We remember whose eyes are on us.
We remember whose Word we carry.
We remember the one Foundation, the Cornerstone of God’s gospel, does not, nor will not wobble, even when the ground around us seems sandy and shaky.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
That sentence sounds severe until you remember the One who went first.
Jesus never sends us where he has not already stepped.
He walked into the storm and spoke peace. He walked to the cross and spoke forgiveness.
He walked out of the tomb and spoke life.
So when Apostle Paul says, “preach the word,” he isn’t handing us a burden that utterly shatters our backs; he’s handing us a banner that lifts our heads.
Courage grows when we remember the Caller.
Clarity grows when we remember the message.
Compassion grows when we remember the people right in front of us.
Some of us feel tired—tired of pushing against the current, tired of questions that seem to have quicksand answers, tired of carrying quiet griefs few can see.
Hear this:
God sees you.
Your work in the Word is never wasted.
Your quiet faithfulness is noticed by the One whose appearing shatters the night.
He does not measure your worth by your platform, your pace, or your public applause.
He delights in your obedience.
He strengthens your hands.
He supplies grace for every assignment he gives.
This passage from 2 Timothy 4:1-5 reads like a trumpet—clear, compelling, and calling us to move forward with no regard to whatever might hinder us.
It summons preachers and laity, parents, teachers and teenagers, elders and encouragers.
It whispers to the timid and it wakes the tired.
It tells us, in the plainest way, what to do when trends tangle truth and when trials tap on every door: to open your Bible, open your mouth, open your life.
Speak the Gospel, God’s Word’s of unchanging Truth with courage.
Stand steady in the storm.
Keep going until the last lap is run and the last amen is said.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
Psalm 119:1-16 Complete Jewish Bible
א (Alef)
119 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless, who live by the Torah of Adonai! 2 How happy are those who observe his instruction, who seek him wholeheartedly! 3 They do nothing wrong but live by his ways. 4 You laid down your precepts for us to observe with care. 5 May my ways be steady in observing your laws. 6 Then I will not be put to shame, since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot. 7 I thank you with a sincere heart as I learn your righteous rulings. 8 I will observe your laws; don’t completely abandon me!
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; don’t let me stray from your mitzvot. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, Adonai! Teach me your laws. 13 I proclaim with my mouth all the rulings you have spoken. 14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction more than in any kind of wealth. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and keep my eyes on your ways. 16 I will find my delight in your regulations. I will not forget your word.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Let my whole being[a] praise the Lord! 2 I will praise the Lord with all my life; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
3 Don’t trust leaders; don’t trust any human beings— there’s no saving help with them! 4 Their breath leaves them, then they go back to the ground. On that very same day, their plans die too.
5 The person whose help is the God of Jacob— the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God— is truly happy! 6 God: the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, God: who is faithful forever, 7 who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving! The Lord: who frees prisoners. 8 The Lord: who makes the blind see. The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low. The Lord: who loves the righteous. 9 The Lord: who protects immigrants, who helps orphans and widows, but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!
10 The Lord will rule forever! Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!
Praise the Lord!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Psalm 146 is a rousing song of praise that celebrates God’s faithfulness.
We are reminded in this heart pumping psalm to praise the Lord and put our trust in him alone. For God alone“reigns forever . . . for all generations.”
“All glory to our God and King!” And it calls us to sing “Alleluia,” which means “Praise the Lord!” We give all praise because “Christ, the Savior of the world . . . has truly come!” We sing “Alleluia” because Christ’s is the highest name of all.
We are briskly reminded in Psalm 146 that God is the Maker of all things and that “he remains faithful forever.” With the coming of Christ, God fulfills his ancient promises to send forth the Messiah, the Savior; He is faithful forever.
Christ our King is alive! And because of his birth, life, death, and resurrection, he demonstrates his complete supremacy over all. He comes to uphold “the cause of the oppressed,” to give “food to the hungry.” He “sets the prisoners free . . . gives sight to the blind,” and “lifts up those who are bowed down.”
And because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ reigns forever, we sing “Alleluia” until we shake the foundations of heaven; we “praise the Lord all of our lives.”
As a child, I remember asking my parents for reassurance after getting hurt or becoming ill: “Are you sure I will get better? Do you promise?” Usually, my mother would nod her head before assuring me that I would feel better soon. Only later did I learn that I was wrong to ask my parents to promise something they could never keep. Protect me from every harm and disaster? That is something no human can do.
Children naturally seek this protection, but the need for security remains as adults. We can often make the same mistake by misplacing our hopes: We cling to friends, spouses, governments, and rulers thinking they can provide the safety we crave, the promise that nothing bad will touch us or those we love. Only with time and experience do we learn not to put our hopes in people, for they will inevitably let us down.
What do we mean when we say “I hope so”?
If we are believers, hope is not just hope for its own sake, but hope in something and hope in someone.
We are invited to hope not by our own strength nor by the strength of anything in the world around us.
Rather, we are invited to hope by the character of God.
From those most ancient of days, God makes and keeps His promises, which means we can have a living hope for the future because of the Lord our God.
Psalm 146 points out the futility of trusting in earthly rulers and other leaders.
Although we might like to put our hope in princes of industry or in political leaders or in our own good efforts, this psalm makes it crystal clear that all those things will certainly decay, rust into complete uselessness, fade away.
Even our most respected human heroes have their limits.
The only true, remaining permanent source of perfect hope is the Lord God.
Acts 10:34-43 Common English Bible
34 Peter said, “I really am learning that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another.35 Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 This is the message of peace that he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all! 37 You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism John preached. 38 You know about Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and endowed with power. Jesus traveled around doing good and healing everyone oppressed by the devil because God was with him. 39 We are witnesses of everything he did, both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him up on the third day and allowed him to be seen, 41 not by everyone but by us. We are witnesses whom God chose beforehand, who ate and drank with him after God raised him from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Unlike the princes of ancient Israel and many political leaders today, the Lord cares for more than just the wealthy and powerful. The Lord makes promises in Psalm 146 to all people who are oppressed, hungry, imprisoned, and blind.
No matter who you are or how hopeless you may feel at times, God is the one true source of authentic unfailing hope. In times of despair, look first to him as your help for today and your hope for tomorrow.
Scripture tells us not to put our trust in humans since they have no ability to ultimately save us, and they will face an end like everyone else (Psalm 118:8-9; Isaiah 2:22).
Instead, we are to look to the Lord, who “is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — he remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:6).
He alone is the One who can give us the security and salvation we seek.
Not only does He sustain us, but He provides us with more blessings than we could ever deserve or imagine.
Instead of looking to something or someone to help us feel safe or reassured, may we look to the One who is the Author and Sustainer of life.
He breaks the chains of the oppressed and protects the vulnerable.
Out of anyone in our lives, even the most trustworthy, the Lord is the only One who will never let us down (Hebrews 13:5-6).
He won’t promise that nothing bad will ever touch us, or our loved ones, again.
But He does promise to be with us always.
And our future hope in Christ is forever secure: all will be well when we walk with Him in eternity.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 27 Complete Jewish Bible
27 (0) By David:
(1) Adonai is my light and salvation; whom do I need to fear? Adonai is the stronghold of my life; of whom should I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assailed me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and foes, they stumbled and fell. 3 If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if war breaks out against me, even then I will keep trusting.
4 Just one thing have I asked of Adonai; only this will I seek: to live in the house of Adonai all the days of my life, to see the beauty of Adonai and visit in his temple. 5 For he will conceal me in his shelter on the day of trouble, he will hide me in the folds of his tent, he will set me high on a rock. 6 Then my head will be lifted up above my surrounding foes, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, sing praises to Adonai.
7 Listen, Adonai, to my voice when I cry; show favor to me; and answer me. 8 “My heart said of you, ‘Seek my face.’” Your face, Adonai, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, don’t turn your servant away in anger. You are my help; don’t abandon me; don’t leave me, God my savior. 10 Even though my father and mother have left me, Adonai will care for me. 11 Teach me your way, Adonai; lead me on a level path because of my enemies — 12 don’t give me up to the whims of my foes; for false witnesses have risen against me, also those who are breathing violence.
13 If I hadn’t believed that I would see Adonai’s goodness in the land of the living, . . . 14 Put your hope in Adonai, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in Adonai!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
27 Why do you complain, Ya‘akov; why do you say, Isra’el, “My way is hidden from Adonai, my rights are ignored by my God”? 28 Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard that the everlasting God, Adonai, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary? His understanding cannot be fathomed. 29 He invigorates the exhausted, he gives strength to the powerless. 30 Young men may grow tired and weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings; when they are running they won’t grow weary, when they are walking they won’t get tired.
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Mistakes of God’s People?
God’s people were discouraged and feeling helpless.
Despite the majesty God had shown for them in the uniqueness of his being and the greatness of his work, the people were mistaken in two ways.
First, they thought God had forgotten them.
They began to doubt God’s goodness and care.
They were like deists, who imagine that God is distant and indifferent to our struggles.
Second, they thought God was being unfair to them.
They believed they had special rights that were not being delivered to them.
They accused God of neglect and injustice.
They did not see God’s loving care in his discipline.
They ignored his commands and his call to love him with all their heart, soul, and strength and to love their neighbors as themselves (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; see Matthew 22:34-40).
God’s discipline is not done without love.
Storms in life may come, but they do not nullify God’s care.
We are loved by God, and he graciously gives us life and offers us forgiveness despite egregiousness of our sins.
Egregiousness being extremely bad or glaringly wrong in a way that stands out. It can describe conduct or errors that are far beyond a reasonable degree.
We are chosen not on the basis of how good we are or what we have done.
We are saved by grace through faith in the Lord and by the power of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
Through Jesus we are freed to approach the altar of God with humility and gratitude, no matter what our circumstances might be.
In the bustling chaos of life, it can be easy to become weary, fatigued, and overwhelmed.
Isaiah 40:28-31 serves as a powerful reminder we aren’t alone in our struggles.
Our strength can be renewed through a meaningful relationship with God, the everlasting Creator.
The opening verse in this passage immediately commands our attention:
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?”
As we ponder these words, we are invited to reflect on the majesty of our God.
He is everlasting, He is the Creator who has continually sustained the universe.
Unlike humanity, He does not grow weary; His power is limitless, and His understanding is unfathomable.
This brings to light an important truth:
when we feel threatened by exhaustion, God remains steadfast and unyielding.
It is in recognizing His nature that we can find comfort and strength.
The verse continues with a beautiful promise:
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”
Here lies a direct invitation for us to cast the weight of our burdens upon Him.
In moments of weakness, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, it is crucial to acknowledge our limitations and understand it is God who bestows strength.
There is a grace that comes when we admit our own frailty and turn towards Him. For those who feel like they are about to collapse under the weight of life – financially, relationally, or in terms of purpose – this assurance provides hope.
Isaiah recognizes that even the strongest among us can become weak: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.”
Youth typically symbolizes vigor and vitality.
Even those who seem physically and emotionally invincible can succumb to weariness.
This acknowledgement serves to remind us that vulnerability is universal, despite age or status.
It calls us to be compassionate towards ourselves and towards others who may be struggling.
No matter how strong or how invulnerable we appear, we all are susceptible to extended weights and measures of fatigue, both physically and spiritually.
The following verse provides one of the most profound promises in Scripture for those who decide to wait upon the LORD:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
The stunning imagery of soaring on eagle’s wings evokes a sense of liberation and divine strength.
Eagles are fascinating creatures; glide effortlessly at great heights, displaying resilience and grace.
Likewise, when we wait on the Lord, we are equipped with grace and strength and resilience that goes far beyond our human capability.
“Wait upon the LORD,” an active process, steeped in hope, trust, and obedience.
Waiting can often feel passive, but biblically, it is filled with expectation and preparation.
It is a time of praying, seeking, and understanding God’s will for our lives.
In our waiting, we are cultivating the faith which sustains us through trials.
God promises not just to refresh us but also to empower us abundantly in ways we cannot even begin to fathom.
As we reflect on this verse, let’s take a moment to assess our hearts.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Names of God Bible
5 Trust Yahweh with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.[a]
Are we relying on our own understanding and strength, or are we seeking to anchor our lives in the everlasting nature of God?
Proverbs 3:7-8 Names of God Bible
7 Do not consider yourself wise. Fear Yahweh, and turn away from evil. 8 Then your body will be healed, and your bones will have nourishment.
Let us bring our weariness to Him and embrace His promise to renew and sustain us.
May we learn to rest in His presence, finding strength to rise, run, and walk without weariness, trusting in His perfect timing.
Proverbs 3:13-18 Names of God Bible
13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who obtains understanding. 14 The profit gained from wisdom is greater than the profit gained from silver. Its yield is better than fine gold. 15 Wisdom is more precious than jewels, and all your desires cannot equal it. 16 Long life is in wisdom’s right hand. In wisdom’s left hand are riches and honor. 17 Wisdom’s ways are pleasant ways, and all its paths lead to peace. 18 Wisdom is a tree of life for those who take firm hold of it. Those who cling to it are blessed.
Ultimately, these passages serves not just as a comfort but as a divine call to rely more fully on the One who holds, shapes the entire universe in His hands.
Being tired and weary doesn’t mean we have failed or missed the mark on something.
Sometimes weariness is a direct result of our doing good and wholeheartedly putting ourselves into something.
Other times, we can use our level of exhaustion as a question to ask ourselves,
“Is what I am doing a calling from God or an invitation to seek rest and sabbath?”
Do an honest full body scan as you answer these questions honestly:
How is your mind? Do you feel centered on God, or are you trying to gather all the scattered thoughts?
How is your heart? Name the things or people tugging on your heart and causing division.
How does your body feel? Are you healthy? Does something seem off?
Exodus 20:8-11 Complete Jewish Bible
ד 8 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.
Finally, in your life, where are you tired or weary?
Our Scripture tonight starts with the best news ever!
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
As you reflect upon your answers to those questions above, name the places where you need God’s strength and invite Him in.
As we read more into our Scripture, we are reminded, “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.”
Hope is not wishful thinking or happy optimism.
Hope is rooted in who God is and the promises He has made.
Hope is placing your confidence in God, not in your circumstances or in how you feel.
God isn’t asking us to muster more strength from within ourselves, but instead, invites us to place our hope in Him.
Hope is what we hang on to when weariness is present. We may not know how we will keep going, but God already has a rescue plan in place. What comfort!
The final piece to our reflection, “They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
Not every season is a soaring season.
If you’re burnt out, seek weekly Sabbath, daily time with God, and allow yourself to say no to things, people, or events that won’t energize you.
Allow His presence to keep you walking, one step at a time, relying upon His strength and not your own.
Finding new strength isn’t on you.
God has lovingly offered it.
Today, invite the Holy Spirit to refresh your heart, mind, and body, letting go of draining past seasons.
Allow God to breathe new life into your lungs and energy into your soul!
THREE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS TO MEDITATE ON
What has caused weariness in your life lately?
Meditate on the word “hope.” What is your hope connected to?
In your own words, praise God for the strength and refreshment He is already imparting to you tonight.
Go Deeper: When You’re Emotionally Exhausted: Finding Hope and Strength to Keep Going
Have you ever finished a long day, looked at everything you didn’t get done, and felt like you were falling behind?
I have.
Sometimes we’re carrying far more than anyone can see, yet we still expect ourselves to keep going as though nothing is heavy.
Today, we don’t need a game plan to strive, hustle, or try harder tomorrow.
The same God who carried us through the draining season is the exact same God who is going to refresh, restore renew and prepare you for the next season.
Receive His strength, rest, peace, much more importantly, His living presence.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
Psalm 119:25-32 Complete Jewish Bible
ד (Dalet)
25 I lie prostrate in the dust; revive me, in keeping with your word. 26 I told you of my ways, and you answered me; teach me your laws. 27 Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wonders. 28 I am melting away from anxiety and grief; renew my strength, in keeping with your word. 29 Keep deceitful ways far from me, and favor me with your Torah. 30 I choose the way of trust; I set your rulings [before me]. 31 I cling to your instruction; Adonai, don’t let me be put to shame! 32 I will run the way of your mitzvot, for you have broadened my understanding.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In a day and age when intervening in someone’s life is no longer politically or socially correct, these verses ring out like a howitzer barrage on a still night.
Sin is still real and is just as deceptive and deadly as ever.
Yet because we fear being physically beaten, or branded judgmental and self-righteous, we let many being entrapped in sin progress to their spiritual death (Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:12-13; James 1:14-15).
Paul calls us to nonjudgmental, gentle intervention because we recognize the not so subtle gravity of sin, sheer magnitude of that sinner’s need, quickness without procrastination, without feeling arrogant about our righteousness.
We approach the situation humbly because the phrase, “There but for the grace of God go I,” applies to us.
Nevertheless, love doesn’t remain silent when someone’s behavior is self-destructive, evil, taking them to “hell in a handbasket,” as the old saying goes.
Instead, genuine love intervenes humbly, gently, and graciously to redeem.
When a loved one makes a sinful choice, it can be enormously painful to watch.
We are urged by society to tolerate anything that makes a person happy, but that is a cultural expectation, not a Biblical one.
So, we dive head long in with the loving intention of both shedding light on sin and helping and guiding to restore a believer to a right relationship with God.
Galatians 6:1 teaches: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”
Yet even when our intentions are loving, the response we receive might not be a softened heart.
It might be rejection, anger, or distance.
Sin rarely affects only the person caught in it, and confronting someone we love can be daunting.
We need wisdom to handle those conversations well—and grace to weather the response when it hurts.
We also need other believers.
Scripture reminds us that we were designed to live as the body of Christ:
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).
We lift one another up as Paul instructs, both with physical presence, in prayer.
Tempting as it is to keep a loved one’s sin issue private, we cannot help them by ourselves.
That means we do not have to carry every burden alone.
While we should never expose someone’s private struggles carelessly, there are times when seeking other’s prayer and wisdom from a trusted, discreet believer can and will help us carry the burden faithfully.
Not inviting others to pray also robs other believers of a chance to do something wonderful and to be party to the whole drama as it plays out, from the anguish of a person’s sin to (God willing) his or her restoration.
Moreover, when we isolate ourselves, we are more likely to become proud or discouraged, believing that we have some kind of superhuman role to play or forgetting the hope of the gospel.
Other believers remind us Christ is the miracle worker and no one is beyond the reach of His sovereignty.
When we are hurting because a sinner will not turn back to Jesus, we need other Christians to intercede, point us back to the resurrection power of our Savior.
English poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island unto himself.”
We need to realize we are all members of a larger community of love and faith.
No believer in Christ should think they are totally independent of others.
No Christian should ever think he is on his own.
As in a family, relationships in the body of Christ— the church—function best when there’s a deep-felt awareness and heartfelt concern for others, even while maintaining healthy boundaries.
The common good requires our working to restore relationships that are broken by sin— and doing so with a spirit of gentleness and self-awareness.
Whatever sin a person is guilty of, we must not boast nor judge, “That would never happen to me!”
Such pride is the first step toward a mighty fall.
A humble, gentle inquiry “How may I help?” or “How may I pray for you?” can be the beginning toward gaining someone’s confidence without interfering.
People need to feel safe, privacy, even when being helped in a sinful situation.
Gentle restoration demands respecting the person as one of God’s imagebearers and allowing personal privacy.
Different people have different needs in terms of their personal space.
Healthy relationships allow for various needs.
After all, each one of us is unique.
After all, each one of us has a heartbeat.
Each of our heartbeats do not want, nor need to be, overstressed or burdened.
And we all have burdens to bear.
We can speak the truth assertively and gently.
We can love faithfully.
We can pray continually.
We can seek wise support.
And then we can place the person we love into the hands of the One who loves them even more than we do.
In the name of God, the Gather and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
7 “Do not mortals have hard service(A) on earth?(B) Are not their days like those of hired laborers?(C) 2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,(D) or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,(E) 3 so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me.(F) 4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’(G) The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.(H) 5 My body is clothed with worms(I) and scabs, my skin is broken and festering.(J)
6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,(K) and they come to an end without hope.(L) 7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(M) my eyes will never see happiness again.(N)
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Having replied to Eliphaz, Job now addresses his complaint toward God.
He pointedly describes his life with several metaphors: the hard life of a day laborer, a slave longing for evening to come, the swiftness of a weaver’s shuttle, a breath, and a vanishing cloud.
Despite the magnitude of his trouble, Job is determined to speak and not keep silent. He primarily accuses God of being overattentive and unrealistic in his expectations, claiming that, unlike the chaos creatures, he is no threat to order and therefore does not warrant God’s around the clock constant attention.
Job confesses that he is a sinner, but he cannot understand why God refuses to forgive him. Still, putting his personal tragedy into the larger context of others’ suffering shows that Job has begun the long painful arduous journey to healing.
In Verses 1-2 of Job 7, Job questions the length of man’s service – especially hard labour. He likens the days of man’s life to that of a hired man at work.
A servant who works so hard in the field desires to rest in the shade of trees at the end of his workday. And a hired man eagerly looks for his wages at the end of the day (day wages). And Job likens himself to the servant and the hired man.
Now that he is facing the toughest trial (which Job likens to hard service) of his life, he is looking for shade and his wages. Job is looking for some much needed relief and rest from his situation.
In Verses 3-5 of Job 7, Job laments that he has been allotted futile months and troublesome nights.
Job’s body is so covered with boils that lying down is useless for he cannot get a moment’s sleep nor rest because his flesh is caked with worms and dust.
And, to keep his aggravation scale at 100/100 his skin continued to break out afresh with boils and worms began to creep in them.
Hence, rightfully, as a human, Job is in utter torment and he neither finds rest during the day nor night.
No human being can handle what he is going through (except God in the flesh – Jesus). Anyone in his place would like to be done with the trial, done with life.
In Verses 6-8 of Job 7, Job talks about the swiftness of his days because they are perceived as hopeless. He compares his life to a breath which has no guarantee of living and is short lived and declares that he will never see any good again.
He also tells that the eyes of those who see him will never see him again.
Moreover, while their eyes are upon him, he will die.
In Verses 9-10 of Job 7, Job compares the clouds in the sky that disappears to the dead man and the grave.
A dead man shall never return to his house and his place shall not know the dead man anymore, his eternal home will be his grave which wont be recalled.
Here the sky is the metaphor for the house and the cloud is the dead man.
The cloud in the sky is never permanent in one place.
Once, it changes form or moves, the sky does not remember the cloud which was once present in that particular location.
In one moment, we can see the cloud and the next moment it is not there.
It is as fleeting as the winds and man’s life is a passing cloud.
Through these verses we see Job’s utter distress.
He has totally given up on life and hope.
According to Job, all was lost.
In Verse 11 of Job 7, Job declares he will not restrain his mouth anymore and he will speak in the anguish of his spirit and he will continue to complain because his soul was bitter.
Job Loathes His Life
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me? 13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,’ 14 Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me with visions, 15 So that my soul chooses strangling And death rather than my body. 16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath.
In Verses 12-14 of Job 7, Job questions God as to why He has set a guard over Job as if he were as powerful as the sea or the sea serpent (Leviathan).
He also tells that God scared him with dreams and terrifying visions when he went to lie down in his bed or his couch.
Because of all these terrifying dreams and visions coupled with his hopeless situation and suffering, Job says that his soul has chosen strangulation and death rather than the will to continue to live. He chose death rather than life.
In Verse 16, Job openly declares that he loathes his life and he would not live forever. In fact, he wants his suffering to end right then, at that very moment.
He asks God to leave him alone as the rest of his days are as short as a breath.
Observation
Job is like any other human being.
When humans face trials, they automatically question God.
However, Job was undergoing an extreme trial, (the toughest trial of his life and probably even the toughest that any human being in his time had faced).
And in his human nature he questions God. He speaks about his frailty as a human (he points out that he is not as powerful as the sea nor the sea serpent).
He asks why something as frail as a human life, as any human body which is short as a breath, should endure this much suffering.
Some of us might feel the urge to judge Job for questioning God (how dare He questions God) or we might complain that he is lamenting too much about his condition instead of looking to the faith he had and renewing his trust in God.
Most of the chapters of the book of Job are about Job’s long lamentation and harsh questioning.
However, no one can truly understand his trial and suffering except himself.
Job’s questioning is between Job and God.
And the way he questions God shows he must have had a deeper relationship with God in order to have the right, courage to go to Him, and ask Him such pointed questions.
Afterall, it is our sinful human nature during trials to question God for answers.
Because only God has all the answers.
For us today, it helps to remember these are the words of a deeply despondent man. Even those biblical characters with great faith have moments of despair; Moses wanted to die, as did Elijah, David knew he was going to lose his own son.
This brings us to the end of Job 7. I must admit this was a difficult chapter to do a reflection on as most of it is self-explanatory and also is emotionally intense.
We can literally feel the depth of Job’s distress and desperation for his suffering through to end in this chapter.
Additional thoughts ….
Isaiah 53:1-6 New International Version
53 Who has believed our message(A) and to whom has the arm(B) of the Lord been revealed?(C) 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,(D) and like a root(E) out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance(F) that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering,(G) and familiar with pain.(H) Like one from whom people hide(I) their faces he was despised,(J) and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,(K) yet we considered him punished by God,(L) stricken by him, and afflicted.(M) 5 But he was pierced(N) for our transgressions,(O) he was crushed(P) for our iniquities; the punishment(Q) that brought us peace(R) was on him, and by his wounds(S) we are healed.(T) 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(U) each of us has turned to our own way;(V) and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity(W) of us all.
Perhaps you know how lonely and terrible grief is.
Perhaps you have wondered if God cares.
What gives hope when our hearts break?
What gives hope when our hearts are utterly shattered?
In Jesus, we see the tears and the heart of God.
Jesus had compassion for the people – he fed them by the thousands.
Jesus healed many who came to him.
Jesus healed the women with the issue of twelve years of bleeding.
Jesus’ heart went out to a grieving widow whose son had died (Luke 7:13).
He wept with Mary at her brother’s tomb (John 11:35).
Jesus is gentle with the hurting: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out”(Matthew 12:20).
Jesus suffered, for our sake, all of the pain and sorrow caused by everyone’s sin.
He fulfilled His promise and was raised to life by His Father – Resurrection!
He promises to remove all mourning and crying and pain when he comes again (Revelation 21:4).
How do we deal with the difficulties we face?
Do they turn us, drive us away from faith or drive us deeper in our faith?
Do we isolate ourselves or seek solace from the community around us?
God never promises life will be easy on this side of eternity, God does promise to be present with us through the Holy Spirit.
He is our comfort as we face the major and minor storms of life; we are held up by the God who is infinitely bigger than the most extreme of our problems.
He also knits us into a community of believers who gather together to hold one another up in times of struggle.
Because He lives …. We never have to go it alone.
Because He lives …. My life is always worth living.
Because He lives …. There will always be the promise of one more tomorrow.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying ….
Psalm 30
Joy in the Morning
A psalm; a dedication song for the house. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up(A) and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.(B) 2 Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.(C) 3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol;(D) you spared me from among those going down[a] to the Pit.(E)
4 Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.(F) 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.(G)
6 When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”(H) 7 Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain;(I) when you hid your face, I was terrified.(J) 8 Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:(K) 9 “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?(L) 10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”(M)
11 You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,(N) 12 so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.(O)
